Microwave Office
PCB design software
CAD software
- Features
- Ease of use
- Ease of management
- Quality of support
- Affordability
- Market presence
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$990 per month
Free Trial
Free version unavailable
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What is Microwave Office
Microwave Office is an electronic design automation (EDA) suite used to design and simulate RF/microwave circuits and related PCB structures. It supports schematic-driven design, electromagnetic (EM) analysis, and circuit/system simulation workflows used by RF engineers working on components such as filters, amplifiers, and matching networks. The product is commonly used where high-frequency effects and layout-to-schematic correlation are important, rather than for general-purpose mechanical CAD modeling.
Integrated RF circuit and EM
The suite combines schematic capture, circuit simulation, and EM analysis in a single environment. This supports workflows where designers iterate between circuit intent and layout-dependent effects. It is well aligned to RF/microwave design tasks that require frequency-domain analysis and distributed structures.
Specialized microwave design workflows
Microwave Office includes features oriented to RF design such as transmission-line elements, S-parameter-based design, and matching/filter synthesis workflows. These capabilities address needs that general PCB layout tools often handle via external simulators. It helps RF teams keep design intent and verification closer to the PCB implementation.
Model and measurement interoperability
The tool supports common RF data/model formats (for example, Touchstone S-parameters) used for vendor components and measured results. This enables designers to incorporate measured device behavior into simulations and compare simulated vs. measured performance. It is useful in lab-to-design iteration cycles typical in RF development.
Not a mechanical CAD tool
Despite being used alongside PCB layout, it does not replace mechanical CAD systems for enclosure, assembly, and detailed 3D mechanical design. Teams typically still need separate MCAD tools for mechanical constraints and manufacturing drawings. This can add integration overhead in electromechanical projects.
PCB layout depth varies by workflow
Organizations that need advanced enterprise PCB layout capabilities (complex constraints, large-team collaboration, or extensive library governance) may require additional tooling or adjacent products. Some workflows rely on integrating with other PCB layout environments rather than using it as the sole PCB design system. This can complicate end-to-end PCB release processes.
Learning curve for RF simulation
Effective use requires RF/microwave domain knowledge and familiarity with simulation/EM concepts. Setup choices (ports, substrates, meshing, calibration, and model selection) can materially affect results. New users may need training and process guidance to achieve consistent verification outcomes.
Plan & Pricing
Pricing model: Cadence OnCloud (token-based / subscription)
Offerings (from Cadence official site):
- 40 hours (Named user license) — USD $990 / month — 40 Tokens. Subscriptions renew every 30 days; plan will auto-renew at current rates. (Cadence product page shows this package.)
Free tier/trial: Free trial available (see notes below).
Notes & official footnotes:
- Free trial: 8 hours or 30 days, whichever comes first; a payment method is required to start the free trial and the plan will auto-renew at current rates.
- Cadence OnCloud tokens represent computational usage and OnCloud availability is in limited locations.
- For team/enterprise solutions Cadence directs users to contact sales; other OnCloud offerings/pricing (e.g., larger token bundles or managed cloud services) are listed via Cadence OnCloud/marketplace and may require contact or use of the shop portal.
(Information sourced exclusively from Cadence official product/OnCloud pages — AWR Microwave Office product page and OnCloud marketplace pages.)
Seller details
Cadence Design Systems, Inc.
San Jose, CA, USA
1988
Public
https://www.cadence.com/
https://x.com/cadence
https://www.linkedin.com/company/cadence-design-systems/
