TICRA Tools 25.0 is released
We are proud to announce the new release: TICRA Tools 25.0 is now available.
This new release delivers focused enhancements and updates, particularly within CHAMP 3D and QUPES. Specifically, the TICRA Tools 25.0 release provides:
Greater Solver Flexibility: CHAMP 3D now includes a 3D Finite Element Method (FEM) solver, adding to the existing Method of Moments (MoM) and Mode Matching options. The FEM solver expands the range of modelling techniques available for waveguide analysis and offers particular advantages when performing frequency sweeps across many frequencies.
Enhanced Design Control: QUPES now supports external databases for unit-cell designs in reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RISs). Additionally, GRASP and POS allow electrical properties to be assigned to CAD models, giving users greater control over material selection and design parameters.
Smarter Analysis: Enhanced configuration options provide more refined control in key calculations, such as defining the main-lobe region for Beam Efficiency and Integrated Sidelobe Level analysis.
More details on selected features can be found below.
With an active Technical Support and Maintenance (TSM) contract, you may download TICRA Tools 25.0 on the TICRA support site. Here, you can also find the release note with details on all new features, enhancements, and bug fixes.
If you would like to renew your TSM agreement, please contact us.
Finite Element Method analysis available for 3D waveguide devices (CHAMP 3D)
TICRA Tools 25.0 introduces a new Finite Element Method (FEM) solver which is based on several decades of research carried out by Prof. Juan Córcoles Ortega from Technical University of Madrid (UPM) as well as Prof. Jesús Rubio Ruiz and Prof. Rafael Gómez Alcalá from University of Extremadura. The new solver is for 3D waveguide devices in CHAMP 3D, complementing the existing MoM and Mode Matching options. The FEM solver provides a significant speed-up for frequency sweeps involving analysis across many frequencies.
The new FEM solver is applicable to 3D waveguide devices with metallic walls.
Quasi-Periodic Surfaces with Tabulated Periodic Unit Cell Element (QUPES)
TICRA Tools 25.0 now supports scattering matrix databases generated from periodic unit-cell designs analysed in external third-party computational software. This enables the analysis and optimisation of quasi-periodic surfaces based on elements with lumped components, such as PIN diodes, varactor diodes, and liquid crystal substrates, characterised outside TICRA Tools. As a result, a complete workflow can be established for Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces (RIS), where TICRA Tools’ direct-optimisation technique is used to optimise quasi-periodic surfaces with thousands of elements in seconds. The new Tabulated Periodic Unit Cell element can also be used to optimise state-based quasi-periodic surfaces continuously, followed by rounding of element parameters to the nearest discrete state.
Periodic unit-cell element analysed outside TICRA Tools and imported as scattering parameters.
RMS Difference Calculation for Reflector Surfaces (GRASP, POS)
It is now possible to calculate the RMS value of the difference between the surfaces of two reflectors, which can be used as an optimisation goal. Providing versatile options for precise reflector surface evaluation and designs.
Enhanced Beam Efficiency and Integrated Sidelobe Level calculations (TICRA Tools)
Enhanced flexibility in defining the main-lobe region for Beam Efficiency and Integrated Sidelobe Level calculations has been introduced. The new options include using the average beam width to approximate elliptical beams and applying an adjustable scaling factor to extend the main-lobe region, allowing for more precise and customised analysis.