AWR announces support for NMDG S-functions in Microwave Office software

European Microwave Week 2010, PARIS, FRANCE: AWR Corp., announced Microwave Office high-frequency design software now includes full support for S-functions, which are nonlinear behavioral models developed by NMDG NV of Belgium.

AWR will be demonstrating S-functions within the Microwave Office design environment in booth 84 at the European European Microwave Week Conference in Paris, France, from Sept. 28-30.

S-functions are an extension of S-parameters from which all microwave components, circuits, and systems are created and characterized. They extend these functions to nonlinear devices such as transistors, amplifiers, prescalers, and mixers that must be characterized under large-signal conditions to be accurately characterized under various signal and matching conditions.

S-function can be used with vector network analyzers (VNAs) and oscilloscopes, and in particular, are closely integrated with the VNAs from Rohde & Schwarz. When imported into AWR’s Microwave Office software they can be used to speed the design and increase the accuracy of larger circuits using actual measured data.

With today’s announcement of NMDG S-function support, Microwave Office software now supports multiple, emerging, nonlinear behavioral models like Agilent’s X-parameters and Mesuro's Cardiff model.

In addition to in booth demonstrations of S-functions and other nonlinear models in Microwave Office software, AWR, NMDG, Focus Microwaves and Rohde & Schwarz are hosting a free workshop Wednesday afternoon on the topic of S-functions, their role in nonlinear modeling, fast nonlinear device characterization of power amplifier designs using VNAs, device measurements in a non-50-ohm environment using multiple harmonics, as well as the use of “extended VNAs” to provide real-time access to dynamic IV at multiple harmonics.