Sonnet Lite & LitePlus Restrictions
For a list of new features and changes since the last release in Sonnet Lite & LitePlus, please see What's New in Sonnet Lite & LitePlus.
If you are having problems opening a project, or analyzing a project in Sonnet Lite, please see Cannot open or analyze a project in Sonnet Lite under Known Bugs.
Sonnet LitePlus
Sonnet LitePlus is available for $495 and includes all the functionality of Sonnet Lite and the following capabilities:
32 Megabyte memory limit: This is double the memory available in Sonnet Lite.
Maximum of 6 ports available: This allows you to use 2 more ports than Sonnet Lite.
Includes Optimization of one parameter: The Sonnet Professional suite allows you to optimize using an unlimited number of parameters. Sonnet LitePlus allows you to optimize using only one parameter. Optimization is not available in Sonnet Lite.
DXF Translator: Sonnet LitePlus includes the DXF translator which allows bidirectional translation of 2 layer DXF layout files (such as from AutoCAD) to/from the Sonnet project editor geometry format.
Sonnet Lite Restrictions
Listed below are restrictions for the Sonnet Lite suite.
NOTE: Sonnet Lite will NOT install or run if another version of Sonnet is installed.
Two metalization levels available: The Sonnet Professional suite allows an unlimited number of metalization levels; Sonnet Lite is limited to two metalization levels.
Maximum of three dielectric layers available: The Sonnet Professional suite allows an unlimited number of dielectric layers; Sonnet Lite is limited to three dielectric layers.
Maximum of three Components of the Ideal component type: The Sonnet Professional suite allows an unlimited number of Components as well as two additional types of Components: Data File and Ports Only. For more information about Components, see Components.
16 Mbyte memory limit for registered versions/1 Mbyte limit for unregistered: The Sonnet Professional suite allows use of an unlimited memory space, although most users limit the memory to the size of their physical memory. Sonnet Lite limits you to the use of 16 megabytes of memory for registered versions and 1 megabyte of memory for unregistered versions regardless of the physical memory available. To request a registered Sonnet Lite license, select Start => Programs => Sonnet => Register from the Windows desktop start menu.
Optimization not available: The Sonnet Professional suite allows you to create parameters in your circuits and optimize those parameters based on your stated goals. Optimization is not available for the Sonnet Lite suite. Optimization of one parameter is available in Sonnet LitePlus.
Maximum of one parameter allowed in a parameter sweep: The Sonnet Professional suite allows you to use an unlimited number of parameters when performing a parameter sweep. Only one parameter in a parameter sweep of a geometry project is allowed in the Sonnet Lite suite.
Remote em processing not available: The Sonnet Professional suite with a floating license allows you to run an em analysis on a remote server on your network. Remote em processing is not available for the Sonnet Lite suite.
Limited Agilent Interface: Available for purchase in the Sonnet Professional suite is the Agilent Interface which allows you to use Sonnet as your EM engine for all your ADS projects. The Limited Agilent Interface is included free in Sonnet Lite & LitePlus. You are limited to circuits that are permissible to analyze as Sonnet projects (2 metal levels, 4 ports etc.). For more information on the Agilent Interface, please refer to the Translators Manual available in PDF format through the Sonnet task bar.
Limited AWR's Microwave Office Interface: Available for purchase in the Sonnet Professional suite is the Microwave Office Interface which allows you to use Sonnet as your EM engine for all your Microwave Office projects. The Limited Microwave Office Interface is included free in Sonnet Lite & LitePlus. You are limited to circuits that are permissible to analyze as Sonnet projects (2 metal levels, 4 ports etc.). For more information on the Microwave Office Interface, please refer to the Translators Manual available in PDF format through the Sonnet task bar.
Cadence Virtuoso Interface not available: Available for purchase in the Sonnet Professional suite is the Cadence Virtuoso Interface which allows you to use Sonnet as your EM engine for all your Cadence Virtuoso projects. The Sonnet Virtuoso is not available in Sonnet Lite or LitePlus. For more information on the Sonnet Virtuoso Interface, please refer to the Translators Manual available in PDF format through the Sonnet task bar.
Dielectric bricks are not available: The Sonnet Professional suite allows for the use of dielectric bricks throughout a circuit. Dielectric bricks are not available for the Sonnet Lite suite. The Brick Mode button in the project editor tool box and the Modify => Convert to Bricks and the Circuit => Brick Materials menu items are disabled in the project editor.
Parallel subsections are not available: The Sonnet Professional suite allows you to remove parallel subsections where there is very little transverse current to reduce the number of subsections and improve processing time. Parallel subsections are not available in the Sonnet Lite suite. The Circuit => Parallel Subsections menu item in the project editor is disabled.
Kinetic inductance is not available: The Sonnet Professional suite allows the user to specify a kinetic inductance for a metal type for superconductor applications. This parameter is not available for the Sonnet Lite suite. The Ls parameter in the General definition in the Metal Editor dialog box in the project editor is disabled.
Maximum of 4 ports available: The Sonnet Professional suite allows an unlimited number of ports in a circuit. A maximum of 4 ports are allowed in the Sonnet Lite suite. After 4 ports have been added to a circuit in the project editor, the Add Port button on the tool box and the Tools => Add Port menu item are disabled. Sonnet LitePlus allows 6 ports.
All Port terminations in the project editor must be 50-ohms: The Sonnet Professional suite allows you to set the port termination to any value. For Sonnet Lite, all port terminations must be 50-ohms in the project editor. You may, however, define a different termination when viewing your data in the response viewer.
The variables X Min and Y Min are not available: The Sonnet Professional suite allows you to control how the circuit is subsectioned by allowing you to set a minimum size for subsectioning in the x and y directions for any given polygon. In the Sonnet Lite suite these values are both set to the default value of 1. The X Min and Y Min text entry boxes in the Metalization Properties dialog box in the project editor are disabled. These fields are also disabled in the Select Matching Metal Polygons dialog box.
The variables X Max and Y Max are not available: The Sonnet Professional suite allows you to control how the circuit is subsectioned by allowing you to set a maximum size for subsectioning in the x and y directions for any given polygon. In the Sonnet Lite suite these values are both set to the default value of 100. The X Max and Y Max text entry boxes in the Metalization Properties dialog box in the project editor are disabled. These fields are also disabled in the Select Matching Metal Polygons dialog box.
Edge Meshing is not available: The Sonnet Professional suite allows you to use edge meshing for a particular polygon. In the Sonnet Lite suite edge meshing is not available. The Edge Mesh drop list is set to Off in the Metalization Properties dialog box in the project editor.
Conformal Mesh and Diagonal-Fill not allowed: The Sonnet Professional suite allows you to chose from three different fill types: staircase, conformal mesh and diagonal. Conformal Mesh is a patented process that allows you to model geometries with diagonal or curved edges much more efficiently. Only staircase fill is available with the Sonnet Lite suite. The Fill type drop list in the Metalization Properties dialog box in the project editor is disabled.
Thick Metal: The Sonnet Professional suite allows you to define a metal type that uses physically thick metal. This metal type is not available with the Sonnet Lite suite.
Multi-Sweep ABS caching is not available: The Sonnet Professional suite allows you to retain the ABS cache data for multiple analysis sweeps of your project in order to save processing time in subsequent analyses. The Sonnet Lite suite only allows Start/Stop ABS caching which retains the cache data only if an analysis is interrupted.
Circuit Subdivision: The Sonnet Professional suite allows you to take a large circuit and automatically split it into any number of smaller projects, then connect the results in a netlist project to produce a response for the whole circuit. This feature is not available in the Sonnet Lite suite.
Advanced Subsection Control is not available: The Sonnet Professional suite allows you to control how the circuit is subsectioned by allowing you to set a maximum size for subsectioning in terms of subsections/lambda, specifying the subsectioning frequency, entering the effective dielectric constant and adjacent level polygon edge checking. In the Sonnet Lite suite these values are set to default or automatically calculated by em. The Advanced Subsectioning Controls dialog box in the project editor is disabled.
The De-embed run option is always enabled: The circuit is automatically de-embedded to the specified reference planes, or the box edge if no reference planes are specified in the geometry file when this option is set. For a detailed discussion of de-embedding refer to Chapters 7 and 8 of the Sonnet User’s Guide. For the Sonnet Professional suite the user may choose to turn this option on or off. For Sonnet Lite, the option is always enabled.
Run Options not available in Analysis Setup for Sonnet Lite: The Memory Save run option is available with the Sonnet Professional suite but is not available for Sonnet Lite. The controls for these options are disabled in the Analysis Setup dialog box and the Advanced Options dialog box in the project editor. All these options are available with the Sonnet Professional suite. For details about any of these run options, refer to the Sonnet User’s Guide and the project editor’s online help.
DC Point Analysis is not available in Sonnet Lite: The Sonnet Professional suite has a new feature; the DC Frequency sweep which analyzes your circuit at a low, non-zero frequency to supply response data at a DC point. This type of response data is necessary for some circuit analysis tools. In the Sonnet Lite suite this feature is not available. For details about this type of sweep, see DC Frequency Sweep.
User-defined Equations are not available in Sonnet Lite: The Sonnet Professional suite has a new feature this release in the response viewer that allows you to define a curve as a function of a pre-defined equation or as a function of a user-defined equation. The Sonnet Lite suite only provides the pre-defined equations which are delivered with the software. The user may not define their own equations.
