This expands the company’s Academic Program offerings which aim to enable access to simulation technology for the next generation of engineers.

Simulation and 3D design software solutions provider Ansys recently launched its Electronics Desktop Student product as part of the Ansys Academic Program. The new addition is designed to enable broader access to electronics simulation software by lowering the barrier to adoption. According to the company, this is expected to create more opportunities for innovation among the next generation of electrical engineers and designers. This rounds out Ansys’ software offerings for students under its Mechanical, CFD, Discovery, and SCADE products.
Ansys Electronics Desktop Student offers free access to Ansys simulators such as Ansys HFSS, Ansys Maxwell, Ansys Q3D, and Ansys Icepak. These simulators will enable students to work on various electronics, including antennas, printed circuit boards, integrated circuits, and integrated circuit package designs, as well as electromechanical devices, such as electric motors and generators.
Ansys HFSS is a multipurpose, full-wave 3D electromagnetic simulation software for the design and simulation of high-frequency electronic products, such as antennas, components, interconnects, connectors, integrated circuits and printed circuit boards. When it comes to solving static, frequency-domain, and time-varying magnetic and electric fields, Ansys Maxwell comes in handy. Maxwell functions as a 3D electromagnetic field solver for electric machines and electromechanical devices, such as transformers, wireless charging, and permanent magnet latches.
Meanwhile, Ansys Q3D Extractor is responsible for calculating the parasitic parameters of resistance, inductance, capacitance and conductance for electronics designs. Ansys Icepak is a computational fluid dynamics solver for electronics thermal management that can predict airflow, temperature and heat transfer in integrated circuit packages, printed circuit boards, electronic assemblies/enclosures and power electronics.

The Ansys Academic Program was launched back in 2015 and includes a line of products: Ansys Student, Ansys LS-DYNA Student, Ansys SCADE Student, and Ansys Discovery Student. The program has provided students with access to engineering tools and training that enable them to build skills relevant to future job demands. The addition of the free Ansys Electronics Desktop Student software is expected to further expand students’ capacity for learning and research, even outside the classroom.
According to the company, there have already been over 1.8 million free downloads from both electrical engineering undergraduate and graduate students since the lineup’s initial release. The program has provided simulation software and materials education resources, including over 100 free Innovation courses online, to more than 2,750 universities across different countries.
“Supporting engineers during every phase of their career is a top priority for Ansys. This launch will enable students to excel in an increasingly competitive, dynamic and evolving global economy, and—ultimately—help shape the future of product design as these students become the next generation of inventors,” shared Prith Banerjee, chief technology officer at Ansys. “Since we launched Ansys Student, the most popular content request we received from students is free electronics training. Today, we’re delivering on those requests—eliminating barriers and improving access for students at the undergraduate and graduate levels.”
The integration of best simulation practices in learning environments will enable students to better address existing challenges in prominent industries such as 5G, autonomous vehicles, electrification, and alternative energy. The use of simulation software has long been the realm of advanced engineering analysts. However, as this becomes more and more valued by employers, there is an increasing need to educate the next generation of electrical engineers and designers. While this typically requires guidance from expert teachers, access to free simulation software provides support to existing education materials while enabling students to perform self-paced learning.
Download Ansys Electronics Desktop Student for free here.