Since Version 2006 CST DESIGN ENVIRONMENT™ is
the access point to the CST STUDIO SUITE™ . In
this frame work projects created with the different
electromagnetic simulation softwares in the CST STUDIO
SUITE™ can be opened simultaneously.
The CST DESIGN ENVIRONMENT™ User Interface
The CST DESIGN ENVIRONMENT™(CST DE) user interface
is the common pre-processor for all members of the CST
STUDIO SUITE™. The 3D tools CST MICROWAVE STUDIO®(CST
MWS), CST EM STUDIO™(CST EMS) and CST PARTICLE
STUDIO™(CST PS) rely on the same technology that
previously founded CST MWS reputation for offering the
user friendliest interface on the market :
- An intuitive, native Windows based GUI, makes beginners
immediately feel at ease with the program.
- New users are escorted through the program by a
quick start guide and a collection of online tutorials.
- The advanced ACIS kernel enables amazingly easy
CAD modelling.
- A strong graphic feedback further simplifies device
definition.
- Simulation runs and postprocessing can be controlled,
via OLE automation server, using applications such
as Excel, Matlab, and PowerPoint.
Interface of CST DESIGN ENVIRONMENT™ The different
electromagnetic simulation softwares run harmonically
in one frame. Besides typical Windows control elements,
a CST DS schematic is shown in the upper left corner,
A CST MWS model of a patch antenna in the lower left.
The upper right window depicts a multibeam gun in CST
PS, whereas a bushing in CST EMS can be seen in the
lower right.
In addition to the 3D-modeller the CST DE features
a block-schematic layout tool, which is employed to
set up CST DESIGN STUDIO™ (CST DS) models or to
simply complete CST MWS models by adding some circuit
elements. A typical application can be seen in the figure
above. In the upper left corner a CST DS schematic is
shown. It contains besides some analytical microstrip
elements one block which represents a full 3D CST MWS
model of a dual patch antenna which is shown below.
This nodel can be edited or parametrically modified
throught the schematic interface.
Data Exchange Options
Reliable CAD interfaces are an important requirement
to augment the design engineer's throughput since the
redrawing of existing structure parts has to be regarded
as a major drawback. The CST STUDIO SUITE® is renowned
for its excellent CAD-data import capabilities and the
sophisticated healing mechanisms which recover the integrity
of flawed or non-compliant data. The latter aspect is
particularly vital as the presence of one corrupted
element can prevent the usage of the whole part.
Data exchange options now include :
3D Import/Export :
3D Import only :
- Pro/E®
- CATIA 4®
- CATIA 5®
- Autodesk Inventor
- VDA-FS
- CoventorWare
- Voxel Import
2D Import/Export:
2D Import only :
- AWR MicrowaveOffice
- Agilent ADS layout
- Cadence® Allegro®
- Gerber
- GDSII
- Sonnet Suites
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CST MICROWAVE STUDIO® (CST MWS) is a specialist
tool for the fast and accurate 3D EM simulation of high
frequency problems.
Applications include the expanding areas of: Mobile
Communication, Wireless Design (bluetooth), Signal Integrity,
and EMC. Exceptionally user friendly, CST MWS quickly
gives you an insight into the EM behaviour of your high
frequency designs.
Beside the flagship module, the broadly applicable
Time Domain solver and the Frequency Domain solver which
simulates on hexahedral as well as on tetrahedral grids,
CST MWS offers further solver modules for specific applications.
Filters for the import of specific CAD files and the
extraction of SPICE parameters enhance design possibilities
and save time. In addition, CST MWS is embedded in a
larger design environment through CST DESIGN STUDIO™
whose open architecture provides a link with external
simulators.
CST MICROWAVE STUDIO® is seen by an increasing
number of engineers as an industry standard development
tool.
Automation and Optimisation
Optimisation & Parameterisation :
With the easy to use and fully automatic CST MICROWAVE
STUDIO® optimiser, every parameter can be varied
and even complicated goals can be defined in a very
intuitive way. New and powerful optimisation strategies
allow optimisation even for multiple parameters in a
reasonable length of time.
Command language
Powerful VBA (Visual Basic for Applications) compatible
macro language includes an editor and a macro debugger.
The OLE automation server guarantees seamless integration
into the Windows environment.
Performance
CST simulators have proven their outstanding
accuracy and speed in numerous published benchmarks.
All kinds of HF devices have been analysed: a wave-guide
power splitter, microstrip phase shifter, waveguide
fed dual mode cavity filter and a Vivaldi antennas as
illustrated here.
The Finite Integration Technique
The combination of the proprietary PERFECT BOUNDARY
APPROXIMATION (PBA)® with the unbeatable efficiency
of the Finite Integration Technique (FIT) is the basis
for this success. Its numerical effort increases more
slowly with the problem size than other commonly employed
methods. It is this advantage which plays an increasingly
important role as problems become more complex and frequencies
rise.
SmartGrid™
CST MICROWAVE STUDIO® (CST MWS) features properietary
techniques for geometry generation that contribute to
its unique performance. First of all there is the PBA;
that describes arbitrary geometries conformally on a
Cartesian grid. The THIN SHEET TECHNIQUE (TST)™
extends the capabilities of PBA by enabling the he independent
treatment of two dielectric parts of a cell, separated
by a metallic sheet. Now structures like arbitrarily
shaped housings or thin inclined shields can be modeled
with a minimum of effort.
CST MWS geometry approximation techniques demonstrated
on a solid (left) and a hollow (right) sphere with cylindrical
drilling. The left model is well represented with PBA
alone, while the right model requires TST in order to
represent the thickness of the metal sphere correctly
CST MWS version 5 introduced the Multilevel Subgridding
Scheme (MSS)™. It allows mesh lines to start and
be terminated anywhere in the simulation area. CST MWS
fits the shape of the individual objects with nested,
conformal layers of increasingly finer mesh.
MSS applied to the same structures as in (Figure
2). There are three conformal layers of mesh refinement.
For the solid sphere (left), the metallic part is not
modeled. PBA and TST also work inside the subgrids.
CST’s SmartGrid™ is the combination of
PBA, TST, and the newly implemented Multilevel Subgridding
Scheme (MSS)™ that increases computational performance
and accuracy.
Distributed Computing
CST MWS features as an option a distributed computing
scheme which significantly improves the simulation performance.
Sometimes running slight variations of the same model
is necessary to reach the simulation goal. The basic
idea behind the distributed computing scheme is that
these simulations can be performed on various computers
in the network. These computers do not require stand-alone
CST MWS licenses, but the software has to be installed
on each of them. They will be equipped with temporary
licenses from the license server for this purpose. If
the basic license is node-locked, the license server
will be the computer on which the orignal license is
installed.
This scheme works on two different levels of complexity.
At the lower level, port excitations of a multi-port/
multi-mode structure can be distributed over the network,
e.g. to derive the full S-matrix of this component.
At the higher level a parameter study or optimization
can be performed. In this case the same structure with
different parameter sets is sent to different computers.
The results are collected centrally and, if part of
an optimization, new parameter sets are created and
re-distributed.
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CST DS has been selected by the editors of MW&RF
as one of the "Top products of 2002" for its
significance to the high frequency industry.
CST DESIGN STUDIO™ radically speeds up the analysis
and optimisation of complex or highly resonating structures.
How does it work? CST DESIGN STUDIO™ enables
the breaking down of complex systems into smaller components,
each described by its S-matrix. All the matrices are
then combined in CST DESIGN STUDIO™, where the
complete system's behaviour is calculated within a few
seconds.
The sub-components can then be individually analysed
by the simulator best suited to the particular application.
Naturally the insertion of measured components or analytical
models (e.g. transmission lines) is also possible. Changing
the parameters of analytical models does not require
any electromagnetic analysis, consequently the response
is obtained almost instantaneously.
CST DESIGN STUDIO™'s open architecture enables
the user to combine results from the best source available
(simulation tool, analytical model, measurement results)
in one user-friendly environment.
Import / Export
In CST DESIGN STUDIO different block types can be combined,
which may contain analytic, simulated and measured results.
A project may consist of several blocks calculated with
CST MICROWAVE STUDIO®, combined with measured results
in Touchstone format and analytic descriptions of waveguide
parts. Furthermore the integration of SONNET em results
is possible.
Interface
The intuitive and easy-to-use interface is based on
the latest Windows™ technology. This enables the
user to build up clear schematic drawings of complex
structures and circuits, keeping a clear overview by
adding text and graphic elements.
A major advantage of CST DESIGN STUDIO® is the
tight integration with electromagnetic simulators such
as CST MICROWAVE STUDIO® and the SONNET em®
Suite. One of these simulators can be chosen for the
fast optimisation of single sub devices within larger
systems, a re-simulation of the complete system is not
necessary.
A patch antenna array is hierarchically modelled.
At the uppermost level (1) the structure is represented
by 2 Blocks. The feed network (3) and the antennas (including
the de-embedding blocks) (2) are treated separately.
Performance
H-plane diplexer: CST DESIGN STUDIO™'s integration
with CST MWS allows the breaking down of this complex
structure into many simple units. The influence of slightly
altered dimensions can be studied within seconds by
using analytical transmission lines added between the
more complex filter elements.
Improved design within a few seconds by altering length
X1.
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CST EM STUDIO™(CST EMS) is dedicated to the simulation
of static and low frequency devices. Embedded in the
same userfriendly CST DESIGN ENFVIRONMENT™, CST
EMS features a variety of solver modules to tackle electrostatics,
magentostatics, current flow, low frequency and even
stationary temperature problems.
Applications include: actuators, brakes, EMC, generators,
motors, sensors, transformers measurement instrumentation,
and shielding effects.
CST PARTICLE STUDIO™ is a specialist tool for
the fast and accurate design and analysis of 3D electron
guns. This new software is based on CST STUDIO SUITE™s
multi-purpose 3D EM solvers like CST EM STUDIO™s
electro and magnetostatic solver. It takes advantage
of the embedding into the CST DESIGN ENVIRONMENT, incorporating
the powerful modelling capabilities. The successful
algorithms of the MAFIA-TS simulators build up the numerical
foundations.
Applications include: electron guns, magnetrons, and
cathode ray tubes.
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