Introduction to RF simulation and its application

Radio-frequency (RF) circuits exhibit several distinguishing characteristics that make them difficult to simulate using traditional SPICE transient analysis. The various extensions to the harmonic balance and shooting method simulation algorithms are able to exploit these characteristics to provide rapid and accurate simulation for these circuits. This paper is an introduction to RF simulation methods and how they are applied to make common RF measurements. It describes the unique characteristics of RF circuits, the methods developed to simulate these circuits, and the application of these methods.