RF PCB Toolbox

 

RF PCB Toolbox

Perform electromagnetic analysis of printed circuit boards

RF Components

Design on-board filters, matching networks, couplers, splitters, and traces operating at RF and mmWave frequencies. Use behavioral models for the rapid analysis of traces, inductors, and capacitors.

A PCB component with a gap capacitor on the top layer and a ring resonator on the bottom layer.

PCB Design

Create different layouts by using interconnects such as traces, bends, curves, and mitered edges. Combine parameterized shapes using Boolean operations to generate new planar geometries. Cascade components to rapidly create complex PCBs.

Current distribution on an octagonal inductor and its ground plane.

EM Analysis

Use the method of moments or behavioral models to analyze the PCB layout and compute S-parameters, impedance, and charge and current distribution. Mesh the PCB surface into triangles and volume into tetrahedra for computing the full-wave solution.

PCB implementation showing the metallization in aluminum laying on top of a Teflon substrate.

Materials

Use different dielectric and metal materials to design PCBs. Choose materials from the catalog, or specify arbitrary thickness, conductivity, permittivity, and loss tangent values.

PCB Fabrication

Generate Gerber files to share with manufacturers for PCB fabrication. Represent circuit board objects, such as copper traces, vias, pads, solder masks, and silkscreen images.

Current distribution of a PCB trace operating at 5GHz with slit ground plane.

Signal Integrity

Analyze crosstalk and optimize on-board routing to minimize noise and coupling. Use Signal Integrity Toolbox to import PCB databases and analyze multi-board designs.