EmCAD: The Frontend Interface

EmCAD is the graphical frontend of the Hierarchical Electromagnetic Modeler, designed to let users define and simulate electromagnetic structures with ease and precision.

Developed and maintained by Walter Steffè, EmCAD is open-source software released under the GNU General Public License v2 or later.

Download

Windows 64-bit installer |  Source code |  User Guide (PDF)

Key Capabilities

  • Import complex geometries from any STEP-compatible CAD system.
  • Assign electromagnetic properties to materials and surfaces.
  • Define waveguide ports, boundary conditions, and simulation settings.
  • Decompose complex structures into subdomains for fast and scalable modeling.
  • Submit simulations to the cloud-based solver and retrieve equivalent circuits.

Workflow Overview

1. Problem Setup

  • Create part geometry using external CAD (support for multi-body models).
  • Import the geometry via a STEP file into EmCAD.
  • Assign materials, boundary conditions, and ports.
  • Set global simulation parameters (frequency band, mesh size...).
  • Decompose the geometry and generate the tetrahedral mesh.
  • Save the EmCAD project and launch the remote simulation task.

2. Postprocessing and Analysis

  • Once all subcircuits are received, define desired frequency range and network parameters (S, Z...)
  • Submit a frequency-domain simulation request.
  • Visualize the response curves directly in EmCAD.
  • Save the results and plots for documentation or further study.

3. Export

The top-level reduced equivalent circuit can be exported in SPICE format, enabling integration with external circuit simulators for advanced system-level design.

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