Agilent Technologies Inc. tailored its electromagnetic design system (EMDS) for RF and microwave circuit designers. And it integrates with the developer’s RF and microwave circuit design and simulation flow.  This first release of the Agilent EMDS provides basic design-flow integration with its Advanced Design System (ADS), allowing users to bring layout designs from ADS into EMDS for full 3D analysis. Agilent plans to include increasing levels of integration with ADS and with the company's GENESYS environment.

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Circuit designers have recognized the benefits of accounting for 3D EM effects when designs include passive structures such as component-level bond wires, connectors, packages and machined parts. Because the high-end 3-D EM simulators on the market demand a much higher price than common circuit-simulation tools, RF and microwave engineers have often skipped the EM analysis step, relying instead on "best guesses" regarding 3-D EM effects on circuit performance, according to Agilent Technologies.

EMDS allows analysis and visualization of EM effects that provide insight into the design performance. Designers can use it to make informed decisions and adjustments before physical prototyping begins. This reduces or eliminates costly design iterations, and can save months in a typical product-development cycle.

Starting next month, the EMDS will be available to selected beta-test customers. For more information about how companies can participate in beta-code evaluation, visit www.agilent.com/find/eesof-betatest. The Agilent EMDS 2006A is expected to ship in July 2006, with prices starting at $15,000.