rf system tools
I have been assigned to designing RF system with LNA , mixer etc. Please tell me best tool(s) available in market for simulation of this whole system.
Also, do these tools allow user to define his/her know library component?
Kindly tell me if there are some free or cheap RF system design tools available which allow to simulate whole transceiver.
Agilent Advanced Design System
is powerful,
but neither free or cheap.
A good starting point is a spreadsheet. As long as your stages are power matched, then a spreadsheet is a good starting point for doing a gain lineup. There are several on the internet for you to look at. Here are some web pages that would be a good starting point.
http://tools.rfdude.com/
http://www.microwaves101.com/encyclo...deanalysis.cfm
http://www.rfcafe.com/business/softw.../rfcw_2005.htm
Dave
www.keystoneradio.com
u have ADS system simluation
also u have MWO , VSS visual System Simulator
also u have system simuation in Ansoft Designer
Khouly
The ADS System budgeting tools assume 50 ohm input and 50 ohm output. They also don't do anything with harmonics or phase noise, so it's pretty useless.
ADS2006 has a new module from Eaglesoft that may be better, I've asked for a demo copy to peek at.
I haven't tried anything else, so I can't comment.
Dave
www.keystoneradio.com
Hi Nitu,
AWR Visual System Simulator 2006 (VSS),
helps you to address your all RF system related simulation & Analysis
http://web.appwave.com/Products/VSS_...r/Overview.php
http://web.appwave.com/Products/VSS_...ture_Guide.php
VSS Simulator has following features
RF models in the voltage domain
Improved RF Budget Analysis
Enhanced core functions
Bit accurate simulation for baseband designers
Fixed point models
New filter design wizard
Integration with industry-leading test instrumentation
RF Architectural Tool
---manju---
ADS is a power tool for system design.
I'll second VSS from AWR. I have used this for up and down converter designs with AGC loops. It does include time sampled thermal and phase noise, and impedance mismatch effects. You can simulate in the time domain (ex. AGC loop response to modulation), frequency domain (swept frequency response of cascades), and budget analysis (graphical representaion of cascaded component's contribution to gain, noise, etc.). Very good tool. I have seen a demo of the RF Architectural Tool and it shows the source of harmonics and mixing products.
With a sound understanding of the theory you can use an excel sheet as a first estimate.
For RF system design, you need accumulate a lot of experiences to decide the performance partition for LNA, Mixer, LPF, ADC and so on. Typically, a RF system guy is Sr. guy, it is not a job for a new graduate. Simple excel should give you the initial result for RF system design. ADS could be used for detail system analysis.
What does a "spread sheet" specifically mean? and what do a designer need it in?
Thanks for explaining,
Regards,
Ahmad,
the spread sheet is required to make the system analysis of the reciver and assign for each component it is spec's , and evaluate all the receiver performance
khouly
A spread sheet is another name for a program like Microsoft Excel or Open Office Calc. Very handy tools for engineering. I'm building a Linear PLL simulator in Excel, if you are looking for an example. You can download it at http://www.keystoneradio.com/Files/PllDesignV3.xls if you are interested.
Dave
www.keystoneradio.com
I strongly suggest Agilent's free tool AppCAD. It is handy and with every necessary calculator for RF system planning.
Where to download it from?
Thanks,
Ahmad,
check this
http://www.hp.woodshot.com/
khouly
Hi,
you may want to try Microwave System Calculator.
It has been designed to substitute spreadsheets that require excel and are quite difficult to manage (for example is not always simple add an element).
Oh ... yes ... it's free!
Please have a look and comment!
Regards,
Max
http://digilander.libero.it/mwsc
i have tried it , it is very good , and simple
but it need to have a good GUI
khouly
Hi khouly!
Thanks for your comment!
... and yes it needs a good GUI ... we are working on it.
Hope it can help anyway.
BR,
Max
ads2006 may finish this work