<azonenberg>
If you buy the level 3 gold version, which is around $8K MSRP, you can go up to 3 layers
<azonenberg>
The "professional" verison has no cap on layer count
<azonenberg>
(everything below gold is still 2 layers)
<bvernoux>
ha yes
<azonenberg>
I wish openems etc was more usable, but i don't grok E&M physics well enough to write my own solver and openems's UI is basically nonexistent
<azonenberg>
i dont care how good the solver is if i can't actually use it
<bvernoux>
yes
<bvernoux>
Sonnet seems very accessible
<azonenberg>
anyway, gold's 3 layers would be enough to model a s-g-s [core] stackup
<bvernoux>
Just need to understand those layers and the limitation behind ;)
<azonenberg>
so basically the outer half of a six layer pcb
<bvernoux>
It seems we can do some cool filters with Lite version
<bvernoux>
ha ok when you say 3 layers in Sonnet it means to simulate a PCB up to 6 layers ?
<azonenberg>
i mean half of a six layer
<bvernoux>
ha ok
<azonenberg>
if we assume the core is thick enough there isn't significant coupling
<bvernoux>
so 3 layers in Sonnet is 3 copper layers in PCB
<azonenberg>
Roughly
<bvernoux>
including prepreg ...
<azonenberg>
I think you can manage to steal an extra layer or two by using the boundary layers to model solid ground layers, etc
<azonenberg>
but 3 layers of arbitrary geometry
<azonenberg>
All of my work to date has been one signal layer above a reference plane
<bvernoux>
so so far with LIte version it shall be enough design some Microstrip filters using only 2 copper layer (mainly top & bottom)
<azonenberg>
Yeah thats the kind of stuff it's really intended for
<azonenberg>
Not extracting S-parameters from a 64-bit DDR3 bus
<bvernoux>
yes I imagine after the limit is the famous 32MB RAM ;)
<bvernoux>
so the filter(s) will be limited in size / complexity ...
<bvernoux>
What do you mean by Not extracting S-paramters for a 64-bit DDR3 bus ?
<azonenberg>
i mean that would be just a little bit too big for the lite edition :p
<bvernoux>
hehe yes
<bvernoux>
anyway this Lite version is fun as we can design analyze RFID antenna ;)
<bvernoux>
NFC 13.56Mhz / 868MHz
<bvernoux>
with an example
<bvernoux>
ha no in fact final version requires 3 layers ;)
<bvernoux>
great I have found the examples ;)
<bvernoux>
Project -> Browser Example
<bvernoux>
lot of cool examples for PCB
<bvernoux>
Lite version do not allow to export gerber :(
<bvernoux>
will try with gif but I doubt the scale will be good to import it in KiCad ...
<azonenberg>
you can export to DXF i think
<azonenberg>
and kicad can import DXF?
<azonenberg>
i talked to sonnet sales, apparently the gerber import/export costs as much as the solver itself
<azonenberg>
its a third party tool they bundle
<azonenberg>
they recommend not using it, and only provide it for people whose workflows require it
<azonenberg>
DXF import/export is free and included iirc
<azonenberg>
maybe not in lite, but in all of the paid editions
<bvernoux>
I see DXF is disabled too
<bvernoux>
Sonnet Error- XG5850:
<bvernoux>
Sonnet Lite Limitation
<bvernoux>
DXF Translator exceeds your Sonnet Lite license.
<bvernoux>
representative for information about upgrading your license.