This topic came up again and it might be worth seeing some of my
comparisons of the free 2D field solvers. As a contractor, I sometimes
have access to field solvers that are not free and sometimes the free
solvers are all I have; that's why I like to keep my comparisons up to date.
I'm using HyperLynx as the reference. Simbeor SFS will still calculate
Zdiff after the trail license has expired. I have a trial license for
Si9000 right now. All three use conductor roughness and the others don't.
mdtlc uses atlc has its solver (don't know the version though) and I
exported the stackup from mdtlc for use with atlc and atlc2. It's
interesting that mdtlc and atlc don't give the same results, so mdtlc
must use an older version of atlc.
Conductor thicknesses are from IPC-6012B, tables 3-7 and 3-8, class 3,
finished averages, which includes plating for the microstrip.
Comments welcomed.
Dennis
Physical definitions (all units micron):
Conductivity defined at 55°C (50022962 S/m), except for mdtlc and atlc,
which fix the value at 20°C.
All impedance calculations at 5 GHz if a frequency is required.
Off-center Edge-coupled Stripline
bottom width = 101, top width = 88.3, spacing = 149, thickness = 13.399,
no coplanar ground fill
core thickness = 125, er = 4.1, loss tangent = 0.019, f = 5 GHz
prepreg thickness = 160, er = 3.9, loss tangent = 0.019, f = 5 GHz
Solver Zdiff Zcm
HyperLynx VX2.3_1 100.1 29.8
Free 2D Field Solver 1.0 100.0 29.4
TNT 1.2.2 100.9 30.0
mdtlc 0.2.1.92 102.7 30.3
atlc 4.4.4 102.4 30.3
atlc2 1.02 102.0 not calculated
Trace Analyzer 2.0 100.1 27.7
Simbeor SFS 2017.02 100.8 not calculated
Si9000 18.03 100.6 29.6
Edge-coupled Microstrip
bottom width = 180, top width = 154.6, spacing = 150, thickness =
39.408, no coplanar ground fill
prepreg thickness = 260, er = 4.0, loss tangent = 0.019, f = 5 GHz
solder mask thickness = 35, er = 3.5, loss tangent = 0.032, f = 1 GHz
Note: **some solvers model solder mask as a dielectric layer and not a
conformal coating (use thickness 35 + 39.408 = 74.408)
Solver Zdiff Zcm
HyperLynx VX2.3_1 106.3 49.2
Free 2D Field Solver 1.0** 103.9 52.8
TNT 1.2.2 ** 102.8 48.6
mdtlc 0.2.1.92 107.8 47.1
atlc 4.4.4 105.7 46.8
atlc2 1.02 107.9 not calculated
Trace Analyzer 2.0 ** 103.0 48.6
Simbeor SFS 2017.02 105.2 not calculated
Si9000 18.03 107.3 49.4
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