OptEM Cable Designer

OptEM Cable is a CAE software tool for engineers designing high-performance data transmission cables. At high frequencies between 100 MHz to 10 GHz, the behavior of the signal that travels along the cable changes due to electromagnetic effects. Typical problems include increased attenuation, dispersion, distortions, and crosstalk. OptEM Engineering offers a cost effective and efficient software solution to test the cable's signal integrity by building transmission line models and performing a simulation of the cable system. The software performs an electromagnetic (EM) field analysis to generate accurate L, R, C, G reports and cable transmission line models. Using these models a TDR simulation of the cable system is run to test signal integrity of the cable and tune the system performance.

Hierarchical Design
OptEM Cable Designer uses a hierarchical design concept where existing design elements are used as building blocks (instances) in constructing higher-level cable designs. Objects in the cross section are tagged to identify key object properties including the core material (conductor or dielectric), plating material and thickness, on-screen color representation, and the object name. When an existing structure is inserted into a new design the existing structure is referred to as an instance which has its own unique position, rotation and lay length. The unique properties of the instance define realistic twisting parameters for individual pairs, bundles, shields and cables. The hierarchical design concept, and position, rotation and lay length details, allow the design engineer to quickly and easily model complex twisted-pair cable geometries.

Electromagnetic Modeling
The strength of OptEM Cable Designer lies in the accuracy of the models generated and the ease of use of the tool. The cable models are built using an EM field analysis engine that runs in the background. The EM field solution is based on the Helmholtz equation which, unlike static field solvers, takes into account dielectric and conductor losses inherent within the cable structure. The results produced by OptEM's EM field solver are frequency-dependent and include proximity and skin effects.

Signal Integrity
Using OptEM Cable Designer an engineer can model cables of any length and observe L, R, C, G and characteristic impedance (Zo) results, as well as create frequency-dependent transmission line models for TDR, ground bounce and near/far end crosstalk simulation.

OptEM Engineering Inc., 100 Discovery Place One, 3553- 31 Street NW., Calgary, AB T2L 2K7. Tel: 403-2890-0499; Fax: 403-282-1238.