MEM Research Faq

About Installation:

Q: I already have licensed an older version of EM3DS; do I need a new code for EM3DS 11?
A: Yes. You should remove the existing license (Menu Files->Remove current license, or let EM3DS 11 to remove automatically that license) and send the new code generated by EM3DS 11 to MEM Research. Note that codes are back-compatible, i.e. the EM3DS 11 will allow to use also previous versions of EM3DS.
Q: I have installed the program in Windows Vista, and I get an error message when trying to start EM3DS. Why?
A: EM3DS in OS Vista and Windows 7 has to be started as Administrator. To do that just right click on the icon and select this option
Q: Can I exploit another computer using the same license?
A: Yes. Licenses in EM3DS are "floating". To this aim just start in the PC where EM3DS was enabled the tool "License Manager". Then insert the TCP-IP of the client PC and add it to the "allowed list". Then click on "Start the Server". At this point start EM3DS in the Client PC, and when asked for the license, select the checkbox "use remote floating license" and insert the TCP-IP of the PC running the license manager. Note that you can also use the License Manager to install a "Service License Manager": in this case the license manager will run in background automatically, exploiting the list of allowed TCP-IP that you have created before. When using the floating license, pay attention to the firewalls (License Manager uses port 8090)
Q: Do I need a license for freeEM3DS?
A: No. FreeEM3DS is COMPLETELY FREE. Feel free to copy it and distribute it (for free!). However it has not be used professionally: it can be used freely for academic or personal use. It has restrictions in capabilities. Note that FreeEM3DS is able to reopen standard EM3DS project with no limitations. Restrictions will apply only when trying to run some new simulation. FreeEM3DS can be downloaded as a stand-alone program, but it is also installed along with the standard EM3DS.
Q: I have also AWR Microwave Office on my PC. How can I make EM3DS available in Microwave Office?
A: You will find in the installation a tool: REGEM3DS.exe If the main EM3DS file, EM3DS 11.exe, is not in the same directory of the registration utility, locate it. Then click on the Register button. If AWR Microwave Office 6 (or following versions) is registered in your system, the process will successfully terminate. At this point EM3DS should be available into your AWR Environment.
Q: What is the difference between a Professional License and an Academy License?
A: There is no difference, but the Academy License cannot be used for professional purposes.
Q: Where I can learn more about EM3DS?
A: The best way is to download it. You can download the full version, and ask for a trial enabling code, or just run the FreeEM3DS who comes also with the full version. You will find many animated tutorials and, if you have installed the full package, you will also have many examples. Note that the examples may have been developed with different versions of EM3DS (it is basically a collection of projects) and so not exploiting the full power of the latest version. Examples are meant to show the capability of the software, while the best way to learn are the animated tutorials, the manual and the online help. In the manual and the help you will also find reference to some scientific papers describing how a specific feature works.
Q: The animated tutorials do not run
A: The tutorials available from the EM3DS menu need Adobe Flash Player installed in your system. Alternatively, a lower resolution version of the animated tutorials is available in the help

Technical

Q: Can I import structures from other software packages?
A: Yes: you can use DXF and GDSII formats. Note that DXF is not always full compatible in all programs generating this format. The most robust approach is GDSII. You can also import a Bitmap: this is only a way to have overlapped to the editor an image that you can use to draw the structure in EM3DS. Note that bitmaps can also be imported in charts: this allows to compare results taken for example from a paper to the ones produced by EM3DS.
Q: I'm getting some wrong image when importing the GDSII
A: Check if the source GDSII was created using hierarchy. EM3DS does not support hierarchy: the GDSII file should be generated defining just one structure including the whole set of masks, or when using more than one structure, avoid external reference to that structure. Usually GDSII translator is very robust.
Q: I have some problem importing DXF
A: DXF may produce several kind of problems: the most common is compatibility between different versions. Another problem is that DXF can be used to define completely arbitrary 3D models, while EM3DS works on a "layer-by-layer" basis, mostly like GDSII. Hence when importing parts that cannot be modeled in EM3DS, those are either reported as a picture (not an object) or simply skipped (this is reported as "skipped entity" in the program).
Q: Is there a means of modeling a high-permeability magnetic core that extends through, above and below the plane of the PCB? I have reviewed the manual, and understand I can define the permeability of a given layer, but have not been able to determine how to define the region of the magnetic core material. My understanding is that the dielectric bricks do not modify the permeability of a given layer
A: you are correct: one can modify the magnetic permeability of a whole (one or several) layer, while a single dielectric brick does not affect the magnetic permeability. This is actually a present limitation of em3ds, due to the fact that only the electric part of the Green's function is calculated (an other consequence is that you can see the electric field but not the magnetic field). In your case I would try to model the core by assigning its permeability to the layers most likely affected by its influence.

...from Ohm's law to Snell's law

Frequently Asked
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Frequently Asked
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...from Ohm's law to Snell's law

Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked
Questions

Frequently Asked
Questions