Qorvo
Cascade Calculator
RF Designers often require several parameter details when placing several amplifiers in a chain. This Qorvo Cascade Calculator provides performance values for system level gain, noise figure (NF) and P1dB for up to 3 cascaded power amplifiers in a chain. NF is the measure of an amplifier's contribution to the overall noise in the system. It is the ratio of the signal-to-noise ratio at the input of the amplifier to the signal-to-noise ratio at the output of the amplifier. P1dB or output power at 1 dB compression point, is the output power level at which the actual gain deviates from the small signal gain by 1 dB.
Noise Figure and Noise Temperature Calculator
Noise figure and noise temperature are used interchangeably. NF measures degradation of the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), which is caused due to RF and electronic components used in the transmit or receive chain. The noise figure number is displayed in decibels (dB), and represents the performance by which an amplifier or RF receiver can be measured. Noise temperature is the noise power of a component that is introduced into a system. The noise temperature is directly proportional to the temperature in degrees Kelvin.
ADIsimRF™
Analog Devices
ADIsimRF is an easy-to-use RF signal chain calculator. Cascaded gain, noise, distortion and power consumption can be calculated, plotted and exported for signal chains with up to 50 stages. ADIsimRF also includes an extensive database of device models for ADI’s RF and mixed signal components
Free Download (Requires Registration)
CST STUDIO SUITE
CST
CST STUDIO SUITE® combines fullwave 3D EM simulation, PCB simulation and circuit simulation in one software interface. The CST System Assembly and Modeling (SAM) approach allows designers to link multiple simulation projects to together for a full system simulation. Hybrid simulation, multiphysics solvers and true transient EM/circuit co-simulation allow multiple solver types to be combined in a single simulation to increase the speed, accuracy and versatility of system simulation.
Cascade Analysis Calculator
Qorvo
Cascade Analysis Calculator let's you go easily from datasheet to analysis. Designed to analyze up to 10 stages, this calculator offers a simple yet powerful way to analyze multi-component systems for their cascaded gain, noise figure, compression point and linearity. Various online cascade analysis calculators have one built-in problem: all stages must be specified with either input or output power parameters. Unfortunately, component datasheets are hardly universal in this regard—most active components such as amplifiers are specified in terms of output power and output IP3, but passive components such as mixers and attenuators are often specified by their input values.
This variation in specifications used to mean that a microwave system designer had to convert between input and output specifications (or vice-versa) in order to use a cascade analysis tool. While this conversion is simple for most parameters, converting output P1 dB to its input equivalent often leads to the following question: "Do I add '1' or subtract '1' to the gain to determine the input P1 dB?" This calculator lets one choose between input or output specifications for each component in a line-up—and go straight from datasheet to analysis without any questions.
Free Online
Cascaded Noise Figure Calculator
Pasternack
Pasternack's Cascaded Noise Figure Calculator computes the total noise and gain of cascaded amplifiers.
Free Online
Noise Figure-Noise Temperature Calculator
Pasternack
Pasternack's Noise Figure-Noise Temperature Calculator will produce either noise figure or noise temperature, depending on the input type.
Free Online
Electronics Desktop
ANSYS 
ANSYS Electronics Desktop is a unified platform for electromagnetic, circuit and system simulation. Tools like ANSYS HFSS, Maxwell, Q3D Extractor and Simplorer are built natively in the Electronics Desktop, which serves as a universal Pre/Post processor for these tools.
License Required
SIwave 
ANSYS
ANSYS SIwave is a specialized design platform for power integrity, signal integrity and EMI analysis of IC packages and PCBs. SIwave helps model, simulate and validate high-speed channels and complete power delivery systems typical in modern high performance electronics.
License Required
Pathwave Advanced Design System (ADS)
Keysight Technologies
Pathwave Advanced Design System is electronic design automation software for RF, microwave, and high speed digital applications. ADS provides full, standards-based design and verification with wireless libraries and circuit-system-EM co-simulation in an integrated platform.
Pathwave RF Synthesis (Genesys)
Keysight Technologies
Pathwave RF Systhesis (Genesys) is an RF and microwave circuit synthesis and simulation tool created for the circuit board and subsystem designer. It performs automatic circuit synthesis of matching networks, filters, oscillators, mixers, transmission lines, PLL and signal routing structures.
Pathwave RFIC Simulation (Goldengate)
Keysight Technologies
Pathwave RFIC Design (GoldenGate) is a simulation and analysis solution for integrated mixed signal RFIC designs that is fully integrated into the Cadence Analog Design Environment (ADE). Pathwave RFIC Design (GoldenGate) is part of Keysight's RFIC simulation, analysis and verification solution that also includes Momentum for 3D planar electromagnetic simulation, SystemVue & Ptolemy wireless test benches for system-level verification, and the Pathwave Advanced Design System (ADS) Data Display for data analysis.
W3034E PathWavePIPro
Keysight Technologies
PIPro provides power integrity analysis for power distribution, including DC IR drop analysis, AC impedance analysis and power plane resonance analysis. PIPro utilizes a common setup and analysis environment within Advanced Design System (ADS).
Purchase required. Use of PIPro Element requires ADS Core Environment and ADS Layout.
W3033E PathWave SIPro 
Keysight Technologies
SIPro provides signal integrity (SI) analysis of high-speed PCBs, enabling the characterization of loss and coupling of signal nets, and the ultimate extraction of an EM-accurate model that can be used in ADS Transient and Channel Simulators.
Purchase required. Use of SIPro Element requires ADS Core Environment and ADS Layout.
SystemVue EDA Software
Keysight Technologies
PathWave System Design (SystemVue) is an electronic design automation (EDA) environment for electronic system-level (ESL) design. It enables design of the physical layer (PHY) of wireless and aerospace/defense communications systems, replacing general-purpose digital, analog and math environments.
MATLAB and Simulink
Mathworks 
Design, analysis and simulation software. RF related tools include:
- Communications System Toolbox™ provides algorithms and apps for the analysis, design, end-to-end simulation and verification of communications systems in MATLAB® and Simulink®. Toolbox algorithms, including channel coding, modulation, MIMO and OFDM, enable the composition of a system physical layer model to measure performance.
- RF Toolbox™ provides functions, objects and apps for designing, modeling, analyzing, and visualizing networks of radio frequency (RF) components. It can be used for wireless communications, radar and signal integrity projects.
- RF Blockset™ (formerly SimRF™) provides a Simulink® component library and simulation engine for designing RF systems. It includes amplifiers, mixers, S-parameter blocks and other blocks for designing architectures for wireless transmitters and receivers in communications and radar systems.
- Antenna Toolbox™ provides functions and apps for the design, analysis and visualization of antenna elements and arrays.
- Phased Array System Toolbox™ provides algorithms and apps for the design, simulation and analysis of sensor array systems in radar, wireless communication, sonar and medical imaging applications.
Virtuoso RF Solution
Cadence
Cadence® Virtuoso® RF Solution provides a seamless design flow that addresses the challenges of collaborating across design teams to produce the next generation of high-frequency RFIC, RF modules, and multi-chip modules. Virtuoso RF Solution incorporates co-design capabilities for simultaneous editing of the IC and SiP module. Multiple EM solvers give designers various methods of physical extraction, and tightly integrated simulation and analysis engines provide a comprehensive design flow.
Design Environment: RF/Microwave EDA Software Suite
Cadence 
The Cadence AWR Design Environment product portfolio consists of high-frequency design environments that embrace system simulation (Visual System Simulator™) and circuit simulation (Microwave Office), as well as electromagnetic analysis (AXIEM and Clarity™ 3D Solver). The "registration-required" download site provides access to software downloads, documentation and design examples.
Microwave Office RF/Microwave Circuit Design 
Cadence AWR
Microwave Office along with Visual System Simulator™, AXIEM and Clarity™ 3D Solver software tools form the Cadence AWR Design Environment platform for a complete RF and microwave circuit, system and EM co-simulation environment.
Visual System Simulator Wireless Communications/Radar Systems Design 
Cadence AWR
Visual System Simulator™ (VSS) software is the system-level simulation technology that is part of the Cadence AWR Design Environment platform. VSS is an RF and wireless communications and radar systems design solution, supporting measurements of cascaded RF blocks, identifying the source of spurious products and simulating system metrics such as bit error rates all from a single system diagram.
LabVIEW
NI 
LabVIEW is systems engineering software for applications that require test, measurement and control with rapid access to hardware and data insights. The LabVIEW programming environment simplifies hardware integration for engineering applications by providing a consistent way to acquire data from NI and third-party hardware.
XFdtd®
REMCOM 
XFdtd® 3D EM Simulation Software provides engineers with powerful tools to shorten development time and release products to market sooner. A full-featured electromagnetic simulation solver, XF outpaces other methods in efficiency as the number of unknowns increases. XF includes full-wave, static, bio-thermal, optimization, and circuit solvers to tackle a wide variety of applications, including antenna design, microwave, mobile device, automotive radar, and more. It also works with Remcom’s ray-tracing products to provide thorough simulation capability at the low-, middle-, and high-end of the electromagnetic spectrum.
VISION
AMCAD Engineering
VISION is an advanced circuit and system behavioral modeling solution for dataflow simulation. Building RF & MW systems that operate with wideband modulated signals, like 5G and RADAR, or with a large number of circuits, like active antennas, is challenging. Looking at the simulation accuracy, the quality of the model used by the simulator is always the limitation.
VISION Models predict, very accurately, different phenomena considered as critical when developing complex system architectures (Low-Frequency Memory Effects, Mismatch Effects, Thermal Effects, Noise…). The export of the models to different commercially available dataflow simulators enables a fast and accurate behavior prediction of the complete system architecture. It also allows a seamless RF and Digital co-simulation.
Vision is a user-friendly solution to extract best-in-class circuit models for accurate bottom-up system design flow.
Modelithics COMPLETE Library™
Modelithics
Modelithics COMPLETE Library™ is a collection of simulation models for all types of passive and active RF & Microwave devices engineered to enable designers to go from concept to product faster and easier. These models for discrete die, surface mount and packaged devices are a must-have for anyone involved in PCB-based RF & Microwave circuit or module design. Modelithics models offer scalability by substrate, part value, pad size, temperature, and other characteristics. The models are engineered to simulate typical device response including related parasitics. Our Model Library software product is available for use with Keysight Technologies’ PathWave Advanced Design System (ADS), AWR Design Environment/ Microwave Office™, Keysight Technologies’ PathWave RF Synthesis (Genesys), ANSYS® HFSS™, Sonnet® Suites™ and Cadence Spectre RF.
Request a FREE Trial