The new version of XFdtd® 3D EM Simulation Software includes features to address 5G mmWave antenna design challenges, adding support for high performance tuners and singularity correction. Also, enhancements to importing printed circuit boards (PCB) save time in the design workflow.

As mobile devices grow in complexity, engineers are challenged to include more antennas in less space while maximizing efficiency. Multi-port RF devices such as tuners and switches are used to optimize band coverage. To accommodate these innovations, XFdtd’s Circuit Element Optimizer now includes multi-port device functionality, enabling engineers to incorporate and test these components in matching network simulations.

Singularity correction is a sophisticated meshing method that accurately captures highly varying electromagnetic fields around the conductive edges of geometries such as antennas and transmission lines. XFdtd adjusts the electric and magnetic field values adjacent to metallic edges during time stepping. For higher frequency and mmWave designs, where numerous antennas and components create high spatial field variations, singularity correction can significantly improve the accuracy and increase confidence in the expected behavior of a device.

This new XFdtd release also includes enhancements to importing PCBs, enabling the documentation layers to be imported alongside the geometry. These layers typically include useful manufacturer information, such as the build date of the device and ID number. Lumped circuit components specified in ODB++ and BRD files are also imported, eliminating the need to manually add them.

Remcom Inc.
State College, Pa.
www.remcom.com