Agilent Technologies Releases Full-Wave 3D Electromagnetic Simulation Environment for Wireless Appliance Designers

(Product News, 2 Jul 2007)

Agilent Technologies Inc. has released its Antenna Modeling Design System (AMDS), a 3D, dedicated design, modeling and verification tool for antenna systems and placement. Based on proven electromagnetic (EM) technology that Agilent acquired in September 2006, AMDS reduces design and quality risks by simulating the entire wireless appliance together with its environment. It assures compliance with regulatory and operator demands such as over-the-air performance and SAR (specific absorption rate). It also analyses antenna diversity for MIMO (multiple-in-multiple-out).

Industry leaders such as Research In Motion (RIM) have already adopted AMDS for research and development of their popular wireless appliances. "AMDS is the next major addition to our growing EM portfolio, and a key part of our expanded partnerships and investment in EM technology," said Jim McGillivary, Vice-President and General Manager of Agilent's EEsof EDA division. "Our current suite of EM-simulation tools¡ªMomentum, AMDS and EMDS¡ªallows our customers to choose the best simulation technology for every design and application."

The success of wireless appliance antenna designers depends on tools that can address both business and design risk management. Agilent's AMDS contains intelligent CAD import capabilities, along with the traditional drawing interface, that make it easier and faster to perform 3D EM simulations than with traditional simulators.

The AMDS full-wave 3D EM design environment:

- facilitates cross-functional teamwork between antenna and product designers through seamless and efficient exchange of CAD data, eliminating modeling rework for subsequent design iterations;
- guarantees antenna placement performance by taking the entire physical wireless appliance into account; and
- improves end-user product performance by introducing real-world interaction with the human body directly into the EM simulation.

"To improve efficiency, the wireless appliance industry is increasingly using outsourced and modular design," said Erwin De Baetselier, program manager with Agilent's EEsof EDA division. "However, the transceiver/antenna physical test phase remains a critical bottleneck for time-to-market. With its ability to import, mesh and simulate the entire wireless appliance, AMDS overcomes the challenge of meeting operator and regulatory demands and end-user expectations in terms of reception, voice quality and battery life. It is the only software technology available today that addresses the needs of rapidly evolving wireless appliance design."

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