Hi,
more than one software has a part dedicated to mems (for example Ansys or
Comsol), but CoventorWare is fully dedicated to mems and microfluidics.
This the main mems software we use in our university department. It contains
a lot of tutorials about tipical mems and microfluidics problems and often
these tutorials are well done and quite simple. So you can learn quite
quickly to use the software in a "basic" way.
On the other hand when you have to simulate more complicated or specific
problems you can't rely on the theory manual since it is quite poor (often
commands or solver settings are not well explained). Some CoventorWare parts
are based on other commercial tools (the mechanical solver is based on
Abaqus, the fluidic solvers are based on Fluent and Flow 3D) so, if you want
to understand the mathematical model "under" the simulation and in general
what a solver "really do", it's better you search in internet for the
manuals of Abaqus, Fluent, etc... or contact the technical support.
On the other hand, with other softwares like Comsol, for example, you can
see in every moment the equations you are using and in which way they are
solved. I think that this is a great advantage.
Anyway CoventorWare it's accurate and has the capability of generate
macromodels to use in the a system-level simulation performed with the
internal version of Saber (a system livel simulator). This is a very
powerfull way of simulating since you can analyse the behaviour of even very
complicated systems.
CoventorWare is more "specific" (since it regards only the "micro-word")
than Ansys or Comsol, so I think that it is less used in the world.
But, if you want to simulate only mems and mems enviroment (for example
actuation and sensing circuits), I think that it's a very good, or maybe the
best, choise.
I hope this helps!

Hi!

Alessandro

----- Original Message -----
From: "Masahiko Takei" 
To: 
Sent: Tuesday, February 07, 2006 3:23 PM
Subject: [mems-talk] Simulation software


> Hi folks,
>
> We are looking for a simulation software for MEMS design.
> It should be easy to operate, accurate, and widely used in the world.
> We would appreciate any suggestion on it.