An update to the NI AWR Design Environment platform V14 has been released and is now available to download for current customers and evaluators. The v14.02 update contains numerous improvements, enhancements and upgrades. Highlights of this latest release include:

• User Interface:
  • API – The application programming interface (API) has been enhanced with numerous upgrades to access design editor information and control.
• Layout:
  • Cell Libraries – New additions to the cell libraries provide a more robust implementation.
  • Shape Preprocessing – The unique geometry simplification rules that reshape circles and arcs can now increase as well as decrease the number of definition points.
  • Visualization – The layout rendering performance for large designs has been improved, along with numerous other layout improvements.
• Simulators:
  • Analyst™ – Several improvements have been made to the solver, most importantly, the intrinsic wave impedance in the solver options is now available as the wave port characteristic impedance method.
  • Microwave Office/APLAC – Several key new functionalities have been added or enhanced to the APLAC harmonic balance (HB) simulator, including element parameters can be swept as a function of frequency.
  • AXIEM – The accuracy of the Green's function has been enhanced, and hence the moment matrix, resulting in improved convergence of iterative solvers for PCB, for example.
  • Visuals System Simulator™ (VSS) – Both the capabilities and robustness of system simulation and behavioral models have been enhanced.
• Wizards:
  • Innovative new wizards introduced in V14, namely the PCB Import wizard, the Phased-Array Generator wizard and the Network Synthesis wizard, have been further enhanced, in response to customer feedback.

To learn more about NI AWR software V14 and specific details of the improvements in V14.02, visit awrcorp.com/whats-new.