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Simbeor® Overview

Simbeor® is extendable graphical environment to describe and visualize a multilayered circuit geometry, set up and run electromagnetic simulation, and visualize and post-process the simulation results. Simbeor® contains 3D full-wave solver for analysis of multiconductor interconnects in multilayered media with broadband causal dielectric and metal interior and surface roughness loss and dispersion models. It extracts propagation constants and characteristic impedances and frequency-dependent RLGC matrix parameters of transmission lines as well as S-parameters of discontinuities.
Download datasheet with the software description or click here to see how Simbeor fits into your design flow.
Simbeor snapshot with comments

Data flow from Circuit geometry through Simulation to Results is optimized for modeling of high-speed interconnects and transitions and high-frequency passive distributed components. Simbeor® is designed to support multimodal decomposition and is extendable with plug-in software components for problem description and simulation.

All problem description data and simulation results in Simbeor® are stored in xml format. Solution Explorer provides possibility to create and edit the problem description data with multiple wizards and dialogs and with interactive 3D view and graphs. In such combination it creates easy-to-learn intuitive “try-and-see” editing environment. Number of actions from empty project to the results is highly minimized and practically all setups related to computational models are automatic. In addition, data can be reviewed and edited directly in xml-format by expert users. Cut/Copy/Paste and other editing operations on tree provide possibilities for quick reuse of old projects and support fast prototyping for what-if experiments.
Material dialog and matching xml data

Results of transmission line analysis are available in the following forms:
  • Xml-format files (internal storage format)
  • Graphs of characteristic impedances and propagation constants of line modes and multiple derivatives from these parameters such as phase and group velocities or delays, differential and common mode parameters
  • Tabulated transmission line parameters in easy-to-read report format and in Microsoft’s Excel® format
  • Files with frequency-dependent RLGC models for SPICE W-element
Results of discontinuities and transitions analysis are available in the following forms:
  • Xml-format files (internal storage format)
  • Different forms of graphs of scattering, admittance and impedance parameters with derivatives from these parameters such as group delay and VSWR
  • Tabulated multiport parameters in easy-to-read report format and in Microsoft ExcelŽ format
  • Touchstone-format files readable by most SPICE and RF tools
Simbeor® allows all simulation results to be plotted either versus frequency or versus any parameter of the problem. Practically any number entered to describe a problem can be designated as a simulation parameter.
Parametrized graphs


Simulation servers
Simbeor® contains 3D full-wave solver for multilayered circuits (3DML solver). It is based on combination of the Method of Lines and Trefftz Finite Element Method. The solver extracts parameters of multiconductor transmission lines and S-parameters of discontinuities or transitions in these lines with the Method of Simultaneous Diagonalization.
Simbeor 3DML problem formulation

Simbeor® 3DML solver is a 3D full-wave simulator optimized for multilayered or stratified circuits. It models dispersion of waves in line due to metal and inhomogeneous dielectric effects with all six components of electromagnetic field and displacement term. For fast and accurate analysis of slot-line structures and via-hole transitions going through multiple metal planes, the program uses equivalent magnetic current formulation for cut-outs in metal plane layers. It automatically processes five types of geometrical symmetry including 180-degree rotational. Perfectly Matched Layer (PML) is used to account for radiation.
Two ultra-wideband metal loss models have been built in Simbeor® 3DML solver to simulate proximity and skin-effects in thick metal. The interior of conducting traces are modeled with the finite elements of Trefftz-Nikol’skiy and loss in metal planes is simulated with efficient and accurate grid spectral-domain algorithm. Metal roughness and temperature effects are also included.
Metal loss model and dialog


Roughness effect on microstrip

There are three models for dielectric losses and dispersion in the Simbeor® 3DML solver. Non-causal flat loss model that is good for simulation of narrow-band systems (it is usually used by default in most electromagnetic tools). Causal one-pole Debye model can be used to simulate dielectrics with loss tangent reaching maximum at some frequency. Causal wideband Debuy model has been developed for composite FR-4 type dielectric with slow growth of loss tangent over very broad frequency band. Usage of causal models is essential to produce broadband reduced order models of multi-gigabit channels for instance. Model for isotropic semiconductors is also provided.
Innovative Method of Simultaneous Diagonalization has been used in Simbeor® 3DML solver for precise extraction of parameters of lossy multiconductor lines from results of 3D electromagnetic analysis. Note, that this feature is completely unique and not available in any other solver. In general this area of transmission line theory is not well developed and Simbeor® 3DML solver provides possibilities for engineers to be ahead of some leading research groups. Better interconnect models allow to reveal and to solve problems at early development stages without expensive experiments. New devices can be created exploiting non-orthogonality of modes in lossy lines.
Extraction of modal parameters of lossy differential line


Simbeor® 3DML Solver Application Domains
  • Interconnect structures on high-speed digital PCBs, MCMs and ICs
    • Regular multiconductor interconnects or transmission lines
    • Periodically disrupted or terminated interconnects
    • Transitions or discontinuities such as vias, micro-vias, breakouts,…
    • Embedded passives such as planar resistors, capacitors and inductors
  • Passive elements of RF, hybrid, microwave and millimeter-wave integrated circuits (MICs and MMICs) and MEMS
    • Planar strip-type, slot-type and hybrid transmission lines, periodic structures and discontinuities
    • Filters, dividers/combiners, directional couplers, switchers, attenuators,…
    • Passive elements of amplifiers and oscillators such as inductors, capacitors and resistors
    • Planar antennas
  • Practically unlimited frequency bandwidth
    • Successfully tested at frequencies from 10 KHz to 300 GHz
  • More detailed overview of Simbeor® is available in Downloads/Software area.
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