Python for Microwave and RF Engineers [Application Notes]

Python is a powerful programming language for handling engineering and scientific computational tasks efficiently [1]-[5]. Used by companies such as Google and Intel and by organizations including NASA and Los Alamos National Laboratory, it offers an extremely wide selection of tools for tasks such as scientific computing, signal processing, Web site construction, database programming, and graphical user interface (GUI) design. The language is platform independent with most programs running on Linux, Microsoft Windows, or MAC OS virtually unchanged. Python has been distributed as a part of Open Source Initiative, and most versions are General Public License (GPL) compatible. In microwave and radio frequency (RF) engineering, it can be used for numerical programming, automated RF testing, automated monolithic microwave integrated-circuit (MMIC) layout generation, automated netlist generation and simulator sequencing, and other tasks. In this article, we are going to provide examples demonstrating the application areas of Python in microwave and RF engineering. We are also going to give a brief introduction to the language highlighting its salient features.