EDA Glossary

EDA Glossary

This EDA glossary is the vocabulary or clavis for electronic design terms. Terms are sorted in sections and within a section we list them in alphabetical order of terms. We describe the definitions for those terms and provide a little background.
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Simulation

MoM Method of Moments
MoM

MoM Method of Moments

This technique only requires that the metal interconnects in the structure to be simulated are meshed. Therefore, simulations are speed up compared to the other technologies because a "planar" MoM mesh is simpler and smaller than the equivalent "3D volume" mesh requirements for an FEM or FDTD simulation. MoM algorithms solve Maxwell's equations implicitly by solving a matrix. MOM offers the most efficient simulation method for layered but truly planar structures (2.5D). It is suitable for PCB routing and planar antennas.

3D FEM
3D FEM

3D FEM Finite Element Method

This simulation is a true 3D field solver that allows arbitrary shaped 3D structures to be analyzed. The advantage over MoM is that it can be used for any type of 3D structure and is not confined to a layered stack up. FEM simulation requires that objects being simulated are placed into a truncated space. This volume of simulation domain is converted into discrete elements, usually tetrahedral mesh cells with a denser mesh being (adaptive meshing) created around the geometric model being simulated. FEM algorithms solve Maxwell's equations implicitly by solving a matrix. FEM solves in the frequency domain and is suitable for circuits with a high quality factor (Q) like filters, cavities, resonators, and oscillators.

FDTD
FDTD

FDTD Finite Difference Time Domain

This simulation method is a true 3D field solver which can analyze arbitrary shaped 3D structures like FEM. FDTD algorithms solve Maxwell's equations in a fully explicit way. FDTD employs a time-stepping algorithms that updates the field values across the mesh cell time-step by time-step, thereby explicitly following the EM waves as they propagate trough the structured model. FDTD solves in the time domain and is suitable for connectors and transitions.