What’s New in the Latest Version of CST Studio Suite?

Dassault Systèmes released the latest version of their 3D electromagnetic simulation software, CST Studio Suite 2025, in November ’24. It brings performance enhancements as well as new features to make sure that you can efficiently develop and optimize your future electromagnetic products.

CST Studio Suite is available for both Windows and Linux. In the 2025 release, there are multiple improvements in the user experience when using Linux. For the complete list of features and improvements, please check the release notes included with the new release.

Onboarding and Examples

When using simulations to make design decisions, it is crucial that you have set up your model correctly. To support and educate users, CST comes with multiple ‘getting started’ books, and the component library now contains more than 500 ready-to-run simulation models. These models provide insights into what can be done in the latest version of CST Studio Suite and how to start with your modeling and simulation setup.

If you need further assistance, TECHNIA provides Dassault Systèmes-certified CST Studio suite training and support.

SIMULIA ULM (unified licensing model)

A few years ago, Dassault Systèmes introduced the SIMULIA ULM. The unified licensing model is a more flexible licensing system, as it allows you to have a shared pool of compute licenses across all your SIMULIA products.

The foundation of ULM is the compute tokens, which are used to cover your day-to-day needs. Tokens are checked out when running a simulation, and when the simulation is completed, the tokens are returned to the license pool.

The same tokens are used whether you’re solving multiple jobs, using multiple CPUs, or multiple GPUs; whether you’re running electromagnetic simulations or, for example, structural simulations.

In addition to tokens, you can also use credits, which are consumed on use. The number of credits consumed per hour depends on how many CPUs and GPUs you wish to use during your simulation. Typically, credits are used as a complement to tokens when you have a temporary peak in your simulation needs.

When using the ULM, the front-end/GUI license will be valid for CST Studio Suite and, for example, Opera, Antenna Magus, Filter Designer 3D, and the recently acquired WASP-NET software. Additionally, EDA import functionality using e.g. ODB++ or IPC-2581 file formats in CST Studio Suite is also included in ULM. ULM tokens and credits are used as compute licenses for all these software programs.

Updates to Python CST apps

Even more Python CST apps are available in this latest release, bringing new features and enhanced performance. Many new methods are now available for writing your own Python scripts, especially when looking at PCB Studio and Design Studio (the schematic part of CST). When it comes to the 3D simulation studios/modules, most queries are available, including fetching results. 3D modeling is still done by embedding VBA code.

Antennas, RF components, and high-frequency solvers

Time domain solvers

• Floquet boundary condition to (narrowband) simulation of unit cell structures using T-solver
• Multiple simultaneous excitation lists can now be sequentially excited with the TLM solver
• Improved performance in the TLM discretizer and solver initialization for complex models

F-solver

• Performance improvements for the methods using tetrahedral mesh, in particular for curvature calculation during mesh generation and refinement
• Multi-frequency adaptive tetrahedral mesh refinement option for pre-defined frequency samples
• F-solver DDM (domain decomposition method)
  • Further improved performance of the domain decomposition solver
  • Automatic detection of similar domains for repetitions in the course of the domain decomposition solver start

Array task

• Time delay excitations for broadband beam steering
• Support to use existing array projects as subarray models
• ‘Simulation by zones’ is now also supported by the TLM solver

I-solver

• Adaptive surface mesh refinement

A-solver

• UTD (uniform theory of diffraction); higher-order contributions are now available
• Introduction of field source ports: Combined S-parameter and near-field surrogate model, enabling full IP protection. Allows for full far-field and S-parameter results in placement scenarios and advanced schematic-based workflows. Supported solvers for the placement domain include T-solvers (FIT, TLM) and the integral equation solver.

Additional design tools

• Antenna Magus, Filter Designer 3D, FEST3D, etc. are now included in the CST Studio Suite installer
• WASP-NET is now integrated into the SIMULIA ULM
• FEST3D includes a new exporting mode to CST Microwave Studio with CAD primitives, including parameters

EMC and EDA

• Importing PCBs is now quicker, especially on large boards. More control over details such as etch factor, solder mask, and more detailed via models. There are also feature improvements to operations such as bending PCBs.
• Improved flexibility when using Python for PCB import.
• When meshing advanced PCBs with tetrahedral mesh, this is now significantly faster.
• Another convenient feature for getting a quick overview of your board is the line impedance plot, which gives you a colormap plot showing the impedance along the selected traces. When using the thermal solvers, there are improvements in the electronics cooling ribbon for setting up fans, heat pipes, and field monitors.
• The pRLC solver now supports dispersive magnetic permeability, which might be of interest when modeling, for example, ferrites.

Low frequency

• There are additional feature enhancements on Litz wires.
• The low-frequency TD-solver now supports non-periodic linear motion scenarios that can be used when modeling, e.g., actuators.