Integration software specialists – CST

There is a strong increase in the demand for simulation tools from the electromagnetic compatible (EMC) market, according to Martin Timm, Marketing Director of German software company Computer Simulation Technology (CST).
In response, CST has developed new products for its CST Studio Suite in collaboration with SimLab, in which it bought a stake in 2007. The new software allows customers to streamline their workflow with a combination of PCB and cable analyses and full 3D EM simulation. Collaboration with leaders like Intel also plays a vital role in CST’s product development, he says. CST research has improved simulation performance through implementing groundbreaking algorithms like CST’s proprietary Perfect Boundary Approximation (PBA), as well as hardware implementation.
Automotive Industries asked Bernhard Wagner, managing director of CST, what the benefits of simulation through programs like CST Microwave Studio are.
Wagner: For any particular project within the automotive industry, there are numerous multi-discipline design teams working on different aspects of – and systems for – a vehicle. Ensuring that all of these systems will work together as intended is a major challenge. The inclusion of all these electronic and wireless systems means that a vehicle is now a highly complex electromagnetic environment which requires particular attention in terms of design and integration. CST’s products can be applied to electromagnetic compatible (EMC) problems including cable harnesses and can also be used to characterize and optimize single EM components such as antennas, sensors and actuators.
AI: Which automotive companies use CST products?
Wagner: Practically all manufacturers and suppliers to the automotive industry have CST simulation technology in their design chain. Typical applications are distance radar, car glass antennas, air bag sensors and the shielding of electronics.
AI: What other industries use CST products?
Wagner: CST’s technology is applicable to all kinds of electromagnetic phenomena, from DC to light CST’s. Our customers operate in industries as diverse as telecommunications, defense, automotive, electronics, and medical equipment.
AI: How do EMC and SI-PI simulation help meet design challenges?
Wagner: The main challenge for all industries is developing increasingly complex electromagnetic systems in the shortest possible time. Extensive prototyping cycles directly oppose this objective. Engineers have to know immediately whether a device will work. This is where simulation comes into play. 3D EM simulation can tell you whether your antenna will work as expected, and that it will not only work in an isolated environment, but also when installed in the intended positions.
AI: What is CST’s strategy in terms of expanding product and services offerings?
Wagner: CST’s goal is to deliver the best technology for all kinds of electromagnetic simulation. Consequently, we have been investing continuously and heavily in research and development as well as in customer service. As can be seen from recent deals with SimLab and Flomerics, we do not exclude acquisitions as a strategic option. But primarily, we have been growing organically and on a profitable basis. We would consider ourselves to be conservative when it comes to financial dealings and long-term partnerships, but progressive with respect to new technologies.