Explore MEFiSTo-2D Classic
Six Questions:
- What, in a nutshell, is MEFiSTo-2D Classic?
- What distinguishes it from other simulators?
- What kind of problems can I solve with it?
- Can you describe a typical simulation?
- Why should I download and install MEFiSTo-2D Classic?
- How can I download MEFiSTo-2D Classic?
Six Answers:
What, in a nutshell, is MEFiSTo-2D Classic?
MEFiSTo-2D Classic is a Multi-purpose Electromagnetic Field Simulation Tool for Windows 95/98/NT/2000/ME+. It allows you to solve and visualize 3D fields and waves that are functions of two space dimensions and time. An extensive user interface and powerful processing capabilities give it the functionality of
- a time domain reflectometer,
- a microwave/millimeter-wave vector network analyzer,
- a spectrum analyzer,
- a signal processor, and
- a video system.
It is the engine of a “Virtual Electromagnetics Laboratory”.
What distinguishes MEFiSTo-2D Classic from other simulators?
- MEFiSTo-2D Classic offers you unprecedented transparency and interactivity. It lets you observe field propagation and interaction with boundaries, materials and devices, and you can intervene at every phase of the simulation.
- MEFiSTo-2D Classic solves Maxwell's equations in the time domain; the solution is life-like, and you can simulate both transient and time harmonic fields.
- MEFiSTo-2D Classic allows you to simulate not only forward but also backward in time.
- MEFiSTo-2D Classic performs co-processing, not just the usual post-processing of field data. Hence, you can observe the evolution and convergence of scattering parameters, harmonic signal content, or return loss at every timestep.
- MEFiSTo-2D Classic features numerical convolution capability in time. You can thus model arbitrary, frequency-dispersive boundary behavior, and partition large structures in the time domain.
- MEFiSTo-2D Classic features moving boundaries, allowing you to observe phenomena such as the Doppler effect in the time domain.
- Since the user has full control over the discretization of space, MEFiSTo-2D Classic is perfect for studying numerical dispersion, discretization errors, stability, and convergence in time and space discrete systems. MEFiSTo-2D Classic comes with a suite of well documented experiments called the Virtual Electromagnetics Laboratory. It contains hyperlinks to the appropriate experiment files and has been designed specifically for teaching and self-study.
What kind of problems can I solve with MEFiSTo-2D Classic?
Here are some typical scenarios you can model and simulate with MEFiSTo-2D Classic:
- TE- and TM-type propagation and scattering problems in free space and in waveguides,
- T-junctions, bends, n-furcations, strips, posts, irises, cavities, filters, and other structures in the H-plane of a rectangular waveguide,
- Optical and quasi-optical phenomena such as reflection, refraction, scattering, dispersion, optical coatings, surface waves, beam focussing,
- Interactions of fields with active and passive nonlinear devices (harmonic generation, oscillator start-up, injection locking, etc.),
- Stripline and microstrip problems that are amenable to quasi-TEM analysis.
The possibilities for experimentation are endless. Most importantly, MEFiSTo-2D Classic allows you to demonstrate, study, and comprehend the properties of electromagnetic fields and waves.
Can you describe a typical MEFiSTo-2D Classic simulation?
To perform a simulation with MEFiSTo-2D Classic, follow these simple steps:
- Draw the boundaries of a structure and enter its electromagnetic properties in discretized space,
- Set up source(s), probe(s), and/or an animation region for field visualization,
- Specify the source waveform and magnitude,
- Set simulation control parameters (no. of time steps, Fourier window, etc.)
- Start the simulation and observe time responses at probes, 2D or 3D field animation,
- Simultaneously observe their discrete Fourier transform and scattering parameters,
- Save, export or process data, print graphs, field plots, results, or continue the simulation.
The first four steps can be prepared in advance and saved in files (Virtual Electromagnetic Experiments).
Why should I download and install MEFiSTo-2D Classic?
If you teach electromagnetics, microwaves, high-speed electronics, or optics at the college or university level, you know how challenging it can be to attract students to these difficult subjects, bring abstract field equations to life, and manage laboratories involving complex, expensive equipment. MEFiSTo-2D Classic will enrich your teaching through live field simulations and virtual experimentation. Project MEFiSTo-2D Classic directly in class, or embed it into a PowerPoint or HTML presentation for maximum impact. Install MEFiSTo-2D Classic on your lab computers and complement your laboratory experiments by virtual experimentation and visualization.
If you are a college or university student interested in these areas, you can immediately apply and visualize the concepts learned in class and laboratory with MEFiSTo-2D Classic. By turning mathematical abstractions into a visual process you can develop deeper understanding and better judgment in a shorter time. Transform your PC into an exciting and enriching virtual laboratory by downloading and installing MEFiSTo-2D Classic. If you know Windows, you can learn to use MEFiSTo-2D Classic within minutes.
If you are a practicing professional in one of these areas, you will appreciate the capability of MEFiSTo-2D Classic to quickly test new concepts and ideas, explore technical feasibility, and to visualize physical behavior. More than ever, designers must account for the electromagnetic field effects associated with electronic signals. The key is to understand the nature of electromagnetic fields and waves. MEFiSTo-2D Classic has been developed with precisely this goal in mind.
