Aether Lite

A3DComm

About this app

Aether Lite is an RF and Microwave engineering toolkit for professionals, students, and enthusiasts. Explore the full RF design workflow — from system link budgets to impedance matching — at no cost.

Aether Lite limits the number of blocks in a budget to 3 and the number of budgets in a project to 2.
A full-featured version (Aether) without these limitations is also available.

System Budget Calculator:
• Cascade Analysis: Chain amplifiers, mixers, filters, and attenuators to compute system Noise Figure, Gain, IP3, and P1dB.
• Link Budget: Calculate received power, SNR, and link margin for wireless systems.
• Export cascade diagrams as PDF, SVG or editable diagram XML.

Filter Designer (limited edition, max 3rd order):
• Filter Synthesis: Butterworth and Chebyshev responses.
• Filter Classes: Low Pass, High Pass and Band Pass.
• Passive LC ladder implementation with frequency and component scaling.
• S-parameter simulation with magnitude, phase/delay, and schematic views.

IQ Simulator:
• Signal Generator: Create CW, two-tone, and Gaussian noise signals, or load IQ data files.
• Spectrum, IQ waveforms and constellation visualization.

Smith Chart Designer (lite version):
• Interactive Smith Chart with schematic editor.
• L, C, R, Transmission Lines, and S2P blocks.
• Amplifier Design with Gain and Stability Circles.
• Frequency sweep and Monte Carlo analysis.

Data Explorer:
• Import Touchstone (.sNp) files.
• Cartesian, Polar, and Smith Chart visualizations.
• Marker system and snapshot comparison.

Analytical & Transmission Line Tools:
• Closed-form models for common transmission line geometries.
• Resonator and Attenuator Designers.

Export & Share:
• PDF reports, PNG/SVG screenshots, editable diagram XML, Touchstone files.

Upgrade to Aether for the full feature set:
• No limitations on number of blocks in a budget or budgets in a project
• Advanced filter types: Elliptic, Legendre-Papoulis, higher-order synthesis
• Custom spec bands: your own per-band rejection, insertion-loss and return-loss requirements
• Trace Designer: Full 2D BEM solver for PCB transmission lines

For support or feature requests, please contact us.

What’s new

• Harmonic balance: sweeps run many times faster, power sweeps plot HB, and unchanged results are reused
• Corrected P1dB conversions; IIP2 restarts at mixers; optional image-band noise
• Insights pie as a movable panel; two new HB examples
• Signal Designer: background generation, practical defaults, better small-screen layout

Aether adds larger designs, the rest of the filter library and the Trace Designer