Whats new in CST MICROSTRIPES 2009

CST MICROSTRIPES™ is a complete software product for 3D electromagnetic analysis and rapid design of high frequency devices. The product features an intuitive easy-to-use design environment with an interactive CAD modeler, an advanced electromagnetic (EM) solver and a number of analysis and visualization tools.

Build fully integrated into CST MICROSTRIPES Front End

The interactive CAD modeler (Build) is now fully integrated into CST MICROSTRIPES Front End. This greatly improves usability and allows multiple models to be viewed alongside their results. The Build history panel has been merged into the project view so that project management, model editing, the solver queue and results plotting are all accessible from the same place.

Tabbed toolbars interface

CST MICROSTRIPES Front End introduces a new style user interface featuring tabbed toolbars and new larger icons. The new interface is designed to maximizes the available working space and improve overall productivity.

Native 64-bit Front End

CST MICROSTRIPES Front End is now available as a native 64-bit application on Windows x64 platforms. This means that very large models can be imported/created, discretized, solved and visualized on supported 64-bit platforms.

New view controls for 3D plots

Axial alignment controls have been included in the footer of each 3D plot. These are much easier to use than the old XY, YZ, ZX controls for obtaining the desired axial view. An option is provided for the user to create their preferred orientation and re-use it for any 3D plot. The orientation of all 3D plots in display can be linked so that as you rotate one view, such as a Build plot, all other 3D plots such as the far field radiation pattern will follow the same orientation.

Improved view control for plots

Dotted and dashed line patterns have been added to graph plots. The option dialogs for graph plot, near field and far field plots have been simplified. The old-style decoration has been removed from the 3D field plots and replaced by the standard CST MICROSTRIPES mouse option to zoom or pan the view. More region output time samples can now be defined to get a smoother time animation in the field plotter for lightning/ESD simulations.

Automesh improvements

Two different cell sizes can now be defined for space distant to geometry and space over the geometry. This can allow more complex models to be meshed on memory limited systems, particularly for electrically small radiating devices. The distance between the geometry and mesh extents can now be defined in terms of wavelength.

Enable more complex wire junctions to be modeled

The wire junction model has been significantly reworked. A previous limitation has been removed that prevented two wires that pass through the same cell face to be electrically connected.

Allow more complex slot paths to be defined

An edge in the model can now be picked to define the path of a curved slot. The limitation of a maximum of 20 points along the path of a slot has been removed.

Transfer impedance slot model

Slots can now be characterized by defining a transfer impedance at a frequency.

Loss per unit length for wires

A simple resistance per unit length or a material conductivity can now be defined for wires.

TM mode support

Fundamental or higher order TM modes can now be defined on waveguide ports.

Faster transient plane wave analysis

The algorithm used to excite plane waves with a transient signal directly in the solver has been greatly improved. Transient signal definition can now be added to plane waves with minimal affect on solver performance.

Wide band phase delay

A wide band phase delay can be defined for excitations in the solver. This phase delay is valid between a third of the maximum model frequency and the maximum model frequency.

Double precision solver

An option has been included to select a double precision solver. This is generally not needed but has been shown to give improved results for some models that have highly shielded zones.

Simplified user definition of radiation efficiency output

A single tick is now available to instruct the solver to calculate radiation efficiency for far field radiation patterns. The solver efficiency has been improved for integration of losses needed for this calculation. Radiation efficiency is now calculated for broadband emissions, in addition to the single frequency outputs.

Improved undo/redo

The undo/redo model edit controls now show a list of states to move back/forward to.

Multiple select for more operations

Additional multiple select controls have been added for healing imported geometry and for the definition of wires, providing more rapid model editing.

Variables dialog improved

The variables dialog has been simplified and better incorporated into the history tree.

Option to ignore material overlaps

Material overlap conflicts can prevent the solver from running but do not always invalidate results. The solver overlap check can now be turned on or off for models.

NASTRAN file import

CST MICROSTRIPES 2009 can import the most common entities in a NASTRAN file.

Automatic save of models

An option has been added to save the Build model (SAT file) at user defined intervals. If the system fails, the model changes included in the last save can be accessed by opening the <modelname>.autosave.sat file.

Project management simplified

Any changes to a project within CST MICROSTRIPES are now saved automatically. There is no need to manually save the project when adding models or changing settings. There is now only a single workspace to record which projects are open. The user can return to the same workspace when next launching CST MICROSTRIPES to resume their modeling session.

ACIS R18

The version of the CAD ACIS toolkit used to create model SAT files has been raised to ACIS R18.

Licensing options changed

CST MICROSTRIPES 2009 uses the CST licensing daemon. A new license will be required to use this version. Additional licensing options have been made available to make the product more configurable.

Support for Windows Server 2008

Windows Server 2008 (32-bit and 64-bit) is now added to the list of supported platforms.

System Requirements

Hardware requirements for 32-bit Microsoft Windows

A system with an Intel or AMD compatible processor (clock speed 1 GHz or higher). Multiple processors are supported.

Minimum 1GB of RAM.

200 MB of free hard disk space, plus an additional 100 MB during installation, for temporary files.

Software requirements for 32-bit Microsoft Windows

The following 32-bit Microsoft Windows platforms are supported:

Windows XP Professional with Service Pack 2 or higher

Windows Vista (Business, Enterprise and Ultimate editions)

Windows Server 2003 with Service Pack 1 or higher (Standard and Enterprise editions)

Windows Server 2008 (Standard and Enterprise editions)

Hardware requirements for 64-bit Microsoft Windows (x64 editions)

A system with a 64-bit capable AMD processor or an Intel processor with EM64T. Multiple processors are supported.

Minimum 1 GB of RAM.

200 MB of free hard disk space, plus an additional 100 MB during installation, for temporary files.

Software requirements for 64-bit Microsoft Windows (x64 editions)

The following 64-bit Microsoft Windows x64 platforms are supported:

Windows XP x64 edition with Service Pack 1 or higher

Windows Vista x64 (Business, Enterprise and Ultimate editions)

Windows Server 2003 x64 with Service Pack 1 or higher (Standard and Enterprise editions)

Windows Server 2008 x64 (Standard and Enterprise editions)