- Pickering Interfaces, a provider of modular switching and signal simulation solutions for electronic test and verification, has released an updated version of its microwave switch design tool.
- This tool, available free of charge online, enables RF and microwave switching subsystems in PXI and LXI format to be configured in line with application requirements in just a few clicks.
- Pickering presented this solution on its stand at European Microwave Week (EuMW), held in Paris from September 23 to 27, 2024.
This online software tool aims to speed up the test system design process – from block diagram to mechanical layout – and minimize risk by enabling users to design their own customized RF switching subsystem with a visual indication of electrical performance.
The new schematic and simulation tools integrate with the existing panel configurator in Microwave Switch Design Tool (MSDT). This makes it possible to go directly from an electrical schematic, with verified RF performance, to a mechanical layout (front and/or rear panels). In this way, MSDT enables engineering teams to collaborate with Pickering’s team of RF engineers. MSDT aims to simplify the creation of customized, turnkey RF and microwave relay and switching subsystems for signal routing applications in test systems deployed in a variety of industrial sectors.
“We’ve updated our Microwave Switch Design Tool web application to include circuit diagram generation capabilities and RF circuit simulation,” explains Simon Aylott, Microwave Division Manager at Pickering Interfaces. “These enhancements enable engineers to graphically design and verify their RF switching subsystem on a PXI or LXI virtual platform. This makes it possible to create circuit diagrams and accurately simulate the electrical performance of a design, immediately obtaining a visual indication of the system’s expected RF performance. It is then possible to refine and optimize the design before launching the system creation process. This flexibility saves time and resources, and minimizes the risks associated with complex RF switching system design projects.”
Available free of charge online, with no software installation required, MSDT’s web-based graphical tools enable complex RF and microwave switching systems to be intuitively tested and optimized in a virtual environment before hardware solutions are created.
With access to a wide range of RF and microwave components, the tool supports electrical design through the generation of schematic diagrams, including interconnect wiring and circuit simulation of individual components and the complete signal path, as well as mechanical design through the creation of front and rear panels.
Accurate prediction of RF electrical performance reduces the risks associated with the design of complex test products. The range of components offered in MSDT is continually evolving, and alternative items can be requested for inclusion in the component database.
