top of page

Ampsa (Pty) Ltd

 

Ampsa (Pty) Ltd is a South African software development company specialising in advanced synthesis tools for radio-frequency (RF) and microwave design. The company was founded in 1986 and converted to a private company in 1996.

 

For more than four decades, Ampsa has focused on the development of high-performance design software for:

 

  • RF and microwave impedance-matching networks

  • Power amplifiers and low-noise amplifiers

  • Oscillators

 

Ampsa software licenses have been supplied to customers in South Africa, Canada, the United Kingdom, the United States, Japan, Germany, India, Italy, New Zealand, China, Finland, and Russia.

​

Products

 

  • Ampsa Amplifier Design Wizard (ADW)

  • Ampsa Matching Wizard (MW)

 

The Ampsa Amplifier Design Wizard and Ampsa Matching Wizard are currently at Version 24 (Build 15460) and represent over 40 years of continuous refinement and innovation. Key technical features include:

 

  • Transistor modelling using S-parameters, power parameters and I/V-plane boundary constraints.

  • Controlling the intrinsic load terminations, as well as the intrinsic source impedances of the transistors in an amplifier circuit. The input nonlinearities are controlled via the intrinsic source impedances.

  • Advanced clipping theory implementation for different classes of operation.

  • Synthesis based on differential evolution or intelligent systematic searches.

​

The clipping theory implementation provides a practical bridge toward harmonic balance methods and has been developed into a highly usable and computationally efficient design framework within ADW. Impedance matching in both ADW and MW is based on intelligent systematic searches or Differential Evolution, enabling robust and practical synthesis solutions.  

 

Consulting Services

 

Ampsa provides specialist consulting services to customers requiring advanced RF and microwave design assistance.

​

Company Leadership

 

Ampsa is wholly owned and directed by:

 

Dr. Pieter L.D. Abrie

Founder and Managing Director

 

Dr. Abrie established the company and continues to develop the software. He is also responsible for technical innovation, marketing, sales, and administration.

 

History

 

Development of the Ampsa software began in 1982 in Fortran on an IBM mainframe at the University of Pretoria, where Dr. Abrie was employed as a lecturer.

 

During this period, his first Artech House publication (The Design of Impedance-Matching Networks for Radio-Frequency and Microwave Amplifiers) was published in 1985. The second edition of his Artech House book (Design of RF and Microwave Amplifiers and Oscillators, second edition) was published in 2009.

 

In September 1989, Dr. Abrie left his academic position as Associate Professor to pursue full-time development and commercialisation of the software.

 

The software evolved from:

 

  • IBM mainframe implementation

  • Extended DOS application

  • Windows-based implementation

  • Conversion from Fortran to C, and subsequently to C++

 

The original commercial product, MultiMatch Impedance-Matching Wizard, evolved into the MultiMatch Amplifier and Oscillator Design Wizard, and today forms the Ampsa Amplifier Design Wizard.

 

The first commercial license was sold in 1985.

​

The development direction of the software has been influenced by both industry design requirements and Dr. Abrie’s own advanced RF design research and practical experience. 

​

Contact Details

​

Ampsa (Pty) Ltd

33 Hildesheim Crescent

Pinehurst

Cape Town, 7550

South Africa

​

Mobile: +27 (0)72 536 4718

Email: mail@ampsa.com

Website: www.ampsa.com

bottom of page