What's New
  
     
 
  • We are pleased to announce the release of IE3D EM Design System Version 14. IE3D V14 is a huge leap forward from IE3D V12. It features:
    (1) Complete EM design environment with integrated layout editing, full-wave EM simulation, real-time EM tuning and optimization, s-parameters, current distribution, near field and radiation pattern visualization and post-processing. (2) Implementation of text objects for better documentations of designs. (3) Much improved layout editing with easy access and control of geometry objects, and options to speed up geometry editing of large structures. (4) Implementation of Boolean operations for connecting arbitrary 3D objects for high accuracy and easy geometry modeling. (5) Modeling of surface roughness. (6) Wide frequency s-parameter extraction covering from 1 Hz to 10 THz. (7) Coupled ports and differential ports de-embedding in highly packed circuits. (8) Improved multi-CPU support and significantly improved simulation speed on Windows 64. (9) Further improved layout editing on IE3DLibrary for Boolean driven, equation-based geometry modeling with easy parameterization, access and control of objects. (10) Automatic creation of IE3D/AGIF templates from TSMC unified technology files for automated layout creation and batch IE3D EM simulations from GDSII files.
  • We are pleased to announce the release of FIDELITY Time-Domain Full-3D EM Simulator Version 5.5. FIDELITY V5.5 features:
    (1) Multi-core simulation capability: It allows users to fully exploit the power of multi-core computers for much improved simulation efficiency.
    (2) Network distributed and scheduled simulations: It allows users to submit jobs to JobsManager and JobsManager can send the jobs to ZDS/ZDM for network distributed simulations. The JobManager can also manage scheduled jobs for both local and network distributed simulations ZDS/ZDM licenses are required for network distributed simulations.
    (3) Hardware accelerated simulation by utilizing GPUs from Acceleware: GPU hardware acceleration may speed up the simulation by a factor of 10. Additional GPU licenses are required.
    (4) New PML boundary condition for better wave absorption: The new scheme can better absorb the waves especially for evanescent and higher-order mode waves for more accurate and faster results.
    (5) Improved de-embedding schemes for coaxial ports, microstrip ports, rectangular and circular waveguide ports: The improved scheme allows faster simulation and better accuracy.
    (6) FIDELITY – Case Study User’s Manual: The FIDELITY Case Study User’s Manual is officially released and the electronic copy is included in the installation.
  • We are pleased to announce that IE3D Full-Wave EM Design System is qualified by TSMC’s new 65-namometer Mixed-Signal and RF Tool Qualification Program. As a high performance full-wave EM simulator, IE3D provides great accuracy, efficiency and flexibility to mixed signal and RF designers, as well as other high frequency designers. Through the TSMC qualification program, the accuracy and flexibility of IE3D are further verified and improved. For almost all the validation examples tested, IE3D is able to efficiently predict circuit performances with excellent accuracy. The IE3D predicted inductance values for almost all cases are within 3% of the measured ones. As a leading EM design tool, IE3D is able to automatically create EM simulation models from GDSII files and other layout tools and data using the Automatic Geometry to IE3D Flow (AGIF), a built-in geometry handling program. IE3D/AGIF allows circuit designers to yield expert EM design results using template files. IE3D/AGIF template files enable automatic batch simulations from GDSII files. The sample AGIF template files for TSMC 65-nm process will be released to IE3D users shortly with the IE3D V14 release. The qualification of IE3D by TSMC’s New 65-nanometer Mixed-Signal and RF Tool Qualification Program is great news to mixed signal and RF designers. The qualification shows the strong design and manufacturing supports from both TSMC and Zeland Software, Inc. (01/07/08)
  • IE3D 12.12 is released (3/19/07).
    (1) Introduction and Implementation of Conjugate Match Factor (CMF) in IE3D V12.12. IE3D and FIDELITY are excellent for RFID designs. CMF allows us to judge how good an RFDID antenna is when the chip impedance and the basic configuration are given. An article (images/RFID_Design_on_Zeland.pdf) on using Zeland tools for RFID design is included in the Documents folder of the Zeland Products.
    (2) IE3D FastEM Design Kit for real-time full-wave EM design in IE3D V12: IE3D FastEM Design Kit allows you to parameterize both planar and 3D structures, perform high accuracy and efficiency IE3D simulations on the structure, and extract the FastEM signature from the simulation results. The FastEM signature allows you to perform real-time EM tuning, optimization and synthesis.
    (3) High Performance and Robust Network Distributed EM Simulation and Optimizations on IE3D, ZDS and ZDM 12.1. The new implementation ZDS and ZDM makes use of new technology for distributing and management of network EM simulations and optimizations. It helps distributed and multi-license IE3D users to improve IE3D simulation efficiency by a factor of 10. The IE3D/ZDS/ZDM 12.1 allows fast, robust and secured distributed EM Simulations, FastEM for parameter sweeping EM simulations and distributed EM Optimizations.
    (4) Multi-fold speed improvement and multi-CPU support for much improved efficiency in IE3D V12: The speed of IE3D engine is improved by a big factor even without multi-CPU support. With multi-CPUs, the IE3D 12 engine will be flying and you can finish your jobs much sooner in higher quality.
    (5) Equation-based schematic-layout editor with Boolean operations for easy and flexible geometry editing and parameterization in IE3D V12: IE3DLibrary is further improved. It allows you to create complicated layouts with parameterized objects in a schematic way. All dimensions of the objects are equation-based. Thanks to the implementation of Boolean objects and void objects, users can create structures beyond the coverage of the limited object types available in the library. Users can use Boolean objects to create any shape and use void objects to combine objects together for very sophisticated structures.
    (6) Lumped element equivalent circuit automatic extraction and optimization for convenient circuit designs: Lumped element equivalent circuits are needed for modern RFIC designs and signal integrity. IE3D 12 simulations yield the frequency dependent lumped element equivalent circuit models automatically. Users can visualize the parameters. Users can even optimize the circuit parameters to achieve desired goals.
    (7) Improved integration into Microwave Office from Applied Wave Research: The EM Socket for IE3D integrated into MWO is further improved to provide stable seamless IE3D integration into MWO.
  • IE3D 12.0 is released (11/1/06).
    (1) IE3D FastEM Design Kit for real-time full-wave EM design:
    IE3D FastEM Design Kit allows you to parameterize both planar and 3D structures, perform high accuracy and efficiency IE3D simulations on the structure, and extract the FastEM signature from the simulation results. The FastEM signature allows you to perform real-time EM tuning, optimization.
    (2) Multi-fold speed improvement and multi-CPU support for much improved efficiency:
    The speed of IE3D engine is improved by a big factor even without multi-CPU support. With multi-CPUs, the IE3D 12 engine will be flying and you can finish your jobs much sooner in higher quality.
    (3) Equation-based schematic-layout editor with Boolean operations for easy and flexible geometry editing and parameterization:
    IE3Dlibrary is further improved. It allows you to create complicated layouts with parameterized objects in a schematic way. All dimensions of the objects are equation-based. Thanks to the implementation of Boolean objects and void objects, users can create structures beyond the coverage of the limited object types available in the library. Users can use Boolean objects to create any shape and use void objects to combine objects together for very sophisticated structures.
    (4) Lumped element equivalent circuit automatic extraction and optimization for convenient circuit designs:
    Lumped element equivalent circuits are needed for modern RFIC designs and signal integrity. IE3D 12 simulations yield the frequency dependent lumped element equivalent circuit models automatically. Users can visualize the parameters. Users can even optimize the circuit parameters to achieve desired goals.
    (5) Improved integration into Microwave Office from Applied Wave Research:
    The EM Socket for IE3D integrated into MWO is further improved to provide stable seamless IE3D integration into MWO.
    Please click here for a list of major features on IE3D 12.0
  • IE3D and AGIF 11.5 are released (5/31/06).
    IE3D 11.5 features IE3D FASTA for efficient simulations of large structures. AGIF 11.5 features Windows/Linux compatible GUI allowing users to create IE3D models, perform IE3D simulations and display s-parameters on both platforms. IE3D users with ZPM 11.x is allowed to use the IE3D 11.5. New features are available to users with maintained IE3D license. IE3D/AGIF for Linux with AGIF GUi on Linux is available IE3D MM08x users. IE3D MM08x users please contact us for an update on the IE3D/AGIF for Linux.
    Please click here for a list of major features on IE3D and AGIF11.5.
  • FIDELITY 5.0 is released (5/31/06).
    FIDELITY 5.0 features Windows 64 engines, formula based geometry handling and full-automated meshing. FIDELITY 5.0 require ZPM 11.5 to use. Please contact us for an upgrade if you don't have ZPM 11.5.
    Please click here for a list of major features of FIDELITY 5.0.
  • IE3D 11.15
    We are pleased to announce the IE3D 11.15 release. IE3D 11.15 features:
    (1) Automatic Geometry to IE3D Flow (or AGIF) consisting of:
        (a) Automatic GDSII to IE3D Flow allowing users to create sophisticated 3D EM model automatically from layouts in GDSII files.
        (b) Cadence Virtuoso to IE3D Flow allowing users to simulate a selected layout on Cadence Virtuoso on Linux directly on IE3D. After simulation, the IE3D/AGIF for Linux will create the schematic view and a symbol view for post-processing on Cadence Virtuoso.
        (c) Cadence Allegro to IE3D Flow allowing users to create an IE3D model on selected critical nets, reference nets and coupled nets directly from Cadence Allegro. The IE3D model will have ports defined and ready for EM simulation.
    The AGIF simplifies the EDA flow significantly. Together with the Microwave Office to IE3D Link, microwave, antenna and circuit designers can access high quality EM simulators directly from different EDA platforms..
    (2) IE3D/AGIF on Linux 32: IE3D engine is available on Linux. Cadence Virtuoso users can directly call IE3D engine on Linux for full-wave EM simulation through the IE3D/AGIF on Linx32. IE3D users can also use the IE3D engine on Linux directly. If you have a stand-alone license, you can run the IE3D engine with the security key attached to the Linux machine and you will need a specially compiled IE3D/AGIF on Linux 32. Please contact us on it (support@zeland.com). If you are a network version users, the IE3D/AGIF will automatically grabs a license from the ZDS server on Win32 if there is any license available. Future releases may include the IE3D GUI on Linux 32 and the IE3D package on Linux 64.
    (3) IE3D engine on Windows 64 for EM64T. Only the IE3D engine is available on 64-bit. It allows the IE3D engine to access more than 4 GB RAM for large structures. We have not compiled other executables for 64-bit. However, it is not necessary because other applications do not need much memory. Running in 32-bit is equally efficient. The IE3D for Win64 engine requires the users to have maintained licenses to run.
  • IE3D 11
    We are pleased to announce the release of the IE3D 11 and ZDS/ZDM 11. IE3D 11 and ZDS/ZDM 11 features the following major improvements:
    • Further improved accuracy, efficiency and capability.
    • Modeling 3D finite dielectrics in multilayer environment.
    • Distributed EM simulation and optimization in mixed Windows and Linux environment.
    • Seamlessly integrated into Microwave Office from AWR through EM Socket.
    • Smart meshing with multilevel Automatic Edge Cells for both thin and thick traces.
    • Automated meshing alignment for accurate modeling of MIM capacitors, finite dielectrics and other closely coupled structures in MMIC, RFIC and antenna design.
    • Much simplified and enhanced geometry modeling for imported and IE3D created structures.
    • Formula based geometry modeling with easy EM tuning and optimization of geometry.
    • Improved Adaptive Iterative Matrix Solver for robust simulation of large structures.
    • Much improved memory allocation for large size problems.
    • Implementation of conjugate matching for gain and efficiency for RFID and other applications.
    • Simplified and improved s-parameters visualization and handling.
  • FIDELITY 4.0
    We are pleased to announce the release of the FIDELITY Full-3D Time Domain EM Simulator, Version 4.0 on the MTT in June 2003. The FIDELITY 4.0 features: (1) Complete re-written object oriented, multiple domain based, conformal FDTD engine; (2) Support of single and double precision simulation; (3) Implementation of flexible source types including clock-waveforms and user-defined waveforms; (4) Implementation of ACIS compatible objects with ACIS importing capability; (5) Completely renovated GUI with OpenGL support; (6) Implementation of polygon drawing capability and importing polygons from IE3D geometry files. Polygons can be used as 2D objects or extruded for 3D objects; (7) Implementation of 3D detail view, 3D outline view, and multiple 2D views for better visualization of geometry in construction; (8) Improved bundled circuit simulator allowing user to define markers on displayed graphs and measure differences between markers. (9) Implementation of the FIDELITY WinHelp and Help Finder.

    Near field distribution on an S-shaped waveguide structure
    The picture shows the comparison for the s-parameters of a rectangular waveguide fed circular cavity. The conformal FDTD and staircase FDTD results are from FIDELITY 4.0 pre-release version. The mode-matching results and the experiment data are from: D.-C. Niu, B. Houshmand, and T. Itoh, "Analysis of complex waveguide structure using the finite-difference time-domain method," 1994 IEEE MTT-S Int. Microwave Symposium Digest, vol. 2, pp. 697-700, May 23-27, 1994, San Diego, CA.
  • MDSPICE 3.2
    We are pleased to announce the release of MDSPICE 3.2 that has the following important features: (1). Robust and accurate time domain simulation directly on s-parameter frequency response. The s-parameter SPICE simulation normally meets the causality conditions. (2). Robust and accurate RLC extraction from wide band s-parameters in standard SPICE format. The RLC components are frequency independent, and s-parameters of the extracted circuit can guarantee perfect match to the original s-parameters.

    Perfect match between original s-parameters and the extracted RLC's s-parameters.
  • Zeland Program Manager, ZPM 10.0
    The ZPM 9.2 features improved Zeland Simulation Queue for more robust scheduled IE3D and FIDELITY simulation.
  • Zeland Distributed Computing Service ZDS 9.2
    ZDS 9.2 combined with IE3D 9.2 allows a user to distribute a simulation or optimization job of multiple frequency points onto the network. Each CPU in the whole network can simultaneously perform an individual single frequency simulation for the job. ZDS 9.2 features distributed computing with adaptive frequency sampling.
  • Ie3dLibrary, A Second Interface for IE3D?/font>
    Ie3dLibrary is an object-oriented library for the IE3D?electromagnetic simulator and a free add-on interface for IE3D users. The library contains many commonly encountered shapes in microwave and antenna applications. The user can easily create complicated structures based upon the library elements. The created geometry can be exported to IE3D?for full-wave electromagnetic simulation and optimization.
  • FilterSyn 9.2, A Filter Synthesis Module for Ie3dLibrary
    The filter synthesis module now includes 25 types of commonly used coaxial, microstrip, stripline/LTCC, and stripline-like low-pass, bandpass, and bandstop filters. The module uses accurate analytical models and allows fast simulation and synthesis of high performance filters. The synthesis module comes with Genetic Algorithm based optimization. The module is directly linked to the object-oriented Ie3dLibrary. Each filter can be created as an Ie3dLibrary object for easy modification and fine tuning. The filter object can be directly simulated on IE3D?for full-wave electromagnetic simulation and optimization. 
     Learn more about FilterSyn...
  • LineGauge 9.2, A Complete Transmission Line Design Tool
    LineGauge 9.2 features 18 analytical transmission line models including single and coupled microstrip(s), single and coupled stripline(s), single and coupled CPW(s), and so on. It is a great aid to transmission line analysis and synthesis. The LineGauge 9.2 allows automatic construction of transmission line sections of specified properties for the IE3D layout editor. With LineGauge and Ie3dLibrary, IE3D becomes a full-blown design tool instead of an analysis tool.