Time‐domain techniques in microwave circuit simulation

Microwave circuit simulation has always posed particular difficulties especially in highly non‐linear applications because of the presence of distributed or electromagnetic structures, which are usually passive and linear, but difficult to incorporate effectively in time‐domain analysis. A variety of specialised techniques has evolved to cope with this situation with reasonable success. In recent years, microwave systems are becoming more integrated and complex and often involve ‘mixed‐signals’ that may operate over a very wide range of time scales, creating new simulation challenges. This study reviews the issues involved and suggests a practical paradigm for generalised time‐domain simulation of microwave circuits.