EM.Picasso Technical Specifications

EM.Picasso: Fast full-wave simulator for modeling multilayer planar structures

EM.Picasso in a Nutshell

EM.Picasso is a versatile planar structure simulator for the modeling and design of printed antennas, planar microwave circuits, and layered periodic structures. EM.Picasso’s simulation engine is based on a 2.5-D full-wave Method of Moments (MoM) formulation that provides the ultimate modeling accuracy and computational speed for open-boundary multilayer structures. It can handle planar structures with arbitrary numbers of metal layouts, slot traces, vertical interconnects and lumped elements interspersed among different substrate layers.

Structure Definition

  • Multilayer stack-up with unlimited number of substrate layers and trace planes
  • PEC and conductive sheet traces for modeling ideal and non-ideal metallic layouts
  • PMC traces for modeling slot layouts
  • Vertical metal interconnects and embedded dielectric objects
  • Full periodic structure capability with interconnected unit cells
  • Periodicity offset parameters to model triangular, hexagonal or other offset periodic lattice topologies
  • Export and import the multilayer background structure

Sources, Loads & Ports

  • Gap sources on line objects
  • De-embedded sources on lines for S parameter calculations
  • Probe (coaxial feed) sources on vias
  • Gap arrays with amplitude distribution and phase progression
  • Periodic gaps with beam scanning
  • Multiport and coupled port definitions
  • RLC lumped elements on strips with series-parallel combinations
  • Short Hertzian dipole sources
  • Import previously generated wire mesh solution as collection of short dipoles
  • Plane wave excitation with linear and circular polarizations
  • Multi-ray excitation capability (ray data imported from EM.Terrano or external files)
  • Huygens sources imported from other EM.Cube modules

Mesh Generation

  • Optimized hybrid mesh with rectangular and triangular cells
  • Regular triangular surface mesh
  • Local meshing of trace groups
  • Local mesh editing of planar polymesh objects
  • Fast mesh generation of array objects

Planar MoM Simulation

  • 2.5-D mixed potential integral equation (MPIE) formulation of planar layered structures
  • 2.5-D spectral domain integral equation formulation of periodic layered structures
  • Accurate scattering parameter extraction and de-embedding using Prony’s method
  • Plane wave excitation with arbitrary angles of incidence
  • A variety of matrix solvers including LU, stabilized BiCG, GMRES and TFQMR
  • Run uniform and fast adaptive frequency sweeps
  • Run parametric sweep, multi-variable/multi-goal optimization and HDMR surrogate model generation for your physical structure

Data Generation & Visualization

  • Current distribution intensity plots overlaid on traces
  • Near field intensity plots (vectorial – amplitude & phase)
  • Far field radiation patterns: 3D pattern visualization and 2D Cartesian and polar graphs
  • Far field characteristics such as directivity, beam width, axial ratio, side lobe levels and null parameters, etc.
  • Radiation pattern of an arbitrary array configuration of the planar structure or periodic unit cell
  • Reflection and Transmission Coefficients of Periodic Structures
  • Monostatic and bistatic RCS 
  • Port characteristics: S/Y/Z parameters, VSWR and Smith chart
  • Touchstone-style S parameter text files for direct export to RF.Spice A/D
  • Huygens surface generation

System Requirements

  • Intel core i7 or later processor
  • 16 GB RAM minimum
  • Microsoft Windows 10 operating system or higher
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