Integrating Different Software Tools

May 21, 2009
Those old enough to remember early computers and working on 5.25-in. floppy disks will also recall that they had to assemble a good amount of code to accomplish any kind of functionality approaching "computer-aided engineering." Thankfully, today, there ...

Those old enough to remember early computers and working on 5.25-in. floppy disks will also recall that they had to assemble a good amount of code to accomplish any kind of functionality approaching "computer-aided engineering." Thankfully, today, there is a wide range of "store-bought" software solutions available and only die-hard programmers need to write their own code for computer modelling. In the early days of microwave modelling and simulation, most programs were stand-alone tools, and results from one program had to be entered manually into a different program for analysis.

Modern software developers have realized that it is often necessary to create a PowerPoint presentation from a series of graphic files and MS Word documents, and integration of different software tools enables this functionality. The same is true for RF/microwave design, where it can be helpful to port files from one program, such as an electromagnetic (EM) simulator, into a circuit or system-level simulator. Making that integration as invisible or "seamless" (as programmers like to say) as possible is a key to the effectiveness of an integrated suite of software tools. And, as with Microsoft, it is sometimes wiser to use programs from a single software vendor rather than from different sources, to ensure that they are properly integrated and no "tricks" are necessary to make different simulators work together.

About the Author

Jack Browne | Technical Contributor

Jack Browne, Technical Contributor, has worked in technical publishing for over 30 years. He managed the content and production of three technical journals while at the American Institute of Physics, including Medical Physics and the Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology. He has been a Publisher and Editor for Penton Media, started the firm’s Wireless Symposium & Exhibition trade show in 1993, and currently serves as Technical Contributor for that company's Microwaves & RF magazine. Browne, who holds a BS in Mathematics from City College of New York and BA degrees in English and Philosophy from Fordham University, is a member of the IEEE.

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