What is Touchstone ?

this is one kind of data format of S parameter data
and it is the most popular one

touch stone is a data format of the network, y can define the impedance or other parameters of the network, then y can use the ADS to do the simulation

You can find the origin of the term Touchstone here:

h**p://www.microwaves101.com/encyclopedia/historyCAD.cfm#touchstone

It seems that Touchstone was actually software created by EEsof. The term touchstone evolved from there to become a specific format for s-parameter files with the extension .s1p, s2p, s3p etc.

Hi

Touchstone is an ancient microwave/RF analysis program developed by EEsoft company in late 80-ies. The company was bought by HP (now Agilent). They established many things that are inhereted by the microwave comunity, one being the file format for S parameters.

flyhigh

Touchstone! Man, what a paradigm shift that was. A complete simulation and optimization program for the personal computer (and believe me, personal computers were pretty basic back then!). Until touchstone came around, you needed an IBM mainframe somewhere to do your analysis! I think I still have a version of it cranking around on one of my old computers. Great homage needs to be paid!

Unfortunate that they got gobbled up! Think what wonderful and low cost software we would have right now if they were not bought out by the big boys!

Speaking of which, are there any good really low cost (<S1000) linear and non-linear analysis programs out there? Some bunch of inventive knurds must be able to beat the Agilent, etc lumbering behemouths! In think a full version of Touchstone (excuse me, Genesys) is pushing S20,000 now! I think the yearly maintenance fees now are around what I paid for my (old) copy!

Hi bif,


I didn't try it but think that WIPL microwave from Artech House could be the piece of software you are looking for. This is copyied from the web site, the price is 239￡:



Offering you the performance and time-saving features of software costing many times more, this new software package serves as fast and accurate design & simulation tool for your projects involving microwave circuits, components, and antennas. It includes an easy-to-use circuit solver and schematic capture, component library, and an optimizer that automates the design of microwave devices and antennas. As a product from the well-know WIPL-D family, it inherits a full-wave 3D EM (electromagnetic) solver.

WIPL-D Microwave enables you to accurately de-embed circuit parameters from 3D EM analyzed structures. You can use of-the-shelf predefined library components, or you can interactively build your own composite metallic and dielectric structures. Whenever you perform circuit level simulations, the circuit parameters of included 3D EM components are computed on-the-fly.

This cutting-edge software helps you develop such complex structures as RF and microwave filters, matching structures, resonators, directional couplers, power dividers and connectors. The product allows you to choose arbitrary implementation technology, such as microstrip, coplanar, waveguide, and coaxial. Moreover, you can simulate and optimize various antennas, such as microstrip antennas embedded in finite lossy dielectric/magnetic materials, horn-type feeds for reflector antennas, phased arrays along with their matching circuitry, and handset antenna in the vicinity of human head.

WIPL-D microwave offers you intuitive visualization of circuits, 3D components and simulation results based on OpenGL graphics. You can easily create frequency response plots for s-parameters, impedance and admittance parameters, and voltages and currents. For 3D EM components, you can plot both 2D and 3D graphs of radiation pattern, near field distribution and distribution of surface currents.

System Requirements: IBM-PC running Windows XP, 2000, NT, ME, or 98. 256 MB RAM. 50 MB hard disk space



flyhigh

This looks quite promising. Wish I knew how to program:

http://qucs.sourceforge.net/screenshots.html

http://qucs.sourceforge.net/index.html

year , a go , i have used qucs , and i liked it , also i wish how to program , and implement complex models in it

but u know , for education , the simple programs are good , but for real work , and products , u need a stable tools and many features to speed up the design cycle

khouly

touchstone specifications are listed here:

http://www.vhdl.org/pub/ibis/connect...one_spec11.pdf