IdEM Versions Comparison

Main Feature	Detailed Feature	Description
System Requirements	Operating System	Windows XP 32-bit
	Operating System	Windows XP 64-bit
	Operating System	Windows Vista 32-bit
	Operating System	Windows Vista 64-bit
	Operating System	Windows 7 32-bit
	Operating System	Windows 7 64-bit
	Operating System	Linux Red Hat4 - CentOS 4
	Operating System	Linux Red Hat 5 - CentOS 5
Import	Touchstone Import	The Touchstone import module has been improved and optimized for handling huge data files with a size larger than 100 MBytes. In particular, memory requirements are now significantly reduced during file read and data storage in IdEM workspace.
	Transient Data Import	Transient data import from CST Microwave Studio has been upgraded in order to support recent versions. Support is now available for all transient data formats from MWS version 3 up to version 2008.
Causality	Data Causality Check	The causality check tool included in IdEM implements one of the most advanced and accurate techniques for frequency data validation. Through a series of different tests, the causality check tool can detect the presence of measurement/simulation errors that compromise the physical consistency of the raw data.
	Causality Plots	A novel visual representation for data causality check results is now available, allowing for an intuitive interpretation and understanding of the results.
	Advanced Causality Plots	The visualization of causality check has been improved with respect the previous IdEM versions to make it more user friendly and understandable.
Data Operations	DC Point Extrapolation	This feature allows to add the missing DC point to frequency-domain responses via advanced and causality-constrained extrapolation schemes.
	Data Conversion	This feature allows conversion between differen network parameters. When dealing with N-port structures, it may be necessary or convenient to convert them into specific matrix representations, depending on the applications. IdEM can perform conversion from and to Impedance (Z), Admittance (Y) and Scattering (S) formats.
	Data Conversion Enhancements	The convert port representation feature has been enriched with the possibility to perform multiple conversions simultaneously, i.e. from S to S, Y, Z at the same time.
	Variable Port Impedance	Since IdEM R2009b, it is possible to re-normalize Scattering representations using different reference impedances for individual ports. This feature improves accuracy and model robustness for mixed Signal-Power integrity applications.
	Reciprocity	Since R2009b, full support for reciprocity in data and models is available, leading to several optimizations, including speed up in all steps of model extraction and reducing memory requirements.
	Transient Responses Computation	Since IdEM R2011, starting from frequency dataset/model it is now possible to compute the corresponding complete set of port responses to Gaussian-pulse port excitations.
	Port Renumbering	Since IdEM R2011, it is possible to redefine the port numbering scheme for a given dataset.
	DC Conductance Visualization	Since R2011, it is possible to visualize the DC conductance of a dataset.
Fitting Algorithm	Fast Fitting Algorithms	New optimized implementations of the frequency-domain fitting algorithms are now available. Main advantage is runtime, which is reduced up to two orders of magnitude with respect to previous IdEM versions. This suprising performance increase has been achieved with state-of-the-art matrix compression techniques in the numerical solution of the fitting equations.
	Automatic Fitting Order Estimation	Automated order estimation and initialization has been added to the frequency-domain fitting tool. Using default settings, no User input is now required to construct a macromodel. Of course, all (and even more) advanced control settings are still available to the User, for a complete configuration of the algorithm behavior and for fine-tuning the output model.
	Model Refinement	This feature allows to refine a model that is already available in the workspace, by tuning its complexity until the desired accuracy level is reached.
IdEMXpress	IdEMXpress Wizard	Since IdEM R2009b, the IdEMXpress Wizard has been introduced for automation of the most common data and model operations (data passivity check - data causality check - model build - model passivity enforcement). No user intervention is now required for performing repeated modeling tasks on a possibly large number of structures.
	IdEMXpress Enhancements	IdEMXpress Wizard has been enriched with a new automatic task: DC point extrapolation. Furthermore, it is now possible to set advanced fitting and passivity options directly from the IdEMXpress Wizard.
Passivity	Hamiltonian (HAM) Scheme	This scheme achieves passivity via perturbations of the so-called Hamiltonian matrices associated to the model.
	SOC Scheme	This scheme achieves passivity by enforcing local passivity constraints at carefully selected frequencies. Global passivity is achieved by iterations. The passivity equations are formulated as Second-Order-Cone constraints, leading to a particularly efficient numerical solution.
	SOC+HAM Scheme	This scheme combines the advantages of SOC and HAM schemes, by selecting the best algorithm to be run at each iteration, based on the specific model being processed.
	SOC and HAM Optimizations	New and improved formulations of both passivity algorithms have been applied, leading to a reduction of passivity enforcement time by at least a factor of 2 with respect to previous algorithms.
	SOC Weighting	Advanced frequency-weighting schemes are now used in SOC scheme to preserve in-band model accuracy while enforcing global passivity. Main advantages are more accurate results, combined with better and faster convergence properties even in the most challenging multiport cases.
	HAM Weighting	Advanced frequency-weighting schemes have been extended to the Hamiltonian passivity solver, with major improvement in convergence properties, in-band accuracy preservation, and processing speed.
	Asymptotic Passivity Enforcement	A new strategy for asymptotic passivity enforcement is now available and applied for handling sparsified scattering-based models. Sparsified models are obtained by processing raw data with some of the small couplings removed. This is accomplished by using either energy-based or topology-based sparsification. In previous releases, asymptotic passivity (hence, global passivity) could not be enforced for these models. It is now possible to process also sparsified models, provided that the raw data is in scattering form.
	Sparse SOC Scheme	A new and optimized SOC passivity enforcement scheme is available. This scheme exploits an internal sparse representation of the Gramian matrices and fully supports reciprocity. Main advantage is faster processing time. Backward compatibility is also retained for convenience.
	Advanced Sampling	An optimized frequency sampling scheme for SOC-based passivity enforcement has been introduced, leading to a faster and more robust algorithm.
	New solver with DC point constraints	Since IdEM R2010, the DC point of a model can be preserved even during passivity enforcement. A new and robust passivity solver has been implemented, including a hard DC constraint which locks the DC point.
Model Operations	DC Point Enforcement	This feature allows to enforce the DC point of the model to a prescribed value. In particular, DC point enforcement is useful as a post-processing step after a fitting or a passivity enforcement operation. It is possible to extract the DC value to be used as reference from any dataset in the workspace, provided that the number of ports matches.
	DC Conductance Export	Since R2011, it is possible to export the DC conductance of a model in Touchstone format.
Model Export	Touchstone	New functionalities for exporting models into Touchstone format have been introduced. In particular: export the model in multiport data format (S, Y, Z) export the model to multiple selectable frequency ranges with custom multirange point densities
	HSPICE® Laplace/Foster	Model export is now available as equivalent circuits in Laplace/Foster form (available for HSPICE® only).
	HSPICE® Pole	Model export is now available as equivalent circuits in HSPICE® pole-zero representation form.
	Verilog-A	Model export is now available in Verilog-A language.
	Spectre®	Model export is now available as equivalent circuits in native Cadence Spectre® language.
	Spectre® Zeros/Poles	Model export is now available as equivalent circuits in Cadence Spectre® pole-zero representation form.
	VHDL-AMS	Model export is now available in VHDL-AMS language.
	Agilent ADS	Model export is now available in Agilent ADS bbn format.
	ASTAP	Since IdEM R2010, support for SI/MKS units in the ASTAP synthesis has been introduced. This gives to PowerSpice users the possibility to generate subcircuits both in ASTAP units and in MKS units.
GUI	Interface	The IdEM Graphical User Interface has been drastically improved, both for algorithm and configuration controls. More intuitive interfaces are now available, leading to a simpler and more effective macromodeling experience.
	Abort Control	A new control has been added in the GUI, allowing for user interruption of any IdEM calculation. When a simulation is taking longer than expected or is not leading to the expected results, a simple mouse click returns control to the User, resetting IdEM to its previous state.
	IdEMXpress Link	A new control for accessing the IdEMXpress Wizard is now available in the IdEM toolbar.
	Export Link	A new control for direct model Export is now available in the IdEM toolbar.
	Figure Auto-Close	An auto-close switch is now available for configuring the behavior of IdEM with respect to figures and plots that are automatically generated during modling steps. The User can choose whether retaining these figures for further inspection or automatically close these figures at the end of processing. This control is available in main IdEM toolbar.
	IdEM GUI Resize	A set of manual resizing controls for main IdEM GUI has been introduced in R2010. This corrects some inconsistencies and spurious clipping arising when the screen resolution is limited and the system fonts are very large.
	IdEM GUI Automatic Resize	A set of automatic resizing controls for main IdEM GUI has been introduced in R2011. This automatically corrects some inconsistencies and spurious clipping arising when the screen resolution is limited and the system fonts are very large.
	IdEM GUI Look and Feel	The look and feel of IdEM has been renewed by adopting a new set of fresh-looking icons.
	Plotting	New plotting functionalities are now available. In particular: A new GUI has been implemented to handle all the figures plots. In the main IdEM visualization GUI new enhancements have been introduced: support for responses visualization in mag/phas and real/imag in log scale hard control for frequency range single matrix element selection via a mouse click
Settings	Installation Settings	IdEM installation files and folders are accessed by each user only in read mode. This allows for centralized installations in a multi-user environment. This feature was available on Linux platforms in previous releases and it has been extended to Windows platforms in R2008b.
	Personal settings	Each User has now its private log file and configuration settings. These are created with defaults at the first IdEM run after installation in a private folder. Each User can then modify these private configuration options without affecting other Users. In addition, each User can configure its preferred working folder and the locations where data, models, and configuration settings are located.
	Fitting/Passivity Options	General Preferences and advanced Fitting and Passivity options have been enriched and reorganized. It is now possible to import and export predefined or user-defined configuration settings and options, thus enabling a single-click reconfiguration of IdEM for different working modes or tasks.
	Netlist Options	Netlist export options have been reorganized. It is now possible to maintain the same model export options within the working IdEM session.
	Exception Handling	An advanced system for exception handling has been implemented, allowing to recover smoothly from various unexpected situations, including out-of-memory errors. When such exceptions occur, IdEM interrupts immediately the action causing the problem and returns control to the User. In particular, it is now possible to save workspaces, data and models even after blocking exceptions.
	Plotting Options	Several options are now available for controlling plotting and figure generation, including configurable default plotting profiles.
	Plotting Options Enhancements	Since IdEM R2011, it is possible to define new default options for data and model plots. It is now possible to define the font size and line width used for axis labels, lines and characteristics. Anytime the IdEM Display Panel is updated after some processing tasks, the plotting controls in the panel are reinitialized with these configurable defaults, providing the User with a consistent interface.
	Backward Compatibility Mode	The User can switch between most recent or previous implementations of the algorithms through a dedicated switch in main GUI. Performance improvement can thus be easily assessed.
	Predefined Templates	Since IdEM R2011, it is possible to select and customize predefined templates in order to automatically set proper default fitting, passivity and netlist options. Each predefined template is associated to a particular type of structure to be modeled.