Happy medium [EMC CAD tools]

Electromagnetic compatibility is becoming an important element in the design of virtually all equipment and systems connected to an electrical supply. Contemporary design practice is increasingly reliant on the use of computer-based tools to realise the maximum degree of automation in the design process. This trend is set to continue. Furthermore, in the design of complex systems, interactions between different facets of the design problem make concurrent engineering practices mandatory. In practice, irrespective of its technical capabilities, ease of use and cost of deployment are critical factors in determining the success of any design tool. If a CAD package is to be widely used within industry then it must be both user friendly and capable of running quickly on modest PC platforms; at the same time, offering the user the maximum possible physical insight into the nature and magnitude of the interactions affecting the design. This article describes an approach to EMC CAD tool development, based on collaborative work between the universities of York and Nottingham, which is designed to meet these exacting requirements