Table of Contents

1. Getting Started with HFSSSystem Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2

Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2Sun Solaris . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4HP-UX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5Red Hat Enterprise Linux v3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5

The HFSS Desktop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-6Working with the Menu Bar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-6Working with the Toolbars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-8Customize Toolbar Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-8Customize Toolbar Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-9External User Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-9Working with the Shortcut Menus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-10

Shortcut Menu in the Toolbars Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-10Shortcut Menu in the 3D Modeler Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-11Shortcut Menus in the Project Manager Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-12

Keyboard Shortcuts for HFSS General Purposes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-12Working with the Status Bar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-15Working with the Project Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-15

Working with the Project Tree . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-16Setting the Project Tree to Expand Automatically . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-16

Viewing HFSS Design Details . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-16Viewing the Design List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-17Viewing Material Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-18

Working with the Properties Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-18Showing and Hiding the Properties Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-19

Contents - 1

Setting the Properties Window to Open Automatically . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-19Modifying Object Attributes Using the Properties Window . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-20Modifying Object Command Properties Using the Properties Window . . . 1-20

Working with the Progress Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-20Stopping or Aborting Simulation Progress . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-21

Working with the Message Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-21Working with the 3D Modeler Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-21

Working with the History Tree . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-23Controlling the View of Objects in the History Tree . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-25

Keyboard Shortcuts for the 3D Modeler Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-25Using the Password Manager to Control Access to Resources . . . . . . . . . 1-27Running HFSS from a command line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-28Getting Started Guides . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-31Copyright and Trademark Notices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-33

2. Getting HelpConventions Used in the Online Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3Searching in Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-4Using WebUpdate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-5

3. Working with HFSS ProjectsHFSS Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2Creating Projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3Projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4

Opening Recent Projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4Opening Legacy HFSS Projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4

Legacy HFSS Project Translation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4Closing Projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-7Saving Projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-8

Saving a New Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-8Saving the Active Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-9Saving a Copy of a Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-9Renaming a Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-9Saving Project Data Automatically . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-10

Save Before Solve Option . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-10Recovering Project Data in an Auto-Save File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-11

Deleting Projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-12Undoing Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-13Redoing Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-14Validating Projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-15Exporting Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-17

Contents - 2

Exporting 2D Geometry Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-17Exporting 3D Model Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-17Exporting Graphics Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-19Exporting Data Table Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-19

Importing Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-21Importing 2D Model Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-21Importing GDSII Format Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-22Importing 3D Model Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-24Importing DXF and DWG Format Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-26Importing Solution Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-28Importing Data Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-29Importing HFSS Plot Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-30

Inserting a Documentation File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-31Printing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-32Saving Project Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-33Setting Options in HFSS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-34

Setting General Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-34General Options: Project Options Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-34General Options: Default Units Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-35General Options: Analysis Options Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-35General Options: WebUpdate Options Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-36HFSS Options: Miscellaneous Options Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-37

Setting HFSS Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-37HFSS Options: General Options Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-37HFSS Options: Solver Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-38

Setting Fields Reporter Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-38Setting Report2D Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-38

Report 2D Options: Curve Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-39Report2D Options: Axis Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-40Report2D Options: Grid Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-40Report2D Options: Header Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-40Report2D Options: Note Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-40Report2D Options: Legend Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-41Report2D Options: Marker tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-41Report2D Options: Marker Table Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-42Report2D Options: General Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-42Report2D Options: Table Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-43

Setting 3D Modeler Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-433D Modeler Options: Operation Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-433D Modeler Options: Display Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-443D Modeler Options: Drawing Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-45

Report Setup Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-46

Contents - 3

Working with Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-47Adding a Project Variable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-47Deleting Project Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-48Adding a Design Variable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-48Deleting Design Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-49Defining an Expression . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-49

Using Valid Operators for Expressions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-50Using Intrinsic Functions in Expressions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-51Using Piecewise Linear Functions in Expressions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-53Using Dataset Expressions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-53

Adding Datasets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-53Modifying Datasets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-54Defining Mathematical Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-55Assigning Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-56Choosing a Variable to Optimize . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-56Including a Variable in a Sensitivity Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-57Choosing a Variable to Tune . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-57Including a Variable in a Statistical Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-58

4. Setting up an HFSS DesignInserting an HFSS Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2Selecting the Solution Type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-3Setting the Model’s Units of Measurement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-4

5. Drawing a ModelDrawing Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2

Drawing a Straight Line Segment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2Drawing a Three-Point Arc Line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-3Drawing a Center-Point Arc Line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-4Drawing a Spline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-4Drawing a Polyline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5Inserting Line Segments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-6Drawing an Equation-Based Curve . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-7Drawing a Circle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-7Drawing an Ellipse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8Drawing a Rectangle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9Drawing a Regular Polygon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10Drawing an Equation-Based Surface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10Drawing a Sphere . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11Drawing a Cylinder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11Drawing a Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12

Contents - 4

Drawing a Regular Polyhedron . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-13Drawing a Cone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-13Drawing a Torus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-14Drawing a Helix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-15Drawing a Segmented Helix with Polygon Cross-Section Using a User Defined Primitive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-16Drawing a Segmented Helix with Rectangular Cross-Section Using a User Defined Primitive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-17Drawing a Spiral . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-18Drawing a Spiral using User Defined Primitives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-20Drawing a Bondwire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-21Drawing a Point . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-21Drawing a Plane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-22Drawing Non-Model Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-22

Selecting Non-Model Drawing Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-23Changing an Object to Non Model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-23

Drawing a Region . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-23Model Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-25

Analysis Options Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-25Model Analysis dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-26

Objects Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-26Object Misalignment Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-27Surface Mesh (Single/Pairs) Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-28Last Simulation Mesh Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-29

Align Faces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-29Set Material Override . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-30Heal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-30

Healing Stage One: Validation Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-31Healing Stage Two: Fix Intersections Between Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-32Healing Stage Three: Fix Object Pair Intersections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-33Healing Stage Four: Analysis Phase . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-34Healing Non-Manifold Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-34Setting the Healing Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-35

Creating a User Defined Primitive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-36Modifying Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-39

Assigning Color to Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-40Setting the Default Color of Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-40Setting the Default Color of Object Outlines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-40

Assigning Transparency to an Object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-40Setting the Default Transparency of Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-41

Copying and Pasting Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-41

Contents - 5

Copying to the Clipboard as Images . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-41Deleting Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-42

Deleting Polyline Segments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-42Deleting Start Points and Endpoints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-43

Delete Last Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-43Moving Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-43Rotating Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-44Changing the Orientation of an Object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-44Mirroring Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-44Offsetting Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-45Duplicating Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-45

Duplicating Objects Along a Line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-46Duplicating Objects Around an Axis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-47Duplicating and Mirroring Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-47

Scaling Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-48Sweeping Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-48

Sweeping Around an Axis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-49Sweeping Along a Vector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-49Sweeping Along a Path . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-50Sweeping Faces Along Normal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-51Thicken Sheet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-51

Covering Lines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-52Covering Faces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-52Uncovering Faces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-52Detaching Faces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-52Creating a Cross-Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-53Connecting Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-53Moving Faces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-53

Moving Faces Along the Normal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-54Moving Faces Along a Vector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-54

Uniting Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-55Subtracting Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-56Creating Objects from Intersections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-57Creating an Object from a Face . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-58Creating an Object from an Edge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-59Splitting Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-59Separating Bodies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-60Converting Polyline Segments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-61Rounding the Edge of Objects (Fillet Command) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-62Flattening the Edge of Objects (Chamfer Command) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-62Purge History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-62

Contents - 6

Generate History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-63Selecting Items in the 3D Modeler Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-65

Selecting Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-65Selecting Several Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-66Selecting Objects by Name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-66Setting the Default Color and Transparency of Selected Objects . . . . . . . . 5-66Setting the Default Color of Highlighted Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-67Creating an Object List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-67Reassigning Objects to Another Object List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-68

Selecting Faces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-68Selecting All Faces of an Object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-69Selecting Faces by Name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-70Selecting Faces by Plane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-70Face Selection Toolbar Icons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-70Creating a Face List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-71

Selecting Edges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-72Selecting Vertices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-73Selecting Multi (a Mode for Selecting Objects, Faces, Vertices or Edges) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-74Clearing a Selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-75Selecting the Face or Object Behind . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-75Selecting Cartesian Coordinates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-75Selecting Cylindrical Coordinates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-76Selecting Spherical Coordinates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-76Selecting Absolute Coordinates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-77Selecting Relative Coordinates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-77

Choosing the Movement Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-79Moving the Cursor In Plane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-79Moving the Cursor Out of Plane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-79Moving the Cursor in 3D Space . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-80Moving the Cursor Along the X-Axis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-81Moving the Cursor Along the Y-Axis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-82Moving the Cursor Along the Z-Axis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-82

Choosing Snap Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-83Snap Setting Guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-84

Measure Modes for Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-85Measuring Position and Distance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-86

Setting Coordinate Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-88Setting the Working Coordinate System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-88Creating a Relative Coordinate System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-89

Creating an Offset Relative CS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-89

Contents - 7

Creating a Rotated Relative CS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-89Creating an Offset and Rotated Relative CS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-90

Creating a Face Coordinate System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-91Automatically Creating Face Coordinate Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-92

Modifying Coordinate Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-92Deleting Coordinate Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-92

6. Assigning BoundariesZoom to Selected Boundary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2Setting Default Boundary/Excitation Base Names . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2

Assigning Perfect E Boundaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3Assigning Perfect H Boundaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4Assigning Impedance Boundaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5Assigning Radiation Boundaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6Assigning PML Boundaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-8

Creating PMLs Automatically . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-8Creating PML Boundaries Manually . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-10Guidelines for Assigning PML Boundaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-11Modifying PML Boundaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-12

Assigning Finite Conductivity Boundaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-13Assigning Symmetry Boundaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-14Assigning Master Boundaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-15Assigning Slave Boundaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-16Assigning Lumped RLC Boundaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-18Assigning Screening Impedance Boundaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-19Assigning Layered Impedance Boundaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-21Designating Infinite Ground Planes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-23Modifying Boundaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-24Deleting Boundaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-25Reassigning Boundaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-26Reprioritizing Boundaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-27Global Material Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-28Duplicating Boundaries and Excitations with Geometry . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-29Showing and Hiding Boundaries and Excitations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-30

Showing and Hiding Boundaries and Excitations in the Active View Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-30Showing and Hiding Boundaries and Excitations in Every View Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-31

Reviewing Boundaries and Excitations in the Solver View . . . . . . . . . . . 6-32

Contents - 8

Setting Default Values for Boundaries and Excitations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-337. Assigning Excitations

Zoom to Selected Excitation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-2Assigning Wave Ports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-3

Assigning Wave Ports for Modal Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-3Assigning Wave Ports for Terminal Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-5

Set Reference Impedance for Terminals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-6Auto Assign for Terminals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-7

Manually Assigning Terminals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-7Manually Assigning a Wave Port . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-8

Assigning Lumped Ports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-10Assigning Lumped Ports for Modal Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-10Manually Assigning Lumped Ports for Terminal Solutions . . . . . . . . . . 7-11

Assigning Floquet Ports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-13Defining an Integration Line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-16

Guidelines for Defining Integration Lines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-16Duplicating Integration Lines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-17Modifying Integration Lines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-17Setting up Differential Pairs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-18

Assigning Incident Waves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-20Incident Plane Wave . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-21Incident Hertzian-Dipole Wave . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-22Incident Cylindrical Wave . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-23Incident Gaussian Beam Wave . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-24Incident Linear Antenna Wave . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-26Far Field Wave . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-27Near Field Wave . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-29

Assigning Voltage Sources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-33Modifying Voltage Sources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-33

Assigning Current Sources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-34Modifying Current Sources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-34

Assigning Magnetic Bias Sources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-35Setup Link Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-37Modifying Excitations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-38Deleting Excitations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-39Reassigning Excitations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-40Duplicating Excitations with Geometry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-41Showing and Hiding Excitations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-42Setting the Impedance Multiplier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-43

Contents - 9

Renormalizing S-Matrices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-44De-embedding S-Matrices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-45

8. Assigning MaterialsSolving Inside or on the Surface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-3Searching for Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-4

Searching by Material Name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-4Searching by Material Property . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-4

Adding New Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-5Assigning Material Property Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-5

Defining Anisotropic Relative Permeability Tensors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-6Defining Anisotropic Relative Permittivity Tensors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-7Defining Anisotropic Conductivity Tensors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-7Defining Anisotropic Dielectric Loss Tangent Tensors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-8Defining Magnetic Loss Tangent Tensors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-8

Defining Variable Material Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-9Defining Frequency-Dependent Material Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-9

Defining Frequency-Dependent Material Properties for Lossy Dielectrics . 8-10Enter Frequency Dependent Data Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-11

Defining Material Properties as Expressions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-12Defining Functional Material Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-12

Viewing and Modifying Material Attributes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-13Validating Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-14Copying Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-15Removing Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-16Exporting Materials to a Library . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-17Sorting Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-18Filtering Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-19Working with Material Libraries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-20

Working with Ansoft’s System Material Library . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-20Working with User Material Libraries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-20Editing Libraries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-20Configuring Libraries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-20

9. Assigning DC Thickness10. Modifying the Model View

Rotating the View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-2Panning the View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3Zooming In and Out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-4

Zooming In or Out on a Rectangular Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-4

Contents - 10

View Options: 3D UI Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-6Fitting Objects in the View Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-7

Fitting All Objects in a View Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-7Fitting a Selection in a View Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-7

Hiding Objects from View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-8Showing Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-9Rendering Objects as Wireframes or Solids . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-11

Setting the Default View Rendering Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-11Setting the Surface Visualization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-12Modifying the View Orientation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-13

Applying a Default View Orientation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-13Applying a New View Orientation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-13Removing an Orientation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-14

Modifying the Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-15Setting the Projection View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-16Setting the Background Color . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-17Modifying the Coordinate System Axes View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-18

Showing or Hiding the Axes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-18Show the Axes for Selected Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-18Enlarging or Shrinking the Axes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-18

Choosing Grid Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-19Setting the Grid Type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-19Setting the Grid Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-19Setting the Grid Density and Spacing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-19Setting the Grid’s Visibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-20Setting the Grid Plane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-20

11. Defining Mesh OperationsAssigning Length-Based Mesh Refinement on Object Faces . . . . . . . . . 11-2Assigning Length-Based Mesh Refinement Inside Objects . . . . . . . . . . 11-3Assigning Skin Depth-Based Mesh Refinement on Object Faces . . . . . . 11-4Modifying Surface Approximation Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-6Specifying the Model Resolution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-7Reverting to the Initial Mesh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-8Applying Mesh Operations without Solving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-9

12. Specifying Solution SettingsAdd Dependent Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-2

Setting the Solution Frequency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-4Solving for Ports Only . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-5

Contents - 11

Setting the Minimum Frequency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-6Setting the Number of Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-7Setting Adaptive Analysis Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-8

Setting the Maximum Number of Passes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-8Setting the Maximum Delta S Per Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-9Setting the Maximum Delta Energy Per Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-9Setting the Maximum Delta Frequency Per Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-10

Specifying Convergence on Real Frequency Only . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-10Specifying Output Variable Convergence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-10Specifying a Source for the Initial Mesh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-11

Clearing Linked Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-12Setting Lambda Refinement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-12Setting the Percent Maximum Refinement Per Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-13Setting the Maximum Refinement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-14Setting the Minimum Number of Passes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-14Setting the Minimum Number of Converged Passes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-14Setting Matrix Convergence Criteria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-14Setting the Order of Basis Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-16Enable Iterative Solver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-16Use Radiation Boundary on Ports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-17Port Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-17

Adding a Frequency Sweep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-18Selecting the Sweep Type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-19

Options for Discrete Sweeps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-19Options for Fast Sweeps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-19Options for Interpolating Sweeps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-20

Setup Interpolating Sweep Advanced Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-20Setting the Error Tolerance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-21Setting the Maximum Number of Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-21Interpolation Basis Convergence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-22

Specifying the Frequency Points to Solve . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-23Specifying Frequency Points with a Linear Step Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-23Specifying a Linear Count of Frequency Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-24Specifying a Logarithmic Spaced Frequency Sweep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-25Specifying Single Frequency Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-25Change the Value of an Existing Frequency Point . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-26Deleting Frequency Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-26Inserting Frequency Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-27Choosing Frequencies for Full-Wave SPICE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-27

Guidelines for Calculating Frequencies for Full-Wave SPICE . . . . . 12-28Requirements for Full-Wave SPICE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-29

Disabling a Frequency Sweep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-30

Contents - 12

Disabling an Analysis Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-31Specifying the Number of Processors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-32Specifying the Desired RAM Limit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-33Specifying the Hard Memory Limit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-34

13. Running SimulationsSolving a Single Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-2Running More Than One Simulation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-2Specifying the Analysis Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-3Remote Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-5

Determining the Desired Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-6Common Windows Configurations (Advantages and Disadvantages) . . . 13-7Unix Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-8Determining User Accounts to Use with the Selected Configuration . . . . 13-8

Common Windows Configuration 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-9Common Windows Configuration 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-10Common Windows Configuration 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-10Unix User Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-11

Using Groups for Security Permissions on Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-12Windows Built-In Local Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-12Pre-Defined Windows System Identities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-13Manually Adding a Windows Local Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-13

Configuring the Remote Machine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-13A. Configuring the Remote Machine for Windows XP Professional (32-bit and 64-bit) and Windows Server 2003 (32-bit and 64-bit) . . . . . . 13-13

A(1) Remote Machine Configuration Prerequisites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-14A(2) Configuring Distributed COM for the Remote Machine . . . . . . 13-14A(3) Configuring Policy Settings for the Remote Machine . . . . . . . . 13-18A(4) Enabling Firewall Access on the Remote Machine . . . . . . . . . . 13-18A(5) Configuring Software Settings on the Remote Machine . . . . . . 13-20A(6) Setting Up Security Permissions on the Remote Machine . . . . . 13-20A(7) Analyzing a Test Design as a Remote User on the Remote Machine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-21

B. Configuring the Remote Machine for Unix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-21B(1) (Linux Only) Ensure loopback adapter not associated with remote machine name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-21B(2) Install Visual MainWin Remote Security Authority . . . . . . . . . 13-23B(3) Install MainWin Core Services on Remote Machine . . . . . . . . . 13-23B(4) Configure MainWin Core Services for Remote Machine . . . . . 13-24B(5) Configure Port Access for Remote Machine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-25B(6) Install and Configure Ansoft products in Incoming Request mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-26B(7) Automating the Remote Machine Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-27

Contents - 13

Configuring the Local Machine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-29A. Configuring the Local Machine for Windows XP Professional (32-bit and 64-bit) and Windows Server 2003 (32-bit and 64-bit) . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-29

A(1) Local Machine Configuration Prerequisites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-29A(2) Configuring Distributed COM on a Local Machine . . . . . . . . . . 13-29A(3) Enabling Firewall Access for the Local Machine . . . . . . . . . . . 13-31A(4) Configuring the Software on the Local Machine . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-32

B. Configuring the Local Machine for Unix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-33B(1) (Linux Only) Ensure loopback adapter not associated with local machine name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-34B(2) Install Visual MainWin Remote Security Authority (VMRSA) 13-35B(3) Install MainWin Core Services on Local Machine . . . . . . . . . . . 13-36B(4) Configure MainWin Core Services for Local Machine . . . . . . . 13-36B(5) Configure Port Access for Local Machine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-38B(6) Install and Configure Ansoft products in Outgoing Request mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-38B(7) Starting products in Outgoing Request mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-39

Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-40Distributed Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-46

Configuring Distributed Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-46Licensing for Distributed Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-48

Monitoring the Solution Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-49Monitoring Queued Simulations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-50

Changing a Solution’s Priority . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-51Aborting Analyses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-52Re-solving a Problem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-53

14. Using Optimetrics for Design AnalysisSetting up a Parametric Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-3

Adding a Variable Sweep Definition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-3Specifying Variable Values for a Sweep Definition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-4Synchronizing Variable Sweep Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-5

Modifying a Variable Sweep Definition Manually . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-5Overriding a Variable’s Current Value in a Parametric Setup . . . . . . . . 14-6Specifying a Solution Setup for a Parametric Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-6Specifying the Solution Quantity to Evaluate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-6

Setup Calculations for Optimetrics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-7Specifying a Solution Quantity’s Calculation Range . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-8

Using Distributed Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-9Setting up an Optimization Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-11

Setting the Maximum Iterations for an Optimization Analysis . . . . . . . 14-12Adding a Cost Function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-13

Contents - 14

Specifying a Solution Quantity for a Cost Function Goal . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-14Setting the Calculation Range of a Cost Function Goal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-14Setting a Goal Value . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-15

Specifying a Single Goal Value . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-15Specifying an Expression as a Goal Value . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-15Specifying a Variable-Dependent Goal Value . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-16

Overriding the Min. and Max. Variable Values for a Single Optimization Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-17Changing the Min. and Max. Variable Values for Every Optimization Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-17

Setting the Min. and Max. Step Sizes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-18Setting the Min and Max Focus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-18Solving a Parametric Setup Before an Optimization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-19Solving a Parametric Setup During an Optimization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-20Automatically Updating a Variable’s Value After Optimization . . . . . 14-20Advanced Genetic Algorithm Optimizer Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-20

Setting up a Sensitivity Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-24Setting the Maximum Iterations Per Variable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-24Setting up an Output Parameter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-25

Specifying a Solution Quantity for an Output Parameter . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-25Setting the Calculation Range of an Output Parameter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-26Overriding the Min. and Max. Variable Values for a Single Sensitivity Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-27Changing the Min. and Max. Variable Values for Every Sensitivity Setup 14-27

Setting the Initial Displacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-28Solving a Parametric Setup Before a Sensitivity Analysis . . . . . . . . . . 14-28Solving a Parametric Setup During a Sensitivity Analysis . . . . . . . . . . 14-28

Setting up a Statistical Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-29Setting the Maximum Iterations for a Statistical Analysis . . . . . . . . . . 14-29Setting the Distribution Criteria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-31

Overriding the Distribution Criteria for a Single Statistical Setup . . . . . . 14-31Changing the Distribution Criteria for Every Statistical Setup . . . . . . . . . 14-32

Solving a Parametric Setup During a Statistical Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . 14-33Tuning a Variable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-34

Applying a Tuned State to a Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-34Saving a Tuned State . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-35Reverting to a Saved Tuned State . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-35Resetting Variable Values after Tuning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-35

Saving Field Solutions for Optimetrics Analyses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-36Saving Field Solutions for a Parametric Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-36Saving Field Solutions for an Optimization Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-36Saving Field Solutions for a Sensitivity Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-37

Contents - 15

Saving Field Solutions for a Tuning Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-37Saving Field Solutions for a Statistical Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-38

Copying Meshes in Optimetrics Sweeps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-39Excluding a Variable from an Optimetrics Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-42Modifying the Value of a Fixed Variable for Statistical Analysis . . . . . 14-43Setting a Linear Constraint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-44

Modifying a Linear Constraint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-44Deleting a Linear Constraint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-45

15. Post Processing and Generating ReportsViewing Solution Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-2

Viewing Convergence Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-2Viewing the Number of Completed Passes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-3Viewing the Max Magnitude of Delta S Between Passes . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-3Viewing the Output Variable Convergence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-4Viewing the Delta Magnitude Energy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-4Viewing the Magnitude Margin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-5Viewing the Phase Margin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-5Viewing the Max Delta (Mag S) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-5Viewing the Max Delta (Phase S) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-6Viewing the Maximum Delta Frequency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-6Plotting Convergence Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-7

Viewing a Solution Profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-7Viewing Matrix Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-8

Selecting the Matrix Display Format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-10Exporting Matrix Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-11Renaming Matrix Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-12Exporting Equivalent Circuit Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-13Exporting W-Element Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-14

Viewing Mesh Statistics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-15Viewing Eigenmode Solution Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-15Deleting Solution Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-15Deleting Reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-16

Viewing Analysis Results for Optimetrics Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-18Viewing Solution Data for an Optimetrics Design Variation . . . . . . . . 15-18Viewing an Optimetrics Solution Profile Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-18Viewing Results for Parametric Solution Quantities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-19

Plotting Solution Quantity Results vs. a Swept Variable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-19Viewing Cost Results for an Optimization Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-20

Plotting Cost Results for an Optimization Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-20Viewing Output Parameter Results for a Sensitivity Analysis . . . . . . . 15-20

Plotting Output Parameter Results for a Sensitivity Analysis . . . . . . . . . . 15-21

Contents - 16

Viewing Distribution Results for a Statistical Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-21Plotting Distribution Results for a Statistical Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-22

Scaling a Source’s Magnitude and Phase . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-23Guidelines for Scaling a Source’s Magnitude and Phase . . . . . . . . . . . 15-25

Creating Animations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-26Creating Phase Animations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-26Creating Frequency Animations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-26Creating Geometry Animations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-27Controlling the Animation’s Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-28Exporting Animations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-29

Creating Reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-31Creating a Quick Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-33Creating a New Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-33Modifying Reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-35Modifying the Background Properties of a Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-36

Modifying the Legend in a Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-38Selecting the Report Type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-39Selecting the Display Type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-40

Creating 2D Rectangular Plots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-40Creating 3D Rectangular Plots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-42Creating 2D Polar Plots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-43

Reviewing 2D Polar Plots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-45Creating 3D Polar Plots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-45Creating Smith Charts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-46Creating Data Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-47Creating Radiation Patterns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-48Delta Markers in 2D Reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-50

Plotting in the Time Domain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-50Working with Traces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-52

Editing Trace Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-54Editing the Display Properties of Traces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-55Adding Data Markers to Traces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-56Discarding Report Values Below a Specified Threshold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-58Add Trace Characteristics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-58Removing Traces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-59Copy and Paste of Report and Trace Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-60Copy and Paste of Report and Trace Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-61

Sweeping a Variable in a Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-61Sweeping Values Across a Distance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-62Sweeping Values Across a Sphere . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-62

Selecting a Function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-63Selecting Solution Quantities to Plot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-67

Contents - 17

Selecting a Field Quantity to Plot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-69Selecting a Far-Field Quantity to Plot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-70Plotting Vertical Cross-Sections of Far Fields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-73Plotting Horizontal Cross-Sections of Far Fields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-73Selecting a Near-Field Quantity to Plot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-74Selecting an Emission Test Quantity to Plot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-75Plotting Imported Solution Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-76Setting a Range Function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-76

Specifying Output Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-78Adding a New Output Variable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-78Building an Expression Using Existing Quantities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-78Deleting Output Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-80

Plotting Field Overlays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-81Plotting Derived Field Quantities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-82Creating Scalar Field Plots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-83

Modifying SAR Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-83Creating Vector Field Plots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-83Modifying Field Plots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-84Setting Field Plot Attributes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-84

Modifying Field Plot Colors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-86Setting the Color Key Visibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-86Moving the Color Key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-87

Modifying the Field Plot Scale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-88Modifying Vector Field Plot Arrows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-89Setting the Mesh Visibility on Field Plots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-90Modifying Scalar Field Plot Isovalues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-90Mapping Scalar Field Plot Transparency to Field Values . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-91Modifying Markers on Point Plots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-91Modifying Line Plots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-92

Setting a Plot’s Visibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-93Saving a Field Overlay Plot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-93Opening a Field Overlay Plot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-94Deleting a Field Overlay Plot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-94Setting Field Plot Defaults . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-94

Using the Fields Calculator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-96Opening the Fields Calculator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-96Context Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-98The Calculator Stack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-98Registers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-98

Enlarging the Register Display Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-99Units of Measure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-99

Stack Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-99

Contents - 18

Input Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-100Quantity Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-100Geometry Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-101Constant Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-102Number Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-103Function Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-103Geom Settings Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-104Read Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-104

General Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-104Scalar Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-106

Vec? Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-1071/x (Inverse) Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-107Pow Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-107(Square Root) Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-107Trig . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-107d/d? (Partial Derivative) Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-108 (Integral) Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-108Min Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-108Max Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-109∇ (Gradient) Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-109Ln Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-109Log Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-109

Vector Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-110Scal? Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-110Matl Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-110Mag Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-111Dot Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-111Cross Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-111Divg Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-111Curl Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-111Tangent Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-111Normal Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-112Unit Vec Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-112

Output Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-113Value Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-113Eval Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-113Write Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-114Export Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-115

Calculating Derived Field Quantities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-116Named Expression Library . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-117Exiting the Fields Calculator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-118

Radiated Fields Post Processing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-119Setting up a Near-Field Sphere . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-119

Contents - 19

Setting up a Near-Field Line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-121Computing Maximum Near-Field Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-121Setting up a Far-Field Infinite Sphere . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-122Defining Antenna Arrays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-124

Defining a Regular Antenna Array . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-124Defining a Custom Antenna Array . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-125

Computing Antenna Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-125Exporting Antenna Parameters and Maximum Field Data . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-127

Plotting the Mesh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-129Setting Mesh Plot Attributes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-129

16. Technical NotesThe Finite Element Method . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-2

Representation of a Field Quantity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-2Basis Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-2Size of Mesh Vs. Accuracy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-3

The HFSS Solution Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-4The Mesh Generation Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-4

Seeding the Mesh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-5Guidelines for Seeding the Mesh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-5Length-Based Mesh Refinement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-6Skin Depth-Based Mesh Refinement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-6

Surface Approximation Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-7Guidelines for Modifying Surface Approximation Settings . . . . . . . . 16-8

Meshing Region Vs. Problem Region . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-8Model Resolution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-9Port Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-10

Excitation Fields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-10Wave Equation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-10Mesh Refinement on Ports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-11Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-11

Mode Conversion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-12Modes, Reflections, and Propagation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-12Modal Field Patterns and Frequency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-12

Multiple Ports on the Same Face . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-12Port Field Accuracy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-13Saving Field Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-13

The Adaptive Analysis Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-13Maximum Delta S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-14Maximum Delta E . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-14Percent of Tetrahedra Refined Per Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-15Magnitude Margin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-15Phase Margin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-15

Contents - 20

Maximum Delta Frequency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-16Max Delta (Mag S) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-16Max Delta (Phase S) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-16

Matrix Solvers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-17Iterative Matrix Solver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-17Guidelines for Using the Iterative Solver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-17Multiprocessing and the Iterative Solver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-17Iterative Matrix Solver Technical Details . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-18

Single Frequency Solution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-19Frequency Sweeps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-20

Fast Frequency Sweeps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-21Discrete Frequency Sweeps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-22Interpolating Frequency Sweeps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-23

Solution Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-24Eigenmode Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-25

Calculating the Resonant Frequency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-25Calculating the Quality Factor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-26Calculating the Free Space Wave Number . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-26

Field Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-26Field Overlay Plots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-27Field Quantities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-27Specifying the Phase Angle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-28Peak Versus RMS Phasors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-28Calculating the SAR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-29

S-Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-31Renormalized S-Matrices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-31Calculating Characteristic Impedance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-32

Renormalizing to Zpv or Zvi Impedances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-33Calculating the PI Impedance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-33Calculating the PV Impedance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-33Calculating the VI Impedance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-33Impedance Multipliers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-34Calculating Terminal Characteristic Impedance Matrix . . . . . . . . . . . 16-34

Calculating the S-Matrix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-34Calculating the Z-Matrix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-35Calculating the Y-Matrix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-36Calculating the Complex Propagation Constant (Gamma) . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-36

Calculating the Effective Wavelength (Lambda) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-36Calculating the Relative Permittivity (Epsilon) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-36

De-embedded S-Matrices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-36Passivity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-37

Radiated Fields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-38Spherical Cross-Sections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-39

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Maximum Near-Field Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-40Maximum Far-Field Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-41Array Factors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-42

Theory of the Array Factor Calculation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-43Regular Uniform Arrays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-44

Scan Specification for Regular Uniform Arrays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-44Custom Arrays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-45Power Normalizations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-46

Antenna Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-47Polarization of the Electric Field . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-47

Spherical Polar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-48Ludwig-3 Polarization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-49Circular Polarization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-49

Axial Ratio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-49Polarization Ratio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-50Max U . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-51Peak Directivity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-51Peak Gain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-51Peak Realized Gain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-52Radiated Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-52Accepted Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-53Incident Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-54Radiation Efficiency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-54

Calculating Finite Thickness Impedance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-56Modes to Nodes Conversion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-57

Terminal-Based Models for Circuit Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-59Terminal Characteristic Impedance Matrix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-60

Geometric Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-63Bondwires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-63Healing and Meshing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-64Detecting and Addessing Model Problems to Improve Meshing . . . . . 16-65

One: Healing during geometry import . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-65Two: Healing after geometry import . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-66Three: Removing Object Intersections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-68Four: Removing Small Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-69Five: Aligning Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-70Six: Troubleshooting if meshing still fails . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-71

Boundaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-72Perfect E Boundaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-72Impedance Boundaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-72

Units of Impedance Boundaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-73Radiation Boundaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-74

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PML Boundaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-74Material Tensors Applied at PML Boundaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-75Tensor Entries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-76Boundaries at PML Surfaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-77

Finite Conductivity Boundaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-77Symmetry Boundaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-78

Perfect E Vs. Perfect H Symmetry Boundaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-78Symmetry and Port Impedance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-79Symmetry and Multiple Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-79

Master and Slave Boundaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-79Calculating the E-Field on the Slave Boundary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-81

Lumped RLC Boundaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-82Layered Impedance Boundaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-82

Impedance Calculation for Layered Impedance Boundary . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-83Surface Roughness Calculation for Layered Impedance Boundary . . . . . . 16-84

Infinite Ground Planes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-84Frequency-Dependent Boundaries and Excitations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-84Default Boundary Assignments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-85

Excitations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-86Wave Ports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-86

Polarizing the E-Fields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-86Deembedding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-87Lumped Ports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-93Setting the Field Pattern Direction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-93Differential Pairs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-94

Computing Differential Pairs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-94Differential Admittance and Impedance Matrices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-95Differential S-Matrices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-96

Magnetic Bias Sources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-96Uniform Applied Bias Fields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-97Non-uniform Applied Bias Fields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-98

Incident Waves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-98Port Terminals in HFSS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-98Formula Summary for HFSS Floquet Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-101

Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-107Relative Permeability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-107Relative Permittivity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-107Bulk Conductivity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-108Dielectric Loss Tangent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-108Magnetic Loss Tangent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-109Ferrite Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-109

Magnetic Saturation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-109

Contents - 23

Lande G Factor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-110Delta H . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-110

Anisotropic Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-110Anisotropic Relative Permeability Tensors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-111Anisotropic Relative Permittivity Tensors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-111Anisotropic Conductivity Tensors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-112Anisotropic Dielectric Loss Tangent Tensors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-113Anisotropic Magnetic Loss Tangent Tensors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-114Anisotropic Materials and Ports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-114

Frequency-Dependent Material Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-115Frequency Dependent Material Loss Model in HFSS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-116Conclusions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-125

Parametric Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-127Optimization Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-128

Choosing an Optimizer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-128Optimization Variables and the Design Space . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-130Cost Function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-130

Acceptable Cost . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-131Cost Function Noise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-131

Linear Constraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-131Goal Weight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-132Step Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-133Explanation of L1, L2 and Max norms in Optimization . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-134Example of a More Complex Cost Function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-136

Sensitivity Analysis Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-138Selecting a Master Output . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-138

Tuning Analysis Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-139Statistical Analysis Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-140

17. ScriptingRecording a Script . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-1Stopping Script Recording . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-1Running a Script . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-2Pausing and Resuming a Script . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-2Stopping a Script . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-3

18. Glossaries

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1Getting Started with HFSS

HFSS is an interactive software package for calculating the electromagnetic behavior of a structure. The software includes post-processing commands for analyzing this behavior in detail. Using HFSS, you can compute:• Basic electromagnetic field quantities and, for open boundary problems, radiated near and far

fields.• Characteristic port impedances and propagation constants.• Generalized S-parameters and S-parameters renormalized to specific port impedances.• The eigenmodes, or resonances, of a structure.You are expected to draw the structure, specify material characteristics for each object, and identify ports and special surface characteristics. HFSS then generates the necessary field solutions and associated port characteristics and S-parameters.

As you set up the problem, HFSS allows you to specify whether to solve the problem at one spe-cific frequency or at several frequencies within a range.

Note If you are using the Eigenmode Solution solver, you do not need to specify sources for the problem. HFSS calculates the resonances for the model based on the geometry, materials, and boundaries.

Getting Started with HFSS 1-1

HFSS Online Help

System RequirementsHFSS supports the following operating systems:

• Windows• Sun Solaris• HP-UX• Red Hat Enterprise Linux v3

On all systems when you run HFSS for the first time (that is, with no project directory specified in the registry), or if the project directory or the temp directory does not exist, HFSS displays a dialog that asks you to set the project and temp directories. For the temp directory, there is a comment ask-ing you to ensure that adequate disk space is available.HFSS 11 requires at least FLEXlm for Ansoft v10.8.5 license server.

WindowsSupported Platforms

• Windows XP Professional (32-bit and 64-bit) • Windows Server 2003 (32-bit and 64-bit)

32-Bit System RequirementsMinimum System Requirements

Processor: All fully compatible 686 (or later) instruction set processors, 500 MHzHard Drive Space (for HFSS software): 200 MBRAM: 512 MB

Recommended Minimum ConfigurationProcessor: All fully compatible 786 (or later) instruction set processors, 1 GHzHard Drive Space (for HFSS software and temporary files): 500 MBRAM: 2 GB

Increasing RAM on 32-Bit PCUsers with the appropriate Windows OS can take advantage of potentially all the installed RAM up to a limit of 3 GB on 32-bit PCs. Doing so also requires setting up the appropriate OS

Note If you attempt to run HFSS and get a message reporting a corrupted license file, please contact Ansoft.

Note HFSS displays a warning message if the license file expires within 15 days.

1-2 Getting Started with HFSS

HFSS Online Help

boot.ini switch (/3GB) to tell the OS that 3 GB is to be used for application space and only one GB for the OS kernel and related overhead.

64-bit System RequirementsMinimum System Requirements:Supported processors: AMD Athlon 64, AMD Opteron, Intel Xeon with Intel EM64T support, Intel Pentium 4 with Intel EM64T support Hard Drive Space (for HFSS software): 200 MBRAM: 2 MBRecommended Minimum Configuration (for Optimal Performance) Supported processors: AMD Athlon 64, AMD Opteron, Intel Xeon with Intel EM64T support, Intel Pentium 4 with Intel EM64T support Video card: 128-bit SVGA or PCI Express video card Hard Drive Space (for HFSS software and temporary files): 700 MBRAM: 8 GB

Note If you are using the NVIDIA Quadro2 MXR/EX video card on Windows 2000 or Windows XP, you should also download Version 40.41 or greater video driver, available for download at http://www.nvidia.com.

Getting Started with HFSS 1-3

HFSS Online Help

Sun SolarisSupported Platforms

• Solaris 8• Solaris 9

Minimum System RequirementsProcessor: UltraSparc v9 processor, 450 MHzHard Drive Space (for HFSS software): 550 MBRAM: 1 GB

Recommended Minimum ConfigurationProcessor: UltraSparc v9 dual processor or better, 900 MHzHard Drive Space (for HFSS software and temporary files): 800 MBRAM: 4 GB

Note You must install Sun OpenGL libraries before installing and running HFSS. This is available for free download at:http://wwws.sun.com/software/graphics/opengl/download.html.

Note Some older graphics cards may have minor display issues (such as the appearance of check marks or "t" in a report title.

1-4 Getting Started with HFSS

HFSS Online Help

HP-UXSupported Platforms

• HP-UX 11.0• HP-UX 11.11

Minimum System RequirementsProcessor: PA-RISC 2.0 processor, 450 MHzHard Drive Space (for HFSS software): 750 MBRAM: 1 GB

Recommended Minimum ConfigurationProcessor: PA-RISC 2.0 dual processor or better, 900 MHzHard Drive Space (for HFSS software and temporary files): 1.5 GBRAM: 4 GB

Red Hat Enterprise Linux v3If you attempt to open an HFSS v9 project in Linux, you receive an error message that the project must first be converted to HFSS v10. This must be done using the -BatchSave command on a non-Linux system running HFSS v10. See the discussion here.

32-bit System RequirementsMinimum System Requirements:Processor: All fully compatible 686 (or later) instruction set processors, 500 MHz Hard Drive Space (for HFSS software): 200 MBRAM: 512 MBRecommended Minimum Configuration (for Optimal Performance):Processor: All fully compatible 786 (or later) instruction set processors, 2 GHz Hard Drive Space (for HFSS software and temporary files): 700 MBRAM: 4 GB

64-bit System RequirementsMinimum System Requirements:Supported processors: AMD Athlon 64, AMD Opteron, Intel Xeon with Intel EM64T support, Intel Pentium 4 with Intel EM64T support Hard Drive Space (for HFSS software): 200 MBRAM: 2 MBRecommended Minimum Configuration (for Optimal Performance): Supported processors: AMD Athlon 64, AMD Opteron, Intel Xeon with Intel EM64T support, Intel Pentium 4 with Intel EM64T support Video card: 128-bit SVGA or PCI Express video card Hard Drive Space (for HFSS software and temporary files): 700 MBRAM: 8 GB

Getting Started with HFSS 1-5

HFSS Online Help

The HFSS DesktopThe HFSS desktop consists of several windows, a menu bar, toolbars, and a status bar. Click a link below to view more information about that desktop component.

Working with the Menu BarThe menu bar enables you to perform all HFSS tasks, such as managing project files, customizing the desktop, drawing objects, and setting and modifying all project parameters. To open a help topic about an HFSS menu command, press Shift+F1, and then click the command or toolbar icon.

Project Manager

Menu barToolbars

Message Manager

Property window

Progress window

3D Modeler window

Status bar

1-6 Getting Started with HFSS

HFSS Online Help

HFSS contains the following menus, which appear at the top of the desktop:

Related TopicsGetting HelpKeyboard Shortcuts for HFSS General PurposesKeyboard shortcuts for the 3D Modeler Window.

File menu Use the File menu commands to manage HFSS project files and printing options.

Edit menu Use the Edit menu commands to modify the objects in the active model and undo and redo actions.

View menu Use the View menu commands to display or hide desktop components and model objects, modify 3D Modeler window visual settings, and modify the model view.

Project menu Use the Project menu commands to add an HFSS design to the active project, view, define datasets, and define project variables.

Draw menu Use the Draw menu commands to draw one-, two-, or three-dimensional objects, and sweep one- and two-dimensional objects.

3D Modeler menu Use the 3D Modeler menu commands to import, export, and copy Ansoft 2D Modeler files and 3D Modeler files; assign materials to objects; manage the 3D Modeler window’s grid settings; define a list of objects or faces of objects; control surface settings; perform boolean operations on objects; and set the units for the active design.

HFSS menu Use the HFSS menu to setup and manage all the parameters for the active project. Most of these project properties also appear in the project tree.

Tools menu Use the Tools menu to modify the active project’s material library, arrange the material libraries, run and record scripts, update project definitions from libraries, customize the desktop’s toolbars, and modify many of the software’s default settings.

Window menu Use the Window menu commands to rearrange the 3D Modeler windows and toolbar icons.

Help menu Use the Help menu commands to access the online help system and view the current HFSS version information.

Getting Started with HFSS 1-7

HFSS Online Help

Working with the ToolbarsThe toolbar buttons and shortcut pull-down lists act as shortcuts for executing various commands.To execute a command, click a toolbar button or click a selection on the shortcut pull-down list. To open a help topic about a toolbar button’s functionality, press Shift+F1, and then click the tool-bar button or a command in the shortcut pull-down list.To display a brief description of the toolbar button, move the pointer over the button or shortcut pull-down list.

Related TopicsCustomize Toolbar OptionsCustomize Toolbar Commands

Customize Toolbar OptionsTo customize the Toolbar displays by using the toolbar list: 1. Select Tools>Customize.

This displays the Customize dialog with the Toolbars tab selected. The field lists the available toolbars, with those currently selected being checked. To the right of the field are three but-tons:New... -- launches the New Toolbar dialog that lets you specify a new toolbar name.Reset -- This resets the toolbar display to apply your current selections.Reset All -- this resets the toolbar display to match the original defaults.

2. Check the buttons to add additional toolbars to the desktop. New toolbar icons are added to new rows as you click them. You can drag these to convenient locations.

3. Uncheck any buttons to remove toolbar icons.4. Use the OK button to close the dialog, or the Cancel button to close without making changes.

Related TopicsWorking with ToolbarsCustomize Toolbar Commands

Hint To modify the toolbars on the desktop, do one of the following:• On the Tools menu, click Customize. • Right-click the history tree, and then click Customize on the shortcut menu. To reset to toolbars to the default positions and settings:• On the Tools menu, click Customize. On the Customize dialog box, click Reset

All.

1-8 Getting Started with HFSS

HFSS Online Help

Customize Toolbar CommandsTo customize the Toolbar by dragging icons:1. Select Tools>Customize.

This displays the Customize dialog with the Commands tab selected. The Categories field lists the available toolbars. The icons for the currently selected toolbar are shown to the right of the field.

2. Select from the Categories list to display the icons you want to add to the toolbar.3. Drag the icons from the Customize dialog to a location on the desktop toolbar.4. Use the OK button to close the dialog, or the Cancel button to close without making changes.

Related TopicsCustomize Toolbar OptionsWorking with Toolbars

External User ToolsTo add an external user tools menu to the HFSS:1. Click Tools>External Tools2. This displays the Customize User Tools Menu dialog.

If a User Tools menu has been defined, its contents are displayed. Navigation buttons let you Move Up, Move Down, Add, and Delete.

3. Click the Add button in the Customize User Tools Menu dialog.This enables the following fields:Menu Text field -- this displays [new tool] as text you will replace with the text you want to appear in the User Tools menu.Command field -- this will display the external executable. An ellipsis button [...] lets you navigate to the file location.Arguments field -- this field accepts command arguments from the > button menu selections for File Path, File Directory, File Name, File Extension, Project Directory, or Temp Directory.Initial Directory -- this field specifies the initial directory for the command to operate. The ellipsis button {...] displays a dialog that lets you navigate folders in your desktop, or acrss the network.

4. Click OK to add the External Tools menu to HFSS or Cancel to close the dialog without changes.

Related TopicsScripting

Getting Started with HFSS 1-9

HFSS Online Help

Working with the Shortcut MenusA variety of shortcut menus — menus that appear when you right-click a selection — are available in the toolbars area of the desktop, in the 3D Modeler window, and in the Project Manager window.

Shortcut Menu in the Toolbars AreaUse the shortcut menu in the toolbars area of the desktop to show or hide windows or toolbars, and customize the toolbars.To access the shortcut menu in the toolbars area:

Shortcut menu in the toolbars area

Use the shortcut menu in the toolbars area of the desktop to show or hide windows or toolbars, and customize the toolbars.

Shortcut menu in the 3D Modeler window

Use the shortcut menu in the 3D Modeler window to select, magnify, and move options (zoom, rotate, etc.), change the view, perform boolean operations, assign materials, boundaries, excitations, or mesh operations to objects, and work with field overlays.

Shortcut menus in the Project Manager window

Use the shortcut menus in the Project Manager window to manage HFSS project and design files and design properties; assign and edit boundaries, excitations, and mesh operations; add, analyze, and manage solution setups; add optimetrics analyses; create post-processing reports; insert far- and near-field radiation setups; edit project definitions; and, run Ansoft’s Maxwell SPICE.

Note All of the commands on the shortcut menus are also available on the menu bar.

1-10 Getting Started with HFSS

HFSS Online Help

• Right-click in the toolbars area at the top of the desktop.

A check box will appear next to a command if the item is visible. For example, if a check box appears next to the Project Manager command, then the Project Manager window is currently visible on the desktop. Click Customize to open the Customize dialog box, which enables you to modify the toolbar set-tings on the desktop.

Shortcut Menu in the 3D Modeler Window Use the shortcut menu in the 3D Modeler window to select, magnify, and move options (zoom, rotate, etc.), change the view, perform boolean operations, assign materials, boundaries, excita-tions, or mesh operations to objects, and work with field overlays.To access the shortcut menu in the 3D Modeler window:

Getting Started with HFSS 1-11

HFSS Online Help

• Right-click in the 3D Modeler window (grid area).

Shortcut Menus in the Project Manager WindowEach node, or item, in the project tree has a shortcut menu. For example, from the shortcut menu for the Boundaries icon, you can assign boundaries to selected objects; review information for all the boundary assignments for the active design; remove all boundary assignments; show or hide a boundary’s geometry, name, or vectors; change the priority of a previously assigned boundary; and use the PML Setup wizard to create a perfectly matched layer (PML) boundary.

Keyboard Shortcuts for HFSS General PurposesThe following keyboard shortcuts apply to HFSS in general • F1: Help • F1 + Shift: Context help • F4 + CTRL: Close program • CTRL + C: Copy • CTRL + N: New project • CTRL + O: Open... • CTRL + P: Print...

1-12 Getting Started with HFSS

HFSS Online Help

• CTRL + V: Paste • CTRL + X: Cut • CTRL + Y: Redo • CTRL + Z: Undo • CTRL + 0: Cascade windows • CTRL + 1: Tile windows horizontally• CTRL + 2: Tile windows vertically

Getting Started with HFSS 1-13

HFSS Online Help

1-14 Getting Started with HFSS

Working with the Status BarThe status bar is located at the bottom of the application window. It displays information about the command currently being performed.

To display or hide the status bar:• On the View menu, click Status Bar.A check box appears next to this command if the status bar is visible.Depending on the command being performed, the status bar can display the following:• X, Y, and Z coordinate boxes.• A pull-down list to enter a point’s absolute, relative, cartesian, cylindrical, or spherical coodi-

nates. • The model’s units of measurement.

Working with the Project ManagerThe Project Manager window displays the open project’s structure, which is referred to as the project tree.

The Project Manager window displays details about all open HFSS projects. Each project ulti-mately includes a geometric model, its boundary conditions and material assignments, and field solution and post-processing information.To show or hide the Project Manager window, do one of the following:• On the View menu, click Project Manager.

A check box appears next to this command if the Project Manager window is visible.• Right-click in the toolbars area on the desktop, and then click Project Manager on the short-

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cut menu. A check box appears next to this command if the Project Manager window is visible.

Related TopicsWorking with the Project TreeShortcut Menus in the Project Manager Window

Working with the Project TreeThe project tree is located in the Project Manager window and contains details about all open HFSS projects, as shown below:

The top node listed in the project tree is the project name. It is named Projectn by default, where n is the order in which the project was added to the current session of HFSS. Expand the project icon to view all the project’s HFSS design information and material definitions. Related TopicsViewing HFSS Design Details

Setting the Project Tree to Expand AutomaticallyYou can set the project tree to automatically expand when an item is added to a project. 1. On the Tools menu, point to Options, and then click General Options.

The Options dialog box appears. 2. Under the Project Options tab, select Expand Project Tree on Insert.

Viewing HFSS Design Details Once you insert an HFSS design into a project, it is listed as the second node in the project tree. It is named HFSSModeln by default, where n is the order in which the design was added to the project. Expand the design icon in the project tree to view all of the specific data about the model, including

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its boundary conditions and material assignments, and field solution and post-processing informa-tion. The HFSSModeln node contains the following project details:

Viewing the Design ListYou can use the HFSS>Design List command or the Design List icon to view a dialog with tables of the design properties. The Design list is a dialog that with tabs to let you view the following

Boundaries Displays the boundary conditions assigned to an HFSS design, which specify the field behavior at the edges of the problem region and object interfaces.

Excitations Displays the excitations assigned to an HFSS design, which are used to specify the sources of electromagnetic fields and charges, currents, or voltages on objects or surfaces in the design.

Mesh Operations Displays the mesh operations specified for objects or object faces. Mesh operations are optional mesh refinement settings that are specified before a mesh is generated.

Analysis Displays the solution setups for an HFSS design. A solution setup specifies how HFSS will compute the solution.

Optimetrics Displays any Optimetrics setups added to an HFSS design.

Results Displays any post-processing reports generated.

Port Field Display Displays all port fields in the active model.

Field Overlays Displays field overlay plots, which are representations of basic or derived field quantities on surfaces or objects. Plot folders are listed under Field Overlays. These folders store the project’s plots and can be customized. See Setting Field Plot Defaults for information on how to customize the plot folders.

Radiation Displays far- and near-field setups added to an HFSS design.

Note To edit a project’s design details:• In the project tree, double-click the design setup icon that you want to edit. A dialog box appears with that setup’s parameters, which you can then edit.

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Viewing Material DefinitionsThe definitions node is listed at the bottom of the project tree and displays all of the material defini-tions that are assigned to the objects in the active model.

Related TopicsAdding New Materials

Working with the Properties WindowThe Properties window displays the attributes, or properties, of an item selected in the project tree, the history tree, or the 3D Modeler window. The Properties window enables you to edit an item’s properties. The properties, and the ability to edit them in the Properties window, will vary, depend-

Model Displays the objects that comprise the model and their properties.

Boundaries Displays the boundary conditions assigned to an HFSS design, which specify the field behavior at the edges of the problem region and object interfaces.

Excitations Displays the excitations assigned to an HFSS design, which are used to specify the sources of electromagnetic fields and charges, currents, or voltages on objects or surfaces in the design.

Mesh Operations Displays the mesh operations specified for objects or object faces. Mesh operations are optional mesh refinement settings that are specified before a mesh is generated.

Analysis Setup Displays the solution setups for an HFSS design. A solution setup specifies how HFSS will compute the solution.

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ing on the type of item selected. The tabs available in the Properties window will also vary, depending the selection.

Related TopicsShowing and Hiding the Properties WindowSetting the Properties Window to Open Automatically

Showing and Hiding the Properties WindowTo show or hide the Properties window on the desktop, do one of the following:• On the View menu, click Property Window.

A check box appears next to this command if the Properties window is visible.• Right-click in the toolbars area at the top of the desktop, and then click Properties on the

shortcut menu. A check box appears next to this command if the Properties window is visible.

Setting the Properties Window to Open AutomaticallyTo set the Properties window to open after an object is drawn, enabling you to modify the object’s properties, do the following:1. On the Tools menu, point to Options, and then click 3D Modeler Options.

The 3D Modeler Options window appears.2. Click the Drawing tab.3. Select Edit property of new primitives.

Hereafter, after you draw an object, the Properties window will open.

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Modifying Object Attributes Using the Properties Window1. Select the object for which you want to edit its attributes by clicking it in the view window or

clicking its name in the history tree. 2. Under the Attribute tab in the Properties window, edit the object attribute.

Depending on the attribute type, you can edit it by doing one of the following: • Select the check box to apply the attribute; clear the check box to disable the attribute.• Click in the field and edit the numeric values or text, and then press ENTER. • Click the button and then edit the current settings in the window or dialog box that

appears. • Click the attribute, and then select a new setting from the menu that appears.

Modifying Object Command Properties Using the Properties WindowThe Command tab in the Properties window displays information about an action selected in the history tree that was performed either to create an object, such as the Draw>Box) command, or to modify an object, such as the Edit>Duplicate>Mirror command. Not all command properties can be modified. In general, the command properties that you can typ-ically modify are the numeric values, such as position values (base position, normal position, start position, etc.), size values (height, radius, etc.), and various other coordinate values. You can also modify many of the unit settings for a command property. 1. In the history tree, select the command for which you want to edit its properties.

2. Under the Command tab in the Properties window, edit the command’s properties.Depending on the property type, you can edit it by doing one of the following:• Select the check box to apply the property; clear the check box to disable the property.• Click in the field and edit the numeric values or text, and then press ENTER. • Click the button and then edit the current settings in the window or dialog box that

appears. • Click the attribute, and then select a new setting from the menu that appears.

Working with the Progress WindowThe Progress window monitors a simulation while it is running.

Hint Press and hold CTRL to select multiple commands. If you select multiple commands, only the common, or shared, properties will be displayed under the Command tab.

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In the image below, the Progress window is displaying the progress of a discrete frequency sweep, which is nearing completion:

To display or hide the Progress window, do one of the following:• On the View menu, click Progress Window.

A check box appears next to this command if the Progress window is visible.• Right-click the history tree, and then click Progress on the shortcut menu.

A check box appears next to this command if the Progress window is visible.

Stopping or Aborting Simulation ProgressTo abort progress, right-click in the Progress window, and select Abort.To stop the simulation cleanly between time steps, right-click in the Progress window, and select Clean Stop.

Working with the Message ManagerThe Message Manager displays messages associated with a project’s development, such as error messages about the design’s setup or informational messages about the progress of an analysis.To display or hide the Message Manager:• On the View menu, click Message Manager.A check box appears next to this command if the Message Manager is visible.

Working with the 3D Modeler WindowThe 3D Modeler window is the area where you create the model geometry. It appears to the right of the Project Manager window after you insert an HFSS design to a project.

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The 3D Modeler window consists of the model view area, or grid, and the history tree, as shown below:

To open a new 3D Modeler window, do one of the following:• Insert a new HFSS design into the current project.• Double-click an HFSS design in the project tree.The model you draw is saved with the current project when you click File>Save.Objects are drawn in the 3D Modeler window. You can create 3D objects by using HFSS’s Draw menu commands or you can draw 1D and 2D objects, and then manipulate them to create 3D objects. For more information, see Drawing a Model. You can modify the view of objects in the 3D Modeler window without changing their actual dimensions or positions. For more information, see Modifying the Model View.

Related TopicsModifying the Model ViewKeyboard shortcuts for the 3D Modeler Window.

History tree

Model view area (grid)

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Working with the History TreeThe history tree in the 3D Modeler window lists all the active model’s structure and grid details.

Expand or Collapse GroupingsRight-clicking on any group icon opens a pull-down to expand all groupings or collapse all group-ings. In addition, right-clicking on Objects lets you specify whether or not the Objects are sorted by material (the default is to sort by material.) When the objects are sorted by material, 2D and 3D objects are listed separately in the history tree.History of Commands on ObjectsThe history tree also lists the history of all commands carried out a model’s objects, for example, “CreateBox” or “Subtract.” This history is displayed in the order in which it occurred. Notice in the above image the expanded air object and its history of commands. Also see the use of the Purge History command and the Generate History command.Selecting Objects in the History TreeSelecting objects in the History tree also selects them in the View window. This can be useful for complex objects, when it may be easier to find the objects of interest by name or material, if the object of interest is inside or behind others.You can use CTLR-click to make multiple selections. You can select a range of objects by a click on the first, and then SHIFT-Click to select all in the range. Only visible objects are selected. That is, if the hierarchy is closed under the selection, any operand parts are ignored and do not interfer with cut and paste operations.Viewing Item PropertiesTo view the properties of an item in the history tree:• Click the item’s name in the history tree.

The item’s properties appears in the docked Properties window. • Click the item’s name in the history tree, and double right click to display a shortcut menu.

Then select Properties to display the Properties window.

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The history tree contains the following model details:

Related TopicsPurge HistoryGenerate HistorySelecting Several Objects

Invalid Lists all invalid objects

Objects Displays all the model’s objects and a history of the commands carried out on each object. By default HFSS groups objects by material. you can change this by selecting the Objects icon in the history tree and right-click to display the shortcut menu with the Group Objects By Material checkbox.

Sheets Displays all the sheets in the model 3D design area. By default, HFSS groups sheet objects by boundary assignment. You can change this by selecting the Sheet icon in the history tree and right-click to display the shortcut menu with the Group Sheets by Assignment checkbox.

Lines Displays all line objects included in the active model. See Drawing a Straight Line for information on how to draw a line object.

Points Displays all point objects included in the active model. See Drawing a Point for information on how to draw a point object.

Coordinate Systems Displays all the coordinate systems for the active model. See Setting Coordinate Systems for more information on this model detail.

Planes Displays the planes for all the coordinate systems. When you create a coordinate system, default planes are created on its xy, yz, and xz planes.

Lists Displays the object or face lists for the active model. By default, a list called "AllObjects" appears.Creating an object list is a convenient way to identify a group of objects for a field plot or calculation. Creating a face list is a convenient way to identify a specific set of surfaces for a field plot or calculation.

Note While objects created in HFSS can always be classed in the history tree as either a solid, sheet, or wire some imported objects may have mixture of these. HFSS places such objects in an Unclassified folder in the history tree.

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Controlling the View of Objects in the History TreeTo control the view and visibility of an object such as a box or PML, right click on an object in the history tree display the short-cut menu and select View. The short cut menu contains the following commands:• Fit in Active View• Hide in Active View• Show in Active View• Fit in All Views• Hide in All Views• Show in All Views

Related TopicsPurge HistoryGenerate HistorySelecting Several Objects

Keyboard Shortcuts for the 3D Modeler WindowThe following keyboard shortcuts apply to the 3D Modeler Window• B: Select face/object behind current selection • F: Select faces mode • O: Select objects mode • E: Select edges mode• V: Select verticies mode• M: Mult select mode• CTRL + A: Select all visible objects • CTRL + SHIFT + A: Deselect all objects • CTRL + D: Fit view • CTRL + E: Zoom in, screen center • CTRL + F: Zoom out, screen center • SHIFT + LMB: Zoom in / out • Alt + LMB: Rotate model • Alt + SHIFT + LMB: Zoom in / out • Alt + 2xLMB: Sets model projection to standard isometric projections (cursor must be in cor-

ner of model screen N/NE/E/SE/S etc) • F6: Render model wire frame • F7: Render model smooth shaded

Note LMB means Left Mouse Button

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Related TopicsKeyboard Shortcuts for HFSS General Purposes

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Using the Password Manager to Control Access to

Using the Password Manager to Control Access to ResourcesHFSS lets you specify library resources that require password access, and encryption of those resources. For convenience, the same password can apply to multiple resources. To access the Password Manager, click Tools>Password Manager. This displays the Password Manager dia-log.

To Specify a New Password Protected Resource1. Click Tools>Password Manager.

This displays the Password Manager dialog2. Click the New button.

This opens the New Encrypted Resource dialog.3. Specify the name of the resource that you want to protect and click OK.

This displays the Enter Passwords dialog. This dialog has radio buttons to let you:• Enter Password and confirm for Full Access or for Execute Only Access.• Use Ansoft Password (for execute only). This does not require you to enter a password,

but it is still encrypts the library.4. Once you have selected a radio button, and, if necessary, specified passwords correctly, click

OK.This displays the Password Manager with the resource listed.

To Encrypt a Resource1. Select an existing resource to highlight it and enable the Encrypt button.2. This displays a File browser window3. Select the appropriate Files of Type filter.

The choices are Circuit files (*.lib) and Ansoft Library files. For HFSS, chose Ansoft Library files. Any existing resources in the selected directory will appear.

4. When you have selected the appropriate resource, click OK.This encrypts the resource.

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Running HFSS from a command line

Running HFSS from a command lineHFSS includes line arguments that can be included when launching from a command line or terminal prompt. All command-line arguments are case-insensitive.

Command-line syntaxhfss <options> <run command> <project name/script name>

Run CommandsThe following command line run commands are available in HFSS. Of the commands (Batch-Save, BatchSolve, RunScript, RunScriptandExit), one or none must be used as arguments after hfss. Links to the valid options for each run command are listed and/or linked to descriptions.-BatchSave <project file name>

Saves a named project to the current version. This is primarily intended for converting version 9 projects to version 10 when you intend to subsequently run them on a Linux platform. The conversion from version 9 to version 10 must be done under Windows, HP, or Solaris before those projects can run on a Linux system. You can run this command with the -Iconic option, the -Logfile option, and the -ng option (no graphics).

-BatchSolveBy default, solve all adaptive setups, sweeps, as well as Optimetrics setups found in the project file. If parallel solve is possible, you can use the -Distribute option in conjunction with -BatchSolve. You can run this command with the -Iconic option, the -Logfile option, the - ng option (no graphics), and the -WaitForLicense option.Additional parameters for batch solves include the following:[designName] - batch solve all setups for design with the name given under the project.[designName]:Nominal - batch solve all nominal setups for design with the name given under the project.[designName]:Optimetrics - batch solve all Optimetrics setups for design with the name given under the project.[designName]:Nominal:[setupname] - batch solve the specified nominal setup for design with the name given under the project. The setupname is case insensitive.[designName]:Optimetrics:[setupname] - batch solve the specified Optimetrics setup for design with the name given under the project.The setupname is case insensitive.-Local | -Remote | -DistributedPerform the -Batchsolve on a local machine, a remote machine, or as a distributed solve using a specified machine list (see below). The settings persist only for the current session.

-MachineList=“<machine1>, <machine2>, ...” | file=“<machine list file path>”Indicates the machine(s) on which to run a batchsolve. The settings persist only for the current ses-sion.

Example:

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Running HFSS from a command line

C:\HFSS\hfss.exe -batchsolve HFSSDesign1:Nominal "C:\Project1.hfss"

-RunScript <script file name>Run the specified script. You can use the -ScriptArgs option to add one or more argu-ments to this command and can use the -Iconic option.

-RunScriptAndExit <script file name>Run the specified script and exit. You can use the -ScriptArgs option to add one or more arguments to this command. You can also use the -Iconic option, the -Logfile option, and the -WaitForLicense option.

<none>If you do not specify a run command with hfss on the command line, you can still specify the -Help and -Iconic option.

<project file>Open the specified project on start up. If -BatchSolve is also set, the project will be solved.

OptionsThe following options can be associated with one or more of the run commands.-Distribute

Distribute a batch solve to multiple machines. This option must be combined with the -BatchSolve run command and must be specified before it in the command line. See Dis-tributed Analysis for more information on distributed analysis.

Example:

C:\HFSS\hfss.exe -distribute -batchsolve _

HFSSDesign1:Optimetrics:ParametricSetup1 "C:\Project1.hfss"

-HelpOpen a window that displays the different command-line options. This is only used when none of the four run commands are used.

-IconicRun HFSS with the window iconified (minimized). This can be used with all or none of the run commands.

-LogFile <log file name>Specify a log file (use in conjunction with -BatchSave or -BatchSolve or -RunScriptAn-dExit run commands). If no log file is specified, it will be written to the directory in which the script or HFSS project is located, with the name <project_name>.log.

-ngRun HFSS in non-graphical mode (use in conjunction with -BatchSave or -BatchSolve

Note The <project file> must be the last command line entry.

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Running HFSS from a command line

run commands).-WaitForLicense

Wait for unavailable licenses (use in conjunction with -BatchSolve or -RunScriptAn-dExit).

-ScriptArgs <scriptArguments>Add arguments to the specified script in conjunction with -RunScript and -Run-ScriptAndExit.ScriptArgs looks at the single argument after it and uses those as script arguments. You can pass multiple arguments to scriptargs by surrounding the script arguments in quotes. For instance:

hfss -scriptargs "HFSSDesign1 Setup1" -RunScriptAndExit c:\temp\test.vbs

Here, HFSSDesign1 is taken into HFSS as the first argument, and Setup1 is the second argument. Without the quotes, HFSSDesign1 is taken as the first argument, and Setup1 will not be understood by HFSS.

hfss -scriptargs HFSSDesign1 Setup1 -RunScriptAndExit c:\temp\test.vbs

Example:

c:\hfss\hfss.exe -runscriptandexit "c:\project1.vbs"

-scriptargs "Setup1"

Related TopicsRunning a Script.

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Getting Started Guides

Getting Started GuidesOpen the PDF: . This Getting Started guide is written for HFSS beginners as well as experienced users who are using HFSS version 11 for the first time. This guide will lead you step-by-step through creating, solving, and analyzing the results of a T-shaped waveguide with an inductive septum. This type of structure is used to split an incoming microwave signal into two outgoing signals. The waveguide’s transmission and reflection of the signal will depend on the position of the septum.By following the steps in this guide, you will learn how to perform the following tasks in HFSS:• Draw a geometric model.• Modify a model’s design parameters.• Assign variables to a model’s design parameters.• Specify solution settings for a design.• Validate a design’s setup. • Run an HFSS simulation.• Create a 2D x-y plot of S-parameter results.• Create a field overlay plot of results.• Create a phase animation of results.

Open the PDF: . This Getting Started guide is written for Optimetrics beginners as well as experienced users who are using Optimetrics version 3 for the first time. You must have completed Getting Started with HFSS: A Waveguide T-Junction before you begin this guide. You will use Ansoft’s Optimetrics software to find an optimal position for the septum. Prior to per-forming the optimization, you will set up and solve a parametric analysis. By following the steps in this guide, you will learn how to perform the following tasks in HFSS using Optimetrics:• Create a basic parametric setup.• Solve a parametric analysis.• Create a 2D x-y plot of S-parameter results.• Create a 2D x-y plot of power distribution results.• Create a geometry animation.• Specify a variable to be optimized.• Create an optimization setup, which includes defining a cost function and setting the range of

variable values for an optimization.• Solve an optimization analysis.• During an optimization analysis, view a plot of cost values versus solved iterations.

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Getting Started Guides

• Run an HFSS simulation using the optimal variable value.• Update an existing field overlay plot with new results.Open the PDF: . This Getting Started guide is written for HFSS beginners as well as experienced users who are using version 11 for the first time. This guide leads you step-by-step through creating, solving, and analyzing the results of a dielectric resonator antenna problem.By following the steps in this guide, you will learn how to perform the following tasks in HFSS:• Draw a geometric model.• Modify a model’s design parameters.• Assign variables to a model’s design parameters.• Specify solution settings for a design.• Validate a design’s setup. • Run an HFSS simulation.• Create a 2D x-y plot of S-parameter results.• Create a field overlay plot of results.• Create a phase animation of results.Open the PDF: . This Getting Started guide is written for HFSS beginners as well as experienced users who are using version 11 for the first time. This manual guides you through the setup, solution, and analysis of a two-way, low-loss waveguide combiner.By following the steps in this guide, you will learn how to perform the following tasks in HFSS:• Draw a geometric model.• Modify a model’s design parameters.• Assign variables to a model’s design parameters.• Specify solution settings for a design.• Validate a design’s setup. • Run an HFSS simulation.• Create a 2D x-y plot of S-parameter results.• Create a field overlay plot of results.• Create a phase animation of results.Open the PDF: . This Getting Started guide is written for HFSS beginners as well as experienced users who are using version 11 for the first time. This manual guides you through the setup, solution, and analysis of two different models using Floquet ports.By following the steps in this guide, you will learn how to setup Floquet ports in HFSS:

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Copyright and Trademark Notices

Copyright and Trademark NoticesThe information contained in the HFSS online help is subject to change without notice.Ansoft makes no warranty of any kind with regard to this material, including, but not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose. Ansoft shall not be liable for errors contained herein or for incidental or consequential damages in connection with the fur-nishing, performance, or use of this material.This document contains proprietary information which is protected by copyright. All rights are reserved.

Ansoft Corporation225 West Station Square DriveSuite 200Pittsburgh, PA 15219(412) 261 - 3200

Maxwell 3D, Maxwell Strata, HFSS, Full-Wave Spice, ePhysics, and Optimetrics are registered trademarks or trademarks of Ansoft Corporation. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.© 2007 Ansoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

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2Getting Help

Ansoft Technical SupportTo contact Ansoft technical support staff in your geographical area, please log on to the Ansoft cor-porate website, http://www.ansoft.com, click the Contact button, and then click Support. Your Ansoft sales engineer may also be contacted in order to obtain this information.E-mail can work well for technical support. All Ansoft software files are ASCII text and can be sent conveniently by e-mail. When reporting difficulties, it is extremely helpful to include very spe-cific information about what steps were taken or what stages the simulation reached. This allows more rapid and effective debugging.

Help Menu CommandsTo access online help from the menu bar, do the following:• Click Help>Contents• Click Help>Index• Click Help>SearchYou can also access help for the scripting commands via the menu bar:• Click Help>Scripting Contents• Click Help>Scripting Index• Click Help>Search Scripting

Context-Sensitive HelpTo access online help from the HFSS user interface, do one of the following:• To open a help topic about an HFSS menu command, press Shift+F1 or click and then

click the command or toolbar icon.• To open a help topic about an HFSS dialog box, open the dialog box, and then press F1.PDF of Online Help

Getting Help2-1

Open the PDF: .

Getting Help2-2

Conventions Used in the Online Help

Conventions Used in the Online HelpThe following documentation conventions are used in the HFSS online help. • Procedures are presented as numbered lists. A single bullet indicates that the procedure has

only one step.• Bold type is used for the following:

- Keyboard entries that should be typed in their entirety exactly as shown. For example, "copy file1" means to type the word copy, to type a space, and then to type file1.- On-screen prompts and messages, names of options and text boxes, and menu commands. Menu commands are often separated by carats. For example, click HFSS>Excita-tions>Assign>Wave Port.- Labeled keys on the computer keyboard. For example, "Press Return" means to press the key labeled Return.

• Italic type is used for the following:- Emphasis.- The titles of publications. - Keyboard entries when a name or a variable must be typed in place of the words in italics. For example, "copy file name" means to type the word copy, to type a space, and then to type a file name.

• The plus sign (+) is used between keyboard keys to indicate that you should press the keys at the same time. For example, "Press Shift+F1" means to press the Shift key and the F1 key at the same time.

• Toolbar buttons serve as shortcuts for executing commands. Toolbar buttons are displayed after the command they execute. For example,

"On the Draw menu, click Line " means that you can click the Draw Line toolbar but-ton to execute the Line command.

Getting Help2-3

Searching in Help

Searching in HelpThe online help system provides four ways to search for information and navigate quickly:• A hierarchical table of contents - you can expand or collapse the hierarchy by clicking, and you

can jump to selected entries by double-clicking.• A searchable index - you can search for indexed terms by typing the text field, and jump to

topic locations by double-clicking on them.• A full text search - you can type text, and search the entire online help. Items are listed accord-

ing to rank in discussing the search text.• A favorites list - you can select topics that you use frequently to create a favorites list.

Getting Help2-4

Using WebUpdate

Using WebUpdateTo use WebUpdate:1. Select Help>Launch WebUpdate.

This displays the WebUpdate dialogue, which lists the applications available for update.2. Select the application of interest and click Next.

This displays the application and whether it is currently up to date and whether an update is available

3. If an update is available, enable the application checkbox to select it.a. You can choose to enable the checkboxes to install the update automatically and to save

the update to disk.If you choose to update, the Next button is enabled.

b. Click Next to continue the update.c. The Webupdate shows the progress of the update.

4. Click Close when done

Getting Help2-5

3Working with HFSS Projects

An HFSS project is a folder that includes one or more HFSS models, or designs. Each design ulti-mately includes a geometric model, its boundary conditions and material assignments, and field solution and post-processing information.A new project called Projectn is automatically created when the software is launched. A design named Designn is automatically created for a new project. You can also open a new project by clicking File>New. In general, use the File menu commands to manage projects. If you move or change the names of files without using these commands, the software may not be able to find information necessary to solve the model.

Working with HFSS Projects 3-1

HFSS Online Help

HFSS FilesWhen you create an HFSS project, it is given an .hfss file extension and stored in the directory you specify. Any files related to that project are also stored in that directory.Some common HFSS file and folder types are listed below:

.hfss HFSS project.

design_name.hfssresults HFSS folder containing results data for a design. It resides in the project.hfssresults folder.

project_name.hfssresults HFSS folder containing results data for a project.

project_name.asol The .asol file contains the database of all solved variations and where the resulting data is stored in the design.hfssresults folder. This file is stored in the project_name.hfssresults folder.

.pjt HFSS version 8.5 and earlier project.

.anfp Ansoft PCB neutral file

3-2 Working with HFSS Projects

HFSS Online Help

Creating Projects• On the File menu, click New .

A new project is listed in the project tree. It is named Projectn by default, where n is the order in which the project was added to the current project folder. A default design named Designn is added under the project.Project definitions, such boundary and material assignments, are stored under the project name in the project tree.

You specify the name of the project when you save it using the File>Save or File>Save As com-mands.

Working with HFSS Projects3-3

HFSS Online Help

ProjectsOpen a previously saved project using the File>Open command.1. On the File menu, click Open . 2. Use the file browser to find the HFSS .hfss project file.

By default, files that can be opened or translated by HFSS are displayed.3. Select the file you want to open.4. Click OK.

The project information appears in the project tree.If you open another project without editing the automatically-created project, HFSS removes the automatically-created project.

You can also open a saved project by:• Dragging an HFSS project file icon to the HFSS icon.• Dragging an HFFS project file icon to the HFSS desktop.• Double-clicking on an HFSS project file icon.

Related TopicsOpening Legacy HFSS Projects

Opening Recent ProjectsTo open a project you recently saved in HFSS:• Click the name of the project file at the bottom of the File menu. If you open another project without editing the automatically-created project, HFSS removes the automatically-created project.

Opening Legacy HFSS ProjectsHFSS 11 does not open projects created in Ansoft HFSS version 8.5 or earlier. HFSS 10 can be used. HFSS 10 files can be opened directly. However saving them in 11 means they cannot be used in 10.1. On the File menu, click Open . 2. In the Look in pull-down list, click the location of the project. In the folder list, double-click

folders to find the one that contains the project.3. Double-click the project you want to open.

Legacy HFSS Project TranslationHFSS 11 translates all HFSS 10 data. It does not open projects created in Ansoft HFSS version 8.5 or earlier. HFSS 10 can be used to translate earlier projects. Virtually all of the project’s pre-pro-cessing data is translated. Note that solution results and Optimetrics setup data are unavailable; however, the nominal model created for Optimetrics is translated. Following are additional notes about the translation of various legacy project information.

3-4 Working with HFSS Projects

HFSS Online Help

Model Geometry • The translated geometry’s construction history is unavailable; therefore the original object properties you defined cannot be modified in the Properties window. However, you can modify the geometry using version 10’s modeling features.

• For units unavailable in version 10, such as yards, the nearest available units are used; the model will be scaled slightly to fit the new units.

Excitations and Boundaries

• Port impedance and calibration lines become integration lines in version 10. If the legacy project contained both impedance and calibration lines, impedance lines are translated and calibration lines are ignored. If the project contained both impedance and terminal lines, both are translated. The impedance lines will be ignored for Driven Terminal solutions and terminal lines will be ignored if the project is changed to a Driven Modal solution.

• Boundaries assigned to named interface selections or rectangle selections are not translated.

• For a boundary assigned to the intersection of two faces, HFSS 10 will create a new 2D sheet object from the intersecting area and assign the boundary to that object.

Materials • Functions defined in legacy projects become project variables in version 10; therefore, functional material properties are translated.

• Perfect conductors become regular materials with conductivity values of of 1E30.

• Object coordinate systems are created for objects assigned anisotropic materials in legacy projects. The coordinate system is defined at the same origin as the global coordinate system, with the same orientation defined when the anisotropic material was assigned to the object in the legacy project.

• Nonlinear materials from legacy projects that have magnetic saturation values greater than zero are treated as ferrite materials in version 10. Their properties are not modified.

Mesh Operations • Mesh refinement operations performed on arbitrary boxes in legacy projects are ignored.

• Area- and volume-based mesh operations are translated as length-based mesh operations in version 10 by taking their square roots and cube roots, respectively.

Optimetrics • Setup information, including design variables, is not supported; however, the nominal model can be translated.

• Parameterizing a translated model is limited because geometry construction history is unavailable.

Working with HFSS Projects3-5

HFSS Online Help

Solution Types • Driven solver projects that contained terminal lines are translated to Driven Terminal solution types in version 10.

Solution Setup • Impedance-only and emissions-only solutions are not supported in version 10; therefore these selections in legacy projects are ignored.

• The design’s initial mesh is used for the version 10 solution. Current meshes are not translated.

• Saving dominant-only or higher-order-only mode S-matrix entries are not supported in version 10; therefore these mode selections in legacy projects are ignored.

• For frequency sweeps, the Number of Steps value specified in the legacy project is converted to the corresponding Step Size value in version 10.

• The total number of requested adaptive passes in the legacy project becomes the Maximum Number of Passes value in version 10. For example, if you request 3 adaptive passes, solve them, and then request 2 adaptive passes, 5 will be the value specified for the Maximum Number of Passes in version 10.

Solutions • Solution data is not translated; therefore, you must solve legacy HFSS projects again in version 10.

3-6 Working with HFSS Projects

HFSS Online Help

Closing ProjectsTo close the current HFSS project, select HFSS>Close. This closes the project without exiting HFSS.

Working with HFSS Projects3-7

HFSS Online Help

Saving ProjectsUse the File>Save As command to do the following:• Save a new project.• Save the active project with a different name or in a different location.• Save the active project in another file format for use in another program.Use the File>Save command to save the active project.HFSS has a "Save before solving" setting located in the Tools>Options>HFSS Options menu. By default this is on. However, for efficiency reasons, the project is only saved if it has been modified since its last save.A prompt appears when you attempt to save a previously-versioned file. If you agree to the prompt, the file is upgraded to the HFSS version in which you are running the software. In this case the file may no longer be compatible with previous versions of HFSS. If you do not agree to the prompt, the file is not saved, so the file retains the previous compatibility.

Related TopicsSaving a New ProjectSaving the Active ProjectSaving a Copy of a ProjectDeleting Projects

Saving a New Project1. On the File menu, click Save As. 2. Use the file browser to find the directory where you want to save the file.3. Type the name of the file in the File name box.4. Use the correct file extension for the file type. 5. If the window has a Switch to saved option, do one of the following:

• Leave the option selected to display the new file name, and then close the current file.• Cancel the Switch to saved selection to save the file under the new name without chang-

ing which file is displayed.6. Click OK.

HFSS saves the project to the location you specified.

Related TopicsSaving the Active Project

Warning Be sure to save geometric models periodically. Saving frequently helps prevent the loss of your work if a problem occurs.Although HFSS has an "auto-save" feature, it may not automatically save frequently enough for your needs.

3-8 Working with HFSS Projects

HFSS Online Help

Saving a Copy of a Project

Saving the Active Project• On the File menu, click Save .

HFSS saves the project over the existing one.

Related TopicsSaving a New ProjectSaving a Copy of a Project

Saving a Copy of a ProjectTo save an existing, active project with a new name, a different file extension, or to a new location:1. On the File menu, click Save As.2. Use the file browser to find the directory where you want to save the file.3. Type the name of the file in the File name box.4. Select the desired file extension for the file type. 5. If the window has a Switch to saved field, do one of the following:

• Leave the field selected to display the new file name, and then close the current file.• Cancel the Switch to saved selection to save the file under the new name without chang-

ing which file is displayed.6. Click OK.

HFSS saves the project with the new name or file extension to the location you specified.

Related TopicsSaving a New ProjectSaving the Active Project

Renaming a ProjectTo rename an existing, active project:1. Select the project in the Project tree.2. Right-click to display the short-cut menu.3. Select Rename.

This activates the text field for the project name.4. Type the new project name and press enter.

The new project name appears in the directory and the project remains in the original location.

Warning Be sure to save geometric models periodically. Saving frequently helps prevent the loss of your work if a problem occurs.Although HFSS has an "auto-save" feature, it may not automatically save frequently enough for your needs.

Working with HFSS Projects3-9

HFSS Online Help

Saving Project Data AutomaticallyHFSS stores recent actions you performed on the active project in an auto-save file in case a sudden workstation crash or other unexpected problem occurs. The auto-save file is stored in the same directory as the project file and is named Projectn.hfss.auto by default, where n is the order in which the project was added to the current session. HFSS automatically saves all data for the project to the auto-save file, except solution data. By default, HFSS automatically saves project data after every 10 edits. An "edit" is any action you performed which changes data in the project or the design, including actions associated with project management, model creation, and solution analysis. With auto-save activated, after a problem occurs, you may be able to choose to re-open the original project file (Projectn.hfss), in an effort to recover the solution data, or open the auto-save file. If the original file is not available, attempting to open the file provides a message that the autosave is being used. If neither file is available, an error message is displayed.To modify the auto-save settings:1. On the Tools menu, point to Options, and then click General Options.

The Options dialog box appears. 2. Under the Project Options tab, verify that Do Autosave is selected.

This option is selected by default. 3. In the Autosave interval box, enter the number of edits that you want to occur between

automatic saves. By default, this option is set at 10.

4. Click OK to apply the specified auto-save settings. Once the specified number of edits is carried out, a "model-only" save will occur. This means that HFSS does not save solutions data or clear any undo/redo history. When HFSS auto-saves, an ".auto" extension is appended to the original project file name. For example, "Project1.hfss" will automatically be saved as "Project1.hfss.auto".

Related TopicsRecovering Project Data in an Auto-Save File

Save Before Solve OptionThe Tools>HFSS Options command displays a dialog with a checkbox for an automatic Save Before Solve option. The main purpose is to force a full save before running the solve. In the case where you start a solve while another solve is running, and the Save Before Solve option is set, HFSS asks if you want solve without saving first. This lets you do multiple solves, and if you

Note Auto-save always increments forward; therefore, even when you undo a command, HFSS counts it as an edit.

Warning When you close or rename a project, HFSS deletes the auto-save file. HFSS assumes that you have saved any desired changes at this point.

3-10 Working with HFSS Projects

HFSS Online Help

have not edited the project in between solves, crash recovery will work. In any case, you can start a new solve while running another without having to abort the running solve.

Recovering Project Data in an Auto-Save FileFollowing a sudden workstation crash or other unexpected problem, you can recover the project data in its auto-save file.

To recover project data in an auto-save file:1. If HFSS has crashed, launch HFSS from your desktop. 2. On the File menu, click Open, and then select the original Projectn.hfss project file for which

you want to recover its Projectn.hfss.auto auto-save file. The Crash Recovery window appears, which gives you the option to open the original project file or the auto-save file.

3. Select Open project using autosave file to recover project data in the auto-save file, and then click OK. HFSS replaces the original project file with the data in the auto-save file. HFSS immediately overwrites the original project file data with the auto-save file data, remov-ing the results directory (solutions data) from the original project file as it overwrites to the auto-save file.

Related TopicsSaving Project Data Automatically

Warning When you recover a project’s auto-save file you cannot recover any solutions data; recovering an auto-save file means you will lose any solutions data that existed in the original project file.

Warning If you choose to recover the auto-save file, you cannot recover the original project file that has been overwritten; recovering data in an auto-save file is not reversible.

Working with HFSS Projects3-11

HFSS Online Help

Deleting ProjectsTo delete a project:1. Select the project in the project tree.2. Click either Edit>Delete, or right click to display the short-cut menu and select Delete.

A dialog displays the message: "The project selected and all its files will be deleted from the permanent storage medium. Click OK to proceed."

3. Click OK to delete the files or Cancel to retain them.

3-12 Working with HFSS Projects

HFSS Online Help

Undoing CommandsUse the Undo command on the Edit menu to cancel, or undo, the last action you performed on the active project or design. This is useful for undoing unintended commands related to project man-agement, model creation, and post-processing. 1. In the Project Manager window, do one of the following:

• To undo the last action you performed on the active project, such as inserting a design or adding project variables, click the project icon.

• To undo the last action you performed on the active design, such as drawing an object or deleting a field overlay plot, click the design icon.

2. On the Edit menu, click Undo, or click the Undo button on the toolbars. Your last action is now undone.

Related TopicsRedoing Commands

Note You cannot undo an analysis that you’ve performed on a model, that is, the HFSS>Analyze command.

Note When you save a project, HFSS always clears the entire undo/redo history for the project and its designs.

Working with HFSS Projects3-13

HFSS Online Help

Redoing CommandsUse the Redo command on the Edit menu to reapply, or redo, the last action that was canceled, or undone. You can redo a canceled action related to project management, model creation, and post-processing. 1. In the Project Manager window, do one of the following:

• To redo the last action you canceled on the active project, such as inserting a design or adding project variables, click the project icon.

• To redo the last action you canceled on the active design, such as drawing an object or deleting a field overlay plot, click the design icon.

2. On the Edit menu, click Redo, or click the Redo button on the toolbars. Your last canceled action is now reapplied.

Related TopicsUndoing Commands

Note When you save a project, HFSS always clears the entire undo/redo history for the project and its designs.

3-14 Working with HFSS Projects

HFSS Online Help

Validating ProjectsBefore you run an analysis on a model, it is very important that you first perform a validation check on the project. When you perform a validation check on a project, HFSS runs a check on all the setup details of the active project to verify that all the necessary steps have been completed and their parameters are reasonable.To perform a validation check on the active project: 1. On the HFSS menu, click Validation Check .

HFSS checks the project setup, and then the Validation Check window appears. 2. View the results of the validation check in the Validation Check window.

The following icons can appear next to an item:

3. View any messages in the Message Manager window.

4. If the validation check indicates that a step in your project is incomplete or incorrect, carefully review the setup details for that particular step and revise them as necessary.

Indicates the step is complete.

Indicates the step is incomplete.

Indicates the step may require your attention.

Working with HFSS Projects3-15

HFSS Online Help

5. On the HFSS menu, click Validation Check to run a validation check after you have revised any setup details for an incomplete or incorrect project step.

6. Click Close.

3-16 Working with HFSS Projects

HFSS Online Help

Exporting FilesYou can export the following types of files from HFSS:• Ansoft 2D modeler files• 3D model files• Graphics files• Data tables

Related TopicsExporting Matrix DataExporting Equivalent Circuit Data

Exporting 2D Geometry FilesWhen you export a file in a 2D geometry format (the Ansoft 2D Modeler (.sm2) format or the AutoCAD DXF (.dxf) format), the geometry located within the xy plane is exported.

To export a file to a .sm2 or .dxf format:1. On the Modeler menu, click Export to save the file in an Ansoft 2D Modeler format. 2. Use the file browser to find the directory where you want to save the file.3. Type the name of the file in the File name box.4. Select Ansoft 2D Geometry Files (*.sm2) or AutoCAD DXF Files (*.dxf) from the Save as

type pull-down list.5. Click Save. The file is exported to the specified location with the appropriate file format. Related TopicsExporting 3D Model FilesExporting Graphics Files

Exporting 3D Model FilesYou can export HFSS 3D models to the following 3D model file formats:

Note If you want to export a plane that does not coincide with the global xy plane, you must create a relative coordinate system to redefine the location of the origin.See Creating a Relative Coordinate System for more information.

Extension Contents

.sat ACIS geometry solid model files.

.sm2 Ansoft 2D Geometry File

Working with HFSS Projects3-17

HFSS Online Help

To export a file to a 3D model format:1. On the 3D Modeler menu, click Export to save the file in a 3D model format. 2. Use the file browser to find the directory where you want to save the file.3. Type the name of the file in the File name box.4. Select the desired 3D model file format from the Save as type pull-down list.5. If you selected .sm3, the Select Version dialog box appears. Do the following:

• Click an ACIS version in which to export the model from the ACIS SM3 Version pull-down list, and then click OK.

6. Click Save. Unless you selected GDSII, the file is exported to the specified location as a 3D model file. If you selected GDSII, the GDSII Export dialog appears.• If the model has been defined with layers, those layers are listed by layer number in the

table, with columns for Layer Name, Layer Number, Elevation in units. There is a check-box to specify whether to include the layer in the exported file.

• If you have defined a layer map file for the model, the Layermap button opens a browser for you to open that file before export. The *.layermap file is a text file that maps the GDSII layer numbers to layer names in the stackup. The *.layermap file can have the same format as the .tech file used in GDSII import, but it only needs the layer name and number in the file. In a *.layermap file, other information is ignored.

• In the Polygon Vertices area, check a radio button to select either No Limit to the num-ber of vertices or Limit the number of vertices to a specified value.

• For Arc tolerance, specify a value or accept the default.7. Click the OK button in the GDSII Export dialog to complete the export. The file is exported to

to the specified location.Related TopicsExporting 2D Model FilesExporting Graphics FilesImporting 3D Model Files

.sm3 HFSS 3D Modeler files in ACIS version 2.0 or greater.

.dxf AutoCAD DXF files

.gds GDSII files

.step, .stp Industry standard AP203 STEP files.

.iges, .igs Industry standard Initial Graphics Exchange Specification (IGES) files.

Extension Contents

3-18 Working with HFSS Projects

HFSS Online Help

Importing GDSII Format Files

Exporting Graphics FilesYou can export the following graphics formats:

To export a file to a graphics format:1. On the 3D Modeler menu, click Export to save the file in a graphics format. 2. Use the file browser to find the directory where you want to save the file.3. Type the name of the file in the File name box.4. Select the desired graphics file format from the Save as type pull-down list. 5. Click Save. The file is exported to the specified location as a graphics file. Related TopicsExporting 2D Model FilesExporting 3D Model Files

Exporting Data Table Files1. On the Report2D menu, click Export to File.

• Alternatively, right-click on the data table, and then click Export to File on the shortcut menu.

The Export plot data to file dialog box appears.2. Use the file browser to find the directory where you want to save the file.3. Type the name of the file in the File name box.

Extension Contents

.bmp Bitmap files.

.gif Graphics Interchange Format files.

.jpeg Joint Photographics Experts Group files.

.tiff Tagged Image File Format files.

.wrl Virtual Reality Modeling Language (VRML) files.

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4. Select one of the following file formats from the Save as type pull-down list:

5. Click Save. The file is exported to the specified location as a data table file.

Related TopicsExporting Matrix DataExporting Equivalent Circuit Data

.txt Post processor format file

.csv Comma-delimited data file

.tab Tab-separated file

.dat Ansoft plot data file

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Importing FilesYou can import the following types of files to HFSS:• 2D model files• 3D model files• Solution data files• Data table files• HFSS Plot DataThe import dialog contains a check box for the Heal command which is enabled by default.Related TopicsExporting Files

Importing 2D Model FilesYou can read the following 2D model files directly into the active 3D Modeler window:

To import a 2D model file:1. On the Modeler menu, click Import.

This opens a file browser. The file browser includes a checkbox for the Heal command, which is enabled by default. When enabled, the Heal command has radio buttons for Automatic heal-ing (the default) or Manual healing.

2. Use the file browser to find the file you want to import. 3. Select the 2D model file you want import.

4. Click Open. The file is imported into the active 3D Modeler window. If you have selected Healing with the Manual option checked for the import, the Healing options panel opens and lets you set parameters for the heal operation and conduct an analysis.

Extension Contents

.gds GDS-II is a standard file format for 2D graphical design layout data.

.sm2 Ansoft 2D Modeler files.

Note If you import a file into an active 3D Modeler window that contains an existing model, the file will be added to the existing model; it will not replace it.

Note If you want to import a plane that does not coincide with the global xy plane, you must create a relative coordinate system to redefine the location of the origin.See Creating a Relative Coordinate System for more information.

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See Healing.Related TopicsImporting 3D Model FilesImporting GDSII Format Files

Importing GDSII Format FilesSee the introductory topic Importing 2D Model Files for the initial steps in the process of importing 2D data.The process for importing GDSII format files into the HFSS uses a single dialog box:

GDSII Structures PanelThe GDSII file may contain several top level structures. 1. Click on a structure name in the GDSII Structures panel to highlight it. 2. Clicking on the Select checkbox in the GDSII Structures panel both highlights the structure

and selects that top-level structure to be imported. When multiple structures are imported, HFSS creates multiple designs under the current project, one for each of the GDSII structures.

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Descendants PanelThe GDSII file is hierarchical and may contain many sub-layouts. The Descendants panel shows the sub-layouts in the selected top-level designs.Layers for structurename PanelThe Layers for structurename panel shows the layers for the (most recently) highlighted top level structure [structurename]. GDSII layers are identified by layer numbers.All GDSII Layers PanelThe All GDSII Layers panel lists all the layers from all the structures in the file. Use the Import Layers check boxes in the All GDSII Layers panel to select the layers to import. You can drag and drop the layers in the list to change the vertical stackup of layers. Convert Nodes FieldGDSII supports nodes and boundaries as separate data types. Normally, boundaries represent poly-gons. HFSS can either convert objects that use the nodes data type to boundary types, or can ignore them. • Use the Convert Nodes to radio buttons to select Boundary or Ignore. The default is to con-

vert data type nodes to data type boundary.• The Flatten hierarchy checkbox is automatically selected. HFSS always flattens any hierar-

chical geometry in the GDSII.Layer Mapping FileIf desired, you can create a mapping of the GDSII layer numbers to layer names in the design stackup. To create and use the mapping.1. Use a text editor to create a text file that maps the GDSII layer numbers to layer names in the

stackup. The layer mapping file must have a .tech suffix. The format of a .tech format layer mapping file lists includes the layer number and corresponding layer name, color, elevation

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and thickness. The tech file should specify layers in nm units. For example:

2. Click the Open button in the Layer Mapping File panel to locate and open an existing layer mapping file.

3. Click OK. The file is imported into the active Modeler window.

Importing 3D Model FilesYou can read the following 3D model files directly into the active 3D Modeler window:

Extension Contents

.dxf, .dwg AutoCAD Drawing Interchange Format files. See Importing DXF and DWG Format Files.

.gds GDSII files

.geo Agilent HFSS solid model files.

.iges, .igs Industry standard Initial Graphics Exchange Specification (IGES) files.

.model,

.CATPartCatia R4/R5 models

.sat ACIS geometry solid model files.

.sld

//#

//# Layer Color Elevation Thickness

//# Name Purpose [nm] [nm]

//#--------------------------------------------------------------------

0 ref red 0.000 0.000

17 POLYG blue2 420.0 180.0

18 POLY2 blue2 420.0 180.0

25 PIMP tan 400.0 0.000

26 NIMP blue3 400.0 0.000

29 RPO green 400.0 0.000

30 CONT white 400.0 490.0

31 METAL1 red 890.0 280.0

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To import a 3D model file:1. On the 3D Modeler menu, click Import.

This opens a file browser. Some formats permit healing during import. These are: 3D Modeler file (*.sm3), SAT file (*.sat), STEP file (*.step,*. stp), IGES file (*.iges, *.igs), ProE files (*.prt, *.asm). Selecting these formats enables a checkbox at the bottom of this window, "Heal Imported Objects." When enabled, the Heal command has options for Automatic healing (the default) or Manual healing.

2. Use the file browser to find the file you want to import. 3. Select the 3D model file you want to import.4. Click Open. The file is imported into the active 3D Modeler window.

If you have selected Healing with the Manual option checked for the import, the Healing options panel opens and lets you set parameters for the heal operation. See Healing.

Related TopicsImporting 2D Model FilesImporting DXF and DWG Format Files.Exporting 3D Model Files

.sm3 HFSS 3D modeler files.

.stl

.step, .stp Industry standard AP203 STEP files.

.prt*, .asm* Pro/E model files.

Note If you import a file into an active 3D Modeler window that contains an existing model, the file will be added to the existing model; it will not replace it.

Note While objects created in HFSS can always be classed in the history tree as either a solid, sheet, or wire some imported objects may have mixture of these. HFSS places such objects in an Unclassified folder in the history tree.

Extension Contents

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Importing DXF and DWG Format FilesThe process for importing DXF and DWG format files into an active Layout Editor design uses a dialog box with three tabs. Initially, the DWG/DXF Layer Selection tab is displayed:

1. The Input Layer Name field shows the name of the layer in the DXF/DWG file (not editable)2. Use the Include check boxes to specify which layers to import from the selected file.When you have completed selections on all tabs, click OK on any tab. The file is imported into the active Layout window.

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Click the Options tab to display it:

1. Use the Import Units pulldown to select the layout units for the imported file (default is mm).2. Use the check boxes to fine-tune the import:

• Union overlapping causes multiple objects that overlap in the input file to be combined to create a single object. This is greyed out if not selectable.

• Auto-detect closed objects causes polylines to be checked to see whether or not they are closed. If a polyline is closed, HFSS creates a polygon in the design.

• Self-stitch objects causes multiple straight line segments to be joined to form polylines. If the resulting polyline is closed, a polygon is created in HFSS.

• De-feature geometry at distance removes certain small features in the imported geome-try to reduce complexity. The features that are removed include: multiple points placed within the specified distance; thin or narrow regions (“thins” and “spikes”); and extrane-ous points along straight line segments.

• Round coordinates to nearest nth decimal place rounds all imported data to the specify number of decimal points.

• Write closed polygon with line width as filled Polygons imports wide polylines as poly-gons. You have more flexibility to change the shape of such an object when it is imported as a polygon.

When you have completed selections on all tabs, click OK on any tab. The file is imported into the active Layout window.

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Click the Language tab to display it:

The input language and format is normally auto-detected. You can override the auto-detection algorithm if it fails to detect the correct language or when you want to do specific language conversion• Use the Drawing Code Page pulldown to specify the language format to be used in inter-

preting the file.• Use the Filter inappropriate import code page names checkbox to eliminate language

options that do not apply to the data in the file.• Use the Import Code Page pulldown to select a language format to use in importing the

data.• When you have completed selections on all tabs, click OK on any tab.

The file is imported into the active Layout window.

Importing Solution Data1. On the HFSS menu, point to Results, and then click Import Solutions.

The Imported Data dialog box appears.2. Click Import Solution.

The S Parameter Import dialog box appears.3. In the File Name text box, type the name of the solution file you want to import or click

Browse and use the file browser to locate the file.4. Click Load File. Note that the file has not been imported yet.

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5. Optionally, type a new name in the Source Name box or accept the default name. 6. Click the solutions you want to import in the Available Solutions list, and then click Import.

You return to the Imported Data dialog box.7. Click the solution data you want to import, and then click OK.

Importing Data TablesYou can import data table files that contain data in the following formats:• Tab-separated. HFSS will recognize complex data if the values are separated by a comma (e.g.

real, imaginary).• Comma-separated. HFSS will recognize complex data if the values are separated by a space

(e.g. real imaginary).

1. On the HFSS menu, point to Results, and then click Import Solutions.• Alternatively, right-click Results in the project tree and then click Import Solutions on

the shortcut menu.The Imported Data dialog box appears.

2. Click Import Table.The Table Import dialog box appears.

3. In the File Name text box, type the name of the data table file you want to import or click Browse and use the file browser to locate the file.

4. If the data in the table is complex, select the format — real/ imaginary, or magnitude/ phase — in which to import the data.If the data is simple, this option will be ignored.

5. Click Load File. Note that the file has not been imported yet.6. Optionally, type a new name in the Source Name box that indicates the origin or the data

table, or accept the default name. 7. Optionally, type a new name in the Table Name box that describes the data in the table, or

accept the default name8. In the All Columns list, the headings of each column in the data file are listed. Optionally,

specify a new name for a column heading by doing the following:a. In the All Columns list, click the heading you want to change. The heading appears in the

Column Name box.b. Type a new name in the Column Name box, and then click Set Column Name.

The heading is changed to the new name in every place it appears in the Imported Data dialog box.

9. In the Independent Data Columns list, the first heading in the data table file is listed by default. In the Dependent Data Columns list, the second and subsequent headings in the data table file are listed by default. Optionally, click a heading name and then click an arrow button to move it from one column to another.

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10. If the data in the Dependent Data Columns list contains matrix data, select Matrix Data. If it contains field data, select Field Data.

11. Click Import.You return to the Imported Data dialog box.

12. Click the data you want to import in the Current Imports list, and then click OK.The solution data is now available for post processing.

Related TopicsAdding Datasets

Importing HFSS Plot DataImport Solutions can also import HFSS plot data.1. On the HFSS menu, point to Results, and then click Import Solutions.

The Imported Data dialog box appears.2. Click the Import Plot Data button

The Read Plot Data file dialog opens.3. Use the file brouse to select the plot data file (*.dat) to open.

You can choose to specify the file as Read Only.4. Click the Open button to import the file.

The imported files are listed in the Imported Data dialog.

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Inserting a Documentation FileYou may want to add a documentation file to the project tree.1. Click Project>Insert Documentation File.

This opens a file browser dialog that lets you navigate your file system.2. Selecting the file and click OK.

This places the documentation file in the project tree.

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PrintingThe printing commands enable you to send an image of the active window to the printer. To print the project:1. On the File menu, click Print .

A dialog box similar to the following one appears:

2. You can change the printer (if other printer names are listed on the drop down), set the print range, number of copies, or use the check box to Print to file.

3. Do one of the following:• Click OK to print the project.• Click Cancel to dismiss the window without printing.• Click Setup to define printer settings.

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Saving Project NotesYou can save notes about a project, such as its creation date and a description of the device being modeled. This is useful for keeping a running log on the project.To add notes to a project:1. On the HFSS menu, click Edit Notes .

The Design Notes window appears.2. Click in the window and type your notes. 3. Click OK to save the notes with the current project.To edit existing project notes:• Double-click the Notes icon in the project tree.

The Design Notes window appears, in which you can edit the project’s notes.

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Setting Options in HFSSYou can set the following options from the HFSS Desktop:• General options, such as project options, units settings, and analysis options.• HFSS-specific options, such as default solution mode, processor and RAM settings.• Fields Reporter options, such as field overlay and phase animation settings.• Report2D options, such as fonts, labels, line styles, and colors.• Report Setup Options, including advanced mode editing, the number of significant digits to

display, and drag and drop behavior.• 3D Modeler options, such as cloning options, display colors and render settings, snap modes

and mouse sensitivity.

Setting General OptionsTo set general options in HFSS:1. Click Tools>Options>General Options.

The General Options window appears, displaying five available tabs: • Project Options• Default Units• Analysis Options• WebUpdate Options• Miscellaneous Options

2. Click each tab, and make the desired selections.3. Click OK.

General Options: Project Options TabThese options are set on the Project Options tab of the General Options dialog box.1. To auto-save your project, do the following in the Autosave section:

a. Select the Do Autosave check box.b. Enter the number of edits after which to save in the Autosave interval text box. The

default is 10.2. Enter a directory path in the Temp Directory text box, or click the ... button to find and select

the desired directory.3. Enter a directory path in the Project Directory text box, or click the ... button to find and

select the desired directory. 4. Enter a directory path in the Library Directory text box, or click the ... button to find and

select the desired directory. 5. To reset the library directory to the default, click Reset Library Directory.6. Select or clear the Expand Project Tree on Insert check box.

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7. For When creating a new project, select a radio button to either Insert a design of type HFSS or Don’t insert a design.

General Options: Default Units TabThese options are set on the Default Units tab of the General Options dialog box.Select the desired units from each of the following pull-down lists:• Length• Angle• Time• Temperature• Torque• Magnetic Induction• Frequency• Power• Voltage• Current• Speed• Weight• Resistance• Inductance• Capacitance• Force• Angular Speed• Magnetic field strength• Pressure

General Options: Analysis Options TabThese options are set on the Analysis Options tab of the General Options dialog box. All but the last, the Queue all simulations checkbox, are grouped as Design Analysis Options for Design Type.1. The type of design is HFSS.2. If you would like to select the machine to which to send the analysis immediately before ana-

lyzing, select Prompt for analysis machine when launching analysis.3. Under Analysis Machine Options, select whether the default analysis machine should be the

local machine (Local), a remote machine (Remote), or whether analysis should be distributed across multiple machines (Distributed).a. If you selected Remote, enter the default analysis machine information either as an IP

address, a DNS name, or a UNC name. See Remote Analysis.

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b. If you selected Distributed, you can add machines to a list, or edit an existing machine list. Select the Edit button to display the Distributed Analysis Machines dialogue. Here you specify an IP address, a DNS name, or a UNC name for each machine to add to the list. Control buttons let you Add Machine to List to or Remove machines from the list. If Distributed is selected for a solve of either sweeps or distributable Optimetrics setup, then HFSS selects machines in top down order depending on the load on them. Machine load is determined by the number of solve processes running on that machine that were launched within a single session of HFSS. For example, if the list contains 4 machines, and the topmost machine is already running a simulation and we need 2 machines, we pick 2 and 3 in the list and update their load by 1. Thus HFSS selects the highest machine on the list that has the least load.If Distributed is selected when you run a nominal solve, HFSS always selects the topmost machine listed.The displayed list always shows the order in which you entered them irrespective of the load on the machines. To control the list order, select one or more machines, and use the Move up or Move down buttons. Click OK to accept the changes and close the Distrib-uted Analysis Machines dialog. The machines are listed in the Analysis Machines Options field in alphabetical order, rather than the distributed list order.For more information, see distributed analysis.

You can also control these selections via toolbar icons for:• Local , • Remote , and • Distributed

4. To launch all analyses as a specific user, rather than the current user, do the following in the Remote Analysis Options section. (Note: If any of the remote machines are Unix-based, you must specify the current user.)• For the Send analysis request as option, select Specified User.• Enter the user name, password, and domain information in the corresponding text boxes.

5. Select or clear the Queue all simulations check box. This allows subsequent projects to wait in a queue till the currently running project solves completely.

General Options: WebUpdate Options TabThese options are set on the WebUpdate Options tab of the General Options dialog box.Select one of the following from the Automatically check for updates every pull-down list:• Never• 30 days• 120 days• 180 daysThe last time the software was updated, as well as the last attempt, are displayed in the following two fields:

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• Last update date• Last update attempt date

HFSS Options: Miscellaneous Options TabThese options are set on the Miscellaneous tab of the HFSS Options dialog box. General Options:• Select or clear the Show Message Window on new messages check box.• Select or clear the Ensure that new messages are visible in the Message Window Tree

check box.• Select or clear the Show Progress Window when starting a simulation check box.• Select or clear the Update reports on file open check box.Report Update Options for Design Type:• The Design type is HFSS.• Select or clear Whether to dynamically update reports and field overlays during edits.

Setting HFSS OptionsTo set HFSS options:1. Click Tools>Options>HFSS Options.

The HFSS Options window appears, displaying two available tabs:• General Options• Solver

2. Click each tab, and make the desired selections.3. Click OK.

HFSS Options: General Options TabThese options are set on the General Options tab of the HFSS Options dialog box.1. To change the default solution type when you initially insert a project, select one of the follow-

ing from the Default solution type pull-down list:• Eigenmode• Driven Modal• Terminal

2. In the Material Options section: • Check or uncheck whether to Include ferrite materials• Set the Solve Inside threshold values in Siemens/m.

3. In the Boundary Options section, select or clear the following two check boxes:• Use Wizards for data input when creating new boundaries

When this is checked, the creation of boundaries uses Wizard to guide you through the process. When this is not checked, the creation of boundaries displays a Properties dialog

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with tabs for different kinds of information.• Duplicate boundaries with geometry

When this is checked, you can duplicate a boundary or excitation when its geometry is pasted or duplicated. See Duplicating Boundaries and Excitations with Geometry.

• Auto assign terminals on portsWhen this is checked, the commands to assign wave or lumped ports will automatically assign terminals. See

4. Select or clear the following check boxes:• Save before solving• Save Optimetrics field solutions• Apply variation deletions immediately

5. Set the default Matrix sort order. This affects the order of the Matrix Data, and is of interest depending on how port names are assigned for that design. The default is ascending alphanu-meric. This can also be a User Specified order that defaults to creation order.

HFSS Options: Solver TabThese options are set on the Solver tab of the HFSS Options dialog box.To set the solver options for HFSS:1. Enter the Number of Processors to use.2. Select one or both of the following check boxes, and enter values in the text boxes:

• Desired RAM Limit (MB)• Maximum RAM Limit (MB)

3. Select one of the following from the Default Process Priority pull-down list:• Critical (highest) Priority• Above Normal Priority• Normal Priority• Below Normal Priority• Idle (lowest) Priority

Setting Fields Reporter OptionsTo set the Fields Reporter options:1. Specify whether to Group Field Overlays by Type (default, yes).2. Set the default Phase Animation settings for Scalar Plots and Vector Plots.

Each of these accepts values for From and To in degrees, and the number of steps.

Setting Report2D OptionsTo set Report2D options in HFSS:1. Click Tools>Options>Report2D Options.

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The Report2D Options window appears, displaying ten available tabs:• Curve• Axis• Grid Tab• Header Tab• Note Tab• Legend Tab• Marker Tab• Marker Table Tab• General Tab• Table tabFor properties controlled by checkboxes, you can set values for all curves by clicking the col-umn header cell that contains the property title. Right-clicking on a text field cell displays a context menu that lets you cut, copy and paste values. Right-clicking on a menu cell displays a context menu that lets you copy and paste entire rows.You can use a Restore Defaults button.

2. Click each tab, and make the desired selections.3. Click OK.

Report 2D Options: Curve TabThese options are set on the Curve tab of the Report2D Options dialog box.1. Line style -- select the options from the drop down menu. The options are Solid, Dot, Dash,

and Dot dash.2. Color -- set the color by double clicking to display the Set color dialog. Select a default or cus-

tom color and click OK.3. Width -- set the line width by editing the real value in the text field.4. Arrows -- use the check box to use arrows on the curve ends.5. Symbol -- use the check box to have symbols mark the locations of data points on the curve.6. Sym Freq -- set the symbol frequency by editing the integer value in the text field.7. Sym Style -- select the symbol to display for the designated data points. The sym style can be

box, circle, vertical ellipse, horizontal ellipse, vertical up triangle, vertical down triangle, hori-zontal left triangle, horizontal right triangle.

8. Fill Sym -- use the check box to set the symbol display as a solid or as hollow.9. Sym Color -- set the color for the symbol by double clicking to display the Set color dialog.

Select a default or custom color and click OK.

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Report2D Options: Axis TabThese options are set on the Axis tab of the Report2D Options dialog box.1. Axis Name -- this describes the axis to which the following options refer.2. Color -- set the color by double clicking to display the Set color dialog. Select a default or cus-

tom color and click OK.3. Auto Scale -- use the check box to toggle whether to auto scale the axis.4. Min Scale -- if Auto Scale it not selected, edit the real value to set the minimum value of the

axix.5. Max Scale -- if Auto Scale is not selected, edit the real value to set the maximum value of the

axis.6. Auto Units -- use the check box compute the correct units for the axis.7. Units -- click on the cell to select from a menu of available units if you have not checked Auto

Units.8. Font color -- set the font color of the axis by double clicking to display the Set color dialog.

Select a default or custom color and click OK.9. Edit Font -- click the cell to display the Edit Text Font dialog. The dialog lets you select from a

list of available fonts, styles, sizes, effects, colors, and script. The dialog also contains a pre-view field. OK the selections to apply the font edits and to close the dialog.

Report2D Options: Grid TabThese options are set on the Grid tab of the Report2D Options dialog box.1. Grid Name -- lists the name or letter of the grid. Not editable.2. Line Style -- select the options from the drop down menu. The options are Solid, Dot, Dash,

and Dot dash.3. Line Color -- set the color by double clicking to display the Set color dialog. Select a default or

custom color and click OK.

Report2D Options: Header TabThese options are set on the Header tab of the Report2D Options dialog box. For the Title and subtitle, you can independently specify the following:1. Color -- set the color by double clicking to display the Set color dialog. Select a default or cus-

tom color and click OK.2. Font -- click the cell to display the Edit Text Font dialog. The dialog lets you select from a list

of available fonts, styles, sizes, effects, colors, and script. The dialog also contains a preview field. OK the selections to apply the font edits and to close the dialog.

Report2D Options: Note TabThese options are set on the Note tab of the Report2D Options dialog box.1. Note Color -- set the color by double clicking to display the Set color dialog. Select a default or

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custom color and click OK.2. Note Font -- click the cell to display the Edit Text Font dialog. The dialog lets you select from

a list of available fonts, styles, sizes, effects, colors, and script. The dialog also contains a pre-view field. OK the selections to apply the font edits and to close the dialog.

3. Background Color -- set the color by double clicking to display the Set color dialog. Select a default or custom color and click OK.

4. Background Visibility -- use the checkbox to toggle the background for the note on or off.5. Border Line Color -- set the color by double clicking to display the Set color dialog. Select a

default or custom color and click OK.6. Border Visibility -- use the checkbox to toggle the visibility of the note border.7. Border Line Width -- set the line width by editing the real value in the text field.

Report2D Options: Legend TabThese options are set on the Legend tab of the Report2D Options dialog box.1. Show Trace Name -- use the checkbox to toggle the visibility of the trace name.2. Show Solution Name -- use the checkbox to toggle the visibility of the solution name.3. Show Variation Key -- use the checkbox to toggle the visibility of the variation key.4. Text Color -- set the color by double clicking to display the Set color dialog. Select a default or

custom color and click OK.5. Text Font -- click the cell to display the Edit Text Font dialog. The dialog lets you select from

a list of available fonts, styles, sizes, effects, colors, and script. The dialog also contains a pre-view field. OK the selections to apply the font edits and to close the dialog.

6. Background Color -- set the color by double clicking to display the Set color dialog. Select a default or custom color and click OK.

7. Border Line Color -- set the color by double clicking to display the Set color dialog. Select a default or custom color and click OK.

8. Border Line Width -- set the line width by editing the real value in the text field.9. Grid Color -- set the color by double clicking to display the Set color dialog. Select a default or

custom color and click OK.

Report2D Options: Marker tabThese options are set on the Marker tab of the Report2D Options dialog box.1. Marker Color -- set the color by double clicking to display the Set color dialog. Select a default

or custom color and click OK.2. Marker Font -- click the cell to display the Edit Text Font dialog. The dialog lets you select

from a list of available fonts, styles, sizes, effects, colors, and script. The dialog also contains a preview field. OK the selections to apply the font edits and to close the dialog.

3. X Marker -- use the following options to set the X Marker properties.a. Show Intersection -- checkbox to show the intersection.

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b. XMarker Color -- set the color by double clicking to display the Set color dialog. Select a default or custom color and click OK.

c. XMarker Font -- click the cell to display the Edit Text Font dialog. The dialog lets you select from a list of available fonts, styles, sizes, effects, colors, and script. The dialog also contains a preview field. OK the selections to apply the font edits and to close the dialog.

d. Box Background Color -- set the color by double clicking to display the Set color dialog. Select a default or custom color and click OK.

e. Line Color -- set the color by double clicking to display the Set color dialog. Select a default or custom color and click OK.

f. Line Style -- select the options from the drop down menu. The options are Solid, Dot, Dash, and Dot dash.

g. Line Width -- set the line width by editing the real value in the text field.Related TopicsModifying Markers on Point Plots

Report2D Options: Marker Table TabThese options are set on the Marker Table tab of the Report2D Options dialog box.1. Precision -- set the precision for marker placement by editing the real value field.2. Text Color -- set the color by double clicking to display the Set color dialog. Select a default or

custom color and click OK.3. Text Font -- click the cell to display the Edit Text Font dialog. The dialog lets you select from

a list of available fonts, styles, sizes, effects, colors, and script. The dialog also contains a pre-view field. OK the selections to apply the font edits and to close the dialog.

4. Background Color -- set the color by double clicking to display the Set color dialog. Select a default or custom color and click OK.

5. Border Line Color -- set the color by double clicking to display the Set color dialog. Select a default or custom color and click OK.

6. Border Line Width -- set the line width by editing the real value in the text field.7. Grid Color -- set the color by double clicking to display the Set color dialog. Select a default or

custom color and click OK.8. Grid Line Width -- set the line width by editing the real value in the text field.

Report2D Options: General TabThese options are set on the General tab of the Report2D Options dialog box.1. Background Color -- set the color by double clicking to display the Set color dialog. Select a

default or custom color and click OK.2. Contrast Color -- set the color by double clicking to display the Set color dialog. Select a

default or custom color and click OK.3. Highlight Color -- set the color by double clicking to display the Set color dialog. Select a

default or custom color and click OK.

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4. Accumulate Depth -- .5. Curve Tooltip Option -- use the checkboxes to toggle the following properties:

a. Show Trace Nameb. Show Variation Keyc. Show Solution Name

6. Clipboard Option - use the drop down menus to specify the following properties:a. Capture Aspect Size Ratio -- this can be As Shown or Full Screen.b. Capture Background Color -- this can be As Shown or White.

Report2D Options: Table TabThese options are set on the Table tab of the Report2D Options dialog box.1. Text Font -- click the cell to display the Edit Text Font dialog. The dialog lets you select from

a list of available fonts, styles, sizes, effects, colors, and script. The dialog also contains a pre-view field. OK the selections to apply the font edits and to close the dialog.

2. Format -- use the following properties to set the format:a. Field Width -- set the table field width by editing the real value in the text field.b. Precision -- set the table precision by editing the real value in the text field.c. Use Scientific Notation -- use the checkbox to toggle scientific notation on or off.

3. Copy to Clipboard -- use the following checkboxes to toggle the following properties for table copy operations.:a. With Headerb. With Tab Separator

Setting 3D Modeler OptionsTo set 3D modeler options in HFSS:1. Click Tools>Options>Modeler Options.

The 3D Modeler Options window appears, displaying three available tabs:• Operation• Display• Drawing

2. Click each tab, and make the desired selections.3. Click OK.

3D Modeler Options: Operation TabThese options are set on the Operation tab of the 3D Modeler Options dialog box.1. To specify when to clone tool objects, select or clear the following check boxes in the Clone

section:• Clone tool objects before uniting

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• Clone tool objects before subtracting• Clone tool options before intersecting

2. In the Coordinate System section, select or clear the Automatically switch to face coordi-nate system check box.

3. In the Polyline section, select or clear the Automatically cover closed polylines check box.• If checked, closed polylines become sheet objects, and are listed as such in the History

tree. • If unchecked, closed polylines are listed under lines in the History tree.

4. For the Select last command on object select option.• When this option is on, the history tree is expanded after operations on object properties,

even if the tree is collapsed for the item. • When this option is off, when you select an object in 3D view, only the object selected,

and current tree collapse/expand state is preserved

3D Modeler Options: Display TabThese options are set on the Display tab of the 3D Modeler Options dialog box.1. To specify a default color for a 3D Modeler drawing object or action (such as on select):

• Select the object or action from the Default color pull-down list and click the color but-ton.The Color window appears.

• Select a color for the selected object or action, and click OK.2. To specify the default for the View>Render setting for new projects, select WireFrame or

SmoothShade from the Default view render pull-down list. 3. To set the Default transparency, move the slider, or enter a numerical value.4. Select or clear the Show orientation of selected objects check box.5. Select or clear the Highlight selection dynamically check box.6. Under Default tree layout, select or clear the Group objects by material check box.7. Under History operations visualization, select or clear the Visualize history of objects

check box.The option lets you view an outline of each part that comprises an object when the given part is selected in the model history tree. This can help you visualize an object that has been merged with another object. A change to the option takes effect only when you restart HFSS. The fol-lowing figure shows an example history tree with an object selected and the outline view of that object in the Main window.

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3D Modeler Options: Drawing TabThese options are set on the Drawing tab of the 3D Modeler Options dialog box.1. To specify snap settings, select or clear the following check boxes in the Snap Mode section:

• Grid• Vertex• Edge Center• Face Center• Quadrant• Arc Center

2. Enter how near the mouse needs to be to click a grid item in the Mouse Sensitivity box, in pix-els.

3. Select or clear the Show measures dialog check box.The specifies whether a Properties dialog appears on the creation of a new primitive.

4. The Operation Data Mode controls whether you draw new objects directly via the mouse, or whether a Properties dialog opens for you to enter dimensions for the object. The Dialog mode drawing feature works with the equation based line, and all two and three dimensional objects.• Point mode - mouse drawing.

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• Dialog - enter dimensions in the properties dialog.You can also use F3 for Point mode and F4 for dialog mode.

5. To have a Properties dialog display whenever you create a new object in the modeling win-dow, check the box for Edit properties of new primitives.

Report Setup OptionsTo set Report setup options in HFSS:1. Click Tools>Options>Report Setup.

The Report Setup dialog appears.2. Use the checkbox to specify whether to use advanced mode when editing and viewing trace

components.

3. Use the text field to specify the number of significant digits to use when displaying numeric values.

4. Specify the drag and drop behavior by clicking the radio button.• Drag item data• Drag item definition

Note Advanced mode is used automatically if the trace requires it.

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Working with VariablesA variable is a numerical value, mathematical expression, or mathematical function that can be assigned to a design parameter in HFSS. Variables are useful in the following situations:• You expect to change a parameter often.• You expect to use the same parameter value often. • You intend to run a parametric analysis, in which you specify a series of variable values within

a range to solve.• You intend to optimize a parameter value by running an optimization analysis.• You intend to run a convergence on an output variable.There are two types of variables in HFSS:

Adding a Project VariableA project variable can be assigned to a parameter value in the HFSS project in which it was created. HFSS differentiates project variables from other types of variables by prefixing the variable name with the following symbol: $. You can manually include the symbol $ in the project variable’s name when you create it, or HFSS will automatically append the project variable’s name with the symbol after you define the variable.1. On the Project menu, click Project Variables.

• Alternatively, right-click the project name in the project tree, and then click Project Vari-ables on the shortcut menu.

The Properties dialog box appears.2. Under the Project Variables tab, click Add.

The Add Property dialog box appears.3. In the Name text box, type the name of the variable.

Project variable names must start with the symbol $ followed by a letter. Variable names may include alphanumeric characters and underscores ( _ ). The names of intrinsic functions and the pre-defined constant pi (π) cannot be used as variable names.

4. In the Value text box, type the quantity that the variable represents. Optionally, include the

Project Variables A project variable can be assigned to any parameter value in the HFSS project in which it was created. HFSS differentiates project variables from other types of variables by prefixing the variable name with the following symbol: $. You can manually include the symbol $ in the project variable’s name, or HFSS will automatically append the project variable’s name after you define the variable.

Design Variables A design variable can be assigned to any parameter value in the HFSS design in which it was created.

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units of measurement.

The quantity can be a numerical value, a mathematical expression, or a mathematical function. The quantity entered will be the current, (or default) value for the variable.

5. Click OK.You return to the Properties dialog box. The new variable and its value are listed in the table. If the value is an expression, the evaluated value is shown. Updating the expression also changes the evaluated value display.

6. Optionally, type a description of the variable in the Description text box.7. Optionally, select Read Only. The variable’s name, value, unit, and description cannot be

modified when Read Only is selected.8. Optionally, select Hidden. If you clear the Show Hidden option, the hidden variable will not

appear in the Properties dialog box.The new variable can now be assigned to a parameter value in the project in which it was created.

Related TopicsDeleting Project Variables

Deleting Project VariablesTo delete a project variable:1. Remove all references to the variable in the project.2. Save the project to erase the command history.3. Click Project>Project Variables to display the Properties dialog with list of variables.4. Select the variable and click Remove and OK.

Adding a Design VariableA design variable is associated with an HFSS design. A design variable can be assigned to a param-eter value in the HFSS design in which it was created.1. On the HFSS menu, click Design Properties.

• Alternatively, right-click the design name in the project tree, and then click Design Prop-erties on the shortcut menu.

The Properties dialog box appears.2. Under the Local Variables tab, click Add.

The Add Property dialog box appears.3. In the Name text box, type the name of the variable.

Variable names must start with a letter, and may include alphanumeric characters and under-scores ( _ ). The names of intrinsic functions and the pre-defined constant pi (π) cannot be

Warning If you include the variable’s units in its definition (in the Value text box), do not include the variable’s units when you enter the variable name for a parameter value.

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used as variable names.4. In the Value text box, type the quantity that the variable represents. Optionally, include the

units of measurement.

The quantity can be a numerical value, a mathematical expression, or a mathematical function. The quantity entered will be the current (or default value) for the variable.

5. Click OK.You return to the Properties dialog box. The new variable and its value are listed in the table. If the value is an expression, the evaluated value is shown. Updating the expression also changes the evaluated value display.

6. Optionally, type a description of the variable in the Description text box.The new variable can now be assigned to a parameter value in the design in which it was created.

Related TopicsDeleting Design Variables

Deleting Design VariablesTo delete a design variable:1. Remove all references to the variable in the design.2. Save the project to erase the command history.3. Click HFSS>Design Properties to display the Properties dialog with list of local variables.4. Select the variable and click Remove and OK.

Defining an ExpressionExpressions are mathematical descriptions that typically contain intrinsic functions, such as sin(x), and arithmetic operators, such as +, -, *, and /, well as defined variables. For example, you could define: x_size = 1mm, y_size = x_size + sin(x_size)..The Constants tab of the Project Variables dialog lists the available pre-defined constants.These may not be reassigned a new value.

Note If you include the variable’s units in its definition (in the Value text box), do not include the variable’s units when you enter the variable name for a parameter value.

Note Complex numbers are not allowed for variables to be used in an Optimetrics sweep, or for optimization, statistical, sensitivity or tuning setups.

Name Value Descriptionabs0 -273.15

Boltz 1.3806503E-023 Boltzmann constant (J/K)

c0 299792458 Speed of light in vacuum (m/s)

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Numerical values may be entered in Ansoft’s shorthand for scientific notation. For example, 5x107 could be entered as 5e7.

Using Valid Operators for ExpressionsThe operators that can be used to define an expression or function have a sequence in which they will be performed. The following list shows both the valid operators and the sequence in which they are accepted (listed in decreasing precedence):

elecq 8.854187817e-012 Permittivity of vaccum (F/m)

eta 376.730313461 Electron Charge (C)

g0 9.80665

mathE 2.718281828 .

pi 3.14159265358979 Ratio of circle circumference

planck 6.6260755e-034 .

u0 1.25663706143582e-066 Permeability of vacuum (H/m)

( ) parenthesis 1

! not 2

^ (or **) exponentiation(If you use "**" for exponentiation, as in previous software versions, it is automatically changed to "^".)

3

- unary minus 4

* multiplication 5

/ division 5

+ addition 6

- subtraction 6

== equals 7

!= not equals 7

> greater than 7

Name Value Description

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Using Intrinsic Functions in ExpressionsHFSS recognizes a set of intrinsic trigonometric and mathematical functions that can be used to define expressions. Intrinsic function names are reserved, and may not be used as variable names. The following intrinsic functions may be used to define expressions:

< less than 7

>= greater than or equal to 7

<= less than or equal to 7

&& logic and 8

|| logic or 8

! not 2

^ (or **) exponentiation(If you use "**" for exponentiation, as in previous software versions, it is automatically changed to "^".)

3

- unary minus 4

Function Description Syntaxabs Absolute value (|x|) abs(x)

sin Sine sin(x)

cos Cosine cos(x)

tan Tangent tan(x)

asin Arcsine asin(x)

acos Arccosine acos(x)

atan Arctangent (in range of -90 to 90 degrees)

atan(x)

atan2 Arctangent (in range of -180 to 180 degrees)

atan2(y,x)

asinh Hyperbolic Arcsine asinh(x)

atanh Hyperbolic Arctangent atanh(x)

sinh Hyperbolic Sine sinh(x)

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cosh Hyperbolic Cosine cosh(x)

tanh Hyperbolic Tangent tanh(x)

even Returns 1 if integer part of the number is even; returns 0 otherwise.

even(x)

odd Returns 1 if integer part of the number is odd; returns 0 otherwise.

odd(x)

sgn Sign extraction sgn(x)

exp Exponential (ex) exp(x)

pow Raise to power (xy) pow(x,y)

if If if(cond_exp,true_exp, false_exp)

pwl Piecewise Linear pwl(dataset_exp, variable)

pwlx Piecewise Linear x pwlx(dataset_exp, variable)

pwl_periodic Piecewise Linear for periodic extrapolation on x

pwl_periodic(dataset_exp, variable)

sqrt Square Root sqrt(x)

ln Natural Logarithm(The "log" function has been discontinued. If you use "log(x)" in an expression, the software automatically changes it to "ln(x)".)

ln(x)

log10 Logarithm base 10 log10(x)

int Truncated integer function int(x)

nint Nearest integer nint(x)

max Maximum value of two parameters

max(x,y)

min Minimum value of two parameters

min(x,y)

mod Modulus mod(x,y)

rem Fractional part (remainder) rem(x.y)

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Using Piecewise Linear Functions in ExpressionsThe following piecewise linear intrinsic functions are accepted in expressions:

pwlx (dataset_expression, variable)

pwly (dataset_expression, variable)

The pwlx function interpolates along the x-axis and returns a corresponding y value. The pwly function interpolates along the y-axis and returns a corresponding x value.Related TopicsAdding DatasetsAdding a Design VariableModifying DatasetsUsing Dataset Expressions

Using Dataset ExpressionsDataset expressions take the form:

dset((x0,y0), ..., (xn,yn))

These expressions may be used as the first parameter to piecewise linear (pwlx and pwly) func-tions, and may also be assigned to variables, in which case the variable may be used as the second parameter to pwlx and pwly functions.Dataset expressions are derived from a series of points in a plot created in the Datasets dialog box. Each plot consists of straight line segments whose vertices represent their end points. A curve is fit-ted to the segments of the plot and an expression is derived from the curve that best fits the seg-mented plot. The created expression is then used in the piecewise linear intrinsic functions.Related TopicsAdding DatasetsAdding a Design VariableModifying DatasetsUsing Piecewise Linear Functions in Expressions

Adding DatasetsDatasets are collections of plotted data points that can be extrapolated into an equation based on the piecewise linear makeup of the plot. Each plot consists of straight line segments whose vertices represent their end points. A curve is fitted to the segments of the plot and an expression is derived

Note If you do not specify units, all trigonometric functions interpret their arguments as radians. Likewise, inverse trigonometric functions’ return values are in given in radians. When the argument to a trigonometric expression is a variable, the units are assumed to be radians. If you want values interpreted in degrees, supply the argument with the unit name deg.

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from the curve that best fits the segmented plot. The created expression is then used in piecewise linear intrinsic functions. You can add datasets at either the Project Level or the Design level. They can be for various purposes, including to define frequency dependent port impedances or frequency dependent global variables, and boundary definitions.

1. For a Project level dataset, click Project>Datasets. For a Design level dataset, click HFSS>Design Datasets.The Datasets dialog box appears. This lists any existing datasets for the Project or Design level, respectively.

2. Click Add. The Add Dataset dialog box appears. The dialog contains fields for the Dataset name, and a table for x- and y- coordinates. It contains a graphic display that draws a line for the coordi-nates you add. It also includes buttons for the following functions:• Import From File - this provides a way to import data sets from an external source. The

format is a tab separated points file.• Swap X-Y Data - this swaps the x- and Y- coordinates and adjusts the graphical display.• Add Row Above - adds a new row to the table above the selected row.• Add Row Below - adds a new row to the table below the selected row/• Append Row - opens a dialog that lets you specify a number of rows to add to the table.• Delete Row - deletes the selected row or rows.

3. Optionally, type a name other than the default for the dataset in the Name text box.4. Enter the x- and y- coordinates by one of the following methods

• Import From File• Type the x- and y-coordinates for the first data point in the row labeled 1.Type the x- and

y-coordinates for the remaining data points in the dataset using the same method.After you type a point’s coordinates and move to the next row, the point is added to the plot, adjusting the display with each newly entered point.

5. When you are finished entering the data point coordinates, click OK. The dataset plot is extrapolated into an expression that can be used in parametric analyses, bound-ary definitions, or assigned to a material property value. Related TopicsAdding a Design VariableModifying DatasetsUsing Piecewise Linear Functions in ExpressionsUsing Dataset Expressions

Modifying Datasets1. For Project level datasets, click Project>Datasets. For Design level datasets, click

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HFSS>Design Datasets.The Datasets dialog box appears.

2. Click the dataset name you want to modify, and then click Edit. The Edit Dataset dialog box appears.

3. Optionally, type a name other than the default for the dataset in the Name text box.4. Type new values for the data points as desired.

The plot is adjusted to reflect the revised data points.5. When you are finished entering the data point coordinates, click OK. Related TopicsAdding DatasetsAdding a Design VariableModifying DatasetsUsing Piecewise Linear Functions in ExpressionsUsing Dataset Expressions

Defining Mathematical FunctionsA mathematical function is an expression that references another defined variable. A function’s definition can include both expressions and variables. The following mathematical functions may be used to define expressions:

The predefined variables X, Y, Z, Phi, Theta, R, and Rho must be entered as such. X, Y, and Z are the rectangular coordinates. Phi, Theta, and Rho are the spherical coordinates. R is the cylindrical radius, and Rho is the spherical radius.If you do not specify units, all trigonometric expressions expect their arguments to be in radians, and the inverse trigonometric functions’ return values are in radians. If you want to use degrees, you must supply the unit name deg. When the argument to a trigonometric expression is a variable, the units are assumed to be radians. These function names are reserved and may not be used as vari-able names.As far as expression evaluation is concerned: units are conversion factors (that is, from the given unit to SI). Note also that the evaluated value of an expression) is always interpreted as in SI units.

Basic Functions

/, +, -, *, mod (modulus), ** (exponentiation), - (Unary minus), == (equals), ! (not), != (not equals), > (greater than), < (less than), >= (greater than equals), <= (less than equals), && (logical and), || (logical or)

Intrinsic functions

if, sqn, abs, exp, pow, ln (natural log), sqrt

Trigonometricexpressions

sin, cos, tan, asin, acos, atan, sinh, cosh, tanh

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Assigning VariablesTo assign a variable to a parameter in HFSS:• Type the variable name or mathematical expression in place of a parameter value in a Value

text box.If you typed a variable name that has not been defined, the Add Variable to DesignName dia-log box will appear, enabling you to define the design variable. If you typed a variable name that included the $ prefix, but that has not been defined, the Add Variable to Project dialog box will appear, enabling you to define the project variable.

Choosing a Variable to OptimizeBefore a variable can be optimized, you must specify that you intend for it to be used during an optimization analysis in the Properties dialog box.1. If the variable is a design variable, do the following: On the HFSS menu, click Design Prop-

erties.If the variable is a project variable, do the following: On the Project menu, click Project Vari-ables.The Properties dialog box appears.

2. Click the tab that lists the variable you want to optimize. 3. Click the row containing the variable you want to optimize.

4. Select the Optimization option above.5. For the variable you want to optimize, select Include.

The selected variable will now be available for optimization in an Optimetrics setup defined in the current design or project.

6. Optionally, override the default minimum and maximum values that Optimetrics will use for the variable in every optimization analysis. During optimization, the optimizer will not con-sider variable values that lie outside of this range.

Related TopicsSetting up an Optimization Analysis

Note You can assign a variable to nearly any design parameter assigned a numeric value in HFSS. See the HFSS online help about the specific parameter you want to vary to determine if can be assigned a variable.

Note Dependent variables cannot be optimized.

Note Complex numbers are not allowed for variables to be used in an Optimetrics sweep, or for optimization, statistical, sensitivity or tuning setups.

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Including a Variable in a Sensitivity AnalysisBefore a variable can be included in a sensitivity analysis, you must specify that you intend for it to be used during a sensitivity analysis in the Properties dialog box.1. If the variable is a design variable, do the following: On the HFSS menu, click Design Prop-

erties.If the variable is a project variable, do the following: On the Project menu, click Project Vari-ables.The Properties dialog box appears.

2. Click the tab that lists the variable you want to include in the sensitivity analysis. 3. Click the row containing the variable you want to include in the sensitivity analysis.

4. Select the Sensitivity option above.5. For the variable you want to include in the sensitivity analysis, select Include.

The selected variable will now be available for sensitivity analysis in a sensitivity setup defined in the current design or project.

6. Optionally, override the default minimum and maximum values that Optimetrics will use for the variable in every sensitivity analysis. During sensitivity analysis, Optimetrics will not con-sider variable values that lie outside of this range.

7. Optionally, override the default initial displacement value that Optimetrics will use for the variable in every sensitivity analysis. During sensitivity analysis, Optimetrics will not consider a variable value for the first design variation that is greater than this step size away from the starting variable value.

Related TopicsSetting up a Sensitivity Analysis

Choosing a Variable to TuneBefore a variable can be tuned, you must specify that you intend for it to be tuned in the Properties dialog box.1. If the variable is a design variable, do the following: On the HFSS menu, click Design Prop-

erties.If the variable is a project variable, do the following: On the Project menu, click Project Vari-ables.The Properties dialog box appears.

2. Click the tab that lists the variable you want to tune.

Note Dependent variables cannot be included in a sensitivity analysis.

Note Complex numbers are not allowed for variables to be used in an Optimetrics sweep, or for optimization, statistical, sensitivity or tuning setups.

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3. Click the row containing the variable you want to tune.

4. Select the Tuning option above.5. For the variable you want to tune, select Include.

The selected variable will now be available for tuning in the Tune dialog box.

Related TopicsTuning a Variable

Including a Variable in a Statistical AnalysisBefore a variable can be included in a statistical analysis, you must specify that you intend for it to be used during a statistical analysis in the Properties dialog box.1. If the variable is a design variable, do the following: On the HFSS menu, click Design Prop-

erties.If the variable is a project variable, do the following: On the Project menu, click Project Vari-ables.The Properties dialog box appears.

2. Click the tab that lists the variable you want to include in the statistical analysis. 3. Click the row containing the variable you want to include in the statistical analysis.

4. Select the Statistical option above.5. For the variable you want to include in the statistical analysis, select Include.

The selected variable will now be available for statistical analysis in a statistical setup defined in the current design or project.

6. Optionally, override the distribution criteria that Optimetrics will use for the variable in every statistical analysis.

Related TopicsSetting up a Statistical Analysis

Note Dependent variables cannot be tuned.

Note Complex numbers are not allowed for variables to be used in an Optimetrics sweep, or for optimization, statistical, sensitivity or tuning setups.

Note Dependent variables cannot be included in a statistical analysis.

Note Complex numbers are not allowed for variables to be used in an Optimetrics sweep, or for optimization, statistical, sensitivity or tuning setups.

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4Setting up an HFSS Design

To set up an HFSS design, follow this general procedure. Note that after you insert a design, you do not need to perform the steps sequentially, but they must be completed before a solution can be gen-erated.1. Insert an HFSS design into a project.2. Select the solution type.3. Set the model’s units of measurement.4. Draw the model geometry and assign material characteristics to objects.5. Assign boundaries, which specify the field behavior at the edges of the problem region and

object interfaces. 6. For Driven solution-type designs, assign excitations - sources of electromagnetic fields and

charges, currents, or voltages on objects or surfaces.7. Specify how HFSS will compute the solution.

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Inserting an HFSS DesignThe first step in setting up an HFSS design is to add a design to the active project.To insert an HFSS design:• On the Project menu, click Insert HFSS Design .

The new design is listed in the project tree. It is named HFSSDesignn by default, where n is the order in which the design was added to the project. The 3D Modeler window appears to the right of the Project Manager. You can now create the model geometry.

Related TopicsSetting the Project Tree to Expand Automatically

Note Click the plus sign to the left of the design icon in the project tree to expand the project tree and view specific data about the model, such as its boundary assignments.

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Selecting the Solution TypeBefore you draw the model, specify the design’s solution type. As you set up your design, options available in the user interface will depend upon the selected solution type.1. On the HFSS menu, click Solution Type.

The Solution Type dialog box appears.2. Select one of the following solution types:

Related TopicsTechnical Notes: Solution Types

Driven Modal For calculating the mode-based S-parameters of passive, high-frequency structures such as microstrips, waveguides, and transmission lines, which are "driven" by a source.

Driven Terminal For calculating the terminal-based S-parameters of passive, high-frequency structures with multi-conductor transmission line ports, which are "driven" by a source. Results in a terminal-based description in terms of voltages and currents.

Eigenmode For calculating the eigenmodes, or resonances, of a structure. The Eigenmode solver finds the resonant frequencies of the structure and the fields at those resonant frequencies. Eigenmode designs cannot contain design parameters that depend on frequency, for example a frequency-dependent impedance boundary condition.

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Setting the Model’s Units of MeasurementYou can specify the units of measurement for drawing geometric models. After the units of mea-surement have been specified, they are assigned to the objects in the 3D Modeler window. You can then choose to display the model’s dimensions in the new units, or rescale the model’s dimensions to the new units. To set the model’s units of measurement:1. On the 3D Modeler menu, click Units.

The Set Model Units dialog box appears. 2. Select the new units for the model from the Select units pull-down list.3. Specify how the change in units affects the model:

• Select the Rescale to new units option to rescale the dimensions to the new units. For example, selecting centimeters (cm) as the new unit of measurement results in a dimen-sion of 10 millimeters (mm) becoming 10 cm.

• Clear the Rescale to new units option (the default) to convert the dimensions to the new units without changing their scale. For example, selecting cm as the new unit of measure-ment results in a dimension of 10 mm becoming 1 cm.

4. Click OK to apply the new units to the model.

4-4 Setting up an HFSS Design

5Drawing a Model

After you insert an HFSS design into the current project, you can draw a model of the electromag-netic structure. The general strategy is to build the model as a collection of 3D objects. Each mate-rial type is treated as a separate object. You can create 3D objects by using HFSS’s Draw commands or you can draw 1D and 2D objects, and then manipulate them to create 3D objects. Objects are drawn in the 3D Modeler window. You can also import objects from other systems.To open a new 3D Modeler window, do one of the following:• Insert a new HFSS design into the current project.• Double-click an HFSS design in the project tree.If there a 3D Modeler window is not open, do one of the following:• On the HFSS menu, click 3D Model Editor.• Right-click the design name in the project tree, and then click 3D Model Editor on the short-

cut menu.The model you draw is saved with the current project when you click File>Save.

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Drawing ObjectsYou can draw one-, two-, or three-dimensional objects using the Draw commands. You can alter objects individually or together to create the geometry of your structure. In the Tools>3D Modeler Options, Drawing tab, you can set a default to either draw objects directly with the mouse or by invoking a Properties dialog in which you can enter the values for the object dimensions. The Dia-log mode drawing feature works with the equation based line, and all two and three dimensional objects. You can toggle to Point mode via the F3 function key and to Dialog mode via the F4 func-tion key.One-dimensional (1D) objects in HFSS include straight line, arc line, and spline segments, or a combination of these - called polylines. One-dimensional objects are open objects; their boundaries do not enclose a region, unless you connect their endpoints. They have length, but no surface or volume. Generally they are used as temporary objects from which to create 2D objects.Two-dimensional (2D) objects in HFSS include objects such as arcs, rectangles, ellipses, circles, and regular polygons. Two-dimensional objects are closed sheet objects; their boundaries enclose a region. You can create 2D sheet objects by covering the enclosed region. In many applications ( FFS, antennas) it is essential to calculate net power flow through a surface. When this surface is drawn as a sheet By default, the history tree organizes sheet objects according to their boundary assignments. To change this, select the Sheets icon, and right-click to display the Group Sheets by Assignment checkbox. Within the calculator sheet objects are listed under surface.

Three-dimensional (3D) objects in HFSS include objects such as boxes, cylinders, regular polyhe-drons, cones, spheres, toruses, and helices. These objects have boundaries that enclose a region with volume. You can create 3D objects by manipulating 2D objects along a plane or by using the appropriate Draw commands. By default, the history tree groups 3D objects by material. To change this, select the Objects icon, and right click to display the Group Objects by Material checkbox.After you draw an object in the 3D Modeler window, you can modify the object’s properties, such as its position, dimensions, or color, in the Properties dialog box. Parameters that can be assigned a value can be assigned a variable.

Drawing a Straight Line SegmentTo create an object with one or more straight line segments, use the Draw>Line command.

1. On the Draw menu, click Line .2. Select the first point of the line in one of the following ways:

• Click the point.• Type the point’s coordinates in the X, Y, and Z boxes.To delete the last point that was entered, click Back Up on the shortcut menu.

3. Select the endpoint of the line by clicking the point or typing the coordinates in the X, Y, and Z boxes. The endpoint serves as the start point for a subsequent line segment.

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To delete all points and start over, press ESC or click Escape Draw Mode on the shortcut menu.

4. Complete the line in one of the following ways:• Double-click the endpoint.• Click Done on the shortcut menu.• Press Enter.The Properties dialog box appears, enabling you to modify the object’s attributes.

5. Click OK.

Related TopicsDeleting Polyline SegmentsConverting Polyline Segments

Drawing a Three-Point Arc LineIn HFSS, a three-point arc line segment is an arced line defined by three points on its curve. Use the Draw>Arc>3 Point command to create a polyline object with one or more arc line segments.

1. On the Draw menu, point to Arc, and then click 3 Point .2. Select the start point of the arc in one of the following ways:

• Click the point.• Type the point’s coordinates in the X, Y, and Z text boxes.

3. Select the midpoint of the arc by clicking the point or typing the coordinates in the X, Y, and Z boxes.To delete the last point that was entered, click Back Up on the shortcut menu. To delete all points and start over, press ESC or click Escape Draw Mode on the shortcut menu.

4. Select the endpoint of the arc by clicking the point or typing the coordinates in the X, Y, and Z boxes.The endpoint serves as the start point for a subsequent arc line segment.

5. If the endpoint is the last point of the polyline object, double-click the point to complete the polyline or click Done on the shortcut menu.The Properties dialog box appears, enabling you to modify the object’s attributes.

6. Click OK.Based on the three points you specified, HFSS calculates the center point and radius of the arc

Note While drawing a polyline, you can switch between straight line, arc line, or spline segments using the Set Edge Type commands on the shortcut menu.

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and draws an arced line through the three points.

Related TopicsDrawing a Center-Point Arc LineDeleting Polyline SegmentsConverting Polyline Segments

Drawing a Center-Point Arc LineIn HFSS, a center-point arc line segment is an arced line defined by a center point, start point and angle. Use the Draw>Arc>Center Point command to create a polyline object with one or more center-point arc line segments.1. On the Draw menu, point to Arc, and then click Center Point .2. Select the center point of the arc in one of the following ways:

• Click the point.• Type the point’s coordinates in the X, Y, and Z text boxes.

3. Select the start point, or radius, of the arc by clicking the point or typing the coordinates in the X, Y, and Z boxes.To delete the last point that was entered, click Back Up on the shortcut menu. To delete all points and start over, press ESC or click Escape Draw Mode on the shortcut menu.

4. Select the angle, or endpoint, of the arc by clicking the point or typing the coordinates in the X, Y, and Z boxes.

5. If the endpoint is the last point of the polyline object, double-click the point to complete the polyline or click Done on the shortcut menu.The Properties dialog box appears, enabling you to modify the object’s attributes.

6. Click OK.

Drawing a SplineA spline is a curved line defined by three points. HFSS uses a natural spline type: a piece wise cubic spline with an end condition that has a derivative of zero. Use the Draw>Spline command to create a polyline object with one or more spline segments.

1. On the Draw menu, click Spline .2. Select the spline’s start point in one of the following ways:

Note While drawing a polyline, you can switch between arc line, straight line, or spline segments using the Set Edge Type commands on the shortcut menu.

Note While drawing a polyline, you can switch between arc line, straight line, or spline segments using the Set Edge Type commands on the shortcut menu.

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• Click the point.• Type the point’s coordinates in the X, Y, and Z boxes, and then press Enter.To delete the last point entered, click Back Up on the shortcut menu.To delete all selected points and start over, press ESC or click Escape Draw Mode on the shortcut menu.

3. Select the midpoint of the spline by clicking the point or typing the coordinates in the X, Y, and Z boxes.

4. Select the endpoint of the spline by clicking the point or typing the coordinates in the X, Y, and Z boxes. The endpoint serves as the start point for a subsequent spline segment.

5. Complete the spline in one of the following ways:• Double-click the endpoint.• Click Done on the shortcut menu.• Press Enter.The Properties dialog box appears, enabling you to modify the object’s attributes.

6. Click OK.

Related TopicsDeleting Polyline SegmentsConverting Polyline Segments

Drawing a PolylineA polyline is a single object that includes any combination of straight line, arc line, or spline seg-ments. The endpoint of one segment is the start point for the next segment. Use the shortcut menu’s Set Edge Type commands to switch between straight line, arc line, or spline segments while draw-ing a polyline.In the Polyline section of Operation tab of the 3D Modeler Options, select or clear the Automat-ically cover closed polylines check box.If checked, closed polylines become sheet objects, and are listed as such in the History tree. If unchecked, closed polylines are listed under lines in the History tree.

1. On the Draw menu, click Line .2. Right-click in the 3D Modeler window to access the shortcut menu, and then point to Set

Edge Type. 3. Click Straight, Spline, 3 Point Arc, or Center Point Arc depending on which type of

polyline segment you want to draw.

Note While drawing a polyline, you can switch between spline, straight line, or arc line segments using the Set Edge Type commands on the shortcut menu.

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4. If you clicked Straight, follow the procedure for drawing a straight line. If you clicked Spline, follow the procedure for drawing a spline.If you clicked 3 Point Arc, follow the procedure for drawing a three-point arc line.If you clicked Center Point Arc, follow the procedure for drawing a center-point arc line.

5. Repeat steps 2 and 3 for each segment of the polyline object. The endpoint of the previous seg-ment serves as the start point for the next segment.

6. Complete the polyline in one of the following ways:• Double-click the endpoint of the final segment.• Click Done on the shortcut menu.

The Properties dialog box appears, enabling you to modify the object’s attributes.7. Click OK.

Related TopicsDeleting Polyline SegmentsConverting Polyline SegmentsModifying Lines on Line PlotsGenerate HistorySetting 3D Modeler Options:Operations Tab

Inserting Line SegmentsYou can insert line segments of various kinds for existing line objects.1. Select the line object in the History tree

This highlights the object and enables the Insert Line Segment commands in the Draw menu and short-cut menu.

2. Use the cascade menu from the Draw>Line Segment command to or the right-click menu to select whether to Insert Before Line Segment or Insert After Line Segment.

3. Use the next cascade menu to specify the kind of segment to add. These can be: Straight, Spline. 3 Point Arc, or Center Point Arc.

4. If you clicked Straight, follow the procedure for drawing a straight line. If you clicked Spline, follow the procedure for drawing a spline.If you clicked 3 Point Arc, follow the procedure for drawing a three-point arc line.If you clicked Center Point Arc, follow the procedure for drawing a center-point arc line.

5. Repeat steps 2 and 3 for each segment of the polyline object. The endpoint of the previous seg-ment serves as the start point for the next segment.

6. Complete the polyline in one of the following ways:• Double-click the endpoint of the final segment.

Note To connect the polyline’s start and endpoints, click Close Polyline on the shortcut menu.

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• Click Done on the shortcut menu.

The Properties dialog box appears, enabling you to modify the object’s attributes.7. Click OK.

Related TopicsDrawing a Center-Point Arc LineDeleting Polyline SegmentsConverting Polyline Segments

Drawing an Equation-Based CurveAny line that can be described by an equation in three dimensions can be drawn.1. On the Draw menu, click Equation Based Curve .2. The Equation Based Curve dialog box opens. Enter the equations for the X, Y, and Z compo-

nents of the curve in terms of parameter _t. Use the ellipsis (...) buttons to open an Edit Equa-tion dialog box which allows you to select from the available functions, operators, and quantities.

3. Enter the lower and upper bounds for the parameter _t.4. Enter the number of points to be used to analyze or compute values along the line segment.5. Click OK on the Equation Based Curve dialog box.

The Properties dialog box appears, enabling you to modify the object’s attributes.6. Click OK on the Properties dialog box.

Drawing a CircleDraw a circle by selecting a center point and a radius. Circles are drawn as true surfaces in HFSS.

1. On the Draw menu, click Circle .2. Select the center point of the circle in one of the following ways:

• Click the point.• Type the point’s coordinates in the X, Y, and Z boxes.

3. Specify the radius by selecting a point on the circle’s circumference in one of the following ways:• Click the point.• Type the coordinates of the point relative to the center point in the dX, dY, and dZ boxes,

where d is the distance from the previously selected point.The Properties dialog box appears, enabling you to modify the object’s properties.

Note To connect the polyline’s start and endpoints, click Close Polyline on the shortcut menu.

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4. Click OK.If the Automatically cover closed polyline option is selected in the 3D Modeler Options window, the circle will be covered, resulting in a 2D sheet object. Otherwise it will be a closed 1D polyline object.

Related TopicsCovering Lines

Drawing an EllipseDraw an ellipse by specifying a center point, base radius, and secondary radius.

1. On the Draw menu, click Ellipse .2. Select the center point of the ellipse in one of the following ways:

• Click the point.• Type the point’s coordinates in the X, Y, and Z boxes.

3. Specify the base radius of the ellipse. If the current drawing plane is xy, then x is the base radius direction. If the drawing plane is yz, then y is the base radius direction. If the drawing plane is xz, then z is the base radius direction. Select the point in one of the following ways:• Click the point. HFSS constrains mouse movement to the base radius direction.• Type the coordinates of a point relative to the center point in the dX, dY, or dZ box,

where d is the distance from the previously selected point. 4. Specify the secondary radius of the ellipse. Select the point in one of the following ways:

• Click the point. HFSS constrains mouse movement to a point on the plane orthogonal to the base radius direction.

• Type the coordinates of a point relative to the center point in the dX, dY, or dZ box.The Properties dialog box appears, enabling you to modify the object’s properties.The Ratio value represents the aspect ratio of the secondary radius to the base radius.

5. Click OK.If the Automatically cover closed polyline option is selected in the 3D Modeler Options

Note The HFSS 3D Geometry Modeler permits drawing of true-curved objects. However, the solution will be obtained with a tetrahedral mesh which conforms to the true surface only within the limits identified by certain mesh settings. HFSS has default settings for this conformance which is a reasonable trade-off between solution speed and solution quality for most objects, but may not be ideal for all such objects. High-aspect ratio curves structures, such as helices with narrow and curved cross-sections, may benefit from user control of the faceting values. For details about these commands see:Technical Notes, "Surface Approximations" and related sections, "Modifying Surface Approximations," and "Guidelines for Modifying Surface Approximations"

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window, the ellipse will be covered, resulting in a 2D sheet object. Otherwise it will be a closed 1D polyline object.

If the base radius is larger than the secondary radius, the ellipse’s longer axis will lie along the default base radius direction. If the secondary radius is larger than the base radius, the ellipse’s longer axis will lie perpendicular to the default base radius direction. To create an ellipse with an arbitrary orientation, rotate or move the ellipse after drawing it.

Related TopicsCovering Lines

Drawing a RectangleDraw a rectangle (or square) by selecting two diagonally opposite corners.

1. On the Draw menu, click Rectangle .2. Select the first diagonal corner in one of the following ways:

• Click the point.• Type the point’s coordinates in the X, Y, and Z boxes.To delete the selected point and start over, press ESC or click Escape Draw Mode on the shortcut menu.

3. Select the second corner of the rectangle in one of the following ways:• Click the point.• Type the coordinates of the point relative to the first diagonal corner in the dX, dY, and

dZ boxes, where d is the distance from the previously selected point.The Properties dialog box appears, enabling you to modify the object’s properties.

4. Click OK.If the Automatically cover closed polyline option is selected in the 3D Modeler Options window, the rectangle will be covered, resulting in a 2D sheet object. Otherwise it will be a closed 1D polyline object.

Note The HFSS 3D Geometry Modeler permits drawing of true-curved objects. However, the solution will be obtained with a tetrahedral mesh which conforms to the true surface only within the limits identified by certain mesh settings. HFSS has default settings for this conformance which is a reasonable trade-off between solution speed and solution quality for most objects, but may not be ideal for all such objects. High-aspect ratio curves structures, such as helices with narrow and curved cross-sections, may benefit from user control of the faceting values. For details about these commands see:Technical Notes, "Surface Approximations" and related sections, "Modifying Surface Approximations," and "Guidelines for Modifying Surface Approximations"

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Related TopicsCovering Lines

Drawing a Regular PolygonA regular polygon is a 2D object with three or more equal sides. Regular polygons are useful for drawing faceted 2D objects.1. On the Draw menu, click Regular Polygon .2. Select the center point of the polygon in one of the following ways:

• Click the point.• Type the point’s coordinates in the X, Y, and Z boxes.

3. Specify the polygon’s radius, the distance from the center point to one of the polygon’s verti-ces, in one of the following ways:• Click the point.• Type the coordinates of the point relative to the center point in the dX, dY, and dZ boxes,

where d is the distance from the previously selected point.4. In the Segment number dialog box, enter the Number of segments in the polygon, and then

click OK.The Properties dialog box appears, enabling you to modify the object’s properties.

5. Click OK.

If the Automatically cover closed polyline option is selected in the 3D Modeler Options window, the polygon will be covered, resulting in a 2D sheet object. Otherwise it will be a closed 1D polyline object.

Related TopicsCovering Lines

Drawing an Equation-Based SurfaceAny surface that can be described by an equation in three dimensions can be drawn.1. On the Draw menu, click Equation Based Surface .2. The Equation Based Surface dialog box opens. Enter the equations for the X, Y, and Z com-

ponents of the surface in terms of parameters _u and _v. Use the ellipsis (...) buttons to open an Edit Equation dialog box which allows you to select from the available functions, operators, and quantities.

3. Enter the lower and upper bounds (start and end values) for the parameter _u.4. Enter the lower and upper bounds (start and end values) for the parameter _v.5. Click OK on the Equation Based Surface dialog box.

Note The radius is measured from the center point to a corner of the polygon, or the intersection of two edges. It is not measured from the center point to the midpoint of an edge.

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The Properties dialog box appears, enabling you to modify the object’s attributes.6. Click OK on the Properties dialog box.

Drawing a SphereDraw a sphere, a 3D circle, by selecting a center point and a radius. Spheres are drawn as true sur-faces in HFSS.1. On the Draw menu, click Sphere .2. Select the center point of the sphere in one of the following ways:

• Click the point.• Type the point’s coordinates in the X, Y, and Z boxes.

3. Specify the radius by selecting a point on the sphere’s circumference in one of the following ways:• Click the point.• Type the coordinates of the point relative to the center point in the dX, dY, and dZ boxes,

where d is the distance from the previously selected point.The Properties dialog box appears, enabling you to modify the object’s properties.

4. Click OK.

Drawing a CylinderDraw a cylinder by selecting a center point, radius, and height. Cylinders are drawn as true surfaces in HFSS.1. On the Draw menu, click Cylinder .2. Select the center point of the cylinder’s base circle in one of the following ways:

• Click the point.• Type the point’s coordinates in the X, Y, and Z boxes.

3. Specify the radius by selecting a point on the base circle’s circumference in one of the follow-ing ways:• Click the point.

Note The HFSS 3D Geometry Modeler permits drawing of true-curved objects. However, the solution will be obtained with a tetrahedral mesh which conforms to the true surface only within the limits identified by certain mesh settings. HFSS has default settings for this conformance which is a reasonable trade-off between solution speed and solution quality for most objects, but may not be ideal for all such objects. High-aspect ratio curves structures, such as helices with narrow and curved cross-sections, may benefit from user control of the faceting values. For details about these commands see:Technical Notes, "Surface Approximations" and related sections, "Modifying Surface Approximations," and "Guidelines for Modifying Surface Approximations"

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• Type the coordinates of the point relative to the center point in the dX, dY, and dZ boxes, where d is the distance from the previously selected point.

4. Specify the cylinder’s height by selecting a point on the axis perpendicular to the base circle’s plane. Select the point by clicking the point or typing the coordinates in the dX, dY, and dZ boxes.

The Properties dialog box appears, enabling you to modify the object’s properties.5. Click OK.

Drawing a BoxDraw a box by selecting two diagonally opposite corners of the base rectangle, then specifying the height.1. On the Draw menu, click Box .2. Select the first diagonal corner of the base rectangle in one of the following ways:

• Click the point.• Type the point’s coordinates in the X, Y, and Z boxes.To delete the selected point and start over, press ESC or click Escape Draw Mode on the shortcut menu.

3. Select the second corner of the base rectangle in one of the following ways:• Click the point.• Type the coordinates of the point relative to the first diagonal corner in the dX, dY, and

dZ boxes, where d is the distance from the previously selected point.4. Specify the height of the box by selecting a point on the axis perpendicular to the base rectan-

gle. Select the point by clicking the point or typing the coordinates in the dX, dY, and dZ boxes.The Properties dialog box appears, enabling you to modify the object’s properties.

5. Click OK.

Note If you create a cylinder with a height of zero, HFSS draws a circular sheet object.

Note The HFSS 3D Geometry Modeler permits drawing of true-curved objects. However, the solution will be obtained with a tetrahedral mesh which conforms to the true surface only within the limits identified by certain mesh settings. HFSS has default settings for this conformance which is a reasonable trade-off between solution speed and solution quality for most objects, but may not be ideal for all such objects. High-aspect ratio curves structures, such as helices with narrow and curved cross-sections, may benefit from user control of the faceting values. For details about these commands see:Technical Notes, "Surface Approximations" and related sections, "Modifying Surface Approximations," and "Guidelines for Modifying Surface Approximations"

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HFSS Online Help

Drawing a Regular PolyhedronIn HFSS, regular polyhedrons are 3D objects with regular polygon faces; each face has three or more equal sides. Regular polyhedrons are useful for drawing faceted 3D objects.

1. On the Draw menu, click Regular Polyhedron .2. Select the center point of the polyhedron in one of the following ways:

• Click the point.• Type the point’s coordinates in the X, Y, and Z boxes.

3. Select the radius of the polyhedron, the distance from the center point to one of the polyhe-dron’s vertices, in one of the following ways:• Click the point.• Type the coordinates of the point relative to the center point in the dX, dY, and dZ boxes,

where d is the distance from the previously selected point.4. In the Segment number dialog box, enter the Number of segments in the polyhedron, and

then click OK.The Properties dialog box appears, enabling you to modify the object’s properties.

5. Click OK.

Drawing a ConeDraw a cone by selecting the center point and radius of the cone’s base circle, then specifying the radius of the cone’s top circle and the cone’s height. Cones are drawn as true surfaces in HFSS.

1. On the Draw menu, click Cone .2. Select the center point of the cone’s base circle in one of the following ways:

• Click the point.• Type the point’s coordinates in the X, Y, and Z boxes.

3. Specify the radius of the cone’s base circle by selecting a point on the base circle’s circumfer-ence. Select the point in one of the following ways:• Click the point.• Type the coordinates of the point relative to the center point in the dX, dY, and dZ boxes,

where d is the distance from the previously selected point.4. Specify the radius of the cone’s top circle by selecting a point on its circumference. Select the

point by clicking it or typing its coordinates in the dX, dY, and dZ boxes. To create an apex, select the same center point as the cone’s base circle.

5. Specify the height of the cone by selecting a point on the axis perpendicular to the base circle’s plane. Select the point by clicking the point or typing the coordinates in the dX, dY, and dZ boxes.The Properties dialog box appears, enabling you to modify the object’s properties.

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6. Click OK.

Drawing a TorusDraw a torus by selecting its center point, major radius, and minor radius. HFSS then sweeps a cir-cle around a circular path. Toruses are drawn as true surfaces in HFSS.

1. On the Draw menu, click Torus .2. Select the center point of the torus in one of the following ways:

• Click the point.• Type the point’s coordinates in the X, Y, and Z boxes.

3. Specify the major radius by selecting a point in one of the following ways:• Click the point.• Type the coordinates of the point relative to the center point in the dX, dY, and dZ boxes,

where d is the distance from the previously selected point.The major radius determines the diameter of the torus.

4. Specify the minor radius by selecting a point relative to the major radius point. The minor radius determines the diameter of the "donut hole".The Properties dialog box appears, enabling you to modify the object’s properties.

5. Click OK.

Note The HFSS 3D Geometry Modeler permits drawing of true-curved objects. However, the solution will be obtained with a tetrahedral mesh which conforms to the true surface only within the limits identified by certain mesh settings. HFSS has default settings for this conformance which is a reasonable trade-off between solution speed and solution quality for most objects, but may not be ideal for all such objects. High-aspect ratio curves structures, such as helices with narrow and curved cross-sections, may benefit from user control of the faceting values. For details about these commands see:Technical Notes, "Surface Approximations" and related sections, "Modifying Surface Approximations," and "Guidelines for Modifying Surface Approximations"

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Drawing a HelixA helix is a 3D spiral object created by sweeping a 1D or 2D object along a vector. Sweeping a 1D object results in a hollow 3D object. Sweeping a 2D sheet object results in a 3D solid object.1. Select the 1D or 2D object you want to sweep to form a helix.

2. On the Draw menu, click Helix .3. Draw the vector you want to sweep the object along. The two points which describe the vector

affect axis direction only and not the helix length. The helix length is determined by entry of the pitch and number of turns.a. Select the start point by clicking the point or typing its coordinates in the X, Y, and Z text

boxes.b. Select the endpoint by clicking the point or typing its coordinates relative to the start point

in the dX, dY, and dZ boxes. The Helix dialog box appears.1. For Turn Direction, select Right hand if the turn direction is clockwise and Left

hand if the turn direction is counter-clockwise.2. In the Pitch text box, type the distance between each turn in the helix, and click a unit

in the pull-down list.3. In the Turns text box, type the number of complete revolutions the object will make

along the vector.4. In the Radius Change per Turn text box, type a number for the increase in the radius

and select the units from the pull-down list.After you set these values, the selected object is swept along the vector to form a helix. The original object you swept is deleted.The Properties dialog box appears, enabling you to modify the object’s properties.

5. Click OK.

Note The HFSS 3D Geometry Modeler permits drawing of true-curved objects. However, the solution will be obtained with a tetrahedral mesh which conforms to the true surface only within the limits identified by certain mesh settings. HFSS has default settings for this conformance which is a reasonable trade-off between solution speed and solution quality for most objects, but may not be ideal for all such objects. High-aspect ratio curves structures, such as helices with narrow and curved cross-sections, may benefit from user control of the faceting values. For details about these commands see:Technical Notes, "Surface Approximations" and related sections, "Modifying Surface Approximations," and "Guidelines for Modifying Surface Approximations"

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Related TopicsDrawing a Segmented Helix with Polygon Cross-Section uing a User-Defined Primitive Drawing a Segmented Helix with Rectangular Cross-Section using a User Defined Primitive.

Drawing a Segmented Helix with Polygon Cross-Section Using a User Defined Primitive

Ansoft provides you with a DLL to define the parameters of a segmented helix with a polygon cross-section.1. Click Draw>User Defined Primitive>SysLib>SegmentedHelix>PolygonHelix.

The Create User Defined Part dialog box appears. The Parameters tab permits you to edit the parameters. An Info tab contains information about the user defined primitive, its purpose, the company/author who created it, the date created and the version number.

2. Specify the values for the following parameters:

Note The HFSS 3D Geometry Modeler permits drawing of true-curved objects. However, the solution will be obtained with a tetrahedral mesh which conforms to the true surface only within the limits identified by certain mesh settings. HFSS has default settings for this conformance which is a reasonable trade-off between solution speed and solution quality for most objects, but may not be ideal for all such objects. High-aspect ratio curves structures, such as helices with narrow and curved cross-sections, may benefit from user control of the faceting values. For details about these commands see:Technical Notes, "Surface Approximations" and related sections, "Modifying Surface Approximations," and "Guidelines for Modifying Surface Approximations"

PolygonSegments Number of segments in the polygon cross-section. Enter zero (0) for true circle

PolygonRadius Radius of the polygon cross-section.

StartHelixRadius The radius of a segmented helix is defined from the helix center of rotation to the center of the helix cross-section at segment transitions. The first and last segments of the helix are half segments. See this figure.

RadiusChange The radius change per turn of the helix.

Pitch Distance between helix turns.

Turns The number of turns in the helix.

SegmentsPerTurn The number of segments constructing each turn. Enter zero (0) for true curve.

RightHanded Helix winding direction. Enter non-zero value for right-handed helix.

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3. Click OK.

Related TopicsCreating a User Defined Primitive

Drawing a Segmented Helix with Rectangular Cross-Section Using a User Defined Primitive

Ansoft provides you with a DLL to define the parameters of a segmented helix with a rectangular cross-section.1. Click Draw>User Defined Primitive>SysLib>SegmentedHelix>RectHelix.

The Create User Defined Part dialog box appears. The Parameters tab permits you to edit the parameters. An Info tab contains information about the user defined primitive, its purpose, the company/author who created it, the date created and the version number.

2. Specify the values for the following parameters:

3. Click OK.

RectHeight Height of rectangular cross-section.

RectWidth Width of rectangular cross-section.

StartHelixRadius The radius of a segmented helix is defined from the helix center of rotation to the center of the helix cross-section at segment transitions. The first and last segments of the helix are half segments. See this figure.

RadiusChange The radius change per turn of the helix.

Pitch Distance between helix turns.

Turns The number of turns in the helix.

SegmentsPerTurn The number of segments constructing each turn. Enter zero (0) for true curve.

RightHanded Helix winding direction. Enter non-zero value for right-handed helix.

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Related TopicsCreating a User Defined Primitive

Drawing a SpiralA spiral is a 2D or 3D spiral object created by sweeping an object around a vector. Sweeping a 1D object results in a 2D sheet object. Sweeping a 2D sheet object results in a 3D solid object.1. Select the 1D or 2D object you want to sweep to form a spiral.

2. On the Draw menu, click Spiral .3. Draw the vector you want to sweep the object around:

a. Select the start point by clicking the point or typing its coordinates in the X, Y, and Z text boxes.

b. Select the endpoint by clicking the point or typing its coordinates relative to the start point in the dX, dY, and dZ boxes. The Spiral dialog box appears.

4. Select Right hand if the turn direction is clockwise and Left hand if the turn direction is counter-clockwise.

5. In the Radius Change text box, type the difference in radius between each turn of the spiral.

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The radius of the first turn is measured from the center point of the 1D or 2D object you are sweeping to the vector you drew.

6. Click a unit for the radius in the pull-down list.7. In the Turns text box, type the number of complete revolutions the object will make around

the vector.The selected object is swept around the vector to form a spiral. The original object you swept is deleted.The Properties dialog box appears, enabling you to modify the object’s properties.

8. Click OK.

This 3D spiral was created from a 2D circle drawn at z = 0. The turn direction was right hand,the radius change was set at 2, and the number of turns was set at 2.

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Drawing a Spiral using User Defined PrimitivesAnsoft provides you with a DLL to define the parameters of a rectangular spiral.1. Click Draw>User Defined Primitive>SysLib>Examples>RectangularSpiral.

The Create User Defined Part dialog box appears. The Parameters tab permits you to see edit the parameters. An Info tab contains information about the user defined primitive, its pur-pose, the company/author who created it, the date created and the version number.

2. Specify the values for the following parameters:

3. Click OK.This creates the primitive and displays the Properties dialog for the new object.

Related TopicsCreating a User Defined Primitive

Note The HFSS 3D Geometry Modeler permits drawing of true-curved objects. However, the solution will be obtained with a tetrahedral mesh which conforms to the true surface only within the limits identified by certain mesh settings. HFSS has default settings for this conformance which is a reasonable trade-off between solution speed and solution quality for most objects, but may not be ideal for all such objects. High-aspect ratio curves structures, such as helices with narrow and curved cross-sections, may benefit from user control of the faceting values. For details about these commands see:Technical Notes, "Surface Approximations" and related sections, "Modifying Surface Approximations," and "Guidelines for Modifying Surface Approximations"

Xpos Type the location of the starting point in the X direction.

Ypos Type the location of the starting point in the Y direction.

TurnSep Type the separation distance between turns.

Turns Type the number of complete revolutions the object will make around the vector

Width Type a value for the width of the spiral.

Height Type a value for the height of the spiral. If you specify the height as zero, HFSS draws a sheet object.

Hint To see newly created DLLs, click Draw>User Defined Primitive>Update Menu.To see the primitives that you have created, click Draw>User Defined Primitive>UserLib.

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Drawing a BondwireA bondwire is a thin metal wire that connects a metal signal trace with a chip. Please see the topic Bondwires in the Technical Notes before drawing a bondwire.

1. On the Draw menu, click Bondwire .2. Select the bond pad point in one of the following ways:

• Click the point.• Type the point’s coordinates in the X, Y, and Z boxes.

3. Select the lead point by clicking the point or typing the coordinates in the X, Y, and Z boxes.The Bondwires dialog box appears.

4. In the Type list, click the JEDEC modeling standard shape you want the bondwire to have: JEDEC 4-point or JEDEC 5-point.

5. Type the number of facets in the bondwire in the No. of Facets text box. The minimum value is 3.

6. Enter the height between the bond pad and the top of the loop in the h1 text box. Include the height’s unit of length.

7. The value in the h2 text box is the height between the bond pad and the lead point. It was cal-culated by HFSS based on the lead point you selected. If you modify the value of h2, the lead point will be modified. Optionally, type a new value in the h2 text box. Include the height’s unit of length.

8. If you selected JEDEC 5-point, do the following:a. Type the angle between the horizontal plane and the wire at the bond pad point in the

alpha text box.b. Type the angle between the horizontal plane and the wire at the lead point in the beta text

box.9. Click OK.

Related TopicsTechnical Notes: Bondwires

Drawing a PointDrawing a point object within the problem region enables you to plot fields or perform field com-putations at that point. Points are always considered non-model objects by HFSS.1. On the Draw menu, click Point .2. Select the point in one of the following ways:

• Click the point.• Type the point’s coordinates in the X, Y, and Z boxes.The point is listed under Points in the history tree.

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Related TopicsModifying Markers on Point PlotsDrawing Non-Model Objects

Drawing a PlaneA plane object is a cutplane through the problem region. You can plot fields or perform field com-putations on its surface. Planes are always considered non-model objects by HFSS.1. On the Draw menu, click Plane .2. Select the origin in one of the following ways:

• Click the point.• Type the point’s coordinates in the X, Y, and Z boxes.To delete the selected point and start over, press ESC.

3. Select a normal point in one of the following ways:• Click the point.• Type the coordinates of the point relative to the origin in the dX, dY, and dZ boxes, where

d is the distance from the previously selected point.The plane is created. Its center point is located at the origin you specified and oriented perpen-dicular to the normal point you specified. The plane is listed under Planes in the history tree.

Related TopicsDrawing Non-Model Objects

Drawing Non-Model ObjectsIf you want to create an object that does not affect the geometric model, define the object as non model. This ensures that the object is used for analysis only; it will not affect the solution process. After drawing the object, assuming it lies in the problem region, you can plot near fields, electric fields, magnetic fields, or derived field quantities on it.Following are examples of using non-model objects to analyze a solution:• Draw a polyline along which to plot fields or perform field computations. Note that when you

create a value versus distance plot, by default, the line will be divided into 100 equally spaced points. You can modify the number of points into which the line is divided in the Edit Sweeps dialog box.

• Draw a rectangle upon which to plot fields or perform field computations. • Draw a volume box to analyze fields in areas of the problem region that are not occupied by an

object or that consist of parts of several objects. • Draw a plane, which is always a non-model object, upon which you can plot fields or perform

Note You only need to draw a plane that does not lie on a pre-defined xy, yz, and xz plane. Default planes are created on the xy, yz, and xz planes of the global coordinate system as well as any new coordinate system you create.

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field computations. • Draw a point object, which is always a non-model object, in order to plot fields or perform

field computations at that point.

What do you want to do?Switch to non-model drawing mode. Objects you draw in non-model mode will not be included in the solution process.Modify an existing model object to be a non-model object.

Selecting Non-Model Drawing ModeTo switch to non-model drawing mode:1. On the Modeler menu, point to New Object Type, and then click Non Model.

• Alternatively, click Non Model on the drawing model pull-down list in the 3D Modeler Draw toolbar:

2. Draw the object.

Related TopicsChanging an Object to Non ModelDrawing Non-Model Objects

Changing an Object to Non ModelTo modify an existing object to be a non-model object:1. Select the object you want to modify.2. In the Properties dialog box, clear the Model option.

The object will not be included in the solution process. If the object lies in the problem region, you can plot solution quantities on it.

Related TopicsSelecting Non-Model Drawing ModeDrawing Non-Model Objects

Drawing a RegionTo draw a region encompassing the objects int the current project:1. Click HFSS>Draw>Region or click the icon on the tool bar.

This displays the Region dialog.

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2. For the Padding data, click the Padding Data radio button as Pad All Directions or Pad Individ-ual Directions.Selecting Pad All Directions leaves the Padding Percentage field as requiring a single value that affects all directions. Selecting Pad Individual Directions displays the Padding Percentage as a table of Positive and Negative X,Y, and Z coordinates, permitting you to specify padding for each direction.

3. Specify the Padding.4. If desired, click the check box to save the values as Default.5. Click OK to close the dialog and create the region.

The region is drawn, selected, and displayed in the History tree. The Properties dialog for the region has a Commands tab that shows the coordinate system and Padding values, and the Attributes tab includes properties for Name, Material (Default, vacuum), Solve inside, Orienation, Model, Color, Display Wireframe, and Transparency. All of these values can be edited.If a region already exists, executing the command displays the Properties for the exisiting region.

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Model AnalysisFor some models it may be beneficial to remove unnecessary small entities and to fix object mis-alignments to avoid potential mesh issues. HFSS includes Model Analysis functions to help you evaluate models you have imported or created. Select Modeler> Model Analysis to see the menu options. Depending on the design and the current selection, some features may not be enabled. The menu includes the following commands.• Analyze Objects• Interobject Misalignment • Analyze Surface Mesh• Heal • Show Analysis dialog• Align Faces• Remove Faces• Remove Edges

Related TopicsSet Material Override

Analysis Options DialogSelect the objects you want to analyze and click Modeler> Model Analysis>Analyze Objects to display the Analysis Options dialog. Select the types of geometry entities that you want to detect and specify the corresponding tolerance values.• Small Edges, length less than• Small Faces, area less than• Sliver Faces

• Object Bounding Box scale factor• Sliver Edge width

Minimum and maximum edges and face areas are stated at the bottom of the dialog for reference purposes:

• Edge length min and max• Face area min and max

Clicking OK on this dialog displays the Model Analysis dialog which contains the results of the analysis.

Note Before running model analysis, you must remove all command history for the selected object by using the Purge History command.

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Related TopicsHeal Model Analysis dialog.

Model Analysis dialogThis dialog contains results for all model analysis, including diagnostic information relating to mesh issues. To view the analysis options:1. Select the appropriate Modeler> Model Analysis>Show Analysis Dialog command to dis-

play the Model Analysis dialog box. This dialog also appears automatically after selecting OK to the Analysis Options dialog.• Objects tab • Object Misalignment tab• Surface Mesh (Single/Pairs) tab• Last Simulation Mesh tab - displays a log of the error type and error details.

2. Select the Auto Zoom to Selection check box to automatically zoom to the item selected in the Objects tab.

Related TopicsHeal Technical Notes: Healing and MeshingTechnical Notes: Detecting and Addressing Model Problems to Improve Meshing

Objects TabAll results relating to model analysis of specific objects are presented under the Objects tab. The Objects tab for the Model Analysis dialog lets you view the following information:1. The results table contains the following information.

• Name - column listing the objects in the current design.• Last Analysis status - column giving the analysis status of the listed objects. Objects can

have the following status:• Good - the object contains no invalid geometry entities given the tolerance values

specified in the Analysis Options dialog.• Null Body - the object is non-existent.• Analysis not performed - the object was not selected for analysis.• Invalid entity errors - these are api_check_entity() errors and non-manifold errors

which must be fixed prior to meshing.• Small entity errors - small faces, sliver faces and small edges that are optionally

detected based on the tolerance limits specified in the Analysis Options dialog.2. Select any object name in the table which contains errors to display a set of radio buttons in the

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panel and a list of corresponding faces, edges and vertices.

3. Select the face, edge or vertex entity from the list to view the error description in the Descrip-tion field.

4. Select the Delete button if you want to remove a selected face or edge entity.5. Select the Perform button to list the commands that you can execute on the selected objects in

the Results table. • Heal Objects - repairs invalid geometry entities for the selected objects within the speci-

fied tolerance settings. The Healing Analysis dialog will appear.• Analyze Objects - evaluates the object status. Selecting this displays the Analysis Options

dialog.• Analyze Surface Mesh - invokes a mesh for each selected object and reports analysis

results under the Surface Mesh (Single/Pairs) tab. Selecting this option displays a dialog with radio buttons to select.• Perform Object Pairs Analysis - evaluates mesh for all combinations of the selected

objects.• Ignore objects separated by greater than a specified value - object pairs are disre-

garded from analysis if their separation is greater than the specified value.• Click OK to perform the analysis with the selected options.

• Analyze Interobject Misalignment - determines any misalignments between two selected objects in the results table. The results are reported under the Objects Misalignment tab.

• Display Healing Log -- checking this causes the Model Analysis dialog to display a healing log which includes information about operations performed on an object during the healing process.

Related TopicsAnalyze ObjectsAnalyze Interobject MisalignmentAnalyze Surface MeshHealing

Object Misalignment TabThe table in this panel displays results of an Interobject Misalignment analysis. All misaligned face pairs corresponding to the analyzed objects are listed in the table.• Align Faces - select a face pair in the table and click the Align Faces button to align selected

faces.

Note Auto Zoom to Selection -- if this option is checked, HFSS automatically zooms to the item selected in the Model Analysis dialog box.

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• Clear All Analysis Data - this button removes all information from the tables.• Auto Zoom to Selection -- if this option is checked, HFSS automatically zooms to the item

selected in the table.

Related TopicsAnalyze ObjectsAnalyze Interobject MisalignmentAnalyze Surface MeshHealing

Surface Mesh (Single/Pairs) TabThe panel displays the results of a surface mesh analysis. 1. You can display results for:

• Individual Objects• Object Pairs

2. The results table contains the following information:• Object - column listing object name or a pair of object names.• Last Analysis Status - column stating the meshing status of the object or object pair.

• Mesh Success• Mesh Failure

• Error Type - this column gives the category of error that caused the mesh failure.• Error Detail - provide specific geometry information regarding mesh error location.Display options include:• Display Mesh Analysis log checkbox -checking this displays further details concerning each

error to be listed.• Auto Zoom to Selection -- checking this causes HFSS to automatically zoom to objects or

faces corresponding to the error.

Related TopicsAnalyze ObjectsAnalyze Interobject MisalignmentAnalyze Surface MeshHealing

Note Auto Zoom to Selection -- if this option is checked, HFSS automatically zooms to the object or object pair selected.

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Last Simulation Mesh TabThe table in this panel lists all model errors as viewed by the mesher.• Error Type - this column gives the category of error that caused the mesh failure.• Error Detail - provide specific geometry information regarding mesh error location.Display options include:• Display Mesh Analysis log checkbox -checking this displays further details concerning each

error to be listed.• Auto Zoom to Selection -- checking this causes HFSS to automatically zoom to objects or

faces corresponding to the error.

Related TopicsAnalyze ObjectsAnalyze Interobject MisalignmentAnalyze Surface MeshHealing

Align FacesUse this Modeler>Model Analysis command to align the selected faces. You can also use the tool-bar icon when you have made an appropriate face selection Related TopicsAnalyze ObjectsAnalyze Interobject MisalignmentAnalyze Surface MeshHealing

Remove FacesUse this Modeler>Model Analysis command to remove the selected faces. You can also use the toolbar icon when you have made an appropriate face selection Related TopicsAnalyze ObjectsAnalyze Interobject MisalignmentAnalyze Surface MeshHealing

Remove EdgesUse this Modeler>Model Analysis command to remove the selected edges. You can also use the toolbar icon when you have made an appropriate edge selection

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Related TopicsTechnical Notes: Healing and MeshingTechnical Notes: Detecting and Addressing Model Problems to Improve MeshingTechnical Notes: Error TypesTechnical Notes: Error DetectionAnalyze ObjectsAnalyze Interobject MisalignmentAnalyze Surface MeshHealing

Set Material OverrideThe HFSS>Set Material Override command brings up a dialog with text note and a checkbox to Allow metals to override dielectrics. Normally, the modeler considers any intersection between 3D objects to be an error. But, if you check this option, the modeler allows a metal object to intersect a dielectric, and just gives a warn-ing. Intersections between two metals or two dielectrics will still be errors. In the mesher, the dielectrics are "subtracted" from the metals in the intersecting region. That is, the part of the dielectric that is inside the metal is removed, and if the dielectric is completely inside, the whole object disappears. The purpose of this feature is to allow you to avoid doing explicit subtraction in the modeler. One example application is a via that passes through many dielectric layers--with the option turned on, the via does not have to be subtracted from the layers.

Related TopicsAnalyze ObjectsAnalyze Interobject MisalignmentAnalyze Surface MeshHealingMaterialsSet Material Override

Heal Use this command to heal an imported object. Some formats permit healing during import. These are: 3D Modeler file (*.sm3), SAT file (*.sat), STEP file (*.step,*. stp), IGES file (*.iges, *.igs), ProE files (*.prt, *.asm). Selecting these formats enables a checkbox at the bottom of this window, "Heal Imported Objects." Imported objects, which have only one operation on the history tree,

Note Users must be careful: this setting changes the "ground rules" of the modeler, and may have unexpected results.

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can be healed. (Use the Purge History command to remove unwanted history operations before using Heal.) When models are imported, two types of errors can occur – geometry errors and topol-ogy errors. Geometry errors are errors in definition of the underlying geometry while topology errors are errors in how the underlying components like faces, edges and vertices are connected. These must be fixed before mesh analysis can be performed.

Basic Steps in the Heal ProcessThere are four steps that are performed for healing objects.1. Validation check.2. Basic healing. This is done for all selected objects. Basic healing consists of fixing surface nor-

mals in the object and updating the orientation of (to avoid having an object with negative vol-ume).

3. Advanced healing. This is auto-heal. This is invoked on objects that require healing, that is. bodies that have failed api_check_entity() errors or have non-manifold errors.

4. Small feature removal. If you choose to remove small edges, small faces and sliver faces, the actions are performed on all selected objects. There is no guarantee that small feature removal will be successful.

The above actions are performed on the selected objects. If you choose objects for healing which have not been analyzed, analysis is performed to determine its state (that is, whether it has invalid entities, small entities, and so forth). Invalid objects have all the above steps performed. Advanced healing is not performed on objects that do not require it.While working on analyzing complex bodies, it is sometimes useful to examine faces, edges and vertices. In particular it is useful to find the connected faces for a face or edge or vertex, connected edges for a face/edge/vertex and connected vertices for a face/edge/vertex. The additional selection modes are available under Edit->Select and via the toolbar icons.

Related TopicsValidation CheckFix Intersections Between ObjectsFix Object Pair IntersectionsAnalysis PhaseHealing Non-manifold ObjectsHealing OptionsTechnical Notes: Healing and MeshingTechnical Notes: Detecting and Addressing Model Problems to Improve Meshing

Healing Stage One: Validation Check1. After import, perform validation check. This lets you focus on objects and object pairs that pre-

vent the mesh from being invoked. The objects that fail api_check_entity() should be analyzed

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via Analyze Objects menu item. 2. Select the objects and invoke Modeler>Model Analysis>Analyze Objects.

This displays an options dialog to allow you to perform small feature detection and on comple-tion, the Model Analysis dialog is displayed.

3. Choose the objects that have "Invalid Entities Found" and Perform>Heal Objects. In most cases, the objects will be healed and the errors fixed.

4. If errors still persist, choose the edges and faces and click on Delete. This will replace the selected face/edge object by a tolerant edge/vertex respectively. In some cases the replacement of the face/edge by tolerant edge/vertex will fail.

When models pass the initial validity checks, mesh generation could still fail. The following errors can be present in models: (See Error Detection.)1. Non-manifold topology. These are non-manifold edges and vertices that are present in the

model.2. Object pair intersection. This detects whether pairs of objects intersect.3. Small feature detection – small edge length, small face area and sliver face detection. 4. Mis-aligned entities detection – detects pairs of faces from objects that can be aligned to

remove object intersections. This improves the probability of mesh success.5. Mesh failure error display. This is available for single object, object pairs and last simulation

run (all objects in a model). Errors reported by the meshing module are reported to the user.Errors of type 3 and 4 must be resolved before the mesh can be invoked on the model.By default, the Heal command is automatically applied to imported objects.

Related TopicsHealingFix Intersections Between ObjectsFix Object Pair IntersectionsAnalysis PhaseHealing Non-manifold ObjectsHealing OptionsTechnical Notes: Healing and MeshingTechnical Notes: Detecting and Addressing Model Problems to Improve Meshing

Healing Stage Two: Fix Intersections Between ObjectsThe second stage in healing is to fix intersections between objects. After validation check is per-formed, the pairs of objects that intersect are chosen for analysis. Use the analysis results to find whether objects have faces that can be aligned. Choose all the bodies that intersect with another body. 1. From the Model Analysis dialog choose perform/Analyze Interobject misalignment. Or you

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can run Modeler>Model Analysis>Analyze Interobject Misalignment. If the analysis finds object pairs that can be aligned, they will be displayed in the Objects Mis-alignment tab.

2. You can select individual or multiple rows and perform Align Faces. In some cases, face align-ment will fail if the topology of the body changes by a large factor after alignment.

3. Identify individual bodies and body pairs that fail to mesh.4. Perform Mesh analysis on individual objects and object pairs. 5. Review the reports and fix the errors.

Related TopicsHealingFix Intersections Between ObjectsFix Object Pair IntersectionsAnalysis PhaseHealing Non-manifold ObjectsHealing OptionsTechnical Notes: Healing and MeshingTechnical Notes: Detecting and Addressing Model Problems to Improve Meshing

Healing Stage Three: Fix Object Pair IntersectionsThe next stage of healing is to fix object-pair intersections. The healing process in stage two might fix some of these errors (by alignment). 1. If these errors are still present, you must remove them either by using the Remove Faces com-

mand (Modeler>Model Analysis>Remove Faces) or by performing Boolean subtract.2. Overlap between objects is too large to be fixed by healing or by face alignment. Boolean

intersect shows the common portion between the bodies. In this case, use a subtract operation to remove overlaps.

Related TopicsHealingFix Intersections Between ObjectsAnalysis PhaseHealing Non-manifold ObjectsHealing OptionsTechnical Notes: Healing and MeshingTechnical Notes: Detecting and Addressing Model Problems to Improve Meshing

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Healing Stage Four: Analysis PhaseThis is an analysis phase. If the last simulation run has errors, these are displayed in the Model Analysis->Last Simulation Run tab.

Related TopicsHealingFix Intersections Between ObjectsFix Object Pair IntersectionsHealing Non-manifold ObjectsHealing OptionsTechnical Notes: Healing and MeshingTechnical Notes: Detecting and Addressing Model Problems to Improve Meshing

Healing Non-Manifold ObjectsIf more than two faces meet along an edge, the edge is non-manifold. Normally, if you collect every face at a vertex that can be reached from a given face by crossing one or more edges starting or end-ing at the vertex, the collection contains all of the faces that meet at that vertex. If this is not the case, the vertex is non-manifold. One or more wires may be attached to a vertex that is already on the boundary of one or more faces. This again makes the vertex non-manifold.To heal non-manifold objects:1. Identify an edge that is non-manifold.2. Select the connected faces.

You can use the Face selection toolbar icons.3. Create a face coordinate system on the planar face.4. Create a small box to cover the non-manifold edge.5. Either do a union or a subtraction to remove the faces that contain the non-manifold edge.

The non-manifold edge is now removed. You may also remove or add a small portion of the model.

6. Do for all the non-manifold edges.Related TopicsHealingFix Intersections Between ObjectsFix Object Pair IntersectionsAnalysis PhaseHealing OptionsTechnical Notes: Healing and Meshing

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Technical Notes: Detecting and Addressing Model Problems to Improve Meshing

Setting the Healing Options1. Click 3D Model>Model Analysis>Heal to open the Healing Options dialog. You can also

open the Healing Options dialog from the Model Analysis dialog via the Objects tab drop down menu. The Healing Options dialog allows you to set parameters to remove:• Small Edges, less than a specified value.• Small faces, less than a specified value.• Sliver faces, less than either:

• Bounding box, less than a specified scale factor• Sliver Edge width, less than a specified value.

Sliver faces have a maximum distance among the long edges that is smaller than the specified tolerance and have at least one short edge and at most three long edges. A short edge has a length less than the specified tolerance. A long edge has a length greater than the specified tol-erance. You can give the tolerance as a absolute value or a factor of the bounding box contain-ing the face.

2. Click OK to apply the specified Healing options and to open the Analysis dialog.

Related TopicsHealingFix Intersections Between ObjectsFix Object Pair IntersectionsAnalysis PhaseHealing Non-manifold ObjectsTechnical Notes: Healing and MeshingTechnical Notes: Detecting and Addressing Model Problems to Improve Meshing

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Creating a User Defined PrimitiveHFSS allows you to generate user-defined primitives, primitives customized to suit any applica-tion. User-defined primitives are accessed using DLLs that you build and compile.HFSS includes example C++ source and header files that can be used to generate DLLs. The files are located in the UserDefinedPrimitives/Examples subdirectory under the hfss10 directory.As an example, create the primitive myUDP.dll using Microsoft Visual C++ Developer Studio:1. Create a directory to store all of the workspace information, call it UDPDir.2. Use the sample workspace RectangularSpiral.dsw as a template:

a. Copy RectangularSpiral.dsw and RectangularSpiral.dsp from the UserDe-finedPrimitives/Examples directory to this new directory.

b. Make sure the new files have write permissions.c. Rename the files to myUDP.dsw and myUDP.dsp respectively.d. Open the .dsw and .dsp files in a text editor, and replace every occurrence of Rectangu-

larSpiral with myDLL.e. Save myUDP.dsp and myUDP.dsw.

3. In the UDPDir directory, create a Headers subdirectory.4. Copy the UserDefinedPrimitiveStructures.h and UserDefinedPrimitiveDLLInclude.h files

from the UserDefinedPrimitives/Headers directory.

5. In the UDPDir directory, create a Source subdirectory.6. Use the sample source file RectangularSpiral.cpp as a template:

a. Copy RectangularSpiral.cpp from the UserDefinedPrimitives/Examples directory to this new directory.

b. Make sure the new file has write permission.c. Rename the file to myUDP.cpp.

The resulting directory structure will appear similar to the following:

Note The header files include information on the methods that are available for use in your source code. They must be included when you compile the DLL.

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7. Open myUDP.dsw using Microsoft Visual C++ Developer Studio, and edit the source code to create your desired primitive. You may also add additional headers and source files as appro-priate.The UDP dll contains a data structure called UDPPrimitiveTypeInfo. This contains informa-tion about the udp, its purpose, company/author who created it, date created and the version number. When you select a primitive from your library, you see the Create Primitive dialog with a Parameters tab for setting the parameters, and an Info tab with the information from this data structure.

8. Build myUDP.dll using the Win32 Release configuration.9. Copy the resulting file myUDP.dll to the hfss10/userlib/UserDefinedPrimi-

tives directory. 10. To view your primitives in HFSS, clicking Draw>User Defined Primitive>UserLib.

Note On UNIX, you may use the same example directory structure, source, and header files to build and compile a shared library using C++. The resulting shared library will have a .so extension for Solaris and a .sl extension for HP-UX, and needs to be placed in the same hfss10/userlib/UserDefinedPrimitives directory.As with the Windows DLL, the compiled library will work only on the operating system on which it was built.

UDPDir/myUDP.dswmyUDP.dspHeaders/UserDefinedPrimitiveDLLInclude.hUserDefinedPrimitiveStructures.h

myUDP.cppSources/

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Modifying ObjectsYou can quickly modify the position, dimensions, and other characteristics of objects created in the 3D Modeler window.

What do you want to do?• Assign color to an object.• Assign transparency to an object.• Copy and paste objects.• Delete objects.• Delete Last Operation• Move objects.• Rotate objects.• Change the Orientation of an object• Mirror objects about a plane.• Offset an object (move every face of an object).• Duplicate objects.• Scale the size of objects.• Sweep objects.• Cover lines.• Cover faces.• Uncover faces.• Detach faces.• Create a new object by taking a cross-section of a 3D object.• Connect objects.• Move faces.• Unite objects.• Subtract objects.• Create objects from intersections.• Create an object from a face.• Split objects.• Separate objects.• Convert polyline segments.• Rounding the edge of an object (Fillet)• Flattening the edge of an object (Chamfer)• Purge History

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• Generate History

Assigning Color to Objects1. Select the object to which you want to assign a color.2. In the Properties dialog box, click the Attribute tab.3. Click Edit in the Color row.

The Color palette appears.4. Select a color from the Color palette, and then click OK.

The color is assigned to the selected object.

Related TopicsSetting the Default Color of Objects

Setting the Default Color of Objects1. On the Tools menu, point to Options, and then click 3D Modeler options.2. Click the Display tab.3. Select Object from the Default color pull-down list.4. Click the color button beside the Default color pull-down list.

The Color palette appears.5. Select a color from the Color palette, and then click OK.

Any objects you draw after this point will be assigned the default color you selected.

Setting the Default Color of Object Outlines1. On the Tools menu, point to Options, and then click 3D Modeler options.2. Click the Display tab.3. Select Object Wire from the Default color pull-down list.4. Click the color button beside the Default color pull-down list.

The Color palette appears.5. Select a color from the Color palette, and then click OK.

The outlines of any objects you draw after this point will be assigned the default color you selected.

Assigning Transparency to an Object1. Select the object to which you want to assign a transparency.2. In the Properties dialog box, click the Attribute tab.3. Click the value in the Transparency row.

The Set Transparency window appears.4. Move the slider to the right to increase the transparency of the object. Move the slider to the

left to decrease the transparency of the object.

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5. Click OK.

Related TopicsSetting the Default Transparency of Objects

Setting the Default Transparency of Objects1. On the Tools menu, point to Options, and then click 3D Modeler options.2. Click the Display tab.3. Move the Default transparency slider to the right to increase the transparency of objects.

Move the slider to the left to decrease the transparency of objects.Any objects you draw after this point will be assigned the default transparency you selected.

Copying and Pasting ObjectsTo copy objects and paste them in the same design or another design, use the Edit>Copy and Edit>Paste commands.1. Select the objects you want to copy.

2. On the Edit menu, click Copy .The objects are copied to the Clipboard, a temporary storage area. The selected items are not deleted.To cut an item to the clipboard and deleting the original, use the scissors icon on the toolbar.

3. Select the design into which you want to paste the objects. It can be the same design from which you copied the items.

4. Click in the 3D Modeler window.5. Select the working coordinate system. Objects are pasted relative to the current working coor-

dinate system.6. On the Edit menu, click Paste .

The objects appear in the new window.Items on the Clipboard can be pasted repeatedly. The items currently stored on the Clipboard are replaced by the next items that are cut or copied.

Related TopicsDuplicating Boundaries and Excitations with Geometry

Copying to the Clipboard as ImagesYou can import images of the 3D Modeler window or of Reports into any other application. The image has to be copied to the clipboard, so that it can be imported into the other application.To copy an image of the 3D Modeler window and paste into another application:1. Make the 3D Moder window active.

This enables the Edit>Copy to Clipboad As Image command in the menu bar.

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2. Click Edit>Copy To Clipboard As Image, or right click on the 3D Modeler window to dis-play the shortcut menu and select Copy to Clipboard As Image.The 3D Modeler window is copied to the Clipboard as an image.

3. Select and open the application into which you want to paste the objects, and paste the image.To copy an image of a Report to paste into another application:1. Make the report the active window.

The enables the Edit>Copy Image command in the menu bar.2. Click Edit>Copy Image, or right click on the Report window to display the shortcut menu and

select Copy Image.The report is copied to the Clipboard as an image.

3. Select and open the application into which you want to paste the objects, and paste the image.

Related TopicsCopy and Paste of Report and Trace DataCopy and Paste of Report and Trace Definitions

Deleting Objects1. Select the objects to delete.2. On the Edit menu, click Delete .

• Alternatively, press Delete.The objects are deleted.

Related TopicsDeleting Polyline SegmentsDeleting Startpoints and End points

Deleting Polyline SegmentsA polyline is a single object that includes any combination of straight line, arc line, or spline seg-ments. You can delete the first or last segment of a polyline by selecting it in the history tree and pressing Delete.1. In the history tree, locate the polyline that contains the segment you want to delete. Expand this

part of the history tree.2. In the history tree, select the polyline segment operation you want to delete.3. On the Edit menu, click Delete .

• Alternatively, press Delete.

Note To maintain valid boundaries, excitations, or other parameters that were associated with the deleted object, reassign them to other objects.

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The polyline segment you selected is deleted.

Deleting Start Points and EndpointsIf you select a polyline in the history tree, the Delete Start Point and Delete End Point com-mands may be enabled. These permit you to delete portions of the line.

1. In the history tree, locate the polyline that contains the segment you want to delete. Expand this part of the history tree.

2. In the history tree, select the polyline you want to edit.The segment is highlighted.

3. On the Edit menu or the shortcut menu, click either Delete Start Point to remove the leading segments or Delete End Point to remove the following segments.The designated segment is removed, and the line changes.

Delete Last OperationTo delete the last operation on an object:1. Select the object.2. Click Modeler>Delete Last Operation.

This undoes the last operation, including removing that operation from the history, and updat-ing the context for the Undo and Redo commands.

Related TopicsUndoing CommandsRedoing Commands

Moving Objects1. Select the objects to move.2. On the Edit menu, point to Arrange, and then click Move .3. Select an arbitrary anchor point in one of the following ways:

• Click the point.• Enter the point’s coordinates in the X,Y, and Z boxes.

4. Select a target point in one of the following ways:• Click the point.• Type the coordinates of a point relative to the anchor point in the dX, dY, and dZ boxes,

where d is the distance from the previously selected point.All selected objects move the distance determined by the offset between the anchor point and the target point.

Note You may delete one polyline segment at a time.

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Rotating ObjectsRotate objects about the x-, y-, or z-axis using the Edit>Arrange>Rotate command.To rotate objects about an axis:1. Select the objects to rotate.2. On the Edit menu, point to Arrange, and then click Rotate .

The Rotate dialog box appears.3. Select the axis about which to rotate the objects: X, Y, or Z.4. Type the angle to rotate the objects in the Angle box.

A positive angle causes the object to be rotated in the counter-clockwise direction. A negative angle causes the object to be rotated in the clockwise direction.

5. Click OK.The selected objects are rotated about the axis.

To rotate and copy objects, use the Edit>Duplicate>Around Axis command.

Changing the Orientation of an ObjectEach object has an Orientation property that specifies the coordinate system it uses is Global, or a user defined orientation relative to the Global coordinate. This property is useful in dealing with anisotropic materials. The properties of anisotropic materials are specified relative to the objects orientation. Changing the orienation of an object provides a way for objects made of the same material to be orientated differently.To change an object’s orientation.1. Define the coordinate systems you want to have available.2. Open the properties window for the object.3. Click on the Orientation property, and select from the Drop down list. If no Orientations other

than Global have been defined, none appear on the list.4. Click OK to close the dialog and apply the changes.Related TopicsAssigning Material Property TypesSetting Coordinate SystemsCreating a Relative Coordinate System

Mirroring ObjectsMirror an object about a plane using the Edit>Arrange>Mirror command. The plane is selected by defining a point on the plane and a normal point. This command allows you to move an object and change its orientation.

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To mirror an object about a plane:1. Select the object you want to mirror. You can select multiple objects.

2. On the Edit menu, point to Arrange, and then click Mirror .3. Select a point on the plane on which you want to mirror the object. The distance between the

point on mirror plane and point along the normal does not matter; only the vector direction mattersA line drawn from this point to the mirror plane will be perpendicular to the plane.

4. Select a normal point in one of the following ways:• Click the point.• Type the coordinates of a point relative to the first point in the dX, dY, and dZ boxes,

where d is the distance from the previously selected point.The selected object is moved to the plane you specified and oriented according to the normal point you specified.

To mirror and copy objects about a plane, use the Edit>Duplicate>Mirror command.

Related TopicsDuplicating and Mirroring Objects

Offsetting ObjectsMove every face of a 3D object in a direction normal to its surface using the Edit>Arrange>Offset command. The faces are moved a specified distance normal to their original planes. This command enables you to move every face of a solid object without having to individually select and move each face. Use the Surfaces>Move Faces>Along Normal command if you want to move just one or more faces of an object.To offset every face of an object:1. Select the object you want to offset.2. On the Edit menu, point to Arrange, and then click Offset.

The Offset dialog box appears.3. Type the distance you want to move the object faces from their origins, and then select a unit

from the pull-down list.4. Click OK.

The selected object’s faces are moved the distance you specified.

Duplicating ObjectsYou can duplicate objects within a design using the Edit>Duplicate commands. Duplicates are dependent upon the parameters of their parent object at the time they were created, that is, they share the parent object’s history at the time of creation. The command hierarchy in the history tree will show the duplication command, illustrating which commands affect all duplicates (those per-formed before the duplication) and which commands would not affect the duplicates (those per-

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formed after the duplication). For example, if you modify the radius of a parent object’s hole, the change is applied to the holes of the object’s duplicates because they share the radius specification history, but if you move the faces of the parent object, its duplicates are not affected because this operation took place after the duplicates were created. Operations performed on duplicates are independent. For example, if you duplicate a cylinder twice, creating a row of three, and then split the second cylinder, the first and third cylinders are not affected by the split.When creating duplicates, the parent object is duplicated along a line or around an axis the number of times you specify. You can also create a single duplicate that mirrors the parent object about a plane.Choose from the following commands:

To copy objects to another design, use the Edit>Copy and Edit>Paste commands.

Duplicating Objects Along a LineTo duplicate an object along a straight line, use the Edit>Duplicate>Along Line command. The line along which the object is duplicated can be vertical, horizontal, or lie at an angle.1. Select the object you want to duplicate.2. On the Edit menu, point to Duplicate, and then click Along Line .3. Specify the vector along which the object will be duplicated:

a. Select an arbitrary anchor point in one of the following ways:• Click the point.• Type the point’s coordinates in the in the X, Y, and Z boxes.Any point in the drawing region can be selected; however, selecting an anchor point on the object’s edge or within the object makes it easier to select the duplication line.

b. Select a second point in one of the following ways:• Click the point.• Type the coordinates of a point relative to the anchor point in the dX, dY, and dZ

boxes, where d is the distance from the previously selected point.

Edit>Duplicate>Along Line

Duplicates the parent object along a straight line. The child object can be designated as attached to the parent object, but if so, no ports or boundary conditions are duplicated.

Edit>Duplicate>Around Axis

Duplicates the parent object around an axis. The child object can be designated as attached to the parent object, but if so, no ports or boundary conditions are duplicated.

Edit>Duplicate>Mirror Duplicates a mirror image of the parent object about a plane.

Note There is currently no method for dissolving the parent/duplicate relationship once a duplicate has been created.

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This point defines the direction and distance from the anchor point to duplicate the object. The Duplicate Along Line dialog box appears.

4. Type the total number of objects, including the original, in the Total Number box.5. By option check the Attach to Original Object checkbox. If this is checked, no ports or

boundary conditions are duplicated for the child.6. Click OK.

The duplicates are placed along the vector you specified.

Duplicating Objects Around an AxisTo duplicate an object around the x-, y-, or z-axis, use the Edit>Duplicate>Around Axis com-mand.1. Select the object you want to duplicate.2. On the Edit menu, point to Duplicate, and then click Around Axis .

The Duplicate Around Axis dialog box appears.3. Select the axis around which you want to duplicate the object: X, Y, or Z.4. Type the angle between duplicates in the Angle box.

A positive angle causes the object to be pasted in the counter-clockwise direction.A negative angle causes the object to be pasted in the clockwise direction.

5. Type the total number of objects, including the original, in the Total Number box.6. By option check the Attach to Original Object checkbox. If this is checked, no ports or

boundary conditions are duplicated for the child.7. Click OK.

The object is duplicated around the axis at the angle you specified.

Duplicating and Mirroring ObjectsTo duplicate and mirror an object about a plane, use the Edit>Duplicate>Mirror command. The plane is selected by defining a point on the plane and a normal point. This command allows you to duplicate an object and specify the duplicate’s position.This command is similar to Edit>Arrange>Mirror, except that this command duplicates an object, rather than moves it.1. Select the object you want to mirror.2. On the Edit menu, point to Duplicate, and then click Mirror .3. Select a point on the plane on which you want to mirror the object.

A line drawn from this point to the mirror plane will be perpendicular to the plane. The dis-tance between the point on mirror plane and point along the normal does not matter; only the vector direction matters

4. Select a normal point on the plane in one of the following ways:• Click the point.

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• Type the coordinates of a point relative to the first point in the dX, dY, and dZ boxes, where d is the distance from the previously selected point.

A duplicate of the object appears on the plane you specified, oriented according to the normal point you specified.

Related TopicsMirroring Objects

Scaling ObjectsScale an object’s dimensions in one or more directions using the Edit>Scale command.The scale of an object is determined by the distance of each of its vertices from the origin of the model coordinate system. When an object is scaled, the distance of each vertex from the origin is multiplied by the scaling factor, causing the object to be resized and/or moved. For example, if you specify a scaling factor of 2 in the X direction, each vertex in the model will be moved so that the distance to its origin is doubled. Note that a vertex located at the origin will not move. You can alter an object’s proportions by scaling it in one direction.To scale an object’s dimensions in one or more directions:1. If necessary, set a different working coordinate system to achieve the desired scaling.2. Select the object to scale.3. On the Edit menu, click Scale.

The Scale dialog box appears.4. Type the scale factor for each axis.5. Click OK.

The object is scaled about the working coordinate system’s origin.

Sweeping ObjectsYou can sweep a 2D object around an axis, along a vector, or along a path to create a 3D solid object. Objects that can be swept include circles, arcs, rectangles, polylines, or any 2D object cre-ated in the 3D Modeler window. The 2D object need not be orthogonal to the sweep path. You can also thicken sheets to make a 3D obect.You can also sweep open 1D objects, such as polylines. This results in open 2D sheet objects.You can also sweep one or more faces of a 3D object to create a new object. See Sweep Faces Along Normal.

Related TopicsSweeping Around an AxisSweeping Along a VectorSweep Along a PathSweep Faces Along NormalThicken Sheet

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Sweeping Around an AxisSweep a 1D or 2D object around the x-, y-, or z-axis using the Draw>Sweep>Around Axis com-mand. Sweeping circles around an axis is a convenient way to create an open coil loop.Before using this command, keep the following guidelines in mind:• The object and the axis you are sweeping around must lie in the same plane. For example, if

you are sweeping an object around the z-axis, the object must lie in a plane that includes the z-axis, such as xz or yz.

• The normal of the object’s plane faces must be perpendicular to the axis around which you are sweeping.

• The object may not cross the axis around which it is being swept.To sweep an object around an axis:1. Select the object you want to sweep.2. On the Draw menu, point to Sweep, and then click Around Axis.

The Sweep Around Axis dialog box appears.3. Select the axis you want to sweep the object around: X, Y, or Z. 4. Type the angle to sweep the object through in the Angle of sweep box.

The value must be between -360 and 360 degrees.5. Type the draft angle.

This is the angle to which the object’s profile, or shape, is expanded or contracted as it is swept.

6. Select one of the following draft types from the pull-down list. The draft type instructs HFSS how to fill in gaps created by expanding or contracting a profile with a draft angle.

7. Click OK.The object is swept around the axis. The new object has the properties of the original object. The Properties dialog box appears, enabling you to modify the object’s properties.

8. Click OK.

Sweeping Along a VectorSweep a 1D or 2D object along a vector using the Draw>Sweep>Along Vector command. 1. Select the object you want to sweep.2. On the Draw menu, point to Sweep, and then click Along Vector.

Extended The edges of the new profile will be extended with straight tangent lines until they intersect. The facetting of the faces will be displayed.

Round The edges of the new profile will be rounded.

Natural The edges of the new profile will be extended along their natural curves until they intersect. For example, if the original object had sharp edges, the new profile will have sharp edges.

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3. Draw the vector you want to sweep the object along:a. Select the start point by clicking the point or typing its coordinates in the X, Y, and Z

boxes.b. Select the endpoint in one of the following ways:

• Click the point.• Type the coordinates of a point relative to the start point in the dX, dY, and dZ boxes,

where d is the distance from the previously selected point.The Sweep Along Vector dialog box appears.

4. Type the draft angle.This is the angle to which the profile is expanded or contracted as it is swept.

5. Select one of the following draft types from the pull-down list box:

The object is swept along the vector. The new object has the name and color of the original profile. The Properties dialog box appears, enabling you to modify the object’s properties.

6. Click OK.

Sweeping Along a PathSweep a 1D or 2D object along a path that is defined by an open or closed polyline using the Draw>Sweep>Along Path command.When you are sweeping an object along a path, keep in mind that one of the path’s endpoints must lie in the same plane as the object being swept. The other endpoint must lie in a plane perpendicular to the object being swept.To sweep an object along a path:1. Create the polyline you want to use as a path.2. Select the object you want to sweep, and then select the new polyline.3. On the Draw menu, point to Sweep, and then click Along Path.

The Sweep Along Path dialog box appears.4. Type the angle of the twist in the path.

This is the number of degrees the profile will rotate as it is swept through the complete path. 5. Type the draft angle.

This is the angle to which the profile is expanded or contracted as it is swept.

Extended The new object will have sharp edges like the original object. The facetting of the faces will be displayed.

Round The new object will have rounded edges.

Natural The new object will have sharp edges like the original object

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6. Select one of the following draft types from the pull-down list box:

The object is swept along the path. The polyline object used as the path is deleted. The new object has the properties of the original object. The Properties dialog box appears, enabling you to modify the object’s properties.

7. Click OK.

Sweeping Faces Along NormalTo create a new object by sweeping select 3D object’s face a specified distance in a direction nor-mal to its original plane, use the Modeler>Surface>Sweep Faces Along Normal command. Note that the adjoining faces will not be sheared or bent.This command is useful for extruding faces, resizing holes, and removing rounded corners.To sweep selected object faces in a normal direction:1. Click Select Faces on the shortcut menu.2. Select the faces of the object you want to sweep.3. Click Modeler>Surface>Sweep Faces Along Normal. 4. The Sweep Faces Along Normal dialog box appears.5. Type the distance you want to sweep the object face from its origin. 6. Click OK.

The face is swept the distance you specified to create a new object.

Related TopicsMoving Faces Along the Normal

Thicken SheetTo thicken a sheet object to make a 3D object:1. Select the sheet.2. Click Modeler>Surface>Thicken Sheet.

The Thicken Sheet dialog appears.3. Specify the thickness by typing in the field.4. Specify the units by selecting from the drop down menu.5. If you want to thicken both sides, use the checkbox.6. Click OK.

The dialog closes and the sheet is changed into a 3D object of the desired thickeness.

Extended The new object will have sharp edges like the original object. The facetting of the faces will be displayed.

Round The new object will have rounded edges.

Natural The new object will have sharp edges like the original object

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Covering LinesTo cover a closed 1D polyline object with a face, use the Modeler>Surface>Cover Lines com-mand. The polyline object becomes a 2D sheet object.To convert a polyline object to a sheet object:1. Select the closed polyline object you want to cover.2. On the Modeler menu, point to Surface, and then click Cover Lines.

The object is now covered. It is now a 2D sheet object that can be swept to form a 3D solid object.

Covering FacesTo cover the face of a 2D or 3D object, use the Modeler>Surface>Cover Faces command.To cover the faces of objects: 1. Select the faces of the objects you want to cover.2. On the Modeler menu, point to Surface, and then click Cover Faces.

The object faces are now covered.

Uncovering FacesUncover a surface of a 3D object using the Modeler>Surface>Uncover Faces command. Uncov-ering the surface of a 3D solid object results in an open 2D sheet object.To uncover the face of a 3D object: 1. Switch to face selection mode: On the Edit menu, point to Select, and then click Faces.2. Select a face of the object you want to uncover.3. On the Modeler menu, point to Surface, and then click Uncover Faces.

The selected face is uncovered, leaving an open face on the object.

Detaching FacesThe Modeler>Surface>Detach Faces command enables you to remove the face of a 3D object, resulting in two separate objects.To detach the face of an object:1. Switch to face selection mode: On the Edit menu, point to Select, and then click Faces.2. Select the face of the object you want to detach. You can select multiple faces to detach.3. On the Modeler menu, point to Surface, and then click Detach Faces.

Note If you want HFSS to automatically cover all closed polyline objects you draw, including circles, ellipses, rectangles, and regular polygons, select the Automatically cover closed polylines option in the 3D Modeler Options dialog box.

Note You can uncover one face of a 3D object at a time. If you select multiple faces, only the first face will be uncovered.

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The selected face is now detached, resulting in two 2D sheet objects.

Creating a Cross-SectionYou can take a cross-section of a 3D object to create a new 2D object. This is done using the Mod-eler>Surface>Section command.Use this command to create cross-sections of 3D objects on the xy, yz, or xz plane. The cross-sec-tions are created as 2D closed polyline objects. To create a cross-section of an object:1. Make sure the working coordinate system you want to use for the cross-sectioning plane is set.2. Select the object from which you want to create a cross-section.3. On the Modeler menu, point to Surface, and then click Section. 4. Select the section plane you will use to divide the object: XY, YZ, or ZX.5. Click OK.

A closed polyline object is created from the object that was sliced by the selected axis. The original, sectioned object is unmodified.

Related TopicsSetting the Working Coordinate System

Connecting ObjectsUse the Modeler>Surface>Connect command to perform the following operations:• Connect two or more 1D polyline objects. HFSS will modify the first polyline you select to be

a 2D sheet object that connects to the second and any subsequently selected polylines. The sec-ond and subsequent polylines selected are deleted.

• Connect two or more 2D sheet objects. HFSS will modify the first 2D object you select to be a 3D solid object that connects to the second and any subsequently selected objects. The second and subsequent objects selected are deleted.

To connect objects:1. Select the objects you want to connect.2. On the Modeler menu, point to Surface, and then click Connect.

A new object is created that connects the objects you selected. The first object you selected was modified to create the new object and all subsequently selected objects were deleted.

Moving FacesYou can move the faces of a 3D object in a normal direction using the Modeler>Surface>Move Faces commands. Moving object faces enables you to resize, reshape, or relocate an object.

Related TopicsMoving Faces Along the NormalMoving Faces Along a VectorOffsetting Objects

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Moving Faces Along the NormalTo move a 3D object’s face a specified distance in a direction normal to its original plane, use the Modeler>Surface>Move Faces>Along Normal command. The faces that adjoin the original face are extended or shortened along their own planes to meet the new face. Note that the adjoining faces will not be sheared or bent.This command is useful for extruding faces, resizing holes, and removing rounded corners, as shown below.To move an object face in a normal direction:1. Click Select Faces on the shortcut menu.2. Select the face of the object you want to move.3. Click Modeler>Surface>Move Faces>Along Normal. 4. The Move Faces Along Normal dialog box appears.5. Type the distance you want to move the object face from its origin. 6. Click OK.

The face will be moved the distance you specified.

To move every face of an object normal to its surface, use the Edit>Arrange>Offset command.

Moving Faces Along a VectorTo move the faces of a 3D object a specified distance along a vector use the Modeler>Sur-face>Move Faces>Along Vector command. Each selected face is moved along the vector, normal to its original plane. The faces that adjoin the original face are extended or shortened along their own planes to meet the new face. Note that the adjoining faces will not be sheared or bent.This command is useful for relocating holes in an object, as shown below.To move an object face along a vector:1. Click Select Faces on the shortcut menu.2. Select the face of the object you want to move.3. Click Modeler>Surface>Move Faces>Along Vector.4. Specify the vector along which the face will be moved:

Removing Rounded CornersResizing HolesExtruding Faces

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a. Select an arbitrary anchor point in one of the following ways:• Click the point.• Type the point’s coordinates in the in the X, Y, and Z boxes.Any point in the drawing region can be selected; however, selecting an anchor point on the object’s edge or within the object makes it easier to select the vector.

b. Select a second point in one of the following ways:• Click the point.• Type the coordinates of a point relative to the anchor point in the dX, dY, and dZ

boxes, where d is the distance from the previously selected point. This point defines the direction and distance from the anchor point to move the face.

The face is moved along the vector you specified.

To move every face of an object normal to its surface, use the Edit>Arrange>Offset command.

Uniting ObjectsTo join two or more objects into one object, use the Modeler>Boolean>Unite command. The new object has the name, color, boundary, and material assignment of the first object selected. The objects are united at the point of intersection.To unite two or more objects:1. Select the objects you want to join.2. On the Modeler menu, point to Boolean, and then click Unite .

The objects are united.

Note By default, the objects being joined to the first object selected are not preserved for later use. If you want to keep a copy of the objects being joined to the first object selected, do one of the following:• Copy the objects, and then paste them back into the design after uniting them. • Select Clone before unite in the 3D Modeler Options dialog box. This option

instructs HFSS to always keep a copy of the original objects being joined.

Relocating Holes

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Subtracting Objects1. Select the object from which you want to subtract other objects.2. Hold down the Ctrl key and select the objects you want to subtract.3. On the Modeler menu, point to Boolean, and then click Subtract .

The Subtract dialog box appears. Objects listed in the Tool Parts list will be subtracted from the object or objects listed in the Blank Parts list.

4. Optionally, select an object name in either list and use the left and right arrow buttons to move the object name to the opposite list. • Alternatively, type the name of object you want to subtract in the empty text box below

the Tool Parts list, and then type the name of the object from which you want to subtract it in the empty text box below the Blank Parts list.

5. Optionally, select Clone tool objects before subtract. This instructs HFSS to always keep a copy of the original objects being subtracted.

6. Click OK.

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The new object retains the name, color, and material of the first object selected.

Creating Objects from IntersectionsTo create a new object from the intersection of two or more objects, use the Modeler>Bool-ean>Intersect command.To create an object from an intersection:1. Select the objects from which you want to take the intersection.

2. On the Modeler menu, point to Boolean, and then click Intersect .The original objects vanish, leaving only the new object that was formed from their intersec-

Note By default, the objects being subtracted from the first object selected are not preserved for later use. If you want to keep a copy of the objects being subtracted from the first object selected, do one of the following:• Copy the objects, and then paste them back into the design after subtracting them. • Select Clone before subtract in the 3D Modeler Options dialog box. This option

instructs HFSS to always keep a copy of the original objects being subtracted.

Warning If the objects you selected do not overlap, the result is a null object and both objects vanish.

An intersecting box and cylinder. A box subtracted from a cylinder.The cylinder was selected first.

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tion.

Creating an Object from a FaceThe Modeler>Surface>Create Object from Face command copies a selected face, resulting in a new 2D sheet object. To create a new object from a face:1. Click Select Faces on the shortcut menu.2. Select the object face you want to copy. You can select multiple faces and each will become a

new object.3. On the Modeler menu, point to Surface, and then click Create Object from Face.

Note By default, the original intersecting objects are not preserved for later use. If you want to keep a copy of the objects that intersect the first object selected, do one of the following:• Copy the objects, and then paste them back into the design after creating the new

object from the intersection. • Select Clone before intersect in the 3D Modeler Options dialog box. This option

instructs HFSS to always keep a copy of the original objects that intersect the first object selected.

Object formed fromthe intersection of thebox and cylinder.

An intersecting box and cylinder.

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The face is copied, resulting in a new 2D sheet object.

Creating an Object from an EdgeUse this command to create wire bodies from edges. 1. Enter edge selection mode and select an edge.

The edge is highlighted.2. Click Modeler>Create Object From Edge.

This creates a new line object from the edge. The resulting object appears in the history tree as a line object named ObjectfromEdgeN.

Splitting ObjectsTo an object or objects that lie on the xy, yz, or xz plane, use the Modeler>Boolean>Split com-mand. 1. Select the object you want to split. You can select more than one.2. On the Modeler menu, point to Boolean, and then click Split .

The Split dialog box appears.3. Select the Split plane that you will use to split the objects.4. Select the object fragments you want to keep:

• those on the positive side of the selected plane, • those on the negative side of the plane, or • all pieces on both sides of the plane.

5. Select the Split Option you want to use:• Split entire selection (the default) - if you have multiple objects selected, all objects are

split regardless of whether they cross the split plane.• Split objects crossing split plane.- if you have multiple objects selected, only those objects

that cross the split plane are split.6. Click OK.

Hint This command is useful for assigning a boundary to the intersection of two faces. To do this, first select the faces, and then create an object from them using the procedure above. Next, make sure the Clone before intersect option is clear in the 3D Modeler Options window, and then use the Modeler>Boolean>Intersect command to modify the object so that it includes only the intersection of the two faces. Then assign the boundary to the new object.

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The objects are divided as specified. Any objects that become null are deleted.

Separating BodiesTo separate an object with multiple lumps into individual bodies:1. Select the object you want to separate.2. On the Modeler menu, point to Boolean, and then click Separate Bodies.

A cylinder split along thepositive side of the yz plane.

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The object is separated.

Converting Polyline SegmentsA polyline is a single object that includes any combination of straight line, arc line, or spline seg-ments. You can convert a polyline segment from one type to another. The following conversions are supported:• Straight line segments to arc line or spline segments.• Arc line segments to straight line or spline segments.• Spline segments to straight line segments. To convert polyline segments:1. In the history tree, locate the polyline that contains the segment you want to convert. Expand

this part of the history tree.2. In the history tree, right-click the polyline segment operation you want to change, and then

click Properties.3. In the Properties dialog box, click in the Value text box of the Segment Type row.4. Select the desired polyline segment type from the pull-down list.

The polyline segment you selected is changed to the new type.

Note Converting an arc line or spline segment to a straight line segment results in two straight line segments; one segment is created between the start point and midpoint and one segment is created between the midpoint and endpoint.

This figure shows two separate bodies, each with one lump, that were created from one object.

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Rounding the Edge of Objects (Fillet Command)To round the edge of an object:1. Select the edge you want to change.

This highlights the edge and enables the Fillet command.Click 3D Model>Fillet or click the fillet icon .The Fillet Properties dialog is displayed.

2. Enter a value for the Fillet Radius in the text field and select units from the drop down menu. The default is millimeters.

3. Enter a value for the setback distance.The setback distance controls the shape of the vertex. It is the distance of the cross curve from the vertex at the end of the edge. If it is less than the fillet radius it has no effect. You will get an error if it is greater then the length of the edge.

4. Click OK to apply the change to the edge.The dialog closes and the object is rounded by the radius value relative to the edge you selected.

Flattening the Edge of Objects (Chamfer Command)To flatten the edge of an object.1. Select the edge you want to change.

This highlights the edge and enables the Chamfer command.Click 3D Model>Chamfer or click the chamfer icon .The Chamfer Properties dialog is displayed.

2. Enter a value for the Chamfer Value in the text field and select units from the drop down menu. The default is millimeters.

3. Click OK to apply the change to the edge.The dialog closes and the object is rounded by the radius value relative to the edge you selected.

Purge HistoryEach object is a sequence of modeler-based operations. The history for each object is shown under its name in the model tree. You can use the Purge History command to remove the history of oper-ations while not affecting the geometry itself. This is useful when you wish to perform healing operations on the object.1. Select the object.2. Select Modeler>Purge History.

The history for the model is purged, and the context for the Undo and Redo commands is updated.

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Related TopicsWorking with the History TreeGenerate History

Generate HistoryIf a polyline object is imported or history was previously purged, you can click on the polyline object and select Generate History to reproduce the individual line segments used to create the polyline in the model history tree.

Related TopicsPurge HistoryDraw Polyline

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Selecting Items in the 3D Modeler WindowTo modify or learn more about an item’s properties, you must first select it. All commands you choose while an item is selected are performed on or in reference to the selected item.

What selection mode do you want to use?• Select Objects.• Select Faces.• Select Edges.• Select Vertices.• Select Multi (a mode for selecting objects, faces, edges or vertices)• Coordinates in the drawing space.

Selecting ObjectsBy default, HFSS is in object selection mode. Simply click an object in the view window or an object name in the history tree and it will be selected. All other objects become relatively transpar-ent. When the mouse hovers over an object in the view window, that object is highlighted, which indi-cates that it will be selected when you click. Selected objects become the color specified under the Display tab of the 3D Modeler Options dialog box. Tooltips, as you hover the cursor over an entity, indicate the type/ID of entity (object name in the case of objects, Face_id in the case of faces, and so on). This feature helps you distinguish between face-of-sheet-object pick versus sheet-object pick. By clicking the If HFSS is not currently in object selection mode, you can switch to it using one of the following methods:• Press the shortcut key O.• Right-click in the view window, and then click Select Objects.• On the Edit menu, point to Select, and then click Objects.• Select Object from the pull-down list in the 3D Modeler Selection toolbar.

Related TopicsSelecting SeveralObjectsSelecting Objects by NameSelecting All Faces of an ObjectCreating an Object ListSelecting the Face or Object BehindSelect Edges.Select Vertices.Select Multi (a mode for selecting objects, faces, edges or vertices)

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Selecting Several Objects1. Make sure that HFSS is in object selection mode by pressing the shortcut key O.2. Select several objects in one of the following ways:

• In the View window, hold down CTRL and click the objects that you want to select.• In the History tree, hold down CTRL and click the object names that you want to select. • In the History tree, select a range of objects by first clicking one object to select it, and

then Shift-click to extend the selection of visible items. • Click Edit>Select All to select all objects that were drawn in the active view window,

including objects that are not currently visible. • In the History tree, under Lists, select AllObjects. This is an automatically created list that

lets you selects all object.• Press CTRL+A or click Edit>Select All Visible to select all objects that are visible in the

active view window.Selected objects become the color that is specified for selected objects under the Display tab of the 3D Modeler Options dialog box. Use Tools>Options.3D Modeler Options to display the dialog and set the default color. By default, the selected objects are opaque and all other objects become relatively transparent.The settings for the relative opacity and transparency of selected and non-selected objects appear in the 3D UI Options dialog box. Use View>Options to display the 3D UI Options dialog.

Selecting Objects by Name1. Make sure that HFSS is in object selection mode by pressing the shortcut key O.2. On the Edit menu, point to Select, and then click By Name or in the toolbar, select

Object from the drop-down menu to the right of the icon, and click the icon.The Select Object dialog box appears.

3. In the Name list, click the name of the object you want to select. Use the Ctrl key to select more than one.• Alternatively, type the name of an object you want to select in the empty text box.

4. Click OK.The object is selected.

Setting the Default Color and Transparency of Selected ObjectsTo set the color of objects when they are selected:1. On the Tools menu, point to Options, and then click 3D Modeler options.2. Click the Display tab.3. Click Select on the Default color pull-down list.4. Click the color button beside the Default color pull-down list.

The Color palette appears.

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5. Select a color from the Color palette, and then click OK.Any objects you select after this point will temporarily become the default color you selected.

By default, HFSS shows selected objects as nearly opaque and shows non-selected objects as nearly transparent. This features helps you distinguish between selected and non-selected objects.To set the transparency of selected and non-selected objects:1. On the View menu, select Options.

The 3D UI Options dialog appears. The When there is a selection region contains check-boxes for setting the transparency for selected and non-selected objects.Click the checkbox for the value you want to change.This enables the value field. The default transparency for selected objects is 0.1, which makes them almost opaque. The default transparency for non-selected objects is 0.9, which makes them highly transparent.

2. Enter a new value, and click OK to apply the new transparency values.

Setting the Default Color of Highlighted Objects1. On the Tools menu, point to Options, and then click 3D Modeler options.2. Click the Display tab.3. Click Highlight on the Default color pull-down list.4. Click the color button beside the Default color pull-down list.

The Color palette appears.5. Select a color from the Color palette, and then click OK.

After this point, the outlines of objects you hover over with the mouse will temporarily become the default color you selected.

Creating an Object ListCreate an object list when you want to define a list of objects. Creating an object list is a convenient way to identify and select a group of objects for a field plot or calculation. Objects in a list can still be treated as separate objects. The same object can be included in several different lists. To create an object list:1. Make sure that HFSS is in object selection mode by pressing the shortcut key O.2. Select the objects you want to include in the list.3. Click Modeler>List>Create>Object List.

The object list is created. It is listed in the history tree under Lists. Selecting an object list dis-plays the properties of that list in the Properties window. One of the properties is a list of objects contained in the list.

The object list will be treated as one volume when you are plotting and performing fields calcula-tions. It will be listed in the Geometry window of the Fields Calculator, when you select Volume. There is an automatically created list called AllObjects. Selecting it selects all objects.

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Example: To plot the E-field on a surface formed by the intersection of the xy-plane and several objects, first define a list of these objects. Then, when plotting fields, select the object list name from the Geometry window of the Fields Calculator. Fields will be plotted only at the intersection of the plane and the objects in the list.Related TopicsReassigning Objects to Another Object List

Reassigning Objects to Another Object ListYou can assign objects after you have created object lists. Creating an object list is a convenient way to identify and select a group of objects for a field plot or calculation. Objects in a list can still be treated as separate objects. The same object can be included in several different lists.To reassign objects in an object list:1. Make sure that HFSS is in object selection mode by pressing the shortcut key O.2. Select the objects you want to reassign.3. Click Modeler>List>Reassign

A dialog with the existing object lists is displayed. (They appear in the history tree under Lists.) One of the Properties in for the List shows the objects contained in the list.

4. Select the list to which you want to assign the select object and click OK.The object is reassigned to the selected list.

The object list will be treated as one volume when you are plotting and performing fields calcula-tions. It will be listed in the Geometry window of the Fields Calculator, when you select Volume.

Related TopicsCreating an Object List

Selecting FacesIf HFSS is in face selection mode, click an object face in the view window to select it. To select multiple faces, hold the CTRL key as you click the faces. You also have the option to create face lists, which define a list of object faces, or you can make face selections from a Face ID list in the By Face dialog.Switch to face selection mode using one of the following methods:• Press the shortcut key F.• Right-click in the view window, and then click Select Faces.• On the Edit menu, point to Select, and then click Faces.• Select Face from the pull-down list to the right of the select objects icon in the 3D

Modeler Selection toolbar.You can also select faces in the Select Multi mode.When the mouse hovers over a face in the view window, that face is highlighted, which indicates that it will be selected when you click. Selected faces become the color specified under the Display

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tab of the 3D Modeler Options dialog box. All other objects and faces become relatively transpar-ent.You can also use the By Face dialog to select from a list of faces associated with an object:1. To use the dialog, no objects should be selected to start.2. On the Edit menu, point to Select, and then click By Face or in the toolbar, select Face

or Multi from the drop-down menu to the right of the icon, and click the icon.This displays the By Face dialog. This contains a list of the available objects.

3. Select an object in the Object Name list.The Face ID list is then populated with the faces in that object.

4. Selecting a face ID from the list highlights the face in the 3D window. Use Ctrl-click to select additional faces, or shift-click to select a range of faces.

Related TopicsSelecting All Faces of an ObjectSelecting the Face or Object BehindSelecting Faces by NameSelecting Faces by PlaneCreating a Face ListFace Selection Toolbar IconsSelect Edges.Select Vertices.Select Multi (a mode for selecting objects, faces, edges or vertices)

Selecting All Faces of an Object1. Optionally, select the object (or objects, faces, edges or vertices) with the faces you want to

select.2. Switch to face selection mode by pressing the shortcut key F.3. If an object is not selected, click a face on the object of interest. 4. On the Edit menu, point to Select, and then click All Object Faces.

• Alternatively, right-click in the view window, and then click All Object Faces on the shortcut menu.

• As another alternative, select use the face selection toolbar icons.All the faces of the object are selected. If you selected multiple objects, all faces of those objects are selected.

Related TopicsSelecting FacesSelecting the Face or Object BehindCreating a Face List

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Face Selection Toolbar Icons

Selecting Faces by Name1. Make sure that HFSS is in face selection mode by pressing the shortcut key F.2. On the Edit menu, point to Select, and then click By Name or in the toolbar, select

Face from the dropdown menu to the right of the object selection icon and click the icon.The Select Face dialog box appears.

3. In the Object name list, click the name of the object with the face you want to select.The object’s faces are listed in the Face ID column.

4. Click the face you want to select in the Face ID column. You can select more than one.The face is selected in the view window.

5. Click OK.

Related TopicsSelecting FacesCreating a Face List

Selecting Faces by PlaneTo select a face that is aligned with a global plane, use one of the following two methods.1. Make sure that HFSS is in face selection mode by pressing the shortcut key F.2. In the History Tree, expand the Planes icon. Left-click on a plane (Global:XY, Global:YZ, or

Global:XZ) to display the selected global plane.3. On the Edit menu, point to Select, and then click Faces on Plane.

The selected faces are highlighted.Alternative method:1. In the History Tree, expand the Planes icon.2. Right-click on a plane (Global:XY, Global:YZ, or Global:XZ) to select the global plane and

display a pull-down menu.3. On the pulldown menu, click Faces on Plane.

The selected faces are highlighted.

Related TopicsSelecting FacesCreating a Face ListSelect Multi (a mode for selecting objects, faces, edges or vertices)

Face Selection Toolbar IconsWhile working on analyzing complex objects, it is sometimes useful to examine faces, edges and vertices. In particular it is useful to find the connected faces for a face or edge or vertex, connected

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edges for a face/edge/vertex and connected vertices for a face/edge/vertex. The additional selection modes are available under Edit->Select and via the toolbar icons.Selecting an object face enables the face selection icons in the toolbar.

You can use these icons to modify the selection:• Select face chain selects faces that touch each other. It allows faces that are part of a "protru-

sion" to be selected.• Select connected faces selects faces connected to the current selection.• Select connected edges selects the edges of the selected face or faces.• Select vertices selects the vertices of the selected face or faces.

Related TopicsSelecting All Faces of an ObjectSelecting the Face or Object BehindSelecting Faces by NameSelecting Faces by PlaneCreating a Face ListSelect Edges.Select Vertices.Select Multi (a mode for selecting objects, faces, edges or vertices)

Creating a Face ListCreate a face list when you want to define a list of object faces. Creating a face list is a convenient way to identify and select a specific set of surfaces for a field plot or calculation. The same face can be included in several different lists. To create a face list:1. Make sure that HFSS is in face selection mode by pressing the shortcut key F.2. Select the object faces you want to include in the face list.3. Click Modeler>List>Create>Face List.

The face list is created. It is listed in the history tree under Lists.

Select connected vertices

Select connected edges

Select connected facesSelect face chain

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The face list will be treated as one selection of surfaces when you are plotting and performing fields calculations. The face list will be listed in the Geometry window of the Fields Calculator, when you select Surface.

Selecting EdgesIf HFSS is in edge selection mode, simply click an object’s edge in the view window and it will be selected. To select multiple edges, hold the CTRL key as you click the edges.When the mouse hovers over an edge in the view window, that edge is highlighted, which indicates that it will be selected when you click. Selected edges become the color specified under the Display tab of the 3D Modeler Options dialog box. All other objects become relatively transparent.Switch to edge selection mode using one of the following methods:• From the menu bar, click Edit>Select>Edges• Press the “E” key to enter edge selection mode.• Select Edge from the pull-down list in the 3D Modeler Selection toolbar.Selecting an edge enables the following toolbar icons.

You can use these icons to modify the current selection.• Select edge chain selects the edges that touch the selected edge.• Select connected faces selects faces touching to the current selection.• Select connected edges selects the edges that touch the current selection.• Select vertices selects the vertices of the selected edge or edges.

Related TopicsSelecting All Faces of an ObjectSelecting the Face or Object BehindSelecting Faces by NameSelecting Faces by PlaneCreating a Face ListSelect EdgesSelect Vertices

Select connected vertices

Select connected edges

Select connected faces

Select edge chain

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Select Multi (a mode for selecting objects, faces, edges or vertices)

Selecting VerticesIf HFSS is in vertex selection mode, simply click an object’s vertex in the view window and it will be selected. To select multiple vertices, hold the CTRL key as you click the vertices.When the mouse hovers over a vertex in the view window, that vertex is highlighted, which indi-cates that it will be selected when you click. Selected vertices become the color specified under the Display tab of the 3D Modeler Options dialog box. All other objects become relatively transpar-ent.Switch to vertex selection mode using one of the following methods:• On the Edit menu, point to Select, and then click Vertices.• Press the “V” key to enter vertex selection mode.• Select Vertex from the pull-down list in the 3D Modeler Selection toolbar.Selecting a vertex enables the following selection icons.

You can use these icons to modify the current selection.• Select connected faces selects faces touching to the current selection.• Select connected edges selects the edges that touch the current selection.• Select vertices selects the vertices of edges that touch the current selection.

Related TopicsSelecting All Faces of an ObjectSelecting the Face or Object BehindSelecting Faces by NameSelecting Faces by PlaneCreating a Face ListSelect EdgesSelect VerticesSelect Multi (a mode for selecting objects, faces, edges or vertices)

Select connected vertices

Select connected edges

Select connected faces

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Selecting Multi (a Mode for Selecting Objects, Faces, Vertices or Edges)The Select Multi mode permits you to select objects, faces, vertices, or edges, depending on where you click. This very useful in conjunction with Measure Mode, for measing the distances between different entities. Enter Select Multi mode by one of the following methods:• Press the shortcut key M.• Right-click in the view window, and then click Select Multi.• On the Edit menu, point to Select, and then click Multi.• Select Multi from the pull-down list in the 3D Modeler Selection toolbar.With Multi mode active:• To select a vertex, click near a vertex, within 10 pixel radius. • To select an edge, click near an edge (and 10 pixels away from vertex). • To select an object, click little farther from edge, between 10 and 20 pixels. • To select a face, click anywhere else on the interior of face. Tooltips, as you hover the cursor over an entity, indicate the type/ID of entity (object name in the case of objects, Face_id in the case of faces, and so on). This feature helps you distinguish between face-of-sheet-object pick versus sheet-object pick. By holding down the Ctrl key, you can make multiple selections.Controlling the Selection in Multi ModeYou can control the behavior of this mode by clicking Edit>Select Multi Mode Settings. This dis-plays a dialog with check boxes for Object, Face, Edge, and Vertex. Unchecking a box cancels the selection behavior for that category.You can also control the behavior of this mode by clicking the icons for Object, Face, Edge, and Vertex to the right of the Multi mode selection menu. To add the Mult Mode selection menu and icons to the toolbar:1. Select Tools>Customize.

This displays the Customize dialog with the Toolbars tab selected.2. Select 3D Modeler Selection mode from the toolbars list by checking it.

This adds the Mode selection menu and icons to the toolbar.

You can also add the Mode selection menus from the Commands tab by selecting 3D Modeler Selection from the Category list, and dragging the icons to the toolbar.

3. When Mult is selected as the mode, you can enable or disable Object, Face, Edge, or Vertex selection by clicking the associated icon.

Related TopicsSelecting All Faces of an Object

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Selecting the Face or Object BehindSelecting Faces by NameSelecting Faces by PlaneCreating a Face ListSelect EdgesSelect VerticesSelecting the Face or Object BehindClearing a SelectionMeasure Modes

Clearing a SelectionTo clear an object, face, edge, or vertex selection, do one of the following:• Click the view window at a point where an object does not exist.• To clear an object selection, click a point away from the object name in the history tree.• On the Edit menu, click Deselect All.• Press Shift+Ctrl+A.

The items are no longer selected.

Selecting the Face or Object BehindTo select the face or object behind a selected face or object, do one of the following:• On the Edit menu, point to Select, and then click Next Behind.• Right-click in the view window and click Next Behind.• Press the shortcut key B. • Press Ctrl+B.This option is useful when you are trying to select a face or object that is in the interior of a model, or when you do not want to change the model view to select a face or object.

Selecting Cartesian CoordinatesTo select a point using Cartesian coordinates, type the point’s distance from the origin in the x, y, and z directions in the X, Y, and Z text boxes, respectively. When selecting a second point, specify its distance from the previously selected point in the x, y, and z directions in the dX, dY, and dZ text boxes, respectively. 1. After clicking the desired drawing command, select Cartesian from the pull-down list in the

status bar.2. Type the point’s x-, y-, and z-coordinates in the X, Y, and Z text boxes.

Hint Press Tab to move from one coordinate text box to the next. Press Ctrl+Tab to move to the previous coordinate text box.

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• Alternatively, click the point in the view window.3. When drawing objects other than polylines and helices, the second point you select is relative

to the first point. Type the second point’s distance from the previously selected point in the x, y, and z directions in the dX, dY, and dZ text boxes, respectively.

Related TopicsSelecting Cylindrical CoordinatesSelecting Spherical Coordinates

Selecting Cylindrical CoordinatesTo select a point using cylindrical coordinates, specify the point’s radius, measured from the origin, in the R text box, the angle from the x-axis in the Theta text box, and the distance from the origin in the z direction in the Z text box. When selecting a second point, specify its distance from the pre-viously selected point in the in dR, dTheta, and dZ text boxes.1. After clicking the desired drawing command, select Cylindrical from the pull-down list in the

status bar.2. Type the point’s r-, theta-, and z-coordinates in the R, Theta, and Z boxes.

• Alternatively, click the point in the view window.3. When drawing objects other than polylines and helices, the second point you select is relative

to the first point. Type the second point’s distance from the previously selected point in the dR, dTheta, and dZ text boxes.

Related TopicsSelecting Cartesian CoordinatesSelecting Spherical Coordinates

Selecting Spherical CoordinatesTo select a point in spherical coordinates, specify the point’s radius, measured from the origin, in the Rho text box, the angle from the x-axis in the Theta text box, and the angle from the origin in the z direction in the Phi text box. When selecting a second point, specify its distance from the pre-viously selected point in the in dRho, dTheta, and dPhi text boxes.1. After clicking the desired drawing command, select Spherical from the pull-down list in the

status bar.2. Type the point’s r-, theta-, and phi-coordinates in the Rho, Theta, and Phi text boxes in the

status bar.

Hint Press Tab to move from one coordinate text box to the next. Press Ctrl+Tab to move to the previous coordinate text box.

Hint Press Tab to move from one coordinate text box to the next. Press Ctrl+Tab to move to the previous coordinate text box.

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• Alternatively, click the point in the view window.3. When drawing objects other than polylines and helices, the second point you select is relative

to the first point. Type the second point’s distance from the previously selected point in the dRho, dTheta, and dPhi text boxes.

Related TopicsSelecting Cartesian CoordinatesSelecting Cylindrical CoordinatesSelecting Relative CoordinatesSelecting Absolute Coordinates

Selecting Absolute CoordinatesWhen entering a point’s coordinates, you can specify them in absolute or relative coordinates. Absolute coordinates are relative to the working coordinate system’s origin (0, 0, 0). This is the default setting for the first point you select after clicking a drawing command. Relative coordinates are relative to the reference point, or the previously selected point.To enter a point’s absolute coordinates:1. Click the desired drawing command. 2. Select Absolute from the Absolute/Relative pull-down list in the status bar.3. Specify the point’s coordinates in one of the following ways:

• Click the point.• Type the point’s coordinates in the appropriate text boxes in the status bar.

Related TopicsSelecting Relative Coordinates

Selecting Relative CoordinatesWhen entering a point’s coordinates, you can specify them in absolute or relative coordinates. Rel-ative coordinates are relative to the reference point, or the previously selected point. Absolute coor-dinates are relative to the working coordinate system’s origin (0, 0, 0).To enter a point’s relative coordinates:1. Click the desired drawing command. 2. Select Relative from the Absolute/Relative pull-down list in the status bar.3. Specify the point’s coordinates in one of the following ways:

• Click the point.

Note When drawing objects other than polylines and helices, by default, the second point you select is relative to the first point; Relative is automatically selected in the Absolute/Relative pull-down list in the status bar. Be sure to select Absolute from the Absolute/Relative pull-down list in the status bar if you want the second point to be relative to the working coordinate system.

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• Type the point’s coordinates in the appropriate text boxes in the status bar.

Related TopicsSelecting Absolute Coordinates

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Choosing the Movement ModeWhen drawing objects, the cursor’s location is always relative to a reference point. The reference point is displayed with a mini xyz-axis:

To change the reference point, move the cursor to the desired point and press Ctrl+Enter.You can move the cursor to one of the following points:• In the same plane as the reference point (in-plane movement mode).• Perpendicular to the reference point (out-of-plane movement mode).• If an object is present to snap to a point in 3D space (3D movement mode).• Along the x-axis.• Along the y-axis.• Along the z-axis.

Moving the Cursor In PlaneTo move the cursor to a point on the same plane as the reference point1. Click the desired drawing command.2. Do one of the following:

• On the 3D Model menu, point to Movement Mode, and then click In Plane.• Click In Plane in the movement mode pull-down list in the 3D Modeler Draw toolbar.

The next point you select will be on the same plane as the reference point.

Moving the Cursor Out of PlaneTo move the cursor to a point perpendicular to the reference point:

The cursor’s location, displayed with a black diamond that indicatesit has snapped to the grid, is on the same plane as the reference point.

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• After clicking the desired drawing command, on the 3D Model menu, point to Movement Mode, and then click Out of Plane.A dashed line is displayed between the reference point and the cursor’s location, which is now perpendicular to the reference point.

Moving the Cursor in 3D SpaceTo move the cursor to a point in 3D space relative to the reference point:1. Click the desired drawing command.2. Do one of the following:

• On the 3D Model menu, point to Movement Mode, and then click 3D.• Click 3D in the movement mode pull-down list in the 3D Modeler Draw toolbar.

If an object is within snapping range, the cursor will snap to the nearest point in 3D space occupied by the object. If an object is not within snapping range, 3D movement mode is identical to the in-plane

The cursor’s location, displayed with a black diamond that indicatesit has snapped to a grid point, is perpendicular to the reference point.

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movement mode.

Moving the Cursor Along the X-AxisTo move the cursor to a point away from the reference point in the x direction:1. Click the desired drawing command.2. Do one of the following:

• On the 3D Model menu, point to Movement Mode, and then click Along X Axis.• Hold the shortcut key X.• Click Along X Axis in the movement mode pull-down list in the 3D Modeler Draw tool-

bar:

The next point you select will be on the same plane as the reference point in the positive or negative x direction.

The cursor’s location, displayed by a circle that indicates it has snapped to a face center,is (0.5, 0.5, 1.0), a point in 3D space relative to the reference point.

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Moving the Cursor Along the Y-AxisTo move the cursor to a point away from the reference point in the y direction:1. Click the desired drawing command.2. Do one of the following:

• On the 3D Model menu, point to Movement Mode, and then click Along Y Axis.• Hold the shortcut key Y.• Click Along Y Axis in the movement mode pull-down list in the 3D Modeler Draw tool-

bar:

The next point you select will be on the same plane as the reference point in the positive or negative y direction.

Moving the Cursor Along the Z-AxisTo move the cursor to a point away from the reference point in the z direction:1. Click the desired drawing command.2. Do one of the following:

• On the 3D Model menu, point to Movement Mode, and then click Along Z Axis.• Hold the shortcut key Z.• Click Along Z Axis in the movement mode pull-down list in the 3D Modeler Draw tool-

bar:

The next point you select will be on the same plane as the reference point in the positive or negative z direction.

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Choosing Snap SettingsBy default, the selection point and graphical objects are set to "snap to", or adhere to, a point on the grid when the cursor hovers over it. The coordinates of this point are used, rather than the exact location of the mouse. The cursor changes to the shape of the snap mode when it is being snapped. To change the snap settings for the active design, you can use either the Modeler menu or the tool-bar icons :1. On the Modeler menu, click Snap Mode or click the toolbar icons.

If you select the menu command, the Snap Mode window appears.2. Specify the snap mode settings you want.• If you want the cursor to snap to a point on the grid, select Grid or the icon .• To snap to a vertex, select Vertex or the icon .• To snap to the center point of an edge, select Edge Center or the icon . The center point

may be on a 1D, 2D, or 3D object edge.• To snap to the center of an object face, select Face Center or the icon . • To snap to the nearest quarter point on an edge, select Quadrant or the icon .• To snap to the center of an arc, select Arc Center or the icon .

When the cursor snaps to a point, it will change to one of the following snap mode shapes:

Related TopicsSnap Setting Guidelines

Note By default, the mouse is set to snap to the grid, a vertex, an edge center, a face center, and the nearest quadrant. To modify the default snap settings for the active design and all new designs, modify the selections under the Drawing tab in the 3D Modeler Options dialog box.

Face Center

Vertex

Grid

Edge Center

Quadrant

Arc Center

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Snap Setting GuidelinesIn general, select at least one of the snap options in the Snap Mode window. If none of these options are selected, the software is in "free mode" and selects whatever point you click, regardless of its coordinates. This can cause problems when you are trying to create closed objects. Although the point you select may appear to be the vertex point of an open object, you may not have actually clicked the exact coordinates of the point.

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Measure Modes for ObjectsThe Measure modes lets you measure the position, length, area, and volume of objects. With two faces selected, with two edges selected, or with an edge and a face selected, the Measure Mode dis-plays the angle and distance between them. The Measure Position mode dynamically measures the distance between a reference point and the cursor location.1. To access the Measure mode, either:

• Select Modeler>Measure.• Right-click and select Measure from the short-cut menu. After you select Measure, a cascading menu appears for Position, Edge, Face and Object.

2. Select Position to obtain location and distance formation between a specified reference point and the cursor location. The Measure Information dialog box appears.With Measure>Position selected, the information displayed includes:• The location of the reference point. (Position1)• The current cursor location. (Position2)• The distance between the Reference and Current location.• The X distance.• The Y distance.• The Z distance.With Measure>Edge, Face, or Object selected, the information displayed for each selected object is the name and:• The area and volume of a 3D object.• The area of a face.• The length of an edge.• The location of a vertex.For more information on cursor and reference point behavior in this mode, see Measuring Position and Distance

3. To use Measure>Edge, Face, or Object to measure the distance and angle between two selected items:• Select two points. Click the first and Ctrl-click to select the second.

The Measure Information dialog displays the coordinates of each point, the distance between the pointsm and the angle between Origin-P1, Origin-P2 line.

• Select two faces, the Measure Information dialog displays the angle/distance between them.

• The function is similar when you select two edges and when you select an edge and a face. • You can also measure distance between vertex/face, vertex/edge. In these cases, use the

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Select Multi mode.4. To exit the Measure mode, click Close on the Measure Information dialog.

Related TopicsMeasuring Position and DistanceSetting Coordinate SystemsModifying the Coordinate System Axes ViewChoosing Snap SettingsChoosing Movement Mode (3D, in plane, X, Y, or Z)Select Multi (a mode for selecting objects, faces, edges or vertices)

Measuring Position and DistanceTo measure the distance between any cursor location relative to a designated reference point: • Select Modeler>Measure>Position.

This enables the Measure Position mode opens the Measure Data dialog. The dialog lists the coordinates of the current reference point (Position1)and the cursor location (Position2). It also lists the distance between those points, and the X, Y, and Z distances.The shortcut menu displays the Hints item. When Hints are on (the default), a text display in the lower right of the 3D Modeler window, explaining how to set the reference point, and ways to control the movement mode.

• The reference point is displayed as a mini x-y-z-axis:

Use Ctrl-Click to set the reference point at a new location.• The cursor leads a diamond-shape selection marker that snaps from grid point to grid point.

The Measure Data dialog also provides a text identification of the current grid points. If you drag the cursor off design objects, by default, it moves in the xy-plane. You can restrict move-ment to in a specific plane, out of plane, or z,x, or y. Besides the context menu for movement, you can also use the X, Y, and Z keys to restrict movement. See Choosing a Movement Mode. for further details.If you drag the selection marker over an object, it follows the 3D surfaces of the object, drop-ping a dashed reference line to a point on the current plane. The cursor changes shape to pro-vide information about the object at the corresponding coordinate. :

To measure the distance between two points:1. Select Modeler>Measure>Position to enter Measure Position mode.2. Ctrl-click to set the reference point.

The reference point display moves to the selected point. This becomes the coordinate for

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Position1 in the Measure Data dialog. 3. Drag the cursor to the second point.

The value of the Position2 dynamically changes as you drag the cursor. You do not need to click. The values shown include:• Distance.• X distance • Y Distance.• Z Distance.

4. To close the dialog box and exit Measure mode, click the Close button.

Related TopicsMeasure Modes for ObjectsSetting Coordinate SystemsModifying the Coordinate System Axes ViewChoosing Snap SettingsChoosing Movement Mode (3D, in plane, X, Y, or Z)Select Multi (a mode for selecting objects, faces, edges or vertices)

Face Center

Vertex

Grid point

Edge Center

Quadrant

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Setting Coordinate SystemsHFSS has three types of coordinate systems that enable you to easily orient new objects: a global coordinate system, a relative coordinate system, and a face coordinate system. Every coordinate system (CS) has an x-axis that lies at a right angle to a y-axis, and a z-axis that is perpendicular to the xy plane. The origin (0,0,0) of every CS is located at the intersection of the x-, y-, and z-axes.The global coordinate system (CS) is the fixed, default CS for each new project. It cannot be edited or deleted.A relative CS is user-defined. Its origin and orientation can be set relative to an existing CS. Rela-tive CSs enable you to easily draw objects that are located relative to other objects. If you modify a relative CS, all objects drawn on that CS will be affected and change position accordingly. You can choose to set a relative CS that is offset from an existing CS, rotated from an existing CS, or both offset and rotated from an existing CS. This feature provides a way for objects made of the same aniostropic materials to have different orientations.A face CS is also user-defined. Its origin is specified on a planar object face. Face CSs enable you to easily draw objects that are located relative to an object’s face.Switch between global, relative, and face CSs by changing the working CS. Simply click the CS you want to use in the history tree. The working CS is indicated by a red W that appears at the lower-left corner of the CS name in the history tree. The Properties dialog box lists the CS associ-ated with an object.User-defined CSs are saved with the active project.

Related TopicsCreating a Relative Coordinate SystemCreating a Face Coordinate SystemSetting the Working Coordinate SystemModifying the Coordinate System Axes ViewAssigning Material Property TypesChange the Orientation of an object

Setting the Working Coordinate SystemThe working coordinate system (CS) is the current CS with which objects being drawn are associ-ated. The working CS can be the global CS or a user-defined relative CS or face CS. Select the working CS by clicking its name in the history tree, or follow this procedure:1. On the Modeler menu, point to Coordinate System, and then click Set Working CS.

The Select Coordinate System window appears.2. Click a CS in the list.3. Click Select.

A red W appears at the lower-left corner of the CS name in the history tree, indicating that it is the working CS.

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Objects that you draw hereafter will be associated with the CS you selected.

Related TopicsSetting Coordinate Systems

Creating a Relative Coordinate SystemWhen creating a relative CS, you have the following options:• You can create an offset relative CS, that is, a relative CS whose origin lies a specified distance

from another CS’s origin. By moving a CS’s origin, you can enter coordinates relative to an existing object, without having to add or subtract the existing object’s coordinates.

• You can create a rotated relative CS, that is, a relative CS whose axes are rotated away from another CS’s axes. By rotating the axes of a CS, you can easily add an object that is turned at an angle relative to another object.

• You can also create a relative CS that is both offset and rotated.

Creating an Offset Relative CSTo create a relative CS with an origin that lies a specified distance from another CS’s origin:1. In the history tree, click the CS upon which you want to base the new relative CS, making it

the working CS.2. Point to Modeler>Coordinate System>Create>Relative CS.3. On the Relative CS menu, click Offset .4. Select the origin in one of the following ways:

• Click the point.• Type the point’s coordinates in the X, Y, and Z boxes.To select a point that does not lie in the current plane, use the Movement Mode commands on the shortcut menu.The new relative CS is created. Its origin has moved from the previous working CS, but its axes remain the same. It is listed in the history tree under Coordinate Systems. It automati-cally becomes the working CS; objects that you draw hereafter will be based on the coordi-nates of this relative CS. Default planes are created on its xy, yz, and xz planes.

Related TopicsCreating a Relative Coordinate SystemCreating an Offset and Rotated Relative CS

Creating a Rotated Relative CSTo create a new relative CS with its axes rotated away from another CS’s axes:1. In the history tree, select the CS upon which you want to base the new relative CS, making it

the working CS.2. Point to Modeler>Coordinate System>Create>Relative CS.3. On the Relative CS menu, click Rotated .

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4. Specify the x-axis by selecting a point on the axis in one of the following ways:• Click the point.• Type the point’s coordinates in the X, Y, and Z boxes.To select a point that does not lie in the current plane, use the Movement Mode commands on the shortcut menu.

5. Specify the xy plane by selecting any point on it in one of the following ways:• Click the point.• Type the coordinates of a point that is relative to the previously selected point in the dX,

dY, and dZ boxes, where d is the distance from the previously selected point.You do not need to specify the z-axis. It is automatically calculated to be at a right angle to the y-axis.The new relative CS is created. It has the same origin as the previous working CS, but its axes are rotated. It is listed in the history tree under Coordinate Systems. It automatically becomes the working CS; objects that you draw hereafter will be based on the coordinates of this rela-tive CS. Default planes are created on its xy, yz, and xz planes.

Related TopicsCreating a Relative Coordinate SystemCreating an Offset and Rotated Relative CS

Creating an Offset and Rotated Relative CSTo create a new relative CS that is both offset and rotated from an existing CS: 1. In the history tree, select the CS upon which you want to base the new relative CS, making it

the working CS.2. Point to Modeler>Coordinate System>Create>Relative CS.3. On the Relative CS menu, click Both .4. Select the origin in one of the following ways:

• Click the point.• Type the point’s coordinates in the X, Y, and Z boxes.To select a point that does not lie in the current plane, use the Movement Mode commands on the shortcut menu.

5. Specify the x-axis by selecting a point on the axis in one of the following ways:• Click the point.• Type the coordinates of a point that is relative to the origin in the dX, dY, and dZ boxes,

where d is the distance from the previously selected point.6. Specify the xy plane by selecting any point on it in one of the following ways:

• Click the point.• Type the coordinates of a point that is relative to the previously selected point in the dX,

dY, and dZ boxes.

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You do not need to specify the z-axis. It is automatically calculated to be at a right angle to the y-axis.The new relative CS is created. It is listed in the history tree under Coordinate Systems. It automatically becomes the working CS; objects that you draw hereafter will be based on the coordinates of this relative CS. Default planes are created on its xy, yz, and xz planes.

Related TopicsCreating a Relative Coordinate System

Creating a Face Coordinate System1. Select the object face upon which you want to create the face CS.

2. Click Modeler>Coordinate System>Create>Face CS .3. Select the origin in one of the following ways:

• Click the point on the face.• Type the point’s coordinates in the X, Y, and Z boxes.

4. Specify the x-axis by selecting a point on the object face in one of the following ways:• Click the point.• Type the coordinates of a point that is relative to the previously selected point in the dX,

dY, and dZ boxes, where d is the distance from the previously selected point.You do not need to specify the y- or z-axes. HFSS assumes that the z-axis is normal to the object face and the y-axis is automatically calculated to be at a right angle to the z-axis.The new face CS is listed in the history tree under Coordinate Systems. It automatically becomes the working CS; objects that you draw hereafter will be referenced to the coordinates of this face CS. Default planes are created on its xy, yz, and xz planes.

Only operations listed in the history tree before the face CS’s creation will affect the face CS, and in turn, affect objects dependent upon that face CS. A face CS, or objects created on it, is not affected by operations that occur after it is created. For example, suppose you create a box, then a face CS on a face of the box, and then a cylinder on the face CS. If you then edit the box’s dimensions in the Properties dialog box, the cylinder will move accordingly. But if you rotate the box using the Edit>Arrange>Rotate command, the box will move, but the cylinder will not move because the operation occurs later in the history tree.

Related TopicsAutomatically Creating Face Coordinate SystemsSetting the Working Coordinate SystemModifying Coordinate SystemsSetting Coordinate Systems

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Automatically Creating Face Coordinate SystemsYou can instruct HFSS to automatically create a new face CS every time you draw on an object’s face. 1. On the Tools menu, point to Options, and then click 3D Modeler Options.

The 3D Modeler Options dialog box appears. 2. Select Automatically switch to face coordinate system.3. Click OK.Now, when you select a face, and then click a drawing command, a new face CS will be created on the face. HFSS automatically sets the new face CS as the working CS. The object you draw is ori-ented according to the new face CS.

Related TopicsCreating a Face Coordinate System

Modifying Coordinate SystemsKeep in mind that when you edit a CS, the following will also be affected:• All objects drawn on the CS.• All CSs that were defined relative to that CS.• All objects drawn on a CS that was defined relative to that CS.

1. On the Modeler menu, point to Coordinate System, and then click Edit.The Select Working CS window appears.

2. Click the CS you want to modify.3. Click Select.4. If you selected a relative CS, follow the directions for creating a relative CS.

If you selected a face CS, follow the directions for creating a face CS.

Related TopicsSetting Coordinate SystemsCreating a Relative Coordinate SystemCreating a Face Coordinate SystemModifying the Coordinate System Axes View

Deleting Coordinate Systems1. Click the name of the CS you want to delete in the history tree.

Note HFSS will not automatically create a new face CS if a face CS has already been assigned to the selected face.

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2. On the Edit menu, click Delete .• Alternatively, press Delete.The CS will be deleted and all objects drawn on it will be deleted. Further, any CS that was dependent upon the deleted CS will be deleted and any objects that were drawn on the depen-dent CS will also be deleted.

Related TopicsSetting Coordinate SystemsCreating a Relative Coordinate SystemCreating a Face Coordinate SystemModifying the Coordinate System Axes View

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6Assigning Boundaries

Boundary conditions specify the field behavior at the edges of the problem region and object inter-faces. You may assign the following types of boundaries to an HFSS design:

Perfect E Represents a perfectly conducting surface.

Perfect H Represents a surface on which the tangential component of the H-field is the same on both sides.

Impedance Represents a resistive surface.

Radiation Represents an open surface from which energy can radiate.

PML Represents several layers of specialized materials that absorb outgoing waves.

Finite Conductivity

Represents an imperfect conductor.

Symmetry Represents a perfect E or perfect H plane of symmetry.

Master Represents a surface on which the E-field at each point is matched to another surface (the slave boundary) to within a phase difference.

Slave Represents a surface on which the E-field at each point has been forced to match the E-field of another surface (the master boundary) to within a phase difference.

Lumped RLC Represents any combination of lumped resistor, inductor, and/or capacitor in parallel on a surface.

Screening Impedance

Represents a boundary condition used to replace a surface a planar screen or grid with periodic geometry.

Layered Impedance

Represents a structure with multiple layers as one impedance surface.

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You may also choose to designate a perfect E, finite conductivity, or impedance boundary as an infinite ground plane if you want the surface to represent an electrically large ground plane when the radiated fields are calculated during post processing.For convenience, you can access the Edit Global Materials command from the Boundaries menu.

Related TopicsTechnical Notes: BoundariesZoom to Selected Boundary

Zoom to Selected BoundaryYou can select on a boundary name in the Project tree, and right-click, the popup menu includes a Zoom to command. This zooms the view in the 3D Modeler view in or out to show the selected boundary. This can be very useful in looking at problem areas.

Setting Default Boundary/Excitation Base NamesTo change the default boundary or excitation base names, so that subsequent names increment from the base of your choosing:1. Click Boundary>Set Default Base Name or Excitation >Set Default Base Name.

This displays the Set Default Boundary/Excitation Base dialog. This contains a list of all boundary and excitation types, and the base names for each. The base names for each type have editable text fields. The base names for boundaries and excitations are incremented from the base names here.

2. Edit the text fields to your preferred naming conventions.3. Click OK to accept the changes or Cancel to close the dialog without accepting changes.If you want to revert all or selected names to Ansoft defaults, use the Revert All or Revert Selected buttons.

Note By default, the history tree in the 3D modeler window groups sheet objects according to boundary assignment. To change this, select the Sheets icon and right-click to display the Group Sheets by Assignment checkbooks.

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Assigning Perfect E BoundariesA perfect E boundary is used to represent a perfectly conducting surface in a structure.1. Select the object or object face to which you want to assign the perfect E boundary.2. Click HFSS>Boundaries>Assign>Perfect E.

The Perfect E Boundary dialog box appears.3. Type the boundary’s name in the Name text box or accept the default name. (To change the

default base name to one of your choosing, see Setting Default Boundary/Excitation Base Names.)

4. Select Infinite Ground Plane if you want the surface to represent an electrically large ground plane when the radiated fields are calculated during post processing.

5. Click OK.The new boundary is listed under Boundaries in the project tree.

Related TopicsTechnical Notes: Perfect E Boundaries

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Assigning Perfect H BoundariesA perfect H boundary represents a surface on which the tangential component of the H-field is the same on both sides. For internal surfaces, this results in a natural boundary through which the field propagates. For surfaces on the outer surface of the model, this results in a boundary that simulates a perfect magnetic conductor in which the tangential component of the H-field is zero.1. Select the object or object face to which you want to assign the perfect H boundary.2. Click HFSS>Boundaries>Assign>Perfect H.

The Perfect H Boundary dialog box appears.3. Type the boundary’s name in the Name text box or accept the default name. (To change the

default base name to one of your choosing, see Setting Default Boundary/Excitation Base Names.)

4. Click OK.The new boundary is listed under Boundaries in the project tree.

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Assigning Impedance BoundariesAn impedance boundary represents a resistive surface. The behavior of the field at the surface and the losses generated by the currents flowing inside the resistor are computed using analytical for-mulas; HFSS does not actually simulate any fields inside the resistor. 1. Select the object or object face to which you want to assign the impedance boundary.2. Click HFSS>Boundaries>Assign>Impedance.

The Impedance Boundary dialog box appears.3. Type the boundary’s name in the Name text box or accept the default name. (To change the

default base name to one of your choosing, see Setting Default Boundary/Excitation Base Names.)

4. Enter the Resistance in ohms/square.5. Enter the Reactance in ohms/square.6. Select Infinite Ground Plane if you want the surface to represent an electrically large ground

plane when the radiated fields are calculated during post processing.Note that if you select Infinite Ground Plane, the effect of the impedance boundary will be incorporated into the field solution in the usual manner, but the radiated fields will be com-puted as if the lossy ground plane is perfectly conducting.

7. Click OK.The new boundary is listed under Boundaries in the project tree.

Related TopicsTechnical Notes: Impedance Boundaries

Note You can assign a variable as the resistance and reactance values. Eigenmode designs cannot contain design parameters that depend on frequency, for example, a frequency-dependent impedance boundary condition.

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Assigning Radiation BoundariesFor Driven Modal or Driven Terminal DesignsA radiation boundary is used to simulate an open problem that allows waves to radiate infinitely far into space, such as antenna designs. HFSS absorbs the wave at the radiation boundary, essentially ballooning the boundary infinitely far away from the structure. A radiation surface does not have to be spherical, but it must be exposed to the background, convex with regard to the radiation source, and located at least a quarter wavelength from the radiating source. In some cases the radiation boundary may be located closer than one-quarter wavelength, such as portions of the radiation boundary where little radiated energy is expected.

1. Select the object or object face to which you want to assign the radiation boundary.2. Click HFSS>Boundaries>Assign>Radiation.

The Radiation Boundary dialog box appears.3. Type the boundary’s name in the Name text box or accept the default name. (To change the

default base name to one of your choosing, see Setting Default Boundary/Excitation Base Names.)

4. Optionally, select Advanced Options to display a list of radio buttons showing boundary properties. If your project uses a field solution from another source, your "target" project must have radiation boundaries with Advanced Options defined in order to specify where the fields from the "source" project enter. See the discussion here.

5. These can be:• Radiating Only - this refers to the original radiating surface properties (the default).• Incident Field - the incident field source patterns are projected on these surfaces and are

backed by ABC or PML. This is like a generalized space port. HFSS knows the incident field pattern, applies it to the port and expects a reflected field pattern which radiates back. In other words, it behaves as if you excited the project by a Norton or Thevenin generator using an impedance which is the free space wave impedance.

• If you select Radiating Only or Incident Field, you can also specify whether the surface is used as Reference for FSS, that is, as a Frequency Selective Surface - this surface become the input surface for calculations of the reflection/transmission coefficients. The other radiating surface automatically becomes output. Only one FSS can be defined in a given model. Using the Incident Field option together with Reference for FSS is advan-tageous for highly reflective and resonant structures. Reflection/Transmission coefficients for FSS designs can be viewed in the solution data panel as S-parameters or you can create an S-parameter report.

• Enforced Field - this has the H tangential component of the incident field directly applied on these surfaces. It is an inhomogeneous Newmann BC. In other words, it behaves as if

Note Whenever additions/changes are made to radiation boundaries that affect fields, it invalidates those solutions that can possibly have fields. Meshes are not invalidated.

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you excited the project by an ideal current source (enforced current).

6. Click OK.The new boundary is listed under Boundaries in the project tree.

Related TopicsTechnical Notes: Radiation Boundaries

Note If you select either Enforced Field or Incident Field you should run a validation check in order to avoid an invalid setup. The setup is invalid if any of these surfaces are internal.If you select either Enforced Field or Incident Field in most cases, you should avoid internal surfaces. In order to do that, internal objects with Enforced/Incident Field BC should be substructed to become background, or PEC material should be assigned to these objects to become "NoSolveinside".

Note Do not define a surface that cuts through an object to be a radiation boundary. In general, do not define the interface of two internal objects to be a radiation boundary. The only exception is when one object is a perfectly matched layer boundary (PML) and the other is the PML base object.

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Assigning PML BoundariesA perfectly matched layer (PML) boundary is used to simulate materials that absorb outgoing waves. Setting up a PML boundary is similar to setting up a radiation boundary. You start by draw-ing a virtual object around the radiating structure. However, instead of placing a radiation boundary on its surfaces, you add PMLs to fully absorb the electromagnetic field.HFSS can create PMLs automatically, or you can create them manually. Create PMLs automati-cally if the base object touching the PML is planar and its material is homogenous. HFSS creates a separate PML object for each covered face. The PML boundaries are grouped in the Project tree under the Boundaries icon. Within these groupings, you can edit the radiation parameters (for example, as Incident Wave Port) in order to set up the right total field excitation based on the phys-ical optics approach. PML radiation boundaries are not generated in eigenmode projects.In creating PMLs, you can select non rectangular faces as long as they do not touch any other selected face. The underlying object does not have to be a box. If there are faces that touch, the touching faces must locally be box-like.

What do you want to do?Create PMLs automatically.Create PMLs manually.Guidelines for Assigning PML Boundaries

Creating PMLs Automatically1. Draw a PML base object at the radiation surface. 2. Select the faces of the PML base object to turn into PMLs.

Select only external, planar faces and exclude faces defined as symmetry boundaries.3. On the HFSS menu, point to Boundaries, and then click PML Setup Wizard.

The PML Setup wizard appears.4. Select Create PML Cover Objects on Selected Faces. 5. Type the thickness of each layer in the Uniform Layer Thickness text box. You can assign a

variable as the thickness value.

If you do not assign a value, you can select Use Default Formula to have HFSS calculate a value for you based on geometrical analysis.

6. Optionally, select Create joining corner and edge objects.Edge and corner PML objects will be created to join adjacent PML surfaces together, ensuring complete coverage. This option is only available if the selected faces are on a box object.

7. For non-planar, you can select Use Selected Object, ‘objectName’, as PML Cover.8. Under Base Face Radiation Properties, click a radio button to specify one of the following:

Note The layer thickness cannot be modified directly after PML objects have been created. If you want to be able to modify the thickness, assign a variable as the thickness value.

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• Radiating Only - the radiation surface (default).• Incident Field - the incident field source patterns are projected on these surfaces and are

backed by ABC or PML. This is like a generalized space port. HFSS knows the incident field pattern, applies it to the port and expects a reflected field pattern which radiates back. In other words, it behaves as if you excited the project by a Norton or Thevenin generator using an impedance which is the free space wave impedance.

For Radiating Only or Incident Field, you can also specify whether the surface is used as Reference for FSS, that is, as a Frequency Selective Surface - this surface becomes the input surface for calculations of the reflection/transmission coefficients. The other radiat-ing surface automatically becomes output. Only one FSS can be defined in a given model. Using the Incident Field option together with Reference for FSS is advantageous for highly reflective and resonant structures. Reflection/Transmission coefficients for FSS designs can be viewed in the solution data panel as S-parameters or you can create an S-parameter report. If you check Reference for FSS, the PML objects will stay visible.

9. Click Next.HFSS creates PMLs from the faces you selected. Names are automatically given to the layers. that start with PML, which is necessary for HFSS to recognize them as PMLs.

10. Specify how the PMLs terminate by selecting one of the following:a. PML Objects Accept Free Radiation if the PMLs terminate in free space.

• Then enter the lowest frequency in the frequency range you are solving for in the Min Frequency text box.

b. PML Objects Continue Guided Waves if the PMLs terminate in a transmission line. • Then specify the propagation constant at the minimum frequency.

11. Specify the minimum distance between the PMLs and any of the radiating bodies in the Mini-mum Radiating Distance text box. You may choose to have HFSS calculate the value by clicking Use Default Formula. The default distance is based on the extent of base object geometry.The PML material characteristics depend on the cumulative effect of their near fields at the location of the PML surfaces.

12. Click Next.HFSS calculates the appropriate PML materials based on the settings you specified and the material of the base object, and assigns these materials to the objects in the PML group.A summary dialog box appears, enabling you to modify the settings you specified.

13. Click Finish.

Related TopicsCreating PML Boundaries ManuallyModifying PML Boundaries

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Guidelines for Assigning PML BoundariesTechnical Notes: PML Boundaries

Creating PML Boundaries ManuallySee Guidelines for Assigning PML Boundaries.1. Draw the PML object at the radiation surface, and then select it. 2. In the Properties window, give the object a name with the prefix PML.

Object names that start with PML are necessary for HFSS to recognize them as PMLs. 3. On the HFSS menu, point to Boundaries, and then click PML Setup Wizard.

The PML Setup wizard appears.4. Select Use Selected Object as PML Cover.5. Select the Corresponding Base Object, the object touching the PML, from the pull-down list.6. Type the thickness of each layer in the Uniform Layer Thickness text box. You can assign a

variable as the thickness value. If you do not assign a value, you can select Use Default Formula to have HFSS calculate a value for you based on geometrical analysis.

7. Select the orientation of the PML object, the direction of outward propagation, in the relative, or local, coordinate system.

8. Under Base Face Radiation Properties, click a radio button to specify one of the following:• Radiating Only - the radiation surface (default).• Incident Field - the incident field source patterns are projected on these surfaces and are

backed by ABC or PML. This is like a generalized space port. HFSS knows the incident field pattern, applies it to the port and expects a reflected field pattern which radiates back. In other words, it behaves as if you excited the project by a Norton or Thevenin generator using an impedance which is the free space wave impedance.For Radiating Only or Incident Field, you can also specify whether the surface is used as Reference for FSS, that is, as a Frequency Selective Surface - this surface becomes the input surface for calculations of the reflection/transmission coefficients. The other radiat-ing surface automatically becomes output. Only one FSS can be defined in a given model. Using the Incident Field option together with Reference for FSS is advantageous for highly reflective and resonant structures. Reflection/Transmission coefficients for FSS designs can be viewed in the solution data panel as S-parameters or you can create an S-parameter report. If you check Reference for Frequency Selective Surface (FSS), the PML objects will stay visible.

9. Click Next.10. Specify how the PML terminates by selecting one of the following:

a. PML Objects Accept Free Radiation if the PML terminates in free space. • Enter the lowest frequency in the frequency range you are solving for in the Min Fre-

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quency text box.b. PML Objects Continue Guided Waves if the PML terminates in a transmission line.

• Specify the propagation constant at the minimum frequency.11. Specify the minimum distance between the PML and the radiating body in the Minimum

Radiating Distance text box. You may choose to let HFSS calculate the value by clicking Use Default Formula. The default distance is based on the extent of base object geometry.The PML material characteristics depend on the cumulative effect of their near fields at the location of the PML surfaces.

12. Click Next.HFSS calculates the appropriate PML material based on the settings you specified and the material of the base object, and assigns this material to the PML.A summary dialog box appears, enabling you to modify the settings you specified.

13. Click Finish.

Related TopicsGuidelines for Assigning PML BoundariesModifying PML BoundariesTechnical Notes: PML Boundaries

Guidelines for Assigning PML BoundariesKeep the following guidelines in mind when assigning PML boundaries:• When automatically creating PMLs, HFSS creates a new relative coordinate system for each

PML object. This results in the z direction of the PML object coinciding with the normal direc-tion of the base object’s face.

• HFSS treats PMLs uniformly with regard to thickness. If the PMLs in your design vary in thickness, create a separate PML group for each thickness.

You should manually create a PML in the following situations:• The base object is curved.

HFSS calculates the PML material properties using the normal vector at the center of the base object’s face. If the face is curved, the normal vector changes with position. The PML materi-als will only be good approximations if the normal vector at each point on the face is close to the normal vector at the face center.It is a good idea to segment the curved surface of the base object for greater accuracy. Create separate PMLs for each segment. Note that each segment’s thickness is treated uniformly. The view angle of the segments should be no wider than 45 degrees. The smaller the angle of each segment, the greater the accuracy of the corresponding PML.

• The material of the corresponding base object touching the PML is not homogenous. An exam-ple is a metal-shielded microstrip line with a substrate. One PML could be drawn to terminate the microstrip and another could correspond to the substrate.Create as many PML objects as there are subsections of material properties in the base object.

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Related TopicsCreating PML Boundaries ManuallyTechnical Notes: PML Boundaries

Modifying PML Boundaries1. Make sure that nothing is selected in the 3D Modeler window.2. On the HFSS menu, point to Boundaries, and then click PML Setup Wizard.

The summary dialog box of the PML Setup wizard appears.3. If more than one group of PMLs were defined, select the PML group you want to modify from

the table.4. Modify the PML settings.5. Click Recalculate.

HFSS automatically recalculates and assigns the appropriate PML materials to the objects in the PML group.

6. Click Finish.

Related TopicsAssigning PML Boundaries

Note If objects are modified after PMLs are created, the PML materials will be invalid and must be recalculated in the PML Setup Wizard. For example, if the material of the PML base object is modified, the associated PML materials must be recalculated in the PML Setup Wizard.

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Assigning Finite Conductivity BoundariesA finite conductivity boundary represents an imperfect conductor. It approximates the behavior of the field at the object surface; HFSS does not compute the field inside the object. The finite conductivity boundary is valid only if the conductor being modeled is a good conductor, that is, if the conductor’s thickness is much larger than the skin depth in the given frequency range.1. Select the object or object face to which you want to assign the finite conductivity boundary.2. Click HFSS>Boundaries>Assign>Finite Conductivity.

The Finite Conductivity Boundary dialog box appears.3. Type the boundary’s name in the Name text box or accept the default name. (To change the

default base name to one of your choosing, see Setting Default Boundary/Excitation Base Names.)

4. Do one of the following:• Enter the conductivity in inverse ohm-meters, and then enter the permeability.• Select Use Material, click the default material name, and then choose a material from the

material editor. The conductivity and permeability values of the material you select will be used for the boundary. Note that selecting a perfectly conducting material for a finite con-ductivity boundary triggers a validation error.

5. Select Infinite Ground Plane if you want the surface to represent an electrically large ground plane when the radiated fields are calculated during post processing.Note that if you select Infinite Ground Plane, the effect of the finite conductivity boundary will be incorporated into the field solution in the usual manner, but the radiated fields will be computed as if the lossy ground plane is perfectly conducting.

6. To specify the roughness of surfaces such as the interface between the conductor and the sub-strate for a microstrip line, enter a value for Surface Roughness and select the units (default, microns) from the pull down menu. (This may be more intuitive than using a layered impedance boundary to model the effects.)

7. To specify a layer thickness, click the checkbox to enable the Layer Thickness field, and enter a value and select units.

8. Click OK.

Related TopicsTechnical Notes: Finite Conductivity Boundaries

Note You can assign a variable as the conductivity or permeability values.

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Assigning Symmetry BoundariesFor Driven Modal or Eigenmode DesignsA symmetry boundary represents a perfect E or perfect H plane of symmetry. Symmetry boundaries enable you to model only part of a structure, which reduces the size or complexity of your design. 1. Select the object face to which you want to assign the symmetry boundary.2. Click HFSS>Boundaries>Assign>Symmetry.

The Symmetry Boundary dialog box appears.3. Type the boundary’s name in the Name text box or accept the default name. (To change the

default base name to one of your choosing, see Setting Default Boundary/Excitation Base Names.)

4. Select the type of symmetry plane the boundary represents: Perfect E or Perfect H.5. Click Impedance Multiplier.

If the design includes a port, you must adjust the impedance multiplier or the computed imped-ances will not be for the full structure.The Port Impedance Multiplier dialog box appears.

6. Type a value in the Impedance Multiplier box, and then click OK. 7. Click OK.

Related TopicsTechnical Notes: Symmetry BoundariesSetting the Impedance MultiplierTechnical Notes: Impedance Multipliers

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Assigning Master BoundariesMaster and slave boundaries enable you to model planes of periodicity where the E-field at every point on the slave boundary surface is forced to match the E-field of every corresponding point on the master boundary surface to within a phase difference. The transformation used to map the E-field from the master to the slave is determined by specifying a coordinate system on both the mas-ter and slave boundaries.1. Select the face to which you want to assign the master boundary.2. Click HFSS>Boundaries>Assign>Master.

The Master Boundary dialog box appears.3. Type the boundary’s name in the Name text box or accept the default name. (To change the

default base name to one of your choosing, see Setting Default Boundary/Excitation Base Names.)

4. You must specify the coordinate system in the plane on which the boundary exists. First draw the U vector of the coordinate system. HFSS uses the U vector you draw and the normal vector of the boundary face to calculate the v-axis. Then specify the direction of the V vector.a. Select New Vector from the U Vector pull-down list.

The Master Boundary dialog box disappears while you draw the U vector.b. Select the U vector’s origin, which must be on the boundary’s surface, in one of the fol-

lowing ways:• Click the point.• Type the point’s coordinates in the in the X, Y, and Z boxes.

c. Select a point on the u-axis.The Master Boundary dialog box reappears

d. To reverse the direction of the V vector, select Reverse Direction.5. Click OK.

HFSS will compute the E-field on this boundary and map it to the slave boundary using the transformation defined by the master and slave coordinate systems.

Related TopicsTechnical Notes: Master and Slave BoundariesAssigning Slave Boundaries

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Assigning Slave BoundariesMaster and slave boundaries enable you to model planes of periodicity where the E-field at every point on the slave boundary surface is forced to match the E-field at every corresponding point on the master boundary surface to within a phase difference. The transformation used to map the E-field from the master to the slave is determined by specifying a coordinate system on both the mas-ter and slave boundaries.1. Select the face to which you want to assign the slave boundary.2. Click HFSS>Boundaries>Assign>Slave.

The Slave Boundary wizard appears.3. Type the boundary’s name in the Name text box or accept the default name. (To change the

default base name to one of your choosing, see Setting Default Boundary/Excitation Base Names.)

4. Select the corresponding master boundary from the Master Boundary pull-down list. If a master boundary has not yet been defined, return to make this selection when it has been defined.

5. You must specify the coordinate system in the plane on which the boundary exists. First draw the U vector of the coordinate system. HFSS uses the U vector you draw and the normal vector of the boundary face to calculate the v-axis. Then specify the direction of the V vector.a. Select New Vector from the U Vector pull-down list.

The Slave Boundary dialog box disappears while you draw the U vector.b. Select the U vector’s origin, which must be on the boundary’s surface, in one of the fol-

lowing ways:• Click the point.• Type the point’s coordinates in the in the X, Y, and Z boxes.

c. Select a point on the u-axis.The Slave Boundary dialog box reappears.

d. To reverse the direction of the V vector, select Reverse Direction.6. Click Next.7. You have the option to relate the slave boundary’s E-fields to the master boundary’s E-fields in

one of the following ways:• For driven designs, select Use Scan Angles to Calculate Phase Delay to enable the Scan

Angle fields. Then enter the φ scan angle in the Phi box and the θ scan angle in the Theta box. The scan angles apply to whole model, in the global coordinate system. The phase delay is calculated from the scan angles; however, if you know the phase delay, you may enter it directly in the Phase Delay box below.

Note For Eigenmode problems, the Use Scan Angles to Calculate Phase Delay fields are disabled.

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• Select Field Radiation, and then enter the phase difference, or phase delay, between the boundaries’ E-fields in the Phase Delay box. The phase delay applies only to this bound-ary.

HFSS will compute the E-field on the master boundary and map it to this boundary using the transformation defined by the master and slave coordinate systems.

Related TopicsTechnical Notes: Master and Slave BoundariesAssigning Master Boundaries

Note You can assign a variable as the phi, theta, or phase delay values.

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Assigning Lumped RLC BoundariesA lumped RLC boundary represents any combination of lumped resistor, inductor, and/or capacitor in parallel on a surface. Different circuit types can be modeled by varying the combination of cir-cuit element types. For example, a lumped RLC serial circuit connection can be modeled with three sequential circuit elements: one element surface with only resistance present, one element surface with only inductance present, and one element surface with only capacitance present.1. Select the object or object face to which you want to assign the lumped RLC boundary.2. Click HFSS>Boundaries>Assign>Lumped RLC.

The Lumped RLC Boundary dialog box appears.3. Type the boundary’s name in the Name text box or accept the default name. (To change the

default base name to one of your choosing, see Setting Default Boundary/Excitation Base Names.)

4. Do the following:• If a resistor is present, select Resistance and type the resistance value in ohms.• If an inductor is present, select Inductance and type the inductance value in henrys. • If a capacitor is present, select Capacitance and type the capacitance value in farads.

Optionally, you can assign a variable to these values.If an element type is not present, do not select it.

5. Draw a current flow line, which represent the start and end points of the circuit element as it was measured:a. Select New Line from the Current Flow Line pull-down list.

The Lumped RLC Boundary dialog box disappears while you draw the current flow line.

b. Select the start point in one of the following ways:• Click the point.• Type the point’s coordinates in the in the X, Y, and Z boxes.

c. Select the endpoint using the mouse or the keyboard. This point defines the direction and length of the line.

Once the line has been defined, you can edit it as follows:• Select Swap End Points from the Current Flow Line pull-down list to switch the start and

endpoints of the line, reversing the line’s direction.

Related TopicsTechnical Notes: Lumped RLC Boundaries

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Assigning Screening Impedance BoundariesPlanar screens or grids of large extent with periodic geometry can be replaced by a screening impedance boundary. The boundary applies a homogeneous characteristic impedance to the surface in an effort to create an equivalent electrical representation of the geometric grid pattern.To assign a Screening Impedance boundary1. Select the object or face to which you want to assign the screening impedance boundary.2. Click HFSS>Boundaries>Assign>Screening Impedance.

The Screening Impedance Boundary wizard appears.3. Type the boundary’s name in the Name text box or accept the default name. (To change the

default base name to one of your choosing, see Setting Default Boundary/Excitation Base Names.)

4. If the boundary requires anisotropic impedance, click the check box.Checking the Anisotropic Impedance box enables the Coordinate System drop-down menu. This menu lists the Global Coordinate system and any relative coordinate systems if you have defined them in the design. Select the Coordinate System that defines the anisotropic charac-teristic of the impedance boundary. (See Creating a Relative Coordinate System.)

5. If you want to use an external design to define the screening impedance, click the Get Imped-dance from External Design checkbox to enable the Set up Link button. If you defining an anisotropic impedance, there will be two buttons: Set up X Direction Link and Set up Y Direction Link.a. Click the Set up button to display the Setup Link dialog.

For anisotropic impedance cases, select Set up X Direction Link button to chose a design which will define the impedance in the X direction. Then select Set up Y Direction Link button to chose a design which will define the impedance in the Y direction. The Setup Link dialog has three fields under the General tab: Project File, Design, and Solution.

b. Specify the Project file for the design that is the source. A browse button [...] lets you look through your file system. If you do not specify a project file, but select the current model, the current Project File is automatically filled in.

c. Specify the Design for the source. If the source is in the current design, you can select this from a drop down menu. If you select the current model, the Project File is automatically filled in.

d. Use the radio button to specify whether to save the source path relative to The project directory of the source project or This project.

e. Specify the Solution to use. A drop down list lets you select from the available solutions.The "Default" solution is the product dependent solution of the first Setup.

Note An anisotropic boundary must not touch ports in a design.

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That is the setup listed first in the source design's project tree (alphanumerical order). A product spe-cific solution of this setup becomes the default solution. In most products, it is LastAdaptive. In a Transient solution type, it is "Transient."

f. Use the checkbox specify whether to Force source design to solve in the absence of linked data in the target design.

g. Use the checkbox to specify whether to preserve the source design solution.h. Under the Parameters tab, you can set the desired variable values in the source design.

6. Click OK to close the Setup Link dialog.7. If you have not selected Use External Design, the Resistance and Reactance fields are

enabled. In these fields, you set the Resistance and for Reactance in Ohms/square. If Anisotropic Impedance is checked on, the wizard shows Resistance and Reactance fields for X Axis align-ment and Y axis alignment.Set the Resistance and Reactance values.

8. When you have completed the setup, click OK to close the Screening Impedance Boundary dialog.The boundary appears in the Project tree.

Related TopicsCreating a Relative Coordinate SystemCreating a Face Coordinate SystemSetting the Working Coordinate SystemModifying the Coordinate System Axes ViewAssigning Material Property TypesChange the Orientation of an object

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Assigning Layered Impedance BoundariesA layered impedance boundary is used to model multiple thin layers in a structure as one imped-ance surface. The effect is the same as an impedance boundary condition, except that HFSS calcu-lates the impedance of the surface based on data you enter for the layered structure. Surface roughness is also taken into account. The layered impedance boundary is supported for single-fre-quency solutions and for Discrete and Interpolating frequency sweeps. Eigenmode designs cannot contain design parameters that depend on frequency: for example, a frequency-dependent imped-ance boundary condition.1. Select the face to which you want to assign the layered impedance boundary.2. Click HFSS>Boundaries>Assign>Layered Impedance.

The Layered Impedance Boundary wizard appears.3. Type the boundary’s name in the Name text box or accept the default name. (To change the

default base name to one of your choosing, see Setting Default Boundary/Excitation Base Names.)

4. Enter the Surface Roughness for the layered structure.If the layered structure is internal to the design, enter the average surface roughness of the two outermost sides.You can assign a variable as this value.

5. Click Next.6. If the layered structure is external to the design, do the following:

• By default, HFSS assumes the layered structure is external to the design; the outermost layer of the structure is listed. Select whether this layer is an Infinite, Perfect E, or Per-fect H layer from the Thickness/Type list.

If the layered structure is within the 3D model, do the following:a. Select the Internal option.b. Enter a thickness for the first layer in the Thickness/Type column. You can assign a vari-

able as this value.7. To change the first layer’s material, click vacuum and follow the procedure for assigning a

material. 8. To add a new layer to the structure:

a. Click New Layer.The new layer is added at the end of the list.

b. Enter a thickness for the layer in the Thickness/Type column. You can assign a variable as this value.

c. To change the layer’s material, click vacuum and follow the procedure for assigning a material.

9. Optionally, to reorder layers, drag the rows in the list to the desired position.

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10. Optionally, to view the impedance values that will be calculated based on the data provided, do the following:a. Enter the frequency at which the solution is being solved in the Test Frequency text box.b. Click Calculate.

The real and imaginary components of the HFSS-calculated layered impedance value appear.

11. Click Finish. The layered impedance boundary is assigned to the selected face.

Related TopicsTechnical Notes: Layered Impedance Boundaries

Note A warning will be posted if a fast sweep is defined in a design that contains a layered impedance boundary, since the impedance may only be accurate for the center frequency.

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Designating Infinite Ground PlanesTo simulate the effects of an infinite ground plane:• Select the Infinite ground plane check box when setting up a perfect E, finite conductivity, or

impedance boundary condition. This selection only affects the calculation of near- and far-field radiation during post processing. HFSS models the boundary as a finite portion of an infinite, perfectly conducting plane.

Related TopicsTechnical Notes: Infinite Ground Planes

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Modifying BoundariesTo change the properties of a boundary, do one of the following:• Double-click the boundary’s icon in the project tree.

The boundary’s dialog box appears, in which you can edit its properties.• Right-click the boundary in the project tree, and then click Properties on the shortcut menu.

The boundary’s dialog box appears, in which you can edit its properties.• On the HFSS menu, click List.

The Design List dialog box appears, in which you can modify the properties of one or more boundaries.

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Deleting BoundariesTo delete one boundary:1. Select the boundary you want to delete by selecting its icon in the project tree.2. On the Edit menu, click Delete .

To delete all boundaries:• On the HFSS menu, point to Boundaries, and then click Delete All.

You can also delete one or more boundaries in the Design List dialog box:1. On the HFSS menu, click List.

The Design List dialog box appears.2. Under the Boundaries tab, click the row of the boundary you want to delete.3. Click Delete.

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Reassigning BoundariesYou can reassign a boundary to another surface. This is useful when you have modified objects with assigned boundaries, invalidating the boundaries. For example, if you unite two objects with assigned boundaries, the second object’s boundary will become invalid because united objects maintain the characteristics of the first object selected. In this case, you would need to reassign the boundary or delete it1. Select the object or object face to which you want to assign an existing boundary.2. Click HFSS>Boundaries>Reassign.

The Reassign Boundary window appears.3. Select an existing boundary from the list, and then click OK.

The boundary is reassigned to the object or object face.

Alternatively, select the object or object face to which you want to assign an existing boundary. Right-click the existing boundary in the project tree, and then click Reassign on the shortcut menu.

Note When reassigning a boundary that includes vectors in its definition, HFSS attempts to preserve the vectors with the new assignment, but this is not always possible.

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Reprioritizing Boundaries Each boundary you assign overwrites any existing boundary which it overlaps. You can change the priority of a previously assigned boundary to be greater than a more recently assigned boundary.The order of boundaries is important because, for any given triangle of the mesh, only one bound-ary or excitation can be visible to the solvers. When two boundary definitions overlap, the one with the higher priority is visible to the solvers.1. Click HFSS>Boundaries>Reprioritize to reprioritize boundaries.

The Reprioritize Boundaries window appears. The order the boundaries and excitations appear in the list indicates the order in which they were defined. The lowest priority assign-ment appears at the top of the list.Ports are automatically placed at the bottom (highest priority) of the list; you cannot move a boundary to a higher priority than a port. Magnetic Bias Excitations (if any) have the lowest priority. Other boundaries and excitations appear between these two extremes.

2. Drag the boundary you want to change to the desired order of priority.

Related TopicsReviewing Boundaries and Excitations in the Solver View

Note The order of boundaries and excitations in the project tree is alphabetical. The order does not correspond to the order of boundaries and excitations visible to the solvers.

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Global Material EnvironmentThe HFSS>Boundaries>Edit Global Material Environment command displays the Global Material Environment dialog. By clicking the Material button, you can access the Select Defini-tion dialog. This lets you work with the materials library.Selecting anisotropic material is disabled because the solver doesn't support that.Related TopicsViewing and Editing Material Attributes

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Duplicating Boundaries and Excitations with GeometryTo duplicate a boundary or excitation when its geometry is pasted or duplicated:1. Open the HFSS Options dialog box: On the Tools menu, point to Options, and then click

HFSS Options.2. Select Duplicate boundaries with geometry.

All boundaries and excitations will be duplicated with their associated geometries until you choose to clear this option.

Related TopicsCopying and Pasting Objects

Hint Use this option to copy and paste boundaries. For example:1. Select the face to which you want to assign the boundary.2. On the 3D Modeler menu, point to Surface, and then click Create Object

From Face.3. Assign the boundary to the new face object.4. Copy and paste the new face object to copy and paste the boundary.

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Showing and Hiding Boundaries and ExcitationsYou can choose to show or hide a boundary or excitation’s geometry, name, or vectors, in the active view window or in all view windows.

What do you want to do?Show or hide a boundary or excitation in the active view window.Show or hide a boundary or excitation in every view window.

Showing and Hiding Boundaries and Excitations in the Active View Window

1. On the View menu, click Active View Visibility or select the Active View Visibility icon in the toolbar.The Active View Visibility dialog box appears.

2. Select the tab for the objects you want to show or hide. The dialog contains tabs for 3D Mod-eler objects, Color Key objects, Boundaries, Excitations, and Fields Reporter objects.

3. Under the tab you need, select the Visibility option for the objects you want to show in the active view window.

4. Click the Boundaries tab if you want to show or hide boundaries.Click the Excitations tab if you want to show or hide excitations.• For designs with large numbers of objects, you can resize the dialog for easier selection. • By default, objects are listed in alphabetical order. You can invert the order by clicking the

Name bar above the Name fields. A triangle in the bar indicates the direction of the listing.• You can also use the Name field to type in an object name and apply the visibility via the

Show and Hide buttons.The objects you select and designate as Visible (by selecting the property or using Show) appear.

5. Clear the Visibility selection of boundaries or excitations that you want to hide from view.The boundary or excitation will only be visible in the active view window if it is selected.

6. Select the Visibility option for boundaries or excitations that you want to show in the active view window.The boundary or excitation will be visible in the active view window when it is selected or when it is not selected.You can also use the toolbar icons to Show/Hide selected objects in all views and Show/Hide

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selected objects in active views.

Showing and Hiding Boundaries and Excitations in Every View Window1. Click HFSS>Boundaries>Visualization if you want to show or hide boundaries.

Click HFSS>Excitations>Visualization if you want to show or hide excitations.2. Clear the View Geometry, View Name, or View Vector selection of boundaries and excita-

tions that you want to hide from view. Select the options you want to show.The options affect all view windows.

Hide/Show overlaid visualization in the active view icon

Show selected object in active viewShow selected object in all views

Hide selected objects in active view

Hide selected object in all views

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Reviewing Boundaries and Excitations in the Solver ViewAfter you have assigned all the necessary boundaries and excitations to a model, you should review their order of priority according to the HFSS solver. Reviewing the solver’s view of the model’s boundaries and excitations enables you to verify that their order during the solution process will be as you intended. To check the solver’s view of boundaries and excitations: 1. On the HFSS menu, click Boundary Display (Solver View).

HFSS generates an initial mesh and determines the locations of the boundaries and excitations on the model. The Solver View of Boundaries window appears, which lists all the boundaries and excitations for the active model in the order specified in the Reprioritize Boundaries and Excitations dialog box.

2. Select the Visibility option for the boundary or excitation you want to review. The selected boundary or excitation will appear in the 3D Modeler window in the color it has been assigned. • Visible to Solver will appear in the Solver Visibility column for each boundary or

excitation that is valid. • Overridden will appear in the Solver Visibility column for each boundary or excitation

that will be ignored by the solver as a result of it overlapping an existing boundary or exci-tation with a higher priority.

3. Verify that the boundaries or excitations you assigned to the model are being displayed as you intended for solving purposes.

4. If the order of priority is not as you intended, reprioritize the boundaries and excitations.

Related TopicsTechnical Notes: Default Boundary Assignments

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Setting Default Values for Boundaries and ExcitationsWhen assigning a boundary or excitation, many of the fields in the boundary and excitation dialog boxes have default values associated with them. These default values are initially set by HFSS, but can be overridden.To modify the default values associated with a specific boundary or excitation type:1. Assign a boundary or excitation.2. Modify any default values.3. Close the boundary or excitation’s dialog box.4. Re-open the new boundary or excitation’s dialog box. It now includes a Defaults tab.5. Under the Defaults tab, click Save Defaults.

The values assigned to this boundary are saved as the default values and will be assigned when new boundaries of this type are created.

6. Optionally, click Revert to Standard Defaults. The default values you set for this boundary type will be cleared and will revert to the default values set by HFSS.

Note For PML boundaries, the defaults are set via a formula, rather than a value.

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7Assigning Excitations

Excitations in HFSS are used to specify the sources of electromagnetic fields and charges, currents, or voltages on objects or surfaces in the design. You may assign the following types of excitations to a Driven solution-type HFSS design:

After assigning an excitation, you can modify it in some of the following ways, if applicable to the excitation type:• Change its properties.• Delete it.• Reassign it to another surface.• Reprioritize it.• Hide it from view. • Modify the impedance multiplier.

Wave Port Represents the surface through which a signal enters or exits the geometry.

Lumped Port Represents an internal surface through which a signal enters or exits the geometry.

Floquet Port Used exclusively with planar-periodic structures. Chief examples are planar phased arrays and frequency selective surfaces when these may be idealized as infinitely large.

Incident Wave Represents a propagating wave impacting the geometry.

Voltage Source Represents a constant electric field across feed points.

Current Source Represents a constant electric current across feed points.

Magnetic Bias Used to define the net internal field that biases a 3D ferrite material object.

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Related TopicsTechnical Notes: ExcitationsZoom to Selected Excitation

Zoom to Selected ExcitationWhen you select on an excitation name in the Project tree, and right-click, the popup menu includes a Zoom to command. Selecting this command zooms the view in the 3D Modeler view in or out to show the selected excitation. This can be very useful in looking at problem areas.

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Assigning Wave PortsWave ports represent places in the geometry through which excitation signals enter and leave the structure. They are used when modeling strip lines and other waveguide structures. The setup of wave ports varies slightly depending on whether your solution is modal or terminal.

Related TopicsAssigning Wave Ports for Modal SolutionsAssigning Wave Ports for Terminal SolutionsTechnical Notes: Wave Ports

Assigning Wave Ports for Modal Solutions1. Select the object face to which you want to assign the port.2. Click HFSS>Excitations>Assign>Wave Port.

The Wave Port wizard appears.3. Type the port’s name in the Name text box or accept the default name. (To change the default

base name to one of your choosing, see Setting Default Boundary/Excitation Base Names.)4. Click Next.

This shows the Modes window. Here you specify the number of modes for a port, define inte-gration lines for each mode, and choose whether to renormalize the port.

5. To specify more than one mode to analyze at the port, type a new value in the Number of Modes box.The mode table is updated to include the total number of modes.

6. To specify an integration line for a port mode, follow the directions for defining an integration line.When you have defined an integration line, the table cell under the Integration line heading changes from "None" to "Defined." Clicking on the cell now shows a drop down list of avail-able options. These are:• Defined - acknowledges a current definition.• None - no line defined.• Swap Endpoints - inverts the end points of a line.• Duplicate Line... - lets you duplicate a currently defined line.

Note Use lumped ports to represent an internal surface through which an excitation signal enters or exits the geometry.

Note HFSS supports Full Wave Spice Export from a driven modal design as long as all ports have exactly one mode each. However, HFSS does not support definition of differential pairs in a driven modal design.

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• New Line... - lets you create a new line.If you change an existing integration line, use the options for this line. If you need to define an integration line for one or more modes, repeat the process for each. If a solution exists adding or changing integration lines invalidates them, and issues a warning.

7. If you want to align the E-field of the modes with the integration line, select Polarize E Field. If solutions exist, changing this selection invalidates them and issues a warning message.

8. Select the method with which to calculate the characteristic impedance by selecting Zpi, Zpv, or Zvi from the Char Imp. (Zo) pull-down list.For definitions of how HFSS defines these values, see Calculating the PI Impedance, Calculat-ing the PV Impedance, and Calculating the VI Impedance.

9. Click Next.This displays the Wave Port: Post Processing window. Values here affect S-Parameters only.The Port Renormalization choices include: • Do Not Renormalize (the default)• Renormalize All Modes. This enables the Full Port Impedance text box. The default

impedance for re-normalization of each port is 50 ohms.If you want to enter a complex impedance, enter it in the following form:

<re> + <im>j• If there are multiple modes, the Renormalize Specific Modes is enabled. Click this to

enable the Edit Mode Impedances button. This opens a editable table with the imped-ances for each mode.

10. To deembed the port, select Deembed, and then type the distance of the transmission line to add and select the units to use. You can assign a variable as this value. After you enter the value, a blue arrow depicts the embedding distance in the graphics window when the port is selected.

• Alternatively, click Get Distance Graphically to draw a line with a length representing the de-embed distance. After you draw the line in the 3D window, the Distance field shows the specified distance. You can edit this value.

11. Click Finish.

Related TopicsDefining Integration LinesTechnical Notes: Wave PortsTechnical Notes: Polarizing the E-FieldsTechnical Notes: Calculating Characteristic ImpedanceTechnical Notes: Deembedding

Note A positive distance value will de-embed into the port. A negative distance value will de-embed out of the port. When you

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Assigning Wave Ports for Terminal SolutionsAssigning wave ports for terminal solutions can be manual or automatic depending on whether you are creating the first port or terminal in a project, whether you are using a legacy project or script.A terminal is defined by one or more conductors in contact with the port. A terminal is somewhat like a boundary, in that it has a geometry selection consisting of one or more faces and/or edges that should generally be fully contained within the port face selections. Terminal naming conventions default to be based on the first geometry in the assignment selection for the terminal.Selection of a port does not visually indicate its terminals. However, you can select a terminal in the project tree and see its selection highlighted, or zoom to it in the model window just like you can for a port.Associating Ports and TerminalsSince terminal definition is separated from port definition, HFSS can automatically associate prop-erly if you define ports after defining terminals or if you define terminals on the Excitations level (in the Project tree) when ports already exist. In either case, a terminal is associated with the port containing the signal and reference conductors that define the terminal, and the terminal is repre-sented in the project tree nested beneath its associated port. For this to occur automatically, you must check the Auto- assign terminals on ports option on the Tools>Options>HFSS Options dia-log on the General tab.Setup for Ports and TerminalsEach terminal has a setup panel that indicates its post processing reference impedance. For ease in changing the reference impedance values, there are two new commands. At either the port level or the level of all excitations, you can set the reference impedance for all terminals at that level.Editing Operations and Port/Terminal AssociationsPort and terminal definitions are synchronized, in the sense that if you operate on the geometries in their assignments, the associations between ports and terminals may change. With geometry copy/paste operations, if you have opted for boundary duplication, both ports and their associated termi-nals will duplicate, with modified assignments to match the pasted geometries.However, a terminal is defined on edge(s) or face(s) of object(s), which are not necessarily on the same objects as the port face(s). If the object(s) containing the terminal assignment are also copied and pasted along with the objects containing the port assignment, then the terminals are pasted in with the ports. However, because the location of the pasted object(s) may coincide with that of their source object(s), the assignment of terminals to ports is arbitrary, and likely the old ports will get the additional terminal assignments. If you, however, move the pasted objects to non overlapping locations, then the terminals will detach from the old port and attach instead to the new one. If you want to see this in one step, do your copy, but move the original objects out of range before pasting. Then you will see the proper port/terminal associations established right after the paste without requiring any action on your part.Related TopicsAuto Assign TerminalsManually Assigning Terminals

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Manually Assigning a Wave PortManually Assigning a Lump PortSet Reference Impedance for TerminalsHFSS Options: General Options TabTechnical Notes: Port Terminals in HFSS

Set Reference Impedance for TerminalsEach terminal has a setup panel that indicates its post processing reference impedance. For ease in changing the reference impedance values, there are two new commands. At either the port level or the level of all excitations, you can set the reference impedance for all terminals at that level.To set the reference impedance for all excitations:1. Either right click on the Excitations icon in the Project tree and select Set Terminal Reference

Impedance, or click HFSS>Excitations>Set Terminal Reference Impedances.The Set Terminal Reference Impedance dialog appears.

2. In the field for Full Port Impedance, set the value, and select the units from the pull down.This value can be a variable. This variable can be dependent on the frequency, which allows use of a dataset for frequency dependent impedance.

3. Click OK to close the dialog and apply the change.To set the reference for all terminals on a port:1. Right click on the Port icon in the Project tree and click Set Terminal Reference Impedance.

The Set Terminal Reference Impedance dialog appears. It differs from the related command for all excitations by specifying that the Post Processing Reference Impedance is for the selected port.

2. In the field for Full Port Impedance, set the value, and select the units from the pull down.This value can be a variable. This variable can be dependent on the frequency, which allows use of a dataset for frequency dependent impedance.

3. Click OK to close the dialog and apply the change.Related TopicsAuto Assign TerminalsManually Assigning TerminalsManually Assigning a Wave PortManually Assigning a Lump PortSet Reference Impedance for TerminalsPlotting in the Time DomainTechnical Notes: Port Terminals in HFSS

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Auto Assign for TerminalsThe HFSS menu lists the HFSS>Excitations>Auto Assign Terminals command. This command also appears on the shortcut menu when you right-click on Excitations in the Project tree.To auto assign terminals:1. Once one or more ports are defined, you can use the port or Excitation level commands to

Auto Assign Terminals. (HFSS>Excitations>Auto Assign Terminals.)For each port specified, all conductors contacting the port will be located and the Reference Conductors for Terminals dialog is displays. This contains a list of available geometries that are Conducting Objects, and buttons to Add or Remove objects selected on that list to a list of Reference Conductors.

2. Use the Add or Remove buttons to option of Add or Remove objects to the reference conduc-tors list for consideration in defining the terminals.

3. Select OK to close the Reference Conductors for Terminals dialog.All remaining conductors on the port will be used. HFSS will then generate terminal assign-ments, create the terminals, and associate the terminals with the correct port.

4. After you add new model objects or new port definitions, you can again Auto Assign Termi-nals to add new terminals where appropriate. When you execute Auto Assign Terminals, the conducting faces on a port that touch each other are recognized as defining a single terminal, as are conducting edges that touch each other.

Related TopicsHFSS Options: General Options TabManually Assigning TerminalsManually Assigning a Wave PortManually Assigning a Lump PortSet Reference Impedance for TerminalsTechnical Notes: Port Terminals in HFSS

Manually Assigning Terminals If you want a terminal assignment to include multiple geometry selections, you must assign it as a Single Terminal. Terminals can be defined only after ports are defined. When defining terminals for a particular port, the right click menu for the port in the project tree has Assign Terminal.To define a terminal explicitly:1. Select the face(s) and/or edge(s) that contact the port and which define the terminal. All geom-

Note With complicated arrangement of conductors or geometry that has slight coordinate misalignments, auto assign may create either too few or too many terminals on a port, so you should review the result before solving.

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etries to be used as the assignment for a terminal should be connected. 2. Assign as an excitation in the modeler window via right mouse click to display the shortcut

menu and select Assign Excitation>Terminal, or on the Project tree, select Excitations and right click to display the shortcut menu and select Assign>Single Terminal, or from the menu bar select HFSS>Excitations>Assign>Terminal.

As a convenience, you can define multiple terminals with a single selection entity per assignment (or a single terminal with just one selection entity) via Assign Excitation >Terminals or Excita-tions >Assign>Terminals. Terminals should be completely contained inside or on the perimeter of their ports. The test to ver-ify this is very expensive to do within the UI. Therefore, we let you set up whatever terminal defini-tions you want, as long as they contact the port in some way. At run time in the solver, we use a mesh based test for full containment.Related TopicsAuto Assign TerminalsManually Assigning TerminalsManually Assigning a Wave PortManually Assigning a Lump PortSet Reference Impedance for TerminalsTechnical Notes: Port Terminals in HFSS

Manually Assigning a Wave Port 1. Select the object face to which you want to assign the port.2. Click HFSS>Excitations>Assign>Wave Port.

The Wave Port wizard appears.3. Type the port’s name in the Name text box or accept the default name. (To change the default

base name to one of your choosing, see Setting Default Boundary/Excitation Base Names.)4. Click Next.

This displays the Wave Port: Post Processing window. Values here affect S-Parameters only.The Port Renormalization choices include: • Do Not Renormalize (the default)• Reference Impedance for All Terminals. This enables the Full Port Impedance text

box. The default impedance for re-normalization of each port is 50 ohms.If you want to enter a complex impedance, enter it in the following form:

<re> + <im>j• If there are multiple modes, Reference Impedance for Specific Terminals is enabled.

Click this to enable the Edit Terminal Impedances button. This opens a editable table with the impedances for each terminal.

5. To deembed the port, select Deembed, and then type the distance of the transmission line to

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add. You can assign a variable as this value. After you enter the value, a blue arrow depicts the embedding distance in the graphics window when the port is selected.

• Alternatively, click Get Distance Graphically to draw a line with a length representing the de-embed distance. After you draw the line in the 3D window, the Distance field shows the specified distance. You can edit this value.

6. Click Finish.

Related TopicsAuto Assign TerminalsManually Assigning TerminalsManually Assigning a Wave PortManually Assigning a Lump PortSet Reference Impedance for TerminalsTechnical Notes: Port Terminals in HFSSTechnical Notes: Deembedding

Note A positive distance value will de-embed into the port. A negative distance value will de-embed out of the port.

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Assigning Lumped PortsLumped ports are similar to traditional wave ports, but can be located internally and have a com-plex user-defined impedance. Lumped ports compute S-parameters directly at the port. They are used when modeling microstrip structures. Their setup varies slightly depending on whether the solution is modal or terminal.

A lumped port can be defined as a rectangle from the edge of the trace to the ground or as a tradi-tional wave port. The default boundary is perfect H on all edges that do not come in contact with the metal or with another boundary condition.The following restrictions apply:• The complex full port impedance must be non-zero and the resistance must be non-negative.• Only one port mode is allowed, or one terminal if it is a terminal solution.• An integration or terminal line must be defined.

Related TopicsAssigning Lumped Ports for Modal SolutionsAssigning Lumped Ports for Terminal SolutionsTechnical Notes: Lumped PortsTechnical Notes: Port Terminals in HFSSTechnical Notes: Calculating Characteristic Impedance

Assigning Lumped Ports for Modal Solutions1. Select the object face to which you want to assign the port.2. Click HFSS>Excitations>Assign>Lumped Port.

The Lumped Port wizard appears.3. Type the port’s name in the Name text box or accept the default name. (To change the default

base name to one of your choosing, see Setting Default Boundary/Excitation Base Names.)4. Define the complex Full Port Impedance:

a. Enter the resistance or real part of the impedance in the Resistance text box.b. Enter the reactance or imaginary part of the impedance in the Reactance text box,.

You can assign a variable as these values. This variable can be dependent on the fre-quency, which allows use of a dataset for frequency dependent impedance.

5. Click Next.This displays the Lumped Port: Modes window. The number of Modes is not editable.

6. For the Integration Line column, follow the directions for defining an integration line.7. For the Char. Imp. (Zo) column, set the method with which to calculate the characteristic

Note Use wave ports to model exterior surfaces through which a signal enters or exits the geometry.

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impedance by selecting Zpi, Zpv, or Zvi from the Char. Imp. (Zo) pull-down list.For definitions of how HFSS defines these values, see Calculating the PI Impedance, Calculat-ing the PV Impedance, and Calculating the VI Impedance.

8. Click Next.This displays the Lumped Port: Post Processing window. Values here affect S-Parameters only. By default, lumped ports are renormalized to a 50 Ohm full port impedance. To specify a renormalization impedance, select Renormalize All Modes and type a value in the Full Port Impedance text box. Select the corresponding unit in the drop down menu.

If you want to enter a complex impedance, enter it in the following form:<re> + <im>j

If you do not want to renormalize the port impedance, select Do Not Renormalize.9. Click Finish.

Related TopicsDefining an Integration LineTechnical Notes: Lumped Ports

Manually Assigning Lumped Ports for Terminal Solutions1. Select the object face to which you want to assign the port.2. Click HFSS>Excitations>Assign>Lumped Port.

The Lumped Port wizard appears.3. Type the port’s name in the Name text box or accept the default name. (To change the default

base name to one of your choosing, see Setting Default Boundary/Excitation Base Names.)4. Define the complex Full Port Impedance of the port:

a. Enter the resistance or real part of the impedance in the Resistance text box.b. Enter the reactance or imaginary part of the impedance in the Reactance text box.

You can assign a variable as these values. This variable can be dependent on the fre-quency, which allows use of a dataset for frequency dependent impedance.

5. Click Next.This displays the Lumped Port: Post Processing window. Values here affect S-Parameters only. Port processing operations do not affect field plots. By default, the port reference imped-ance for all terminals is 50 Ohms.

If you want to enter a complex impedance, enter it in the following form:<re> + <im>j

6. To specify a different full port impedance, type a value in the Full Port Impedance text box. Select the corresponding unit in the drop down menu.

7. Click Finish when done.

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Related TopicsTechnical Notes: Lumped PortsAuto Assign TerminalsManually Assigning TerminalsManually Assigning a Wave PortManually Assigning a Lump PortSet Reference Impedance for TerminalsTechnical Notes: Port Terminals in HFSS

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Assigning Floquet PortsThe Floquet port in HFSS is used exclusively with planar-periodic structures. Chief examples are planar phased arrays and frequency selective surfaces when these may be idealized as infinitely large. The analysis of the infinite structure is then accomplished by analyzing a unit cell. Linked boundaries most often form the side walls of a unit cell, but in addition, at least one ``open'' bound-ary condition representing the boundary to infinite space is needed. Heretofore a PML or some-times a radiation boundary has been used. The Floquet port is a new option. The Floquet port is closely related to a Wave port in that a set of modes is used to represent the fields on the port boundary. The new modes are called Floquet modes. Fundamentally, Floquet modes are plane waves with propagation direction set by the frequency and geometry of the peri-odic structure. Just like Wave modes, Floquet modes have propagation constants and experience cut-off at a sufficiently low frequency. When a Floquet port is present, HFSS performs a modal decomposition that gives additional infor-mation on the performance of the radiating structure. As in the case of a Wave port, this informa-tion is cast in the form of an S-matrix interrelating the Floquet modes. In fact, if Floquet ports and Wave ports are simultaneously present, the S-matrix will interrelate all Wave modes and all Floquet modes in the project. A simple HFSS model for a unit cell of the infinite array consists of two boxes. The bottom box represents the feeding waveguide and the top box is the unit cell for the region above the plane. The dimensions and geometry of the unit cell reflect the lattice vectors of the array. Linked boundaries are defined on the cell walls and a Wave port provides the cell excitation. A Floquet port is used on the (top) open boundary. The perimeter of a Floquet port must be covered by Master and Slave boundaries. To set up a Floquet port:1. Select the top face of the unit cell for the region above the place, and right-button click Assign

Excitation > Floquet Port. The Floquet port setup panel appears.

2. Type the port’s name in the Name text box or accept the default name. (To change the default base name to one of your choosing, see Setting Default Boundary/Excitation Base Names.)

3. Specify the directions for the Lattice coordinate system. The vector arrows must start and end at points on the face of the Floquet port and must have a common initial point. For each Vector (Direction A and B), select the drop down menu and click New Vector.This opens a Measure Data dialog and causes the cursor to drag a visual marker that drops a dashed line to the reference plane below, and shows a location indicator on the Floquet plane. Drag the marker to select a location for the Direction vector. Click to set the origin point, and drag and click to specify the position 2 point that defines the direction from that origin. Clicking the second closes the Measure Data dialog, and exits the New Vector mode. The drop down menus for Position A and Position B now include and entry called “Defined” along with “Undefined” and “New Vector.”

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4. Click Next to move to the Floquet Port: Phase Delays window.This shows radio buttons to specify whether to “Use Scan Angles to Calculate Lattice Phase Delays” (the default, and recommended choice in most cases) or “Input Lattice Phase Delays”

5. If you select “Use Scan Angles to Calculate Lattice Phase Delay,” this automatically synchro-nize the phase of the Floquet port with that of the linked boundaries. This is essential for a cor-rect solution. Specify the Scan angles as the Phi and Theta values and select their units from the drop down menus. These values are automatically filled in based on angles set for the Slave boundaries. These values apply to the whole model.If you choose “Input the Lattice and Phase Delays” the values apply only to this boundary. In this case, you specify an A and a B Direction Delay and units.

6. Click Next to go to the Floquet Port: Modes setup window.This window displays a field for the Number of Modes, a button for access to the Modes Cal-culator, and a table In general, Floquet modes are specified by two modal indices and a polarization setting. These designations resemble the textbook notation for rectangular waveguide modes, such as ``TE10''. The default mode table specifies a pair of Floquet modes. The default modes both have modal indices equal to zero and are sometimes called the “specular” modes. Specular modes are always an essential part of the Floquet mode set, but sometimes one of the two polarizations may be omitted. For general frequency and scan conditions, other higher-order Floquet modes will be required. A modes calculator, invoked by selecting the “Modes Calculator” button, is available to set these up for the user. The final column of the mode table is labeled “Attenuation”. This is the attenuation of the mode along the direction normal to the Floquet port plane in units of dB per model length unit. The value given for the specular modes is 0 since they are propagating and are therefore not attenuated. Higher-order modes will experience attenuation if they are cut off. Modes that are cut off at a certain scan angle may be propagating as the scan angle is increased.

7. If you select the Modes calculator button, the Calculator window displays. The calculator asks for the following inputs: • Number of modes -- you can trim this value later, as you learn which modes are needed

and which are not.• Frequency -- if the problem setup contained one or more frequency sweeps, you usually

set this value to the highest frequency.• Scan angle values or phase shift values -- The most extreme scan angle should require the

largest number of propagating modes of all scan angles, so we select the Floquet modes to use on this basis.

• Radio buttons to specify whether to whether to “Use Scan Angles to Calculate Lattice Phase Delays” or “Input Lattice Phase Delays”, as shown on the phase delays step.

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• In addition there are two check boxes denoted “Eliminate TE” and “Eliminate TM”. This refers to the values in the Polarization State column of the Modes table. Either, but not both, of these can be selected for each Floquet port in a project.

These inputs, in addition to the known lattice vectors, are the information required to create a set of recommended modes for the Floquet port. They help the mode selection and do not affect the problem set up. You can freely vary the choices here to explore different scenarios and the effect on the recommended set of modes.Click OK to leave the calculator and to compute the recommended list of modes. The new modes table appears on the Modes Setup tab of the Floquet Port properties/setup window.

8. It is generally good policy in terms of simulation efficiency as well as ease of interpretation of results, to eliminate any modes that are not necessary. Do this by editing the “Number of Nodes” value” in the Modes Setup tab. Note that the list is trimmed from the bottom up.

9. To change the order of items in the final Modes list, drag each corresponding line by the square box at the left of each row.

10. Click Next to view the 3D Refinement tab. This lets you select which unit stimulation field patterns affect 3D refinement. Selections here make refinement more efficient by reducing the number of adaptive passes. Use the checkbox to include modes in 3D refinement.

11. Click Next to view the Post Processing tab. This contains de-embedding settings that do not affect the field plots.

12. To enable the Deembed settings, click the checkbox.This enables the distance and units field for the positive distance to deembed into the port. To set the distance graphically, click the Get Distance Graphically button.

13. Click OK to close the Floquet Port settings/property dialog.

Related TopicsTechnical Notes: Master and Slave BoundariesAssigning Slave BoundariesAssigning Master BoundariesTechnical Notes: DeembeddingTechnical Notes: Formula Summary for HFSS Floquet Modes

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Defining an Integration LineAn integration line is a vector that can represent the following:• A calibration line that specifies the direction of the excitation field pattern at a port. • An impedance line along which to compute the Zpv or Zvi impedance for a port. To define an integration line:1. Go to the Modes page for the port. If you are defining an integration line for an existing port,

select the port excitation in the project tree, open the properties dialog for the Wave Port or Lumped Port dialog, and click the Modes tab. If you are defining a new port, select the appro-priate object face, and click HFSS>Assign>Excitation> and the appropriate wave or lumped port. This display the create port dialog, where you click Next to show the Modes page.

2. On the Modes tab or Page, Select New Line from the mode’s Integration Line list.The port dialog box disappears, and Measure Data dialog appears while you draw the vector. The Measure Data dialog displays data for the face area, and the Positions for the reference point (start point) and end point (end point) as you define them.

3. Select the start point of the vector in one of the following ways:• Click the point. The cursor moves only in plane of the face for which you are defining the

port and line.• Type the point’s coordinates in the X, Y, and Z boxes.

4. Select the endpoint of the vector using the mouse or the keyboard. The endpoint defines the direction and length of the integration line. The Wave Port or Lumped Port dialog box reappears.

Related TopicsGuidelines for Defining Integration LinesDuplicating Integration LinesModifying an Integration LineTechnical Notes: Polarizing the E-FieldsTechnical Notes: Setting the Field Pattern Direction

Guidelines for Defining Integration LinesAn integration line is a vector that can represent the following:• A calibration line that specifies the direction of the excitation field pattern at a port. If you are

analyzing more than one mode at a port, define a separate set of integration lines for each mode; the orientation of the electric field differs from mode to mode.

• An impedance line along which to compute the Zpv or Zvi impedance for a port. In this case, select two points at which the voltage differential is expected to be at a maximum. For exam-ple, on a microstrip port, place one point in the center of the microstrip, and the other directly underneath it on the ground plane. In a rectangular waveguide, place the two points in the cen-ter of the longer sides.

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For definitions of how HFSS defines these Zpv and Zvi values, see Calculating the PV Imped-ance, and Calculating the VI Impedance.

Duplicating Integration LinesAfter you have defined an integration line for a mode, you can duplicate it along a vector one or more times. You can then assign the duplicates to additional modes at the port.1. In the Wave Port dialog box, click the Modes tab.2. Select the mode row containing the integration line you want to duplicate.3. Select Duplicate Line from the row’s Integration Line list.

The dialog box disappears while you draw the vector along which to paste the duplicate.4. Draw the vector along which the duplicate will be pasted:

a. Select an arbitrary anchor point on the edge of the port face in one of the following ways:• Click the point.• Type the point’s coordinates in the in the X, Y, and Z boxes.

b. Select a second point using the mouse or the keyboard. This point defines the direction and distance from the anchor point to duplicate the line. The Duplicate Port Line dialog box appears.

5. Type the total number of lines, including the original and duplicates, to make in the Number of Duplicates box.If you type a value that is greater than the number of assigned modes, the extra duplicates will appear as gray integration lines until they are assigned to a mode.

6. Optionally, select Assign to existing modes. The duplicates will be assigned to the modes defined for the port, beginning with the mode after the one with the line that was duplicated.

7. Click OK.The duplicates are pasted along the vector you specified.

Modifying Integration LinesModify an existing integration line under the Modes tab in the Wave Port or Lumped Port dialog boxes.To swap the coordinates of an integration line’s start point and endpoints:• Select Swap Endpoints from the mode’s Integration Line list.

The line’s direction will be reversed.To copy a previously defined integration line’s points:• Select Copy from Moden from the mode’s Integration Line list.

The new integration line will have the same start and endpoints as the selected mode’s integra-tion line.

To delete a defined integration line for a mode:• Select None from the mode’s Integration Line list.

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Setting up Differential PairsA differential pair represents two circuits, one positive and one negative, routed close together so they will pick up nearly the same amount of noise. The two signals are subtracted from each other by a receiver, yielding a much more noise-free version of the signal. You can define one or more differential pairs from terminal excitations defined on existing wave ports. Differential pairs can span ports, use lump ports, and be enabled and disabled. To allow auto-mated calculation of differential S-parameters from lump ports, you can select terminals from two arbitrary ports, whether wave ports or lumped ports, for use in a differential pair.

Because differential pairs can span ports or occur within a port, the Differential Pairs command is accessble at corresponding levels in the Project tree via the right click menu both at the Excitations level, and at the port name level. If a differential pair involves terminals from two different ports, the Dif-ferential Pairs command for those ports can only be accessed at the Excitations level. If an individual wave port has multiple terminals defined, the Differential Pairs command is enabled when you select that port and right click to display the shortcut menu.

To set up a differential pair:1. Click HFSS>Excitations>Differential Pairs, or right-click on Excitations in the Project tree

and click Differential Pairs on the shortcut menu, or, for a multi terminal wave port, select that port in the Project tree and click Differential Pairs on the shortcut menu.This displays the Differential Pairs window. This contains table headers for the rows of val-ues defined for each pair. It also contains a field for the Reference impedance value and units.

2. Click New Pair.This adds existing pairs to the Terminals list, and sets default values for the Differential Mode and Common mode. All values can be edited.It also lists which terminal is Positive, which is Negative. By selecting the dropdown menus in these fields, you can reassign these values.The table row shows the checkbox for the newly defined pair as Active.

3. If other pairs can be created from the existing Terminals, the New Pair button remains enabled.

4. Under Differential Mode headers in the table, do the following:a. If desired, type a new name for the differential mode in the Name text box. The default is

Diffn.b. Either specify a real valued reference impedance for the differential mode in the Ref. Z

text box or use the Full Port Reference Impedance text box and the Set All Diff. Zref. button or the Set All Zref button to set the values.

5. Under Common Mode headers in the table, do the following:a. If desired, type a name for the common mode in the Name text box. The default is

Note The value fields in the table support Ctrl/C to copy selected text from a cell, and Ctrl/V to paste text to a selected cell.

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b. Either specify a real valued reference impedance for the common mode in the Ref. Z text box, or use the Full Port Reference Impedance text box and the Set All Comm. Zref. button or the Set All Zref button to set the values.

6. If the New Pair button is enabled, you can define additional differential pairs. 7. To accept the assignments, click OK to close the Differential Pairs window.After HFSS has generated a solution, view the common and differential quantities of the differen-tial pair under the Matrix tab of the Solution Data window.

Related TopicsTechnical Notes: Computing Differential Pairs

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Assigning Incident WavesHFSS allows you to assign seven different types of incident wave sources.1. Click HFSS>Excitations>Assign>Incident Wave. The cascade menu allows you to select one of the following types of incident waves:Plane WaveHertzian-Dipole WaveCylindrical WaveGaussian BeamLinear Antenna WaveFar Field WaveNear Field Wave

Using Field Solutions from Other SimulationsHFSS can use field solutions from other simulations as sources for new simulations. The other sim-ulations can be done in HFSS, in SIwave or in Maxwell3D. Some examples are (1) a detailed and optimized design of a cell phone radiating in a larger environment (HFSS-HFSS), (2) a complicated printed circuit board causing EMC/EMI problems in and around its housing (SIwave - HFSS) or (3) an electromechanical component causing EMC/EMI problems in a vehicle (Maxwell3D - HFSS). In all cases, radiated fields from the "source" project are imposed as an incident wave in the "tar-get" project.These radiated fields can both be far fields and near fields, depending on your judgment of what fits a particular situation. In the "target" project, they are defined through Incident Wave / Far Field Wave and Incident Wave / Near-Field Wave. There, the link to the "source" project can be estab-lished.

Also, in the "target" project, radiation boundaries with Advanced Options must be defined in order to specify where the fields from the "source" project enter the "target" project.

Note Whenever additions/changes are made to incident waves that affect fields, it invalidates those solutions that can possibly have fields. Meshes are not invalidated.

Note The environment variable SIWAVE_INSTALL_DIR should be set before executing the parent application like HFSS/Designer because SIwave is launched from HFSS/Designer and not separately.

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Incident Plane WaveAn incident Plane wave is a wave that propagates in one direction and is uniform in the directions perpendicular to its direction of propagation.1. Click HFSS>Excitations>Assign>Incident Wave>Plane Wave.

The Incident Wave Source: General Data page appears.2. Type the source’s name in the Name text box or accept the default name. (To change the

default base name to one of your choosing, see Setting Default Boundary/Excitation Base Names.)

3. Select the Vector Input Format as Cartesian or Spherical coordinates. 4. Enter the X-, Y-, and Z-coordinates of the Excitation Location and/or Zero Phase Position

(the origin for the incident wave).5. Click Next.6. If you selected Cartesian, the Incident Wave Source: Cartesian Vector Setup page appears.

Define the propagation vector, k, and the E-field polarization vector, E0:a. Enter the X-, Y-, and Z-components for k vector in the X, Y, and Z boxes. b. Enter the coordinates for E0 vector in the X, Y, and Z boxes.

A single incident wave will be defined. Continue with Step 8 below.

7. If you selected Spherical, the Incident Wave Source: Spherical Vector Setup page appears.a. Under IWavePhi, enter the following:

Click View Point List to see the values of φ.b. Under IWaveTheta, enter values for Start, Stop, and Points.

Click View Point List to see the values of θ.c. Enter the φ and θ components of E0 in the Phi and Theta boxes.

A spherical grid is created when θ is swept through each φ point. At each grid point, an incident wave is present traveling towards the origin of the coordinate system for the

Note When entering the propagation vector, k, and E-field polarization vector, E0, using Cartesian coordinates, keep the following guidelines in mind:• To define an incident wave traveling in the positive z direction, enter (0, 0, 1) as the

k vector coordinates.• The magnitude of the E0 vector cannot be zero.• k must be orthogonal to E0.

Start The point where the rotation of φ begins.

Stop The point where the rotation of φ ends.

Points The number of points on the sweep of φ.

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design. The number of incident waves and grid points can be calculated by multiplying the number of φ points by the θ points.

8. Click Next. the Incident Wave Source: Plane Wave Options page appears.9. Select the Type of Plane Wave.

a. If you select Regular/Propagating, no other fields are active.b. If you select Evanescent, the Propagation Constant fields become active. Enter the Real

and Imaginary parts of the Propagation Constant.c. If you select Elliptically Polarized, the Polarization Angle and Polarization Ratio

fields become active. (See Polarization of the Electric Field for a technical discussion of polarization angles, and a definition of Polarization Ratio.)

d. To restore the default (Regular/Propagating), click the Use Defaults button.10. Click Finish.The incident wave you defined is added to the Excitations list in the Project.

Related TopicsTechnical Notes: Incident Waves

Incident Hertzian-Dipole WaveAn incident Hertzian-Dipole wave can be specified as either an Electric dipole or a Magnetic dipole. The Electric dipole simulates the field of an elementary short dipole antenna placed at the origin. The Magnetic dipole is useful for EMC/EMI applications.1. Click HFSS>Excitations>Assign>Incident Wave>Hertzian-Dipole Wave.

The Incident Wave Source: General Data page appears.2. Type the source’s name in the Name text box or accept the default name. (To change the

default base name to one of your choosing, see Setting Default Boundary/Excitation Base Names.)

3. Select the Vector Input Format as Cartesian or Spherical coordinates.4. Enter the X-, Y-, and Z-coordinates of the Excitation Location and/or Zero Phase Position

(the origin for the incident wave).5. Click Next.6. If you selected Cartesian, the Incident Wave Source: Cartesian Vector Setup page appears.

Enter the X-, Y-, and Z-components for the vector I*Dipole Length in the X, Y, and Z boxes. I is the current amplitude (peak value). Units are Amp-meters (A*m).

A single incident wave will be defined. Continue with Step 8 below.7. If you selected Spherical, the Incident Wave Source: Spherical Vector Setup page appears.

Note Only a single incident wave angle can be defined for periodic structures which are defined with master and slave boundaries

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a. Under IWavePhi, enter the following:

Click View Point List to see the values of φ.b. Under IWaveTheta, enter values for Start, Stop, and Points.

Click View Point List to see the values of θ.c. Enter the φ and θ components of the vector I*Dipole Length in the Phi and Theta boxes.

I is the current amplitude (peak value). Units are Amp-meters (A*m).A spherical grid is created when θ is swept through each φ point. At each grid point, an incident wave is present traveling towards the origin of the coordinate system for the design. The number of incident waves and grid points can be calculated by multiplying the number of φ points by the θ points.

8. Click Next. the Incident Wave Source: Hertzian-Dipole Wave Options page appears.9. Select the Radius of Surrounding Sphere. Inside this sphere, the field magnitude will be

made equal to the field magnitude calculated on the surface of the sphere. To restore the default (10 mm), click the Use Defaults button.

10. Specify the type of Dipole as Electric Dipole [Magnetic current loop] or Magnetic Dipole [Electric current loop].

11. Click Finish.The incident wave you defined is added to the Excitations list in the Project.

Related TopicsTechnical Notes: Incident Waves

Incident Cylindrical WaveAn incident Cylindrical wave is a wave that simulates the far field of an infinite line current placed at the origin.1. Click HFSS>Excitations>Assign>Incident Wave>Cylindrical Wave.

The Incident Wave Source: General Data page appears.2. Type the source’s name in the Name text box or accept the default name. (To change the

default base name to one of your choosing, see Setting Default Boundary/Excitation Base Names.)

3. Select the Vector Input Format as Cartesian or Spherical coordinates. 4. Enter the X-, Y-, and Z-coordinates of the Excitation Location and/or Zero Phase Position

Start The point where the rotation of φ begins.

Stop The point where the rotation of φ ends.

Points The number of points on the sweep of φ.

Note Only a single incident wave angle can be defined for periodic structures which are defined with master and slave boundaries

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(the origin for the incident wave).5. Click Next.6. If you selected Cartesian, the Incident Wave Source: Cartesian Vector Setup page appears.

Enter the X-, Y-, and Z-components for the I Vector in the X, Y, and Z boxes. I is the current amplitude (peak value). Units are Amps (A).

A single incident wave will be defined. Continue with Step 8 below.7. If you selected Spherical, the Incident Wave Source: Spherical Vector Setup page appears.

a. Under IWavePhi, enter the following:

Click View Point List to see the values of φ.b. Under IWaveTheta, enter values for Start, Stop, and Points.

Click View Point List to see the values of θ.c. Enter the φ and θ components of the I Vector in the Phi and Theta boxes. I is the current

amplitude (peak value). Units are Amps (A).A spherical grid is created when θ is swept through each φ point. At each grid point, an incident wave is present traveling towards the origin of the coordinate system for the design. The number of incident waves and grid points can be calculated by multiplying the number of φ points by the θ points.

8. Click Next. the Incident Wave Source: Cylindrical Wave Options page appears.9. Select the Radius of Surrounding Cylinder. Inside this cylinder, the field magnitude will be

made equal to the field magnitude calculated on the surface of the cylinder. To restore the default (10 mm), click the Use Defaults button.

10. Click Finish.The incident wave you defined is added to the Excitations list in the Project.

Related TopicsTechnical Notes: Incident Waves

Incident Gaussian Beam WaveAn incident Gaussian Beam wave is a wave that propagates in one direction and is of Gaussian dis-tribution in the directions perpendicular to its direction of propagation.1. Click HFSS>Excitations>Assign>Incident Wave>Gaussian Beam.

The Incident Wave Source: General Data page appears.

Start The point where the rotation of φ begins.

Stop The point where the rotation of φ ends.

Points The number of points on the sweep of φ.

Note Only a single incident wave angle can be defined for periodic structures which are defined with master and slave boundaries

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2. Type the source’s name in the Name text box or accept the default name. (To change the default base name to one of your choosing, see Setting Default Boundary/Excitation Base Names.)

3. Select the Vector Input Format as Cartesian or Spherical coordinates.4. Enter the X-, Y-, and Z-coordinates of the Excitation Location and/or Zero Phase Position

(the origin for the incident wave).5. Click Next.6. If you selected Cartesian, the Incident Wave Source: Cartesian Vector Setup page appears.

Define the propagation vector, k, and the E-field polarization vector, E0:a. Enter the X-, Y-, and Z-components for k vector in the X, Y, and Z boxes. b. Enter the coordinates for E0 vector in the X, Y, and Z boxes.

A single incident wave will be defined. Continue with Step 8 below.

7. If you selected Spherical, the Incident Wave Source: Spherical Vector Setup page appears.a. Under IWavePhi, enter the following:

Click View Point List to see the values of φ.b. Under IWaveTheta, enter values for Start, Stop, and Points.

Click View Point List to see the values of θ.c. Enter the φ and θ components of E0 in the Phi and Theta boxes.

A spherical grid is created when θ is swept through each φ point. At each grid point, an incident wave is present traveling towards the origin of the coordinate system for the design. The number of incident waves and grid points can be calculated by multiplying the number of φ points by the θ points.

Note When entering the propagation vector, k, and E-field polarization vector, E0, using Cartesian coordinates, keep the following guidelines in mind:• To define an incident wave traveling in the positive z direction, enter (0, 0, 1) as the

k vector coordinates.• The magnitude of the E0 vector cannot be zero.• k must be orthogonal to E0.

Start The point where the rotation of φ begins.

Stop The point where the rotation of φ ends.

Points The number of points on the sweep of φ.

Note Only a single incident wave angle can be defined for periodic structures which are defined with master and slave boundaries

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8. Click Next. The Incident Wave Source: Gaussian Beam Options page appears. 9. Select the Beam Width at Focal Point. Select the Beam Width at Focal Point. By definition,

this refers to the radius of the beam waist (not the diameter). To restore the default (10 mm), click the Use Defaults button.

10. Click Finish.The incident wave you defined is added to the Excitations list in the Project.

Related TopicsTechnical Notes: Incident Waves

Incident Linear Antenna WaveAn incident linear antenna wave is a wave that simulates the far field of a linear antenna placed at the origin.1. Click HFSS>Excitations>Assign>Incident Wave>Linear Antenna Wave.

The Incident Wave Source: General Data page appears.2. Type the source’s name in the Name text box or accept the default name. (To change the

default base name to one of your choosing, see Setting Default Boundary/Excitation Base Names.)

3. Select the Vector Input Format as Cartesian or Spherical coordinates.4. Enter the X-, Y-, and Z-coordinates of the Excitation Location and/or Zero Phase Position

(the origin for the incident wave).5. Click Next.6. If you selected Cartesian, the Incident Wave Source: Cartesian Vector Setup page appears.

Enter the X-, Y-, and Z-components for the I Vector in the X, Y, and Z boxes. I is the antenna current amplitude (peak value). Units are Amps (A).

A single incident wave will be defined. Continue with Step 8 below.7. If you selected Spherical, the Incident Wave Source: Spherical Vector Setup page appears.

a. Under IWavePhi, enter the following:

Click View Point List to see the values of φ.b. Under IWaveTheta, enter values for Start, Stop, and Points.

Click View Point List to see the values of θ.c. Enter the φ and θ components of the I Vector in the Phi and Theta boxes. I is the antenna

current amplitude (peak value). Units are Amps (A).A spherical grid is created when θ is swept through each φ point. At each grid point, an incident wave is present traveling towards the origin of the coordinate system for the design. The number of incident waves and grid points can be calculated by multiplying the

Start The point where the rotation of φ begins.

Stop The point where the rotation of φ ends.

Points The number of points on the sweep of φ.

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number of φ points by the θ points.

8. Click Next. The Incident Wave Source: Linear Antenna Wave Options page appears. 9. Select the Length of the Antenna.10. Select the Radius of Surrounding Cylinder. Inside this cylinder, the field magnitude will be

made equal to the field magnitude calculated on the surface of the cylinder. 11. To restore the defaults (10 mm), click the Use Defaults button.12. Click Finish.The incident wave you defined is added to the Excitations list in the Project.

Related TopicsTechnical Notes: Incident Waves

Far Field WaveA Far field wave is sufficiently far (that is, usually more than a wave length distance) from an antenna to approximate as a plane wave. Far field waves are mostly homogeneous.1. Click HFSS>Excitations>Assign>Far Field Wave.

The Incident Wave Source:General Data page appears.2. Type the source name in the Name text box or accept the default name. (To change the default

base name to one of your choosing, see Setting Default Boundary/Excitation Base Names.)3. Click Next.

A page appears that contains a Setup Link button to browse for a Source of Field and fields for specifying the linked design orientation relative to this design.

4. To specify the Source of Field, click the Setup Link button.This displays an HFSS window. It has three fields under the General tab: Project File, Design, and Solution. a. Specify the Project file for the design that is the source of the Far Field wave. A browse

button [...] lets you look through your file system. If you do not specify a project file, but select the current model, the current Project File is automatically filled in.

b. Specify the Design for the source of the Far Field wave. If the source is in the current design, you can select this from a drop down menu. If you select the current model, the Project File is automatically filled in. The source design does not need to have ports.

c. Specify the Solution to use. A drop down list lets you select from the available solutions.The "Default" solution is the product dependent solution of the first Setup.That is the setup listed first in the source design's project tree (alphanumerical order). A product spe-cific solution of this setup becomes the default solution. In most products, it is LastAdaptive. In a Transient solution type, it is "Transient."

d. Use the radio button to specify whether to save the source path relative to The project

Note Only a single incident wave angle can be defined for periodic structures which are defined with master and slave boundaries

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directory of the source project or This project.e. Use the checkbox specify whether to Force source design to solve in the absence of

linked data in the target design. f. Use the checkbox to specify whether to preserve the source design solution.g. To view the External Field Link configuration and parameters, select each tab. Under the

External Field Link configuration tab, you can set excitation magnitudes and phases in the source design. Under the Parameters tab, you can set the desired variable values in the source design.

h. Click OK to close the HFSS window and return to the Incident Wave Source window.5. If necessary, specify the Translation of Source Origin Relative to this design.

If the coordinate system you are using in the source design (the project/design to which you are linking) is different from that in the target design (the design in which you are creating the link), you must define the relationship between those coordinate systems. The relationship between two coordinate systems can always be defined as a translation and a rotation. The translation is the offset between the origins of the two coordinate systems, and the rotation can be defined through the use of Euler angles.

6. Enter the X-, Y-, and Z-coordinates of the Excitation Location and/or Zero Phase Position (the origin for the incident wave). This represents the translation of the source design’s origin with respect to the target design’s origin. For instance, if the source design’s origin is located in the target design at (-2, -2, 1), then the translation between the two coordinate systems is (-2, -2, 1).

7. You can define the Rotation of this Design Relative to the Source Design Euler Angles. Similarly to the definition of translation, these angles represent the three rotations that the source design must undergo to align with the target design’s coordinate system. Enter the Euler angles in the respective text fields and use the pull-down menus to specify the units (degrees or radians):• Phi (+ or - rotation about the Z-axis).• Theta (+ or - rotation about the X-axis)• Psi (+ or - rotation about resultant Z-axis.

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8. Click Finish to close the dialog. The Far Field wave source point and direction is highlighted in the modeler window, and the wave appears in the Excitations list in the Project.

Related TopicsTechnical Notes: Incident WavesClear Linked DataUsing Field Solutions from Other Simulators

Near Field WaveA Near Field wave is close enough to the antenna source for near field effects to occur, typically within a wave length. Near field waves tend to be evanescent, that is, non-homogeneous.1. Click HFSS>Excitations>Assign>Near Field Wave.

The Incident Wave Source:Near Field Wave page appears.2. Type the source name in the Name text box or accept the default name. (To change the default

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base name to one of your choosing, see Setting Default Boundary/Excitation Base Names.)3. Click Next.

A page appears that contains a Setup Link button to browse for a Source of Field and fields for specifying the linked design orientation relative to this design. a. To specify the Source of Field, click the Setup Link button.

This displays an HFSS window. It has three fields under the General tab: Project File, Design, and Solution.

b. Specify the Project file for the design that is the source of the Near Field wave. A drop down menu lets you select the current file, and a browse button [...] lets you look through your file system. If you select the current model, the current Design is automatically filled in.

c. Specify the Design for the source of the Near Field wave. If you select the current Project File, the Design is automatically filled in. The source design does not need to have ports.

d. Specify the Solution to use. A drop down list lets you select from the available solutions.The "Default" solution is the product dependent solution of the first Setup.That is the setup listed first in the source design's project tree (alphanumerical order). A product spe-cific solution of this setup becomes the default solution. In most products, it is LastAdaptive. In a Transient solution type, it is "Transient."

e. Use the radio button to specify whether to save the source path relative to The project directory of the source project or This project.

f. Use the checkbox specify whether to Force source design to solve in the absence of linked data in the target design.

g. Use the checkbox to specify whether to preserve the source design solution.h. To view the External Field Link configuration and parameters, select each tab. Under the

External Field Link configuration tab, you can set excitation magnitudes and phases in the source design. Under the Parameters tab, you can set the desired variable values in the source design.

i. Click OK to close the HFSS window and return to the Incident Wave Source window.4. If necessary, specify the Translation of Source Origin Relative to this design.

If the coordinate system you are using in the source design (the project/design to which you are linking) is different from that in the target design (the design in which you are creating the link), you must define the relationship between those coordinate systems. The relationship between two coordinate systems can always be defined as a translation and a rotation. The translation is the offset between the origins of the two coordinate systems, and the rotation can be defined through the use of Euler angles.

5. Enter the X-, Y-, and Z-coordinates of the Excitation Location and/or Zero Phase Position (the origin for the incident wave). Select the units for the coordinate values from the drop-down lists. This represents the translation of the source design’s origin with respect to the target design’s origin. For instance, if the source design’s origin is located in the target design at (-2, -2, 1), then the translation between the two coordinate systems is (-2, -2, 1).

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6. You can define the Rotation of this Design Relative to the Source Design Euler Angles. Similarly to the definition of translation, these angles represent the three rotations that the source design must undergo to align with the target design’s coordinate system. Enter the Euler angles in the respective text fields and use the pull-down menus to specify the units (degrees or radians):• Phi (+ or - rotation about the Z-axis).• Theta (+ or - rotation about the X-axis)• Psi (+ or - rotation about resultant Z-axis.

7. Click Finish to close the dialog. The Near Field wave source point and direction is highlighted in the modeler window, and the wave appears in the Excitations list in the Project.

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Related TopicsTechnical Notes: Incident WavesClear Linked DataUsing Field Solutions from Other Simulators

Note The Near field link uses a default mesh density on the surfaces that link to the other design. If this default mesh density is not sufficient to obtain a desired accuracy, you can select these surfaces and assign a surface mesh seeding.Once the Near Field link has obtained the near fields from the other design, it continues to work with this information regardless of later mesh changes that resulted from adaptive passes or mesh operations. To enforce the Dynamic Link to use a newly seeded mesh, clear the linked data by using Clear Linked Data.

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Assigning Voltage SourcesAssign a voltage source when you want to specify the voltage and direction of the electric field on a surface. A voltage source is used when the feed structure is very small compared to the wave-length and a constant electric field may be assumed across the feed points. In this case, HFSS assigns a constant electric field across the gap on which you specified the voltage. 1. Select the object face to which you want to assign the voltage source.2. Click HFSS>Excitations>Assign>Voltage.

The Voltage Source dialog box appears.3. Type the source’s name in the Name text box or accept the default name. (To change the

default base name to one of your choosing, see Setting Default Boundary/Excitation Base Names.)

4. Type the value of the source, in volts or amps, in the Magnitude box. You can assign a vari-able as this value.

5. Specify the direction of the electric field by drawing a vector:a. Select New Line from the E-Field Direction pull-down list.

The Voltage Source dialog box disappears while you draw the vector.b. Select the start point of the line in one of the following ways:

• Click the point.• Type the point’s coordinates in the X, Y, and Z boxes.

c. Select the endpoint of the line using the mouse or the keyboard. The endpoint defines the direction and length of the line.

The Voltage Source dialog box reappears.6. Click OK.When the source is selected, an arrow indicates the direction and a letter (v or i) indicates the type of source.

Modifying Voltage SourcesTo change the name, value, or electric field direction of an assigned voltage source:1. Double-click the source’s icon under Excitations in the project tree.

The Voltage Source dialog box appears.2. Edit the name or value of the source.3. To reverse the direction of the e-field:

• Select Swap Endpoints from the E-Field Direction pull-down list.The start and endpoints of the E-field line are switched; the line’s direction is reversed.

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Assigning Current SourcesAssign a current source when you want to define the magnitude and direction of the current flow through a surface. A current source is used when the feed structure is very small compared to the wavelength and the electric current on the surface is assumed to be constant across the feed points.1. Select the object face to which you want to assign the current source.2. Click HFSS>Excitations>Assign>Current.

The Current Source dialog box appears.3. Type the source’s name in the Name text box or accept the default name4. Type the value of the source, in volts or amps, in the Magnitude box. You can assign a vari-

able as this value.5. Specify the current flow direction by drawing a vector:

a. Select New Line from the Current Flow Direction pull-down list.The Current Source dialog box disappears while you draw the vector.

b. Select the start point of the line in one of the following ways:• Click the point.• Type the point’s coordinates in the X, Y, and Z boxes.

c. Select the endpoint of the line using the mouse or the keyboard. The endpoint defines the direction and length of the line.

The Current Source dialog box reappears.6. Click OK.When the source is selected, an arrow indicates the direction and a letter (v or i) indicates the type of source.

Modifying Current SourcesTo change the name, value, or current flow direction of an assigned current source:1. Double-click the source’s icon under Excitations in the project tree.

The Current Source dialog box appears.2. Edit the name or value of the source.3. To reverse the direction of the current flow:

• Select Swap Endpoints from the Current Flow Direction pull-down list.The start and endpoints of the current flow line are switched; the line’s direction is reversed.

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Assigning Magnetic Bias SourcesWhen you create a ferrite material, you must define the net internal field that biases the ferrite by assigning a magnetic bias source. The bias field aligns the magnetic dipoles in the ferrite, produc-ing a non-zero magnetic moment. 1. Select the 3D ferrite object to which you want to assign the magnetic bias source.2. Click HFSS>Excitations>Assign>Magnetic Bias.

The Magnetic Bias wizard appears.3. Type the source’s name in the Name text box or accept the default name. (To change the

default base name to one of your choosing, see Setting Default Boundary/Excitation Base Names.)

4. Specify whether the applied bias field is Uniform or Non-uniform.If a design already contains a magnetic bias field, you cannot assign another of a different type. If a single bias field exists in a design, you can edit the type.

5. If you selected the Uniform radio button, click Next and do the following:a. In the Internal Bias field, type the value of the ferrite in amperes/meters. You can assign

a variable as this value.b. Enter the rotation of the permeability tensor with respect to the xyz-coordinate system in

the X Angle, Y Angle, and Z Angle boxes. You can assign variables to these values.If you selected Non-uniform, select the Setup Link... button to display the Setup Link dia-log. Under the General tab, do the following:a. Type the name of a Maxwell 3D Field Simulator project in the Project File box, or click

the ellipsis [...] browse button display a file browser to select the project. HFSS uses the Maxwell 3D project as the source of the non-uniform magnetostatic field information during solution generation. Linking invokes a Maxwell 3D window to pro-vide the solution for the targeted HFSS project.

b. If there are multiple designs available for the project, you can select from the drop down menu.

c. If there are multiple solutions available, you can select from the drop-down menu.The "Default" solution is the product dependent solution of the first Setup.That is the setup listed first in the source design's project tree (alphanumerical order). A product spe-cific solution of this setup becomes the default solution. In most products, it is LastAdaptive. In a Transient solution type, it is "Transient."

d. Use the radio button to specify whether to save the source path relative to The project directory of the source project or This project.

e. Use the checkbox specify whether to Force source design to solve in the absence of linked data in the target design.

f. Use the checkbox to specify whether to preserve the source design solution.The Setup Link dialog also contains a Parameters tab.

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The Parameter is available within the Maxwell 3D Field Simulator and the Value can (and often will) be a parameter in the HFSS Setup.To accept the settings and close the Setup Link dialog, click OK

6. Click Finish to close the Magnetic Bias wizard. The magnetic bias source is assigned to the selected object. If you have set up a link, HFSS invokes a Maxwell 3D window to provide the solution for the targeted HFSS project.

You can also access and edit the magnetic bias source information via the Properties dialog for the source. Magnetic bias sources always have the lowest priority compared to boundaries and other excitations in the solver view.

Related TopicsReprioritizing Boundaries and Excitations.Technical Notes: Magnetic Bias SourcesTechnical Notes: Uniform Applied Bias FieldsTechnical Notes: Non-uniform Applied Bias FieldsTechnical Notes: Magnetic Saturation

Note The Tools>Options>HFSS Options dialog has a setting for Use wizards for data input when creating new boundaries that controls the appearance of the Next button.

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Setup Link DialogLinked data can be mesh, field or some other post-processing data that the source design generated. The Setup link dialog permits you to link the current project to another for:• Magnetic Bias source• Near Field Wave source• Far Field Wave source• Initial Mesh source• Screening Impedance Boundaries

Use the hypertext links above to see the procedure for setting the link of interest.

Related TopicsClear Linked Data

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Modifying ExcitationsTo change the properties of an excitation, do one of the following:• Double-click the excitation’s icon under Excitations in the project tree.

The excitation’s dialog box appears, in which you can modify its properties.• Right-click the excitation in the project tree, and then click Properties on the shortcut menu.

The excitation’s dialog box appears, in which you can modify its properties.• On the HFSS menu, click List.

The Design List dialog box appears. Under the Excitations tab, you can modify the properties of one or more boundaries.

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Deleting ExcitationsTo delete one excitation:1. Select the excitation you want to delete by clicking its icon in the project tree.2. On the Edit menu, click Delete .

The excitation is removed from the design and the project tree.For terminal solutions, if you delete a port with terminals associated with it, deleting the port also removes the associated terminals.

To delete all excitations:• On the HFSS menu, point to Excitations, and then click Delete All.You can also delete one or more excitations in the Design List dialog box:1. On the HFSS menu, click List.

The Design List dialog box appears.2. Under the Excitations tab, click the row of the excitation you want to delete.3. Click Delete.

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Reassigning ExcitationsYou can reassign an excitation to another surface. This is useful when you have modified objects with assigned excitations, invalidating the excitations. For example, if you unite two objects with assigned excitations, the second object’s excitation will become invalid because united objects maintain the characteristics of the first object selected. In this case, you would need to reassign the excitation or delete it.1. Select the object or object face to which you want to assign an existing excitation.2. Click HFSS>Excitations>Reassign.

The Reassign Excitation window appears.3. Select an existing excitation from the list, and then click OK.

The excitation is reassigned to the object or object face.

Note When reassigning an excitation that includes vectors in its definition, HFSS attempts to preserve the vectors with the new assignment, but this is not always possible.

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Duplicating Excitations with GeometrySee Duplicating Boundaries and Excitations with Geometry.

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Showing and Hiding ExcitationsSee Setting Boundary and Excitation Visualization Options.

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Setting the Impedance MultiplierFor designs with ports.If one or more symmetry planes have been defined or if only a wedge of a structure is modeled, you must adjust the impedance multiplier or the computed impedances will not be for the full structure.

1. Click HFSS>Excitations>Edit Impedance Multiplier.The Port Impedance Multiplier dialog box appears.

2. Type a value in the Impedance Multiplier box. You can assign a variable as this value.

3. Click OK.

Related TopicsTechnical Notes: Impedance Multipliers

Note Changing the impedance multiplier invalidates solutions in projects where lumped ports are defined. In such projects, you need to re-solve the project after the change.

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Renormalizing S-MatricesYou can renormalize an S-matrix to a specific port impedance when you set up a wave port. (It is the final step in the Wave Port wizard.) Or you can return to the Wave Port dialog box by double-clicking the wave port icon in the project tree, and then clicking the Post Processing tab. For driven modal problems, you can also edit the renormalization settings and impedance value in the wave port Properties dialog.To renormalize an S-matrix to a specific port impedance:1. If you have already set up the wave port on the desired object face, double-click the wave

port’s icon in the project tree.The Wave Port dialog box appears.

2. Click the Post Processing tab.The Port Renormalization choices include: • Do Not Renormalize (the default)• Renormalize All Modes. This enables the Full Port Impedance text box. The default

impedance for re-normalization of each port is 50 ohms.For a driven modal solution, if you want to enter a complex impedance, enter it in the follow-ing form:

<re> + <im>j(For a driven terminal solution using a waveport, only the real part of the impedance is required.)

• If there are multiple modes, Renormalize Specific Modes. This enables the Edit Mode Impedances button. This opens a editable table with the impedances for each mode.

3. Click OK to apply the selected values and close the dialog.For wave ports in driven modal problems, if you choose to edit the renormalize values through the Properties dialog:1. Select the wave port to edit.

The docked Properties dialog shows the properties for the wave port.2. Check the Renormalize All Modes box.

This enables the Renorm Imped field. 3. Set the Impedance value.

Related TopicsTechnical Notes: Renormalized S-Matrices

Note You do not need to re-run a simulation in order to renormalize a port. Post-processing reports are automatically updated to reflect the renormalized S-matrix.

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De-embedding S-MatricesYou can de-embed the port to a specific port impedance when you set up a wave port. (It is the final step in the Wave Port wizard.) Or you can return to the Wave Port dialog box by double-clicking the wave port icon in the project tree, and then clicking the Post Processing tab.To compute a de-embedded S-matrix:1. If you have already set up the wave port on the desired object face, double-click the wave

port’s icon in the project tree.The Wave Port dialog box appears.

2. Click the Post Processing tab.3. Select Deembed, and then enter the length of the transmission line to be added in the Distance

text box. A positive value de-embeds into the port. A negative value de-embeds out of the port.You can assign a variable as this value. After you enter the value, a blue arrow depicts the embedding distance in the graphics window while the port is selected.

4. Click OK to assign that length to the selected port.

Related TopicsTechnical Notes: De-embedded S-MatricesTechnical Notes: Deembedding

Note You do not need to re-run a simulation in order to de-embed the S-matrix. Post-processing reports are automatically updated to reflect the de-embedded S-matrix.

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7-46 Assigning Excitations

8Assigning Materials

To assign a material to an object, follow this general procedure:1. Select the object to which you want to assign a material.2. On the 3D Modeler menu, click Assign Material .

The Select Definition window appears. When the Show all libraries checkbox is selected, the window lists all of the materials in Ansoft’s global material library as well as the project’s local material library. You can also open the Select Definition window in one of the following ways:• In the Properties dialog box for the object, click the material name under the Attributes

tab.• Right-click Model in the project tree, and then click Assign Material on the shortcut

menu.• Right-click the object in the history tree, and then click Assign Material on the shortcut

menu.3. Select a material from the list.

If the material you want to assign is not listed, add a new material to the global or local mate-rial library, and then select it.

4. Click OK.The material you chose is assigned to the object.

Note You can search the listed materials by name or property value.

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Note In the history tree, by default, HFSS groups objects by material. To change the default, select the object icon and right-click to display the Group Objects by Material checkbox.

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Solving Inside or on the SurfaceWhen you assign a material to an object, you can specify whether to generate a field solution inside the object or on the surface of the object. If you elect to generate a solution inside the object, HFSS will create a mesh inside the object and generate a solution from the mesh. If you elect to generate a solution on the surface of the object, HFSS will create only a surface mesh for the object.If you want a solution to be generated inside an object, select Solve Inside in the Properties win-dow. Conversely, if you want a solution to only be generated on the surface of an object, clear the Solve Inside option in the Properties window.By default, Solve Inside is selected for all objects with a bulk conductivity less than 105 siemens/meter and for perfect insulators. By default, the Solve Inside option in the Properties window is clear for perfect conductors.To change the threshold for solving inside objects, do the following:1. Under the Tools menu, point to Options, and then click HFSS Options.2. Under the General tab, enter a new value in the Solve Inside threshold text box.

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Searching for MaterialsIf there is a specific material or material property value that you want to assign to an object, you can search the materials in the Select Definition window by name or by material property.

Searching by Material Name1. In the Search Criteria area of the Select Definition window, select by Name. 2. In the Search Parameters area, type a material name in the Search by Name text box.

The row containing the material name most similar to the one you typed will be selected.If the selected material is not the one you are searching for, do one of the following:• Use the keyboard’s arrow keys to scroll up or down the list of materials.• Type a new material name in the Search by Name text box.

Searching by Material Property1. In the Search Criteria area of the Select Definition window, select by Property.2. Select a material property from the pull-down list:3. In the Search Parameters area, type a value for the property in the Search by Property text

box, and then click Search.The materials are sorted according to the value you entered. The material with the property value closest to the one you typed will be selected.

If the selected material is not the one you are searching for, do one of the following:• Use the keyboard’s arrow keys to scroll up or down the list of materials.• Type a new value in the Search by Property text box.

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Adding New MaterialsYou can add a new material to a project or global user-defined material library. To make the new project material available to all projects, you must export the material to a global user-defined material library. 1. In the Select Definition window, click Add Material.

The View/Edit Material window appears.2. Type a new name for the material in the Material Name text box or accept the default.3. Select a material property type - Simple or Anisotropic - for each property from the Type

pull-down list.4. If the material is linear, enter values for the following material properties in the Value boxes:

• Relative Permeability• Relative Permittivity• Bulk Conductivity• Dielectric Loss Tangent,• Magnetic Loss TangentIf the material is a ferrite, enter a value greater than 0 in the Magnetic Saturation Value box. You may also choose to enter values in the Lande G Factor and Delta H Value boxes. Because Delta H values are measured at specific frequencies, you should also enter a - Measured Fre-quency value (default 9.4 Ghz).

5. If one or more of the material properties are dependent on frequency, click Set Frequency Dependency, and then follow the directions for defining frequency dependent materials.

6. To modify the units for a material property, double-click the Units box, and then select a new unit system.

7. Click OK. The new material is added to the material library.

Related TopicsDefining Variable Material PropertiesAssigning Material Property TypesDefining Frequency-Dependent Material Properties

Assigning Material Property TypesEach material property can be assigned one of the following material property types:

Note You may enter a variable name or mathematical expression in the Value box.

Simple The material is homogeneous and linear.

Anisotropic The material’s characteristics vary with direction.

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If the material property is anisotropic, its characteristics are defined by its anisotropy tensor. You must define three diagonals for anisotropic permittivity, electric loss tangent, conductivity, perme-ability, and magnetic loss tangent. Each diagonal represents a tensor of your model along an axis.These tensors are relative to the coordinate system specifed as the object’s Orientation property. By specifying different orientations, several objects can share the same anisotropic material but be ori-ented differently.Related TopicsSetting Coordinate SystemsCreating a Relative Coordinate SystemChange the Orientation of an objectDefining Anisotropic Relative Permeability TensorsDefining Anisotropic Relative Permittivity TensorsDefining Anisotropic Conductivity TensorsDefining Anisotropic Dielectric Loss Tangent TensorsDefining Magnetic Loss Tangent Tensors

Defining Anisotropic Relative Permeability Tensors1. In the Relative Permeability row in the View/Edit Material window, select Anisotropic

from the Type pull-down list. Three rows named T(1,1), T(2,2) and T(3,3) are added below the Relative Permeability row.

2. Enter the relative permeability along one axis of the material’s permeability tensor in the Value box of the T(1,1) row.

3. Enter the relative permeability along the second axis in the Value box of the T(2,2) row.4. Enter the relative permeability along the third axis in the Value box of the T(3,3) row.If the relative permeability is the same in all directions, use the same values for each axis. These values can also be defined as variables.

Related TopicsTechnical Notes: Anisotropic Relative Permeability TensorsSetting Coordinate SystemsCreating a Relative Coordinate SystemChange the Orientation of an objectDefining Anisotropic Relative Permittivity TensorsDefining Anisotropic Conductivity TensorsDefining Anisotropic Dielectric Loss Tangent TensorsDefining Magnetic Loss Tangent Tensors

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Defining Anisotropic Relative Permittivity Tensors1. In the Relative Permittivity row in the View/Edit Material window, select Anisotropic from

the Type pull-down list. Three rows named T(1,1), T(2,2) and T(3,3) are added below the Relative Permittivity row.

2. Enter the material’s relative permittivity along one tensor axis in the Value box of the T(1,1) row.

3. Enter the relative permittivity along the second axis in the Value box of the T(2,2) row.4. Enter the relative permittivity along the third axis in the Value box of the T(3,3) row. If the relative permittivity is the same in all directions, use the same values for each axis.These values can also be defined as variables.

Related TopicsTechnical Notes: Anisotropic Relative Permittivity TensorsSetting Coordinate SystemsCreating a Relative Coordinate SystemChange the Orientation of an objectDefining Anisotropic Relative Permeability TensorsDefining Anisotropic Conductivity TensorsDefining Anisotropic Dielectric Loss Tangent TensorsDefining Magnetic Loss Tangent Tensors

Defining Anisotropic Conductivity Tensors1. In the Bulk Conductivity row in the View/Edit Material window, select Anisotropic from

the Type pull-down list. Three rows named T(1,1), T(2,2) and T(3,3) are added below the Bulk Conductivity row.

2. Enter the conductivity along one axis of the material’s conductivity tensor in the Value box of the T(1,1) row.

3. Enter the conductivity along the second axis in the Value box of the T(2,2) row.4. Enter the conductivity along the third axis in the Value box of the T(3,3) row.The values of the conductivity along the first and second axis apply to all axes that lie in the xy cross-section being modeled. The values of the conductivity along the third axis applies to the z-component. These values affect current flowing in dielectrics between the conductors.These values can also be defined as variables.

Related TopicsTechnical Notes: Anisotropic Conductivity TensorsSetting Coordinate SystemsCreating a Relative Coordinate SystemChange the Orientation of an object

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Defining Anisotropic Relative Permeability TensorsDefining Anisotropic Relative Permittivity TensorsDefining Anisotropic Dielectric Loss Tangent TensorsDefining Magnetic Loss Tangent Tensors

Defining Anisotropic Dielectric Loss Tangent TensorsIf electric loss tangent is anisotropic, do the following:1. In the Dielectric Loss Tangent row in the View/Edit Material window, select Anisotropic

from the Type pull-down list. Three rows named T(1,1), T(2,2) and T(3,3) are added below the Dielectric Loss Tangent row.

2. Enter the ratio of the imaginary relative permittivity to the real relative permittivity in one direction in the Value box of the T(1,1) row.

3. Enter the ratio of the imaginary relative permittivity to the real relative permittivity in the sec-ond direction in the Value box of the T(2,2) row.

4. Enter the ratio of the imaginary relative permittivity to the real relative permittivity in the third orthogonal direction in the Value box of the T(3,3) row.

If the electric loss tangent is the same in all directions, use the same values for each direction.These values can also be defined as variables.

Related TopicsTechnical Notes: Anisotropic Dielectric Loss Tangent TensorsSetting Coordinate SystemsCreating a Relative Coordinate SystemChange the Orientation of an objectDefining Anisotropic Relative Permeability TensorsDefining Anisotropic Relative Permittivity TensorsDefining Anisotropic Conductivity TensorsDefining Magnetic Loss Tangent Tensors

Defining Magnetic Loss Tangent Tensors1. In the Magnetic Loss Tangent row in the View/Edit Material window, select Anisotropic

from the Type pull-down list. Three rows named T(1,1), T(2,2) and T(3,3) are added below the Magnetic Loss Tangent row.

2. Enter the ratio of the imaginary relative permeability to the real relative permeability in one direction in the Value box of the T(1,1) row.

3. Enter the ratio of the imaginary relative permeability to the real relative permeability in the second direction in the Value box of the T(2,2) row.

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4. Enter the ratio of the imaginary relative permeability to the real relative permeability in the third direction in the Value box of the T(3,3) row.

If the magnetic loss tangent is the same in all directions, use the same values for each direction. These values can also be defined as variables.

Related TopicsTechnical Notes: Anisotropic Magnetic Loss Tangent TensorsSetting Coordinate SystemsCreating a Relative Coordinate SystemChange the Orientation of an objectDefining Anisotropic Relative Permeability TensorsDefining Anisotropic Relative Permittivity TensorsDefining Anisotropic Conductivity TensorsDefining Anisotropic Dielectric Loss Tangent Tensors

Defining Variable Material PropertiesWhen defining or modifying a material’s properties, each material property value in the View/Edit Material window can be assigned a project variable. Simply type the project variable’s name in the appropriate Value box. Project variables are used for material properties because materials are stored at the project level. For example, define a project variable with the name MyPermittivity and define its value as 4. To assign this property value to a material, type $MyPermittivity in the Relative Permittivity Value box for the material. Be sure to include the prefix $ before the project variable name, which notifies HFSS that the variable is a project variable.

Defining Frequency-Dependent Material Properties1. With respect to a material selected in the Select Definition window, in the View/Edit Mate-

rial window, click Set Frequency Dependency. 2. In the Frequency Dependent Material Setup Option window, do one of the following:

• Select Piecewise Linear Input to define a property value as a piecewise linear function. You will specify the property’s values at frequencies below and above a frequency range. Based on these values, HFSS will automatically create a linear dataset that specifies the property’s values at the desired frequencies during solution generation. This dataset can be modified with additional points if desired.

• Select Loss Model Input if you are working with a lossy dielectric material with a lower frequency near DC. HFSS will enable you to specify the material’s conductivity at DC, rather than its loss tangent, and specify the high frequency/optical permittivity.

• Select Enter Frequency Dependent Data Points if you want to add frequency dependent data points or edit existing frequency dependent data points.

3. Click OK. • If you selected Piecewise Linear Input, the Piecewise Linear Frequency Dependent

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Material Input dialog box appears.• If you selected Loss Model Input, the Loss Model Frequency Dependent Material

Input dialog box appears. In this case, follow the directions for specifying frequency dependence for a lossy dielectric material.

• If you selected Enter Frequency Dependent Data Points, that dialog box appears. In this case, follow the directions for entering frequency dependent data points.

4. In the Piecewise Linear Frequency Dependent Material Input dialog box, enter a Lower Frequency value.HFSS assumes that the material’s property values remain constant below this frequency.

5. Enter an Upper Frequency value.HFSS assumes that the material’s property values remain constant above this frequency.

6. Enter the permittivity of the material at frequencies below the lower frequency in the At Lower Frequency text box.

7. Enter the permittivity of the material at frequencies above the upper frequency in the At Upper Frequency text box. If the permittivity of the material does not vary with frequency, enter the same value you entered for the permittivity’s lower frequency.

8. Follow steps 5 and 6 for entering values for permeability, dielectric loss tangent, and magnetic loss tangent.

9. Click OK. You return to the View/Edit Material window. New default function names appear in the material property text boxes. HFSS automatically created a dataset for each material property. Based on a varying property’s dataset, HFSS can interpolate the property’s values at the desired frequencies during solution generation.

To modify the dataset with additional points, see Modifying Datasets.

Related TopicsDefining Frequency-Dependent Material Properties for Lossy DielectricsEnter Frequency Dependent Data PointsTechnical Notes: Frequency-Dependent Material PropertiesModifying Datasets

Defining Frequency-Dependent Material Properties for Lossy Dielectrics1. In the View/Edit Material window, click Set Frequency Dependency. 2. In the Frequency Dependent Material Setup Option window, select Loss Model Input if

you are working with a lossy dielectric material with a lower frequency near DC. HFSS will enable you to specify the material’s conductivity at DC, rather than its loss tangent, and specify the high frequency/optical permittivity.

3. Click OK. The Loss Model Frequency Dependent Material Input dialog box appears.

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4. Enter a Lower Frequency value.HFSS assumes that the material’s property values remain constant below this frequency.

5. Enter an Upper Frequency value.HFSS assumes that the material’s property values remain constant above this frequency, unless otherwise specified for relative permittivity.

6. Under Relative Permittivity, do the following:a. Enter the permittivity of the material at frequencies below the lower frequency in the At

Lower Frequency text box.b. Enter the permittivity of the material at frequencies above the upper frequency in the At

Upper Frequency text box. If the material does not vary with frequency, enter the same value you entered for the per-mittivity’s lower frequency.

c. Optionally, to specify the high frequency/optical permittivity, select At High/Optical Frequency, and then type the value in the text box.

7. Enter the permittivity of the material at frequencies below the lower frequency in the At Lower Frequency text box.

8. Under Conductivity or Dielectric Loss Tangent, do the following:a. If you prefer to specify the material’s conductivity at DC, rather than its loss tangent value

at the lower frequency, select At DC (Conductivity), and then type the conductivity value at DC in the text box.

b. If you prefer to specify the loss tangent value of the material at the lower frequency, rather than its conductivity at DC, select At Lower Frequency (Loss Tangent), and then type the loss tangent value in the text box.

c. Enter the Upper Frequency (Loss Tangent) value of the material in the text box.9. Click OK.

You return to the View/Edit Material window. New default function names appear in the material property text boxes.

Related TopicsTechnical Notes: Frequency-Dependent Material PropertiesEnter Frequency Dependent Data Points

Enter Frequency Dependent Data Points1. When you click OK on the on after selecting Enter Frequency Dependent Data Points on

the Frequency Dependent Material Setup dialog box, the Enter Frequency Dependent Data points dialog box appears. It shows a table with four columns:• Name: the name of the selected material property. • Freq Dependent: Check the box to indicate if the property is expressed as frequency-

dependent dataset. If a property can not be set as frequency-dependent dataset, the cell is disabled.

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• Dataset column: this is disabled unless Freq Dependent is checked or the property can-not be set as frequency dependent. When enabled, it contains a dropdown menu with a list of existing datasets and the Add/Import dataset...to add or import new dataset.

• Freq As: after a dataset is successfully imported or added, there are two choices available: "X datapoint" or "Y datapoint".

2. If you select Add/Import dataset, the Add Dataset dialog appears. This contains the following fields:• The name field for the current dataset. The default is ds1.• The Import from File button. This opens a file browser for you to select an existing

dataset.• The Coordinates table. This contains X and Y text fields in which you can enter data

points. The values you add are interactively displayed on the graph to the right of the table. You can also Add rows above or below a selected row, Delete rows, or Append a specified number rows.

3. After you have specified or imported the data points, and OK the dialog, the Enter Frequency Data Points dialog shows the Dataset Name and the Freq As value.

4. After you OK the Enter Frequency Dependent Data Points dialog shows the new values.

Defining Material Properties as ExpressionsWhen defining or modifying a material’s properties, each material property value in the View/Edit Material window can be assigned a mathematical expression. Simply type the expression in the appropriate Value box. Expressions typically contain intrinsic functions, such as sin(x), and arith-metic operators, such as +, -, *, and /, but do not include project variables.

Defining Functional Material PropertiesAny material property that can be specified by entering a constant can also be specified using a mathematical function. This is useful when you are defining a material property whose value is given by a mathematical relationship — for instance, one relating it to frequency or another prop-erty’s value. When defining or modifying a material’s properties, simply type the name of the func-tion in the appropriate Value box.

Related TopicsDefining Mathematical Functions

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Viewing and Modifying Material Attributes1. In the Select Definition window, select the material you want to view or modify, and then

click View/Edit Materials.The View/Edit Material window appears. The material name and its property values are listed.

2. If Show all libraries has not been selected, you may need to select the libraries you want to view.

3. You can modify the material as follows:a. Type a new name for the material in the Material Name text box.b. Type new material property values in the Value boxes.c. Specify whether a material property is Simple or Anisotropic.d. Change the units for a material property.Note: Materials stored in Ansoft’s global material library cannot be modified.

4. Click OK to save the changes and return to the Select Definition window.

Warning If you modify a material that is assigned in the active project after generating a solution, the solution will be invalid.

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Validating MaterialsHFSS can validate a material’s property parameters for an Ansoft software product. For example, it will check if the range of values specified for each material property is reasonable. If a material’s property parameters are invalid, an error message will appear in the lower-right cor-ner of the View/Edit Material window. If the parameters are valid, a green check mark will appear there.To validate the material attributes listed in the View/Edit Material window:• Select a product from the Select Ansoft Product area, and then click Validate Now.

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Copying Materials1. In the Select Definition window, select the material you want to copy, and then click Clone

Material.2. To modify the material’s attributes, follow the directions for modifying materials.3. Click OK to save the copy in the active project’s material library.

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Removing Materials1. In the Select Definition window, select a material you want to remove from the active

project’s material library.2. Click Remove Material.

The material is deleted from the project material library.

In a project library, you may want to use the Project>Remove Unused Definitions command to remove selected materials definitions that your project does not require.

Note The following materials cannot be deleted:• Materials stored in Ansoft’s global material library.• Materials that have been assigned to objects in the active project.

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Exporting Materials to a Library1. In the Select Definition window, select the material you want to export.2. Click Export Material to Library.

The Export to material library file browser appears.3. Click PersonalLib to export the material to a local project directory, accessible only to the

user that created it.Click UserLib to export the material to a a library that is shared by more than one user, usually in a central location.

4. Type the library’s file name and then click Save.

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Sorting MaterialsYou can change the order of the materials listed in the Select Definition window. You can sort the list of materials by name, library location, or material property value. To change the order of the listed materials:• Click the column heading by which you want to order the materials.

If the arrow in the column heading points up, the material data will be listed in ascending order (1 to 9, A to Z) based on the values in the column you chose. If you want the material data to be listed in descending order (9 to 1, Z to A), click the column heading again. The arrow will point down.

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Filtering MaterialsIf you want to remove certain materials or material properties from the list in the Select Definition window, use the filter options under the Material Filters tab. You can filter out materials based upon the product or library with which they are associated. You can also filter out material proper-ties and types of material properties.To filter materials or material properties listed in the Select Definition window:1. Click the Material Filters tab.2. Select one or more Ansoft products under Filter Material by Product. Only materials associ-

ated with the products you select will be listed in the Select Definition window.• Click Select All to select all of the products listed. Click Clear to clear all product selec-

tions.3. Select one or more property types under Filter Property Types. Only the property types you

select will be listed.4. Select one or more material properties under Select Material Properties. Only the material

properties you select will be listed.5. Select one or more material types under Filter Material Types. Only the material types you

select will be listed.6. Select one or more material libraries under Filter Material by Location. Only the libraries

you select will be listed.7. Click the Materials tab to save your selections.

Click Cancel to revert back to the last saved selections.

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Working with Material LibrariesThere are two different kinds of materials libraries in HFSS, a system library and a user library.

Working with Ansoft’s System Material LibraryHFSS provides you with a global, or system library of predefined materials. Global materials in the Ansoft system library are available in every HFSS project. They cannot be modified. You can create a global system library that is stored in a common location and available to multiple users.

Working with User Material LibrariesYou can create your own personalized global material library, or user library, that can be used in any HFSS project only by the user that created it. User-defined global materials can be modified at any time. You can also create a personalized local user library that is used only in the active HFSS project.

Editing LibrariesThere are two different methods of editing libraries.

• Using right-click on Materials in the project window to display the Edit All Libraries shortcut menu. Clicking displays the Edit Libraries window.Editing definitions from the project window does not modify the configured libraries for any particular design, since this is editing in general.

• Using Tools>Edit Configured Libraries>Materials from the menu bar takes the current design into account and adds any new libraries to the configured list for the design.

Configuring LibrariesUse Tools>Configure Libraries to display the Configure Design Libraries window. From this window you can view the available libraries for System, User, and Project, and which of these libraries has been configured. Set of selection arrows allows you to move a highlighted library to the Configured list. A checkbox permits you to specify a configured library as default.

Related TopicsExporting Materials to a Library.

8-20 Assigning Materials

9Assigning DC Thickness

You can select the Assign DC Thickness option to more accurately compute DC resistance of a thin conducting object for which Solve Inside is not selected. Skin impedance of the object will be calculated using the defined finite thickness. Otherwise, standard skin impedance calculations assuming infinite thickness will be applied to the object. This option also exists for finite conduc-tivity boundaries. The Assign DC Thickness option on the HFSS menu is enabled if at least one object contains a good conducting isotropic material (such as copper), and the Solve Inside property is not selected. If the object meets these conditions, you can assign a DC thickness.1. Select HFSS>Assign DC Thickness.

This displays the Thickness of Objects for DC Resistance dialog. Objects to which the thick-ness can be applied are listed in the Object Name column.

2. Select the objects to assign a value. You can select objects either by: • Clicking on the Object Name to highlight it. • Use the Select By Name field to type the object name, and click the Search button.

The first object to match the name is highlighted. Selecting an object highlights the Thickness field and the Set Thickness button.

3. Enter a thickness value and select the units. This applies the value to the selected object and checks the Use Thickness property. I

4. To change the value and uncheck the Use Thickness property, select the Clear button and then enter a different value. You can also manually select or deselect the box and manually enter or

Note If you enter a “0” for the thickness, HFSS gives a warning that this will cause infinite impedence that causes isolation.

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delete a thickness value in the table.5. When you have assigned the values you need, click OK to close the dialogue.

Related TopicsTechnical Notes: Calculating Finite Thickness Impedance

9-2 Assigning DC Thickness

10Modifying the Model View

You can modify the view of contents in the 3D Modeler window without changing their actual dimensions or positions.

What do you want to do?• Rotate the view.• Pan the view.• Zoom in or out.• Fit contents in the view window.• Show or hide objects.• Show or hide boundaries or excitations.• Render objects as wireframes, flat-shaded, or smooth-shaded solids.• Set the Surface Visualization• Modify the view orientation.• Modify the lighting.• Set the projection view.• Set the background color.• Modify the appearance of the coordinate system axes.• Modify the appearance of the grid.• Set the Surface Visualization

Related TopicsAssigning Color to an ObjectAssigning Transparency to an Object

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Rotating the ViewTo rotate the view1. On the View menu, click Rotate .2. Drag the mouse in the direction you want to rotate the view.

The view rotates until you release the mouse button.3. To exit Rotate mode, click Rotate on the View menu again or press ESC.

To rotate the view around the vertical axis:1. On the View menu, click Spin.

• Alternatively, right-click in the view window, and then click View>Spin.• Or, click the spin icon on the toolbar

2. Drag the mouse left or right at the speed you want to spin the view. The view spins continually in the direction and at the speed you dragged the mouse.

3. To stop spinning the view, click in the view window.4. To end Spin mode, click Spin again on the View menu or press ESC.

To rotate the view around the screen center:1. Click the rotate icon on the toolbar .2. Drag the mouse up and down at the speed you want to rotate the view.3. To end Rotate mode, click the icon again or press ESC.

Hint Alternatively, rotate the view using one of the following methods:• Hold down the ALT key as you drag the mouse.• Right-click in the view window, and then click View>Rotate on the shortcut menu.

10-2 Modifying the Model View

HFSS Online Help

Panning the ViewTo move (pan) the view:1. On the View menu, click Pan . 2. Drag the mouse in the direction you want to pan the view.

The view will pan until you release the mouse button.3. To exit Pan mode, click Pan on the View menu again or press ESC.

Hint Alternatively, pan the view using one of the following methods:• Hold down the SHIFT key as you drag the mouse.• Right-click in the view window, and then click View>Pan on the shortcut menu.

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Zooming In and OutYou can magnify (zoom in) or shrink (zoom out) the contents in the view window using hot keys or mouse zoom mode.To zoom in using hotkeys:• Press the plus sign (+) or (=) keys or press Ctrl-E keys.

The view zooms in 5 percent.To zoom out using hotkeys:• Press the minus sign (-) key or press the Ctrl-F keys.

The view zooms out 5 percent.To zoom using the mouse.1. On the View menu, click Zoom .2. To zoom in, left click and hold, and drag the mouse towards the top of the view window. The

objects in view expand as you drag. To zoom out, left click and hold and drag the mouse towards the bottom of the view window. The objects in view decrease in size as you drag.The absolute size of the model does not change.

3. To end Zoom mode, click Zoom on the View menu again or press ESC.

Related TopicsZooming In or Out on a Rectangular Area

Zooming In or Out on a Rectangular AreaTo magnify or shrink a specific rectangular area in the view window:

1. On the View menu, click Zoom In or Zoom Out .• Alternatively, right-click in the view window, and then click View>Zoom In or

View>Zoom Out on the shortcut menu.2. Use the mouse to draw a rectangle (or square) by selecting two diagonally opposite corners.

This is the area of magnification that will be increased or decreased. The rectangular area is magnified or decreases in size. The absolute size of the model does not change.

3. To end Zoom mode, click Zoom In or Zoom Out on the View menu again or press ESC.

Hint Alternatively, zoom in or out on the view using one of the following methods:• Hold down the ALT+SHIFT keys as you drag the mouse.• Right-click in the view window, and then click View>Zoom on the shortcut menu.

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HFSS Online Help

Related TopicsZooming In and Out

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View Options: 3D UI OptionsUse the View>Options command to open the 3D UI Options dialog. This lets you set defaults for the following view options:• Stereo Mode (default, disabled)• Drag Optimization (default, disabled)• Show Ansoft Logo in Prints (default, disabled)• Default Color Key Height (the maximum number of values displayed)• Where there is a selection options:• Selection always visible (default, enabled)

• Selection always visible• Set transparency of selected objects• Set transparency of non-selected objects.

• Default screen rotation about• Screen center (default)• Current axis• Model center.

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Fitting Objects in the View WindowWhat do you want to do?• Fit all objects in a view window.• Fit selected objects in a view window.

Fitting All Objects in a View Window1. On the View menu, point to Fit All.2. On the Fit All menu, click one of the following commands:

• All Views.All view windows displaying the active design will change to include all model objects.

• Active View .The view in the active 3D Modeler window changes to include all model objects.

Related TopicsFitting a Selection in a View Window

Fitting a Selection in a View Window1. Select the objects you want to fit in the view.2. On the View menu, point to Fit Selection.3. On the Fit Selection menu, click one of the following commands:

• Active View to fit the selected objects in the active view window.• All Views to fit the selected objects in every open view window of the active design.

Related TopicsFitting All Objects in a View Window

Hint Alternatively, fit all objects in the active view window using one of the following methods:• Press CTRL+D.• Right-click in the view window, and then click View>Fit All on the shortcut menu.

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HFSS Online Help

Hiding Objects from ViewTo hide selected objects.1. Select the object you want to hide from view.2. On the View menu, point to Hide Selection.3. On the Hide Selection menu, click one of the following commands:

• All Views to hide the selected object in every open view window.• Active View to hide the selected object in the active view window.You can also use the Hide icons in the toolbar to hide selected objects in all views or the active view.

The objects you selected are hidden.If there are many objects, it may be easier to hide objects using the Active View Visibility dialog1. On the View menu, point to Active View Visibility, or click the Hide/Show icon on the menu

bar.The Active View Visibility dialog box appears.

2. Select the tab for the objects you want to show or hide. The dialog contains tabs for 3D Mod-eler objects, Color Key objects, Boundaries, Excitations, and Fields Reporter objects.• For designs with large numbers of objects, you can resize the dialog for easier selection. • By default, objects are listed in alphabetical order. You can invert the order by clicking the

Name bar above the Name fields. A triangle in the bar indicates the direction of the listing.• You can also use the Name field to type in an object name and apply the visibility via the

Show and Hide buttons.3. Under the tab, clear the Visibility option for the objects you want to hide in the active view

window.The objects you designate are hidden.

Related TopicsShowing Objects

Hide/Show overlaid visualization in the active view icon

Hide selected objects in active viewHide selected objects in all views

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HFSS Online Help

Showing ObjectsTo show one or more objects that are currently hidden:1. On the View menu or on the menu bar icon, click Active View Visibility .

The Active View Visibility dialog box appears.2. Select the tab for the objects you want to show or hide. The dialog contains tabs for 3D Mod-

eler objects, Color Key objects, Boundaries, Excitations, and Fields Reporter objects.3. Under the tab you need, select the Visibility option for the objects you want to show in the

active view window. • For designs with large numbers of objects, you can resize the dialog for easier selection. • By default, objects are listed in alphabetical order. You can invert the order by clicking the

Name bar above the Name fields. A triangle in the bar indicates the direction of the listing.• You can also use the Name field to type in an object name and apply the visibility via the

Show and Hide buttons.The objects you select and designate as Visible (by selecting the property or using Show) reap-pear.

To show all objects that are currently hidden:1. On the View menu, point to Show All.2. On the Show All menu, click one of the following commands:

• All Views to show all objects in every open view window• Active Views to show all objects in the active view window.The selected objects reappear.

To show selected objects that are currently hidden:1. Select the object. Hidden items are selected once the node corresponding to them is clicked in

the history pane2. On the View menu, select Show Selection, and these click on of the following.

• All Views to show selected objects in every open view window• Active Views to show selected objects in the active view window.You can also use the toolbar icons to Show selected objects in all views and Show selected objects in active views.

The selected objects reappear.

Hide/Show overlaid visualization in the active view iconShow selected object in active view

Show selected object in all views

Modifying the Model View 10-9

HFSS Online Help

Related TopicsHiding Objects

10-10 Modifying the Model View

HFSS Online Help

Rendering Objects as Wireframes or SolidsTo render (display) all objects in the view window as wireframe outlines, flat-shaded solids, or smooth-shaded solids:1. On the View menu, point to Render.2. On the Render menu, click one of the following:

• Wireframe. The objects in the view window are displayed as skeletal structures, enabling you to see all sides of the objects at one time.You can also use the F6 key or the shade icon to toggle the display to wireframe.

• Smooth Shaded. The objects in the view window are displayed as shaded objects with smooth edges.You can also use the F7 key or the shade icon to toggle the display to smooth shaded.

To render a single object in the view window as a wireframe outline:1. Select the object you want to render as a wireframe:2. In the Properties dialog box, under the Attribute tab, select Display Wireframe.

Related TopicsSetting the Default View Rendering ModeSetting the Surface Visualization

Setting the Default View Rendering ModeTo set a default rendering mode for all objects created in the active design and in future designs:1. On the Tools menu, point to Options, and then click 3D Modeler options.2. Click the Display tab.3. Select one of the following from the Default View Render Mode pull-down list.

• Wireframe. The objects in the view window will be displayed as skeletal structures, enabling you to see all sides of the objects at one time.

• Smooth Shaded. The objects in the view window will be displayed as shaded objects with smooth edges.

The rendering mode will be applied to all new objects you create.

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HFSS Online Help

Setting the Surface VisualizationHFSS allows you to specify the faceting for rendering true curves by using the View>Surface Visualization Settings command. There are two options for control--maximum surface deviation and maximum normal deviation. This resembles the Mesh surface approximation settings. Reduce either or both of the allowed deviations to improve the image quality. Improved image quality comes at the cost of increased cpu consumption. Changes apply to the current model until they are changed again. Any changes be reset to default, which are to ignore surface deviation and use a 15 degree normal deviation.To set the Surface Visualization Settings for the active modeler window:1. Click View>Surface Visualization Settings.

This command displays the Surface Viz Settings dialog for the active modeler window. The dialog contains areas for setting the Maximum Surface deviation, and the Maximum Normal deviation.

2. Set the Surface deviation by first selecting from the radio buttons for Ignore, set as Relative Deviation or set as Absolute Deviation. Selecting the later two radio buttons enables the value field.When set as Relative Deviation, the actual sruface deviation depends on the model size. For example, sphere with a radius of 10 has same number of facets as a sphere with a radius of 1. This means that CPU cost does not increase based on the model dimension.When set as Absolute Deviation, the maximum surface deviation for both the spheres will be approximately same since a bigger sphere has more facets than a smaller one. This means that the most CPU cost applies to the larger objects.

3. If you selected the radio buttons for Relative or Absolute Deviation for Maximum Surface deviation, enter a value in the field.

4. To change the Maximum Normal Deviation, enter a value in the text field. Units are degrees.5. The Save As Default button lets you Save any values you change to the drop down menus for

the fields.6. The Restore Defaults button lets you return to the original values. Any values you provided

through Save As Default remain on the drop down menus for the fields for surface and normal deviations

7. Click Apply to apply the current values to the active modeler window, and Close or Cancel to close the dialog without changing settings.

Related TopicsRendering Objects as Wireframes or Solids

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HFSS Online Help

Modifying the View OrientationTo change the orientation of the view (the viewing direction) in the view window:1. On the View menu, point to Modify Attributes and then click Orientation.

A dialog box with orientation settings appears.2. Apply a default orientation to the view or create and apply a new orientation.3. Click Apply for the selected view to appear in the view window.4. Click Make Default if you want the selected viewing direction to be the initial viewing direc-

tion when a 3D Modeler window is opened, either in the current project or future projects.5. Click Close to dismiss the dialog box.

The orientation you set will be saved with the design. New orientations assigned to other designs after this point will not affect this orientation.

Related TopicsApplying a Default View OrientationApplying a New Orientation

Applying a Default View OrientationTo apply a default viewing direction to the active view window:1. On the View menu, point to Modify Attributes and then click Orientation.

A dialog box with orientation settings appears.2. Click one of the orientation names listed in the viewing directions list.3. To view the associated vector components for the orientation you clicked, select Input vector

components under Add Orientation to List. The Vx, Vy, and Vz components will be displayed in the text boxes to the right.

4. To view the associated input angles for the orientation you clicked, select Input angles under Add Orientation to List. The phi and theta components of the selected orientation will be listed in the text boxes to the right.

5. Click Apply.The viewing direction will be applied to the active view window.

Applying a New View OrientationTo apply a new viewing direction to the active view window:1. On the View menu, point to Modify Attributes and then click Orientation.

A dialog box with orientation settings appears.2. To create a viewing direction that is based on a default viewing direction, click the existing ori-

entation name in the viewing directions list.To create a viewing direction based on the current view in the 3D Modeler window, click Get

Modifying the Model View 10-13

HFSS Online Help

Current View Direction. 3. To modify the selected orientation’s vector components, select Input vector components

under Add Orientation to List, and then modify the values in the Vx, Vy, or Vz text boxes.4. To modify the selected orientation’s input angles, select Input angles under Add Orientation

to List, and then modify the values in the phi and theta text boxes.5. Type a name for the new orientation in the Name text box.6. Click Add/Edit.

The new orientation is added to the list of viewing directions.7. Click Make Default if you want the new viewing direction to be the initial viewing direction

when a 3D Modeler window is opened in the current project or future projects.

Removing an OrientationTo remove a viewing direction from the list in the orientation settings dialog box:1. On the View menu, point to Modify Attributes and then click Orientation.

A dialog box with orientation settings appears.2. Click the viewing direction you want to delete from the list of names.3. Click Remove.

The viewing direction is removed from the list.This operation cannot be undone.

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HFSS Online Help

Modifying the Lighting You have the option to emit the following types of light on a design:• Ambient lighting surrounds the model evenly with light. All objects are lit evenly in every

direction by a color of light that you specify.• Distant lighting directs a ray of light at the model in a direction you specify. By default, two

distant light vectors are in effect for every new view window.To modify the lighting:1. On the View menu, point to Modify Attributes and then click Lighting.

The Lighting Properties dialog box appears.2. Select Do Not Use Lighting to turn off ambient and distant lighting.

Clear this option to activate ambient and distant lighting.3. To surround the model with light, click the Ambient Light Properties color button, and then

select a color for the surrounding light from the Color palette.4. To modify the distant light on a model, do one of the following:

a. Add a new distant light by clicking Add.b. Copy an existing distant light that you intend to modify by first selecting it in the Distant

Light Vectors table, and then clicking Clone.c. Select a default distant light to modify by selecting it in the Distant Light Vectors table.

5. For the selected distant light vector, specify the vector direction:a. To modify the direction by specifying Cartesian coordinates, do one of the following:

• Enter the new Cartesian coordinates in the X, Y, and Z boxes.• Use the Vx, Vy, and Vz sliders to specify the Cartesian coordinates dynamically.

b. To modify the direction by specifying the spherical coordinates, do one of the following:• Enter the new spherical coordinates in the φ and θ boxes. • Use the φ and θ sliders to specify the spherical coordinates dynamically.

6. Click Reset to revert to the default ambient and distant light settings.7. Click Save As Default if you want the new lighting settings to be the defaults for all 3D Mod-

eler windows, either in the current project or future projects.8. Click Close to dismiss the dialog box.The lighting settings will be saved with the design. New lighting applied to other designs after this point, including new default settings, will not affect these lighting settings.

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HFSS Online Help

Setting the Projection ViewTo modify the projection of model objects (the camera angle) in the view window:1. On the View menu, point to Modify Attributes and then click Projection.

The Select Projection Type window appears:

2. Select Perspective to change the angle of the view.• Move the slider to the right to increase the proximity, or widen, the view. Move the slider

to the left to decrease the proximity, or flatten, the view.Objects that are closer appear larger relative than objects that are farther away.

3. Select Orthographic to view the model without distortion.The slider is disabled because a distortion scale is no longer applicable.

4. Click Reset to return the model to its original view.5. Click Close to accept the projection setting and dismiss the window.

The Select Projection Type window closes. The last view you specified in the projection win-dow remains visible in the view window.

The projection view you set will be saved with the design. New projection views assigned to other designs after this point will not affect this projection setting.

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HFSS Online Help

Setting the Background ColorTo set the color of the background in the view window:1. On the View menu, point to Modify Attributes and then click Background color.

The Select Background Color window appears.2. To assign a solid background color, do the following:

a. Select Plain Background.b. Modify the background color in one of the following ways:

• Click the Background Color button and then select a color from the Color palette.• Use the RGB sliders under Change View Color Dynamically to specify the color’s

red, green, and blue values.3. To assign a background color that gradually changes from one color to another, do the follow-

ing:a. Select Gradient Background.b. Specify the background color at the top and bottom of the view window in one of the fol-

lowing ways:• Under Select Background Type, click the Top Color button and select a color from

the Color palette. Then click the Bottom Color button and select a color from the Color palette.

• Under Change View Color Dynamically, click Top Color or Bottom Color and use the RGB sliders to specify the color’s red, green, and blue values.

4. Click Reset to revert to the default background colors.5. Click Save As Default if you want the new background color to be the background color for

all 3D Modeler windows in either the current project or future project.The background color you set will be saved with the design. New background color settings assigned to other designs after this point, including new default settings, will not affect this design.

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HFSS Online Help

Modifying the Coordinate System Axes ViewWhat do you want to do?• Show or hide the coordinate system axes.• Show the coordinate system axes for selected objects.• Enlarge or shrink the size of the coordinate system axes.

Showing or Hiding the Axes1. On the View menu, point to Coordinate System.2. On the Coordinate System menu, click one of the following:

• Hide to hide the x-, y-, and z-axes in the active view window.• Show to display the x-, y-, and z-axes in the active view window.

Show the Axes for Selected Objects1. On the Tools menu, point to Options, and then click 3D Modeler Options >Display.2. Select Show orientation of selected objects.

Enlarging or Shrinking the Axes1. On the View menu, point to Coordinate System.2. On the Coordinate System menu, click one of the following:

• Large to display the x-, y-, and z-axes as extending to the edges of the active view win-dow.

• Small to display the x-, y-, and z-axes in a smaller size in relative to the edges of the active view window.

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HFSS Online Help

Choosing Grid SettingsThe grid displayed in the 3D Modeler window is a drawing aid that helps to visualize the location of objects. The points on the grid are divided by their local x-, y-, and z-coordinates for Cartesian grids, or by their local radius and angle coordinates for polar grids. Grid spacing is set according to the current project’s drawing units.You can control the following aspects of the grid:• Type (rectangular or circular)• Style (dots or lines)• Density• Spacing• Visibility• Snap settings• Grid plane

Setting the Grid Type1. On the View menu, click Grid Settings.

The Grid Settings window appears.2. Select a grid type for the active view window: Cartesian for a rectangular grid or Polar for a

circular grid.The grid in the active view window is centered at the origin of the working coordinate system.

For Cartesian grids, you will define a coordinate by specifying its distance from the origin along each axis in the X, Y, and Z text boxes or its relative distance from the previously selected point in the dX, dY, and dZ text boxes. For polar grids, you will define a coordinate by specifying its radius from the origin in the R text box and its angle from the x-axis in the Theta text box or its relative distance from the previously selected point in the dR and dTheta text boxes.

Setting the Grid Style1. On the View menu, click Grid Settings.

The Grid Settings window appears.2. Select one of the following grid styles for the active view window:

Setting the Grid Density and Spacing1. On the View menu, click Grid Settings.

The Grid Settings window appears.

Dot Displays each grid point as a dot.

Line Displays lines between grid points.

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HFSS Online Help

2. If you want to change the density of the grid in the active view window as you zoom in or out on objects, do the following:a. Select Auto adjust density to. b. Specify a distance between grid points by typing a value in the pixels box.

The default is set to 30 pixels, which is generally the best setting for displaying objects. 3. If you do not want the grid density to change when you zoom in or out, but instead want to

specify a constant grid spacing, do the following:a. Clear the Auto adjust density to option.b. Specify the grid’s spacing in the active design’s units.

If you selected a Cartesian grid type, type the values of dX, dY, and dZ. These values rep-resent the difference between one grid point and the next in the x, y, and z directions, respectively. If you selected a polar grid type, type the values for dR and dTheta. dR represents the dif-ference between each radius. dTheta is the difference between angles.

The distance between grid points will increase and decrease proportionately as you zoom in and out in the active view window.

Setting the Grid’s Visibility• To hide the grid, click the Grid toolbar icon: . Click it again to show the grid.Alternatively:1. On the View menu, click Grid Settings.

The Grid Settings window appears.2. Select Grid Visible to make the grid visible in the active 3D Modeler window.

Clear the selection to make the grid invisible.

Related TopicsSetting the Grid Plane

Setting the Grid PlaneTo specify the plane on which you want to display the grid in the active view window, do one of the following:• On the 3D Modeler menu, point to Grid Plane, and then select a grid plane: XY, YZ, or XZ.• Click a grid plane on the pull-down list on the 3D Modeler Draw toolbar:

10-20 Modifying the Model View

11Defining Mesh Operations

In HFSS, mesh operations are optional mesh refinement settings that provide HFSS with mesh con-struction guidance. This technique of guiding HFSS’s mesh construction is referred to as "seeding" the mesh. Seeding is performed using the Mesh Operations commands on the HFSS menu. You can instruct HFSS to refine the length of tetrahedral elements on a surface or within a volume until they are below a certain value (length-based mesh refinement) or you can instruct HFSS to refine the surface triangle length of all tetrahedral elements on a surface or volume to within a spec-ified value (skin depth-based mesh refinement). These types of mesh operations are performed on the current mesh, that is, the most recently generated mesh.In a few circumstances, you may also want to create a mesh operation that modifies HFSS’s surface approximation settings for one or more faces. Surface approximation settings are only applied to the initial mesh, that is, the mesh that is generated the first time a design variation is solved. See the technical notes for more details about HFSS’s application of mesh operations.

What do you want to do?• Perform length-based mesh refinement on object faces.• Perform length-based mesh refinement inside objects.• Perform skin depth-based mesh refinement on object faces.• Modify surface approximation settings for one or more faces.• Specify the model resolution for a selection.

Related TopicsPlotting the MeshTechnical Notes: The Mesh Generation ProcessTechnical Notes: Seeding the MeshTechnical Notes: Guidelines for Seeding the MeshTechnical Notes: Surface Approximation Settings

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Assigning Length-Based Mesh Refinement on Object Faces1. Select the faces you want HFSS to refine.

Alternatively, select an object if you want HFSS to refine every face on the object.2. Click HFSS>Mesh Operations>Assign>On Selection>Length-Based.

The Element Length-Based Refinement dialog box appears.3. Type a name for the mesh operation in the Name text box or accept the default name.4. To restrict the length of tetrahedra edges touching the faces:

a. Select Restrict Length of Elements.b. Type the maximum length of the tetrahedral edges touching the faces in the Maximum

Length of Elements text box.HFSS will refine the element edges touching the selected faces until their lengths are equal to or less than this value.The default value is set to 20% of the maximum edge lengths of the bounding boxes of each selected face.A maximum length of is recommended for radiation boundary surfaces.

5. To restrict the number of elements added during refinement of the faces:a. Select Restrict the Number of Elements.b. Enter the Maximum Number of Elements to be added.c. Click OK.

When the mesh is generated, the refinement criteria you specified is used. When the maximum number of elements is reached, some elements may exceed the requested maximum element length.

Related TopicsPlotting the MeshTechnical Notes: Length-Based Mesh RefinementTechnical Notes: Seeding the MeshTechnical Notes: Guidelines for Seeding the MeshAssigning Length-Based Mesh Refinement Inside ObjectsApplying Mesh Operations without SolvingTechnical Notes: The Mesh Generation Process

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Assigning Length-Based Mesh Refinement Inside ObjectsTo instruct HFSS to refine every face of an object and its interior:1. Select the object you want HFSS to refine.2. Click HFSS>Mesh Operations>Assign>Inside Selection>Length-Based.

The Element Length-Based Refinement dialog box appears.3. Type a name for the mesh operation in the Name text box or accept the default name.4. To restrict the length of the tetrahedral element edges inside the object:

a. Select Restrict Length of Elements.b. Type the maximum length of the edges inside the object in the Maximum Length of Ele-

ments text box.The default value is set to 20% of the maximum edge lengths of the bounding boxes of each selected object’s faces.HFSS will refine the element edges inside the object until they are equal to or less than this value.

5. To restrict the number of elements added during the refinement inside the object:a. Select Restrict the Number of Elements.b. Enter the Maximum Number of Elements to be added.c. Click OK.

When the mesh is generated, the refinement criteria you specified will be used. When the maxi-mum number of elements are reached, it may result in some elements exceeding the requested max-imum element length.

Related TopicsPlotting the MeshTechnical Notes: Length-Based Mesh RefinementTechnical Notes: Seeding the MeshTechnical Notes: Guidelines for Seeding the MeshAssigning Length-Based Mesh Refinement on Object FacesApplying Mesh Operations without SolvingTechnical Notes: The Mesh Generation Process

Defining Mesh Operations 11-3

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Assigning Skin Depth-Based Mesh Refinement on Object Faces1. Select the faces you want to be refined.

Alternatively, select an object if you want HFSS to refine every face on the object.2. Click HFSS>Mesh Operations>Assign>On Selection>Skin-Depth-Based.

The Skin Depth-Based Refinement dialog box appears.3. Type a name for the mesh operation in the Name text box or accept the default name.4. Type the skin depth within which to refine the mesh in the Skin Depth text box.

Alternatively, calculate the skin depth based on the object’s material permeability and conduc-tivity and the frequency at which the mesh will be refined:a. Click Calculate Skin Depth.

The Calculate Skin Depth dialog box appears. b. Enter the material’s Relative Permeability and Conductivity.c. Specify the Frequency at which to refine the mesh.d. Click OK.

HFSS calculates the skin depth and enters its value in the Skin Depth text box.5. In the Number of Layers of Elements text box, type the number of layers to add perpendicu-

lar to the object’s surface.HFSS will add an equivalent number of mesh points to each layer. For example, if HFSS added 10 points to satisfy the Surface Triangle Length, it will add 10 points to each layer.

6. Type the maximum edge length of the surface mesh in the Surface Triangle Length text box.The default value is set to 20% of the maximum edge lengths of the bounding boxes of each selected face.HFSS will refine the surface triangle mesh (the faces of the tetrahedra touching the surface) until their edge lengths are equal to or greater than the specified value.

7. To restrict the number of elements added during refinement on the faces:a. Select Restrict the Number of Surface Elements.b. Enter the Maximum Number of Surface Elements to be added.c. Click OK.

When the mesh is generated, the refinement criteria you specified will be used.

Related TopicsPlotting the MeshTechnical Notes: Skin Depth-Based Mesh RefinementTechnical Notes: Seeding the MeshTechnical Notes: Guidelines for Seeding the MeshApplying Mesh Operations without Solving

11-4 Defining Mesh Operations

HFSS Online Help

Technical Notes: The Mesh Generation Process

Defining Mesh Operations 11-5

HFSS Online Help

Modifying Surface Approximation SettingsHFSS applies surface approximation settings when it generates the initial mesh. If you modify HFSS’s default settings after the initial mesh has been generated, they will not affect the mesh for that design variation.1. Select the faces for which you want to modify the surface approximation settings.

• Alternatively, select an object if you want to modify the surface approximation settings of every face on the object.

2. Click HFSS>Mesh Operations>Assign>Surface Approximation.The Surface Approximation dialog box appears.

3. Type a name for the group of settings in the Name text box or accept the default name.4. Under Surface Deviation, do one of the following:

• Select Ignore if you do not want to use surface deviation settings for the selected faces.• Select Set maximum surface deviation (length), and then type the distance between the

true surfaces of the selected faces and the meshed faces in the text box.5. Under Normal Deviation, do one of the following:

• Select Ignore if you do not want to use HFSS’s default normal deviation settings for the selected faces.

• Select Use defaults if you want to use HFSS’s default normal deviation setting for the selected faces, which is 22.5 degrees.

• Select Set maximum normal deviation (angle), and then type the angular distance between the normal of the true surface and the corresponding mesh surface in the text box.

6. Under Aspect Ratio, do one of the following:• Select Ignore if you do not want to use HFSS’s default aspect ratio settings for the

selected faces.• Select Use defaults if you want to use HFSS’s default aspect ratio settings for the selected

faces, which are 10 for curved surfaces and 200 for planar surfaces.• Select Set aspect ratio, and then type a value in the text box. This value determines the

shape of the triangles. The higher the value, the thinner the triangles. Values close to 1 will result in well-formed, wide triangles.

7. Click OK.The settings will be applied to the initial mesh generated on the selected surface. The group of settings is listed in the project tree under Mesh Operations.

Related TopicsPlotting the MeshTechnical Notes: Surface Approximation SettingsTechnical Notes: Guidelines for Modifying Surface Approximation SettingsTechnical Notes: The Mesh Generation Process

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Specifying the Model ResolutionYou can set Model Resolution on one or more objects to remove unnecessary details from the mesh representation. This can be used to reduce the mesh complexity of the selected objects.1. Select the object or objects on which to specify a Model Resolution length. 2. Click on HFSS>Mesh Operations>Assign>Model Resolution.3. This displays the Model Resolution Mesh Operation dialog.

Alternatively, you can display the same dialog if you:a. Right-click on either Mesh Operations in the Project Tree, or right-click in the 3D Mod-

eler window to display the respective shortcut menu.b. Click on Assign>Model Resolution in the Project Tree menu or click on Assign Mesh

Operation>Model Resolution on the shortcut menu.The Model Resolution Mesh Operation dialog contains text fields for the Name and Model Resolution length, and it has a drop down menu for the units.

4. Specify the name, the value, and the units.5. Click OK.

This adds the Model Resolution under the Mesh Operations icon in the Project Tree.

Related TopicsPlotting the MeshTechnical Notes: Model Resolution

Note Setting Model Resolution will invalidate any existing solutions. When two objects in contact have different model resolution lengths, the smaller length will apply for the common regions.

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Reverting to the Initial MeshThe initial mesh is the mesh that is generated the first time a design variation is solved. It includes surface approximation settings, but does not include lambda refinement or defined mesh opera-tions. If you have modified the design setup, and do not want to use the existing current mesh, revert to the initial mesh prior to solving. • On the HFSS menu, point to Analysis Setup, and then click Revert to Initial Mesh.Reverting to the initial mesh is useful when you want to evaluate how a different solution fre-quency affects the mesh generated during an adaptive analysis.

Related TopicsPlotting the MeshTechnical Notes: The Mesh Generation Process

11-8 Defining Mesh Operations

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Applying Mesh Operations without SolvingIf you want to refine the mesh on a face or volume, but do not want to generate a solution, do the following after defining mesh operations:• On the HFSS menu, point to Analysis Setup, and then click Apply Mesh Operations, right

click on the Analysis or Setup icon in the Project window to display the shortcut menu and click Apply Mesh Operations.The same solve machine rules that apply to solving any other setup also apply here. The mesh operation will be sent to the default solve machine, or the HFSS Server Setup dialog may appear to allow you to interactively specify a solve machine if "Prompt for analysis machine when launching analysis" is selected under Tools>Options>General Options>Analysis Options tab.If a current mesh has been generated, HFSS will refine it using the defined mesh operations.If a current mesh has not been generated, HFSS will apply the mesh operations to the initial mesh. If an initial mesh has not been generated, HFSS will generate it and apply the mesh operations to the initial mesh. If the defined mesh operations have been applied to the selected face or object, the current mesh will not be altered.

Applying mesh operations without solving enables you to experiment with mesh refinement in spe-cific problem regions without losing design solutions. You cannot undo the applied mesh opera-tions, but you can discard them by closing the project without saving them.You can apply mesh operations even if no operations have been defined.

Related TopicsTechnical Notes: The Mesh Generation ProcessPlotting the MeshSpecifying the Analysis OptionsGeneral Options: Analysis Options TabRemote Analysis

Hint Define a new mesh operation rather than modify an existing mesh operation. HFSS will not re-apply a modified mesh operation.

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11-10 Defining Mesh Operations

12Specifying Solution Settings

Specify how HFSS will compute a solution by adding a solution setup to the design. You can define more than one solution setup per design. Each solution setup includes the following informa-tion:• General data about the solution’s generation.• Adaptive mesh refinement parameters, if you want the mesh to be refined iteratively in areas of

highest error.• Frequency sweep parameters, if you want to solve over a range of frequencies.To add a new solution setup to a design:1. Select a design in the project tree.2. On the HFSS menu, point to Analysis Setup, and then click Add Solution Setup .

• Alternatively, right click Analysis in the project tree, and then click Add Solution Setup on the shortcut menu.

• If you have an existing setup, you can Copy and Paste it, and then edit parameters.• If you have already created a solution and you want to use an existing mesh, you can click

Add Dependent Setup.The Solution Setup dialog box appears. It is divided among the following tabs:

General Includes general solution settings.

Options Includes settings for lambda refinement, adaptive analysis and solution options, and the Max. Order of Basis.

Advanced Includes settings for mesh linking, output variable convergence, absorbing boundaries on ports, and waveport adapt options.

Defaults Enables you to save the current settings as the defaults for future solution setups or revert the current settings to HFSS’s standard settings.

Specifying Solution Settings 12-1

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3. Click the General tab.4. Enter a Setup Name or accept the default.5. For Driven solution types, do the following:

a. Enter the Solution Frequency and select the frequency units from the pull down list.b. Optionally, select Solve Ports Only.For Eigenmode solution types, do the following:a. Enter the Minimum Frequency in the frequency units.b. Enter the Number of Modes. The number must be greater than 0 and less than 20.

6. If you are performing an adaptive analysis, enter 2 or more passes in the Maximum Number of Passes box, and then specify the remaining adaptive analysis parameters.For Eigenmode solutions, iIf you are not performing an adaptive analysis, entering 0 will enable you to bypass the adaptive analysis process and just perform a frequency sweep. For driven problems HFSS always requiring at least one adaptive pass. Entering 1 will also bypass adap-tive analysis, generating a solution only at the solution frequency you specified.

7. Click OK.8. Optionally, add a frequency sweep to the solution setup.The Enabled checkbox on General tab permits to you to disable a setup so that it does not run when you select Analyze All.

Related TopicsAdd Dependent SetupSetting Adaptive Analysis ParametersTechnical Notes: The HFSS Solution Process

Add Dependent SetupFor driven setups (not Eigenmode), to apply all settings from an existing setup to a child setup:1. Select an existing setup in the project tree.2. On the HFSS menu, right click on the setup in the project tree, and then click Add Dependent

Solution Setup on the shortcut menu.A dependent setup icon appears, which has an altered graphic to distinguish it from the parent setup icon. The child setup name is "parent_setup name_1." All of the settings from the parent setup are copied to the child setup. The dependent setup uses the mesh from the parent setup. This is shown under the Advanced tab of the Solution Setup dialog, Specifying a Source for the initial mesh. You can add a dependent setup to another dependent setup, and form of the name shows the hierarchical dependence by appending "_1" to show further dependence.

If you intend to change any of the settings, you do this just as you would for a new setup.The Enabled checkbox on General tab permits to you to disable a setup so that it does not run when you select Analyze All.

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Related TopicsSpecifying Solution Settings

Specifying Solution Settings 12-3

HFSS Online Help

Setting the Solution FrequencyFor Driven solution types.For every Driven solution setup, specify the frequency and units at which to generate the solution. If you want to solve over a range of frequencies, define a frequency sweep. If a frequency sweep is solved, an adaptive analysis is performed only at the solution frequency.• Under the General tab of the Solution Setup dialog box, enter a value for Solution Fre-

quency and select the frequency units from the pull down list.

Note For Fast sweeps, HFSS uses the solution frequency as the center frequency if it is within the frequency range (greater than the start frequency and less than the stop frequency.) Otherwise the middle of the frequency range is used as the center frequency.

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Solving for Ports OnlyFor Driven solution types with ports.To quickly compute only the 2D excitation field patterns, impedances, and propagation constants at each port:• Under the General tab of the Solution Setup dialog box, select Solve Ports Only.

This disables the remaining settings for Maximum number of passes and Convergence per pass.

HFSS calculates the natural field patterns (or modes) that can exist inside a transmission structure with the same cross-section as the port. These 2D field patterns serve as boundary conditions for the full 3D problem.

Related TopicsTechnical Notes: Port Solutions

Specifying Solution Settings 12-5

HFSS Online Help

Setting the Minimum FrequencyFor Eigenmode solution types.For every Eigenmode solution setup, specify the minimum frequency at which to search for eigen-modes. HFSS searches for the user-specified number of modes with a higher resonant frequency than the Minimum Frequency value.• Under the General tab of the Solution Setup dialog box, type a Minimum Frequency and the

frequency units.• You can set the Minimum frequency as a variable by typing a name in the field and pressing

Enter. This displays the Add Variable dialog for you to enter the value and units. Click OK to close the dialog. The variable is listed in the Setup and in the Design Properties.

Warning Because the minimum frequency is used to normalize some matrices, if the frequency is set too low, HFSS tries to solve a nearly-singular matrix, which may erode the accuracy of the calculations. As a general rule, do not enter a frequency less than 0.01 times the suggested, or default, value for Minimum Frequency.

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Setting the Number of ModesFor Eigenmode solution types.For every Eigenmode solution setup, specify the number of eigenmode solutions that the solver finds. If you enter 5, the solver calculates the first 5 eigenmode solutions above the minimum fre-quency.The Eigenmode solver can find up to 20 eigenmode solutions.• Under the General tab of the Solution Setup dialog box, enter a value for Number of Modes.

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Setting Adaptive Analysis ParametersWhen you set up an adaptive analysis, define the following parameters under the General tab of the Solution Setup dialog box:• Maximum Number of Passes• Maximum Delta S (for designs with ports) or Use Matrix convergence (here you can set a

matrix values for convergence, including maximum delta for Mag S and Phase S).• Maximum Delta Energy for convergence per pass (for designs with voltage sources, current

sources, incident waves, or magnetic bias).• For Eigenmode solutions, specify Maximum Delta Frequency Per Pass and, if desired, Con-

verge on Real Frequency Only.Under the Options tab of the Solution Setup dialog box, you can edit the following settings: • Lambda Refinement• Maximum Refinement Per Pass• Maximum Refinement• Minimum Number of Passes• Minimum Number of Converged Passes• Max Order of Basis functions• Enable Iterative Solver and associated Relative Residual SettingUnder the Advanced tab of the Solution Setup, depending on the solution type, you can edit the following settings.• Initial Mesh Options for mesh linking• Adapt Options: whether to use Output Variable Convergence (output variables must be defined

for this to be enabled.)• Port options (Maximum Delta Zo, whether to Use Radiation Boundary on Ports and Min/Max

Port Triangle settings)

Setting the Maximum Number of PassesThe Maximum Number of Passes value is the maximum number of mesh refinement cycles that you would like HFSS to perform. This value is a stopping criterion for the adaptive solution; if the maximum number of passes has been completed, the adaptive analysis stops. If the maximum num-ber of passes has not been completed, the adaptive analysis will continue unless the convergence criteria are reached.To set the maximum number of passes for an adaptive analysis:• Under the General tab of the Solution Setup dialog box, enter a value for Maximum Num-

ber of Passes.For Eigenmode solutions, iIf you are not performing an adaptive analysis, entering 0 will enable you to bypass the adaptive analysis process and just perform a frequency sweep. For driven problems HFSS always requiring at least one adaptive pass. Entering 1 will also bypass adap-

12-8 Specifying Solution Settings

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tive analysis, generating a solution only at the solution frequency you specified.

Setting the Maximum Delta S Per PassFor designs with ports. The delta S is the magnitude of the change of the S-parameters between two consecutive passes. The value you set for Maximum Delta S is a stopping criterion for the adaptive solution. If the magnitude of the change of all S-parameters are less than this value from one iteration to the next, the adaptive analysis stops. Otherwise, it continues until the requested number of passes is com-pleted.To set the maximum delta S per adaptive pass:• Under the General tab of the Solution Setup dialog box, enter a value for Maximum Delta S.Delta S data is available only after HFSS completes two iterations of the adaptive analysis process.

Related TopicsViewing the Maximum Magnitude of Delta S Between PassesTechnical Notes: Maximum Delta S

Setting the Maximum Delta Energy Per PassFor designs with voltage sources, current sources, incident waves or magnetic bias. Not applicable to designs with ports.The delta Energy is the difference in the relative energy error from one adaptive solution to the next. The value you set for Maximum Delta Energy is a stopping criterion for the adaptive solu-tion. If the delta Energy falls below this value, the adaptive analysis stops. Otherwise, it continues until the convergence criteria are reached. To set the maximum delta Energy per adaptive pass:• Under the General tab of the Solution Setup dialog box, enter a value for Maximum Delta

Energy.Delta Energy data is available only after HFSS completes two iterations of the adaptive analysis process.

Related TopicsViewing the Delta Magnitude EnergyTechnical Notes: Maximum Delta Energy

Note The size of the finite element mesh — and the amount of memory required to generate a solution — increases with each adaptive refinement of the mesh. Setting the maximum number of passes too high can result in HFSS requesting more memory than is available or taking excessive time to compute solutions.

Note Delta S is computed on the appropriate S-parameters - modal or terminal - after the S-parameters have been de-embedded and renormalized.

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Setting the Maximum Delta Frequency Per PassFor Eigenmode solution typesThe delta Frequency is the percentage difference between calculated eigenmode frequencies from one adaptive pass to the next. The value you set for Maximum Delta Frequency Per Pass is a stopping criterion for the adaptive solution. If the eigenmode frequencies change by a percentage amount less than this value from one pass to the next, the adaptive analysis stops. Otherwise, it con-tinues until the maximum number of passes is completed. To set the Maximum Delta Frequency Per Pass:• Under the General tab of the Solution Setup dialog, enter a value for Maximum Delta Fre-

quency Per Pass. Delta Frequency data is available only after HFSS completes two iterations of the adaptive analysis.

Related TopicsSpecifying Convergence on Real Frequency Only

Specifying Convergence on Real Frequency OnlyFor Eigenmode solution types.Selecting Converge on Real Frequency Only causes the percent difference calculation among a set of frequencies to be based only on the real parts of the frequencies; the imaginary parts of the frequencies are ignored.• Under the General tab of the Solution Setup dialog box, select Converge on Real Frequency

Only.

Specifying Output Variable ConvergenceYou can specify additional convergence criteria through the use of output variables. The Max Delta or the Max Percent Delta defined for output variable convergence represents the difference in val-ues of the output variable between consecutive adaptive passes. If the difference in the value of the output variable between consecutive passes is less than the Max Delta or the Max Percent Delta value this part of the convergence criteria is satisfied. For driven solutions, if the Maximum Delta S, Maximum Delta E, or alternate matrix conver-gence criteria are achieved in addition to any specified output variable convergence criteria, the adaptive analysis stops. Otherwise, the solution continues until the requested number of passes is completed. For eigenmode solutions, if the Maximum Delta Frequency Per Pass criteria is achieved in addi-tion to any specified output variable convergence criteria, the adaptive analysis stops. Otherwise, the solution continues until the requested number of passes is completed. To set the Output Variable Convergence criteria:1. Ensure that the desired output variable to use for convergence exists. See Specifying Output

Variables.2. Under the Advanced tab of the Solution Setup dialog box, select the Also Use Output Vari-

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HFSS Online Help

able Convergence checkbox. If no output variables have been defined in the design then this option is disabled.

3. Select the desired output variable from the drop down list and specify the Max Delta (an abso-lute change in value between passes) or the Max Percent Delta (a percentage change in value between passes) criteria. The Setup Context button is enabled if the output variable represents a field quantity that requires a specific geometric context on which to calculate its value. For example, to converge on a far field quantity such as antenna Gain, you must select a radiation setup and the corre-sponding theta/phi point at which to calculate the gain value.a. For output variables that require a geometric context, select the Setup Context button.

This displays the Output Variable Context dialog. • Geometry Selection - a drop down list of appropriate geometry domains correspond-

ing to the output variable quantity.The Evaluation Context fields are enabled as required for the variable. These can be• Phi and Theta - values for spherical geometries.• IWave Phi and IWave Theta values - intrinsic variables necessary for designs which

include incident wave excitations.• Linear Distance - a drop down list of distance along the geometries.

b. Select a geometry and associated Evaluation Context values. c. Click OK to close the Setup Context dialog.

Related TopicsViewing Convergence DataViewing the Output Variable Convergence

Specifying a Source for the Initial MeshYou may choose to specify a source for the initial mesh from either the current design or another design. The source mesh should represent a geometrically equivalent model. To specify a source for the initial mesh:1. Under the Advanced tab of the Solution Setup dialog box, click the checkbox for Use Cur-

rent Mesh From.This enables the Other Design option and the Current Design option, provided another solu-tion setup exists in the current design. Note that the Lamda refinement option is deselected under the Options tab to avoid over-refinement of the linked mesh• If you click Current Design, you can select from available solution setups via the drop

down menu.• If you click Other Design, the Setup Link button becomes active. Click Setup Link to

display the Setup Link dialog box. Under the General tab, the Setup Link dialog box contains fields for the Project File, Design, and Solution.

Specifying Solution Settings 12-11

HFSS Online Help

a. To specify a Project File click the ellipsis [...] button to open a file browser window. When you select a Project File, the Design field and the Solution field are filled in with default values, and the drop down menus contain any available Projects and solutions.The "Default" solution is the product dependent solution of the first Setup.That is the setup listed first in the source design's project tree (alphanumerical order). A product specific solution of this setup becomes the default solution. In most prod-ucts, it is LastAdaptive. In a Transient solution type, it is "Transient."The Parameters tab lets you view any variables contained in the Project you select.

b. Use the radio button to specify whether to save the source path relative to The project directory of the source project or This project.

c. Use the checkbox specify whether to Force source design to solve in the absence of linked data in the target design.

d. Use the checkbox to specify whether to preserve the source design solution.e. Click the OK button to accept the project file for the setup.

2. Continue with other settings or click OK to accept the setup and close the Setup dialog box.

Related TopicsClear Linked DataSetting Lambda Refinement

Clearing Linked DataLinked data can be mesh, field or some other post-processing data that the source design generated. The target design for the link caches these data internally to minimize the need to activate the source design.If you have previously setup links to a design, the HFSS>Analysis Setup menu contains an option to Clear Linked Data. This removes the linked data for all links in a design, therefore invalidating the solutions. You can also clear linked data through HFSS>Results>Clean Up Solutions, which displays a dialog that includes options that let you selectively delete linked data only, or as part of other deletions.Clearing linked data for some link types requires HFSS to revert to the initial mesh. Thus in some cases, this command removes the current mesh of the target design.Related TopicsDeleting Solution Data

Setting Lambda RefinementLambda refinement is the process of refining the initial mesh based on the material-dependent wavelength. It is recommended and selected by default. If you select the Use Current Mesh From option under the Advanced tab, Do Lamda Refinement is deselected. If you make the Specify Use Current Mesh From selection as the Current design, the Do Lamda Refinement fields are

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HFSS Online Help

disabled. If you make the Specify Use Current Mesh From selection as Other design and Setup the Link, the Do Lamda Refinement fields remain enabled so that you can select it if desired.To specify the size of wavelength by which HFSS will refine the mesh:1. Under the Options tab of the Solution Setup dialog box, select Do Lambda Refinement.

This enables the Target field and the Use free space lambda check box.2. Enter a value for the wavelength in the Target field or accept the defaults.

The Target defaults depend on the Order of Basis function selections. For example, for Driven solutions and a First Order basis function, the default target is 0.3333, which means that HFSS will refine the mesh until most element lengths are approximately one-third wavelength.For eigenmode solutions and a First Order basis function, the default target is 0.2If you change the Order of Basis functions in the Solution Setup dialog, the default changes automatically. Setting the Order of Basis affects the default value of the Lambda Refinement in the Solution setups as follows.

3. If you want the initial mesh to be refined based on the wavelength in free space, select Use free space lambda. Material-dependent lambda refinement will be deactivated.

Related TopicsSetting the Max Order of Solution BasisSpecifying a Source for the Initial Mesh

Setting the Percent Maximum Refinement Per PassThe value you set for percent Maximum Refinement Per Pass determines how many tetrahedra are added at each iteration of the adaptive refinement process. The tetrahedra with the highest error will be refined. The default value is 30%.To set the percent refinement per adaptive pass:• Under the Options tab of the Solution Setup dialog box, enter a value for percent Maximum

Refinement Per Pass.

Related TopicsTechnical Notes: Percent of Tetrahedra Refined Per Pass

Zero order: driven 0.1, eigenmode 0.1

First order: driven 0.3333, eigenmode 0.2 (as is)

Second order: driven 0.6667, eigenmode 0.4

Note Changing the Lambda refinement target invalidates any solutions that were performed with the previous lambda refinement.

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Setting the Maximum RefinementThis specifies the maximum number of tetrahedra that can be added during an adaptive pass. The default is set at 100000.To set a new value for the Maximum Refinement:1. Under the Options tab of the Solution Setup dialog box, click the Maximum Refinement

checkbox to enable the text field.2. Enter the number of tetrahedra for Maximum Refinement.

You can also control these values in the docked properties window for the setup. Click the checkbox for Use Max Refinement, to apply the value in the Max Refinement text field.

Setting the Minimum Number of PassesAn adaptive analysis will not stop unless the minimum number of passes you specify has been completed, even if convergence criteria have been met. • Under the Options tab of the Solution Setup dialog box, enter a value for Minimum Number

of Passes.

Setting the Minimum Number of Converged PassesAn adaptive analysis will not stop unless the minimum number of converged passes you specify has been completed. • Under the Options tab of the Solution Setup dialog box, enter a value for Minimum Con-

verged Passes.The convergence criteria must be met for at least this number of passes before the adaptive analysis will stop.

Setting Matrix Convergence CriteriaFor designs with ports.You can specify different stopping criteria for specific entries in the S-matrix. This is done in the Matrix Convergence dialog box. The adaptive analysis will continue until the magnitude and phase of the entries change by an amount less than the specified criteria from one pass to the next, or until the number of requested passes is completed.To set the matrix convergence:1. Under the General tab of the Solution Setup dialog box, select Use Matrix Convergence.2. Click Set Magnitude and Phase.

The Matrix Convergence dialog box appears.

Note For a solve setup with zero passes, no sweeps, and that is not ports only, validation produces a warning message.

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3. Select one of the following from the Entry Selections pull-down list:

For the selection All, enter the convergence criteria for the Maximum Delta (Mag S) and the Maximum Delta (Phase S) in the fields to the right.For the selection Diagonal/Off-Diagonal, first check Diagonal Entries, Off-Diagonal Entries, or both, to enable the convergence criteria field or fields. Then enter the convergence criteria for the Maximum Delta (Mag S) and the Maximum Delta (Phase S) in the fields to the right.

4. If you chose Selected Entries, the Matrix Convergence dialog displays some new fields:• a table showing columns for Matrix Entry 1, Matrix Entry 2, and the Delta Mag and Delta

Phase.• Entry 1 and Entry 2 fields which contain drop down lists of ports and associated modes

(or terminals).• an Insert button with which to move selections from the port list selections to the tableTo select the desired ports and mode (or terminal) pairs, do the following:a. Select Entry 1 and Entry 2 from their drop down lists.b. In the Magnitude box, enter the maximum change in magnitude from pass to pass from

the Entry 1 to Entry 2.c. In the Phase box, enter the maximum change in phase, in degrees, from pass to pass from

Entry 1 to Entry 2. (Note: When the Mag S becomes small (near to zero) its phase becomes indefinite and insignificance due to mathematical issue so that Phase Margin will be discarded.)

d. Click Insert.The entries appear in the table above. If you have selected multiple entries, all combina-tions of matrix entry1 and matrix entry2 populate the table. Selecting a Row in the table enables the Delete button, if you need to remove a row from the table.Clicking in the Delta Mag and Delta Row fields of the selected row enables editing in those fields.

5. Click OK to close apply the values and close the dialog.

Related TopicsViewing the Magnitude MarginViewing the Phase MarginViewing Delta (Mag S)

All Sets all of the matrix entries at once. (The default).

Diagonal/Off- Diagonal

Sets all of the diagonal matrix entries at once, all off-diagonal matrix entries at once, or both diagonal and off diagonal entries at once.

Selected Entries Sets individual matrix entries that you will select.

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Viewing Delta (Phase S)

Setting the Order of Basis FunctionsYou can change the basis functions HFSS uses to interpolate field values from nodal values.• Under the Options tab of the Solution Setup dialog box, select Order of Basis.

This can be First Order (the default), Zero Order,or Second Order.Setting the Order of Basis functions affects the default value of the Lambda Refinement in the Solution setups as follows.

The Zero order option is useful when a model requires a mesh that produces more than 100,000 tet-rahedra, but the model size is small compared to wavelength. The higher order options solve pro-gressively more unknowns for each tetrahedra.

Related TopicsTechnical Notes: Basis FunctionsSetting Lambda RefinementEnable Iterative Solver

Enable Iterative SolverThe iterative solver provides an alternative to the multi-frontal solver when a matrix is well-condi-tioned for an iterative solution. The iterative solver significantly reduces memory usage, and it can also provide a savings in the solution time for large simulations.When you select the Enable Iterative Solver option, HFSS automatically invokes the iterative solver when it decides that the matrix is conditioned well enough to take advantage of the iterative approach. HFSS uses the multi-frontal solver if the matrix does not meet this requirement.For more detail, see the technical notes for Iterative Matrix Solver.To enable the Iterative solver:1. On the Solution Setup dialog, Options tab, check the Enable Iterative Solver check box.

This enables the Set Relative Residual checkbox.2. Enter a value for the Relative Residual. The residual measures the convergence of the iterative

solver. The default value is 1E-4.

Zero order: driven 0.1, eigenmode 0.1

First order: driven 0.3333, eigenmode 0.2 (as is)

Second order: driven 0.6667, eigenmode 0.4

Warning If you select Zero Order Solution Basis, all tetrahedra in the model must have edge lengths less than 1/20th wavelength. Thus, this option is usually selected in combination with a specific lambda refinement setting.

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Related TopicsTechnical Notes: Iterative Matrix Solver

Use Radiation Boundary on PortsIf the design includes waveports, the Use Radiation Boundary on Ports option is enabled under the Advanced options tab of the Solution Setup dialog box.• If you select this setting, edges which are assigned to ABC and touch a port have an radiation

boundary condition applied during the port solution. • If you do not select the setting, a perfect conducting boundary condition is used during the port

calculations. In most cases this setting has a limited affect on the overall fields or post processed quantities.

Port OptionsIf the design includes waveports, the Port Options options appear under the Advanced options tab of the Solution Setup dialog box. These options include:• Maximum Delta Zo - change to Zo specified as a target percentage. The default is 20%.• Use Radiation Boundaries on Ports• Set Triangles for Wave Port - unchecked by default.

If you check Set Triangles for Wave Port, the Minimum and Maximum fields are enabled. You can edit the default values of 100 for the minimum and 500 for the maximum. For designs with lumped ports, this option is not active. Higher numbers of triangles would not benefit a solution setup in this case.

Note The Iterative Solver is not available for zero order basis solutions.

Note If you apply this setting to a port on an object that contains anisotropic materials, an error message is generated during the solution.

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HFSS Online Help

Adding a Frequency SweepFor Driven solution types.To generate a solution across a range of frequencies, add a frequency sweep to the solution setup. HFSS performs the sweep after the adaptive solution, if one is defined. If an adaptive solution is not requested, the sweep is the only solution generated. You can also disable a sweep, so that you can run only the adaptive solution (or a ports-only solution) without the sweep, then later reactivate the sweep definition.To add a frequency sweep:1. On the HFSS menu, point to Analysis Setup, and then click Add Sweep .2. Select the solution setup to which the sweep applies and click OK.

The Edit Sweep dialog box appears.3. Specify the following sweep parameters:

• Sweep type - Discrete, Fast, or Interpolating.• Frequencies to solve.• Whether you want to save the fields.

4. If you plan to perform a Full-Wave SPICE analysis, click Time Domain Calculation tool to obtain assistance determining a suitable frequency sweep range for the solutions. Also see the Requirements for Full-Wave SPICE.

5. Click OK. Once you have created a sweep, an icon for the sweep appears in the Project tree under the associated setup.

You can select an existing sweep, use the Edit commands to Copy it, and then and Paste the sweep into the Project tree. (By default, the copy is named Sweepn, where n increments with each new sweep.) You can edit the new copies of the sweep to make desired changes. For example, you can change a specific parameter, or for a distributed solve, you could assign different start and end points for each copy of the setup.The Paste command for sweeps is design sensitive (that is, you cannot paste between Driven and Eigenmode of designs) and context sensitive (for example, only sweeps can be pasted in setups in the tree.) Dependent setups are pasted along with the copied setup. You are warned if the dependent setup is already in the design and setup is not pasted again. Source excitation waveforms are pasted along with the transient sweeps. You are warned if the waveform is already there in the design and it is not pasted again.

Related TopicsDisabling a Frequency SweepTechnical Notes: Frequency Sweeps

Note For a solve setup with zero passes, no sweeps, and that is not ports only, validation produces a warning message.

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Selecting the Sweep TypeFor Driven solution types.Specify the type of sweep you want to perform in the Edit Sweep dialog box. Choose one of the following sweep types:

When you select Interpolating sweeps in the Edit Sweep dialog, the Setup Interpolation options section is activated. This lets you specify a maximum number of solutions, and other interpolation values.

Related TopicsTechnical Notes: Frequency Sweeps

Options for Discrete SweepsFor Discrete sweeps, the Edit Sweep dialog options you can set include• Sweep Name• Frequency Setup• Whether to Save Fields (for all Frequencies). By default, all frequencies are saved. (This field

is disabled under a Solve Ports Only setup. You can view port fields for the discrete frequen-cies, under the port field display in the project tree.)

Options for Fast SweepsFor Fast sweeps, the Edit Sweep dialog options you can set include:• Sweep Name• Frequency Setup• Whether to Save Fields. By default, all fields are saved.

Fast Generates a unique full-field solution for each division within a frequency range. Best for models that will abruptly resonate or change operation in the frequency band. A Fast sweep will obtain an accurate representation of the behavior near the resonance. Fast sweeps are disabled if an anisotropic boundary condition is present.

Discrete Generates field solutions at specific frequency points in a frequency range. Best when only a few frequency points are necessary to accurately represent the results in a frequency range.

Interpolating Estimates a solution for an entire frequency range. Best when the frequency range is wide and the frequency response is smooth, or if the memory requirements of a Fast sweep exceed your resources.All discrete basis solutions are solved prior to interpolating sweeps because it is possible that an interpolating sweep can re-use already solved frequencies from a discrete sweep.For Time Domain Reflectometry plots (TDR), you must use an interpolating sweep.

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• DC Extrapolation options1. Select Extrapolate to DC to enable the DC Extrapolation options.2. Enter a value for the Minimum Solved Frequency. This value represents the smallest fre-

quency in the sweep for which a full solution is generated. The default is 100 Mhz.

Options for Interpolating SweepsFor Interpolating sweeps, the Edit Sweep dialog options you can set include:• Sweep Name• Max Solutions• Error Tolerance• Frequency Setup• Interpolation Convergence

Click the Advanced Options... button to open the Interpolating Sweep Advanced Options dia-log.

• DC Extrapolation options1. Select Extrapolate to DC to enable the DC Extrapolation options.2. Enter a value for the Minimum Solved Frequency. This value represents the smallest fre-

quency in the sweep for which a full solution is generated. The default is 100 Mhz.

Setup Interpolating Sweep Advanced OptionsFor Interpolated sweeps, the Setup Interpolating Sweep Advanced Options dialog lets you spec-ify the following settings for a sweep:• The Min Solutions value is the minimum number of converged solutions that will be solved

for the frequency range. For example, if this value is three, then once the sweep reaches convergence it simulates at two extra frequencies. This resembles the minimum number of converged adaptive passes in a regular simulation. Setting a mininum number of solutions can eliminate non-physical S-parameter spikes and oscillations. For interpolating sweeps the default is 0. To change the value: type a new value in the Min Solutions box.

• Specify a Minimum Number of Sub Ranges. This number acts as an initial condition on the sweep to force initial even breakup of the null range into subranges. The end points and middle of each subrange will be solved. This controls the points at which the interpolating sweep is broken up and prevents redundant effort caused by neighboring interpolating sweeps solving the same point. For example, the 1GHz to 4GHz and the 4GHz to 9 GHz sweeps do not both solve the 4 GHz datapoint.

• Whether to use all or selected entries in the matrix of data types for the convergence. To choose, click the Select Entries button to display the Interpolation Basis Convergence dialog.

• The data types for convergence. You can select Use All Entries (the default) or to Use Selected Entries. If you select Use Selected, only the check box for S-Matrix is enabled. If you select Use All Entries for the convergence, as many of the data types as are available for the kind of solution under consideration have check boxes enabled. For Driven Model, 3D Solution Interpolating sweeps:

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• S-Matrix - checked and disabled.• T-Matrix - disabled and unchecked.• Port Impedance - enabled and unchecked.• Propagation constants - enabled and unchecked.

For Driven Terminal, 3D Solution Interpolating sweeps:• S-Matrix - checked and disabled.• T-Matrix - enabled and unchecked.• Port Impedance - enabled and unchecked.• Propagation constants - enabled and unchecked.

For Driven modal, ports-only, interpolating• S-Matrix - unchecked and disabled• T-Matrix - disabled and unchecked• Port impedance - enabled and unchecked• Propagation constants - enabled and checked

For Driven terminal, ports-only, interpolating• S-Matrix - unchecked and disabled• T-Matrix - enabled and unchecked• Port impedance - enabled and unchecked• Propagation constants - enabled and checked

Setting the Error ToleranceFor Interpolating sweeps.The Error Tolerance value is the maximum relative difference allowed between two successive interpolation solutions. The default 0.5 percent for interpolating sweeps is usually satisfactory.To set the error tolerance for an Interpolating sweep:1. Open the Edit Sweep dialog box (by either viewing the properties of an existing Sweep or by

Adding a Frequency sweep to an existing Setup). 2. Type a value in the Error Tolerance box.

Setting the Maximum Number of SolutionsFor Interpolating sweeps.

Note If a driven setup’s ports-only setup changes and then the problem type switches between driven modal and driven terminal, HFSS resets the interpolation basis data types for the interpolating sweep.

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The Max Solutions value is the maximum number of solutions that will be solved for the fre-quency range. For fast sweeps and for interpolating sweeps the default is 50. To change the value:1. Open the Edit Sweep dialog box (by either viewing the properties of an existing Sweep or by

Adding a Frequency sweep to an existing Setup). 2. Type a value in the Max Solutions box and click OK.

Interpolation Basis ConvergenceFrom the Setup Interpolations Basis dialog, select the Use Selected Entries radio button to enable the Select Entries button. Select this to display the Interpolation Basis Convergence dialog. This dialog permits you to specify the convergence basis.1. Select one of the following from the Entry Selections pull-down list:

2. If you chose All, Diagonal, or Off-Diagonal, you may fine-tune the matrix entry selection process by selecting one of the following options from the Mode Selection pull-down list:

As you select the waveports for convergence, you use the Set, Clear, and Clear All buttons in connection with the Entry Selection and Mode Selection settings. These buttons are enabled when the waveport matrix state and selection settings permit them do something. For example, The Clear button is not enabled until there are entries in the waveport matrix to clear and those selections are permitted by the entry selection. The Set button is not enabled unless the avail-able mode selections permit entries to be set.You can also select individual entries in the waveport matrix by clicking on grid cells. This action displays a dropdown menu that lets you select ON or "-".

3. Specify Entry Selections and Mode Selections as desired and click SET, or click individual waveport cells and select ON.The table location corresponding to the selection, the dash in the display is replaced by ON.

Note HFSS automatically subdivides the interpolating sweep range so that no single subrange gets too many basis elements. The effect is that you can now (if appropriate) request hundreds of basis elements in the Max Solutions box for interpolating sweep setup, without incurring any basis seeding performance penalty.

All Sets all of the matrix entries at once. (The default).

Diagonal Sets all of the diagonal matrix entries at once.

Off-Diagonal Sets all of the off-diagonal matrix entries at once.

All Sets all of the mode matrix entries. Select in conjunction with All, Diagonal, or Off-Diagonal entry selections.

Dominant Only Sets only the dominant mode matrix entries. Select in conjunction with All, Diagonal, or Off-Diagonal entry selections.

Higher Order Only

Sets only the higher-order mode matrix entries. Select in conjunction with All, Diagonal, or Off-Diagonal entry selections.

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For example, selecting the first element in the row list and the fourth element in the column list, and then Add Selection places an ON in the first row, fourth column. You can select one entry at a time via the dropdown in the matrix cell, or clear the entire table with the Clear All button. You can also Clear only the entries specified by the Entry and Mode selection settings (such as off-diagonal, higher order).

4. Click OK to close apply the selections and close the dialog.

Related TopicsSetup Interpolations Basis

Specifying the Frequency Points to SolveYou can specify the following types of frequency points to solve within a frequency sweep:

Select the type of frequency point entry from the Type pull-down list The Edit Sweep dialog con-tains a Time Domain Calculation tool that you can use to help calculate frequency step sizes and maximum frequencies, particularly if you intend to perform Full-Wave Spice analysis.Related TopicsChange the Value of an Existing Frequency PointSpecifying Single Frequency PointsDeleting Frequency PointsInsert Frequency PointsSpecifying Frequency Points to Solve

Specifying Frequency Points with a Linear Step Size1. In the Edit Sweep dialog box, click Linear Step in the Type pull-down list.2. In the Start text box, type the starting frequency of the frequency sweep.

HFSS solves the solution beginning with the frequency entered in the Start box and ending with the frequency entered in the Stop box.

3. In the Stop text box, type the ending frequency of the frequency sweep.4. In the Step Size box, type the difference between frequency points.

HFSS will solve the frequency point at each step in the specified frequency range, including the start and stop frequencies.

Linear Step A linear range of frequency points in which you specify a constant step size.

Linear Count A linear range of frequency points in which you specify the number, or count, of points within the frequency range.

LogScale A logarithmic range of frequency points in which you specify a frequency range and a samples number. For Discrete sweeps.

Single Points Individual frequency points. For Discrete sweeps.

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For example, specifying 10 for the start frequency, 20 for the stop frequency, and 2.5 for the step size for a Discrete sweep instructs HFSS to compute a solution for frequencies of 10, 12.5, 15, 17.5, and 20. The step size specified for an Interpolating sweep dictates the amount of information that will be viewed on a post-processing plot.

5. For Fast sweeps, select Save Fields if you want to save the calculated 3D field solutions asso-ciated with all port modes at the chosen frequencies.For Discrete sweeps, select Save Fields (All Frequencies) if you want to save the calculated 3D field solutions associated with all port modes at the chosen frequencies.If want to save the fields for just one or a few Discrete sweep frequencies, select Single Points from the Type pull-down list, and then select the Save Fields check box for the desired fre-quency.

Related TopicsSpecifying Frequency Points to SolveSpecifying Single Frequency PointsDeleting Frequency PointsInsert Frequency PointsChange the Value of an Existing Frequency PointSpecifying Frequency Points to Solve

Specifying a Linear Count of Frequency Points1. In the Edit Sweep dialog box, click Linear Count in the Type pull-down list.2. In the Start text box, type the starting frequency of the frequency sweep.

HFSS solves the solution beginning with the frequency entered in the Start box and ending with the frequency entered in the Stop box.

3. In the Stop text box, type the ending frequency of the frequency sweep.4. In the Count text box, type the number of points in the sweep. The count value includes the

start and stop values.HFSS will divide the frequency range into the count you specify and solve each frequency point in the count.

5. For Fast sweeps, select Save Fields if you want to save the calculated 3D field solutions asso-ciated with all port modes at the chosen frequencies.For Discrete sweeps, select Save Fields (All Frequencies) if you want to save the calculated 3D field solutions associated with all port modes at the chosen frequencies.If want to save the fields for just one or a few Discrete sweep frequencies, select Single Points from the Type pull-down list, and then select the Save Fields check box for the desired fre-quency.

Related Topics

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Specifying Frequency Points to SolveSpecifying Single Frequency PointsDeleting Frequency PointsInsert Frequency PointsChange the Value of an Existing Frequency PointSpecifying Frequency Points to Solve

Specifying a Logarithmic Spaced Frequency SweepFor Discrete sweeps.1. In the Edit Sweep dialog box, click LogScale in the Type pull-down list.2. In the Start text box, type the starting frequency of the frequency sweep.

HFSS solves the solution beginning with the frequency entered in the Start box and ending with the frequency entered in the Stop box.

3. In the Stop text box, type the ending frequency of the frequency sweep.4. In the Samples text box, specify the number of frequency points to sample.

HFSS assigns the sampled points using intervals based on a logarithmic scale.5. Select Save Fields (All Frequencies) if you want to save the calculated 3D field solutions

associated with all port modes at the chosen frequencies.Related TopicsSpecifying Frequency Points to SolveSpecifying Single Frequency PointsDeleting Frequency PointsInsert Frequency PointsChange the Value of an Existing Frequency PointSpecifying Frequency Points to Solve

Specifying Single Frequency PointsFor Discrete sweeps.To specify Single Frequency points:1. In the Edit Sweep dialog box, click Single Points in the Type pull-down list.2. In the Single text box, type a desired frequency point, and then select the frequency units.

This enables the Insert button.3. Click Insert.

The point is added to the Frequency column to the right.A check mark in the Save Fields column indicates that the fields for the point will be saved.

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Optionally, click the check box in the Save Fields column.4. Repeat steps 2 - 4 for each frequency point you want to solve.

Related TopicsChange the Value of an Existing Frequency PointDeleting Frequency PointsInsert Frequency PointsSpecifying Frequency Points to Solve

Change the Value of an Existing Frequency PointTo change the value of an existing frequency point:1. Either select the text field in the Frequency column and edit an existing value field directly, or:

a. Edit the value in the Single Text box. b. Select the Frequency row that you want to change.

This enables the Change button. c. Click the Change button to replace the selected Frequency row value with the Single Text

box value.2. Select Save Fields if you want to save the calculated 3D field solutions associated with all port

modes at that frequency.3. Repeat for changing additional points.Related TopicsSpecifying Single Frequency PointsDeleting Frequency PointsInsert Frequency PointsSpecifying Frequency Points to Solve

Deleting Frequency Points1. Select Single Points from the Type pull-down list.2. Select the row containing the frequency you do not want to solve.

This enables the Delete button.3. Click Delete.Related TopicsSpecifying Single Frequency PointsInsert Frequency PointsChange the Value of an Existing Frequency PointSpecifying Frequency Points to Solve

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Inserting Frequency PointsFor Discrete sweeps, you can insert specific frequency points that you want to solve in the fre-quency range. They can be inserted after you have added uniform frequency points to solve.1. Select Single Points from the Type pull-down list.2. Select a row before which you want to add a frequency point.3. In the Single text box, type a desired frequency point in the frequency units.

This enables the Insert button.4. Click Insert.5. Select Save Fields if you want to save the calculated 3D field solutions associated with all port

modes at that frequency.Related TopicsSpecifying Single Frequency PointsDeleting Frequency PointsChange the Value of an Existing Frequency PointSpecifying Frequency Points to Solve

Choosing Frequencies for Full-Wave SPICEIf you plan to perform a full-wave SPICE analysis, use the Time Domain Calculation dialog box to help determine a suitable frequency sweep range for the solution.To perform the calculation of suitable frequencies to solve:1. In the Edit Sweep dialog box, click Time Domain Calculation.

The Time Domain Calculation dialog box appears.2. Type a minimum rise time value in the Signal Rise Time box.

This value represents the time scale that will characterize the rate of change of the input time signal, which will be applied in the circuit simulator.

3. Type a value in the Time Steps Per Rise Time box. The time sampling increment for the entire signal is calculated using

where

Δt τNτ------=

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• Δt is the time sampling increment.• τ is the signal rise time.• Nτ is the number of time steps per signal rise time.

4. Type a value in the Number of Time Points box. Note that the input time signal duration is determined using , where N is the number of time points.

5. Click Calculate.• HFSS now determines the Maximum Frequency using

where Fmax is the maximum frequency.HFSS determines the Frequency Step Size using .

6. Click OK to transfer the data to the frequency sweep fields in the Edit Sweep dialog box.

Related TopicsGuidelines for Calculating Frequencies for Full-Wave SPICERequirements for Full-Wave SPICE

Guidelines for Calculating Frequencies for Full-Wave SPICEKeep the following guidelines in mind when you set up the calculation for the suggested fre-quency step size and maximum frequency:• The maximum frequency should be at least five times the inverse of the rise and fall times.

If the specified frequency band is too wide, an HFSS frequency sweep may have conver-gence problems. If this happens, try to decrease the maximum frequency until the solution converges.

• It is recommended, though not required, that the minimum frequency be less than the maximum frequency divided by the number of frequency steps. It is usually recommended to have at least 500 frequency steps. A higher number will slightly improve the full-wave SPICE solution accuracy, but will also increase CPU and memory requirements to solve the problem. For most cases, using 1000 frequency steps provides a good trade-off

N Δt×

Fmax0.5Δt-------=

FmaxN

-----------

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between the accuracy and computational requirements.

• The suggested frequency sweep ranges are estimates. You may have a pulse with a wider frequency content and HFSS’s recommended frequency sweep range may miss some of the high frequencies.

Requirements for Full-Wave SPICEThe Full-Wave Spice requirements are as follows:

1. The design problem type in which the solution data panel is opened must be driven terminal.2. In the Matrix Data panel, for non-imported data, the view type for the solution data must be

"Terminal Data" (not "Modal Data").3. The data must be interpolating or imported via an .szg file (which includes the interpolation

basis data necessary to derive interpolating data), or it must be discrete.4. If the data is discrete:

a. It must either be native terminal data, or it must be inferred as terminal. For instance, in a Touchstone file, the comment line "! Terminal data exported" will cause HFSS to interpret the data as terminal, while the comment line "! Modal data exported" will cause HFSS to interpret the data as modal. If HFSS finds neither comment line, it assumes that the data is terminal.

b. At least 20 frequency points must be provided.c. HFSS must be able to generate an interpolation basis that converged with <= 0.5% error

using no more than 100 basis elements.

Warning Occasionally, HFSS can fail to solve for the minimum frequency during a Discrete or Interpolating frequency sweep due to a failure of the port solver to converge. If this happens, try to increase the minimum frequency until the solution process completes successfully. However, the minimum frequency should be as low as possible because the low-frequency response determines the steady-state time response.

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Disabling a Frequency SweepTo disable a sweep definition without deleting it:1. Expand the tree hierarchy under the Analysis icon in the project tree.2. Expand the tree hierarchy under the icon for the analysis setup that includes the sweep. 3. Right-click on the icon for the sweep definition. In the shortcut menu that appears, select Dis-

able Sweep. You can slso disable a sweep by selecting Properties from the shortcut menu to open the Edit Properties window. In the upper right corner of the Edit Properties window, uncheck the Enabled box. Then click OK

To reactivate the sweep, open the shortcut menu again and select Enable Sweep. You can also reactivate the sweep by selecting Properties from the shortcut menu for the sweep to open the Edit Properties window. Check the Enabled box in the upper right corner, and Click OK to apply the change and close the window.

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Disabling an Analysis SetupTo disable an Analysis setup definition without deleting it:1. Expand the tree hierarchy under the Analysis icon in the project tree.2. Right-click on the icon for the setup definition. In the shortcut menu that appears, toggle the

Enabled selector to the OFF setting (check mark not displayed).You can slso disable an analysis setup by selecting Properties from the shortcut menu to open the Edit Properties window. In the upper right corner of the Edit Properties window, uncheck the Enabled box. Then click OK

To reactivate the analysis, open the shortcut menu again and toggle the Enabled selector to the ON setting (check mark displayed).You can also reactivate theanalysis setup by selecting Properties from the shortcut menu for the sweep to open the Edit Properties window. Check the Enabled box in the upper right corner, and Click OK to apply the change and close the window.

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Specifying the Number of ProcessorsIf you want to use more than one processor, you can specify the number of processors in the HFSS Options dialog box. By default, this value is set to 1. To modify the number of processors used when solving:1. Under the Tools menu, point to Options, and then click HFSS Options.2. Click the Solver tab.3. Type a value for Number of Processors.

This setting affects all HFSS projects for the current user and machine. However the solver considers the number of processors to be optional and reverts to a single processor solution if a multiple processor licence is not available.

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Specifying the Desired RAM LimitThe Desired RAM Limit setting requests a restriction on the amount of physical random access memory (RAM) the MPS solver used in HFSS may use before it must stop solving on-core—solv-ing processes entirely in RAM—and start solving off-core. In off-core mode, HFSS creates tempo-rary solution files to which it spills, or shifts, data from RAM, instead of forcing the operating system to start disk swapping. Unlike off-core mode, disk swapping halts some processes and tem-porarily writes them to disk files to free up physical memory to run other processes. The MPS solver is much more efficient at handling its own memory, although if the process grows large enough, the operating system may be forced into disk swapping. The MPS solver used in HFSS automatically detects the amount of installed physical RAM. If the Desired RAM Limit setting is active, and its value is less than the amount of installed physical RAM, the solver will automatically switch to off-core mode once the Desired RAM Limit value is reached. The solver ignores the setting if the amount of physical RAM specified is greater than the amount of installed physical RAM, or if the amount of physical RAM required by the solver is greater than the amount specified by the Desired RAM Limit setting.

To specify the Desired RAM Limit of the machine on which HFSS is installed:1. Under the Tools menu, point to Options, and then click HFSS Options.2. Click the Solver tab.3. Select Desired RAM Limit (MB).4. Type a value for the amount of available memory, in megabytes, in the text box. This setting

affects all HFSS projects for the current user and machine.

Note Regardless of the Desired RAM Limit setting, if no more physical RAM is free, the HFSS solver will automatically switch to off-core mode.

Note Allocation of greater than 2 GB of RAM on 32-bit hardware platforms is only possible with the appropriate operating system and boot settings, even if more than 2 GB are physically installed. See Increasing PC RAM.

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Specifying the Hard Memory LimitThe Maximum RAM Limit setting specifies the absolute limit on the amount of physical memory that the solver can use. If the solver attempts to allocate more memory than this setting, the solution process will terminate abnormally, and incorrect error messages may appear.To specify the Maximum RAM Limit for the current user and machine:1. Under the Tools menu, point to Options, and then click HFSS Options.2. Click the Solver tab.3. Select Maximum RAM Limit (MB).4. Type a value for the maximum amount of memory, in megabytes, in the text box.

The solver will only use the amount of memory specified and no more. This setting affects all HFSS projects for the current user and machine.

Note Ansoft recommends that you use the Desired RAM Limit setting if you wish to limit the RAM that the solver may allocate.

Note Allocation of greater than 2 GB of RAM on 32-bit hardware platforms is only possible with the appropriate operating system and boot settings, even if more than 2 GB are physically installed. See Increasing PC RAM.

12-34 Specifying Solution Settings

13Running Simulations

After you specify how HFSS is to compute the solution, you need to begin the solution process.To run a simulation:1. Select a solution setup in the project tree.2. Click HFSS>Analyze All.

HFSS computes the 3D field solution inside the structure. Each solution setup is solved in the order it appears in the project tree.

To run more than one analysis at a time, follow the same procedure while a simulation is running. The next solution setup will be solved when the previous solution is complete.

Related TopicsTechnical Notes: The Solution ProcessSolving a Single SetupRunning More Than One SimulationSpecifying the Analysis OptionsRemote AnalysisMonitoring the Solution ProcessAborting Analysis

Note You can also simulate all designs by clicking Project>Analyze All.

Note If a linked dependency in the setup is already simulating (for example, due to setup links to the same external source for a near or far field wave, or a magnetic bias), HFSS will not allow another dependent simulation to start until the first use of the source has completed.

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Solving a Single SetupTo solve a single sweep under a specific solution setup:1. In the project tree, under the design you want to analyze, select the setup icon of interest, and

right click to display the shortcut menu.2. Click Analyze on the shortcut menu.

The analysis proceeds on the selected sweep.To solve two or more sweeps or two or more parametric analyses under a setup:Configure two or more machines for a distributed analysis. See Solving Remotely for configuration issues, Distributed Analysis for license issues, and Configuring Distributed Analysis for setting up the HFSS General Options.1. In the project tree, under the design you want to solve, right-click the setup icon that includes

the sweeps of interest.2. Click Analyze on the shortcut menu.

Each solution sweep under that setup is solved in the order it appears in the project tree, using the available machines.

Running More Than One SimulationTo run more than one analysis at a time, follow the same procedure while a simulation is running. The next solution setup will be solved when the previous solution is complete. The General tab for the Setup includes an “Enabled” checkbox. By default, this is checked. Unchecking the Enabled checkbox excludes a setup from rrunningTo solve every enabled solution setup in a design:1. In the project tree, under the design you want to solve, select Analysis.2. Click HFSS>Analyze All.Each enabled solution setup is solved in the order it appears in the project tree.

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Specifying the Analysis OptionsYou can specify the machine on which you want the simulation to run. If you do not want projects to run concurrently, you may specify the option to queue projects. 1. Click Tools>Options>General Options.

The General Options window appears. 2. Click the Analysis Options tab.3. Select the Prompt for analysis machine when launching analysis check box.4. Under Analysis Machine Options, select whether the default analysis machine should be the

local machine (Local), a remote machine (Remote), or whether analysis should be distributed across multiple machines (Distributed).a. If you selected Remote, enter the default analysis machine information either as an IP

address, a DNS name, or a UNC name. See Remote Analysis.b. If you selected Distributed, you can add machines to a list, or edit an existing list of

machines. Select the Edit button to display the Distributed Analysis Machines dialogue. Here you specify an IP address, a DNS name, or a UNC name for each machien to add to the list. Control buttons let you Add Machine to List or Remove machines from the list. For more information, see distributed analysis.When the distributed option is set, we will use machines from the distributed list even for non-distributed solves. In that case, for multiple non-distributed solves, it uses machines one at a time from the Machines for Distributed Analysis list, starting from the first machine and moving down. To control the list order, select one or more machines, and use the Move up or Move down buttons. Click OK to accept the changes and close the Dis-tributed Analysis Machines dialog. The machines are listed in the Analysis Machines Options field in alphabetical order, rather than the distributed list order.

You can also control these selections via toolbar icons for:• Local , • Remote , and • Distributed

5. Select the Send analysis request as: radio button to specify either the Current User (the default) or the Specified User.

6. Enter details for the user who would be running the simulations. You need to specify the User Name, Password and the Domain/Workgroup information.

7. Select the Queue all simulations check box to allow subsequent simulations to wait in a queue, till the currently running simulation solves completely.

Note If any machines are Unix-based, Current User must be selected. You can only have one remote analysis user configuration on Unix.

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8. Click OK.

Note The HFSS Server Setup window does not appear when the Queue all simulations check box is selected, even if you select the Prompt for analysis machine when launching analysis check box. This happens because HFSS does not queue simulations that will be running on different machines, since they can run concurrently.

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Remote AnalysisIt is possible to solve a project on a different machine from the one on which you set up your designs. This is particularly useful when you want to take advantage of a more powerful machine but it is not convenient to access that machine. This process involves configuring the machine that is to perform the solving (the remote machine), as well as the machine from which the simulation is to be launched (the local machine). This can also be extended into distributed analysis, where a specified analysis, if supported, is concurrently solved on multiple remote machines.

Remote Analysis Procedure1. Determine the Desired Configuration 2. Configure the Remote Machine3. Configure the Local Machine4. TroubleshootingRelated Topics:General Options: Analysis Options TabDistributed Analysis

Note Communication between machines in remote analysis and distributed analysis can drastically affect performance. Use of a high-speed network system, like Gigabit or Infiniband, is recommended for optimal performance.

Local Machine Remote Machine

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Determining the Desired ConfigurationBefore setting up remote analysis, you must decide the type of configuration you want to use.

• Common Windows Configurations (including advantages and disadvantages)• Unix Configuration• Determining User Accounts to Use with the Selected Configuration• Using Groups for Security Permissions (Windows Only)

Remote Analysis Type Available Configuration OptionsWindows->Windows only Common Windows configurations

1, 2, or 3

Unix->Unix only Unix Configuration

All other configuration types Windows machines: Common Windows configurations 2 or 3Unix machines: Unix Configuration

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Common Windows Configurations (Advantages and Disadvantages)

Related Topics:

Configuration Advantages DisadvantagesConfiguration 1:(Ansoft recommends this option if remote machines will also be used as local machines.)All local machine users should solve as a common user on the remote machine (hereafter known as the remote process user). The user name and password for the remote process user must be provided to each local machine user.Note: If any local or remote machines are Unix-based, this configuration cannot be used.

a) Only the remote process user must be configured on the remote machine.b) Local analyses on the remote machine continue to work as they did previously.

a) The license log file will show that the remote process user checked out the license, regardless of the local machine user.

Configuration 2:(Ansoft recommends this option if remote machines are not used as local machines; e.g. compute farm.)All local machine users should solve as a common user on the remote machine (hereafter known as the remote process user). The user name and password for the remote process user need not be provided to each local machine user; it will be stored on the remote machine only.

a) The remote process user must only be specified on the remote machine.b) The password information for the remote process user can be restricted.

a) Local analyses on the remote machine can only be performed if the machine is treated as a remote machine at runtime.b) The license log file will show that the remote process user checked out the license, regardless of the local machine user.

Configuration 3:Any local machine user should be able to solve as him/herself on the remote machine.

a) There are no user restrictions — anyone can solve on the remote machine.b) License checkouts are performed as the user who requested the analysis.c) Each local machine user's individual configuration (e.g., number of processors) is used only by that local machine user.

a) Each local machine user must run the software one time on each remote machine to configure the settings used when solving.

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Determining User Accounts to Use with the Selected Configuration

Unix Configuration

Related Topics:Unix User ConfigurationDetermining User Accounts to Use with the Selected Configuration

Determining User Accounts to Use with the Selected ConfigurationConfiguring remote analysis requires you to identify three users who each will play a unique role in remote analysis. These three users will be referenced when configuring the remote and local machines.

1. Local User: The user who starts the software on the Local Machine.2. Launching User: The user who sends analysis requests from the Local Machine to the remote

machines.3. Remote Process User: The user who owns the analysis processes on the remote machines.

Configuration AdvantagesAll local machine users should solve as him/herself with settings common to the machine.

a) There are no user restrictions--anyone can send solve requests to the remote machine.b) License check is performed as the user who requested the analysis.

Note • The Local User and Launching User must be known accounts on the Local Machine.

• The Launching User and Remote Process User must be known accounts on the Remote Machine.

Local Machine Local Machine Remote Machine

Local User Remote Process UserLaunching User

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• Common Windows Configuration 1• Common Windows Configuration 2• Common Windows Configuration 3• Unix User Configuration

Common Windows Configuration 1All local machine users should solve as a common user on the remote machine (known as the remote process user). The user name and password for the remote process user must be provided to each local machine user.

1. Local User: Any user(s) or group(s) you choose.2. Launching User: Same as the remote process user. In the Analysis Options dialog box of the

product being configured on the Local Machine, the Specified User option is selected, and the remote process user name/password information is entered.

3. Remote Process User: Set to The launching user on the Identity tab of the remote machine DCOM configuration.

Example:

Next Step: Common Windows Configuration 2

Note For security reasons, the remote process user account should not be associated with any person.

Note If any local or remote machines are Unix-based, this configuration cannot be used.

Local User = judy Remote Process User set to The launching user = common-user

Specified User(common-user)

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Common Windows Configuration 2All local machine users should solve as a common user on the remote machine (known as the remote process user). The user name and password for the remote process user need not be pro-vided to each local machine user; it will only be stored on the remote machine.

1. Local User: Any user(s) or group(s) you choose.2. Launching User: Same as the Local User. In the Analysis Options dialog box of the product

being configured on the Local Machine, the Current User option is selected.3. Remote Process User: Set to This User on the Identity tab of the remote machine DCOM

configuration.Example:

Next Step: Common Windows Configuration 3

Common Windows Configuration 3Any local machine user should be able to solve as him/herself on the remote machine.1. Local User: Any user(s) or group(s) you choose.2. Launching User: Same as the Local User. In the Analysis Options dialog box of the product

being configured on the Local Machine, the Current User option is selected.3. Remote Process User: Set to The launching user on the Identity tab of the remote machine

DCOM configuration.

Note For security reasons, the remote process user account should not be associated with any person.

Local User = judy Remote Process User set to This user = common-user

Current User(judy)

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Example:

Next Step: Unix User Configuration

Unix User Configuration Any local machine user should be able to solve as him/herself on the remote machine.1. Local User: Any user(s) you choose.2. Launching User: Same as the Local User. In the Analysis Options dialog box of the product

being configured on the Local Machine, the Current User option is selected.3. Remote Process User: Automatically set to The launching user on the remote machine. The

software settings are configured in “remote analysis mode” on the remote machines.

Local User = judy Remote Process User set to The launching user = judy

Current User(judy)

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Example:

Next Section: Using Groups for Security Permissions (Windows Only)

Using Groups for Security Permissions on WindowsWhen configuring remote analysis, you need to add permissions for certain users. To make config-uration and management easier, you may want to reference one of the Windows Built-In Local Groups, include a pre-defined Windows system identity, or manually add a group of users. The remote analysis configuration lists a minimal configuration; you may choose to include permis-sions for more users/groups than the minimum listed.• Windows Built-In Local Groups• Pre-Defined Windows System Identities• Manually Adding a Windows Local Group

Windows Built-In Local GroupsWindows allows administrators to define groups to which user accounts should belong. There are several built-in local groups that are available by default:• Administrators: Administrators have complete and unrestricted access to the computer.• Guests: Guests have the same access as members of the Users group by default. Guests, how-

ever, cannot make permanent changes to their environment.• Power Users: Power Users possess the most administrative powers with some restrictions.

They can create and modify accounts, and they can share resources.• Users: Users perform tasks for which they have rights granted and access resources to which

they have permissions.

Local User = judy Remote Process User set to The launching user = judy

Current User(judy)

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Next Step: Pre-Defined Windows System Identities

Pre-Defined Windows System IdentitiesWindows defines several identities that represent dynamic user groups. These are particularly use-ful when configuring remote analysis. Following are several common system identities that can be used:• Anonymous Logon:Represents all users who cannot be identified.• Everyone: Represents all current identified users, including guests and users from other

domains. When a user logs on to the machine, he is automatically added to the Everyone group. This does not include unidentified users, which are included in the Anonymous Logon system identity.

• Interactive: Represents all users currently logged on to a particular computer and accessing a given resource located on that computer (as opposed to the users who access the resource over the network). When a user accesses a given resource on the computer to which he is currently logged on, he is automatically added to the Interactive group.

• Network: Represents all users currently accessing a given resource over the network (as opposed to users who access a resource by logging on locally at the computer where the resource is located). When a user accesses a given resource over the network, he is automati-cally added to the Network group.

Next Step: Manually Adding a Windows Local Group

Manually Adding a Windows Local GroupRefer to the Windows Help for the operating system you are configuring for instructions to manu-ally add a local group of users.Next Section: Configure the Remote Machine

Configuring the Remote Machine• A. Windows XP Professional (32-bit and 64-bit) and Windows Server 2003 (32-bit and 64-bit).• B. Unix

A. Configuring the Remote Machine for Windows XP Professional (32-bit and 64-bit) and Windows Server 2003 (32-bit and 64-bit)This section describes how to set up the remote machine. You should follow these steps in order.1. Remote Machine Configuration Prerequisites2. Configure Distributed COM for the Remote Machine3. Configure Policy Settings for Remote Machine4. Enable Firewall Access for the Remote Machine5. Configure Software Settings on Remote Machine6. Set Up Security Permissions on Remote Machine7. Analyze a Test Design as a Remote User on the Remote Machine

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A(1) Remote Machine Configuration PrerequisitesWindows XP Professional (32-bit and 64-bit) and Windows Server 2003 (32-bit and 64-bit).

Before configuring the remote machine, do the following:1. Log in as an administrator to the machine on which you want to analyze — the remote

machine.2. Install the version-specific software that you will use to analyze designs.

Next Step: A(2) Configure Distributed COM for the Remote Machine

A(2) Configuring Distributed COM for the Remote MachineWindows XP Professional (32-bit and 64-bit) and Windows Server 2003 (32-bit and 64-bit).

To configure distributed COM for a remote machine:1. Log in as an administrator to the machine on which you want to analyze — the remote

machine.2. Click Start>Run.

The Run dialog box appears.3. Type dcomcnfg in the Open text box, and click OK.

The DCOM Configuration panel appears.4. Set the My Computer properties:

a. Under Console Root>Component Services>Computers, right-click My Com-puter, and then click Properties.The My Computer Properties dialog box appears.

b. Under the Default Properties tab, make sure the Enable Distributed COM on this computer check box is checked.

c. Under the COM Security tab, verify that the following minimum permissions are included if you do not wish to restrict security permissions: You need not remove any pre-existing permissions.

• For Edit Limits for Access Permissions:• Everyone: Local Access and Remote Access

Note If you receive a message about unblocking this application from the Windows Firewall, click OK to unblock the Microsoft Management Console and proceed with the configuration.

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• Anonymous Logon: Remote Access

• For Edit Limits for Launch and Activation Permissions:• Anonymous Logon: Remote Launch and Remote Activation• Everyone: Remote Launch and Remote Activation• Interactive: Local Launch and Local Activation

d. Click OK to accept the changes and close the My Computer Properties dialog box.

5. Set the COM engine properties:a. Under Console Root>Component Services>Computers>My Com-

puter>DCOM Config, verify that each version-specific COM engines that will

Note The minimum security permissions for these settings are the following:• Local User: Remote Access (or Anonymous Logon if the

default Authentication Level on the Local Machine is None)• Launching User: Local Access and Remote Access (or

Anonymous Logon if the Launching User is the same as the Local User)

• Remote Process User: Local Access• Interactive: Local Access• Self: Local Access

Note The minimum security permissions for this setting are the following:• Launching User: Remote Launch and Remote Activation

(or Anonymous Logon if the default Authentication Level on the Local Machine is None)

• Interactive: Local Launch and Local Activation

Note If a given user or group is not listed:1. Click Add to add a new user or group.2. Click Locations, and select the domain/workgroup in

which the user you want to add is located.3. Type the name of the user or group.4. Click Check Names to verify that the name is correct.5. Click OK to close the Add Users dialog box.

The user or group should now appear in the corresponding permissions dialog box.

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be used to analyze remotely is listed. For instance:• If you are configuring ePhysics 3, look for EPhysicsEngineV3 Class.• If you are configuring HFSS 11, look for HFSSEngineV11 Class.• If you are configuring Maxwell 12, look for MawellEngineV12 Class,

Maxwell2DEngineV12 Class, and RMxprtEngineV12 Class.• If you are configuring for Q3D Extractor V8, look for Q3DEngineV8 Class.If one or more of the desired engine classes is not listed, you need to re-register the corresponding COM engine. On Windows, you can also start the product’s mainteance mode and choose Repair.Once the correct classes are listed, right-click on the class’s name, and select Properties.The Class Properties dialog box for the selected class appears.

b. Under the General tab, make note of the Local Path to the COM engine you are configuring for remote analysis.

c. Under the Location tab, verify that the Run application on this computer check box is checked.

d. Under the Identity tab, select the user who will serve as the Remote Process User:

• If you would like the Launching User to serve also as the Remote Process User (e.g. Common Configurations 1 and 3), select The launching user.

• If you have chosen a particular user, select the This User option (e.g. Com-mon Configuration 2), and enter the name of the user and the password.

e. Under the Security tab, verify that the following minimum permissions are

Note The user specified as the Remote Process User must exist on the remote machine and can not be a guest. (If you have specified The launching user, then any users acting as the launching user must exist.) This is necessary because the Remote Process User’s registry settings may be deleted when he/she logs off the computer.To check if a user exists on the remote machine:1. Choose Start>Settings>Control Panel (or Start>Control Panel, depending

on your display settings).2. Choose Users and Passwords or User Accounts (depending on the operating

system).3. Make sure that the user specified as the Remote Process User is listed. If not,

you will need to add him/her as a user, and grant access other than Guest access.

4. Verify that the Remote Process User has access other than Guest access. If the group is Guests, you need to add the user to another group.

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included if you do not wish to restrict security permissions: You need not remove any pre-existing permissions.

• For Launch and Activation Permissions:• Anonymous Logon: Local Launch, Remote Launch, Local Activation and

Remote Activation.• Everyone: Local Launch, Remote Launch, Local Activation and Remote

Activation.

• For Configuration Permissions:• Machine administrators group (<machine name>\Administrators): Full

Control• Other users or groups you choose to allow to configure the COM engine set-

tings: Full Control

f. Click OK to apply all of the changes to the product and version-specific Distrib-uted COM configuration.

6. Click OK to apply all of the changes to the product and version-specific Distributed COM configuration.

Next Step: A(3) Configure Policy Settings for Remote Machine

Note The minimum security permissions for this setting are the following:• Launching User: Remote Launch and Remote Activation • Interactive: Local Launch and Local Activation

Note To view the currently-included users and groups:1. Select the Customize radio button for the permissions

option you are verifying.2. Click the Edit... button that corresponds to the

Customize radio button you selected.3. If a given user or group is not listed:

• Click Add to add a new user or group.• Click Locations, and select the domain/workgroup

in which the user you want to add is located.• Type the name of the user or group.• Click Check Names to verify that the name is

correct.• Click OK to close the Add Users dialog box.

The user or group should now appear in the corresponding permissions dialog box.

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A(3) Configuring Policy Settings for the Remote MachineWindows XP Professional (32-bit and 64-bit) and Windows Server 2003 (32-bit and 64-bit).

To configure policy settings for a remote machine:1. Log in as an administrator to the machine on which you want to analyze — the remote

machine.2. Click Start>Run.

The Run dialog box appears.3. Type secpol.msc, and click OK.

The Local Security Settings dialog box appears.4. Under Security Settings>Local Policies>User Rights Assignment, right-click

Restore files and directories policy, and select Properties.The Restore files and directories dialog box appears.

5. Verify that Everyone is listed among those users who are allowed to restore files and directories.

6. Click OK to close the Restore files and directories dialog box.7. Close the Local Security Policy dialog box.8. If you made any changes to the Restore files and directories setting, you need to

reboot the machine.Next Step: A(4) Enable Firewall Access for the Remote Machine

A(4) Enabling Firewall Access on the Remote MachineWindows XP Professional (32-bit and 64-bit) and Windows Server 2003 (32-bit and 64-bit).

If you have a firewall installed on the remote machine, you will need access to TCP port 135, which is used for Windows Remote Procedure Call (RPC) End Point Mapping. You will also need access to the product- and version-specific COM engines. The path to the COM engines were determined during the Configure Distributed COM for Remote Machine step above.

Note The minimum required policy setting is Remote Process User.

Note If a given user or group is not listed:1. Click Add User or Group to add a new user or group.2. Click Locations, and select the domain/machine on

which the user you want to add is located.3. Type the name of the user or group.4. Click Check Names to verify that the name is correct.5. Click OK to close the Add Users dialog box.

The user or group should now appear in the corresponding dialog box.

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If the remote machine is using Windows XP Service Pack 2 or higher, Windows XP Profes-sional x64 Edition Service Pack 1 or higher, or Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1 or higher, Windows Firewall will have been automatically installed and enabled. You will need to add the COM engines and TCP port 135 to the list of exceptions.To add the COM engines and TCP port 135 to the list of exceptions:1. Log in as an administrator to the machine on which you want to analyze — the remote

machine.2. Click Start>Settings>Control Panel (or Start>Control Panel, depending on your Win-

dows display settings).The Control Panel window appears.

3. Double-click Security Center. The Windows Security Center window appears.

4. Click the Windows Firewall option.The Windows Firewall dialog box appears.

5. Click the Exceptions tab.6. For each COM engine, to add it as an exception:

a. Click the Add Program button.b. Click the Browse button. Browse to or type the path to the COM engine.c. Choose Change Scope..., and select which machines should be able to contact this

program on this machine. • If you wish to restrict the machines that can run this program, choose either My

network (subnet) only (should work with most networks) or Custom list.• If you do not wish to restrict the machines that can run this program, choose Any

computer (including those on the Internet). Be aware that this will allow any machine, even those outside of your subnet, to communicate with this program on this machine.

d. Click OK to confirm the program as an exception.7. To add TCP port 135:

a. Click the Add Port button.b. For the Name, enter descriptive text to identify this exception (e.g. RPC End Point

Mapping).c. For the Port number, enter 135.d. Select TCP.e. Choose Change Scope..., and select which machines should be able to contact this

machine via this port. • If you wish to restrict the machines for which this port is unblocked, choose

either My network (subnet) only (should work with most networks) or Custom list.

• If you do not wish to restrict the machines for which this port is unblocked,

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choose Any computer (including those on the Internet). Be aware that this will allow any machine, even those outside of your subnet, to communicate with this machine via this port.

f. Click OK to confirm the port as an exception.8. Click OK to close the Windows Firewall dialog box.9. Exit the Windows Security Center and Control Panel windows.

Next Step: A(5) Configure Software Settings on Remote Machine

A(5) Configuring Software Settings on the Remote MachineWindows XP Professional (32-bit and 64-bit) and Windows Server 2003 (32-bit and 64-bit).

The software settings used by the COM engine configured above are specific to the user and machine running the COM engine. This includes settings like the temporary directory or the number of processors (if available) used when analyzing. Therefore, each Remote Process User must have the product- and version-specific settings configured for remote analysis to work successfully as a given Remote Process User.

To configure the software settings as a specific Remote Process User:1. Start the product- and version-specific software configured as the Remote Process User.2. Click Tools >Options >General Options.

The General Options dialog box appears.3. Click the Project Options tab.4. In the field corresponding to the Temp Directory, select a path to the Temporary File

Directory you want to use.5. Click OK to close the General Options dialog box.6. Configure any other settings you want to use when analyzing on the remote machine as

this Remote Process User (e.g. the number of processors). Next Step: A(6) Set Up Security Permissions on Remote Machine

A(6) Setting Up Security Permissions on the Remote MachineWindows XP Professional (32-bit and 64-bit) and Windows Server 2003 (32-bit and 64-bit).

Once you have installed HFSS on the remote machine and configured Distributed COM, you need to configure the security permissions for the temporary file directory and all of the pro-gram files (by default, file permissions are inherited from the directory in which the file exists).To configure security permissions on the remote machine:1. Log in as an administrator to the machine on which you want to analyze — the remote

machine.2. Edit the permissions for both the Temporary File Directory (configured above) and the

Note For Common Configuration 3, each user must log in locally to each machine and set the temporary directory before solving remotely.

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directory in which the COM engines are located. The path to each COM engine was deter-mined during the Configure Distributed COM for Remote Machine step above. To edit the permissions of a particular directory, do the following:a. In Windows Explorer, right-click the directory you are configuring, and click Prop-

erties. b. Click the Security tab. If it is not shown, then you may not be using the NTFS file

system. You may be able to skip the following steps for this directory. c. If the Everyone system identity is not listed among the users, click Add, and enter the

name of the user you want to add.

d. If the Remote Process User is not listed among the users, click Add, and enter the name of the user you want to add.

e. Add the necessary permissions to the directory. The Temporary File Directory requires read, write, and delete permissions, and the directory in which each COM engine is located requires read and execute permissions.

Next Step: A(7) Analyze a Test Design as a Remote User on the Remote Machine

A(7) Analyzing a Test Design as a Remote User on the Remote MachineWindows XP Professional (32-bit and 64-bit) and Windows Server 2003 (32-bit and 64-bit).Finally, you should log into the remote machine as the Remote Process User and analyze a test design on the remote machine. If you have any problems solving the test design, resolve these issues before configuring the local machine.Next Section: Configure the Local Machine

B. Configuring the Remote Machine for UnixThis section describes how to set up the remote machine.You should follow these steps in order.Please note that the first five steps are the same as with the Local Machine Configuration for Unix machines. If you have already completed these steps, you may skip to the sixth step.1. (Linux Only) Ensure loopback adapter not associated with machine name2. Install Visual MainWin Remote Security Authority3. Install MainWin Core Services on Remote Machine4. Configure MainWin Core Services for Remote Machine5. Configure Port Access for Remote Machine6. Install and Configure Ansoft products in Incoming Request mode7. Automating the Remote Machine Configuration

B(1) (Linux Only) Ensure loopback adapter not associated with remote

Note The minimum permission required for this setting is Remote Process User.

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machine nameUnixOn some machines, the machine may find its loopback adapter as the first IP address associated with it. If this is the case, then the machine may not communicate properly across the network.Determine whether the loopback adapter is associated with the machine name1. Ping both your machine name and "localhost", and get the IP address associated with each.2. If the IP addresses returned from both commands are the same, then you will be unable to con-

nect to remote machines. You must correct this before proceeding.Remove the loopback adapter association with the machine nameDirections to properly associate your network IP address with the machine name depend on the type of network configured. Determine network configuration types1. Open the /etc/nsswitch.conf file.2. Look at the first uncommented line that starts with "hosts:". If any of the entries in this line

read "files", then you may be using the /etc/hosts file for network identification and should proceed with the below steps. Otherwise, you will need to look into the network configurations you are using.

Inspect /etc/hosts file for loopback adapter association1. Open the /etc/hosts file.2. Look at the first uncommented line that includes the word "localhost". This is the loopback

adapter entry.3. If the loopback adapter line also includes your machine name, then it is possible that this entry

is causing the machine to associate itself with the loopback adapter.If the machine name is included in the loopback adapter line:

4. Remove the machine name from the loopback adapter line.5. Re-run the "Determine whether the loopback adapter is associated with the machine name"

section above.a. If the IP addresses are now different, then you have corrected the problem.b. If the IP addresses are still the same, then this problem is being caused by a different net-

work methodology. You will need to determine the source of the issue.

Next Step: B(2) Install Visual MainWin Remote Security Authority

Note If the ping command no longer knows the IP address associated with the machine, then you must add this information to the /etc/hosts file. You can determine the IP address by running /sbin/ifconfig.

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B(2) Install Visual MainWin Remote Security Authority

UnixVisual MainWin Remote Security Authority (remotesa) is a Windows service that allows authenti-cation between Windows and Unix machines. It must be installed on a domain controller for the domain where authentication is used.

To install Visual MainWin Remote Security Authority:1. Log in as an administrator to a primary domain controller.2. Using one of the Ansoft software CDs for a Unix operating system, browse to the remotesa

subdirectory.3. Run setup.exe to begin installation of the Visual MainWin Remote Security Authority.4. Follow the prompts for installation, making note of the remotesa security password entered.

You will need this password for the configuration of all Unix clients.Next Step: B(3) Install MainWin Core Services on Remote Machine

B(3) Install MainWin Core Services on Remote MachineUnixMainWin Core Services is a Unix service that allows for incoming and outgoing analysis requests on Unix machines. It must be installed and configured on each Unix machine that will be involved with remote analysis.For each Unix machine that requires MainWin Core Services, to install MainWin Core Services:1. Using one of the Ansoft software CDs for a Unix operating system, launch the installation

shell as root.2. Choose Install MainWin Core Services. A new window appears.3. If MainWin Core Services are already installed, you will be prompted to uninstall and reinstall

Note This step is only necessary if you plan to use a mixed environment (both Windows and Unix machines) with remote analysis. It must be installed whether or not the Windows machines will be used as local machines and/or a remote machines.

Note Requirements for installing remotesa:1. It must be installed on a Windows machine that the Unix machines can see.2. Every user who will solve cross-platform to or from a Windows machine will

be authenticated by name through remotesa. The names of these users must be defined locally on the machine running remotesa. If these users are defined on the domain, then you should install remotesa on a domain controller. If you do not wish to install remotesa on the domain controller, or you do not have a domain controller, then you will need to add these users as local users on the machine running remotesa.

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them. If you choose to uninstall and reinstall MainWin Core Services, enter Yes.4. Enter the directory to which MainWin Core Services should be installed. If the directory does

not exist, you will need to confirm that you wish to create this directory. If the directory already exists and contains files or directories, you will need to confirm removal of those files and directories.

5. MainWin Core Services also creates a data directory in which machine-related information is stored. The MainWin Core Services administrator (determined later in this process) must have write access to this directory. By default, the MainWin Core Services data directory is set to the mwcoredata subdirectory of the installation directory. If you wish to change the data directory to something other than the default, enter Yes. Otherwise, enter No.

6. If you choose to use a data directory other than the default, enter the directory to which the MainWin Core Services data should be written. If the directory does not exist, you will need to confirm that you wish to create this directory. If the directory already exists and contains files or directories, you will need to confirm removal of those files and directories.

7. Once the installation is complete, the MainWin Core Services configuration is automatically launched.

Next Step: B(4) Configure MainWin Core Services for Remote Machine

B(4) Configure MainWin Core Services for Remote MachineUnixMainWin Core Services is a Unix service that allows for incoming and outgoing analysis requests on Unix machines. It must be installed and configured on each Unix machine that will be involved with remote analysis.For each Unix machine that requires MainWin Core Services, the MainWin Core Services configu-ration script is launched once the installation is complete. You can also launch the MainWin Core Services configuration script at another time. To launch the script manually, run the mcsconfig.sh script, a link to which is located in /usr/bin.Once the MainWin Core Services configuration script is launched, you will be asked a series of questions to configure MainWin Core Services:1. Enter the name of the user who will be permitted to change the configuration settings for Main-

Win Core Services, the MainWin Core Services Administrator. The administrator may be root or any other user that exists on this machine.

2. Indicate whether you will be using Windows machines for incoming and/or outgoing analysis requests.

• If you enter No, you are indicating that Windows machines will not be used for incoming and/or outgoing analysis requests.

• If you enter Yes, you are indicating that Windows machines will be used for incom-

Note This value can only be changed by root.

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ing and/or outgoing analysis requests. If you entered No to question 2, indicating you will not be using any Windows machines:a. Enter a port number greater than 1024 for communication with other machines (known as

the RPC port). This port must be available on all local and remote machines that will be involved in remote analysis.

If you entered Yes to question 2, you will be using Windows machines. The RPC port, used for communication with other machines, will automatically be set to 135.a. If you have never completed the MainWin Core Services configuration for mixed environ-

ments, you will be asked to verify whether Visual MainWin Remote Security Authority (remotesa) is installed on an appropriate Windows machine. If you have not installed it, you will need to install remotesa before completing the MainWin Core Services configu-ration.If you have already verified that Visual MainWin Remote Security Authority is installed, the script will indicate this and proceed to the next step.

b. Enter the name of the machine on which the remotesa was installed, either as a machine name or IP address.

c. Enter the remotesa security password used when Visual MainWin Remote Security Authority was installed when Remote Security Authority was installed. The password entered must be the same as the one entered when Remote Security Authority was installed, or authentication services with this machine will not function.

d. Press Enter to accept the default remotesa security authentication (RSA) port of 667. If you changed the remotesa security authentication port, enter that value and press Enter.

e. Enter the value of the environment variable USERDOMAIN when logged into the machine specified in (b) as one of the users who will solve cross platform.• If the users are domain users, then this value should be the domain name.• If the users are machine users, then the value should be the machine name.

Once the above steps are complete, MainWin Core Services will be configured, and a summary will displayed showing the MainWin Core Services configuration. The Configuration File listed in the summary can be used to automate installations on other machines.To check the status of MainWin Core Services in the future, run mcsconfig.sh -summary.Next Step: B(5) Configure Port Access for Remote Machine

B(5) Configure Port Access for Remote MachineUnix

Note If the password has already been entered, you will be asked whether you wish to change the password. If you enter Yes, then you will be prompted for the password as mentioned above.

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During the configuration of MainWin Core Services, the RPC port was configured as well as remotesa security authentication (RSA) port if a heterogeneous (Windows and Unix) environment was specified. The ports must be accessible within the domain on which the machines are config-ured.Next Step: B(6) Install and Configure Ansoft products in Incoming Request mode

B(6) Install and Configure Ansoft products in Incoming Request modeUnixYou must also configure each Ansoft product that will be receiving analysis requests. For each product, you will need to install the product and then configure the product settings in incoming request mode so that any users who wish to use this machine have proper product set-tings.

To configure a product in incoming request mode:1. Go to the product-specific subdirectory of the installation directory.2. Run <product_name>.remote –remote_config as either the MCS Administrator or root. For

instance, to configure HFSS in incoming request mode, you would run hfss.remote –remote_config.

3. Enter Yes to indicate that this product should include support for analysis requests sent to this machine.

4. A configuration summary will now be displayed that indicates the software is about to be launched in incoming request mode. Review the information and, when complete, press Enter to start the software in incoming request mode.

5. Once the software is launched, the software will start and open a test example. You need to configure the settings that will be used when a solve request is sent to this machine. Important settings include the Temp Directory (found under Tools > Options > General Options), which is the directory to which the software will write temporary information. All users who will send analysis requests, including the nobody user, will need access to this directory, so it is best to give full read/write/execute permissions in this directory.

6. Once the software has been configured, solve a test example to verify the settings are proper.Next Step: B(7) Automating the Remote Machine Configuration

Note Outgoing request mode is automatically configured when you configure incoming request mode.

Note If the software detects that the initial settings have not yet been configured, it will do so before starting the software.

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B(7) Automating the Remote Machine ConfigurationUnixIt is possible to automate the MainWin Core Services installation and configuration. This is partic-ularly useful when you need to install and configure MainWin Core Services on a number of differ-ent machines.

Automation Method 1: MainWin Core Services configuration fileWhen MainWin Core Services is installed, a configuration file is created that contains the settings entered during installation and configuration. An example file is shown below:

$begin MCSInstall

MCSInstallDir="/opt/mainsoft/mwcore"

MCSDataDir="/opt/mwcoredata"

MCSOverwriteInstall="No"

$end MCSInstall

$begin MCS

MSCAdmin="root"

MSecType="win"

RPCportnum=135

MSecDomain="WINDOMAIN"

MSecDomainSvr="192.168.51.100"

MSecPort=667

MSecPasswd="<Configured>"

RemoteSAInstalled="Yes"

$end MCS

The first section, MCSInstall, contains the settings used to install MainWin Core Services:MCSInstallDir: Installation directory for MainWin Core ServicesMCSDataDir: Data directory for MainWin Core Services. If not specified, the data directory is set to the mwcoredata subdirectory of the installation directory.MCSOverwriteInstall: If the software is already installed, this specifies whether or not to overwrite the installation.

The second section, MCS, contains the settings used to configure MainWin Core Services:MSCAdmin: MainWin Core Services administrator (the user who can configure MainWin Core Services)MSecType: Core Services configuration type. If Windows machines are to be used for incom-ing and/or outgoing requests, this value should be win. Otherwise, it should be unix.RPCportnum: The port used to send data while solving. If MSecType is set to win, then this value must be 135. Otherwise, it can be any value greater than 1024.

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If MSecType is set to win, then there are additional entries required in the MCS section of the con-figuration file:

RemoteSAInstalled: Indicates whether Remote Security Authority is installed. Must be set to yes to proceed.MSecDomainSvr: Machine on which Remote Security Authority (remotesa) is installed.MSecPasswd: Remotesa security password used when installing remotesa. Note that this value is not retained in the configuration file that is created at the end of the installation.MSecPort: Value of the remotesa security authentication port. If this was not manually changed when installing remotesa, the value is 667.MSecDomain: Value of the USERDOMAIN environment variable on the machine on which remotesa is installed.

To use the configuration file to install and configure MainWin Core Services, browse to the <CD-ROM>/<OS>/MCS directory, and run:

./install -import <configuration file>

Automation Method 2: Copying MainWin Core Services configuration files and settingsIf you are using a machine cluster or compute nodes, you may be using a configuration where you install all programs on one machine and then mirror all files to each compute node. If this is the case, then you will need to configure the machine on which the software is installed, and then copy those settings to other machines.

1. Run through the installation and configuration of MainWin Core Services per the instructions in sections B(2) through B(5). You should be able to keep the default settings for the core data directory when installing MainWin Core Services. Also, make sure the user specified as the MainWin Core Services administrator exists on the compute nodes.

2. Install any Ansoft products you wish to use, and configure them per the instructions listed in B(6).

3. Mirror the following files and directories to the compute nodes:

Files:/etc/mainwin.conf/usr/bin/mcsconfig.shStartup files:• Red Hat:

/etc/rc.d/init.d/mwcore_services/etc/rc.d/rc#.d/S##mwcore_services

• Solaris:

Note The following only works when the products and MainWin Core Services are installed to the same path on the source machine and the destination machines.

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/etc/init.d/mwcore_services/etc/rc#.d/S##mwcore_services

• SuSE: /etc/rc.d/mwcore_services/etc/rc.d/rc#.d/S##mwcore_services

Directories:MainWin Core Services installation directory (all files and subdirectories)MainWin Core Services data directory (all files and subdirectories)All Ansoft product directories

Next Section: Configure the Local Machine

Configuring the Local Machine• A. Windows XP Professional (32-bit and 64-bit) and Windows Server 2003 (32-bit and 64-bit)• B. Unix

A. Configuring the Local Machine for Windows XP Professional (32-bit and 64-bit) and Windows Server 2003 (32-bit and 64-bit)This section describes how to set up the local machine. You should follow these steps in order.1. Local Machine Configuration Prerequisites2. Configure Distributed COM for the Local Machine3. Enable Firewall Access for Local Machine4. Configure the Software on the Local Machine

A(1) Local Machine Configuration PrerequisitesWindows XP Professional (32-bit and 64-bit) and Windows Server 2003 (32-bit and 64-bit).Before configuring the local machine, do the following:1. Log in as an administrator on the machine on which you want to set up projects– the local

machine. 2. Install the version-specific software that you installed on the remote machine.Next Step: A(2) Configure Distributed COM for the Local Machine

A(2) Configuring Distributed COM on a Local MachineWindows XP Professional (32-bit and 64-bit) and Windows Server 2003 (32-bit and 64-bit).

To configure distributed COM for a local machine:1. Log in as an administrator to the machine on which you want to set up projects — the

Note If the default directory was chosen for the MainWin Core Services data directory, then the data directory will be a subdirectory of the installation directory.

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local machine.2. Click Start>Run, and type dcomcnfg.3. Click OK to start the DCOM Configuration window.4. Set the My Computer properties:

a. Under Console Root>Component Services>Computers, right-click My Computer, and select Properties.The My Computer Properties dialog box appears.

b. Under the Default Properties tab, make sure the Enable Distributed COM on this computer check box is checked.

c. Under the Default Properties tab, make sure the Default Authentication Level is set to Connect (or None if using non-domain accounts, or if any of the remote machines are Unix).

d. Under the COM Security tab, verify that the following permissions are included if you do not wish to restrict security permissions: You need not remove any pre-exist-ing permissions.

• For Access Permissions, the Edit Default button:• Everyone: Remote Access• Anonymous Logon: Remote Access

• For Access Permissions, the Edit Limits button:• Everyone: Local Access and Remote Access• Anonymous Logon: Remote Access.

• For Launch and Activation Permissions, the Edit Limits button:

Note The minimum security permissions for this setting are the following:• Remote Process User: Remote Access• If the Remote Process User is set to The launching user on

any remote machine (e.g. Common Configurations 1 and 3), or if the remote process user is a non-domain machine account, grant Remote Access to the Anonymous Logon.

Note Grant Remote Access to Anonymous Logon if any of the following are true:• The Remote Process user is set to The launching user on

anyremote machine.• The remote process user is a non-domain account.• The Default Authentication Level is set to None on the

Local Machine.

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• Everyone: Local Activation

5. If any changes were made, click OK to apply all of the changes.6. Exit the Component Services window.7. Restart any Ansoft software if any changes were made during this process. Next Step: A(3) Enable Firewall Access for Local Machine

A(3) Enabling Firewall Access for the Local MachineWindows XP Professional (32-bit and 64-bit) and Windows Server 2003 (32-bit and 64-bit).If you have a firewall installed on the remote machine, the runtime application needs access through it. You also need access to TCP port 135, which is used for Windows Remote Procedure Call (RPC) End Point Mapping.If the local machine is using Windows XP Service Pack 2, a firewall was automatically installed and enabled when the service pack was installed. You will need to add the runtime application and TCP port 135 to the list of exceptions in the Windows Firewall settings:If the remote machine is using Windows XP Service Pack 2 or higher, Windows XP Professional x64 Edition Service Pack 1 or higher, or Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1 or higher, Windows Firewall was automatically installed and enabled. You will need to add the runtime application and TCP port 135 to the list of exceptions.To add the runtime application and TCP port 135 to the list of exceptions:

1. Click Start>Settings>Control Panel (or Start>Control Panel, depending on your Win-dows display settings).The Control Panel window appears.

2. Double-click Security Center. The Windows Security Center window appears.

3. Click the Windows Firewall option.

Note The minimum security permissions for this setting are the following:• Local User: Local Activation

Note If a given user or group is not listed:1. Click Add to add a new user or group.2. Click Locations, and select the domain/workgroup in

which the user you want to add is located.3. Type the name of the user or group.4. Click Check Names to verify that the name is correct.5. Click OK to close the Add Users dialog box.

The user or group should now appear in the corresponding permissions dialog box.

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The Windows Firewall dialog box appears.4. Click the Exceptions tab.5. To add the installed application:

a. Click the Add Program button.b. If the installed application is listed (e.g., HFSS 11), select the program from the list.

Otherwise, click the Browse button, and browse to the location of the application.c. Choose Change Scope..., and select which machines should be able to contact this

program on this machine. • If you wish to restrict the machines that can run this program, choose either My

network (subnet) only (should work with most networks) or Custom list.• If you do not wish to restrict the machines that can run this program, choose Any

computer (including those on the Internet). Be aware that this will allow any machine, even those outside of your subnet, to communicate with this program on this machine.

d. Click OK to confirm the program as an exception.6. To add TCP port 135:

a. Click the Add Port button.b. For the Name, enter descriptive text to identify this exception (e.g. RPC End Point

Mapping).c. For the Port number, enter 135.d. Select TCP.e. Choose Change Scope..., and select which machines should be able to contact this

machine via this port. • If you wish to restrict the machines for which this port is unblocked, choose

either My network (subnet) only (should work with most networks) or Custom list.

• If you do not wish to restrict the machines for which this port is unblocked, choose Any computer (including those on the Internet). Be aware that this will allow any machine, even those outside of your subnet, to communicate with this machine via this port.

f. Click OK to confirm the port as an exception.7. Click OK to close the Windows Firewall dialog box.8. Exit the Windows Security Center and Control Panel windows.

Next Step: A(4) Configure the Software on the Local Machine

A(4) Configuring the Software on the Local MachineWindows XP Professional (32-bit and 64-bit) and Windows Server 2003 (32-bit and 64-bit).

Finally, the software that will be used as the local machine for remote analysis must be config-ured. The software settings are specific to the Local User starting HFSS on the local machine.

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Therefore, each Local User must have the product- and version-specific settings configured for remote analysis in order to use remote analysis.To configure the software on the local machine:1. Start HFSS on the local machine as a Local User.2. Once the software has started, click Tools>Options>General Options.

The General Options dialog box appears.3. Click the Analysis Options tab.4. Under Design Analysis Options, do one or more of the following to configure the remote

analysis settings on a per-design basis:a. If you would like to select the machine to which to send the analysis immediately

before analyzing, select Prompt for analysis machine when launching analysis.b. Under Analysis Machine Options, select whether the default analysis machine

should be the local machine (Local), a remote machine (Remote), or should reference a machine list (Distributed).

c. If you selected Remote, enter the machine information either as an IP address, a DNS name, or a UNC name.

d. If you selected Distributed, press Edit... and enter the machine information.5. Under Remote Analysis Options, select the user who should be the Launching User

from Send analysis request as:a. If the Local User will also be the Launching User, select Current User.b. If you want to specify a particular Launching User, select Specified User, and enter

the user name, password, and domain/workgroup credentials for the Launching User. These are verified only when analyzing.

6. Click OK to close the General Options dialog box.7. Set up a project to test the remote solution capability.8. Once the project setup is complete, choose HFSS>Analyze All.9. If you have selected Prompt for analysis machine when launching analysis on the

Design Analysis Options, the Server Setup dialog appears, select the machine on which you want to run the analysis, and click OK.If it runs successfully, this configuration is complete. Otherwise, review the Troubleshoot-ing section to resolve the problem.

B. Configuring the Local Machine for UnixThis section describes how to set up the local machine (the machine that sends out analysis requests). You should follow these steps in order.

Note The settings in the Remote Analysis Options section are only used when the analysis machine is a remote machine (IP Address, DNS Name, or UNC Name).

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Please note that the first five steps are the same as with the Remote Machine Configuration for Unix machines. If you have already completed these steps, you may skip to the sixth step.1. (Linux Only) Ensure loopback adapter not associated with machine name2. Install Visual MainWin Remote Security Authority3. Install MainWin Core Services on Local Machine4. Configure MainWin Core Services for Local Machine5. Configure Port Access for Local Machine6. Install and Configure Ansoft products in Outgoing Request mode 7. Starting Ansoft products in Outgoing Request mode

B(1) (Linux Only) Ensure loopback adapter not associated with local machine nameUnixOn some machines, the machine may find its loopback adapter as the first IP address associated with it. If this is the case, then the machine may not communicate properly across the network.Determine whether the loopback adapter is associated with the machine name1. Ping both your machine name and "localhost", and get the IP address associated with each.2. If the IP addresses returned from both functions are the same, then you will be unable to con-

nect to remote machines. You must correct this before proceeding.Remove the loopback adapter association with the machine nameDirections to properly associate your network IP address with the machine name depend on the type of network configured. Determine network configuration types1. Open the /etc/nsswitch.conf file.2. Look at the first uncommented line that starts with "hosts:". If any of the entries in this line

read "files", then you may be using the /etc/hosts file for network identification and should proceed with the below steps. Otherwise, you will need to look into the network configurations you are using.

Inspect /etc/hosts file for loopback adapter association1. Open the /etc/hosts file.2. Look at the first uncommented line that includes the word "localhost". This is the loopback

adapter entry.3. If the loopback adapter line also includes your machine name, then it is possible that this entry

is causing the machine to associate itself with the loopback adapter.If the machine name is included in the loopback adapter line:

4. Remove the machine name from the loopback adapter line.5. Re-run the "Determine whether the loopback adapter is associated with the machine name"

section above.

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a. If the IP addresses are now different, then you have corrected the problem.b. If the IP addresses are still the same, then this problem is being caused by a different net-

work methodology. You will need to determine the source of the issue.

Next Step: B(2) Install Visual MainWin Remote Security Authority

B(2) Install Visual MainWin Remote Security Authority (VMRSA)

UnixVisual MainWin Remote Security Authority (remotesa) is a Windows service that allows authenti-cation between Windows and Unix machines. It must be installed on a primary domain controller for the domain where authentication is used.

To install Visual MainWin Remote Security Authority:1. Log in as an administrator to a primary domain controller.2. Using one of the Ansoft software CDs for a Unix operating system browse to the remotesa

subdirectory.3. Run setup.exe to begin installation of the Visual MainWin Remote Security Authority.4. Follow the prompts for installation, making note of the remotesa security password entered.

You will need this password for the configuration of all Unix clients.Next Step: B(3) Install MainWin Core Services on Local Machine

Note If the ping command no longer knows the IP address associated with the machine, then you must add this information to the /etc/hosts file. You can determine the IP address by running /sbin/ifconfig.

Note This step is only necessary if you plan to use a mixed environment (both Windows and Unix machines) with remote analysis. It must be installed whether or not the Windows machines will be used as local machines and/or remote machines.

Note Requirements for installing remotesa:1. It must be installed on a Windows machine that the Unix machines can see.2. Every user who will solve cross-platform to or from a Windows machine will

be authenticated by name through remotesa. The names of these users must be defined locally on the machine running remotesa. If these users are defined on the domain, then you should install remotesa on a domain controller. If you do not wish to install remotesa on the domain controller, or you do not have a domain controller, then you will need to add these users as local users on the machine running remotesa.

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B(3) Install MainWin Core Services on Local MachineUnixMainWin Core Services is a Unix service that allows for incoming and outgoing analysis requests on Unix machines. It must be installed and configured on each Unix machine that will be involved with remote analysis.For each Unix machine that requires MainWin Core Services, to install MainWin Core Services:1. Using one of the Ansoft software CDs for a Unix operating system, launch the installation

shell as root.2. Choose Install MainWin Core Services. A new window appears.3. If MainWin Core Services are already installed, you will be prompted to uninstall and reinstall

them. If you choose to uninstall and reinstall MainWin Core Services, enter Yes.4. Enter the directory to which MainWin Core Services should be installed. If the directory does

not exist, you will need to confirm that you wish to create this directory. If the directory already exists and contains files or directories, you will need to confirm removal of those files and directories.

5. MainWin Core Services also creates a data directory in which machine-related information is stored. The MainWin Core Services administrator (determined later in this process) must have write access to this directory. By default, the MainWin Core Services data directory is set to the mwcoredata subdirectory of the installation directory. If you wish to change the data directory to something other than the default, enter Yes. Otherwise, enter No.

6. If you choose to use a data directory other than the default, enter the directory to which the MainWin Core Services data should be written. If the directory does not exist, you will need to confirm that you wish to create this directory. If the directory already exists and contains files or directories, you will need to confirm removal of those files and directories.

7. Once the installation is complete, the MainWin Core Services configuration is automatically launched.

Next Step: B(4) Configure MainWin Core Services for Local Machine

B(4) Configure MainWin Core Services for Local MachineUnixMainWin Core Services is a Unix service that allows for incoming and outgoing analysis requests on Unix machines. It must be installed and configured on each Unix machine that will be involved with remote analysis.For each Unix machine that requires MainWin Core Services, the MainWin Core Services configu-ration script is launched once the installation is complete. You can also launch the MainWin Core Services configuration script at another time. To launch the script manually, run the mcsconfig.sh script, a link to which is located in /usr/bin.Once the MainWin Core Services configuration script is launched, you will be asked a series of questions to configure MainWin Core Services:1. Enter the name of the user who will be permitted to change the configuration settings for Main-

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Win Core Services, the MainWin Core Services Administrator. The administrator may be root or any other user that exists on this machine.

2. Indicate whether you will be using Windows machines for incoming and/or outgoing analysis requests.

• If you enter No, you are indicating that Windows machines will not be used for incoming and/or outgoing analysis requests.

• If you enter Yes, you are indicating that Windows machines will be used for incom-ing and/or outgoing analysis requests.

If you entered No to question 2, indicating you will not be using any Windows machines:a. Enter a port number greater than 1024 for communication with other machines (known as

the RPC port). This port must be available on all local and remote machines that will be involved in remote analysis.

If you entered Yes to question 2, you will be using Windows machines. The RPC port, used for communication with other machines, will automatically be set to 135.a. If you have never completed the MainWin Core Services configuration for mixed environ-

ments, you will be asked to verify whether Visual MainWin Remote Security Authority (remotesa) is installed on an appropriate Windows machine. If you have not installed it, you will need to install remotesa before completing the MainWin Core Services configu-ration.If you have already verified that Visual MainWin Remote Security Authority is installed, the script will indicate this and proceed to the next step.

b. Enter the name of the machine on which remotesa was installed, either as a machine name or IP address.

c. Enter the remotesa security password used when Visual MainWin Remote Security Authority was installed.. The password entered must be the same as the one entered on Visual MainWin Remote Security Authority, or authentication services with this machine will not function.

d. Press Enter to accept the default remotesa security authentication (RSA) port of 667. If you changed the remotesa security authentication port, enter that value and press Enter.

e. Enter the value of the environment variable USERDOMAIN when logged into the machine specified in (b) as one of the users who will solve cross platform.

Note This value can only be changed by root.

Note If the password has already been entered, you will be asked whether you wish to change the password. If you enter Yes, then you will be prompted for the password as mentioned above.

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• If the users are domain users, then this value should be the domain name.• If the users are machine users, then the value should be the machine name.

Once the above steps are complete, MainWin Core Services will be configured, and a summary will be displayed showing the MainWin Core Services configuration. The Configuration File listed in the summary can be used to automate installations on other machines.To check the status of MainWin Core Services in the future, run mcsconfig.sh -summary.Next Step: B(5) Configure Port Access for Local Machine

B(5) Configure Port Access for Local MachineUnixDuring the configuration of MainWin Core Services, the RPC port was configured as well as remotesa security authentication (RSA) port if a heterogeneous (Windows and Unix) environment was specified. The ports must be accessible within the domain on which the machines are config-ured.Next Step: B(6) Install and Configure Ansoft products in Outgoing Request mode

B(6) Install and Configure Ansoft products in Outgoing Request mode UnixOutgoing Request mode allows a user to send analysis requests to machines other than the local machine. You must also configure each Ansoft product that will be sending analysis requests. For each product, you will need to install the product and then configure the product settings in outgoing request mode so that any users who wish to use this machine have proper product set-tings.

To configure a product in outgoing request mode:1. Go to the product-specific subdirectory of the installation directory.2. Run <product_name>.remote –remote_config as either the MCS Administrator or root. For

instance, to configure HFSS in outgoing request mode, you would run hfss.remote –remote_config.

3. If this product should not include support for analysis requests, enter No. Otherwise, follow the steps for the remote machine configuration for Unix machines.

4. A message will appear that indicates the software is about to be launched in outgoing request mode. Review the information and, when complete, press Enter to start the software in outgo-ing request mode.

Note Outgoing request mode is automatically configured when you configure incoming request mode.

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5. Once the software has been configured, the software will start and open a test example. You should solve this example to verify the settings.If it runs successfully, this configuration is complete. Otherwise, review the Troubleshooting section to resolve the problem.

Next Step: B(7) Starting Ansoft products in Outgoing Request mode

B(7) Starting products in Outgoing Request modeUnixAfter the software has been installed and configured, to launch the software in outgoing request mode, you should run <product_name>.remote. For instance, to launch HFSS in outgoing request mode, you would run hfss.remote.

Note If the software detects that the initial settings have not yet been configured, it will do so before starting the software.

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Troubleshooting

Issue Solution

The following error appears when I try to analyze my design after a long hang:Unable to locate or start COM engine on ‘machine_name’ : The RPC server is unavailable.

• Verify that machine_name refers to the machine you were trying to use and does not contain any typos.

• Verify that the remote machine is turned on. You may wish to try ping machine_name to test connectivity to that machine.

The following error appears immediately when I try to analyze my design:Unable to locate or start COM engine on ‘machine_name’ : The RPC server is unavailable.

• Verify that the RPC port is open, i.e. that no firewall is blocking it. If this simulation is on Windows, the RPC port is 135. If this is only on Unix, then run mcsconfig.sh -summary to determine the port number. To verify that this port is available, run telnet machine_name RPC_port_number.• If the port is not open, telnet will show an

error like:Connecting to machine_name...Could not open connection to the host, on port RPC_port_number: Connect failed

• If the port is open, telnet will appear to hang.

• Verify that the COM engine that was configured is allowed to communicate through any firewalls configured on the remote machine. Also, terminate any hanging COM engine processes on the remote machine.

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The following error appears when I try to analyze my design:Unable to locate or start COM engine on ‘machine_name’ : Access is denied.

Check the following on the remote machine:If the OS is Windows:

• If there is a COM engine running for the product that is failing: • (a) Terminate the COM engine. • (b) Verify the machine-level Local Access

Limit permission is enabled for the launching user (or Anonymous Logon if the Launching User is the same as the Local User).

• Verify the machine-level Remote Access Limit permission is enabled for the Launching User (or Anonymous Logon if the Launching User is the same as the Local User).

• Verify the machine-level Remote Launch Limit and Remote Activation Limit permissions are enabled for the Launching User (or Anonymous Logon if the Launching User is the same as the Local User).

• Verify the COM engine-specific Remote Launch and Remote Activation permissions are enabled for the Launching User.

• Verify that Enable Distributed COM on this computer is enabled on the remote machine.

Check the following on the local machine:If the OS is Windows:

• Verify the machine-level Local Access Limit is enabled for the Local User.

• Verify the machine-level Local Activation Limit permission is enabled for the Local User.

• Verify that Enable Distributed COM on this computer is enabled on the local machine.

If all the above has been verified, reboot the local and remote machines to refresh cached settings.

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(continued) • If the OS on the Local Machine is a Unix OS (e.g. Solaris, Linux), run msconfig.sh -summary on the Unix machine.• Verify that the remotesa server specified in

the summary matches the machine on which Visual MainWin Remote Security Authority (remotesa) is installed.

• Verify that the remotesa authentication port specified in the summary matches the port on which Visual MainWin Remote Security Authority (remotesa) is installed. Unless this value was specifically changed in the remotesa installation, the value should be 667.

• Verify that the USERDOMAIN value as specified in the summary matches the users who will be solving cross-platform.

• Run mcsconfig.sh, and when prompted whether or not you wish to change the password, enter Yes. Type the same password entered on the remotesa server.

If the above has all been verified, reboot the local and remote machines to refresh cached settings.

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The following error appears when I try to analyze my design: Unable to start analysis on machine ‘machine_name’ : Access is denied.

Check the following on the remote machine:If the OS is Windows:• If there is a COM engine running for the product that

is failing: • (a) Teminate the COM engine. • (b) Verify the machine-level Remote

Access Limit permission is enabled for the Local User (or Anonymous Logon if the default authentication on the Local Machine is None).

Check the following on the local machine:If the OS is Windows:• Verify the machine-level Remote Access Limit

permission is enabled for the Remote Process User (or Anonymous Logon if the Remote Process user is set to The launching user or the Default Authentication Level on the Local Machine is None).

• If the OS on any remote machine is Unix, ensure that the Default Authentication Level is None.

• Verify the product used to launch remote analysis is allowed to communicate through any firewalls connected to the machine.

If the above has all been verified, reboot the local and remote machines to refresh the cached settings.

The following error appears when I try to analyze my design:Unable to start analysis on machine ‘machine_name’ : The server threw an exception.

Check the following on the local machine:If the OS is Windows:• Verify the machine-level Remote Access Default

permission is enabled for the Remote Process User (or Anonymous Logon if the Remote Process User is set to The launching user).

The following error appears when I try to analyze my design:Unable to locate or start COM engines on ‘machine_name’: Server execution failed.

Check the following on the remote machine: If the OS is Windows:Verify the machine-level Local Access Limit permissions is enabled for the Remote Process User.

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The following error appears when I try to analyze my design:Unable to locate or start COM engine on ‘machine_name’ : Class not registered.

This message appears if the COM engine is missing on the remote machine, or if the user does not have execute permissions on the COM engine.• Verify that the software is installed on the remote

machine.• Verify that the COM engine is properly registered on

the remote machine.The following error appears when I try to analyze my design:Unable to locate or start COM engine on ‘machine_name’ : The server process could not be started because the configured identity is incorrect. Check the user name and password.

The user listed as "This user" on the remote machine’s DCOM configuration has the wrong password entered. To correct the problem, enter the correct password for the user listed as "This user".

The following errors appear immediately when I try to analyze my design: Failed to check out license hfss_solve. Bad encryption handshake with vendor daemon (FLEXlm Error -33).

The Self user has no Local Access limit permissions on the remote machine. Add Local Access permissions for the Self user on the remote machine and reattempt analysis.

The following error appears immediately when I try to analyze my design:Unable to load into the registry the profile for the user username. Simulation completed with execution error on server: machine_name.

The remote process user listed in username has never run the software on, or has never logged on to the remote machine listed in machine_name. You must add the user on to the remote machine, log into the remote machine as that user, and run the software one time to configure the runtime settings for that user.

The following error appears immediately when I try to analyze my design:Unable to locate the profile for the user username. Simulation completed with execution error on server: machine_name.

The remote process user listed in username has either never been added as a user on the remote machine, or has never logged into the remote machine listed in machine_name. You must add the user to the remote machine, log into the remote machine as that user, and run the software one time to configure the runtime settings for that user.

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The following error appears immediately when I try to analyze my design:Unable to create simulation working directory within temp dir: temporary directory - simulating on machine_ name. Simulation completed with execution error on server machine_name.

The Remote Process user either has not been added as a user on the remote machine or has never run the software on the remote machine.You must add the user on to the remote machine, log into the remote machine as that user, and run the software one time to configure the runtime settings for that user.

The following errors appear immediately when I try to analyze my design: Unable to create simulation working directory within temp dir: temporary_directory. Error decoding model data or writing it to disk.

The temporary file directory has insufficient permissions for the remote user to write temporary files. Check the permissions by setting up security permissions on the remote machine.

The following error appears when I try to analyze my design:Simulation completed with execution error on server machine_name.

If there were any additional messages displayed, check the Troubleshooting guide for those specific messages.Check the following on the remote machine:

• Verify the machine-level Local Launch Limit and Local Activation Limit permissions are enabled for the Interactive User.

• Verify the COM engine-specific Local Launch and Local Activation permissions are enabled for the Interactive User.

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Distributed AnalysisDistributed analysis allows users to split certain types of analyses and solve each portion of an anal-ysis simultaneously on multiple machines. Simulation times can be greatly decreased by using this feature.HFSS supports two forms of distributed analysis: • Distributing rows of a parametric table. • Distributing sweeps within an analysis setup.

Related TopicsConfiguring Distributed AnalysisLicensing for Distributed Analysis

Configuring Distributed AnalysisTo configure distributed analysis:1. Follow the steps to configure remote analysis. The remote machines are the machines to which

the analysis is distributed, and the local machine is the machine that launches the distributed analysis.

2. Once the remote analysis configuration is complete, you must add the remote machines you wish to use for distributed analysis to the Local Machine's list of distributed analysis machines.a. Start the product on the Local Machine.b. Choose Tools > Options > General Options.c. Choose the Analysis Machines tab and in the Analysis Machines pane, select the Edit

button.

Note Communication between machines in remote analysis and distributed analysis can drastically affect performance. Use of a high-speed network system, like Gigabit or Infiniband, is recommended for optimal performance.

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d. The following dialog appears.

e. Add the remote machines you wish to use for distributed analysis. You can reference them by IP address, DNS name (typically machine_name), or UNC name (\\machine name).

f. Once you have finished adding machines, press OK to close this dialog. The added machines will be listed in the General Options>Analysis tab dialog when the Distributed radio button is selected. You must have at least two machines listed to run a distributed analysis.

3. Open and solve a project that you wish to run using distributed analysis. You can distribute a parametric table or multiple frequency sweeps of a single analysis setup.a. Open the project that you wish to run using distributed analysis.b. Expand the project tree so you can see the parametric table or multiple frequency sweeps

that you wish to distribute. If the desired parametric table or multiple discrete frequency

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sweeps that you wish to distribute are not listed, you will need to add them.c. Right-click on the parametric table or analysis setup that owns the multiple frequency

sweeps, and select Distribute Analysis.

Licensing for Distributed AnalysisIf you do a distributed analysis, HFSS launches solver engines on multiple machines, assuming that you have configured your machines appropriately.The number of hfss_solve licenses controls how many analyses (non-distributed or distributed) can be done at a time. The number of ansoft_distrib licenses controls how many distributed analyses can be done at a time (in other words, how many users can click Distribute Analysis at the same time). The number of ansoft_distrib_engine licenses controls how many simultaneous variations can be run during a single distributed analysis.Each ansoft_distrib license comes with 10 distributed engine licenses (ansoft_distrib_engine). If an installation has more than one distributed analysis license, the owners of those licenses can each access up to the total number of available licensed engines. For example, with two distributed anal-ysis licenses, all 20 licensed engines are available to divide between those two license owners. HFSS allows you to split the engines 10:10 or 5:15 or 2:18; even if one person uses all 20 engines, you can leave the second ansoft_distrib license unused. However, you cannot divide the 20 machines among more than two distributed analysis, since they only have two ansoft_distrib licenses available.

Note The option is only active if there are multiple rows listed in the parametric table, there are multiple frequency sweeps listed under a given analysis setup, and the number of distributed analysis machines is two or greater.

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Monitoring the Solution ProcessWhile a simulation is running, you can monitor the solution’s progress in the Progress window. Above the red progress bar, messages describe the setup and step. The progress bar shows the rela-tive progress of each step. Under the bar, messages note the part of the design being solved, and give memory estimates during the factoring process.You can also view the following solution data at any time during or after the solution:• The convergence data:• The matrices computed for the S-parameters, impedances, and propagation constants.• A profile of status of the adaptive analysis, including the number of valid passes completed.To view the Solutions window:1. Right-click the solution Setup in the project tree.

A shortcut menu appears.2. Select Convergence, Matrix Data or Profile from the shortcut menu.

The Solutions window appears with the corresponding tab selected and the current data dis-played.

For “out of core” problems, quite different amounts of memory may be used for factorization and for solution. So if the amount for factorization is displayed under the progress bar and the amount used is calculated for the profile at the end of the solution, they may be quite different numbers.To view the status of the adaptive analysis: • Click HFSS>Results>Browse Solutions.

The Solutions dialog box appears with the Browse tab selected. It displays data about the number of valid passes completed. It contains a tree structure showing the solutions listed according to Setup, Solution, and Variation. A table lists the Setup, the solution, the sweep variable, and the state of the solution.

• You can use the Properties button to display a dialog that lets you change the way the Setup, Solution, and Variation are listed in the tree structure of the Solutions dialog.

• The Statistics tab of the Solutions dialog displays path information, as well as format, number of files, and size.

• You can delete one or more solutions by selecting from the table and clicking Delete. Click on a solution to select it, anr use Ctrl-click to select multiple solutions, or Shift-click to select a range of solutions. You can also select all solutions using the Select All button. .

Related TopicsDeleting Solution DataPost Processing and Generating ReportsCreating Reports

Note If HFSS loses its license, it waits for the license to be regained, checking every 2 minutes or until you abort.

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Modifying ReportsCreating a Quick Report Plotting the MeshPlotting Field Overlays

Monitoring Queued SimulationsIf you have multiple setups for a design, and have selected Analyze All, the simulations are queued until there is a machine available. Setups are solved in the order that they appear in the project tree. You can prioritize setups by changing the order in the queue.1. To view the solution queue, click Tools>Show Queued Simulations or click the Show Queue

icon on the toolbar.This displays a dialog that displays each simulation and its current status. You select and remove any simulation from the queue.You can also select any setup and use the Move up and Move down buttons to prioritize them.

2. To remove a simulation from the queue, select the simulation, and click Remove from Queue.This removes the selected simulation from the queue.

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Changing a Solution’s PriorityYou can reduce the priority of HFSS simulations so that system resources are allocated to other computer processes before the solver. If you reduce the priority of HFSS simulations, your other software tools will respond as they normally would, but HFSS simulations may take longer.

To change the priority of simulations for the system’s resources:1. While a solution is running, right-click the Progress window, and click Change Priority on

the shortcut menu.• Alternatively, click the Tools>Options>HFSS Options to open the HFSS Options dia-

log box, and click the Solver tab.2. From the Change Priority menu (or the Default Process Priority pull-down menu), select

one of the following priorities:

3. Click OK.Related TopicsMonitoring Queued Simulations

Note The Windows Task Manager does not indicate a reduced priority for the HFSS solver. It only lists the priority of the engine manager, which appears normal, not the actual engine. The actual engine is in a separate thread, whose priority is not visible in the Windows Task Manager.

Lowest Priority

Below Normal

Normal The default.

Above Normal

Highest

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Aborting AnalysesTo end the solution process before it is complete:• In the Progress window, click Abort.

HFSS ends the analysis immediately. If you aborted the solution in the middle of an adaptive pass, the data for that pass or current fre-quency point is deleted. Any solutions that were completed prior to the one that was aborted are still available. The solutions that are available depend on when you aborted. For example, if you stopped the solu-tion while a post-processing macro was executing, the field solution computed for that setup is still available. To abort the solution process after the current adaptive pass or solved frequency point is complete:• Right-click the Progress window, and click Clean Stop on the shortcut menu.

HFSS ends the analysis after the next solved pass or frequency point.If you request a clean stop between the third and fourth adaptive pass, the solutions for the third and fourth pass will be available.

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Re-solving a ProblemIf you modify a design after generating a solution, the solution in memory will no longer match the design. To generate a new solution after modifying a design, follow the procedure for running a simulation:1. Select a solution setup in the project tree.2. Click HFSS>Analyze All.

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14Using Optimetrics for Design Analysis

Optimetrics is a set of analysis tools that enables you to determine the best design variation among a model’s possible variations. You create the original model, the nominal design, and then define the design parameters that vary, which can be nearly any design parameter assigned a numeric value in HFSS. (See the online help topic for the specific parameter you want to vary.) For exam-ple, you can parameterize the model geometry, material properties, or boundary conditions. You can then perform the following types of analyses on your nominal HFSS design:

Related TopicsSetting up a Parametric Analysis

Parametric Define one or more variable sweep definitions, each specifying a series of variable values within a range. Optimetrics solves the design at each variation. You can then compare the results to determine how each design variation affects the performance of the design. Parametric analyses are often used as precursors to optimization solutions because they help to determine a reasonable range of variable values for the optimization analysis.

Optimization Identify the cost function and the optimization goal. Optimetrics changes the design parameter values to meet that goal. The cost function can be based on any solution quantity that HFSS can compute, such as field values, S-parameters, and eigenmode data.

Sensitivity Optimetrics explores the vicinity of the design point to determine the sensitivity of the design to small changes in variables.

Tuning Variable values are changed interactively and the performance of the design is monitored.

Statistical Optimetrics determines the distribution of a design's performance, which is caused by a statistical distribution of variable values.

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Setting up an Optimization AnalysisSetting up a Sensitivity AnalysisTuning a VariableSetting up a Statistical Analysis

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Setting up a Parametric AnalysisA parametric setup specifies all of the design variations that Optimetrics will drive HFSS to solve. A parametric setup is made up of one or more variable sweep definitions, which is a set of variable values within a range that you want HFSS to solve when you run the parametric setup.You can define more than one parametric setup per design. Once you have created a setup, you can Copy and Paste it, and then make changes to the copy, rather than redoing the whole process for minor changes.To add a parametric setup to a design:1. On the HFSS menu, point to Optimetrics Analysis, and then click Add Parametric .

• Alternatively, right-click Optimetrics in the project tree, and then click Add>Parametric on the shortcut menu.

The Setup Sweep Analysis dialog box appears.2. Add a variable sweep definition.

Related TopicsAdding a Variable Sweep DefinitionTechnical Notes: Parametric Overview

Adding a Variable Sweep DefinitionA parametric setup is made up of one or more variable sweep definitions. A variable sweep defini-tion is a set of variable values within a range that Optimetrics drives HFSS to solve when the para-metric setup is analyzed. You can add one or more sweep definitions to a parametric setup.

1. On the HFSS menu, point to Optimetrics Analysis, and then click Add Parametric .• Alternatively, right-click Optimetrics in the project tree, and then click Add>Parametric

on the shortcut menu.The Setup Sweep Analysis dialog box appears.

2. Under the Sweep Definitions tab, click Add.The Add/Edit Sweep dialog box appears. All of the independent variables associated with the design are listed in the Variable pull-down list.

3. Click the variable for which you are defining the sweep definition in the Variable pull-down list. If you do not define a sweep definition for a variable in the list, the variable’s current value in the nominal design will be used in the parametric analysis.

Note Complex numbers are not allowed for variables to be used in an Optimetrics sweep, or for optimization, statistical, sensitivity or tuning setups.

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4. Specify the variable values to be included in the sweep.5. Click Add, and then click OK.

You return to the Setup Sweep Analysis dialog box. The variable sweep is listed in the top half of the window.

View the design variations that will be solved in table format under the Table tab. Viewing the sweep definition in table format enables you to visualize the design variations that will be solved and manually adjust sweep points if necessary.

Related TopicsSynchronizing Variable Sweep Definitions

Specifying Variable Values for a Sweep DefinitionTo specify the variable values to include in a sweep definition:1. Select one of the following in the Add/Edit Sweep dialog box:

2. If you selected Single Value, type the value of the sweep definition in the Value text box.If you selected another sweep type, do the following:a. Type the starting value of the variable range in the Start text box.b. Type the final value of the variable range in the Stop text box.

3. If you selected Linear Step as the sweep type, type the step size in the Step text box. The step size is the difference between variable values in the sweep definition. The step size determines the number of design variations between the start and stop values. HFSS will solve the model at each step in the specified range, including the start and stop values.If you selected another sweep type, type the number of points, or variable values, in the sweep definition in the Count text box. The total number of points includes the start and stop values.

Single Value Specify a single value for the sweep definition.

Linear Step Specify a linear range of values with a constant step size.

Linear Count Specify a linear range of values and the number, or count, of points within the variable range.

Decade Count Specify a decade count of values and the number, or count, of points within the variable range.

Octave Count Specify an octave count of values and the number, or count, of points within the variable range.

Exponential Count

Specify a exponential count of values and the number, or count, of points within the variable range.

Note You can also edit the sweep Start, Stop, and Step values in the docked properties window for the sweep.

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Synchronizing Variable Sweep DefinitionsBy default, variable sweep definitions are nested. Alternatively, you can synchronize the variable sweep definitions if they have the same number of sweep points.For example, if you synchronize a sweep definition that includes values of 1, 2, and 3 inches with a second sweep definition that includes values of 4, 5, and 6 inches, HFSS will solve 3 design varia-tions. The first variation is solved at the variable values of 1 and 4; the second variation is solved at the variable values 2 and 5; and the third variation is solved at the final variable values 3 and 6. To synchronize variable sweep definitions:1. Under the Sweep Definitions tab of the Setup Sweep Analysis dialog box, select the rows

containing the sweep definitions you want to synchronize.2. Click Sync.

The synchronized sweeps are given a group number, which is listed in the Sync # column.Optionally, view the design variations that will be solved in table format under the Table tab.

Modifying a Variable Sweep Definition ManuallyYou can manually modify the variable values that will be solved for a parametric setup by explicitly changing, adding, or deleting existing points in a variable sweep definition under the Table tab of the Setup Sweep Analysis dialog box.To manually modify a variable sweep definition:1. Click the Table tab of the Setup Sweep Analysis dialog box.

The design variations HFSS will solve for the parametric setup are listed in table format.You can edit table entries only when the sequence column (the first column) is sorted based on the defined sequence (the default). An asterisk (*) mark on the sequence column header denotes the default order, based on the sweep definition (whether ascending or descending), and not by increasing value. The numbering in the sequence column reflects the default. Clicking on the sweep variable column headers sorts the table based on the value of that header. The sequence column numbers shift rows with the alternate display order, but the Add button is disabled when the table does not show the default order. The Add button is only enabled if the sequence column shows the asterisk that denotes the default order.

2. Do one of the following:• To modify a variable value, click a value text box in the table and type a new value.• To delete a variable value from the sweep definition, click the row you want to delete, and

then click Delete. (You enable the Delete button by selecting a row.)• To add a new variable value to the sweep definition, click Add.

This adds a new row at the end of the table. You can then click in the value text box and type a new value.

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Your modifications are tracked and available for viewing at the bottom of the Setup Sweep Analy-sis dialog box under the Sweep Definitions tab. The operations you performed are listed with descriptions.

Overriding a Variable’s Current Value in a Parametric SetupIf you choose not to sweep a variable, HFSS uses the variable’s current value set for the nominal design when it solves the parametric setup. To override the current variable value for a parametric setup:1. In the Setup Sweep Analysis dialog box, click the General tab.

Under Starting Point, all of the current independent design variable values are listed. 2. Click the Value text box of the variable with the value you want to override for the parametric

setup.3. Type a new value in the Value text box, and then press Enter.

The Override option is now selected. This indicates that the value you entered will be used for the parametric setup. For this parametric setup, the new value will override the current value in the nominal design.

4. Optionally, click a new unit in the Units text box.To revert to the current variable value, clear the Override option.

Specifying a Solution Setup for a Parametric SetupTo specify the solution setup that HFSS will analyze when it solves a parametric setup:1. In the Setup Sweep Analysis dialog box, click the General tab.2. Select the solution setup you want HFSS to use when it solves the parametric setup.

HFSS will solve the parametric setup using the solution setup you select. If you select more than one, results will be generated for all selected solution setups.

Specifying the Solution Quantity to EvaluateWhen you add a parametric setup, you can identify one or more solution quantities to be presented in the Post Analysis Display dialog box. The solution quantities are specified by mathematical expressions that are composed of basic quantities, such as S-parameters, and output variables. When you view the results, HFSS extracts the solution quantities and lists them in the results table.1. In the Setup Sweep Analysis dialog box, click the Calculations tab.

This displays a table that will show Solutions and associated Calculations. Below the table, are

Warning If you want to modify an original sweep definition using the Add/Edit Sweep dialog box after you have manually modified its table of design variations, your manual modifications will become invalid and will be removed.

Note Alternatively, you can select the Override option first, and then type a new variable value in the Value text box.

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control buttons to Setup Calculations... and Delete.2. Click Setup Calculations.

This displays the Add/Edit Calculation dialog. The dialog contains a panes to set the Con-text, the Trace tab for the Calculation Expression, and the Families tab for the Calculation Range. Follow the procedure to Setup Calculations for Optimetrics.

3. Click Add Calculation to add the expression in the Add/Edit Calculation dialog Value field to the Calculations tab of the Setup Sweep Analysis dialog.

4. Click Done to close the Add/Edit Calculation dialog.

Related TopicsSpecifying a Solution Quantity’s Calculation RangeSpecifying Output VariablesSetup Calculations for Optimetrics.

Setup Calculations for OptimetricsThe Setup dialogs for each of the Optimetrics types include a Setup Calculations button. Clicking this displays the Add/Edit Calculation dialog. The dialog contains distinct panes to set the Con-text, the Calculation Expression, and the Calculation Range. The Context pane contains fields for the Report Type to use, the Solution, and depending on the Report Type selection, the Geometry. The Trace tab contains fields for the Calculation expression, and, to build the expression, a Cate-gory list, a Quantity list with a Text Filter field, and a list of Functions available for the selected Category. The Range function button opens a dialog in which you can define a range function to apply a function to the expression.The Category list for the Trace tab includes Variables and Output Variables. An Output Vari-ables... button lets you open a dialog to define and edit the Output Variables.To setup an Optimetrics calculation:1. Click the Setup Calculations button to open the Add/Edit/Calculation dialog.2. In the Report Type text field in the Context pane, select from the drop down list of available

types. Selecting Fields as the Report type causes the Geometry field to display.

3. In the Solution text box, select from the drop down list of available solutions.4. If the Geometry field is available, select from the drop down list.5. In the Trace tab, specify the solution Category, a Quantity, and Functions. The resulting

expression will be displayed in the Value field.a. Select the Category from the drop down list.

The selection appears in the field, and the Quantity and Function fields list what is avail-able.

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b. Select the Quantity from the list.The selected Quantity appears in the Value field.If the Quantity list is long, you can filter it for easier selection by typing in the text filter field. Only quantities that contain those alphanumeric characters anywhere in their name will remain visible in the list.If you want to create an output variable that represents the solution quantity, do the fol-lowing:• Click the Output Variables button.

The Output Variables dialog box appears. • Add the expression you want to evaluate, and then click Done.

The recently created output variable appears in the Quantity list.• Click a new output variable in the Quantity pull-down list.

The selected Quantity appears in the Value field.c. Select the Function from the list.

The selected function is applied to the Quantity in the Value field.6. To apply a Range function to the Calculation expression, see Setting a Range function.7. Click Add Calculation to add the expression in the Add/Edit Calculation dialog Value field

to the Calculations tab of the Setup Sweep Analysis dialog. 8. Click Done to close the Add/Edit Calculation dialog.

Related TopicsSpecifying a Solution Quantity to EvaluateSetting a Range function

Specifying a Solution Quantity’s Calculation RangeThe calculation range of a solution quantity determines the intrinsic variable value at which the solution quantity will be extracted. For a parametric setup, the calculation range must be a single value. For a Driven Modal or Driven Terminal design, if you selected to extract the solution from the last adaptive solution, Optimetrics uses the adaptive frequency defined in the solution setup. If you selected to extract the solution quantity from a frequency sweep solution, Optimetrics by default will use the starting frequency in the sweep.1. In the Setup Sweep Analysis dialog box, click the Calculations tab.2. Click Edit Cal. Range.

The Edit Calculation Range dialog box appears.3. In the Variable list, click an intrinsic variable.4. Single Value is selected by default. In the Value text box, click a value at which the solution

Note The calculation you specify must be able to be evaluated into a single, real number.

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quantity will be extracted.5. Click Update, and then click OK.

Related TopicsUsing Optimetrics for Design AnalysisSpecifying a Solution Quantity to Evaluate

Using Distributed AnalysisIf you have purchased the appropriate license, HFSS supports distributed analysis, which involves distributing rows of a parametric table or sweeps of an adaptive setup.If you do a distributed solve, HFSS launches solver engines on multiple machines, assuming that you have configured your machines appropriately.To run a distributed analysis of a parametric table:1. Under Optimetrics in the project tree, right-click the specific parametric setup.

A shortcut menu appears.2. Select Distribute Analysis from the shortcut menu.

To run a distributed analysis of a number of frequency sweeps:1. Under Analysis in the project tree, right-click the specific analysis whose sweeps you want to

distribute.A shortcut menu appears.

2. Select Distribute Analysis from the shortcut menu.

Related Topics:General Options: Analysis Options TabSolving Remotely (Windows Only)Setting Up Distributed Analysis with Licensing

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Setting up an Optimization AnalysisFollowing is the general procedure for setting up an optimization analysis. Once you have created a setup, you can Copy and Paste it, and then make changes to the copy, rather than redoing the whole process for minor changes.1. Set up the variables you want to optimize in the Properties dialog box.2. On the HFSS menu, point to Optimetrics Analysis, and then click Add Optimization .

The Setup Optimization dialog box appears.3. Under the Goals tab, select an optimizer by clicking Sequential Non-Linear Programming, or

Sequential Mixed Integer Non-Linear Programming, Quasi Newton, Pattern Search Optimizer, or Genetic Algorithm. in the Optimizer pull-down list. (Click the linked text for a discussion and recommendations.)Selecting either the Quasi Newton or Pattern Search optimizers enables the display of the Acceptable Cost and Noise fields. These fields do not appear for the SNLP or SMINLP opti-mizers.For the Quasi Newton and Patterns Search optimizers, under the Variables tab of the Setup dialog, selecting the Advanced button lets you specify a Min Step and Max Step. For the SNLP and SMINLP optimizers, under the Variables tab of the Setup dialog, selecting the Advanced button lets you specify values for Min focus and Max focus instead.For the Genetic Algorithm optimizer, a Setup button is enabled. Click Setup to open the Advanced Genetic Algorithm Optimizer Options dialog.

4. Type the maximum number of iterations you want HFSS to perform during the optimization analysis in the Max. No. of Iterations text box.

5. If you want to save the field solution data for every solved design variation in the optimization analysis, select Save Fields.

6. Under Cost Function, add a cost function by selecting the Setup Calculations button to open the Add/Edit Calculation dialog.

7. For the Quasi Newton and Pattern Search optimizers:• Type the value of the cost function at which the optimization process should stop in the

Acceptable Cost text box.• Type the cost function noise in the Noise text box.

8. If you want to select a Cost Function Norm Type:a. Check the Advanced options checkbox.

This displays the Cost Function Norm Type pull down menu.b. Select one of L1, L2, or Maximum.

A norm is a function that assigns a positive value to the cost function.For L1 norm the actual cost function uses the sum of absolute weighted values of the indi-vidual goal errors. For L2 norm (the default) the actual cost function uses the weighted sum of squared values of the individual goal error. For the Maximum norm the cost func-

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tion uses the maximum among all the weighted goal errors. (For further details, see Expla-nation of the L1, L2, and Max Norms in Optimization.)The norm type doesn’t impact goal setting that use as condition the “minimize” or “maxi-mize” scenarios.

Related TopicsAdvanced Genetic Algorithm Optimizer OptionsTechnical Notes: Optimization OverviewTechnical Notes: Acceptable CostTechnical Notes: Explanation of the L1, L2, and Max Norms in OptimizationTechnical Notes: Choosing an Optimizer

Setting the Maximum Iterations for an Optimization AnalysisThe Max. No. of Iterations value is the maximum number of design variations that you want Opti-metrics to solve during an optimization. This value is a stopping criterion; if the maximum number of iterations has been completed, the optimization analysis stops. If the maximum number of itera-tions has not been completed, the optimization continues by performing another iteration, that is, by solving another design variation. It performs iterations until the acceptable cost function is reached or until the optimizer cannot proceed as a result of other optimization setup constraints, such as when it searches for a variable value with a step size smaller than the minimum step size.To set the maximum number of iterations for an optimization analysis:• Under the Goals tab of the Setup Optimization dialog box, type a value in the Max. No. of

Options for optimization analysis setup:Modify the starting variable value.

Modify the minimum and maximum values of variables that will be optimized.

Exclude variables from optimization.

Modify the values of fixed variables that are not being optimized.

Set the minimum and maximum step size between solved design variations.(For the Quasi Newton and Patterns Search optimizers, Variables tab, Advanced button)

Set the minimum and maximum focus size. (For the SNLP and SMINLP optimizers, Variables tab, Advanced button).

Set linear constraints.

Request that Optimetrics solve a parametric sweep before an optimization analysis.

Request that Optimetrics solve a parametric sweep during an optimization analysis.

Automatically update optimized variables to the optimal values after an optimization analysis is completed.

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Iterations text box.

Adding a Cost FunctionA cost function can include one or more goals for an optimization analysis. Optimetrics manipu-lates the model’s design variable values to fulfill the cost function.Following is the general procedure for adding a cost function with a single goal.1. Under the Goals tab of the Setup Optimization dialog box, click Setup Calculations.

This displays the Add/Edit Calculation dialog.A new row is added to the Cost Function table.

2. In the Solution column, click the solution from which the cost function will be extracted.3. Specify a solution quantity on which to base the cost function goal. 4. In the Calc. Range text box, set the range within which the cost function will be computed. 5. In the Condition text box, click a condition from the pull-down list:

6. In the Goal text box, type the value of the solution quantity that you want to be achieved dur-ing the optimization analysis. If the solution quantity is a complex calculation, the goal value must be complex; two goal values must be specified. The Minimize and Maximize options do not require you to specify a Goal value.

7. Optionally, if you have multiple goals and you want to assign higher or lower priority to a goal, type a different value for the goal’s weight in the Weight text box. The goal with the greater weight is given more importance. If the goal is a complex value, the weight value must be complex; two weight values must be specified. The weight value cannot be variable depen-dent.

The optimization will stop when the solution quantity meets the acceptable cost criterion.

Related TopicsTechnical Notes: Cost FunctionTechnical Notes: Acceptable CostSetting a Goal ValueTechnical Notes: Goal Weight

<= less than or equal to

= equal to

>= greater than or equal to

Minimize reduce the cost function to a minimum value.

Maximize identify a maximized condition.

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Specifying a Solution Quantity for a Cost Function GoalWhen setting up a cost function, you must identify the solution quantity on which to base each goal. Solution quantities are specified by mathematical expressions that are composed of basic quanti-ties, such as S-parameters, and output variables.1. Add a row (a goal) to the cost function table:

a. Under the Goals tab of the Setup Optimization dialog box, click Add.A new row is added to the Cost Function table.

b. In the Solution column, click the solution from which the cost function will be extracted.2. In the Solution text box, click the solution from which the solution quantity will be extracted.3. In the Calculation text box, specify the solution quantity in one of the following ways:

• If you know the syntax of the mathematical expression or the output variable’s name, type it in the Calculation text box.

• If you want to create an output variable that represents the solution quantity, do the fol-lowing:a. Click Edit Calculation.

The Output Variables dialog box appears. b. Add the expression you want to evaluate, and then click Done.

HFSS entered the most recently created output variable in the Calculation text box.c. To specify a different defined output variable, click the Calculation text box. It

becomes a pull-down list that displays all of the defined output variables. Click an output variable in the pull-down list.

Setting the Calculation Range of a Cost Function GoalThe calculation range is the range within which you want a cost function goal to be calculated. It can be a single value or a range of values, depending on the solution or solution quantity selected for the goal.1. Under the Goals tab in the Setup Optimization dialog box, click Edit Calc. Range.2. In the Variable pull-down list, click a variable.

If you chose to solve a parametric setup during the optimization analysis, the variables swept in that parametric setup are available in the Variable pull-down list. If you sweep a variable in the parametric setup that is also being optimized, that variable will be excluded from the opti-mization.Other examples of available variables include frequency, if the solution quantity is an S-parameter quantity, and phi or theta, if the solution quantity is a radiated field quantity.

3. After you select a variable in the Variable pull-down list, you can select a range of values for the calculation range as follows:a. Select Range.b. In the Start text box, type the starting value of the range.c. In the Stop text box, type the final value of the range.

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4. To select a single value for the calculation range:a. Select Single Value.b. In the Value text box, type the value of the variable at which the cost function goal will be

extracted.5. Click Update, and then click OK.

Setting a Goal ValueA goal is the value you want a solution quantity to reach during an optimization analysis. It can be a real value or a complex value. If the solution quantity is a complex calculation, the goal value must be complex. You can type the goal value in the Goal text box. Alternatively, you can use the Edit Goal/Value Weight dialog box to specify the goal value as a single value, a mathematical expression, or dependent on a variable such as frequency.

What do you want to do?Specify a single goal value.Specify an expression as the goal value.Specify a variable-dependent goal value.Specify multiple goal values

Specifying a Single Goal Value1. Under the Goals tab in the Setup Optimization dialog box, click Edit Goal/Weight.

The Edit Goal/Weight dialog box appears.2. Under the Goal Value tab, click Simple Numeric Value in the Type list.3. If the goal value is complex, click real/imag in the pull-down list to the right if you want

to specify the real and imaginary parts of the goal value. Alternatively, click mag/ang if you want to specify the magnitude and angle of the goal value.

4. Type the goal value in the Goal Value table. If the goal value is complex, type both parts of the goal value in the text box below the Goal Value heading. For example, type 1, 1 to specify the real part of the goal value as 1 and the imaginary part as 1.If the goal value is real, type a real goal value in the text box below the Goal Value head-ing.

5. Click OK.The goal value you specified appears in the Goal text box.

Specifying an Expression as a Goal Value1. Under the Goals tab in the Setup Optimization dialog box, click Edit Goal/Weight.

The Edit Goal/Weight dialog box appears.2. Under the Goal Value tab, click Expression in the Type list.

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3. If you know the syntax of the mathematical expression or the existing output variable’s name, type it in the text box below the Goal Value heading. Alternatively, if you want to create an output variable that represents the goal value, do the following:a. Click Edit Expression.

The Output Variables dialog box appears. b. Add the expression you want to be the goal value, and then click Done.

HFSS has entered the most recently created output variable in the text box below the Goal Value heading.

4. Click OK.The goal value you specified appears in the Goal text box.

Specifying a Variable-Dependent Goal Value1. Under the Goals tab in the Setup Optimization dialog box, click Edit Goal/Weight.

The Edit Goal/Weight dialog box appears.2. Under the Goal Value tab, click Variable Dependent in the Type list.3. Click a variable in the pull-down list to the left of the table.4. Type the value of that variable in the first column of the table.5. Type a corresponding goal value for that variable value in the text box below the Goal

Value heading. 6. Click Add to add another row to the reference curve.7. Repeat steps 4, 5, and 6 until you have specified the reference curve.8. Click OK.

The goal value is listed as being variable dependent in the Goal text box.StartingVariableValueOptimization

Modifying the Starting Variable Value for OptimizationA variable’s starting value is the first value that will be solved during the optimization analysis. Optimetrics automatically sets the starting value of a variable to be the current value set for the nominal design. You can modify this value for each optimization setup.

1. In the Setup Optimization dialog box, click the Variables tab.All of the variables that were selected for the optimization analysis are listed.

2. Type a new value in the Starting Value text box for the value you want to override, and then press Enter.The Override option is now selected. This indicates that the value you entered will be used for

Note If you choose to solve a parametric setup before an optimization analysis, a variable’s starting value will be ignored if a more appropriate starting value is calculated for it during the parametric analysis.

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this optimization analysis; the current value set for the nominal model will be ignored.• Alternatively, you can select the Override option first, and then type a new variable value

in the Starting Value text box.3. Optionally, click a new unit system in one of the Units text boxes.

MinMaxValuesOptimization

Setting the Min. and Max. Variable Values for OptimizationFor every optimization setup, Optimetrics automatically sets the minimum and maximum values that it will consider for a variable being optimized. Optimetrics sets a variable’s minimum value equal to approximately one-half its starting value. (The starting value is the variable’s current value set for the nominal design.) Optimetrics sets the variable’s maximum value equal to approximately one and one-half the starting value. During optimization analysis, variable values that lie outside of this range are not considered.

What do you want to do?Override the default minimum and maximum variable values for a single optimization setup.Change the default minimum and maximum variable values for every optimization setup.

Overriding the Min. and Max. Variable Values for a Single Optimization Setup1. In the Setup Optimization dialog box, click the Variables tab.

All of the variables that were selected for optimization analysis are listed. 2. Type a new value in the Min or Max text box for the value you want to override, and then

press Enter.The Override option is now selected. This indicates that the value you entered will be used for this optimization analysis; the variable’s current Min or Max value in the nominal design is ignored.• Alternatively, you can select the Override option first, and then type a new value in the

Min or Max text box.3. Optionally, click a new unit system in one of the Units text boxes.To revert to the default minimum and maximum values, clear the Override option.

Changing the Min. and Max. Variable Values for Every Optimization Setup1. Make sure that the variable’s minimum and maximum values are not being overridden in any

optimization setup. 2. If the variable is a design variable, do the following: On the HFSS menu, click Design Prop-

erties.If the variable is a project variable, do the following: On the Project menu, click Project Vari-ables.The Properties dialog box appears.

Note To revert to the default starting value, clear the Override option.

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3. Select Optimization.4. Type a new value in the Min or Max text box for the value you want to override, and then

press Enter.When Optimetrics solves an optimization setup, it will not consider variable values that lie out-side of this range.

Setting the Min. and Max. Step SizesFor the Quasi Newton and Pattern Search optimizers, the step size is the difference in a variable’s value between one solved design variation and the next. The step size is determined when Optime-trics locates the next design variation that should be solved in an effort to meet the cost function.1. In the Setup Optimization dialog box, click the Variables tab.2. Click Advanced.

Optimetrics displays Min. Step and Max. Step columns, with default values for each variable to be optimized.

3. In the Min. Step text box, type the minimum step size value. Optionally, modify the unit sys-tem in the Units text box.

4. In the Max. Step text box, type the maximum step size value. Optionally, modify the unit sys-tem in the Units text box.

Related TopicsTechnical Notes: Step Size

Setting the Min and Max Focus For the SNLP and SMINLP optimizers, the min focus and max focus criteria allow you to specify a subrange of parameter values where the optimizer should look when performing the optimization. This focus box is where you suspect the optimal solution will be, so it is a hint for the optimizer.

• The domain limits the search. The domain = physical limits.

Hint A value of zero is recommended for the minimum step size.

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• The focus box doesn’t limit the search. Rather, the Focus box = an initial guess of optimum search domain. The starting point is the center of the focus box, but the search does extend beyond the box.

• This focus must be inside the domain limits. Consequently, it has to be equal or smaller size. An error message is generated if you specify a focus outside the domain.

• The focus box must be at least one hundredth of the domain size. Otherwise, an error message is sent.

Equalizing the influence of different optimization variables.The optimizer seeks optimal values for the optimization variables. These variables are usually quantities with specified units. The change in one variable could be measured in [mm] and the change in other variable could be [mA]. Instead of those units, the optimizer uses internal abstract units, so that a change in one variable changes the design behavior about as much as the same change in another variable, where changes are measured in the respective internal abstract units. Now, when you define the focus box, the unit of the abstract internal unit is defined as the differ-ence of the upper and lower focus limits. This way you can use the focus box to equalize the influ-ence of different optimization variables on the design behavior.

To set the Min and Max Focus values:1. In the Setup Optimization dialog box, click the Variables tab.2. Click Advanced.

Optimetrics displays Min. Focus and Max. Focus columns, with default values for each vari-able to be optimized. If you don’t have an initial guess based on your knowledge of the problem, make focus box equal to domain; that is, the physical limits. This tells SNLP to search the entire decision space.• In the Min. Focus text box, type the minimum value of the focus range. Optionally, mod-

ify the unit system in the Units text box.• In the Max. Focus text box, type the maximum value of the focus range. Optionally, mod-

ify the unit system in the Units text box.

Solving a Parametric Setup Before an OptimizationSolving a parametric setup before an optimization setup is useful for guiding Optimetrics during an optimization. To solve a parametric setup before an optimization setup:1. In the Setup Optimization dialog box, click the General tab.2. In the Parametric Analysis pull-down list, click the parametric setup you want Optimetrics to

solve before optimization.

Note The parametric setup must include sweep definitions for the variables you are optimizing.

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3. Select Solve the parametric sweep before optimization.If the parametric setup has not yet been solved, Optimetrics will solve it. Optimetrics uses the cost value evaluated at each parametric design variation to determine the next step in the optimization analysis. This enables you to guide the direction in which the optimizer searches for the optimal design variation.

Solving a Parametric Setup During an OptimizationSolving a parametric setup during an optimization analysis is useful when you want Optimetrics to solve every design variation specified in the parametric setup at each optimization iteration. A cost function goal could then depend on the value of the variable swept in the parametric setup.To solve a parametric setup during an optimization analysis:1. In the Setup Optimization dialog box, click the General tab.2. In the Parametric Analysis pull-down list, click the parametric setup you want Optimetrics to

solve during an optimization.3. Select Solve the parametric sweep during optimization.

Automatically Updating a Variable’s Value After OptimizationWhen Optimetrics finds an optimal variable value by solving an optimization setup, it can automat-ically update that variable’s current value set for the nominal model to the optimal value.1. In the Setup Optimization dialog box, click the General tab.2. Select Update design parameters’ values after optimization.

When optimization is complete, the current variable value for each optimized variable will be changed to the optimal value.

Advanced Genetic Algorithm Optimizer OptionsThe Genetic Algorithm (GA) search for Optimization analysis is an iterative process that goes through a number of generations. In each generation some new individuals (Children / Number of Individuals) are created and the so grown population participates in a selection (natural-selection) process that in turn reduces the size of the population to a desired level (Next Generation / Number of Individuals). If you select the Genetic Algorithm for an Optimization analysis, a Setup button is enabled on the Setup Optimization page. 1. Click the Setup button to open the Advanced Genetic Algorithm Optimizer Options dialog.2. Select the Stopping Criteria. Any of the three following, or any combination of these can be

selected.• Maximum number of generations. If checked, this enables a value field.• Elapsed time. If checked, this enables a drop down menu with times ranging from five

minutes to two weeks.• Slow convergence.

3. Specify the Parents.

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The first step towards mating is a selection process that determines the participating individu-als. Potential parents are selected from the Current Generation. This is a set of individuals that is always a subset of the current generation. • Number of individuals value field -- specify the number of parents for the optimizer to

use. You can set the Number of Individuals to less than or equal to the size of the "Current Generation". One reason to consider fewer parents than the possible maximum is to steer the GA towards improvement by selecting the better portion of the current generation to be able to mate.

• Roulette selection checkbox -- if checked, this enables the Selection pressure value field. This number defines how many times more probable is the selection of the best indi-vidual over the worst individual in an elementary spin of the roulette wheel.

4. Specify the Mating pool.The Mating pool is created by selecting randomly from the parents, but with each selection, the parent gets "cloned" so it can be selected again and again.• Number of individuals field -- specify the number individuals to include in the mating

pool.• Reproduction setup-- this button opens the Genetic Algorithm Optimizer Reproduc-

tion Setup dialog. 5. Click the Reproduction setup button for the dialog to specify the Crossover setup, and the

Mutation setup.The crossover and mutation operator have different roles: Crossover mixes "features" of the parents in a new combination, while mutation slightly alters the "features" of the individuals. Both need to be present in a GA. The crossover is a way to discover new combinations while the mutation acts as a local search or fine-tuning step. Mutation also keeps diversity in a popu-lation, which is a must for GA. The crossover operator has two steps. It first alters the variable values of the parents according to a distribution. This tends to produce one child that looks a lot like one parent, and one child that looks a lot like the other parent. Next, some of the variable values of the two children can be exchanged in order to achieve more variation.For crossover there are four possible parameters.a. Individual Crossover Probability determines, for each pair in the mating pool, the prob-

ability that their features will be mixed. Usually, this probability should be close or equal to one. If you set it set less than one, some parents will produce two children which are exact clones of the parents. This means that some children inherit all the features of their parents unchanged.

b. Parents often have multiple variables. If the parent is a candidate for mixing, the Variable Crossover Probability determines, for each variable, the probability of mixing. This is usually set high to ensure that most or all variables mix.

c. Variable Exchange Probability: After the slight change in the variable values has been made, the crossover operation is also able to exchange the values of the variables between the two children that are being constructed. The Variable Exchange Probability governs

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the likelihood of exchange of any variable.d. Mu is a general parameter defining the sharpness of the distribution that might be used for

the Variable Crossover Probability. Mu should be greater than one. There is no theoret-ical upper limit, but we recommend not exceeding 30.

6. Select one of the four Crossover types from the dropdown menu. The crossover type selected affects the options available. .

7. Select the Mutation type--this can be one of three types, which you select from a dropdown menu. • Uniform Distribution• Gaussian Distribution• Polynomial Mutation.

8. For the selected mutation type, set the following parameters:• Uniform Mutation Probability: If this is more than zero (recommendation is to have still

a small probability here), then there will be some children whose features are simply a completely random design (design variables randomly selected over the domain).

• Individual Mutation Probability controls, for each child, the likelihood of a mild muta-tion.

• Variable Mutation Probability. If the child will be mutated, this probability controls at the variable level the likelihood of a mutation of the variables.

• Standard Deviation is the standard deviation of the selected distribution that is being used for the mutation and it is measured relatively to the optimization-domain.

9. When you have completed the Reproduction setup in the Genetic Algorithm Optimizer Reproduction Setup dialog, click OK to close it and return to the Advanced Genetic Algo-rithm Optimizer Options dialog.

10. In the the Advanced Genetic Algorithm Optimizer Options dialog, specify the children as a Number of Individuals.

11. Set the Pareto Front value.This the number of the very best individuals (identified relative to the cost function) to keep for future generations.

Uniform Individual crossover probablilityVariable crossover probability

One point Individual crossover probability

Two point Individual crossover probability

Simulated binary crossover

Individual crossover probablilityVariable crossover probabilityVariable exchange probabilityMu

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12. Set the Next Generation parameters. The Next Generation is selected from the Parents, the children, and the Pareto front.• Number of individuals value field -- specify the number of individuals to survive to form

the next generation for the optimizer to use. • Roulette selection checkbox -- if checked, this enables the Selection pressure value

field. This number defines how many times more probable is the selection of the best indi-vidual over the worst individual in an elementary spin of the roulette wheel.

13. Click OK to accept the settings for the Genetic Algorithm and to close the dialog.

Related TopicsSetting up an Optimization AnalysisAdding a cost functionTechnical Notes: Optimization OverviewTechnical Notes: Acceptable CostTechnical Notes: Explanation of the L1, L2, and Max Norms in OptimizationTechnical Notes: Choosing an Optimizer

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Setting up a Sensitivity AnalysisFollowing is the general procedure for setting up a sensitivity analysis. Once you have created a setup, you can Copy and Paste it, and then make changes to the copy, rather than redoing the whole process for minor changes.1. Before a variable can be included in a sensitivity analysis, you must specify that you intend for

it to be used during a sensitivity analysis in the Properties dialog box.2. On the HFSS menu, point to Optimetrics Analysis, and then click Add Sensitivity .

The Setup Sensitivity Analysis dialog box appears.3. Under the Calculations tab, type the maximum number of iterations per variable value that

you want HFSS to perform in the Max. No. of Iterations/Sensitivity Variable text box.4. If you want to save the field solution data for every design variation solved during the sensitiv-

ity analysis, select Save Fields.5. Under Output Parameters, set up an output parameter.6. Specify the value of the design point at which the sensitivity analysis should stop in the

Approximate Error in Master Output text box.

Related TopicsTechnical Notes: Sensitivity Analysis Overview

Setting the Maximum Iterations Per VariableThe Max. No. of Iterations/Sensitivity Variable value is the maximum number of design varia-tions that Optimetrics will solve per variable during a sensitivity analysis. This value is a stopping criterion; if the maximum number of iterations has been completed, the sensitivity analysis stops. If the maximum number of iterations has not been completed, the sensitivity analysis continues by performing another iteration, that is, by solving another design variation. It performs iterations until the approximate error in master output value is reached or Optimetrics cannot proceed as a result of

Optional sensitivity analysis setup options:Modify the starting variable value.

Modify the minimum and maximum values of variables that will be solved.

Exclude variables from the sensitivity analysis.

Set the initial displacement.

Modify the values of fixed variables that are not being modified during the sensitivity analysis.

Set linear constraints.

Request that Optimetrics solve a parametric sweep before a sensitivity analysis.

Request that Optimetrics solve a parametric sweep during a sensitivity analysis.

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other sensitivity setup constraints, such as when it searches for a variable value that is larger than the maximum value.To set the maximum number of iterations for a sensitivity analysis:• Under the Calculations tab of the Setup Sensitivity Analysis dialog box, type a value in the

Max. No. of Iterations/Sensitivity Variable text box.

Setting up an Output ParameterFollowing is the general procedure for adding an output parameter to a sensitivity setup.1. Under the Calculations tab of the Setup Sensitivity Analysis dialog box, click Add.

A new row is added to the Output Parameters table.2. In the Solution column, click the solution from which the output parameter will be extracted.3. Specify a solution quantity on which to base the output parameter. 4. In the Calc. Range text box, set the value of the variable at which the output parameter will be

computed.5. If you have more than one output parameter, select Master Output if you want Optimetrics to

use the output parameter to base its selection of solved design variations.

Related TopicsTechnical Notes: Selecting the Master Output

Specifying a Solution Quantity for an Output ParameterWhen setting up an output parameter, you must identify the solution quantity on which to base the output parameter. Solution quantities are specified by mathematical expressions that are composed of basic quantities, such as S-parameters; and output variables.1. Add a row to the output parameters table: Under the Calculations tab of the Setup Sensitivity

Analysis dialog box, click Add.A new row is added to the Output Parameters table.

2. In the Solution text box, click the solution from which the solution quantity will be extracted.3. In the Calculation text box, specify the solution quantity in one of the following ways:

• If you know the syntax of the mathematical expression or the output variable’s name, type it in the Calculation text box.

• If you want to create an output variable that represents the solution quantity, do the fol-lowing:a. Click Edit Calculation.

The Output Variables dialog box appears. b. Add the expression you want to evaluate, and then click Done.

HFSS enters the most recently created output variable in the Calculation text box.c. To specify a different defined output variable, click the Calculation text box. It

becomes a pull-down list that displays all of the defined output variables. Click a new

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output variable in the pull-down list.

Setting the Calculation Range of an Output ParameterThe calculation range of a solution quantity determines the intrinsic variable value at which the solution quantity will be extracted. For a sensitivity setup, the calculation range must be a single value. For a Driven Modal or Driven Terminal design, if you specified that the solution be extracted from the last adaptive solution, Optimetrics uses the adaptive frequency defined in the solution setup. If you specified that the solution quantity be extracted from a frequency sweep solution, by default Optimetrics will use the starting frequency in the sweep.1. Under the Calculations tab of the Setup Sensitivity Analysis dialog box, click Edit Calc.

Range.The Edit Calculation Range dialog box appears.

2. In the Variable pull-down list, click a variable.If you chose to solve a parametric setup during the sensitivity analysis, the variables swept in that parametric setup are available in the Variable pull-down list. If you sweep a variable in the parametric setup that is also a sensitivity variable, that variable will be excluded from the sensitivity analysis.Other examples of available variables include frequency, if you selected an S-parameter solu-tion quantity; and phi or theta, if you selected a radiated field quantity as the solution quantity.

3. The Single Value option is selected by default. In the Value text box, type the value of the variable at which the solution quantity will be extracted.

4. Click Update, and then click OK.StartingVariableValueSensitivity

Modifying the Starting Variable Value for Sensitivity AnalysisThe design point of the sensitivity analysis is the starting value of the sensitivity variable and is usually the first variation to be solved. Optimetrics automatically sets the starting value of a vari-able to be the current value set for the nominal design. You can modify the design point for each sensitivity setup.1. In the Setup Sensitivity Analysis dialog box, click the Variables tab.

All of the variables that were selected for the sensitivity analysis are listed. 2. Type a new value in the Starting Value text box for the value you want to override, and then

press Enter.The Override option is now selected. This indicates that the value you entered will be used for this sensitivity analysis; the current value set for the nominal model will be ignored.• Alternatively, you can select the Override option first, and then type a new variable value

in the Starting Value text box.3. Optionally, click a new unit system in one of the Units text boxes.

Note The solution quantity you specify must be able to be evaluated to a single, real number.

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To revert to the default starting value, clear the Override option.MinMaxVariableValuesSensitivity

Setting the Min. and Max. Variable Values for SensitivityFor every sensitivity setup, Optimetrics automatically sets the minimum and maximum values that it will consider for a sensitivity variable. Optimetrics sets a variable’s minimum value equal to approximately one-half its starting value. (The starting value is the variable’s current value set for the nominal design.) Optimetrics sets the variable’s maximum value equal to approximately 1 1/2 the starting value. During sensitivity analysis, variable values that lie outside of this range will not be considered.

What do you want to do?Override the default minimum and maximum variable values for a single sensitivity setup.Change the default minimum and maximum variable values for every sensitivity setup.

Overriding the Min. and Max. Variable Values for a Single Sensitivity Setup1. In the Setup Sensitivity Analysis dialog box, click the Variables tab.

All of the variables that were selected for sensitivity analysis are listed. 2. Type a new value in the Min or Max text box for the value you want to override, and then

press Enter.The Override option is now selected. This indicates that the value you entered will be used for this sensitivity analysis; the variable’s current Min or Max value set in the nominal design is ignored.• Alternatively, you can select the Override option first, and then type a new value in the

Min or Max text box.3. Optionally, click a new unit system in one of the Units text boxes.To revert to the default minimum and maximum values, clear the Override option.

Changing the Min. and Max. Variable Values for Every Sensitivity Setup1. Make sure that the variable’s minimum and maximum values are not being overridden in any

sensitivity setup. 2. If the variable is a design variable, do the following: On the HFSS menu, click Design Prop-

erties.If the variable is a project variable, do the following: On the Project menu, click Project Vari-ables.The Properties dialog box appears.

3. Select Sensitivity.4. Type a new value in the Min or Max text box for the value you want to override, and then

press Enter.When Optimetrics solves a sensitivity setup, it will not consider variable values that lie outside of this range.

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Setting the Initial DisplacementThe initial displacement is the difference in a variable’s starting value and the next solved design variation. During the sensitivity analysis, Optimetrics will not consider an initial variable value that is greater than this step size away from the starting variable value. 1. In the Setup Sensitivity Analysis dialog box, click the Variables tab.2. Click Advanced.

Optimetrics displays the Initial Displacement column, with default values for each sensitivity variable.

3. In the Initial Displacement text box, type the initial displacement value. Optionally, modify the unit system in the Units text box.

Solving a Parametric Setup Before a Sensitivity AnalysisSolving a parametric setup before a sensitivity setup is useful for guiding Optimetrics in a sensitiv-ity analysis. To solve a parametric setup before a sensitivity setup:1. In the Setup Sensitivity Analysis dialog box, click the General tab.2. Click the parametric setup you want Optimetrics to solve before the sensitivity setup from the

Parametric Analysis pull-down list.

3. Select Solve the parametric sweep before analysis.If the parametric setup has not yet been solved, Optimetrics will solve it. Optimetrics will use the results (of the solution calculation you requested under the Goals tab of the Setup Sensitivity dia-log box) to determine the next design variation to solve for the sensitivity analysis.

Solving a Parametric Setup During a Sensitivity AnalysisSolving a parametric setup during a sensitivity analysis is useful when you want Optimetrics to solve every design variation in the parametric setup at each sensitivity analysis iteration. An output parameter goal could then depend on the value of the variable swept in the parametric setup.To solve a parametric setup during a sensitivity analysis:1. In the Setup Sensitivity Analysis dialog box, click the General tab.2. Click the parametric setup you want Optimetrics to solve during the sensitivity analysis from

the Parametric Analysis pull-down list.3. Select Solve the parametric sweep during analysis.

Note The parametric setup must include sweep definitions for the sensitivity variables.

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.

Setting up a Statistical AnalysisFollowing is the general procedure for setting up a statistical analysis. Once you have created a setup, you can Copy and Paste it, and then make changes to the copy, rather than redoing the whole process for minor changes.1. Before a variable can be included in a statistical analysis, you must specify that you intend for

it to be used during a statistical analysis in the Properties dialog box.2. On the HFSS menu, point to Optimetrics Analysis, and then click Add Statistical .

The Setup Statistical Analysis dialog box appears.3. Under the Calculations tab, type the maximum number of iterations that you want HFSS to

perform in the Maximum Iterations text box.4. If you want to save the field solution data for every design variation solved during the statisti-

cal analysis, select Save Fields.5. Specify a solution quantity to evaluate.6. In the Calc. Range text box, set the value at which the solution quantity will be computed.7. Optionally, modify the distribution criteria that will be used.

Related TopicsTechnical Notes: Statistical Analysis Overview

Setting the Maximum Iterations for a Statistical AnalysisThe Maximum Iterations value is the maximum number of design variations that Optimetrics will solve during a statistical analysis. This value is a stopping criterion; if the maximum number of iterations has been completed, the analysis stops. If the maximum number of iterations has not been completed, Optimetrics continues by performing another iteration, that is, by solving another design variation. To set the maximum number of iterations for a statistical analysis:• Under the Calculations tab of the Setup Sensitivity Analysis dialog box, type a value in the

Maximum Iterations text box.SolutionQuantityStatistical

Other optional statistical analysis setup options:Modify the starting variable value.

Exclude variables from the statistical analysis.

Modify the values of fixed variables that are not being modified during the statistical analysis

Request that Optimetrics solve a parametric sweep during a statistical analysis.

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Specifying the Solution Quantity to EvaluateWhen you add a statistical setup, you can identify one or more solution quantities to evaluate in the Post Analysis Display dialog box. The solution quantities are specified by mathematical expres-sions that are composed of basic quantities, such as S-parameters; and output variables. When you view the results, HFSS displays the distribution of the solution quantities.1. In the Setup Statistical Analysis dialog box, click the Calculations tab.2. Click Add.3. In the Solution text box, click the solution from which the solution quantity will be extracted.4. In the Calculation text box, specify the solution quantity in one of the following ways:

• If you know the syntax of the mathematical expression or the output variable’s name, type it in the Calculation text box.

• If you want to create an output variable that represents the solution quantity, do the fol-lowing:a. Click Edit Calculation.

The Output Variables dialog box appears. b. Add the expression you want to evaluate, and then click Done.

The most recently created output variable appears in the Calculation text box.c. To specify a different defined output variable, click the Calculation text box. It

becomes a pull-down list that displays all of the defined output variables. Click a new output variable in the pull-down list.

CalculationRangeStatistical

Setting the Solution Quantity’s Calculation RangeThe calculation range of a solution quantity determines the intrinsic variable value at which the solution quantity will be extracted. For a statistical setup, the calculation range must be a single value. For a Driven Modal or Driven Terminal design, if you specified that the solution be extracted from the last adaptive solution, Optimetrics uses the adaptive frequency defined in the solution setup. If you specified that the solution quantity be extracted from a frequency sweep solution, Optimetrics will use the starting frequency in the sweep by default.1. Under the Calculations tab of the Setup Statistical Analysis dialog box, click Edit Calc.

Range.The Edit Calculation Range dialog box appears.

2. In the Variable pull-down list, click a variable.If you chose to solve a parametric setup during the statistical analysis, the variables swept in that parametric setup are available in the Variable pull-down list. If you sweep a variable in

Note The solution quantity you specify must be able to be evaluated into a single, real number.

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the parametric setup that is also a statistics variable, that variable will be excluded from the sta-tistics analysis.Other examples of available variables include frequency, if you selected an S-parameter solu-tion quantity; and phi or theta, if the solution quantity is a radiated field quantity.

3. Single Value is selected by default. In the Value text box, type the value of the variable at which the solution quantity will be extracted.

4. Click Update, and then click OK.

Setting the Distribution CriteriaFor every statistical setup, Optimetrics automatically sets the distribution criteria to be uniform within a 10% tolerance of the variable’s starting value. You can modify the distribution type and criteria for a single statistical setup or for every statistical setup.

What do you want to do?Override the default distribution criteria for a single statistical setup.Change the default distribution criteria for every statistical setup.

Overriding the Distribution Criteria for a Single Statistical SetupTo override the default distribution criteria for a single statistical setup:1. In the Setup Statistical Analysis dialog box, click the Variables tab.

All of the variables that were selected for statistical analysis are listed. 2. Select Uniform or Gaussian in the Distribution column for the variable you want to override.

If you changed the distribution type, the Override option is now selected. This indicates that the distribution type you selected will be used for this optimization analysis; the current distri-bution type selected for the variable in the nominal design will be ignored in this statistical analysis.• Alternatively, you can select the Override option first, and then select a different distribu-

tion type in the Distribution text box.3. Optionally, if you want to change the distribution criteria, click in Distribution Criteria col-

umn for the variable you want to override.The Edit Distribution dialog box appears.

4. If the distribution type is Gaussian, do the following:a. Type the standard deviation in the Std. Dev text box.b. Type the lower limit of the distribution in the Low Cutoff text box.c. Type the upper limit of the distribution in the High Cutoff text box.

HFSS will solve design variations using a Gaussian distribution within the low and high cutoff values.

5. If the distribution type is Uniform, do the following:• Type a tolerance value in the text box.

HFSS will solve design variations within the tolerance range of the starting value, using an

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even distribution.6. Click OK.To revert to the default distribution settings, clear the Override option.

Changing the Distribution Criteria for Every Statistical SetupTo change the default distribution criteria for every statistical setup:1. Make sure that the variable’s distribution criteria are not being overridden in any statistical

setup. 2. If the variable is a design variable, do the following: On the HFSS menu, click Design Prop-

erties.If the variable is a project variable, do the following: On the Project menu, click Project Vari-ables.The Properties dialog box appears.

3. Select Statistics.4. Click in the Distribution column for the variable you want to change, and then select Uniform

or Gaussian.5. Optionally, if you want to change the distribution criteria, click in the Distribution Criteria

column for the variable you want to change.If the distribution type is Gaussian, the Gaussian Distribution dialog box appears. If the dis-tribution type is Uniform, the Uniform Distribution dialog box appears.

6. If the distribution type is Gaussian, do the following:a. Type the standard deviation in the Std. Dev text box.b. Type the lower limit of the distribution in the Low Cutoff text box.c. Type the upper limit of the distribution in the High Cutoff text box.

HFSS will solve design variations using a Gaussian distribution within the low and high cutoff values.

7. If the distribution type is Uniform, do the following:• Type a tolerance value in the text box.

HFSS will solve design variations within the tolerance range of the starting value, using an even distribution.

8. Click OK.StartingVariableValueStatistical

Modifying the Starting Variable Value for Statistical AnalysisA variable’s starting value is the first value that will be solved during the statistical analysis. Opti-metrics automatically sets the starting value of a variable to be the current value set for the nominal design. You can modify this value for each statistical setup.1. In the Setup Statistical Analysis dialog box, click the Variables tab.

All of the variables that were selected for the statistical analysis are listed.

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2. Type a new value in the Starting Value text box for the value you want to override, and then press Enter.The Override option is now selected. This indicates that the value you entered will be used for this statistical analysis; the current value set for the nominal model will be ignored.• Alternatively, you can select the Override option first, and then type a new variable value

in the Starting Value text box.3. Optionally, click a new unit system in one of the Units text boxes.To revert to the default starting value, clear the Override option.

Solving a Parametric Setup During a Statistical AnalysisSolving a parametric setup during a statistical analysis is useful when you want Optimetrics to solve every design variation in the parametric setup at each statistical analysis iteration. To solve a parametric setup during a statistical analysis:1. In the Setup Statistical Analysis dialog box, click the General tab.2. Click the parametric setup you want Optimetrics to solve during the statistical analysis from

the Parametric Analysis pull-down list.3. Select Solve the parametric sweep during analysis.

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Tuning a Variable1. Before a variable can be tuned, you must specify that you intend for it to be used during a tun-

ing analysis in the Properties dialog box. 2. On the HFSS menu, point to Optimetrics Analysis, and then click Tune .

The Tune dialog box appears.3. Clear the Real Time option.

If this option is selected, a simulation begins immediately after you move the slider.4. If you want to save the field solution data for the design variations solved during a tuning anal-

ysis, select Save Fields.5. In the Sim. Setups column, select the solution setup you want HFSS to use when it solves the

specified design variation.HFSS will solve the analysis using the solution setup you select. If you select more than one, results are generated for all selected solution setups.

6. In the Nominal text box for the variable you want to tune, type the value of the variable you want HFSS to solve, or drag the slider to increase or decrease its value.Alternatively, if you want HFSS to solve a range of values, specify a linear range of values with a constant step size:a. Select Sweep.b. In the text box below the Step value, type the starting value in the variable range.c. Type the step size, or difference between variable values in the sweep definition, in the

Step text box. The step size determines the number of design variations between the start and stop values. HFSS will solve the model at each step in the specified range, including the start and stop values.

d. In the text box just below the variable name, type a stopping value in the variable range.7. Click Tune.

Related TopicsApplying a Tuned State to a DesignTechnical Notes: Tuning Analysis OverviewResetting Variable Values after Tuning

Applying a Tuned State to a DesignYou can apply the variable values solved during a tuning analysis to the nominal design in one of the following three ways:• When closing the Tune dialog box:

1. Click Close to exit the Tune dialog box.The Apply Tuned Variation dialog box appears.

2. Click the design variation you want to apply, and then click OK.

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The variable values from the solved design variation become the current variable values for the nominal design.

• When saving a tuned state.• When reverting to a tuned state.

Saving a Tuned StateYou can save the settings in the Tune dialog box, including the variable values you specified for a tuning analysis. Saved states are only available during the current session of the Tune dialog box; they are not stored for the next session.1. After tuning a variable, click Save in the Tune dialog box.

A Save As dialog box appears.2. Type a name for the tuned state in the text box.3. Select Apply tuned values to design if you want to update the model to the new variable val-

ues.4. Click OK to return to the Tune dialog box.

Related TopicsReverting to a Saved Tuned State

Reverting to a Saved Tuned StateYou can revert to a group of saved settings in the Tune dialog box, including the variable values you specified for a specific tuning analysis. Saved states are only available during the current ses-sion of the Tune dialog box; they are not stored for the next session.1. In the Tune dialog box, click Revert.

The Revert dialog box appears.2. Type the name of the tuned state you want to apply or click a name in the pull-down list.3. Select Apply tuned values to design if you want to update the model to the selected tuned

state’s variable values.4. Click OK to return to the Tune dialog box.

Related TopicsSaving a Tuned State

Resetting Variable Values after TuningIf you want to reset variable values to the values they were set to when you started the current ses-sion of the Tune dialog box:• After tuning a variable, click Reset in the Tune dialog box.

Solutions for the design variations solved during tuning analyses remain available for post pro-cessing.

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Saving Field Solutions for Optimetrics AnalysesIn order to preserve disk space, by default HFSS does not save field solution data for every solved design variation in an optimization analysis. It only saves the field solutions for the nominal design when an adaptive analysis is specified in the solution setup or when you request that fields be saved for each solved point in a frequency sweep. If the nominal design is not included in the optimiza-tion analysis, all field solutions are deleted.To save the fields for all design variations, change the default setting for all projects:1. On the Tools menu, point to Options, and then click HFSS Options.

The HFSS Options dialog box appears.2. Under the General tab, select Save Optimetrics field solutions.

Save Fields is selected by default when you create a new Optimetrics setup.

Related TopicsSaving Field Solutions for a Parametric SetupSaving Field Solutions for an Optimization SetupSaving Field Solutions for a Sensitivity SetupSaving Field Solutions for a Tuning AnalysisSaving Field Solutions for a Statistical SetupCopy Geometrically Equivalent Meshes

Saving Field Solutions for a Parametric SetupIn order to preserve disk space, by default HFSS does not save field solution data for every solved design variation in a parametric setup. It only saves the field solutions for the nominal design. If the nominal design is not included in the parametric setup, by default field solutions will not be avail-able.To save the fields for all design variations solved during a parametric analysis:1. Either Add Sweep or right click on an existing sweep to open the Setup Sweep Analysis dia-

log box.2. Select the Options tab.3. Click the Save Fields And Mesh check box. Optionally, select Copy geometrically equiva-

lent meshes.HFSS will save the field solution data for every solved design variation in the parametric setup.

Related TopicsSaving Field Solutions for Optimetrics Analyses

Saving Field Solutions for an Optimization SetupIn order to preserve disk space, by default HFSS does not save field solution data for every solved design variation in an optimization analysis. It only saves the field solutions for the nominal design

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when an adaptive analysis is specified in the solution setup or when you request that fields be saved for each solved point in a frequency sweep. If the nominal design is not included in the optimiza-tion analysis, all field solutions are deleted.To save the fields for all design variations solved during an optimization analysis:1. Open an Edit Sweep dialog by either adding a sweep or right-click on a an existing sweep to

view the short cut menu and selecting Properties.2. Select the Options tab.3. Click the Save Fields And Mesh check box. Optionally, select Copy geometrically equiva-

lent mashes.HFSS will save the field solution data for every solved design variation in the optimization setup.

Related TopicsSaving Field Solutions for Optimetrics Analyses

Saving Field Solutions for a Sensitivity SetupIn order to preserve disk space, by default HFSS does not save field solution data for every solved design variation in a sensitivity analysis. It only saves the field solutions for the nominal design when an adaptive analysis is specified in the solution setup or when you request that fields be saved for each solved point in a frequency sweep. If the nominal design is not included in the sensitivity analysis, all field solutions are deleted.To save the fields for all design variations solved during a sensitivity analysis:1. Open the Setup Sensitivity Analysis dialog box.2. Select the Options tab.3. Click the Save Fields And Mesh check box. Optionally, select Copy geometrically equiva-

lent mashes.HFSS will save the field solution data for every solved design variation in the sensitivity anal-ysis.

Related TopicsSaving Field Solutions for Optimetrics Analyses

Saving Field Solutions for a Tuning AnalysisIn order to preserve disk space, by default HFSS does not save field solution data for every design variation solved in a tuning analysis. It only saves the field solutions for the nominal design when an adaptive analysis is specified in the solution setup or when you request that fields be saved for each solved point in a frequency sweep. If the nominal design is not included in the tuning analysis, all field solutions are deleted.To save the fields for all design variations solved during a tuning analysis:• In the Tuning dialog box, select Save Fields.

HFSS will save the field solution data for every solved design variation in a tuning analysis.

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Related TopicsSaving Field Solutions for Optimetrics Analyses

Saving Field Solutions for a Statistical SetupIn order to preserve disk space, by default HFSS does not save field solution data for every design variation solved in a statistical analysis. It only saves the field solutions for the nominal design when an adaptive analysis is specified in the solution setup or when you request that fields be saved for each solved point in a frequency sweep. If the nominal design is not included in the statistical analysis, all field solutions are deleted.To save the fields for all design variations solved during a statistical analysis:1. Open the Setup Statistical Analysis dialog box.2. Select the Options tab.3. Click the Save Fields And Mesh check box. Optionally, select Copy geometrically equiva-

lent mashes.HFSS will save the field solution data for every solved design variation in the statistical setup.

Related TopicsSaving Field Solutions for Optimetrics Analyses

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Copying Meshes in Optimetrics SweepsAn option in the Optimetrics Analysis setups allows you to request HFSS to copy a mesh that was calculated for one sweep variation for reuse on a geometrically-equivalent sweep variation. For example, with this option selected a sweep on a scan angle would not need to generate meshes for each solution. The option is available on the setups for sweeps on parametrics, optimization, sensi-tivity, and statistics.To copy and reuse meshes on geometrically-equivalent parametric variations:1. Define a variable for the kind of Optimetrics sweep you intent to setup.2. Select the appropriate HFSS>Optimetrics>Add command to display a Setup dialog box.3. Click the Options tab in the Setup dialog box.4. Select Copy geometrically equivalent meshes.

HFSS will copy the mesh solution calculated for a particular parametric sweep for reuse on each geometrically-equivalent sweep variation.

Note This option is available with all Optimetrics setups, and is applied when these analyses generate geometrically-equivalent values. However, it is most relevant to parametric sweep, where such equivalences are more likely to occur.

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Here is an example. Suppose the sweep is over two parameters: deembed (a non-geometric param-eter), and wg_z (a geometric parameter). The setup table below shows the variations (combinations of values) of these two parameters that will be swept:

Since deembed is not a geometric parameter, the five values of wg_z represent geometrically-equivalent variations. Each value of wg_z occurs three times, so there are five sets of geometric equivalences, each set containing three sweep variations. The first set contains variations #1, #6, and #11 (wg_z = 0.6 in). When the Copy geometrically equivalent meshes option is in effect, the mesh that is calculated for variation #1 will be copied and reused for geometrically-equivalent vari-ations #6 and #11.

Note In previous releases of HFSS, the copy mesh operation was applied only when the sweep combinations were on adjacent lines in the Sweep Setup table (that is, with the above table sorted by values of wg_z). With HFSS v10, the copy mesh operation affects geometrically-equivalent combinations in any table sequence.

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The Copy geometrically equivalent mesh option is not recommended for use when the frequency is varying, since meshing is frequency-dependent. You may wish to turn this option off when the first geometrically equivalent variation requires numerous passes after the initial mesh, but the other geometrically-equivalent variations require fewer additional passes, so that it is cheaper to start with the initial mesh each time.

Note The mesh that is copied and reused is the one calculated for the first of the geometrically-equivalent configurations. In the example above, variation #11 will use the mesh generated for variation #1, not the mesh that is finally calculated for variation #6 (which may have required additional passes).

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Excluding a Variable from an Optimetrics AnalysisTo exclude a variable from being optimized or included in a sensitivity or statistical analysis:1. Do one of the following:

• In the Setup Optimization dialog box, click the Variables tab.• In the Setup Sensitivity Analysis dialog box, click the Variables tab.• In the Setup Statistical Analysis dialog box, click the Variables tab.All of the independent variables that were selected for the optimization analysis are listed.

2. Clear the Include option for the variable you want to exclude from the analysis.The Override option is now selected. This indicates that, for this optimization analysis, the variable will not be included.

Note Alternatively, you can select the Override option first, and then clear the Include option for the variable you want to exclude.

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Modifying the Value of a Fixed Variable for Statistical AnalysisIf you are not including a variable in an optimization, sensitivity, or statistical analysis, Optimetrics uses that variable’s current value during the analysis. To override the current value of a fixed variable for an Optimetrics setup:1. Do one of the following:

• In the Setup Optimization dialog box, click the Variables tab.• In the Setup Sensitivity Analysis dialog box, click the Variables tab.• In the Setup Statistical Analysis dialog box, click the Variables tab.

2. Click Set Fixed Variables.The Setup Fixed Variables dialog box appears. Under Fixed Variables, all of the current independent variable values are listed.

3. Click the Value text box of the variable with the value you want to override.4. Type a new value in the Value text box, and then press Enter.

The Override option is now selected. This indicates that the value you entered will be used for this Optimetrics setup; the current variable value set for the nominal design will be ignored.

5. Optionally, click a new unit system in the Units text box.To revert to a default variable value, clear the Override option.

Note Alternatively, you can select the Override option first, and then type a new value in the Value text box.

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Setting a Linear ConstraintA linear constraint defines the linear relationship between variables. Setting linear constraints in Optimetrics is useful for establishing limitations involving linear combinations of variable values.1. Do one of the following:

• If you are setting up an optimization analysis: In the Setup Optimization dialog box, click the Variables tab.

• If you are setting up a sensitivity analysis: In the Setup Sensitivity Analysis dialog box, click the Variables tab.

2. Click Linear Constraint.The Linear Constraint dialog box appears.

3. Click Add.The Edit Linear Constraint dialog box appears.

4. Click a Coeff text box and type a positive or negative coefficient value.5. Click a condition, < (less than) or > (greater than), in the pull-down list.6. Type the inequality value, which should be a constant value, in the text box to the right of the

condition.7. Click OK.

You return to the Linear Constraint dialog box. The left-hand side of the constraint appears in the LHS (left-hand side) column. The condition is listed in the Condition column, and the inequality value is listed in the RHS (right-hand side) column.

Related TopicsModifying a Linear ConstraintDeleting a Linear ConstraintTechnical Notes: Linear Constraints

Modifying a Linear Constraint1. Do one of the following:

• If you are setting up an optimization analysis: In the Setup Optimization dialog box, click the Variables tab.

• If you are setting up a sensitivity analysis: In the Setup Sensitivity Analysis dialog box, click the Variables tab.

2. Click Linear Constraint.The Linear Constraint dialog box appears.

3. Click the row listing the constraint you want to modify, and then click Edit.The Edit Linear Constraint dialog box appears.

4. Optionally, click a Coeff text box and type a new coefficient value.5. Optionally, click a different condition, < (less than) or > (greater than), in the pull-down list.

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6. Optionally, type a different inequality value in the text box to the right of the condition, and then click OK.You return to the Linear Constraint dialog box. The new coefficient value, the condition, and the inequality value appear in the LHS (left-hand side), Condition, and RHS (right-hand side) columns, respectively.

Deleting a Linear Constraint1. Do one of the following:

• If you are setting up an optimization analysis: In the Setup Optimization dialog box, click the Variables tab.

• If you are setting up a sensitivity analysis: In the Setup Sensitivity Analysis dialog box, click the Variables tab.

2. Click Linear Constraint.The Linear Constraint dialog box appears.

3. Click the row listing the constraint you want to delete, and then click Delete.The constraint is deleted.

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15Post Processing and Generating

Reports

When HFSS has completed a solution, you can display and analyze the results in the following ways:• View solution data including the following: convergence information, computing resources

that were used during the solution process, mesh statistics, and matrices computed for the S-parameters, impedances, and propagation constants during each adaptive, non-adaptive, or sweep solution. For eigenmode solutions, you can view the real and imaginary parts of the fre-quency and quality factor Q computed for each eigenmode. Solution data can also be viewed while HFSS is generating a solution.

• View analysis results for Optimetrics solutions.• Plot field overlays - representations of basic or derived field quantities - on surfaces or objects. • Create 2D or 3D reports of S-parameters, basic and derived field quantities, and radiated field

data.• Plot the finite element mesh on surfaces or within 3D objects.• Create animations of field quantities, the finite element mesh, and defined project variables.• Scale an excitation’s magnitude and modify its phase.

Note Except in the case of non-model boxes drawn in the global coordinate system (CS), non-model objects cannot be used for any fields post processing operation You can use non-model boxes drawn in the global CS for post processing operations, including integration and solution domaining.

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Viewing Solution DataWhile HFSS is generating a solution, or when it is complete, you can view the following information about the solution:• Convergence information.• Computing resources, or profile information, that were used during the solution process.• Matrices computed for the S-parameters, impedances, and propagation constants during each

adaptive, non-adaptive, or sweep solution. • Mesh statistics• For eigenmode solutions, view the real and imaginary parts of the frequency and quality factor

Q computed for each eigenmode.• The state of solved solutions.To access the Solution Data window, in which the information above can be accessed, do one of the following:• On the HFSS menu, point to Results, and then click Solution Data .• Right-click Results in the project tree, and then click Solution Data on the shortcut menu.

Related TopicsViewing Solution Data for an Optimetrics Design Variation

Viewing Convergence DataTo view an adaptive solution’s convergence information, either during or after the solution process:1. In the project tree, right-click the solution setup of interest, and then click Convergence on the

shortcut menu.The Solution Data window appears. The Convergence tab is selected.

2. From the Simulation list, select the solution setup for which you want to view convergence data.By default, the most recently solved solution is selected.

3. Under the Convergence tab, depending on your design setup, you can review the following convergence data:• Number of adaptive passes completed and remaining.• The number of tetrahedra created at each adaptive pass.• Maximum magnitude of delta S between two passes.• Maximum delta Energy between two passes.• Magnitude margin between passes.• Phase margin (deg) between passes.• Maximum delta frequency between passes.

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If for the Solution Setup, you elected to Use Matrix Convergence, and selected specific table entries for the Magnitude and Phase, the Convergence tab also shows the following values with the Magnitude Margin and Phase Margin:• Max Delta (Mag S)• Max Delta (Phase S)

4. Select Table to display the convergence data in table format or Plot to plot the convergence data on a rectangular (X - Y) plot.

Related TopicsViewing Solution Data for an Optimetrics Design Variation

Viewing the Number of Completed PassesAt any time during the solution process, you can view the number of adaptive passes (solve — error analysis — refine cycles) that have been completed and that have yet to be completed. When the solution is complete, you can view the number of adaptive passes that were performed. If the solution converged within the specified stopping criteria, fewer passes than requested may have been performed.To view the number of passes:• In the project tree, right-click the solution setup of interest, and then click Convergence on the

shortcut menu.The Solution Data window appears. The Convergence tab is selected.The number of completed and remaining passes is listed in the Number of Passes area.

Viewing the Max Magnitude of Delta S Between PassesFor solutions with ports.At any time during or after the solution process, you can view the maximum change in the magnitude of the S-parameters between two consecutive passes. This information is available after two or more passes are completed.To view the maximum magnitude of delta S between passes:• In the project tree, right-click the solution setup of interest, and then click Convergence on the

shortcut menu.The Solution Data window appears. The Convergence tab is selected.The Max. Mag. Delta S column lists the maximum magnitude of delta S from one pass to the next.The Max. Mag. Delta S area lists the target change in magnitude of delta S and the change in

Note If you receive a message that the eigenmodes have not converged, it may indicate that the existing mesh is too coarse. You may need to refine the mesh.

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magnitude of delta S between the last two solved passes.

Related TopicsSetting the Maximum Delta S Per PassTechnical Notes: Maximum Delta S

Viewing the Output Variable ConvergenceAt any time during or after the solution process, you can view the real and imaginary values of the output variable.To view the output variable convergence:• In the project tree, right-click the solution setup of interest, and then click Convergence on the

shortcut menu.The Solution Data window appears. The Convergence tab is selected.The Output Var (real) column lists the real value of the output variable for each pass. The Output Var (imag) column lists the imaginary value of the output variable for each pass. If output variable convergence is not used, the columns are not used in the table.

Related TopicsSpecifying Output Variable Convergence

Viewing the Delta Magnitude EnergyFor designs with voltage sources, current sources, or incident waves. Not applicable to designs with ports.At any time during or after the solution process, you can view the difference in the relative energy error from one adaptive pass to the next. The change in the magnitude of delta energy is available after two or more passes are completed.To view the delta magnitude E between passes:• In the project tree, right-click the solution setup of interest, and then click Convergence on the

shortcut menu.The Solution Data window appears. The Convergence tab is selected.The Delta Mag. Energy column lists the delta energy from one pass to the next.The Delta Mag. Energy area lists the target change in delta energy and the change in delta Energy between the last two solved passes.

Note Delta S is computed on the appropriate S-parameters - modal or terminal - after the S-parameters have been de-embedded and renormalized.

Note You can renormalize mathematically, without having to re-solve, by accessing the postprocessing tab on the port definition panel and de-selecting the Deembed selection box.

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Related TopicsSetting the Maximum Delta Energy Per PassTechnical Notes: Maximum Delta Energy

Viewing the Magnitude MarginFor solutions in which convergence criteria for specific S-matrix entries were specified. At any time during or after the solution process, you can view the solution’s proximity to the target delta magnitude, which was specified in the Matrix Convergence dialog box. The magnitude margin is available after two or more passes are completed.To view the magnitude margin between passes:• In the project tree, right-click the solution setup of interest, and then click Convergence on the

shortcut menu.The Solution Data window appears. The Convergence tab is selected.The Magnitude Margin column lists the magnitude margin from one pass to the next.

Related TopicsSetting Matrix Convergence CriteriaTechnical Notes: Magnitude Margin

Viewing the Phase MarginFor solutions in which convergence criteria for specific S-matrix entries were specified. At any time during or after the solution process, you can view the solution’s proximity to the target delta phase, which was specified in the Matrix Convergence dialog box. The phase margin is available after two or more passes are completed.To view the phase margin between passes:• In the project tree, right-click the solution setup of interest, and then click Convergence on the

shortcut menu. The Solution Data window appears. The Convergence tab is selected.The Phase Margin column lists the phase margin from one pass to the next.

Related TopicsSetting Matrix Convergence CriteriaTechnical Notes: Phase Margin

Viewing the Max Delta (Mag S)For solutions in which convergence criteria for specific S-matrix entries were specified.

Note When the Mag S becomes small (near to zero) its phase becomes indefinite and insignificant due to mathematical issues so that Phase Margin will be discarded.

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At any time during or after the solution process, you can view the maximum difference of the S matrix magnitudes between two consecutive passes. The Max Delta (Mag S) is available after two or more passes are completed.To view the Mag S between passes:• In the project tree, right-click the solution setup of interest, and then click Convergence on the

shortcut menu.The Solution Data window appears. The Convergence tab is selected.The Max Delta (Mag S) column lists the Max Delta (Mag S) from one pass to the next.

Related TopicsSetting Matrix Convergence CriteriaTechnical Notes: Max Delta (Mag S)

Viewing the Max Delta (Phase S)For solutions in which convergence criteria for specific S-matrix entries were specified. At any time during or after the solution process, you can view the maximum difference of the S Matrix phase between two consecutive passes. The Max Delta (Phase S) is available after two or more passes are completed.To view the Max Delta (Phase S) between passes:• In the project tree, right-click the solution setup of interest, and then click Convergence on the

shortcut menu.The Solution Data window appears. The Convergence tab is selected.The Max Delta (Phase S) column lists the Max Delta (Phase S) from one pass to the next.

Related TopicsSetting Matrix Convergence CriteriaTechnical Notes: Max Delta (Phase S)

Viewing the Maximum Delta FrequencyFor Eigenmode solutions.At any time during the solution process, you can view the maximum delta frequency, the largest percent difference in the resonant frequencies from one adaptive pass to the next. It is a measure of the stability of the computed frequencies from pass to pass and is available after two or more passes are completed.To view the maximum delta frequency between passes:• In the project tree, right-click the solution setup of interest, and then click Convergence on the

shortcut menu.The Solution Data window appears. The Convergence tab is selected.The Max Delta Freq. % column lists the maximum delta frequency from one pass to the next.The Max Delta Freq. % area lists the target maximum delta frequency and the maximum delta frequency between the last two solved passes.

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Related TopicsTechnical Notes: Maximum Delta Frequency

Plotting Convergence DataTo display convergence data vs. pass on a rectangular (x - y) plot:1. In the project tree, right-click the solution setup of interest, and then click Convergence on the

shortcut menu.The Solution Data window appears. The Convergence tab is selected.

2. In the lower-left corner of the window, select Plot as the view type.3. Select the data you want to plot on the x-axis from the X pull-down list.4. Select the data type you want to plot on the y-axis from the Y pull-down list.

The x -y plot appears in the view window.

Viewing a Solution ProfileAt any time during or after the solution process, you can examine the computing resources - or profile data - that were used by HFSS during the analysis. The profile data is essentially a log of the tasks performed by HFSS during the solution. The log indicates the length of time each task took and how much physical memory/disk memory was required.In the project tree, right-click the solution setup of interest, and then click Profile on the shortcut menu.The Solution Data dialog box appears. The Profile tab is selected. The displayed data depends on the type of problem and solution setup. If one or more dependent setups exist, the profile information for these can be selected from drop down menu in the Simulation text field at the top of the dialog. In general, it includes the following information:

Task Lists the type of task that was performed.

Real Time The difference in time between the start of the task and the end of the task (elapsed time).

CPU Time The amount of CPU time required to perform the task.

Memory The peak amount of physical memory (RAM) used by the individual executable running the task. The memory is freed for other uses after each task is complete.

Information General information about the solution, for example, the number of tetrahedra used in the mesh.

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The matrix solver writes specific information in some of these fields as outlined below:

To Export the Profile data:1. Open the Solution Data dialog with the Profile tab selected.2. Click the Export Profile button.

This opens a file save dialog that lets you provide a file name and location.3. Click Save.

The data is saved in a text file with a .prof extension.

Related TopicsViewing an Optimetrics Solution’s Profile Data

Viewing Matrix DataTo view matrices computed for the S-parameters, impedances, and propagation constants during each adaptive, non-adaptive, or sweep solution:1. In the project tree, right-click the solution setup of interest, and then click Matrix Data on the

Task The matrix solver task reports the type of solution performed by the solver, based on the physics of the problem. It is always of the form "Solver pdsn" (e.g. Solver MRS2), where• p, the precision type is: M (mixed) or D (double)• d, the matrix data type is: R (real) or C (complex)• s, the symmetry type is: S (symmetric), A (asymmetric), or H (hermitian)• n, the number of processors requested is: an integer greater than 1 or, if

only one processor is used, no number is shown

Information: The matrix solver information line includes three sets of information (for example, 960885 matrix, 3030MB disk offcore)• # matrix: The size of the matrix that was solved (the number of

unknowns)• # disk: The amount of hard disk space used during the calculation of the

matrix solution• "offcore": After the disk information, the word "offcore" may appear.

This means that the solver could not place all of the data it needs to calculate the matrix solution in physical memory. If this word does not appear, then the solver was able to fit the necessary data into physical memory (known as "in-core"). If the matrix solver must solve off-core, smaller blocks of the data to be solved are created on disk, each block is then solved in physical memory, and then the matrix solution is reassembled. As a result of this additional processing, the time required to calculate a solution is higher.

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shortcut menu.The Solution Data dialog box appears. The Matrix Data tab is selected.

2. In the Design Variation text box, specify the design with the matrices you want to view. Optionally, choose a design variation solved during an Optimetrics analysis from the Set Design Variation dialog box. This lists all the solved variations in the design. This dialog box is accessible from the Solution Data window by clicking the ellipsis button on the right of the Design Variation field, and via the HFSS>Results>Apply Solved Variation command.

3. In the Simulation pull-down list, click the solution setup and solved pass - adaptive, single fre-quency solution, or frequency sweep - for which you want to view matrices.

4. Select the type of matrix you want to view: S-matrix, Y-matrix, Z-matrix, Gamma, or Zo (characteristic impedance.) The available types depend on the solution type.

5. Select the format — Magnitude/ Phase (deg), Real/ Imaginary, dB/ Phase (deg), Magni-tude, Phase (deg), Real, Imaginary, or dB — in which to display the matrix information. The available formats depend on the matrix type being displayed. When selected, dB formatting only applies to S -matrix data, even if other matrix types are displayed. The column heads in the display identify the format for the matrix type.

6. Select the solved frequencies to display:• To display the matrix entries for all solved frequencies, select All Freqs. It is selected by

default.• To show the matrix entries for one solved frequency, clear All Freqs and then select the

solved frequency for which you want to view matrix entries. For adaptive passes, only the solution frequency specified in the Solution Setup dialog box is available. For frequency sweeps, the entire frequency range is available.

• To insert or delete one or more displayed frequencies, click Edit Freqs. Note: This command is only available if the sweep type is Fast or Interpolating. Clicking Edit Freqs displays the Edit Sweep dialog. It contains Generate New Values fields for specifying the Start Value, the End Value, and the Number of Values. The cur-rent values are displayed in a table. When you specify a New value, click Update Values to refresh the table. Note: Changes to the Start Value and End Value cannot be outside of the initial range. No message is issued: rather the range is implicitly restricted.Use the Insert button to add a new frequency to the table above the currently selected value. If no value, or the start value is selected, the new frequency repeats the current Start value and increments the count in the Number of Values field. If you select any other value for the insertion point, Insert adds a new value halfway between the selected value and the previous value, and increments the Number of Values field.Incrementing or decrimenting the Number of Values fields, and the clicking Update Val-ues updates the table based in the current Start and End value fields (given the range restriction within the initial range).The Delete button enabled only if a value is selected. Delete removes the selected value

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and decrements the Number of Values field.Click OK to apply the changes to the Solutions dialog Matrix Data tab and close the Edit Sweep dialog, or Cancel to close the dialog without applying the changes.If you choose to export the matrix data for the Fast or Interpolating sweep after modifying the frequencies in the Edit Sweep dialog box, only those frequencies displayed under the Matrix Data tab will be exported.

The data is displayed in the table. By default, Waveports are listed in alphabetical, then numer-ical order, just as they appear in the excitation tree. To change the port order, change setting for Default Matrix sort order in the HFSS General options.

7. Optionally, Check Passivity.This passivity check tests whether the S-parameter data from HFSS is passive or not. If the S-Matrix is not passive at one or more frequencies, this check displays a dialog that identifies the worst frequency violation and identifies the passivity in that case.

Related TopicsSelecting the Matrix Display FormatViewing Solution Data for an Optimetrics Design VariationExporting Matrix DataRenaming Matrix DataExporting Equivalent Circuit DataTechnical Notes: Passivity

Selecting the Matrix Display FormatYou can display matrix data in the following formats. The available formats depend on the type of matrix being displayed.

Magnitude, Phase (deg)

Displays the magnitude and phase (in degrees) of the matrix type.

Real, Imaginary Displays the real and imaginary parts of the matrix type.

dB, Phase (deg) Displays the magnitude in decibels and phase in degrees of the matrix type.

Magnitude Displays the magnitude of the matrix type.

Phase (deg) Displays the phase in degrees of the matrix type.

Real Displays the real parts of the matrix type.

Imaginary Displays the imaginary parts of the matrix type.

dB Displays the magnitude in decibels of the matrix type.

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Exporting Matrix Data1. In the project tree, right-click the solution setup of interest, and then click Matrix Data on the

shortcut menu.The Solution Data window appears. The Matrix Data tab is selected.

2. Select the type of matrix you want to view: S-matrix, Y-matrix, Z-matrix, Gamma, or Zo (characteristic impedance.)

3. Click Export Matrix Data.A file browser appears.

4. Type the name of the file you are exporting to in the File name text box.5. Select one of the following file formats from the Save as type pull-down list:

Format Type Description(spreadsheet)*.tab

data table A text file in which the elements of the S-matrix are arranged in a series of columns that are tab-separated and include a first row of headings. The file may be imported into a spreadsheet or similar utility.

*.sNp Touchstone/Libra A Touchstone S-parameter file in which the number of ports is indicated by n. For example, a Touchstone file with one port would have the file extension .s1p. When you export this format, you can specify:• the export reference impedance, • whether to renormalize the solution. If you want to export raw S-Parameter data for later use, you may choose to not renormalize the solution.If all ports and associated modes/terminals are normalized to the same impedance and you choose Do Not Renormalize Solution during export, the Touchstone file header will indicate the normalized impedance.The comment header in the Touchstone file lists the port and mode numbers to show which column contains which port name (in case of confusion between alphabetical and force repriority ordering of ports and associated modes).

*.szg Ensemble/Planar EM or HFSS version 6 or later

A solution file read by Ensemble or Planar EM version 6 and later, Ansoft HFSS version 6 and later, and Maxwell Strata version 1.1.

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6. For Touchstone files, you see a Combine Sweeps option on the Export Network Data solu-tion dialog. This lets you combine sweeps into a single output file if:• The sweeps must contain interpolated data, so internally they must come from interpolat-

ing or fast sweeps. (Note that the interpolated sweeps incorpoate pre-solved data from • The files must not have overlaps or gaps in the frequencies. (They can meet at a single fre-

quency. For example, you can combine sweeps from 8 to 10 GHz with sweeps from 10 to 12 GHz, but not sweeps from 9 to 11 GHz and 10 to 11 GHz, and not 8-10 GHz and 11-13GHz.)

1. Select the Combine Sweeps button to display a Combine Interpolating Sweeps For Export dialog with a list of sweeps.

2. Select the sweeps to combine and click Combine.This closes the Combine Interpolating Sweeps for Export dialog.

3. Click Save.The data is exported to the file. • By default, wave ports are listed in alphabetical, then numerical order, just as they appear

in the excitation tree. You can change this order to creation order and back without invali-dating the solution on the HFSS Options dialog.

• If you select Touchstone format, you are first presented with a dialog that asks you to specify the export reference impedance (an integer value) and whether to renormalize the solution.

Renaming Matrix DataIn the project tree, you can right-click on a port excitation to rename it. When you rename a port excitation, the associated data is reordered so that it can be presented in the same manner. The reordering is done to match the tree-sort order presented for the ports (renamed matrix data is reordered so that alphabetic values appear before numeric values). Exports of the matrix data are ordered in the same manner. This reordering is conducted as part of post processing and does not force a re-solve.

*.nmf Neutral file format Neutral file format defined by the MAFET Consortium.

*.m MATLAB The Mathworks’ MATLAB file in which the elements of the S-, Y-, or Z-matrix are arranged in a series of rows.

*.cit Citifile Common Instrumentation Transfer and Interchange file format. It is an ASCII format defined by instrument and CAE designers.

Note If you modify the display of solved frequencies in an Interpolating or Fast sweep under the Matrix Data tab (by clicking Edit Freqs and then modifying the values in the Edit Sweep dialog box,) only those frequencies listed will be exported to the file.

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Exporting Equivalent Circuit DataYou can export S-parameter data from a Driven Terminal solution to PSpice, HSPICE, or Spectre format. Importing the new data file to PSpice, HSPICE, or Spectre will enable you to include wave effects in the circuit simulations. You can also export a W-Element model for a port.

1. In the project tree, right-click the solution setup of interest, and then click Matrix Data on the shortcut menu.The Solution Data window appears. The Matrix Data tab is selected.

2. Click Equivalent Circuit Export.The Equivalent Circuit Export Options dialog box appears.

3. Type the name or browse to the directory in which you want to store the data.4. Click one of the following formats in the Format list:

Your format selection affects the options available under Full Wave Spice Export.5. If the Full-Wave Spice Export checkbox is enabled, you can select it. Checking the box

enables the text field for the file name, and depending on the format selection, other options may be enabled.• For PSpice format only the file name field is enabled.• For Spectre and Star HSPice formats, the following fields are enabled:

• Desired Fitting Error (percent)• Maximum Order

HFSS supports Full Wave Spice Export from a driven modal design as long as all ports have exactly one mode each. However, HFSS does not support definition of differential pairs in a driven modal design.

6. Optionally, select Use Common Ground to combine the negative reference nodes for all of

Note You must have a frequency sweep solution and five or more frequency points to successfully export an equivalent circuit data file. See the Choosing Frequencies for Full-Wave SPICE topic of the online help for suggestions about the frequency range of the sweep. The GUI lets you export full-wave Spice for a model that contains differential pairs, but it will silently export the data in its original single-ended form. The full-wave Spice model is a "broadband" equivalent circuit (that is, its S-parameters match those of the HFSS solution across the whole frequency sweep range.)Certain discrete sweeps permit Full-Wave SPICE exports. It is allowed if the discrete data is evenly spaced, includes DC, and has at least 500 frequency points.

PSpice (*.lib)

Star HSpice (*.sp)

Spectre (*.spc)

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the ports into a single reference node.7. Optionally, select Enforce Passivity. Selecting this enforces passivity in the output file. Pas-

sive devices can only dissipate or temporarily store energy, but never generate it. (You can also check passivity from the Matrix Data tab using the Check Passivity button.)This option is useful in cases where the transient simulation fails due to passivity violations in the circuit model. This circuit model is based on fitting a rational function to the S-parameter data computed by the field solver. Small errors in the data fitting can result in non-passive behavior. Selecting the Enforce Passivity option will take more CPU time, but ensures that the resulting model will be passive.The passivity check tests whether the S-parameter data from HFSS is passive or not. For more information see Passivity.

8. Optionally, select Lumped Element Export (Low Bandwidth) if you want to save the data as a low-frequency circuit model using simple lumped elements (resistors, capacitors, inductors, and dependent current sources). The low-bandwidth model is only going to be accurate in a limited frequency range around the adaptive solution frequencyThis option is not enabled for Spectre export.

9. Optionally, select Partial Fraction Expansion for Matlab if you want to specify a file that expands the partical fractions for use in Matlab. The partial fractions involved describe the fre-quency response of the low-bandwidth model from the previous step.

10. Click OK.The S-matrices are written to the data file that you specified in the equivalent circuit data for-mat.

Exporting W-Element DataIt is possible to extract a W-element model for a port. This W-element model can be used in a SPICE model to represent a length of transmission line of the same cross section as the port. A W-element model can be extracted for a port only solution and for a full 3D solution.1. In the project tree, right-click the solution setup of interest, and then click Matrix Data on the

shortcut menu.The Solution Data window appears. The Matrix Data tab is selected.

2. Click Equivalent Circuit Export.The Equivalent Circuit Export Options dialog box appears. At the bottom of the dialog you see the W-element model check box.

3. Click the W-element model check box to enable the W-element fields.4. The W-element model name field has the project name by default. You can change this if

desired.5. In the Model name field, provide a model name.6. Either select the port from the Port Name pull down, or, to export a W-element model for all

ports, select the Export for All Ports radio button.7. Click OK.

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The W-element model is written to the data file that you specified.

Viewing Mesh StatisticsTo view an adaptive solution's mesh information, either during or after the solution process:

1. In the Project tree, right-click the solution setup of interest, and then click Mesh Statistics on the shortcut menu.The Solutions dialog box appears with the Mesh Statistics tab selected.The table lists the design elements and for each includes: Num Elements, Min edge length, Max edge length, RMS edge length, min tet vol., max tet vol., mean tet vol. and standard devi-ation.Related topicsTechnical Notes: The Finite Element Method

Viewing Eigenmode Solution DataTo view the real and imaginary parts of the frequency and quality factor Q computed for each eigenmode:1. In the project tree, right-click the solution setup of interest, and then click Eigenmode Data on

the shortcut menu.The Solution Data window appears. The Eigenmode Data tab is selected.

2. In the Simulation pull-down list, select the solution setup and solved pass - adaptive or single frequency solution - for which you want to view data.The solved eigenmodes are listed in the table below. The Frequency column lists the real and imaginary parts of the frequency (or resonant fre-quency) for each solved eigenmode. For lossy Eigenmode solutions, a Q column appears, which lists the unloaded quality factor Q computed for each eigenmode.

3. To export the Eigenmode solutions to a text file with an eig extension,click the Export button. This displays Save As dialogue. You can provide a file name, and if desired, change to a non-default location. Click the Save button to save the text file and close the Save As dialog.

Related TopicsTechnical Notes: Eigenmode SolutionsTechnical Notes: Calculating the Resonant FrequencyTechnical Notes: Calculating the Quality FactorTechnical Notes: Calculating the Free Space Wave Number

Deleting Solution DataYou can use Clean Up Solutions to selectively make deletions, or remove all solutions from the results.

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To use Clean Up Solutions:1. On the HFSS menu, point to Results, and then click Clean Up Solutions.

The Clean Up Solutions dialog box appears.2. Under Solutions, select whether you want to delete only fields data, only fields and mesh data,

only linked data, or all solution data. Deleting all solution data erases all mesh, matrix, and fields data for all adaptive passes and frequency sweeps for the selected Variations. By option, you can include linked data in the deletions.Linked data can be mesh, field or some other post-processing data that the source design gen-erated. The target design for the link caches these data internally to minimize the need to acti-vate the source design.

3. Under Variations, select which solution data you want to delete:• Select All Except Current Variation to delete all solution data that do not correspond to

the current project and design variable values for the current design.• Select All Variations to delete all solution data for the current design. • Select Select to specify the variations you wish to delete. Click Variations to select the

variations for deletion.4. Click Do Deletions.

The solution data you selected are deleted. Any post processing reports or field overlays you created that included data you deleted will be marked with an X in the project tree. They will be invalid until new solution data are generated.

Related TopicsMonitoring the Solution ProcessDeleting Reports

Deleting ReportsTo use Delete All Reports:1. On the HFSS menu, point to Results, and then click Delete All Reports. You can also right-

click on the Results folder in the Project tree to display the shortcut menu, and click Delete All reports.All items under the Results folder in the Project tree are removed.

To use Delete for a selected report:1. Select a report icon in the Project tree, and right-click to display the shortcut menu .2. Click Delete on the shortcut menu or the “X” icon on the toolbar to delete the selected report.

Warning Solution data that have been deleted cannot be recovered!

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Related TopicsClear Linked DataDeleting Solution Data

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Viewing Analysis Results for Optimetrics SolutionsTo view data specific to an Optimetrics solution, in general, do the following:• In the project tree, right-click the Optimetrics setup for which you want to view the results, and

then click View Analysis Result on the shortcut menu.The Post Analysis Display dialog box appears.

See the help topics in this section for more details about viewing Optimetrics analysis results.

Viewing Solution Data for an Optimetrics Design VariationTo view the convergence information, computing resources used, or matrices computed for any design variation solved during an Optimetrics analysis, you must first select the design variation in the Set Design Variation dialog box. This dialog box is accessible from the Solution Data window via the procedure shown below, and via the HFSS>Results>Apply Solved Variation command.1. On the HFSS menu, point to Results, and then click Solution Data .

The Solution Data window appears.2. Click the ellipsis [...] beside the Design Variation text box.

The Set Design Variation dialog box appears. This lists all the solved variations in the design. 3. Clear the Use nominal design option.4. Click the design variation for which you want to view the solution data, and then click OK.

The solution data is displayed in the table.

Related TopicsViewing an Optimetrics Solution’s Profile Data

Viewing an Optimetrics Solution Profile DataAt any time during or after the Optimetrics solution process, you can see an overview of the computing resources - or profile data - that were used by HFSS as it solved each design variation. The profile data indicates the length of time each design variation took to solve.1. In the project tree, right-click the Optimetrics solution setup of interest, and then click View

Analysis Result on the shortcut menu.The Post Analysis Display dialog box appears.

2. Click the Profile tab.3. Select the Optimetrics setup with the results you want to view from the pull-down list at the

top of the dialog box.4. Optionally, to examine more detailed profile data for a specific design variation, do the follow-

ing:a. Click a design variation in the table.b. Click Solver Profile.

The Solution Data dialog box appears. The profile data for the selected design variation is

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displayed in the table.

Related TopicsViewing a Solution’s Profile

Viewing Results for Parametric Solution Quantities1. In the project tree, right-click the parametric setup for which you want to view the results cal-

culated for the solution quantities, and then click View Analysis Result on the shortcut menu.The Post Analysis Display dialog box appears.

2. Select the parametric setup with the results you want to view from the pull-down list at the top of the dialog box.

3. If it is not already selected, select Table as the view type.The results for the selected solution quantities are listed in table format for each solved design variation.

4. Optionally, select Show complete output name. The complete name of the solution for which the results are being displayed will be listed in the column headings.

5. Optionally, click a design variation in the table, and then click Apply (at the far right side of the dialog box).The design displayed in the 3D Modeler window is changed to represent the selected design variation.

Related TopicsPlotting Solution Quantity Results vs. a Swept Variable

Plotting Solution Quantity Results vs. a Swept VariableTo plot solution quantity results versus a swept variable’s values on a rectangular (x - y) plot:1. In the project tree, right-click the parametric setup for which you want to view the results, and

then click View Analysis Result on the shortcut menu.The Post Analysis Display dialog box appears.

2. Select the parametric setup with the results you want to plot from the pull-down list at the top of the dialog box.

3. If it is not already selected, select Plot as the view type.4. Select the variable with the swept values you want to plot on the x-axis from the X pull-down

list.5. Only one sweep variable at a time can be plotted against solution quantity results. Any other

variables that were swept during the parametric analysis remain constant.Optionally, to modify the constant values of other swept variables, do the following:a. Click Set Other Sweep Variables Value.

The Setup Plot dialog box appears. All of the other solved variable values are listed.

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b. Click the row with the variable value you want to use as the constant value in the plot, and then click OK.

6. Select the solution quantity results you want to plot on the y-axis from the Y pull-down list.The x -y plot appears in the view window.

Viewing Cost Results for an Optimization AnalysisTo view cost values versus completed iterations in data table format: 1. In the project tree, right-click the optimization setup for which you want to view the cost

results, and then click View Analysis Result on the shortcut menu.The Post Analysis Display dialog box appears.

2. Select the optimization setup with the results you want to view from the pull-down list at the top of the dialog box.

3. Under the Result tab, select Table as the view type, if it is not already selected.The cost value at each solved design variation is listed in table format.

4. Optionally, click a design variation in the table, and then click Apply.The design displayed in the 3D Modeler window is changed to represent the selected design variation.Click Revert to return the design in the view window to the original value.

Plotting Cost Results for an Optimization AnalysisTo view cost values versus completed iterations in rectangular (x-y) plot format: 1. In the project tree, right-click the optimization setup for which you want to view the cost

results, and then click View Analysis Result on the shortcut menu.The Post Analysis Display dialog box appears.

2. Select the optimization setup with the results you want to view from the pull-down list at the top of the dialog box.

3. Under the Result tab, select Plot as the view type.A plot of the cost value at each iteration appears.

Viewing Output Parameter Results for a Sensitivity AnalysisTo view actual output parameter values versus design point in data table format: 1. In the project tree, right-click the sensitivity setup for which you want to view the cost results,

and then click View Analysis Result on the shortcut menu.The Post Analysis Display dialog box appears.

2. Select the sensitivity setup with the results you want to view from the pull-down list at the top of the dialog box.

3. Under the Result tab, select Table as the view type, if it is not already selected.The following values are listed in table format:• The regression value of the output parameter at the design point is listed in the Func.

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Value column. • The first derivative of the regression is listed in the 1st D column. • The second derivative of the regression is listed in the 2nd D column.

4. Click Apply.The design displayed in the 3D Modeler window is changed to represent the design point of the sensitivity analysis.Click Revert to return the design in the view window to the original variable values.

Plotting Output Parameter Results for a Sensitivity AnalysisTo plot output parameter results versus sensitivity variable values on a rectangular (x - y) plot:1. In the project tree, right-click the sensitivity setup for which you want to view the output

parameter results, and then click View Analysis Result on the shortcut menu.The Post Analysis Display dialog box appears.

2. Select the sensitivity setup with the results you want to view from the pull-down list at the top of the dialog box.

3. Under the Result tab, select Plot as the view type.4. Select the sensitivity variable with the sweep values you want to plot on the x-axis from the X

pull-down list.5. Select the output parameter results you want to plot on the y-axis from the Y pull-down list.

The x -y plot appears in the Post Analysis Display dialog box.The plot displays actual output parameter results for each solved design variation. It also dis-plays a parabola that best fits these results. The parabola is a more accurate representation of sensitivity around the design point than any individual solved design variation.

Viewing Distribution Results for a Statistical Analysis1. In the project tree, right-click the statistical setup for which you want to view the distribution

results calculated for the solution quantities, and then click View Analysis Result on the short-cut menu.The Post Analysis Display dialog box appears.

2. Select the statistical setup with the results you want to view from the pull-down list at the top of the dialog box.

3. If it is not already selected, select Table as the view type.The distribution results for the selected solution quantities are listed in table format for each solved design variation.

4. Optionally, click a design variation in the table, and then click Apply (at the far right side of the dialog box).The design displayed in the 3D Modeler window is changed to represent the selected design variation.

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Plotting Distribution Results for a Statistical Analysis1. In the project tree, right-click the statistical setup for which you want to view the distribution

results calculated for the solution quantities, and then click View Analysis Result on the short-cut menu.The Post Analysis Display dialog box appears.

2. Select the statistical setup with the results you want to view from the pull-down list at the top of the dialog box.

3. If it is not already selected, select Plot as the view type.4. Type the number of bins you want to plot on the x-axis.5. Select the solution quantity for which you want to plot distribution results on the y-axis from

the Y pull-down list.A histogram plot appears in the Post Analysis Display dialog box. It displays the distribution of the selected solution quantity.

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Scaling a Source’s Magnitude and PhaseScale the magnitude and set the phase of ports, voltage and current sources, Eigenmodes, and inci-dent waves in the Edit Sources dialog box.1. On the HFSS menu, point to Fields, and then click Edit Sources.

The Edit Sources dialog box appears. It displays information for design sources in table for-mat.

In the case of terminal solutions, the table contains some additional columns with a scroll bar.

If incident waves are present, the dialog contains a row of radio buttons to select the type of incident wave.Note that in the modal case a unit stimulation means 1 Watt of incident power at the port; in the terminal case a unit stimulation means 1 volt of total voltage at the terminal. After con-verting the voltage stimulation to the equivalent power stimulation the antenna results agree perfectly. In particular, the "ratioed" antenna parameters such as gain, directivity, and effi-ciency agree between the modal and terminal projects, while absolute antenna quantities such as incident power, accepted power may initially appear different. This is a direct result of the difference in edit-sources stimulations in the two types of projects.

2. Select the source whose magnitude and phase you want to scale. If your solution type is driven terminal, a voltage source magnitude and phase may be set for the selected terminal.

3. In the Scaling Factor text box, enter the factor by which the value of the source is to be scaled. Design variables can be used as source scalings.

4. In the Offset Phase text box, enter the new phase for the source. The phase of the source is changed by the value that you enter.

5. Optionally, if your solution type is driven terminal, you may specify a complex reference

Source Type Solved Magnitude

Solved Phase

Scaling Factor Offset Phase Units

static name static text static value static value editable value editable value menuN/A Terminated is checked (for Terminal Solutions only)

Terminated Resistance Unit Reactance UnitUnchecked. (Default) N/A unless Terminated is checked.

Checked editable value menu editable value menu

Note You may not enter a negative voltage. To obtain the equivalent of a negative magnitude, add or subtract 180 degrees from the phase value.If you use a design variable as a scaling factor note that solutions are invalidated if the variable is changed.

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impedance:a. For the selected terminal, select Terminated.

This disables the values to the left of the checkbox, and enables the Resistance and Reac-tance text boxes. Use the scroll bar to view them.

b. Enter the real part of the impedance in the Resistance text box and select the units. Ohms is the default.

c. Enter the imaginary part of the impedance in the Reactance text box and select the units. Ohms is the default.

6. If an incident wave is present, use the radio buttons at the button of the panel to select one of the following field types to use:

7. Click OK to apply the changes and close the dialog, or click Apply to view the changes with-out closing the dialog. The magnitude and phase are assigned to the selected excitation.

Related TopicsGuidelines for Scaling a Source’s Magnitude and Phase

Scattered Fields The differential field formed by subtracting the incident field from the total field.

Total Fields The physically measurable field that exists with the model present and a non-zero incident field.

Incident Fields The plane-wave field that would exist in the absence of the model.

Note When you scale an excitation, keep in mind that the original value of the excitation remains unchanged.

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Guidelines for Scaling a Source’s Magnitude and PhaseWhen specifying the factor by which the value of the source is scaled, keep the following guide-lines in mind:

When specifying the new phase for ports, generally use zero. This zero-phase solution results from excitations phased in such a way that, at ωt = 0, peak values occur at the port faces.

For ports, driven modal case

• The excitation’s magnitude specifies time-averaged incident power in watts.

• If you are using a symmetry plane, remember to scale the input signal appropriately. For example, if you have one symmetry plane, use an input value of 0.5 watts to excite the full structure with 1 watt; if you have two symmetry planes, use an input value of 0.25 watts to excite the full structure with 1 watt, and so forth.

• Generally, use the default value of 1. This specifies that the solution’s E- and H-fields be scaled such that the excitation wave delivers 1 watt of power. To view the solution at some other power, enter a positive value.

• Only port-mode combinations with non-zero magnitudes will be used.For voltage and current sources

• The source magnitude for voltage and current sources specifies peak value volts and peak value amperes, respectively.

• If you have defined multiple voltage and current sources, you can "remove" them by setting their magnitudes to 0. This enables you to easily observe the effects that individual or specific groups of sources have on the problem.

For incident waves

• Source magnitude specifies peak value E-field in volts per meter.• When you scale the incident E-field, the scattered E-field and the total E-

field are scaled as well. • This scaling factor affects all incident angles in the incident wave setup.

For ports, driven terminal case

• The excitation’s magnitude specifies peak value volts. This is the sum of the incident and reflected waves at this terminal. See the equations here.

For Eigenmodes • Source magnitude is unitless and represents a relative value.• When you enter a scaling factor for an eigenmode the relative source

magnitude is amplified by this value. Exactly one eigenmode must be excited by setting its scaling factor to a non-zero positive number.

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Creating AnimationsAn animated plot is a series of frames that displays a field, mesh, or geometry at varying values. To create an animated plot, you specify the values of the plot that you want to include, just as an ani-mator takes snapshots of individual drawings that make up a cartoon. Each value is a frame in the animation. You specify how many frames to include in the animation. You can export the animation to animated Graphics Interchange Format (GIF) or to Audio Video Interleave (AVI) format.

Creating Phase AnimationsTo animate a plot with respect to the phase of the plotted field:1. Create a field overlay plot to animate.2. On the HFSS menu, point to Fields, and then click Animate .3. If you already created an animation, the Select Animation dialog box appears. Click New.

The Setup Animation dialog box appears.4. Type a name for the animation in the Name text box or accept the default name.5. Optionally, type a description of the animation in the Description text box.6. Under the Swept Variable tab, select Phase from the Swept Variable list.7. Specify the phase values you want to include in the animation:

a. Type the starting value of the phase in the Start text box.b. Type the stopping value of the phase in the Stop text box.c. Type the number of Steps to include in the animation.

For example, if the Start value is 10, the Stop value is 160, and the number of steps is 10, the animation will display the plot at 10 phase values between 10 and 160. The start value will be the first frame displayed, resulting in a total of 11 frames in the animation.

8. Click OK.The animation begins in the view window. The play panel appears in the upper-left corner of the desktop, enabling you to stop, restart, and control the speed and sequence of the frames.

Related TopicsControlling the Animation’s Display

Creating Frequency Animations1. Create a field overlay plot to animate.

In the Create Field Plot dialog box, make sure to select a sweep solution to plot from the Solution pull-down list.

2. On the HFSS menu, point to Fields, and then click Animate .3. If you already created an animation, the Select Animation dialog box appears. Click New.

The Setup Animation dialog box appears.

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4. Type a name for the animation in the Name text box or accept the default name.5. Optionally, type a description of the animation in the Description text box.6. Under the Swept Variable tab, select Frequency from the Swept Variable list.7. Select the frequency values you want to include in the animation from the Select values list.

Use the Shift key to select a series of values, and the Ctrl key to select values that are not in sequence.

8. Click OK:The animation begins in the view window. It will display one frame for each frequency value you selected. The play panel appears in the upper-left corner of the desktop, enabling you to stop, restart, and control the speed and sequence of the frames.

Related TopicsControlling the Animation’s Display

Creating Geometry AnimationsFollowing is the general procedure for creating an animation that varies a part of the model geome-try.1. Right-click in the view window, point to View, and then click Animate.

The Select Drawing dialog box appears.2. Select the object you want to animate.

The Setup Animation dialog box appears.3. Type a name for the animation in the Name text box or accept the default name.4. Optionally, type a description of the animation in the Description text box.5. Under the Swept Variable tab, the Swept Variable list includes all of the defined geometric

project and design variables. Select the geometry variable that you want to animate from the Swept Variable list.

6. Specify the values of the variable that you want to include in the animation:a. Type the starting value of the variable in the Start text box.b. Type the stopping value of the variable in the Stop text box.c. Type the number of Steps to include in the animation.

For example, if the Start value is 0.15in, the Stop value is 0.45in, and the number of steps is 15, the animation will display the geometry at 15 values between 0.15 inches and 0.45 inches. The animation will also include the start value, which will be the first frame dis-played, resulting in a total of 16 frames in the animation.

7. Click OK.The animation begins in the view window. It will display one frame for each variable value. The play panel appears in the upper-left corner of the desktop, enabling you to stop, restart, and control the speed and sequence of the frames.

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Related TopicsControlling the Animation’s Display

Controlling the Animation’s DisplayWhen an animation is displayed in the view window, the Animation window, also called the play panel, appears in the upper-left corner of the desktop. It has buttons that enable you to control the speed and sequence of the frames, start and stop the animation and export the animation. Click an area of the window below to learn its function.

Animation slider

Each dot on the slider represents a frame in the animation. Drag the slider to the right to display the next frame in the animated plot. Drag the slider to the left to display the previous frame in the animation.

Plays the plot’s animation sequence backwards.

Steps backward through the animated plot one frame at a time.

Stops the animation.

Steps forward through the animated plot one frame at a time.

Plays the plot’s animation sequence forwards.

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Exporting Animations1. Create the animation you want to export.2. In the play panel, click Export.

The Save As dialog box appears.3. Follow the procedure for saving a new file. Select Animated GIF File (.gif) or AVI File (.avi)

as the file type.The Animation Options dialog box appears.

4. To replace colors in the file with 256 shades of gray, select Grayscale. Grayscale animations tend to use less memory than full color animations.

5. For AVI format export, specify the Compression factor (the default is 85) and one of the fol-lowing Compression types:

6. For GIF format export, specify the number of loops. The default “0” denotes infinite loops.7. Click OK to close the Animations Options dialog.

The animation is exported to the file format you specified.

Drag the Speed slider to the top to increase the speed of the animation. Drag the Speed slider to the bottom to decrease its speed.

Frame inform-ation

The current frame and phase at which the plot is being displayed is listed below the control buttons.

Enables you to export the animation to an animated Graphics Interchange Format (GIF) or to Audio Video Interleave (AVI) format.

Closes the animation window.

INTEL Indeo

Cinepak

Microsoft Video 1

None

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Creating ReportsAfter HFSS has generated a solution, all of the results for that solution are available for analysis. One of the ways you can analyze your solution data is to create a 2D or 3D report, or graphical rep-resentation, that displays the relationship between a design’s values and the corresponding analysis results. You create reports using either the Quick Report command, or the Create <type> Report commands. The Quick Report feature lets you select from a list of predefined categories (such as S-parameters) from which to create a rectangular plot. For each solution <type> (Eigenmode, Modal, Fields, Far Fields and Emission test, and Terminal), the Results menus present a list of Create <type> Report commands based on the solution data of direct interest for the design. For example, for the Eigenmode solution type, the Results menu con-tains templates for Eigenmode Parameters and for Fields.These appear on the menus as Create Eigenmode Parameters Report and Create Fields Report. For the Modal and Terminal Solution types, several different types appear, appropriate to each solution type. Each of these Create <type> Report menu items includes a further cascading menu that lists the Display Types available for that report.When you select Create <type> Report, the Report dialog displays. From the Report dialog, you select the following:Context section -- depending on the <type>, context selections include:• Solution field with a drop down selection list. This lists the available sweeps.• Domain field with a drop down selection list. Whether this field appears, and the domains

available for selection depend on the Solution type and the <type> selected. This can be Sweep or Time.

• Geometry field with a drop down selection list. This appears if you select field and radiated field reports as the report <type>. This applies the quantity to a geometry or radiated field setup.

• Digital Signal button -- this appears if the <type> you select is Emission Test.Trace tab• X (Primary Sweep) section

• This contains a dropdown menu for selecting the value(s) and a browse button for select-ing from a list if sweeps (if available).

• Y Component section• Categories - these depend on the Solution type and the design. This lets you specify the

category of information for the Y component.• Quantities for Y• Functions to apply to the Y quantities. • Value field displays the currently specified Quantity and Function.• Range Function button -- opens the Set Range Function dialog. This applies currently

specified Quantity and Function.

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Families tab• Each member of a family defines one point on a curve.• Lists the number of families available.• Variable display or Table display radio buttons. Variables allows you to edit sweeps. Table

allows you to select individual combinations of values. The Edit button lets you select variable values.

• Nominals field (disabled is none exist in the design) and a browse button.Update Report • Real Time checked -- enable real time updates for all reports.• Real Time unchecked -- enables drop down menu to Update All Reports or Update Report.

Traces are updated to latest data available if you click Update Report or after last pass has been solved.

Report dialog command buttons• Options - opens the Report Setup Options dialog. This contains a checkbox for using the

advanced mode for editing and viewing trace components. This mode is automatic if the trace requires it. It also contains a field for setting the maximum number of significant digits to dis-play for numerical quantities.

• New Report. Adds a report to the Project tree under the Results icon. The new Report is dis-played in the Project window.

• Add Trace - this is enabled when you have created or selected a report. You can add further traces. The new trace is displays in the Project window under the report.

• Update Trace - updates the selected traces in a report based on further processing or changes. When you edit a trace, this button applies the current values to that trace.

• Close - closes the Report dialog.

Note Remember the evaluated value of an expression is always interpreted as in SI units. However, when a quantity is plotted in a report, you have the option to plot values in units other than SI. For example, the expression "1+ang_deg(S11)" represents an ‘angle'’quantity evaluated in radians, though plotted in degree units. To represent an angle quantity in degrees, you would specify units as "1 deg + ang_deg(S11)".

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Creating a Quick ReportFollowing is the procedure for creating a quick report.1. On the Project tree under "Analysis", select a setup or sweep icon of interest.2. Right-click to display the shortcut menu and select Quick Report.

The Quick Report dialog appears.3. Select the one or more categories for the report from the list and click OK.

A rectangular plot for each selected category displays. The new plot or plots appear in the Project tree under the Results icon.

Related TopicsCreating ReportsModifying Reports

Creating a New ReportFollowing is the general procedure for creating a new report:1. On the HFSS menu or the Project tree, point to Results, and then select Create <type> Report

and from the menu select the Display Type for that template. There are more templates of Report Types available for terminal solutions (terminal, model, fields, near fields, and far fields) and for modal solutions (modal and fields). For Eigenmode solutions, the <templates> of Report Types are for Eigenmode Parameters and for Fields.When you have selected the <type> and display type from the Results menu, the Report dia-log appears.

2. In the Context section make selections from the following field or fields, depending on the design and solution type.a. Solution field with a drop down selection list. This lists the available solutions, whether

sweeps or adaptive passes.b. Domain field with a drop down selection list. Whether this field appears, and the domains

listed depend on the Solution type and the <type> selected. For modal and terminal S-

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parameter reports, the domain can be Sweep or Time.Before you can examine the time domain, you must perform an Interpolating sweep for a driven solution (Modal or Terminal). If you select Time, the TDR Options button is enabled. Select it and follow the directions for time-domain plotting.

c. Geometry field with a drop down selection list. For field and radiated field reports, this applies the quantity to a geometry or radiated field setup.

3. In the Y Component section of the dialog make selections for the following:a. Categories - those depend on the Solution type and the design. For example, Eigenmode

quantities include Eigen modes, variables, output variables, and the design. Driven solu-tions include such categories as S parameters and Power.

b. Quantities for Y are relative to the selected category.

c. Function list to apply to the Y quantities. d. Value field displays the currently specified Quantity and Function. You can edit this field

directly.

e. Range Function button -- opens the Set Range Function dialog. This applies currently specified Quantity and Function.

4. In the X (Primary Sweep) section, make selections for the following:a. Select the value(s) from the drop down menu.b. If sweeps are available, you can select the browse button to display a dialog that lets you

select particular sweep or sweeps, or all sweeps.5. In the Families section, if families are available, make selections for the following:

a. Variable display or Table display radio buttons. If you have defined variables for the design, selecting the Variable radio button displays a list of variables. Selecting Table uses a table format.An Edit button lets you edit variables.

b. Nominals field (disabled is none exist in the design) and a browse button.6. The Report dialog command buttons permit you create a new report with the settings you pro-

vide, or to modify an existing report.• Add Trace - this is enabled when you have created or selected a report. Add one or more

traces to include in the report.• Update Trace - updates the selected traces in a report based on further processing or

changes.• New Report. Adds a report to the Project tree under the Results icon. The new Report is

displayed in the Project window.

Note The Quantity text field can be used to filter the Quantity list by typing in text. This is useful if the Category selected produces a lengthy Quantities list.

Note Color shows valid expression.

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• Output Variables - opens the Output Variables dialog.• Options - opens the Report Setup Options dialog. This contains a checkbox for using the

advanced mode for editing and viewing trace components. This mode is automatic if the trace requires it. It also contains a field for setting the maximum number of significant dig-its to display for numerical quantities.

• Close - closes the Report dialog.7. Click New Report to create a new report in the Project tree.

The report appears in the view window. It will be listed in the project tree under Reports. Traces within the report also appear in the project tree. Some plots may take time to complete. Performing a File>Save in such cases after the plot has been created will permit you to review the plot later without having to repeat the calculation time when you reopen the project later.

8. To speed redraw times for changed plots, perform a Save. This saves the data that comprises expressions.For example if re(S11)*re(S22) is requested over multiple widths, each of the S11 and S22 are stored when you save. If you do not do a save of a changed plot, the changed ver-sion is not stored.

Related TopicsCreating ReportsModifying ReportsCreating a Quick Report

Modifying ReportsTo modify the data that is plotted in a report:1. In the project tree, click the report you want to modify.2. Right-click Modify Report.

The Report dialog appears.3. The Report dialog command buttons permit you create a new report with the settings you pro-

vide, or to modify an existing report.• Add Trace - this is enabled when you have created or selected a report. Add one or more

traces to include in the report.• Update Trace - updates the selected traces in a report based on further processing or

changes.• New Report. Adds a report to the Project tree under the Results icon. The new Report is

displayed in the HFSS window.• Options - opens the Report Setup Options dialog. This contains a checkbox for using the

advanced mode for editing and viewing trace components. This mode is automatic if the trace requires it. It also contains a field for setting the maximum number of significant dig-its to display for numerical quantities.

• Close - closes the Report dialog.The updated report appears in the view window.

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You can also view and edit the properties of Reports and their traces via their Properties win-dows. See Modifying the Background Properties of a Report

Related TopicsModifying the Background Properties of a ReportModifying the Legend in a ReportWorking with TracesEditing the Display Properties of TracesDiscarding Report Values Below a Specified ThresholdAdd Trace CharacteristicsAdding Data Markers to Traces

Modifying the Background Properties of a ReportThe standard Zoom and Fit commands operate on reports. To modify the appearance of a report, or the display properties an object in a report.1. Open the report you want to modify.2. You must select an editable object in the report to be able to edit its properties. Click on an

object to select it and to view its Properties in the docked properties window. To open a float-ing Properties window, either double click on the selected object, or click Edit>Properties on the toolbar.The selectable objects in reports are as follows:• Header -- this lets you edit the Properties for the text displayed at the top of the report,

including the Title font, Company Name, Show Design Name, Subtitle Font. The plot title is tied to the report's name and is not a Header property. If you change the report name in the Project tree, plot title synchronizes. The Company Name and the Show Design Name checkbox are grouped in the Properties dialog as Subtitle. Edits to the Subtitle Font Prop-erty affects both of them.

• General -- this dialog (or General tab for other Report properties windows) lets you edit the background color (the perimeter around the trace display) for the plot, the contrast color (the trace display background), the Field width, the Precision, and whether to use scientific notation for marker and delta marker displays. (X and Y notation display is set separately, in the Axis property tabs.)

• Legend -- this lets you edit the Properties for whether to Show Trace Name, Solution Name, and Variation Key. At least one of these three must be selected. You can also edit the Font, the background color of the Legend box, the Border Color, the Border Width, Grid Color (for the lines between Trace descriptions), and the Grid line width. Also see Modifying the Legend in a Report

• Traces -- you can select traces either in the Legend or on the plot. The properties for traces include: Color, Line Style, Line Width, Trace Type, whether to Show a symbol, Symbol Frequency, Symbol style, whether to Fill symbol, symbol color, and whether to

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Show arrows. See Editing the Display Properties of Traces.• X or Y Axis Tab-- the defaults for most of these values are set in the Report 2D Options

Axis tab.• Specify name -- checkbox for specifying the Axis name.• Name -- this describes the axis to which the following properties/options refer. These

are selected in the Report dialog.• Axis Color -- set the color by double clicking to display the Set color dialog. Select a

default or custom color and click OK.• Text Font -- click the cell to display the Edit Text Font dialog. The dialog lets you

select from a list of available fonts, styles, sizes, effects, colors, and script. The dialog also contains a preview field. OK the selections to apply the font edits and to close the dialog.

• Manual Format (section)• Number format -- select from the drop down menu, Auto, Decimal, or Scientific

notation. • Field Width -- enter a real value.• Field Precision -- enter a real value.

• X or Y Scaling Tab -- These properties provide control over scaling.• Axis Scaling -- use the drop down menu to select scaling as Linear or Log. For

the Y axis, all zero or negative values are discarded before log scaling is applied.• Specify Min -- check box • Min -- text entry in same units as axis units. Saved as SI internally. • Specify Max -- check box • Max -- text entry in same units as axis units. Saved as SI internally. • Specify Spacing -- check box • Spacing -- text entry in same units as axis units. Saved as SI internally• Manual Units (section)• Auto Units -- use the check box compute the correct units for the axis.• Units -- click on the cell to select from a menu of available units if you have not

checked Auto Units.• Infinity Visualization (section)• Map Infinity Mode -- checkbox.

Each axis now can be set to treat infinity values in a user defined way. When you check the Map Infinity Mode, any infinity values in the input data get the infini-tyMap value (negative infinity get the value*-1 and positive infinity the positive value specified). This can be useful if there are zeros, or very small values that HFSS treats as zero, in the data, for example, dB Gain.

• Map Infinity To -- enter a real value for the Map Infinity Mode.

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3. Edit the properties, and OK the dialog to apply the changes.

Related TopicsModifying ReportsWorking with TracesDiscarding Report Values Below a Specified ThresholdModifying the Legend in a ReportEditing the Display Properties of TracesSetting Report2D options Zoom in or out.Fit contents in the view window.

Modifying the Legend in a ReportThe legend in a report is a list of the curves being plotted. For each curve, the legend gives the name, shows the line color, and lists the setup and the adaptive pass used to generate the curve. To show or hide a legend in a report:1. Make the report the active view.2. Use View>Active View Visibility or the Show/Hide icons on the toolbar to display or hide the

report. Either command displays the Active View dialog.

3. Select the Legends tab.This lists the legend (or legends) in the report.

4. Check the visibility checkbox, and OK the dialog to close it and apply the change.To edit the display properties of a legend:1. Select the legend in a report by clicking on the Curve Info panel to display a docked properties

window, or right-click on the legend and select Edit>Properties to display the floating proper-ties window.This lets you edit the Properties for whether to Show Trace Name, Solution Name, and Varia-tion Key. At least one of these three must be selected. You can also edit the Font by clicking the Font cell to display the Edit Text Font dialog. The dialog lets you select from a list of available fonts, styles, sizes, effects, colors, and script. The dialog also contains a preview field. OK the selections to apply the font edits and to close the dialogYou can also edit the background color of the Legend box, the Border Color, the Border Width, Grid Color (for the lines between Trace descriptions), and the Grid line width.

2. Click OK to close the Properties window and apply the selections.To change the display name for traces, see Editing Trace Properties.

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To move a legend in a report:1. Click and hold and the legend.

The cursor changes to crossed lines with arrow tips.2. Still holding, drag the legend to a new location and release.

The legend is released and the crossed lines change back to a mouse pointer.To resize a legend in a report:1. Position the mouse tip over the edge you want to resize.

The mouse pointer changes to a horizontal or vertical line with arrow tips. 2. Click and drag the horizontal or vertical edge to the desire size.3. Release.

Related TopicsEditing Trace PropertiesShowing ObjectsHiding ObjectsModifying ReportsDiscarding Report Values Below a Specified ThresholdSetting Report2D options Editing the Display Properties of Traces

Selecting the Report TypeThe Report Types available for creating a report depends on the simulation setup. Depending on the setup, you can make a selection from the following report types:

Modal Solution Data S-, Y-, and Z-parameter data will be available to plot, as well as propagation constant, characteristic port impedance, reflection/transmission coefficients for FSS designs, and voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR) data.Note: For FSS calculations, phase is currently assigned zero value.

Terminal Solution Data

Terminal S-, Y-, and Z-parameter data will be available to plot, as well as terminal characteristic port impedance, common and differential voltage quantities, power, and VSWR data.

Fields Basic or derived field quantities calculated on lines or integrated over surfaces or objects will be available to plot.

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Selecting the Display TypeThe information in a report can be displayed in several formats. Select from the following Display Type formats in the Create <type> Report submenu:

Creating 2D Rectangular PlotsA rectangular plot is a 2D, x-y graph of results.1. On the Results menu (HFSS menu or right-click on Results on the Project tree), click Create

<type> Report, and select Rectangular Plot.The Report dialog appears.

2. In the Context section make selections from the following field or fields, depending on the design and solution type.a. Solution field with a drop down selection list. This lists the available solutions, whether

sweeps or adaptive passes.

Far Fields Radiated fields computed in the far-field region. The following quantities will be available to plot: rE, gain, realized gain, directivity, axial ratio, polarization ratio, antenna parameters, and normalized antenna calculated by HFSS. Note: You must have defined an infinite sphere geometry and at least one radiation or PML boundary to create a far-fields report.

Near Fields Radiated fields computed in the near-field region. These include: variables, output variables, near E, max near field parameters, and near normalized antenna.Note: You must have defined a near-field line or near-field sphere and at least one radiation or PML boundary to create a near-fields report.

Emission Test You can conduct an emission test under the same conditions as for a near field report except that.an emission test cannot be conducted for a ports-only solution. You must have defined a near-field line or near-field sphere and at least one radiation or PML boundary.

Rectangular Plot A 2D rectangular (x-y) graph.

3D Rectangular Plot A 3D rectangular (x-y-z) graph.

Polar Plot A 2D circular chart divided by spherical coordinates.

3D Polar Plot A 3D circular plot divided by spherical coordinates.

Smith Chart A 2D polar chart of S-parameters upon which a normalized impedance grid has been superimposed.

Data Table A grid with rows and columns that displays, in numeric form, selected quantities against a swept variable or another quantity.

Radiation Pattern A 2D polar plot of radiated fields.

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b. Domain field with a drop down selection list. Whether this field appears, and the domains listed depend on the Solution type and the <type> selected. For modal and terminal S-parameter reports, the domain can be Sweep or Time.Before you can examine the time domain, you must perform an Interpolating sweep for a driven solution (Modal or Terminal). If you select Time, the TDR Options button is enabled. Select it and follow the directions for time-domain plotting.

c. Geometry field with a drop down selection list. For field and radiated field reports, this applies the quantity to a geometry or radiated field setup.

3. Under the Trace tab, Y component section, specify the information to plot along the y-axis:a. In the Category list, click the type of information to plot.b. In the Quantity list, click the value to plot.c. In the Function list, click the mathematical function of the quantity to plot.d. Value field displays the currently specified Quantity and Function. You can edit this field

directly.

e. Range Function button -- opens the Set Range Function dialog. This applies currently specified Quantity and Function.

4. On the Trace tab, X (Primary sweep) line, specify the quantity to plot along the x-axis in one of the following ways:.• Select the sweep variable to use from the drop down list. • If sweeps are available, you can select the browse button to display a dialog that lets you

select particular sweep or sweeps, or all sweeps. The quantity will be plotted against the primary sweep variable listed.

5. On the Families tab, confirm or modify the sweep variables that will be plotted.6. Click New Report.

This creates a new report in Project tree, displays the report with the defined trace, and enables the Add Trace button on the Report dialog.The function of the selected quantity will be plotted against the swept variable values or quan-tities you specified on an x-y graph. The plot is listed under Results in the project tree and the traces are listed under the plot. When you select the traces or plots, their properties are dis-played in the Properties window. These properties can be edited directly to modify the plot.

7. Optionally, add another trace to the plot by following the procedure above, using Add Trace rather than New Report.

Related TopicsSweeping a VariableWorking with TracesAdd Trace Characteristics

Note Color shows valid expression.

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Delta Markers in 2DPlotsModifying Background Properties of a ReportDiscarding Report Values Below a Specified ThresholdSetting Report2D options

Creating 3D Rectangular PlotsA rectangular plot is a 3D, x-y-z graph of results.1. On the Results menu (HFSS menu or right-click on Results on the Project tree), click Create

<type> Report, and select 3D Rectangular plot from the report type menu.The Report dialog appears.

2. In the Context section make selections from the following field or fields, depending on the design and solution type.a. Solution field with a drop down selection list. This lists the available solutions, whether

sweeps or adaptive passes.b. Geometry field with a drop down selection list. For field and radiated field reports, this

applies the quantity to a geometry or radiated field setup.3. Under the Trace tab Z Component area, specify the information to plot along the z-axis:

a. In the Category list, click the type of information to plot.b. In the Quantity list, click the value to plot.c. In the Function list, click the mathematical function of the quantity to plot.d. The Value field displays the currently specified Quantity and Function. You can edit this

field directly.

e. Range Function button -- opens the Set Range Function dialog. This applies currently specified Quantity and Function.

4. On the Trace tab Y (Secondary sweep) lines, specify the information to plot along the y-axis in one of the following ways:• Select the sweep variable to use from the drop down list. • If sweeps are available, you can select the browse button to display a dialog that lets you

select particular values. The quantity will be plotted against the primary sweep variable listed.

5. On the Trace tab X (Primary sweep) lines, specify the information to plot along the x-axis in one of the following ways:• Select the sweep variable to use from the drop down list. • If sweeps are available, you can select the browse button to display a dialog that lets you

select particular values. The quantity will be plotted against the primary sweep variable listed.

Note Color shows valid expression.

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6. Click New Report.This creates a new report in Project tree, displays the report with the defined trace, and enables the Add Trace button on the Report dialog.The function of the selected quantity or quantities will be plotted against the values you speci-fied on an x-y-z graph. The plot is listed under Results in the project tree.When you select the traces or plots, their properties are displayed in the Properties window. These properties can be edited directly to modify the plot.

7. Optionally, add another trace to the plot by following the procedure above, using Add Trace rather than New Report.

Related TopicsSweeping a VariableWorking with TracesAdd Trace Characteristics

Creating 2D Polar PlotsIn HFSS, a polar plot is a 2D circular chart divided by the spherical coordinates R and theta, where R is the radius, or distance from the origin, and theta is the angle from the x-axis. Following is the general procedure for drawing a polar graph of results:1. On the Results menu (HFSS menu or right-click on Results on the Project tree), click Create

<type> Report, and select Polar plot from the report type menu.The Report dialog appears.

2. In the Context section make selections from the following field or fields, depending on the design and solution type.a. Solution field with a drop down selection list. This lists the available solutions, whether

sweeps or adaptive passes.b. Domain field with a drop down selection list. Whether this field appears, and the domains

listed depend on the Solution type and the <type> selected. For modal and terminal S-parameter reports, the domain can be Sweep or Time.Before you can examine the time domain, you must perform an Interpolating sweep for a driven solution (Modal or Terminal). If you select Time, the TDR Options button is enabled. Select it and follow the directions for time-domain plotting.

c. Geometry field with a drop down selection list. For field and radiated field reports, this applies the quantity to a geometry or radiated field setup.

3. In the Trace tab Polar Component area, specify the information to plot:a. On the Category drop down list, click the type of information to plot.b. On the Quantity list, click the values to plot. Use CTRL-click to make multiple selec-

tions.c. In the Function list, click the mathematical function to apply to the quantity for the plot.d. The Value field displays the currently specified Quantity and Function. You can edit this

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field directly.

e. Range Function button -- opens the Set Range Function dialog. This applies currently specified Quantity and Function.

4. Click New Report.This creates a new report in Project tree, displays the report with the defined trace, and enables the Add Trace button on the Report dialog.The function of the selected quantity will be plotted against the swept variable values or quan-tities you specified on an x-y graph. The plot is listed under Results in the project tree and the traces are listed under the plot. When you select the traces or plots, their properties are dis-played in the Properties window. These properties can be edited directly to modify the plot.

5. Optionally, add another trace to the plot by following the procedure above, using Add Trace rather than New Report.

Related TopicsReviewing 2D Polar PlotsSweeping a VariableWorking with TracesAdd Trace Characteristics

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Reviewing 2D Polar PlotsFor a polar plot of S-parameters, HFSS displays in the lower-left corner the following derived information about the cursor’s location:

A scale below the plot displays the scale of points along the R-axis.

Related TopicsCreating 2D Polar Plots

Creating 3D Polar PlotsA 3D polar plot is a 3D circular chart divided by the spherical coordinates R, theta, and phi, where R is the radius, or distance from the origin, theta is the angle from the x-axis, and phi is the angle from the origin in the z direction. Following is the general procedure for drawing a 3D polar plot of results:1. On the Results menu (HFSS menu or right-click on Results on the Project tree), click Create

<type> Report, and select 3D Polar plot from the report type menu.The Report dialog appears.

2. In the Context section make selections from the following field or fields, depending on the design and solution type.a. Solution field with a drop down selection list. This lists the available solutions, whether

sweeps or adaptive passes.b. Geometry field with a drop down selection list. For field and radiated field reports, this

applies the quantity to a geometry or radiated field setup.

MP The magnitude and phase of the point.

RX The normalized resistance (R) and reactance (X).

GB An alternate view of the normalized resistance and reactance in the form of

where• G = conductance• B = susceptance

Q The quality factor.

VSWR The voltage standing wave ratio, calculated from the equation .

R jX+ 1G jB+----------------=

1 Sij+1 Sij–------------------

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3. In the Trace tab Mag area, specify the information to plot along the R-axis, or the axis measur-ing magnitude:a. On the Category drop down list, click the type of information to plot.b. On the Quantity list, click the values to plot. Use CTRL-click to make multiple selec-

tions.c. In the Function list, click the mathematical function to apply to the quantity for the plot.d. The Value field displays the currently specified Quantity and Function. You can edit this

field directly.

e. Range Function button -- opens the Set Range Function dialog. This applies currently specified Quantity and Function.

4. On the Trace tab Theta (Secondary Sweep) line, select the sweep variable from the drop down list and specify all values or select values to plot along the theta-axis:

5. On the Trace tab Phi (Primary Sweep) line, select the sweep variable from the drop down list, and specify all values or select values to plot along the phi-axis:

6. Click New Report.This creates a new report in Project tree, displays the report with the defined trace, and enables the Add Trace button on the Report dialog.The function of the selected quantity or quantities will be plotted against the R-, phi-, and theta-axes on a 3D polar graph. The plot is listed under Results in the project tree. When you select the traces or plots, their properties are displayed in the Properties window. These proper-ties can be edited directly to modify the plot.

7. Optionally, add another trace to the plot by following the procedure above, using Add Trace rather than New Report.

Related TopicsSweeping a VariableWorking with TracesAdd Trace Characteristics

Creating Smith ChartsA Smith chart is a 2D polar plot of S-parameters upon which a normalized impedance grid has been superimposed. Following is the general procedure for creating a Smith chart of results:1. On the Results menu (HFSS menu or right-click on Results on the Project tree), click Create

<type> Report, and select Smith Chart from the report type menu.The Report dialog appears.

2. In the Trace tab Polar Component area, specify the information to plot:

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a. On the Category drop down list, click the type of information to plot.b. On the Quantity list, click the values to plot. Use CTRL-click to make multiple selec-

tions.c. In the Function list, click the mathematical function to apply to the quantity for the plot.d. The Value field displays the currently specified Quantity and Function. You can edit this

field directly.

e. Range Function button -- opens the Set Range Function dialog. This applies currently specified Quantity and Function.

3. Click New Report.This creates a new report in Project tree, displays the report with the defined trace, and enables the Add Trace button on the Report dialog.The function of the selected quantity will be plotted against the values you specified on a polar plot. In addition, each circle on the plot is labeled with values of R, measuring normalized resistance, and each line is labeled with values of X, measuring normalized reactance. The plot is listed under Results in the project tree and the traces are listed under the plot. When you select the traces or plots, their properties are displayed in the Properties window. These proper-ties can be edited directly to modify the plot.

4. Optionally, add another trace to the plot by following the procedure above, using Add Trace rather than New Report.

Related TopicsReviewing 2D Polar PlotsSweeping a VariableWorking with TracesAdd Trace Characteristics

Creating Data TablesA data table is a grid with rows and columns that displays, in numeric form, selected quantities against a swept variable or other quantities.1. On the HFSS menu, point to Results, and then click Create <type> Report, or right click on

the Results icon in the Project tree and click Create <type> Report.2. In the display type menu, click Data Table.

The Report dialog box appears. 3. In the Context section make selections from the following field or fields, depending on the

design and solution type.a. Solution field with a drop down selection list. This lists the available solutions, whether

sweeps or adaptive passes.b. Domain field with a drop down selection list. Whether this field appears, and the domains

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listed depend on the Solution type and the <type> selected. For modal and terminal S-parameter reports, the domain can be Sweep or Time.Before you can examine the time domain, you must perform an Interpolating sweep for a driven solution (Modal or Terminal). If you select Time, the TDR Options button is enabled. Select it and follow the directions for time-domain plotting.

c. Geometry field with a drop down selection list. For field and radiated field reports, this applies the quantity to a geometry or radiated field setup.

4. Under the Trace tab Y component section, select the quantity you are interested in and its associated function:a. On the Category drop down list, click the type of information to plot.b. On the Quantity list, click the values to plot. Use CTRL-click to make multiple selec-

tions.c. In the Function list, click the mathematical function to apply to the quantity for the plot.d. The Value field displays the currently specified Quantity and Function. You can edit this

field directly.

e. Range Function button -- opens the Set Range Function dialog. This applies currently specified Quantity and Function.

5. On the Trace tab X (Primary sweep) line, select the sweep variable from the drop down list, and specify all values or select values.

6. Click New Report.This creates a new report in Project tree, displays the report with the defined trace, and enables the Add Trace button on the Report dialog.The Y quantity will be listed at each variable value or additional quantity value you specified. The data table is listed under Results in the project tree. The plot is listed under Results in the project tree and the traces are listed under the plot. When you select the traces or plots, their properties are displayed in the Properties window. These properties can be edited directly to modify the plot.

7. Optionally, add another trace to the plot by following the procedure above, using Add Trace rather than New Report.

Related TopicsSweeping a VariableWorking with TracesAdd Trace Characteristics

Creating Radiation PatternsA radiation pattern is a 2D polar plot displaying the intensity of near- or far-field radiation patterns. It is divided by the spherical coordinates R and theta, where R is the radius, or distance from the

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origin, and theta is the angle from the x-axis. Following is the general procedure for drawing a radi-ation pattern of results:1. On the HFSS menu, point to Results, and then click Create <type> Report, or right click on

the Results icon in the Project tree and click Create <type> Report.2. In the display type menu, click Radiation Pattern.

The Report dialog box appears, and a Radiation Pattern Plots icon appears under Results in the Project tree.

3. In the Context section make selections from the following field or fields, depending on the design and solution type.a. Solution field with a drop down selection list. This lists the available solutions, whether

sweeps or adaptive passes.4. In the Trace tab Mag Component area, specify the information to plot along the R-axis, or the

axis measuring magnitude:a. On the Category drop down list, click the type of information to plot.b. On the Quantity list, click the values to plot. Use CTRL-click to make multiple selec-

tions.c. In the Function list, click the mathematical function to apply to the quantity for the plot.d. The Value field displays the currently specified Quantity and Function. You can edit this

field directly.

e. Range Function button -- opens the Set Range Function dialog. This applies currently specified Quantity and Function.

5. In the Trace tab Ang (Primary sweep) line, specify the sweep variable from the drop down list, and specify all values or select values.

6. Click New Report.This creates a new report in Project tree, displays the report with the defined trace, and enables the Add Trace button on the Report dialog.The function of the selected quantity or quantities will be plotted against the values you speci-fied on a 2D polar plot. The plot is listed under Results in the project tree and the traces are listed under the plot. When you select the traces or plots, their properties are displayed in the Properties window. These properties can be edited directly to modify the plot.

7. Optionally, add another trace to the plot by following the procedure above, using Add Trace rather than New Report.

Related TopicsSweeping a Variable in a ReportWorking with TracesAdd Trace Characteristics

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Delta Markers in 2D ReportsTo view the difference between any two marker points in a report:1. Set the first marker by left-clicking and holding the mouse button.2. Move the mouse without releasing left button to another position, and then release the left but-

ton to create second marker. In the marker text window, you see the difference between the two markers instead of the X, Y value of marker.Related TopicsSetting Report2D options Working with TracesEditing the Display Properties of TracesAdding Data Markers to Traces

Plotting in the Time DomainThe idea behind Time-Domain Reflectometry (TDR) is to excite a structure with a step function, and inspect the reflections as a function of time. Before you can examine the time domain, you must perform an Interpolating sweep for a driven solution (Modal or Terminal). TDR Impedance for terminal i or mode i is defined as

[Reference impedance × (1+Sii)/(1-Sii)] in the time domainor

FFT-1 [Zo × (1+Sii)/(1-Sii)] To understand this equation, note that, for a single transmission line of characteristic impedance Zo and terminated by a load impedance ZL, the following equation holds in the frequency domain:

ZL = Zo × (1+S11)/(1-S11)So by taking the inverse FFT, you obtain a measure of the impedance the signal encounters in time, as it travels down the signal path. This measure is accurate as long as reflections from impedance discontinuities are small, so multiple bounces between multiple discontinuities can be neglected.By default, Zo is equal to 50 Ohm.To create a plot in the Time Domain:1. For a design with an existing sweep setup, follow steps 1 - 4 for creating a report for design.2. In the Report dialog box, in the Domain list, click Time.

This enables the TDR Options button and includes the TDR Impedance in the Category list.3. Click TDR Options.

The TDR Options dialog box appears.4. Select the input signal type, Step or Impulse.

A Step describes a sustained change in the signal, whereas the Impulse is a brief excitation. Selecting Step enables the Rise Time field, and Impulse disables it.

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5. If you selected Step, enter the rise time of the pulse in the Rise Time text box.The rise time should be appropriate for the frequency context.

6. Enter the total time on the plot in the Maximum Plot Time text box.7. Determine the number of time points that will be on the plot in the Delta Time text box. By

default, this is set to the number of points in the frequency sweep.8. Optionally, under TDR Window, modify the window type and width.

Windowing functions cause the FFT of the signal to have non-zero values away from ω. Each window function trades off the ability to resolve comparable signals and frequencies versus the ability to resolve signals of different strengths and frequencies. The window type list includes:

9. Click OK.Optionally, to plot TDR impedance (that is, rather than calculate the S-parameter for waveport1 versus frequency, calculate the delay versus time at a particular impedance), do the following:a. In the Category list, click TDR Impedance.b. In the Quantity list, click a TDRZ quantity to plot.The TDRZ quantity represents the port impedance translated into the time domain. Its formula is Zo*(1+ re(S11))/(1-re(S11)).

The default impedance (Zo) is 50 Ohms, unless you specified differently when you Set

Window Function Preferred UseRectangular (default) A low dynamic range function offering good resolution for signals

of comparable strength. Poor when signals have very different amplitudes. w(n)=1.

Bartlett A high dynamic range function, with lower resolution, designed for wide band applications.

Blackman A high dynamic range function, with lower resolution, designed for wide band applications.

Hamming A moderate dynamic range function, designed for narrow band applications.

Hanning A moderate dynamic range function, designed for narrow band applications.

Kaiser Selecting the Kaiser plot also enables a field to specify an associated Kaiser parameter. The larger the Kaiser parameter, the wider the window. The parameter controls the trade off between width of the central lobe and the area of the side lobes.

Welch This approach divides the spectrum into overlapping periodogram bins in order to more accurately depict data away from the center of the signal.

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Reference Impedance for Terminals when you created the terminals in the model. If you need a different impedance value, you can either edit the value in the Report dialog (as shown below), or you can create an Output Variable representing Zo × (1+Sii)/(1-Sii) with the Zo of your choice. To edit the Zo value in the Report dialog:1. For the Category, select TDR Impedance, and the Port and Function of interest.

2. Edit the value by placing the cursor in the Value field. In this example, the value for Zo is changed from the default to 75 Ohms by typing ‘,Zo=75ohm’ in the Y-column field.

c. In the Function list, click the mathematical function of the quantity to plot.3. Click Done.

The report appears in the view window. It will be listed in the project tree.

Working with TracesA trace in a 2D or 3D report defines one or more curves on a graph. A trace in a data table defines part of the displayed matrix of text values. The values used for a plot’s axes (which may be X, Y, Z, phi, theta, or R depending on the display type) can be variables in the design, such as frequency, or functions and expressions based on the design’s solutions. If you have solved one or more variables at several values, you can "sweep" over some or all of those values, resulting in a curve in 2D or 3D space.A report can include any number of traces and, for rectangular graphs, up to four independent y-axes. Traces appear in the Project tree under their report. They can be selected, copied and pasted.When you move a cursor over a trace in a report, the cursor changes to show that you can make a selection:• For PC systems, the cursor changes to the color of the selectable trace.• For Unix systems, the cursor changes to a solid black arrow, rather than the default black out-

line.In general, to add a trace to a report:1. Select a report in the Project window and right-click and select Modify Report.2. In the Report dialog specify the Y component information.

a. Specify the Category of information you want to plot from the drop down menu.

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The Category drop down menu lists the available categories for the Solution type and the current design. Selecting a category changes the Quantity and Function lists to represent what is available for that category.

b. Specify the Quantity you want to plot by selecting from the Quantity list.The selected quantity appears in the Value field, operated on any selected function.

c. Select the Function to apply to the specified quantity.d. The Value field shows the trace being readied for plotting on the Y-axis. This field is edit-

able when the text cursor is present. You can modify the information to be plotted by typ-ing the name of the quantity or sweep variable to plot along an axis directly in the text boxes.

e. Range Function button -- opens the Set Range Function dialog. This applies currently specified Quantity and Function.

3. In the Report dialog specify the X axis information (for example Primary Sweep).4. Click Add Trace.

A trace is added to the traces list under its report icon in the Project tree. The trace represents the function of the quantity you selected and will be plotted against other quantities or swept variable values. Selecting a Trace in the Project tree displays the Properties window for that Trace. Selecting a trace in the report or legend displays the display Properties window for that trace.Trace icons can be selected, copied, and pasted for their definitions or their data. They can be selected and deleted from the Project tree. By the default, the Trace name is the definition (the category, quantity and function). The trace will be visible in the report when you click Add Trace.Trace properties can be edited directly in the respective Properties windows or edited in the Report dialog. To change the name or definition of a trace, see Editing Trace Properties. To edit other display properties of a trace, see Editing the Display Properties of Traces

Related TopicsRemoving TracesEditing Trace PropertiesEditing the Display Properties of TracesDiscarding Report Values Below a Specified ThresholdAdd Trace CharacteristicsAdding Data Markers to TracesSetting Report2D options Copy and Paste of Report and Trace Definitions

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Copy and Paste of Report and Trace DataDelta Markers in 2D Reports

Editing Trace PropertiesTo edit trace properties such as the name, the component definition, or the context, or the variables select the trace in the Project tree.To edit a trace name: 1. Select the trace in the Project tree.

This displays a docked Properties window for the Trace.2. Check the Specify Name box.

This enables editing of either the Name field in the docked properties dialog, or the Trace label text in the Project tree. Editing this name changes the display in the Legend and in the Project tree, but not the underlying Y-component definition.

To edit a trace component definition:1. Select the trace in the Project tree.2. In the docked Properties window for the trace, select the component field of interest, and select

Edit... form the drop down menu.This displays the an edit Component field window.form which you can edit the category, quan-tity and function.

3. Click OK to apply the changes and close the dialog.To edit a trace Context:1. Select the trace in the Project tree to display the docked properties window.2. In properties window, click the Solution field or the Domain field. If other selections are possi-

ble, they can be selected from the drop down menu.To edit a variable for a trace:1. Select the trace in the Project tree to display the docked properties window.2. Under the -Variables category, on the Families line, click the Edit button to display the Edit

families dialog. From this dialog, you can select the Sweeps or Variations radio buttons. Each selection changes the If other nominal values are available you can click the ellipsis button to select from a list.

Related TopicsRemoving TracesEditing the Display Properties of TracesDiscarding Report Values Below a Specified ThresholdAdd Trace CharacteristicsAdding Data Markers to TracesSetting Report2D options

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Copy and Paste of Report and Trace DefinitionsCopy and Paste of Report and Trace DataDelta Markers in 2D Reports

Editing the Display Properties of TracesTo edit the display properties of a trace:1. Select a trace in an open Report window. 2. Click once on the trace to view a Docked Properties window, or double click to open Proper-

ties window. The display properties window for a trace includes a General tab and an Attributes tab. The General tab properties apply to the general appearance of the plot. They include the Back-ground color, Contrast color, Field width, and Whether to use Scientific notation for marker and delta marker displays. (X and Y notation display is set separately, in the Axis property tabs.)The Attributes Tab properties apply specifically to the Trace. The defaults are set in the Report2D options. They include:• Name -- not editable by selecting the trace from the Report. It shows the characteristics of

the trace as defined in the Report dialog. To edit a trace name, see Editing Trace Properties

• Color -- shows the Trace color. Double click to open a Color dialog. You can select from Basic colors, or custom colors. You can define up to 16 custom colors by selecting or by editing the Hue, Saturation, Luminescence, and the Red, Green, and Blue values.

• Line style -- a drop down menu lets you select Solid, Dot, Dash, or Dot-dash.• Line width -- a text field lets you edit the numeric value.• Trace type -- the drop down menu contains entries for Continuous, Discrete, Bar-Zero,

Bar Infinity, Stick Zero, Stick Infinity, Histogram, Step, and Stair.• Show Symbol -- whether to show a symbol at the data points on the line.• Symbol Frequency -- how often to show symbols on the trace. • Symbol Style -- use a drop down menu to select from box, circle, vertical ellipse, horizon-

tal ellipse, vertical up triangle, vertical down triangle, horizontal left triangle, horizontal right triangle

• Fill Symbol -- use the check box to set the symbol display as a solid or as hollow.• Symbol Arrows -- use the check box to use arrows on the curve ends.

3. Edit the properties of interest and OK the Properties window to apply the changes and close the window.

Note So that curves with single points always appear, Box is the default symbol. For HFSS 11, None cannot be selected as the symbol.

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Related TopicsSetting Report2D options Working with TracesEditing Trace PropertiesAdd Trace CharacteristicsAdding Data Markers to TracesRemoving TracesDiscarding Report Values Below a Specified ThresholdCopy and Paste of Report and Trace Definitions

Adding Data Markers to TracesThe Reporter includes Report 2D>Marker> menu commands and toolbar icons

that let you add markers to traces. A marker appears as “mN” at the marked point, where N incre-ments from 1 as you place additional markers. Each marker can be selected and has editable prop-erties including name, font, background and color. As you place markers, one or more marker legends may be displayed, depending on the View>Active View Visibility settings for the legends. The main marker legend appears in the upper left of the plot, and lists the marker names and their X and Y values in a table. You can control the nunber format for the table values via the properties window, general tab. Under Marker/Other Number format, you can specify field width, precision, and whether to use scientific notation. This value is independent of the Axis tab number properties. A separate marker legend appears for Delta Markers, as described for the Delta Marker command.When you enter Marker mode, the cursor arrow is accompanied by an “m” while a circle on the selected trace shows the current position for a potential marker. To end Marker mode, right-click to display the shortcut menu, and select End Marker Mode.The available Marker mode commands and associated icons are the following:• Marker -- this command lets you place a marker at an arbitrary point on a selected trace.• X Marker -- this command adds a movable marker at the origin of the plot with a vertical line

rising from the X axis. To move an X marker, click on the X label and drag it to the desired location. The label at the bottom of the line gives the X coordinate, and flag on the vertical line identifies the Y coordinate on the trace. A trace property lets you lock the drag feature to leave the marker in place. This marker is not cleared by the Clear All command, and must be deleted by selecting it and using the Edit Delete command.

• Maximum -- places a marker at the Maximum value on the selected trace.• Minimum -- places a marker at the Minimum value on the selected trace.• Delta Marker enters delta marker mode, placing a circle on the selected trace. Clicking

on the trace sets an initial point and subsequent clicks on arbitrary points on the trace place additional markers until you leave marker mode. These markers have their own legend, which

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includes the following information for each pair of markers specified.:

• Next Peak -- moves a selected marker on the next peak on a trace. You must exit marker mode and select a marker to enable this command.

• Next Minimum -- moves a selected marker to the next minimum on a selected trace. You must exit marker mode and select a marker to enable this command.

• Previous Peak -- moves a selected marker on the previous peak on a selected trace. You must exit marker mode and select a marker to enable this command.

• Previous Minimum -- places a marker on the previous minimum on a selected trace. You must exit marker mode and select a marker to enable this command.

• Next Data Point (Right) -- moves a selected X marker to the next data point.• Previous Data Point (Left) -- moves a selected X marker to the previous data point.• Next Curve -- selects the next curve in the report, based on the order in the trace legend.• Previous Curve -- selects the previous curve in the report, based on the order in the trace leg-

end.• Clear All -- clears all markers on a report except X Markers.Related TopicsSetting Report2D options Working with TracesAdd Trace CharacteristicsRemoving TracesDiscarding Report Values Below a Specified ThresholdModifying the Legend in a ReportEditing the Display Properties of TracesZoom in or out.Fit contents in the view window.Showing ObjectsHiding ObjectsDelta Markers in 2D Reports

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Discarding Report Values Below a Specified ThresholdTo prevent real small numbers from skewing a plot, you can discard small values (below a specifi-able threshold). 1. Double-click on the X or Y axis of interest on an open plot display.

This opens the Properties window for the Axis2. Under the Axis tab, use the scroll bar to find the Specify Discard Values property.3. Click the checkbox to enable the property.4. Enter a value in the Discard Below field. Units specified elsewhere in the Axis property are applied

to this value. The Discard Below text box is inactive if the Specify Discard Values checkbox is not enabled.

5. Click OK to apply the Discard Values to the report.

Related TopicsWorking with TracesRemoving TracesEditing the Display Properties of TracesModifying Background Properties of a ReportModifying ReportsAdd Trace Characteristics

Add Trace CharacteristicsYou can add or clear additional characteristics to a selected trace. To add additional characteristics to a selected trace:1. Select a trace in a report plot or legend. 2. Click Report 2D>Trace Characteristics, or right-click on the selected trace to display the

short cut menu.3. Select Trace Characteristics>Add....

This displays the Add Trace Characteristics dialog.4. Select the Category, and then an associated Function to apply. The available categories

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depend on the plot, and Category enables the display of associated functions.

Given a selected Function, and Category, the Add Trace dialog displays a text field that explains the Purpose of the function. For a full list of functions and their definitions, see Selecting a Function.

5. Some categories and functions call for you to specify one or two additional values in a table. You can save these values using the Default button.

6. Click the Add button to add the specified characteristics to the Trace.To remove existing trace characteristics:1. Select a trace in a report plot or legend.2. Click Report 2D>Trace Characteristics, or right-click on the selected trace to display the

short cut menu.3. Select Trace Characteristics>Clear All

Trace characteristics are clear from the selected trace.Related TopicsWorking with TracesSelecting a FunctionAdding Data Markers to Traces

Removing TracesYou can remove traces from the traces list in the following ways:To remove one trace from the report:• Select the trace you want to remove from the Project tree, and then click Delete.

Category Functions for the CategoryMath max, min, pk2pk, rms, avg, integ, integabs, avgabs, rmsAC, ripple,

pkavg, XatYMin, XatYMax, XatYVal

PulseWidth pulsefall9010, pulsefront9010, pulsefront3090, pulsemax, pulsemaxtime, pulsemin, pulsemintime, pulsetail50, pulsewidth5050, pw_plus, pw_plus_max, pw_plus_min, pw_plus_avg, pw_plus_rms, pw_minus_max, pw_minus_min, pw_minus_avg, pw_minus_rms

Overshoot, Undershoot

overshoot, undershoot.

TR & DC crestfactor, formfactor, distortion, fundamentalmag, delaytime, risetime, deadtime, settlingtime,

Error iae, ise, itae, itse

Period per, pmax, pmin, prms

Radiation xdb10bandwidth, xdb20bandwidth, lSidelobeX, lSidelobeY, rSidelobeX, rSidelobeY

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To remove all traces from the report:• Select all the traces and click Delete.

Related TopicsWorking with TracesEditing the Display Properties of Traces

Copy and Paste of Report and Trace DefinitionsYou can copy and paste report and individual trace definitions within a single design or across designs. The report or trace definition will be evaluated within the context of the target design or report.

To copy a Report Definition:Right click on the report name in the project tree and select Copy Definition from the shortcut menu.To paste the Report Definition:Right click on Results in the project tree of the target design and select Paste. A new report is created and it contains the copied definitions.To copy an individual Trace Definition(s):Right click on the trace or traces under a report name in the project tree and select Copy Defini-tion.To paste the Trace Definition(s):Right click on the report in the target design to which you would like to copy the trace or traces and select Paste. A new trace(s) is added to the report and it contains the copied trace definition(s).

Related Topics

Note If the report or trace definition contains properties that do not exist in the target design (for example, a port name) an error will be posted that indicates a solution does not exist for this trace

Note You must copy and paste trace definitions between the same report types. For example, you cannot copy a trace from a Modal Solution Data report and paste it in a Far Fields report.

Note If you copy and paste a report or trace definition to a design which contains a definition with the same name, then an incremented number is appended to the pasted report or trace name.

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Copying to the Clipboard as ImagesCopy and Paste of Report and Trace Data

Copy and Paste of Report and Trace DataYou can copy and paste report and individual trace data within a single design or across designs. The report and trace definitions and all underlying data within the report or trace are copied and pasted to the target design or report. To copy all data from a report:Right click on the report name in the project tree and select Copy Data, or use the menu bar Edit>Copy Data, or right click within a plot to display a shortcut menu with Copy Data.To paste copied report data:Right click on Results in the project tree of the target design and select Paste.To copy data from an individual trace(s) in a report:Right click on the trace or traces under a report name in the project tree and select Copy Data.To paste copied trace data:Right click on the report in the target design to which you would like to copy the trace data and select Paste.

Related TopicsCopying to the Clipboard as ImagesCopy and Paste of Report and Trace Definitions

Sweeping a Variable in a ReportIn HFSS, a swept variable is a variable that typically has more than one value. You can plot any cal-culated or derived quantity against one or more of the swept variable’s values. To specify the swept variable values to plot a selected quantity against:1. In the Report dialog, select the variable from the X (Primary Sweep) pulldown menu.2. To modify the values that will be plotted for a variable:

a. Click the ellipsis [...] button on the X (Primary Sweep) line of the Report dialog to dis-plays a popup list of the possible values.

b. Select All Values or click the Edited button to display a dialog that lets you specify the sweeps to use.All of the selected variable’s values will be plotted.

Note If you copy and paste report or trace data which contains the same name definition as a report or trace in the target design then an incremented number will be appended to the pasted name

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Sweeping Values Across a Distance1. If you are plotting a field quantity along a line, define a polyline object in the problem region.

If you are plotting a near-field quantity along a line, set up a near-field line.2. In the Report dialog box, click the line geometry of interest in the Geometry list.3. Specify the quantities you want to plot along the axes.4. For the X (Primary Sweep), select the Distance variable.

The values at which the selected quantity or quantities will be plotted are listed to the right. By default, a post-processing polyline object is divided into 100 equally spaced points.

5. For Near field, to plot the selected quantity or quantities at every point on the line, select All Values.For Near field, to plot the selected quantity or quantities at specific points on the line, clear the All Values option, and then select the point values on which you want to plot.

Related TopicsSweeping a Variable in a Report

Sweeping Values Across a Sphere1. Set up a near-field sphere or a far-field infinite sphere.2. In the Report dialog box, click the sphere geometry of interest in the Geometry list.3. For the Sweeps variable corresponding to phi, select the ellipsis [...] button.

This displays a small dialog.4. Clear the Use all values checkbox to enable selection and editing of the sweep values.

All of the possible values for the phi variable are listed in the dialog. The values are the result of the range of phi you specified during the infinite sphere’s setup. To modify the values of phi to be plotted across the sphere, do the following:a. Click Edit Sweep.b. Specify the following information:

c. Click Update Values, and then click OK.The values listed are updated to reflect the new number of points.

Note All maximum near-field data calculated by HFSS is at their maximum over the selected line object; if you plot the parameter over a sweep of values, the parameter will have the same value at each point on the plot.

Step or Count Whether to sweep by steps, or by linear count, decade count, octave count, or exponential count.

Start Value The point where the rotation of phi begins.

End Value The point where the rotation of phi ends.

Step or Count The number of values between the start value and the end value.

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5. To plot the selected quantity or quantities at every value of phi, select All Values.To plot the selected quantity or quantities at specific values of phi, clear the All Values option, and then select the phi values at which you want to plot.

6. For the Sweeps variable corresponding to theta, follow steps 4 and 5 for modifying the values of theta, if necessary, and specifying the theta values at which to plot the selected quantity or quantities.

Selecting a FunctionThe value of a quantity being plotted depends upon its mathematical function, which you select from the Trace tab Function list in the Report dialog box. The available, valid functions depend on the type of quantity (real or complex) that is being plotted. The function is applied to the quan-tity which is implicitly defined by all the swept and current variables. For example, "S(11)" is the value of the S-parameter for every swept combination of variables (e.g., "height", "frequency" and so forth).These functions can also be applied to previously specified Quantities and Functions as Range Functions when using the Set Range Function dialog.Some of these functions can operate along an entire curve. These are: deriv, min, max, integ, avg, rms, pk2pk, cang_deg and cang_rad. These functions have syntax as follows: • deriv(quantity) implicitly implies derivative over the primary sweep• deriv(quantity, SweepVariable) explicitly means derivative over the sweep variable specified

in the second argument (such as "Freq"). You can select from the following functions in the Trace tab Function list:

Note All antenna parameters and maximum far-field data calculated by HFSS is at their maximum over the selected object; if you plot the parameter over a sweep of values, the parameter will have the same value at each point on the plot.

abs Absolute value

acos Arc cosine

acosh Hyperbolic arc cosine

ang_deg Angle (phase) of a complex number, cut at +/-180

ang_rad Angle in radians

asin Arc sine

asinh Hyperbolic arc sine

atan Arc tangent

atanh Hyperbolic arc tangent

avg Average of first parameter over the second parameter

avgabs Absolute value of average.

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cang_deg Cumulative angle (phase) of the first parameter (a complex number) in degrees, along the second parameter (typically sweep variable). Returns a double precision value cut at +/-180.

cang_rad Cumulative angle of the first parameter in radians along a second parameter (typically a sweep variable) Returns a double precision value.

conjg Conjugate of the complex number.

cos Cosine

cosh Hyperbolic cosine

crestfactor Peak/RMS (root mean square) for the selected simulation quantity

dB(x) 20*log10(|x|)

dBm(x) 10*log10(|x|) +30

dBW(x) 10*log10(|x|)

db10normalize 10*log [normalize(mag(x))]

db20normalize 20*log [normalize(mag(x))]

deriv Derivative of first parameter over second parameter.

even Returns 1 if integer part of the number is even; returns 0 otherwise

exp Exponential function (the natural anti-logarithm)

formfactor Returns root mean square RMS/Mean Absolute Value for the selected simulation quantity.

iae Returns the integral of the absolute deviation of the selected quantity from a target value that is entered via the additional argument. To use this function, you need to open the Add Trace Characteristics dialog and select the Error category.

im Imaginary part of the complex number

int Truncated integer function

integ Integral of the selected quantity. Uses trapezoidal area.

integabs Absolute value of integral.

ise Returns the integral of the squared deviation of the selected quantity from a target value that is entered via an additional argument. To use this function, you need to open the Add Trace Characteristics dialog and select the Error category.

itae Returns the time-weighted absolute deviation of the selected quantity from a target value that is entered via an additional argument.To use this function, you need to open the Add Trace Characteristics dialog and select the Error category.

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itse Returns the time-weighted squared deviation of the selected qty from a target value that is entered via an additional argument.To use this function, you need to open the Add Trace Characteristics dialog and select the Error category.

j0 Bessel function of the first kind (0th order)

j1 Bessel function of the first kind (1st order)

ln Natural logarithm

log10 Logarithm base 10

lsidelobex The ‘x’ value for the left side lobe: the next highest value to the left of the max value.

lsidelobey The ‘y’ value for the left side lobe: the next highest value to the left of the max value.

mag Magnitude of the complex number

max Maximum of magnitudes.

max_swp Maximum value of a sweep.

min Minimum magnitudes.

min_swp Minimum value of a sweep.

nint Nearest integer

normalize Divides each value within a trace by the maximum value of the trace. ex. normalize(mag(x))

odd Returns 1 if integer part of the number is odd; returns 0 otherwise

overshoot Obtains the peak overshoot over a point (double argument)

per Calculates period.

pk2pk Peak to peak. Difference between max and min of the first parameter over the second parameter. Returns the peak-to-peak value for the selected simulation quantity.

pkavg Returns the ratio of the peak to peak-to-average for the selected quantity.

pmax Period max.

pmin Period minimum

prms Period Root Mean Square.

pulsefall9010 Pulse fall time of the selected simulation quantity according to the 90%-10% estimate.

pulsefront9010 Pulse front time of the selected simulation quantity according to the 10%-90% estimate.

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pulsefront3090 Pulse front time of the selected simulation quantity according to the 30%-90% estimate.

pulsemax Pulse maximum from the front and tail estimates for the selected simulation quantity.

pulsemaxtime Time at which the maximum pulse value of the selected simulation quantity is reached.

pulsemin Pulse minimum from the front and tail estimates for the selected simulation quantity.

pulsemintime Time at which the minimum pulse value of the selected simulation quantity is reached.

pulsetail50 Pulse tail time of the selected simulation quantity from the virtual peak to 50%.

pulsewidth5050 Pulse width of the selected simulation quantity as measured from the 50% points on the pulse front and pulse tail.

PulseWidth Functions

pw_plus Pulse width of first positive pulse

pw_plus_max Max. Pulse width of input stream

pw_plus_min Min. Pulse width of input stream

pw_plus_avg Average of the positive pulse width input stream

pw_plus_rms RMS of the positive pulse width input stream

pw_minus_max Max. Pulse width of input stream

pw_minus_min Min. Pulse width of input stream

pw_minus_avg Average of the negative pulse width input stream

pw_minus_rms RMS of the negative pulse width input stream

polar Converts the complex number in rectangular to polar

re Real part of the complex number

rect Converts the complex number in polar to rectangular

rem Fractional part

ripple Returns the ripple factor (AC RMS/Mean) for the selected quantity.

rms Returns total root mean square of the selected quantity.

rmsAC Returns the AC RMS for the selected quantity.

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Related TopicsAdd Trace CharacteristicsSet Range Function

Selecting Solution Quantities to PlotWhen you create a report of Modal or Terminal solution data, each trace in the report includes a quantity that is plotted along an axis. The quantity being plotted can be a value that was calculated by HFSS such as S11, a value from a calculated expression, or an intrinsic (inherent) variable value such as frequency or theta. The valid categories available depend on the type of quantity (real or complex) that is being plotted, the setup, the solution type, and the plot domain.

rsidelobex The ‘x’ value for the right side lobe: the next highest value to the right of the max value.

rsidelobey The ‘y’ value for the right side lobe: the next highest value to the right of the max value.

sgn Sign extraction

sin Sine

sinh Hyperbolic sine

sqrt Square root

tan Tangent

tanh Hyperbolic tangent

Undershoot Obtains the peak undershoot over a point (double argument).

XAtYMax Threshold crossing time: report first time (x value) at which an output quantity crosses YMax.

XAtYMin Threshold crossing time: report first time (x value) at which an output quantity crosses a user definable threshold

xdb10beamdwidth

Width between left and right occurrences of values ‘x’ db10 from max. Takes 'x' as argument (3.0 default). To use this function, you need to open the Add Trace Characteristics dialog and select the Radiation category.

xdb20beamwidth Width between left and right occurrences of values ‘x’ db20 from max. Takes 'x' as argument (3.0 default) To use this function, you need to open the Add Trace Characteristics dialog and select the Radiation category.

y0 Bessel function of the second kind (0th order)

y1 Bessel function of the second kind (1st order)

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To select an S-parameter quantity to plot:1. In the Report dialog box, Trace tab, select one of the following categories:

Variables Intrinsic variables, such as frequency or theta, or user-defined project variables, such as the length of a quarter-wave transformer.

Output Variables User defined expressions applied to derive quantities from the original field solution.

S-parameter S-parameters from the S-matrix.For designs which include a Frequency Selective Surface (FSS)-referenced radiation boundary, S11 and S21 represent the extracted reflection and transmission coefficients, respectively.

Y-parameter Admittance matrix parameters computed from the S-parameters and port impedances.

Z-parameter Impedance matrix parameters computed from the S-parameters and port impedances.

Power

Gamma Propagation constants for the S-parameters.

Port Zo Characteristic port impedances.

Voltage transform

TDR Impedance TDR (Time-Domain Reflectometry) impedance for non-terminal problems.The idea behind TDR is to excite a structure with a step function, and inspect the reflections as a function of time. If you select the Time Domain for the plot, the Category list includes the TDR Impedance and the TDR options button is enabled. Selecting the TDR Impedance category displays the (TDRZ) of every terminal or mode in the ports. The list of available Functions includes those that can operate on the TDRZ values.

VSWR Voltage standing wave ratio, calculated from the equation .

Group Delay Quantity calculated as rate of change of the total phase shift with respectto angular frequency,

Active S-parameter

Assume ak is a complex number representing magnitude and phase for the kth source. If there are n ports in the problem, for the mth mode:

1 Sij+1 Sij–------------------

d φ( )d ω( )------------

ActiveSmmakam------ Smk×

k 1=

n

∑=

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2. Select a quantity to plot from the Quantity list. The available quantities will depend upon the selected category and the setup of the design.

Selecting a Field Quantity to PlotWhen plotting field quantities, the quantity can be a value that was calculated by HFSS such as the magnitude of S11, a value from a calculated expression, or an intrinsic (inherent) variable value such as frequency or phase.To select a field quantity to plot:1. When you create the report, specify the Report Type as "Fields."2. In the Report dialog, select Geometry for the Context, unless you are plotting scalar (for

example, integration).3. In the Report dialog, select one of the following categories:

4. Select a quantity to plot from the Quantity list. The available quantities will depend upon the selected category and the setup of the design.

Active Y-parameter

Active Z-parameter

Active VSWR

Variables Intrinsic variables, such as frequency or phase, or user-defined project variables, such as the length of a quarter-wave transformer.

Output Variables User defined expressions applied to derive quantities from the original field solution.

Calculator Expressions

Includes scalar and vector field quantities automatically calculated by HFSS, as well as derived field quantities that are defined by calculated expressions you set up in the Fields Calculator.

ActiveYmm1

ActiveZmm---------------------------=

ActiveZmm Zm0

1 ActiveSmm+1 ActiveSmm–------------------------------------×=

ActiveVSWR1 mag ActiveS11( )+1 mag ActiveS11( )–--------------------------------------------------=

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Selecting a Far-Field Quantity to PlotWhen plotting far-field quantities, the quantity can be a value that was calculated by HFSS such as antenna gain, a value from a calculated expression, or an intrinsic (inherent) variable value such as frequency or theta.To select a far-field quantity to plot:1. When you create the report, specify the Report Type as "Far Fields."2. In the Report dialog box, select one of the following categories for the field setup:

Variables Intrinsic variables, such as frequency or theta, or user-defined project variables, such as the length of a quarter-wave transformer.

Output Variables User defined expressions applied to derive quantities from the original field solution.

rE The selected component of the radiated electric field, which is multiplied by the radial distance, r.

Gain Gain is four pi times the ratio of an antenna’s radiation intensity in a given direction to the total power accepted by the antenna.

Directivity Directivity of the antenna.

Realized Gain Realized gain is four pi times the ratio of an antenna’s radiation intensity in a given direction to the total power incident upon the antenna port(s).

Axial Ratio Axial ratio of the electric field.

Polarization Ratio Polarization ratio of the electric field.

Antenna Params HFSS-calculated quantities that include peak directivity, radiated power, accepted power, radiation efficiency, max U, and array factors. For far-field setups, the decay factor for lossy materials is calculated as a constant for all far fields.

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Radar Cross-Section (Bistatic RCS)

For designs with Plane Incident Waves. (RCS is not supported for other types of incident waves). The radar cross-section (RCS) or echo area, σ, is measured in meters squared and represented for a bistatic arrangement (that is, when the transmitter and receiver are in different locations as shown in the linked figure). This is represented by

where• Escat is the scattered E-field.• Einc is the incident E-field.

Complex (Bistatic) RCS

For designs with Plane Incident Waves. (RCS is not supported for other types of incident waves)The equation for complex (bistatic) RCS is calculated as:

where• Escat is the scattered E-field.• Einc is the incident E-field. This form retains the phase information.

Monostatic RCS For designs with Plane Incident waves. (RCS is not supported for other types of incident waves) A proper incident angle sweep should exist at the incident wave source setup before HFSS can plot Monostatic RCS.The radar cross-section (RCS) or echo area when the transmitter and receiver are at the same location.For Monostatic RCS, you need not be concerned with the Theta and Phi values defined in the radiation sphere. Only the incident wave Theta and incident wave Phi mean anything to a Monostatic RCS plot.

σ4πr2 Escat

2

Einc2

-----------------------------=

σ 2 πREscatEinc-------------=

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The following diagram shows the bistatic RCS concept, with separate transmitting and receiv-ing antennas.

3. Depending on the Category you selected, you will need to specify the polarization of the elec-tric field by selecting one of the following types of quantities from the Quantity list:

Related TopicsTechnical Notes: Antenna Parameters

Total The combined magnitude of the electric field components.

Phi The phi component.

Theta The theta component.

X The x-component.

Y The y-component.

Z The z-component.

LHCP The dominant component for a left-hand, circularly polarized field.

RHCP The dominant component for a right-hand, circularly polarized field.

CircularLHCP The polarization ratio for a predominantly left-hand, circularly polarized antenna.

CircularRHCP The polarization ratio for a predominantly right-hand, circularly polarized antenna.

SphericalPhi The polarization ratio for a predominantly φ-polarized antenna.

SphericalTheta The polarization ratio for a predominantly θ-polarized antenna.

L3X The dominant component for an x-polarized aperture using Ludwig’s third definition of cross polarization.

L3Y The dominant component for a y-polarized aperture using Ludwig’s third definition of cross polarization.

R1

R2

Transmitting antenna

Receiving antenna

TargetIncident Wave

Scattered Wave

Bistatic RCS

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Technical Notes: Polarization of the Electric FieldTechnical Notes: Spherical Cross-Sections

Plotting Vertical Cross-Sections of Far FieldsWhen plotting far fields, a vertical cross-section plot results from holding phi fixed and sweeping theta through a range of values. 1. Open the Report dialog box.2. Click the ellipsis [...] button for the sweep variable corresponding to phi.

This displays a dialog listing all values for the phi variable. The values are the result of the range of phi you specified during the infinite sphere’s setup.

3. Select the fixed value that phi should take in the plot.HFSS will display values for the vertical cross-section at selected phi cuts of the problem region at a set of theta rotations.

The figure shown below demonstrates the orientation of the vertical cross-section when φ is the fixed variable:

Plotting Horizontal Cross-Sections of Far FieldsWhen plotting far fields, a horizontal cross-section results from holding theta fixed and sweeping phi through a range of values. 1. Click the ellipsis [...] button for the sweep variable corresponding to theta.

To the right, all of the possible values for the theta variable are listed. The values are the result of the range of theta you specified during the infinite sphere’s setup.

2. Select the fixed value that theta should take in the plot.HFSS will display values for the horizontal cross-section at selected theta cuts of the problem region at a set of phi rotations.

θ values are an infinite radial distance away from the origin for far-field plots.

x y

z

φ

θ

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The figure shown below demonstrates the orientation of the sphere on which the field is com-puted when θ is the fixed variable:

Selecting a Near-Field Quantity to PlotWhen plotting near-field quantities, the quantity can be a value that was calculated by HFSS, a value from a calculated expression, or an intrinsic (inherent) variable value such as frequency or theta.To select a near-field quantity to plot:1. When you create the report, specify the Report Type as "Near Fields."2. In the Report dialog box, select one of the following categories:

3. If you selected the Near E category, specify the polarization of the electric field by selecting one of the following types of quantities from the Quantity list:

Variables Intrinsic variables, such as frequency or theta, or user-defined project variables, such as the length of a quarter-wave transformer.

Output Variables User defined expressions applied to derive quantities from the original field solution.

Near E The radiated electric field in the near region.

Max Near Field Params

The maximum radiated electric field in the near region.

Near Normalized Antenna

The resultant plot is: field quantity / (maximum field quantity value over the entire infinite sphere).

NearETotal The combined magnitude of the electric field components.

NearEPhi The phi component of the electric field.

NearETheta The theta component of the electric field.

NearEX The x-component of the electric field.

x y

z

θ

φ φ values are an infinite radial distanceaway from the origin for far-field plots.

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If a Near-field plot takes a long time to plot, be sure to perform File>Save when the plot is dis-played. This saves the calculated data and permits fast display on subsequent viewings of the plot.

Related TopicsTechnical Notes: Polarization of the Electric Field

Selecting an Emission Test Quantity to Plot

1. When you create the report, select Emission Test.2. In the Report dialog box, select one of the following categories and apply an appropriate

Quantity.

3. Select a Function for the quantity from the function list.4. For Emission Test, the Report dialog also contains a button for specifying the digital signal

options. The default values are a rise time of 0 seconds, and a hold time of 1 second. To specify other values, click Digital Signal ....

NearEY The y-component of the electric field.

NearEZ The z-component of the electric field.

NearELHCP The dominant component for a left-hand, circularly polarized electric field.

NearERHCP The dominant component for a right-hand, circularly polarized electric field.

NearECircularLHCP The polarization ratio for a predominantly left-hand, circularly polarized antenna.

NearECircularRHCP The polarization ratio for a predominantly right-hand, circularly polarized antenna.

NearEL3X The dominant component for an x-polarized aperture using Ludwig’s third definition of cross polarization.

NearEL3Y The dominant component for a y-polarized aperture using Ludwig’s third definition of cross polarization.

Variables Intrinsic variables, such as frequency or theta, or user-defined project variables, such as the length of a quarter-wave transformer.

Output Variables User defined expressions applied to derive quantities from the original field solution.

Sphere A sphere of 1, 3, 10, or 30 meters, or of the same dimensions and PRBS Simple or PRBS exact (where PRBS is pseudorandom binary [bit] sequence).

Cylinder A cylinder of 3 or 10 meters, or of the same dimensions and PRBS Simple or PRBS exact.

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This displays the Digital Signal Options dialog. It contains fields for the rise time and hold time.

5. OK the specified values or Cancel, Use Defaults, or Save As Default as appropriate.

Plotting Imported Solution Data1. In the Solution pull-down list in the Report dialog box, click the imported data you want to

plot.2. Follow the procedure for creating a report.

Setting a Range FunctionTo apply a range function to the Y, Z, or Mag component of a trace:1. Click the Range Function button in the Reports dialog.

This opens the Set Range Function dialog. The functions available are the same as described in the Selecting a Function section.

2. Click the Specified radio button on the Range function line. This enables the Range Function fields.

3. Select the Category, and then an associated Function to apply. The available categories depend on the plot, and Category enables the display of associated functions.

Given a selected Function, and Category, the Set Range Function dialog displays a text field that explains the Purpose of the function. For a full list of functions and their definitions, see Selecting a Function.Selecting a function causes the display of a description in the Purpose field. If the function requires a value (such as the XatYVal Math function or the pw_minus_max Pulse Width func-

Category Functions for the CategoryMath max, min, pk2pk, rms, avg, integ, integabs, avgabs, rmsAC, ripple,

pkavg, XatYMin, XatYMax, XatYVal

PulseWidth pulsefall9010, pulsefront9010, pulsefront3090, pulsemax, pulsemaxtime, pulsemin, pulsemintime, pulsetail50, pulsewidth5050, pw_plus, pw_plus_max, pw_plus_min, pw_plus_avg, pw_plus_rms, pw_minus_max, pw_minus_min, pw_minus_avg, pw_minus_rms

Overshoot, Undershoot

overshoot, undershoot.

TR & DC crestfactor, formfactor, distortion, fundamentalmag, delaytime, risetime, deadtime, settlingtime,

Error iae, ise, itae, itse

Period per, pmax, pmin, prms

Radiation xdb10bandwidth, xdb20bandwidth, lSidelobeX, lSidelobeY, rSidelobeX, rSidelobeY

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tion), the table below the function field displays the name, editable value field, unit, and description.

4. Use the Over Sweep drop down menu to select from available sweeps. 5. To select from available Sweeps, or to edit them, use the ellipsis [...] button and uncheck Use

All Sweeps.This enables a list of the sweeps. The sweep(s) you select is displayed on the Over Sweep line. You can use the buttons to Clear All Selections or Select All sweeps.

6. Select the Sweeps Default or Edited radio buttons to specify whether to accept the default or edited sweeps.

7. To edit the sweeps further, select the ellipsis button to display an Edit Sweep dialog.For frequency variables, this lets you specify a single value, linear step, linear count, decade count, octave count, or exponential count. You can Add legal values to the list of sweep val-ues, Update the list for changes, or Delete selected entries.

8. Click OK to apply the range function.Related TopicsSelecting a Function

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Specifying Output VariablesThe Output Variables window contains four sections:• Context section, where you specify the Report type, the Solution, and for appropriate report

types, the Domain. Changing the Report type affects whether the Domain menu appears, and may affect the functions listed in the Calculation section.

• Output Variables section, where you can specify the name and expression for a new output variable.

• Calculation section, where you can insert quantities into the Expression area of the Output Variables section.

• Function section, where you can insert completed expressions into the Expression area of the Output Variables section.

Adding a New Output VariableTo add an output variable:1. Click HFSS>Results>Output Variables or, in the Project tree, right-click on Results and

select Output Variables from the short-cut menu.The Output Variables window appears. Variables defined using the HFSS>Results>Output Variables command appear in the list at the top of the window.

2. In the Output Variables section, enter a name for the new variable in the Name box.3. To enter an expression, do one or both of the following:

a. Type part or all of the expression directly in the Expression area. Valid functions appear in blue. Invalid functions appear in red.

b. Insert part or all of the expression using the options in the Calculation and Function sec-tions.

4. Click Add to add the new variable to the list.5. Repeat steps 2 through 5 to add additional variables.6. When you are finished adding output variables, click Done to close the Output Variables

window.

Related TopicsDeleting Output Variables

Building an Expression Using Existing QuantitiesWhen you are entering an expression for a new output variable, you can insert part or all of the expression using the options in the Calculation and Function sections of the Output Variables window.

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To add an input variable by inserting part or all of the expression:1. Click HFSS>Results>Output Variables or, in the Project Tree, right-click on Results and

select Output Variables from the short-cut menu.The Output Variables window appears.

2. In the Output Variables section, enter a name for the new variable in the Name box.3. To insert a quantity:

a. From the Report Type pull-down list, select the type of report from which you want to select the quantity.

b. From the Solution pull-down list, select the solution from which you want to select the quantity.

c. From the Category list, select the type of quantity you want to enter.d. From the Quantity list, select the quantity or the geometry.e. From the Function list, select a ready-made function (this option is the same as inserting

the function from the Function section).f. If applicable, from the Domain list, select the solution domain.g. Click Insert Into Expression.

The selected quantity is entered into the Expression area of the Output Variables sec-tion.

4. To insert a function:a. In the Function section, select a ready-made function from the pull-down list.b. Click Insert Function into Expression.

The function appears in the Expression area of the Output Variables section.5. When you are finished defining the variable in the Expression area, click Add to add the new

variable to the list.6. Repeat steps 2 through 6 to add additional variables.7. When you are finished adding output variables, click Done to close the Output Variables

window.

Note Remember the evaluated value of an expression is always interpreted as in SI units. However, when a quantity is plotted in a report, you have the option to plot values in units other than SI. For example, the expression "1+ang_deg(S11)" represents an "angle" quantity evaluated in radians though plotted in degrees units. To represent an angle quantity in degrees, you would specify units as "1 deg + ang_deg(S11)".

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Deleting Output VariablesTo delete output variables:1. Remove all references to the output variable in the project.2. Save the project to erase the command history.3. Click HFSS>Results>Output Variables or, in the Project Tree, right-click on Results and

select Output Variables from the short-cut menu. This opens the Output Variables dialog.

4. Select the variable and click the Delete button.5. Click OK to close the dialog.

Related TopicsAdding a New Output Variable

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Plotting Field OverlaysField overlays are representations of basic or derived field quantities on surfaces or objects for the current design variation. You can set the design variation via the Set Design Variation dialog. This dialog box is accessible from the Solution Data window via by clicking the ellipsis button on the right of the Design Variation field, and via the HFSS>Results>Apply Solved Variation com-mand.To plot a basic field quantity:1. Select a point, line, surface, or object to create the plot on or within.2. On the HFSS menu, point to Fields, and then point to Plot Fields.3. On the Plot Fields menu, click the field quantity you want to plot.

If you select a scalar field quantity, a scalar surface or volume plot will be created. If you select a vector field quantity, a vector surface or volume plot will be created. If the quantity you want to plot is not listed, see Named Expression Library.The Create Field Plot dialog box appears.

4. To specify a name for the plot other than the default, select Specify Name, and then type a new name in the Name text box.

5. Select the solution to plot from the Solution pull-down list.6. To specify a folder other than the default in which to store the plot, select Specify Folder, and

then click a folder in the Plot Folder pull-down list, or type the name you wish to use. Plot folders are listed under Field Overlays in the project tree.

7. Under Intrinsic Variables, select the frequency and phase angle at which the field quantity is evaluated.

8. Select the field quantity to plot from the Quantity list. 9. Select the volume (region) in which the field will be plotted from the In Volume list.

This selection enables you to limit plots to the intersection of a volume with the selected object.

10. Click Done.The field quantity is plotted on the surfaces or within the objects you selected. The plot uses the attributes specified in the Plot Attributes dialog box.The new plot appears in the view window. It is listed in the specified plot folder in the project tree. If you have created a field plot on a simulation in progress, the field plot is updated after the last adaptive solution. If you want to update the field overlay before then, to view progress in the solution, select the Field icon in the Project tree that contains the field plot of interest, right-click to display the short cut menu, and select Update Plots.

Related TopicsPlotting Derived Field Quantities

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Using the Fields CalculatorTechnical Notes: Field OverlaysTechnical Notes: Field QuantitiesTechnical Notes: Specifying the Phase Angle

Plotting Derived Field QuantitiesDerived field quantities are field quantity representations that have been deduced from the original field solution using the Fields Calculator.1. Select a point, line, surface, or object to create the plot on or within.2. On the HFSS menu, or right-click on the Field Overlays icon in the Project tree, and point to

Fields>Named Expression.3. Select the derived quantity you want to plot, and then click OK.

The Create Field Plot dialog box appears.4. To specify a name for the plot other than the default, select Specify Name, and then type a new

name in the Name text box.5. Select the solution to plot from the Solution pull-down list.6. To specify a folder other than the default in which to store the plot, select Specify Folder, and

then click a folder in the Plot Folder pull-down list, or type the name you wish to use. Plot folders are listed under Field Overlays in the project tree.

7. Under Intrinsic Variables, select the frequency and phase angle at which the field quantity is evaluated.

8. Select the derived field quantity to plot from the Quantity list. 9. Select the volume, or region, in which the field will be plotted from the In Volume list.

This selection enables you to limit plots to the intersection of a volume and the selected object.10. Click Done.

The derived field quantity you created in the Fields Calculator is plotted on the surfaces or objects you selected. The new plot is listed in the project tree under Field Overlays.

Related TopicsUsing the Fields CalculatorTechnical Notes: Field QuantitiesTechnical Notes: Specifying the Phase AngleAdd Trace Characteristics

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Creating Scalar Field PlotsA scalar plot uses shaded colors or contoured lines to illustrate the magnitude of field quantities on surfaces or volumes. 1. Do one of the following:

a. To create a scalar surface plot, select the faces on which you want to plot the fields.b. To create a scalar volume plot, select the objects within which you want to plot the fields.

2. On the HFSS menu, point to Fields, and then point to Plot Fields.3. On the Plot Fields menu, click the scalar field quantity you want to plot.

The Create Field Plot dialog box appears.4. Follow the procedure for plotting field overlays.The plot uses the attributes specified in the Plot Attributes dialog box.The new plot will be listed in the specified plot folder in the project tree.

Related TopicsModifying Field Plot Attributes

Modifying SAR SettingsHFSS uses default specific absorption rate (SAR) settings when creating a local SAR or average SAR field overlay plot. To change the default settings:1. On the HFSS menu, point to Fields, and then click SAR Setting.

The Specific Absorption Rate Setting dialog box appears.2. In the Material Density text box, enter the mass density of the dielectric material in g/cm3.3. In the Mass of Tissue text box, enter the mass of the material that surrounds each mesh point.

This can be a value between 1 and 10.4. Click OK.

Related TopicsTechnical Notes: Calculating the SAR

Creating Vector Field PlotsA vector plot uses arrows to illustrate the magnitudes of the x-, y-, and z-components of field quan-tities. Vector plots can be created on surfaces or volumes. 1. Do one of the following:

a. To create a vector surface plot, select the faces on which you want to plot the fields. b. To create a vector volume plot, select the objects within which you want to plot the fields.

2. On the HFSS menu, point to Fields, and then point to Plot Fields.

Hint The SAR settings will apply to the entire model. To plot the SAR inside a volume with multiple dielectric objects, each with their own mass density, set the mass density, and then plot the SAR only in the object of interest.

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3. On the Plot Fields menu, click the vector field quantity you want to plot.4. Follow the procedure for plotting field overlays.

Modifying Field Plots1. On the HFSS menu, point to Fields, and then click Modify Plot , or in the Project tree,

select the Field Overlays icon, right-click, and select Modify PlotThe Select Field Plot(s) dialog box appears.

2. Select the plot you want to modify in the Select column, and then click OK.3. Optionally, click a different solution to plot in the Solution pull-down list.4. Optionally, specify a different Plot Folder in which to store the plot.5. Under Intrinsic Variables, specify the frequency and phase angle at which the field quantity

will be evaluated.6. Optionally, select a different field quantity to plot from the Quantity list.

• To choose a calculated expression, select Calculator from the Category pull-down list. • To choose a default field quantity, select Standard from the Category pull-down list.

7. Select the volume, or region, in which the field will be plotted from the In Volume list. This selection enables you to limit plots to the intersection of a volume and the selected object.

8. Click Done.The field quantity is plotted on the surfaces or within the objects you selected. The modified plot is listed in the specified plot folder in the project tree.The plot uses the attributes specified in the Plot Attributes dialog box.

Related TopicsTechnical Notes: Specifying the Phase AngleAdd Trace Characteristics

Setting Field Plot AttributesAfter creating a mesh or field overlay on a surface or volume, you can modify its appearance by changing the settings in the Plot Attributes dialog box. You will modify the settings for a plot folder and all plots in that folder will use the same attributes.1. On the HFSS menu, point to Fields, and then click Modify Plot Attributes , or in the

Project Manager window, select the Field Overlays icon, and select Modify Attributes.The Select Plot Folder window appears.

2. In the Select Plot Folder window, select the plot you want to modify, and then click OK. (You can also select the specific plot in in the Project tree, and select Modify Attributes from the right click menu.A dialog box with attribute settings for the selected plot (whether for an E Field plot or a Mesh Overlay plot) appears.

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3. For an E Field Plot, under the following tabs in the dialog box, you can control the following plot attributes: For Mesh plot attributes, see below.

a. Under each tab, click Save as default if you want the tab’s settings to apply to field over-lay plots created after this point.

b. Select Real time mode if you want the changes to take effect immediately in the view window.

c. If this option is cleared, click Apply when you want to see the changes.For Mesh plots, the following attributes can be modified: You can use the Save As Default button to apply these settings to all meshes in the folder.

Color map The number of colors used and how they are displayed.

Scale The scale of field quantities.

Marker/Arrow • The appearance of points (for scalar point plots).• The appearance of arrows (for vector plots).

Plots • The plot selected.• To display or hide the mesh on the plot’s surface or volume.• The type of isovalue display (for scalar plots.)• The transparency based on solution value.• Whether to add a grid (that is, a mesh overlay), and to set the grid

color.• Specify the plot resolution as Coarse, Normal, Fine, or Very Fine.

This affects the use of memory for animating plots. For large plots with more frames to animate, use Coarse or Normal to reduce memory requirements and improve performance. For smaller plots with few frames, if higher resolution is required, use Fine or Very Fine.

• The spacing of arrows (for vector plots).

Plot A drop down list of available plots.

Scale Factor The size at which the tets are displayed. Scaling may let you analyze particular situations better.

Transparency The degree of transparency for the tets.

Wire Frame or Shaded

Whether to display the tets as wire frame or shaded.

Mesh Color for Line and Fill

The color for the tet edge lines and fill. Clicking the button for each displays a color selection dialog.

Surface Only Whether to plot the surface only, or the 3D structure.

Real Time Whether to show changes to a mesh in real time.

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4. Click Close to dismiss the dialog box.

Related TopicsPlotting the MeshPlotting Field Overlays

Modifying Field Plot Colors1. On the HFSS menu, point to Fields, and then click Modify Plot Attributes .

The Select Plot Folder window appears. 2. Select the plot folder you want to modify, and then click OK.

All plots in the selected folder will be modified.A dialog box with attribute settings for the selected folder appears.

3. Click the Color map tab.4. Select one of the following color types:

5. Enter the Number of colors to use in the plot.6. Select Real time mode if you want the changes to take effect immediately in the view win-

dow. If this option is cleared, click Apply when you want to see the changes.

7. Click Close to dismiss the dialog box.

Related TopicsSetting the Color Key VisibilityMoving the Color Key

Setting the Color Key VisibilityThe color key (shown below) displays the range of plotted field values for a field overlay plot. It displays the colors that correspond to the range of field values on the plot.

1. On the View menu, click Active View Visibility .

Uniform Field quantities are plotted in a single color. Choose the plot color from the Color palette.

Ramp Field quantities are plotted in shades of a single color. Choose the plot color from the Color palette. The shade of the color corresponds to its field value.

Spectrum Field quantities are plotted in multiple colors. Choose a color spectrum from the pull-down list. Each field value is assigned a color from the selected spectrum.

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The Active View Visibility dialog box appears.2. Click the Color Keys tab.3. In the Visibility column, select the field overlay or mesh plots in which you want to dis-

play the color key. Clear the plots in which you want to hide the color key from view.4. Click Done to dismiss the dialog box.Alternatively, to hide the color key, right-click on the color key in the view window, and then click Hide from the shortcut menu.

Only the color keys in the selected plots will be visible.

Related TopicsModifying Field Plot ColorsMoving the Color Key

Moving the Color KeyClick on the active field overlay plot’s color key and drag it to a new location.

Related TopicsSetting the Color Key Visibility

Range of PlottedField Values

Color Map

Plot Title

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Modifying the Field Plot ScaleTo change how field quantities are scaled on the field overlay plot:1. On the HFSS menu, point to Fields, and then click Modify Plot Attributes .

The Select Plot Folder window appears. 2. Select the plot folder you want to modify, and then click OK.

All plots in the selected folder will be modified.A dialog box with attribute settings for the selected folder appears.

3. Click the Scale tab.4. Select one of the following scale options:

5. If you selected Use Limits, enter the lowest field value to be plotted in the Min. text box and the highest field value to be plotted in the Max. text box. If you selected Auto, the Auto Scale Options are enabled. You should only changed for cases where auto-min is a small number. Use the 'Limits Max/Min precision to' checkbox to enable setting the drop down menu for the precision limit. The auto-min is the greater of the follow-ing: • Actual computed Min • Max/pow(10, num digits of field precision)

6. Select one of the following options:

7. Select Real time mode if you want the changes to take effect immediately in the view win-dow.

Auto The full range of field values will be plotted on the selected surface or volume. Selecting Auto enables the Auto Scale Options and disables the Min and Max fields. By default, precision is not limited and auto-min is the actual computed min on the plotted geometry.

Use Limits Only the field values between the minimum and maximum values will be plotted. Field values below or above these values will be plotted in the colors assigned to the minimum or maximum limits, respectively. Selecting Use Limits enables the Min and Max fields and disables the Auto Scale Options. Field values have a precision of at most 6 decimal places (field solution files are saved in floating precision), so Min/Max numbers are displayed to this precision.

Linear Field values are plotted on a linear scale.

Log Field values are plotted on a logarithmic scale. If field plots have negative and positive values and when auto-scale is selected, the log-scale choice automatically sets the Min value as the Max/Min Ratio. (If field plots have all negative values, Log is not allowed.)

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If this option is cleared, click Apply when you want to see the changes.8. Optionally, you can use the Save As Default button to save the following to registry:

• Whether to limit field precision, • The number of digits of field precision, • Whether to use log/linear scale. Auto scale is always be default for new plots. For scalar-in-volume plots, iso-surface (rather than cloud) is the default display

9. Click Close to dismiss the window.

Modifying Vector Field Plot ArrowsTo change the appearance of a vector field plot’s arrows:1. On the HFSS menu, point to Fields, and then click Modify Plot Attributes .

The Select Plot Folder window appears. 2. Select the plot folder you want to modify, and then click OK.

All plots in the selected folder will be modified.A dialog box with attribute settings for the selected folder appears.

3. Click the Marker/Arrow tab.4. Under Arrow Options, select one of the following arrow types:

5. Use the Size slider to increase (move to the right) or decrease (move to the left) the length and dimensions of the arrows. The arrows are resized relative to the size of the model geometry.

6. Select Map Size to scale the size of the arrows to the magnitude of the field quantity being plotted.

7. Select Arrow tail to include tails on all arrows.8. Click the Plots tab. 9. HFSS plots arrows on a grid that is superimposed on the surface or object you selected for the

plot. Under Vector plot, use the Spacing slider to increase (move to the right) or decrease (move to the left) the distance between arrows (grid points.)• Select Uniform if you want the arrows to be spaced equally.

10. Select Real time mode if you want the changes to take effect immediately in the view win-dow. If this option is cleared, click Apply when you want to see the changes.

11. Click Close to dismiss the window.

Line The arrows are displayed as 2D/flat.

Cylinder The arrow tails are displayed as cylinders. The arrowheads are displayed as 3D/round.

Umbrella The arrow tails are displayed as 1D lines. The arrowheads are displayed as 3D/round.

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Setting the Mesh Visibility on Field PlotsTo display or hide the mesh on field plots, or change the mesh’s color:1. On the HFSS menu, point to Fields, and then click Modify Plot Attributes .

The Select Plot Folder window appears. 2. Select the plot folder you want to modify, and then click OK.

All plots in the selected folder will be modified.A dialog box with attribute settings for the selected folder appears.

3. Click the Plots tab.4. Select Add Grid to display the mesh.5. Optionally, select a color for the mesh from the Color palette.6. Select Real time mode if you want the changes to take effect immediately in the view win-

dow. If this option is cleared, click Apply when you want to see the changes.

7. Click Close to dismiss the window.

Related TopicsPlotting the Mesh

Modifying Scalar Field Plot Isovalues1. On the HFSS menu, point to Fields, and then click Modify Plot Attributes .

The Select Plot Folder window appears. 2. Select the plot folder you want to modify, and then click OK.

All plots in the selected folder will be modified.A dialog box with attribute settings for the selected folder appears.

3. Click the Plots tab.4. If the plot is a scalar surface plot, do the following:

a. Select one of the following isosurface display types in the IsoValType pull-down list:

b. Optionally, if you selected Fringe or Tone, select Outline to add a border line between isovalues.

5. If the plot is a scalar volume plot, do the following:

Line Lines are drawn along the isovalues.

Fringe Color is constant between isovalues.

Tone Color varies continuously between isovalues.

Gourard Color varies continuously across the plot.

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a. Select one of the following display types:

b. Optionally, if you select Cloud, use the Cloud density slider to increase or decrease the number of points that represent the density on the volume.

c. Optionally, if you select Cloud, enter a point size for the clouds in the Point size text box.6. Select Real time mode if you want the changes to take effect immediately in the view win-

dow. If this option is cleared, click Apply when you want to see the changes.

7. Click Close to dismiss the window.

Mapping Scalar Field Plot Transparency to Field Values1. On the HFSS menu, point to Fields, and then click Modify Plot Attributes .

The Select Plot Folder window appears. 2. Select the plot folder you want to modify, and then click OK.

All plots in the selected folder will be modified.A dialog box with attribute settings for the selected folder appears.

3. Click the Plots tab.4. Use the Map transp. slider to increase (move to the right) or decrease (move to the left) the

transparency of the plot.• If you select Map transp., the transparency of field values increases as the solution values

decrease.5. Select Real time mode if you want the changes to take effect immediately in the view win-

dow. If this option is cleared, click Apply when you want to see the changes.

6. Click Close to dismiss the window.

Modifying Markers on Point PlotsFor scalar point plots, a marker is used to represent a field quantity at a selected point. (For vector point plots, arrows are used.) Modify the shape and size of markers in the plot attributes window.1. On the HFSS menu, point to Fields, and then click Modify Plot Attributes .

The Select Plot Folder window appears. 2. Select the plot folder you want to modify, and then click OK.

All plots in the selected folder will be modified.A dialog box with attribute settings for the selected folder appears.

3. Click the Marker/Arrow tab in the plot attributes window.

IsoValSurface Color is drawn on the isovalues.

Cloud Field values are represented by points that illustrate the spatial distribution of the solution. The higher the solution value, the greater the cloud density.

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4. Under Marker options, select one of the marker types to represent the field quantity at the point:• Sphere• Box• Tetrahedron• Octahedron

5. Use the Size slider to increase (move to the right) or decrease (move to the left) the size of the marker.

6. Select Map size to scale the size of the marker to the magnitude of the quantity being plotted.7. Select Real time mode if you want the changes to take effect immediately in the view win-

dow. If this option is cleared, click Apply when you want to see the changes.

8. Click Close to dismiss the window.

Related TopicsDrawing a Point

Modifying Line PlotsField quantities can be plotted directly on a line object. Scalar quantities are plotted as 3D color-shaded lines. Vector quantities are plotted as arrows that are based on the line.To modify the appearance of line plots:1. On the HFSS menu, point to Fields, and then click Modify Plot Attributes .

The Select Plot Folder window appears. 2. Select the plot folder you want to modify, and then click OK.

All plots in the selected folder will be modified.A dialog box with attribute settings for the selected folder appears.

3. Click the Plots tab.4. Select one of the following isosurface display types in the IsoValType pull-down list:

5. Select one of the following styles for the line object in the Line style pull-down list:

Fringe Color is constant between isovalues.

Tone Color varies continuously between isovalues.

Gourard Color varies continuously across the plot.

Cylinder The line object is shaped like a cylinder.

Solid The line object is a 3D solid.

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6. Use the Line width slider to increase (move to the right) or decrease (move to the left) the thickness of the line.

7. By default, a polyline object is divided into 100 equally spaced points for post processing. To modify the number of points on the line, type a new value in the Number of points text box.

8. Select Real time mode if you want the changes to take effect immediately in the view win-dow. If this option is cleared, click Apply when you want to see the changes.

9. Click Close to dismiss the window.

Related TopicsDrawing a Polyline

Setting a Plot’s VisibilityTo display or hide a field overlay or mesh plot from view in the 3D Modeler window:

1. On the View menu, click Active View Visibility . Alternatively, you can select the Active View Visibility icon from the toolbar.The Active View Visibility dialog box appears.

2. Click the FieldsReporter tab.3. In the Visibility column, select the field overlay or mesh plots you want to display. Clear the

plots you want to hide from view.Only the selected plots will be visible.

Related TopicsPlotting the Mesh

Saving a Field Overlay PlotField overlay and mesh plots are saved in the project file; however, you can save a plot to HFSS Field Plot File format (.dsp) and then open it in HFSS.To save field overlay or mesh plot data to a .dsp file:1. In the project tree, click the plot you want to export.2. On the HFSS menu, point to Fields, and then click Save as .

The Select Field Plot(s) dialog box appears.

Dash-Dash The line object is represented by dashed black line segments.

Dot-Dot The line object is represented by a series of dots.

Dash-Dot The line object is represented by a a series of alternating dashed black line segments and dots.

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3. Select the plots you want to export by checking the Select box, and then click OK.The file browser appears. Field Plot Files (.dsp) is the selected file type.

4. Specify the name of the .dsp file and the location in which to save it.5. Click Save.

The plot is exported to the specified .dsp file.The file you created can be opened in HFSS version 9 and later. Simply click HFSS>Fields>Open.Related TopicsExporting Animations

Opening a Field Overlay PlotTo open a field overlay or mesh plot that you have saved to HFSS Field Plot File format (.dsp) in HFSS version 9 and later:1. On the HFSS menu, point to Fields, and then click Open .2. The file browser appears. Field Plot Files (.dsp) is the selected file type. 3. Browse to the location of the .dsp file you want to open, and then click the file name.4. Click Open.

The plot appears in the view window. It is listed under Field Overlays in the project tree.

Deleting a Field Overlay Plot1. On the HFSS menu, point to Fields, and then click Delete Plot .

The Delete Plots dialog box appears.2. Select the plots you want to delete by checking the Delete check box.3. Click OK.

The selected plots are deleted.Alternatively, click the plot in the project tree that you want to delete, and then press Delete .

Setting Field Plot DefaultsEach new field plot uses the default plot settings specified in the Set Plot Defaults dialog box. To modify the default plot settings:1. If a plot folder has not been created, click Field Overlays in the project tree.

2. On the HFSS menu, point to Fields, and then click Set Plot Defaults .The Set Plot Defaults dialog box appears.

3. Select the solution to plot from the Solution pull-down list.4. Select the plot folder in which new plots will be stored from the Quantity type pull-down list.

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Choose one of the following options:

5. Under Intrinsic Variables, specify the frequency and phase angle at which the field quantity is evaluated.

6. Click OK.

Related TopicsTechnical Notes: Specifying the Phase Angle

New Folder Each new plot will be stored in a separate folder in the project tree.

Automatic Each new plot will be stored in a folder determined by HFSS as the most appropriate based on the plotted field quantity. For example, all surface magnitude E plots will be stored in the same folder.

An existing folder Select the existing folder in which you want to store new plots.

Note Plots stored in the same folder will use the same color key. The Auto scale setting will be based on the maximum field solution value present in a plot.

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Using the Fields CalculatorThe Fields calculator enables you to perform computations using basic field quantities. The calcu-lator will compute derived quantities from the general electric field solution; write field quantities to files, locate maximum and minimum field values, and perform other operations on the field solu-tion. The calculator does not actually perform the computations until a value is needed or is forced for a result. This makes it more efficient, saving computing resources and time; you can do all the calcu-lations without regard to data storage of all the calculated points of the field. It is generally easier to do all the calculations first, then plot the results.

Related TopicsOpening the Fields CalculatorContext AreaCalculator StackRegistersThe Stack CommandsInput CommandsGeneral CommandsScalar CommandsVector CommandsOutput CommandsCalculating Derived Output QuantitiesNamed Expression Library

Opening the Fields CalculatorTo open the Fields Calculator, do one of the following:• On the HFSS menu, point to Fields, and then click Calculatoror• Right-click Field Overlays in the project tree, and then click Calculator on the shortcut menu.

The Fields Calculator window appears.To view information on a command or screen area, click over the button or screen area on the illus-tration below.

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Context AreaThe panel at the upper right of the window identifies the context to be used for the calculations. The top line identifies the design. Depending on the design, text entry boxes allow you to select a Solu-tion, Field Type, Freq, Phase, IWavePhi and IWaveTheta. The IWavePhi and IWaveTheta are available only for incident wave projects in which the wave is defined with spherical coordinates.

The Calculator StackThe calculator is made up of a stack of registers. Registers are displayed in the register display area at the center of the calculator window. Each register can hold:• Field quantities such as the H-field or E-field.• Functional or constant scalars and vectors. • Geometries — points, lines, surfaces, or volumes — on which a field quantity is to be evalu-

ated. To perform a computation on the field solution, you must first load a basic field quantity into a reg-ister on the stack. Once a quantity is loaded into a register, it can be:• Manipulated using mathematical operations such as curls, gradients, cross products, diver-

gences, and dot products. • Integrated over lines, surfaces, or subvolumes of the solution region — either predefined sur-

faces, volumes, and lists, or lines, surfaces, and volumes that were defined using the Draw commands.

• Plotted on a point, line, surface, or volume.• Exported to a file, allowing you to superimpose saved solutions.

RegistersCalculator registers hold field quantities, numbers, vectors, and geometries. No registers are cre-ated until you load something into the calculator; therefore, this part of the window is initially blank. As items are loaded into the calculator, it creates new registers to hold them. Each register is labeled with its contents as follows:

Vec Vector quantities, which have both direction and magnitude at each point in space. The x-, y-, and z-components of these quantities are stored in the register.

Scl Scalar quantities, which have a magnitude only.

Cvc Complex vector quantities.

Csc Complex scalar quantities.

Pnt Points.

Lin Lines.

Srf Surfaces.

Vol Volumes.

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When examining calculator registers, keep the following in mind:• To move or delete calculator registers, use the stack commands.• To save a register to a disk file, use the Write command.

Enlarging the Register Display AreaIf there are too many registers to fit into the display area, do one of the following:• Use the scroll bars to view the hidden registers. • Enlarge the calculator window using the window’s borders or its maximize button.

Units of MeasureUnless you are prompted specifically for the unit of measure, all measurements should be assumed to be in SI base units, not model units.

Stack Commands Use these commands to manipulate the registers in the calculator stack.

PushReloads the quantity in the top register onto the top of the stack, creating a new register. The con-tents of the top two registers are identical.

PopDeletes the top register from the stack.

RlUpRolls the top register to the bottom of the stack, moving the other registers up the stack.

RlDnRolls the bottom register to the top of the stack, moving the other registers down the stack.

ExchExchanges the top two registers in the stack.

ClearClears the contents of the stack.

SclLin Scalar value on a line.

VecLine Vector value on a line.

SclSrf Scalar value on a surface.

VecSrf Vector value on a surface.

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UndoUse this command to undo the effect of the last operation you performed on the contents of the top register. Successive Undo commands act on any previous operations.

Input CommandsUse the following commands to load data onto the top of the calculator stack:

These quantities can be manipulated using the Stack commands, General commands, Scalar com-mands, and Vector commands. The results of these calculations can then be examined using the Output commands.

Quantity CommandThe Input command loads a field quantity into the top register of the calculator. Phasors in the cal-culator are peak phasors. The Poynting command in the calculator therefore implements the Poynt-ing vector for peak phasors. Calculations which compute either average or instantaneous time domain quantities must adhere to the peak phasor conventions.The available quantities are:

Note You cannot undo a simple operation such as loading a field quantity, constant, function, or geometry into the calculator. Instead, use the Pop or Clear commands to delete these items from the calculator stack.

Quantity Basic field quantities, such as E and H, and simple derived quantities such as volume current.

Geometry Geometries such as planes, points, polylines, and volumes

Constant Predefined constants such as π, ε0, and conversion factors between various units of measurement.

Number Vector and scalar constants, including complex numbers.

Function User-defined or intrinsic variables

Geom Settings Properties of polylines, surfaces, or volumes used in the Fields Calculator

Read Previously-saved calculator registers containing field quantities.

E The electric field, E

H The magnetic field, H

Jvol The volume current density, Jvol

Jsurf The surface current density, Jsurf

Poynting The Poynting vector, defined as 0.5E x H*

LocalSAR The local Specific Absorption Rate

AverageSAR The average Specific Absorption Rate

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Geometry CommandThe Geometry command loads a geometry into the top register of the calculator. Do this to:• Find the value of derived field quantities on any point, line, surface, or volume. • Plot quantities directly from the calculator. • Display a previously defined isosurface, maximum or minimum field point using the Draw

command.

Certification SAR IEEE standard Specific Absorption Rate certification number

SurfaceLossDensity This contains the surface impedance (if any) loss at every node in every triangle. This is calculated as:

where ps is the surface impedance loss density, S is the Poynting vector on the boundary, and n is the out unit normal of the boundary. To export a REG file containing the surface loss density, place the SurfaceLossDensity in the top register and use the Write... command.The Reg file can be used to for coupled solutions with ePhysics. To setup HFSS - Transient Thermal coupling, use the ePhysics Solve Setup window for static thermal solutions by choosing the Import button next to HFSS Loss.

VolumeLossDensity The volume loss density p is calculated as:

where E is the electric field, is the conjugate of the volumentric current density, B is the magnetic flux density, and is the conjugate of the magnetic field.To export a Reg file containing the volume loss density, place the VolumeLossDensity into the top register, and use the Write....command. The Reg file can be used to for coupled solutions with ePhysics. To setup HFSS - Transient Thermal coupling, use the ePhysics Solve Setup window for static thermal solutions by choosing the Import button next to HFSS Loss.

ps Re S n⋅( )=

pv12---Re E J⋅ jωB H⋅+( ) 1

2---Re E J curlE H⋅–⋅( )= =

JH

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The following types of geometries are available:

To load a geometry into the calculator:1. In the Fields Calculator, click Geometry.

The Geometry dialog box appears.2. Select a geometry type.

A list of all applicable geometries appears.3. Click the geometry.4. Click OK to load the geometry.

Constant CommandThe Constant command loads one of these four predefined constants, or conversion constant into the top register of the calculator:

Point

Line

Surface (Sheet objects are listed under surface.) Due to the ambiguity of the normal vector of a sheet, the result may require a multiplication by ( 1 ) or ( -1 ).

Volume

Coord

Note Consider a box (Box2) that is completely enclosed in a bigger box (Box1), so that no faces of Box2 are touching any faces of Box1. If you explicitly subtract Box2 from Box1, any calculation on the surface (faces) of Box1 will use the 6 exterior faces and the 6 interior faces. Any calculation on the volume of Box1 will use the difference in volume between Box1 and Box2.If you do not explicitly subtract Box2 from Box1, the inner box is only implicitly subtracted. Any calculation on the surface of Box1 in this case will use only the 6 exterior faces of Box1. Any calculation on the volume of Box1 will use the entire volume without subtracting the volume of Box2.

Pi π

Epsi0 The permittivity of free space, ε0 = 8.85418782 x 10–12 C2/Nm2

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Number CommandThe Number command enters one of the following into the top register of the calculator:

Function CommandAny functions you use must be defined prior to using this operation.

Mu0 The permeability of free space, μ0 = 4π x 10–7 Wb/Am

c The speed of light in vacuum, c = 2.99792458 x 108 m/s

conversion constant

Displays the Enter Units Conversion Factor dialog. This lists a range of Quantities (such as frequency, resistance, and others) along with a list of Units (Hz to Thz, and rps) to convert From and To. The ratio of the Units From to the Units to is displayed for the selected values as Conversion Factor.

Scalar A scalar constant. To enter a constant scalar number:1. Click Number.

The Input Number dialog box appears.2. Select Scalar.3. Type the scalar value in the Value text box.4. Click OK to load the number into the top register.

Vector A vector constant. To enter a constant vector:1. Click Number.

The Input Number dialog box appears.2. Select Vector.3. Enter the x-, y-, and z-components of the vector.4. Click OK to load the vector into the top register.

Complex A complex constant. Complex constants are entered in the form C=A+jB, where A represents the real part of the constant and B represents the imaginary part.1. Click Number.

The Input Number dialog box appears.2. Select Scalar or Vector.3. Select Complex.4. Enter the real and imaginary components of the number.5. Click OK to load the number into the top register.

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Enters one of the following into the top register of the calculator:

Geom Settings CommandClicking the Geom Settings button opens the Geometric Settings dialog box. The dialog box allows you to specify the line discretization, the number of equally-spaced points used to plot fields and other quantities on a line. The default is 1000 points.

Read CommandThis command copies the contents of a disk file into the top register. The register must be one that has been saved using the Write output command.To read in a register:1. Click Read.2. Use the file browser to specify the register’s file name and directory path. A .reg extension is

automatically assumed for register files.3. Click OK.

The contents of the file are copied to the top register in the stack.

General CommandsUse these commands to perform operations on both vector and scalar quantities.

Scalar A scalar function. To enter a function:1. Click Function.

The Function dialog box appears.2. Select Scalar.3. Select the function from the list.4. Click OK to load the functional scalar into the top register.

Vector A vector function, in which the values of the vector’s x-, y-, and z-components are given by functions. To enter a functional vector:1. Click Function.

The Function dialog box appears.2. Select Vector.3. Select the function from the list.4. For each component of the vector, click SetX, SetY, and SetZ.5. Click OK to load the functional vector into the top register.

Note The predefined variables X, Y, Z, RHO, THETA, R, and PHI and any functions that you created can be used to define functional scalar and vector quantities.

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+ (Add)Adds the quantities in the top two registers of the calculator.– (Subtract)Subtracts the quantity in the top register from the quantity in the second register. The two registers must hold the same type of quantity (both scalar or both vector). You cannot subtract a scalar from a vector (or vice versa). * (Multiply) Multiplies the quantity in the top register by the quantity in the second register. One of the two reg-isters must contain a scalar value; the other register can be either a scalar or a vector. / (Divide) Divides the quantity in the second register by the quantity in the top register. The second register must contain a scalar value; the top register can be either a scalar or a vector. NegChanges the sign of the quantity in the top register.AbsTakes the absolute value of the quantity in the top register.SmoothSmooths the quantity in the top register. Because of the numerical solution technique used, field values are not always continuous across the boundaries of the individual elements that make up the finite-element mesh. Smoothing makes the values continuous. In general, use smoothing before plotting a quantity.ComplexThese commands perform operations on a complex quantity in the top register. Complex quantities are indicated by a C at the beginning of the register label. They can be represented in terms of real and imaginary components, or in terms of magnitude and phase:

where:• A is the real part of the complex number.• B is the imaginary part of the complex number.• M is its magnitude, which is equal to . • φ is its phase, which is equal to . The Complex commands let you do the following:

Real Takes the real part of the complex quantity (A).

Imag Takes the imaginary part of the complex quantity (B).

CmplxMag Takes the magnitude of the complex quantity (M).

CmplxPhase Takes the phase of the complex quantity (φ).

C A jB+ Mejφ= =

A2 B2+B A⁄( )atan

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DomainThis limits a calculation to the volume you specify. This operation requires the top two entries of the stack to be a volume geometry and a numeric field quantity. To do this:1. Load the field quantity into the top register, and perform any necessary operations on it. 2. Load the volume using the Geometry command.3. Click Domain.The Domain command is often used to limit a calculation or plot to the intersection of a surface and an object or group of objects.

Scalar CommandsUse these commands to perform operations on scalar quantities.

Conj Takes the complex conjugate of the quantity in the top register. If a complex number is given by C = A + jB, its complex conjugate is given by C* = A – jB.

AtPhase Lets you specify the phase angle, θ, at which an field quantity is evaluated. These quantities can be represented in the form

.where• ω is the angular frequency at which the quantities are oscillating,

specified during the solution.• θ(x,y,z) is the phase angle (the offset from a cosine wave that peaks at

t=0).Entering the phase angle lets you compute the real part of the field’s magnitude at different points in its cycle.

CmplxReal Converts the real scalar of the top register to the real part of a complex number.

CmplxImag Converts the real scalar of the top register to the imaginary part of a complex number.

ComplxPeak Calculates the peak value of a given complex vector. Intuitively, this calculates the maximum magnitude of the equivalent real vector in a waveform.

Vec? Makes the scalar quantity in the top register a vector component.

1/x Takes the inverse of the scalar quantity in the top register.

Pow Raises a scalar quantity to the power you specify.

( Square Root) Takes the square root of the quantity in the top register.

Trig Takes a selected trigonometric value of the value in the top register of the calculator stack

A x y z t, , ,( ) A x y z, ,( ) ωt θ x y z, ,( )+cos=

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Vec? CommandMakes the scalar quantity in the top register a vector component. Choose from the following:

1/x (Inverse) CommandTakes the inverse of the scalar quantity in the top register.

Pow CommandRaises a scalar quantity to the power you specify.To raise a scalar quantity to a power:1. Enter the quantity into the calculator. 2. Enter the exponent to which it is to be raised into the calculator.3. Click Pow.

The results are displayed in the top register.

(Square Root) CommandTakes the square root of the quantity in the top register.

TrigTakes one of the following trigonometric values of the value in the top register of the calculator stack:

d/d? Takes the partial derivative of the quantity in the top register.

(Integral) Takes the integral of a scalar quantity over a volume, surface, or line.

Min Computes the minimum of a scalar field quantity on a line, surface, or volume.

Max Computes the maximum of a scalar field quantity on a line, surface, or volume.

∇ (Gradient) Takes the gradient of the scalar quantity in the top register.

ln Takes the natural logarithm (base e) of the scalar quantity in the top register.

log Takes the logarithm (base 10) of the scalar quantity in the top register

VecX The x-component of a vector.

VecY The y-component of a vector.

VecZ The z-component of a vector.

Sin Sine.

Cos Cosine.

Tan Tangent.

Asin Arcsine.

∫

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d/d? (Partial Derivative) CommandTakes the partial derivative of the quantity in the top register:

(Integral) CommandTakes the integral of a scalar quantity over a volume, surface, or line. The top register must contain a geometry and the second register must contain the scalar quantity to be integrated.To perform an integration:1. Load a quantity into the top register of the calculator, and perform any required operations on

it. 2. Use one of the Geometry commands to load the line, surface, or volume over which the quan-

tity is to be integrated.

3. Choose the command to integrate the scalar quantity over the geometry.To find the numerical results of an integration, use the Eval command.

Min CommandComputes the minimum of a scalar field quantity on a line, surface, or volume. Two options are available:

These commands operate in the same way as the Max commands. Use the Eval command to dis-play the actual minimum field value or the coordinates of the point where it occurs.

Acos Arccosine.

Atan Arctangent.

Atan2 Arctangent squared.

d/dx Takes the partial derivative of the quantity with respect to x.

d/dy Takes the partial derivative of the quantity with respect to y.

d/dz Takes the partial derivative of the quantity with respect to z.

Note If you computed the tangent or normal of the quantity to be integrated, you do not have to load a geometry onto the calculator stack. HFSS integrates the tangential or normal component of the quantity over the line on which you computed its tangent, or the surface on which you computed its normal.

Value Finds the magnitude of the minimum value of the field.

Position Finds the point where the minimum field value occurs. You can then: • Plot the minimum field value at the point using the Plot command.• Plot basic field quantities at the point.• Load the point into the calculator. • Change the point’s location.

∫

∫

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Max CommandComputes the maximum of a scalar field quantity on a line, surface, or volume. Two options are available:

To compute the maximum field value:1. Load a field quantity into the calculator, and perform any necessary operations on it. Keep the

following in mind:• You cannot find the maximum value of a vector quantity. Therefore, make sure that the

result is a scalar. • Before computing the maximum value of a complex quantity, you must find the real part

of the quantity using the Cmplx/Real or Cmplx/AtPhase commands. 2. Load a point, line, or volume into the calculator using one of the Geometry commands. 3. Do one of the following:

• Choose Max/Value to compute the maximum field value on the geometry.• Choose Max/Position to identify the point at which this value occurs.

Use the Eval command to display the actual maximum field value or the coordinates of the point where it occurs.

∇ (Gradient) CommandTakes the gradient of the scalar quantity in the top register.

Ln CommandTakes the natural logarithm (base e) of the scalar quantity in the top register.

Log CommandTakes the logarithm (base 10) of the scalar quantity in the top register.

Value Finds the magnitude of the maximum value of the field.

Position Finds the point where the maximum field value occurs. You can then: • Plot the maximum field at the point using the Plot command.• Plot field quantities at the point.• Load the point into the calculator. • Change the point’s location.

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Vector CommandsUse these commands to perform operations on vector quantities.

Scal? CommandReplaces the vector in the top register with a scalar quantity whose value is a component of the vec-tor. Choose from the following:

Matl CommandMultiplies or divides the vector field quantity in the top register by a material property. At each tet-rahedron, the field quantity is multiplied or divided by the value of the selected material property — taking the different material attributes of each object into account. To multiply or divide a vector quantity by a material property:1. Click Matl.

The Material Operation window appears.

Scal? Replaces the vector in the top register with a scalar quantity whose value is a component of the vector.

Matl Multiplies or divides the vector field quantity in the top register by a material property

Mag Takes the magnitude of the vector quantity in the top register. The magnitude of a complex vector is defined to be the length of the real vector resulting from taking the modulus of each component of the original complex vector.

Dot Takes the dot product of the vector quantities in the top two registers.

Cross Takes the cross product of the vector quantities in the top two registers.

Divg Takes the divergence of the vector quantity in the top register.

Curl Takes the curl of the vector quantity in the top register.

Tangent Computes the tangential component of a vector quantity along a line

Normal Computes the normal component of a vector quantity on a surface such as a cutplane or object surface.

Unit Vec Computes the normal or tangent unit vector. The unit vector is a "wild card" entry. The context is specified at the time of plotting, integrating, or report generation.

ScalarX Returns the x-component of the vector.

ScalarY Returns the y-component of the vector.

ScalarZ Returns the z-component of the vector.

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2. Select a material property. Available properties are:

3. Select an operation — Multiply or Divide.4. Choose OK to multiply or divide the field quantity by a material property or Cancel to stop the

operation.

Mag CommandTakes the magnitude of the vector quantity in the top register. The magnitude of a complex vector is defined to be the length of the real vector resulting from taking the modulus of each component of the original complex vector.With a complex vector on the calculator stack, the Mag button returns a nonnegative scalar. In pre-vious software versions, this command returned a complex scalar.

Dot CommandTakes the dot product of the vector quantities in the top two registers.

Cross CommandTakes the cross product of the vector quantities in the top two registers.

Divg CommandTakes the divergence of the vector quantity in the top register.

Curl CommandTakes the curl of the vector quantity in the top register.

Tangent Command.

Permittivity (epsi) The relative permittivity, εr.

Permeability (mu) The relative permeability, μr.

Conductivity The conductivity, σ.

Omega (w) The angular frequency, ω. The angular frequency is equal to 2πf, where f is the frequency at which the solution was generated.

Line

Vector quantity

Tangential Component

Magnitude

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To take the tangent of a vector:1. Load a vector quantity into the top register.2. Load a line into the top register using the Geometry/Line command. 3. Click Tangent.

Normal CommandComputes the normal component of a vector quantity on a surface such as a cutplane or object sur-face. This is the equivalent of taking the dot product of the quantity with the surface’s unit normal

vector:

To take the normal of a vector:1. Load a vector quantity into the top register.2. Load a surface into the top register using the Geometry/Surface command.3. Click Normal.

Unit Vec CommandComputes the normal or tangent unit vector. The unit vector is a "wild card" entry. The context is specified at the time of plotting, integrating, or report generation.

Note Because surface normals of sheets are not well defined the fields calculator can produce incorrect results if an expression is evaluated on a sheet. To enforce the correct direction of the surface normal of a sheet, a faceted 3D object (such as a box) can be defined such that one of its planar faces is coincident with the sheet. Because surface normals of a valid object are always defined in an outward direction in HFSS, the fields calculator uses the surface normal of the face of the 3D object that is coincident with the sheet.

Normal A x y z, ,( ) n•=

Vector quantity

Surface

Normal Component

A(x,y,z)

Magnitude

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Select from the following:

Output CommandsUse these commands to compute or evaluate expressions and to output the data in the calculator.

Value CommandThis computes the value of a field quantity at a point. Use it to find:• The magnitude of a scalar field quantity at that point.• The x-, y-, and z-components of a vector field quantity at that point. To find the value of a field quantity at a point:1. Load the field quantity into the top register, and perform any needed operations on it.2. Load the appropriate point into the calculator using the Geometry/Point command.3. Click Value. To view the numerical results of this operation, use the Eval command.

Eval CommandThis command numerically evaluates and displays the results of calculator operations such as inte-grations, maximum or minimum field computations, field values at points, and so forth. The quan-

Tangent Computes the unit vector tangent to the line specified at the time of plotting, integrating, or report generation based on the context.

Normal Computes the unit vector normal to the surface specified at the time of plotting, integrating, or report generation based on the context.

CoordSys(X) Computes the unit vector in the X-dimension of the relative coordinate system in the top register of the calculator stack. Add the relative CS as a geometric object using the Geometry/Coord command.

CoordSys(Y) Computes the unit vector in the Y-dimension of the relative coordinate system in the top register of the calculator stack. Add the relative CS as a geometric object using the Geometry/Coord command.

CoordSys(Z) Computes the unit vector in the Z-dimension of the relative coordinate system in the top register of the calculator stack. Add the relative CS as a geometric object using the Geometry/Coord command.

Value command Computes the value of a field quantity at a point.

Eval command Numerically evaluates and displays the results of calculator operations.

Write command Saves the contents of the top register to a disk file.

Export command Saves field quantities in a format that can be read by other modeling or post-processing software packages.

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tity to be evaluated must be in the top register. The Eval command computes the numerical results of the operation, which replace the contents of the register. For instance, to find the current around a loop, you must numerically evaluate the following inte-gral for that loop: . Since H and I are complex quantities, you will need to evaluate the real part of H to obtain the real part of I, then evaluate the imaginary part of H to obtain the imaginary part of I. To do this:1. Load H into the calculator using the Qty command. 2. Take the real part of H using the Cmplx/Real command.3. Load the rectangular loop using the Geom/Line command. Create the loop, a closed polyline,

to integrate over.4. Click Tangent to get the component of H along the line. 5. Take the integral around the loop using the command. 6. Click Eval to evaluate the integral. The real part of I appears in the top register. 7. Repeat this process using the imaginary part of H (found with the Cmplx/Imag command) to

obtain the imaginary part of I.

Write CommandThis command saves the contents of the top register to a disk file. Use this command to:• Save registers for use during a later post-processing session. • Save a field quantity for use when post processing a different model. To save a register:1. Click Write.2. If the register includes numeric with a constrained quantity (such as jsurf), you see a dialog

that gives a choice of constraining geometries. For example:

I H ld•∫°=

∫

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3. Select the geometry of interest, and select OK.This displays a file browser.

4. Use the file browser to specify the register’s file name and directory path. A .reg extension is automatically assigned to register files.

5. Click OK.The contents of the register are saved to the file you specified.

Export CommandThis command opens the Export Solution dialog, from which you can export the field quantity in the top register to a file, mapping it to a grid of points. Use this command to save field quantities in a format that can be read by other modeling or post-processing software packages. Two options are available for defining the grid points on which to export:

To export a field quantity to a customized grid:1. Load the quantity into the top register for the fields calculator, and perform any operations on

Input grid points from file

Maps the field quantity to a customized grid of points. Before using this command, you must create a file containing the points. If you input grid points from a .pts file, the Export command takes the units from the model.

Calculate grid points Maps the field quantity to a three-dimensional cartesian grid. You specify the dimensions and spacing of the grid in the x, y, and z directions, with units that you specify. The initial units are taken from the model.

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it. 2. Click the Export button in the Fields Calculator.

This opens the Export Solution dialog.3. Type or select the name of the file in which the field quantity is to be saved in the Output File

Name text box. You can use the file icon to open the file browser to specify the file name and directory path. A .reg extension is automatically assigned to this file.4. Click either the Input grid points from file button if you have a created a .pts file con-

taining the grid points, or click the Calculate grid points button. For each grid dimension (X, Y, and Z), enter the following:

• If you select Input grid points from file, either type the name and directory of the file containing the points on which the field is to be mapped, or, click on the file icon and use the file browser to locate the point file (.pts extension).

• If you select Calculate grid points button. For each grid dimension (X, Y, and Z), enter the following:

5. Click OK to export the file.The field quantity is mapped to the grid and saved to the file you specified (.reg exten-sion.).

Calculating Derived Field QuantitiesThe Named Expressions panel displays expressions that can be included in register definitions by name.When an HFSS design is open and a Solution Setup has been performed, the following predefined named expressions are available:

Minimum The minimum x-, y-, or z-coordinate of the grid, and unit of measure.

Maximum The maximum x-, y-, or z-coordinate of the grid, and unit of measure.

Spacing The distance between grid points, and unit of measure.

Minimum The minimum x-, y-, or z-coordinate of the grid, and unit of measure.

Maximum The maximum x-, y-, or z-coordinate of the grid, and unit of measure.

Spacing The distance between grid points, and unit of measure.

Expression Name Expression Definition

Mag_E Mag(AtPhase(Smooth(<Ex,Ey,Ez>),Phase))

Mag_H Mag(AtPhase(Smooth(<Hx,Hy,Hz>),Phase))

Mag_Jvol Mag(AtPhase(Smooth(<JVx,JVy,JVz>),Phase))

Mag_Jsurf Mag(AtPhase(Smooth(<Jsurfx,Jsurfy,Jsurfz>),Phase))

ComplexMag_E Mag(CmplxMag(Smooth(<Ex,Ey,Ez>))

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Click on a named expression to select it. When a named expression has been selected, the Copy to Stack button is activated. Click Copy to Stack to push the expression on the top of the stack.

Related TopicsNamed Expression Library

Named Expression Library To add a named expression of your own to the Fields Calculator list:1. In the register display area, create the expression you want to plot.2. When you are finished creating the expression, click Add in the Named Expressions panel.

The Named Expression dialog box appears.3. Type a name for the expression in the Name text box.

The new expression is added to the list of named expressions.When the Named Expression list contains one or more user-defined expressions, the Delete and Clear All buttons are active (you cannot delete or clear the predefined named expressions.) Click Delete to delete the selected user-defined named expression. Click Clear All to delete all user-defined named expressions.To save one or more named expressions for the Fields Calculator to a personal Library:1. Click the Save To button on the Fields Calculator.

The Select Expressions for Saving dialog displays.2. If any new named expressions exist, you can select one or more to save to a file.3. Give a file name, and click OK to save the file.

ComplexMag_H Mag(CmplxMag(Smooth(<Hx,Hy,Hz>))

ComplexMag_Jvol Mag(CmplxMag(Smooth(<JVx,JVy,JVz>))

ComplexMag_Jsurf Mag(CmplxMag(Smooth(<Jsurfx,Jsurfy,Jsurfz>))

Vector_E AtPhase(Smooth(<Ex,Ey,Ez>),Phase)

Vector_H AtPhase(Smooth(<Hx,Hy,Hz>),Phase)

Vector_Jvol AtPhase(Smooth(<JVx,JVy,JVz>),Phase)

Vector_Jsurf AtPhase(Smooth(<Jsurfx,Jsurfy,Jsurfz>),Phase)

Vector_RealPoynting Real(Poynting)

Local_SAR LocalSAR

Average_SAR AverageSAR

Surface_Loss_Density SurfaceLossDensity. See further discussion here.

Volume_Loss_Density VolumeLossDensity See further discussion here.

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To load named expressions for the Fields Calculator from a personal library:1. From the Fields Calculator, click Load From.

This displays a file browser that you can use to search for existing .clc files.2. Select the library to load and click OK.

This loads the expression file you have selected.

Related TopicsCalculating Derived Field Quantities

Exiting the Fields CalculatorClick Done to exit the Fields Calculator.

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Radiated Fields Post ProcessingTo analyze the radiated fields associated with a design, define a radiation surface over which the fields will be calculated. The values of the fields over this surface are used to compute the fields in the space surrounding the device. This space is typically split into two regions — the near-field region and the far-field region. The near-field region exists at less than a wave length from an energy source. The far field is where radiation occurs. See Radiated Fields for the specific equa-tions used in HFSS for calculating the near and far field regions. You can define a spherical surface over which to analyze the near or far fields by specifying a range and step size for phi and theta. This defines the spherical direction in which radiated fields will be evaluated. You can also draw a line along which to calculate the near fields.Optionally, after defining the radiation surface, HFSS can compute antenna array radiation patterns and antenna parameters for designs that have analyzed a single array element. HFSS models the array radiation pattern by applying an "array factor" to the single element’s pattern when far fields are calculated. You set up the array factor information by defining either a finite, 2D array geome-try of uniformly spaced, equal-amplitude elements (a regular array) or an arbitrary array of identi-cal elements distributed in 3D space with individual complex weights (a custom array.)HFSS can also compute antenna parameters, such as the maximum intensity, peak directivity, peak gain, and radiation efficiency. For near-field analysis, HFSS can also compute maximum parame-ters, such as the maximum of the total E-field and the maximum E-field in the x-direction.

Related TopicsTechnical Notes: Radiated Fields

Setting up a Near-Field SphereTo evaluate near fields on a spherical surface, set up a near-field sphere. To plot near-field values across the sphere, you will select the sphere object from the Geometry list in the Traces dialog box when you create a report.1. Click HFSS>Radiation>Insert Near Field Setup>Sphere.

The Near Field Radiation Sphere Setup window appears.2. Under the Sphere tab, type a name for the sphere in the Name text box.3. Type the radius at which to compute the radiated fields in the Radius text box.

The radius is measured from the origin of the sphere’s coordinate system, which is specified under the Coordinate System tab.

4. Specify the range of angles to include in the sphere:

Note When computing near and far fields, keep in mind that you must have defined at least one radiation or PML boundary in the design. At any time you may change the radiation surfaces that HFSS uses when calculating the radiated fields without needing to re-solve the problem, but the radiation-type boundary is still required.

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a. Specify the following for Phi, in degrees (deg) or radians (rad):

b. Specify the following for Theta, in degrees (deg) or radians (rad):

See Spherical Cross-Sections in the Technical Notes for guidelines for setting phi and theta.5. Click the Coordinate System tab, and then specify the orientation of the sphere in one of the

following ways:• To orient the sphere according to the global coordinate system (CS), select Use global

coordinate system.• To orient the sphere according to a user-defined CS, select Use local coordinate system

and then select a defined CS from the Choose from existing coordinate systems list.6. To specify a surface other than an assigned radiation or PML boundary over which to integrate

the radiated fields, do the following:a. Click the Radiation Surface tab.b. Select Use Custom Radiation Surface.c. Select a defined face list from the list below.

HFSS will use the surfaces in the face list as the radiating surfaces when calculating the near fields. The face list cannot include a face that lies on a PML object.

7. Click OK.The sphere is created. It is listed in the project tree under Radiation.

You must have defined at least one radiation or PML boundary in the design for HFSS to compute near-field quantities, regardless of which radiation surfaces you instruct HFSS to use when calcu-lating the near fields. You do not need to re-solve the problem if you modify radiation surfaces in the Near Field Radiation Sphere Setup window.

Start The point where the rotation of phi begins.

Stop The point where the rotation of phi ends.

Step Size The number of degrees or radians (spherical grid points) between the sweep of phi.

Start The point where the rotation of theta begins.

Stop The point where the rotation of theta ends.

Step Size The number of degrees or radians (spherical grid points) between the sweep of theta.

Note For parts of the sphere outside of the model region, near-field approximation is calculated. However, if parts of the sphere are inside the model region, the model fields are used to compute interpolated values. A section of the sphere is considered to overlap the model if it lies in the enlarged model region after accounting for symmetry planes.

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Related TopicsTechnical Notes: Spherical Cross-Sections

Setting up a Near-Field LineTo evaluate the near field along a line, set up a near-field line. The near-field line can be a polyline with one or more segments. To plot near-field values along the line, you will select the line object from the Geometry list in the Traces dialog box when you create a report.1. Draw a polyline in post-processing mode.2. Click HFSS>Radiation>Insert Near Field Setup>Line.

The Near Field Line Setup dialog box appears.3. Under the Near Field Line Setup tab, type a name for the line in the Name text box.4. Select the polyline along which you want to evaluate the near fields from the Choose Line list.5. Specify the Number of points in the line.

This is the total number of equally spaced points on the line. Specifying points on the line will enable you to plot the near-field values across a normalized distance, that is, to create a value versus distance plot of a near-field quantity on the line.

6. To specify a surface other than an assigned radiation or PML boundary over which to integrate the radiated fields, do the following:a. Click the Radiation Surface tab.b. Select Use Custom Radiation Surface.c. Select a defined face list from the list below.

HFSS will use the surfaces in the face list as the radiating surfaces when calculating the near fields. The face list cannot include a face that lies on a PML object.

7. Click OK.You must have defined at least one radiation or PML boundary in the design for HFSS to compute near-field quantities, regardless of which radiation surfaces you instruct HFSS to use when calcu-lating the near fields. You do not need to re-solve the problem if you modify radiation surfaces in the Near Field Line Setup window.

Computing Maximum Near-Field ParametersYou must have defined at least one radiation or PML boundary in the design for HFSS to compute maximum field data for the near-field region. 1. Right-click the Sphere or Line icon in the project tree, and then click Compute Max Param-

Note For parts of the near-field line lying outside of the model region, near-field approximation is calculated. However, if parts of the line lie inside the model region, the model fields are used to compute interpolated values. A section of the near-field line is considered to overlap the model if it lies in the enlarged model region after accounting for symmetry planes.

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eters on the shortcut menu.The Select Solution dialog box appears.

2. Under the Solutions tab, select the solution for which you want HFSS to compute the near-field parameters.

3. Under the Intrinsic Variables tab, select the solved frequency point at which you want HFSS to compute the near-field parameters.The Max Field Data window appears, listing the following information:

Related TopicsTechnical Notes: Maximum Near-Field Data

Setting up a Far-Field Infinite SphereTo evaluate radiated fields in the far-field region, you must set up an infinite sphere that surrounds the radiating object. To plot far-field values across the sphere, you will select the sphere object from the Geometry list in the Traces dialog box when you create a report.1. Click HFSS>Radiation>Insert Far Field Setup>Infinite Sphere.

The Far Field Radiation Sphere Setup window appears.2. Under the Infinite Sphere tab, type a name for the sphere in the Name text box.3. Specify the range of angles to include in the sphere:

Total

X

Y

Z

Phi

Theta

LHCP

RHCP

Ludwig 3/X dominant

Ludwig 3/Y dominant

Note When calculating the maximum far-field values, the distance r is factored out of the E-field. Therefore, the units for the maximum field data values are given in volts.

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a. Specify the following for Phi, in degrees (deg) or radians (rad):

b. Specify the following for Theta, in degrees (deg) or radians (rad):

See Spherical Cross-Sections in the Technical Notes for guidelines for setting phi and theta.4. Click the Coordinate System tab, and then specify the orientation of the sphere in one of the

following ways:• To orient the sphere according to the global coordinate system (CS), select Use global

coordinate system.• To orient the sphere according to a user-defined CS, select Use local coordinate system

and then select a defined CS from the Choose from existing coordinate systems list.5. To specify a surface other than an assigned radiation or PML boundary over which to integrate

the radiated fields, do the following:a. Click the Radiation Surface tab.b. Select Use Custom Radiation Surface.c. Select a defined face list from the list below.

HFSS will use the surfaces in the face list as the radiating surfaces when calculating the far fields. The face list cannot include a face that lies on a PML object.

6. Click OK.The infinite sphere is created. It is listed in the project tree under Radiation.

Related TopicsTechnical Notes: Spherical Cross-SectionsCreating a Face List

Start The point where the rotation of phi begins.

Stop The point where the rotation of phi ends.

Step Size The number of degrees or radians (spherical grid points) between the sweep of phi.

Start The point where the rotation of theta begins.

Stop The point where the rotation of theta ends.

Step Size The number of degrees or radians (spherical grid points) between the sweep of theta.

Note Do not use a sheet-object based face list as the radiation computation surface.

Note You must have defined at least one radiation or PML boundary in the design for HFSS to compute far-field quantities, regardless of which radiation surfaces you instruct HFSS to use when calculating the far fields. You do not need to re-solve the problem if you modify radiation surfaces in the Far Field Radiation Sphere Setup window.

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Defining Antenna ArraysDefine a regular or custom antenna array when you want HFSS to compute antenna array radiation patterns and antenna parameters for designs that have analyzed a single array element. HFSS mod-els the array radiation pattern by applying an "array factor" to the single element’s pattern when far fields are calculated.The "regular uniform array" geometry defines a finite 2D array of uniformly spaced, equal-ampli-tude elements. This is a natural specification after analyzing a single-unit cell of an infinite array. The "custom array" geometry defines an arbitrary array of identical elements distributed in 3D space with individual user-specified complex weights.

Related TopicsDefining a Regular Antenna ArrayDefining a Custom Antenna Array

Defining a Regular Antenna ArrayA regular antenna array is a finite 2D array geometry of uniformly spaced, equal-amplitude ele-ments. 1. On the HFSS menu, point to Radiation, and then click Antenna Array Setup.

The Antenna Array Setup window appears.2. Under the Array Type tab, select Regular Array Setup.3. Click the Regular Array tab.4. Under First Cell Position, enter the xyz-coordinates where the first cell is placed.5. Under Directions, do the following:

a. To the right of U Vector, enter the vector coordinates in the X, Y, and Z text boxes along which the cells in the U-direction are placed.

b. To the right of V Vector, enter the vector coordinates in the X, Y, and Z text boxes along which the cells in the V-direction are placed.

6. Under Distance Between Cells, enter the distance between cells in the U-direction and the dis-tance between cells in the V-direction in the design units.

7. Under Number of Cells, enter the number of unit cells in the U-direction and the number of unit cells in the V-direction.

8. Under Scan Definition, specify the scan direction in one of the following ways:• Select Use Scan Angles, and then enter the spherical coordinate angles, in degrees, in the

radiation coordinate system in the Theta and Phi text boxes. • Select Use Differential Phase Shift, and then enter the phase difference between adjacent

elements, in degrees, in the In U direction and In V direction text boxes.9. Click OK.

The array factor will be applied, using the information you specified, when far fields are calcu-lated.

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Related TopicsTechnical Notes: Array Factor CalculationTechnical Notes: Regular Uniform ArraysTechnical Notes: Scan Specification for Regular Uniform Arrays

Defining a Custom Antenna ArrayA custom antenna array is a an arbitrary array of identical elements distributed in 3D space with individual user-specified complex weights. The array is defined in a text file that includes the ele-ment positions, voltage amplitude weights, and phases. See Custom Arrays in the Technical Notes for examples of custom array geometry text files.

1. On the HFSS menu, point to Radiation, and then click Antenna Array Setup.The Antenna Array Setup window appears.

2. Under the Array Type tab, select Custom Array Setup.3. Click the Custom Array tab.4. Click Import Definition.

The Open dialog box appears. 5. Follow the procedure for opening a file. Select .txt as the file type. When you are finished,

click Open.6. Optionally, review the definition in the text file by clicking View Definition under the Cus-

tom Array Setup tab.7. Click OK.

The array factor will be applied, using the information specified in the text file, when far fields are calculated.

Related TopicsTechnical Notes: Custom ArraysTechnical Notes: Array Factor Calculation

Computing Antenna ParametersYou must have defined at least one radiation or PML boundary in the design for HFSS to compute antenna parameters and maximum field data for the far-field region.1. To select the radiation setup from the Project tree, right-click a Infinite Sphere icon in the

project tree under Radiation, and then click Compute Antenna Parameters on the shortcut menu. Or, to select the radiation setup from a dialog, click HFSS>Radiation>Compute Antenna Max/Params.The Select Radiation Setup dialog appears.

Note For custom antenna arrays, phases should be specified in radians.

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After you have selected the setup by one of these two methods. the Antenna Parameters dia-log box appears.

2. Under the Solutions tab, select the solution for which you want HFSS to compute antenna parameters.

3. Under the Intrinsic Variables tab, select the solved frequency point at which you want HFSS to compute antenna parameters.The Antenna Parameters window appears. If the design includes ports, the following antenna parameters are listed:

If the design does not have ports, the following antenna parameters are listed:

4. Click More to view the following maximum far-field data:

Maximum intensity (Max U)

Peak directivity

Peak gain

Peak realized gain

Radiated power

Accepted power

Incident power

Radiation efficiency

Warning The computed values of max U and peak directivity depend on the user-determined set of aspect angles chosen for the computation of the radiated fields. If this set does not encompass the actual peak intensity of the radiated pattern, the displayed results for these three parameters will be inaccurate.

Note Accepted Power is computed from the raw S-parameter data. Post-processing operations are excluded from the calculation, for example, renormalized S-parameters.

Maximum intensity (Max U)

Peak directivity

Radiated power

Total

X

Y

Z

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Related TopicsTechnical Notes: Antenna ParametersTechnical Notes: Maximum Far-Field DataAdd Trace Characteristics

Exporting Antenna Parameters and Maximum Field DataThe Antenna Parameters dialog displays the calculated antenna parameters and Maximum Field data for a setup. The dialog also includes a buttons to Export antenna parameters and to Export Fields. The fields can be exported in the.csv format and imported into reporter as a table.To export the antenna parameters to a text file:1. Click the Export button on the Antenna Parameters dialog.

This displays a file browser.2. Specify the file name and location (or accept the defaults).3. Click Save.

This saves the text file and closes the browser.To export the maximum field data to a comma separated format file:1. Click the Export Fields button on the Antenna Parameters dialog

This displays a file browser2. Specify the file name and location (or accept the defaults.3. Click Save.

This saves the comma separated text file and closes the browser.

Far fields format: [Point index] [Phi] [Theta] [rEPhi(mag ang)] [rETheta(mag ang)]

Near fields format: [Point index] [X] [Y] [Z] [Ex(mag ang)] [Ey(mag ang)] [Ez(mag ang)]

Phi

Theta

LHCP

RHCP

Ludwig 3/X dominant

Ludwig 3/Y dominant

Note When calculating the maximum far-field values, the distance r is factored out of the E-field. Therefore, the units for the maximum field data values are given in volts.

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Related TopicsComputing Antenna ParametersTechnical Notes: Antenna ParametersTechnical Notes: Maximum Far-Field Data

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Plotting the MeshBefore or after the solution is complete, you can plot the finite element mesh on surfaces or within 3D objects.1. Select a surface or object to create the mesh plot on or within.

If it does not exist, create it.2. On the HFSS menu, point to Fields, and then click Plot Mesh.

The Create Mesh Plot dialog appears.3. Enter a name, or accept the default name.4. Select the solution to use from the drop down list and click Done.

The mesh appears on the surface or object you selected. An icon for the mesh also appears in the Project tree under Field Overlays -- Mesh Plots.If a solution is ongoing, you can select the Mesh Plots icon in the in the Project tree, right-click to display the shortcut menu, and click Update Plots. This updates the mesh plot to latest data available. After the last adaptive pass, the Mesh plot is automatically updated.You can modify an existing plot by selecting the plot and changing the properties.

Related TopicsSetting Mesh Plot Attributes

Setting Mesh Plot Attributes1. On the HFSS menu, point to Field Overlays, and then Modify Plot Attributes .

The Select Folder window appears.2. Select the folder containing the mesh plot you want to modify, and then click OK.

All plots in the selected folder will be modified.A dialog box with mesh plot attribute settings appears.

3. Click the mesh plot you want to modify in the Plot list.4. Use the Scale factor slider to increase (move to the right) or decrease (move to the left) the

percentage of the tetrahedra size. For example, a scale factor of 80% draws the tetrahedra at 80% of their original size.

5. Use the Transparency slider to increase (move to the right) or decrease (move to the left) the transparency of the plot. This is useful for viewing objects or plots behind the current plot.

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6. Select one of the following display options:

7. Under Mesh color, click the Line color box, and then select a color for the outline of the tetra-hedra from the Color palette.

8. Under Mesh color, click the Filled color box, and then select a color to fill the tetrahedra with from the Color palette.

9. Select Surface Only to only display the faces of tetrahedra that lie on object surfaces. Clear this option to draw all tetrahedra inside selected objects.

10. Click Save as default if you want the tab’s settings to apply to mesh plots created after this point.

11. Select Real time mode if you want the changes to take effect immediately in the view win-dow. If this option is cleared, click Apply when you want to see the changes.

12. Click Close to dismiss the dialog box.

Related TopicsPlotting the Mesh

Wire frame Draws wireframe outlines of the tetrahedra.

Shaded Draws shaded tetrahedra.

Add Grid Displays the mesh.

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16Technical Notes

The simulation technique used to calculate the full 3D electromagnetic field inside a structure is based on the finite element method. Although its implementation is largely transparent, a general understanding of the method is useful in making the most effective use of HFSS.The HFSS Technical Notes provide an overview of the finite element method and its implementa-tion in HFSS. They also describe how modal S-parameters are computed from the simulated elec-tric and magnetic fields and how they can be converted to "nodal" or "voltage" based pseudo-S-parameters used in circuit theory.Information is included on the following:

• The Finite Element Method• The HFSS Solution Process• S-Parameters• Radiated Fields• Geometric Objects• Boundaries

• Excitations• Materials• Parametric Analysis• Optimization Analysis• Sensitivity Analysis• Tuning Analysis• Modes to Nodes Conversion

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The Finite Element MethodIn order to generate an electromagnetic field solution, HFSS employs the finite element method. In general, the finite element method divides the full problem space into thousands of smaller regions and represents the field in each sub-region (element) with a local function.In HFSS, the geometric model is automatically divided into a large number of tetrahedra, where a single tetrahedron is a four-sided pyramid. This collection of tetrahedra is referred to as the finite element mesh.

Representation of a Field QuantityThe value of a vector field quantity (such as the H-field or E-field) at points inside each tetrahedron is interpolated from the vertices of the tetrahedron. At each vertex, HFSS stores the components of the field that are tangential to the three edges of the tetrahedron. In addition, HFSS can store the component of the vector field at the midpoint of selected edges that is tangential to a face and nor-mal to the edge (as shown below). The field inside each tetrahedron is interpolated from these nodal values.

By representing field quantities in this way, the system can transform Maxwell’s equations into matrix equations that are solved using traditional numerical methods.

Basis FunctionsVarious interpolation schemes, or basis functions, can be used to interpolate field values from nodal values. • A first order tangential element basis function interpolates field values from both nodal values

at vertices and on edges. First order tangential elements have 20 unknowns per tetrahedron.

• A zero order basis function makes use of nodal values at vertices only — and therefore assumes that the field varies linearly inside each tetrahedron. Zero order tangential elements have six unknowns per tetrahedron.

The component of a field that is tangential to the face of an element and normal to an edge is explicitly stored at the midpoint of selected edges.

The value of a vector field at an interior point is interpolated from the nodal values.

The components of a field that are tangen-tial to the edges of an element are explic-itly stored at the vertices.

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Size of Mesh Vs. Accuracy There is a trade-off among the size of the mesh, the desired level of accuracy, and the amount of available computing resources.The accuracy of the solution depends on the size of each of the individual elements (tetrahedra). Generally speaking, solutions based on meshes using thousands of elements are more accurate than solutions based on coarse meshes using relatively few elements. To generate a precise description of a field quantity, each element must occupy a region that is small enough for the field to be ade-quately interpolated from the nodal values.However, generating a field solution involves inverting a matrix with approximately as many ele-ments as there are tetrahedra nodes. For meshes with a large number of elements, such an inversion requires a significant amount of computing power and memory. Therefore, it is desirable to use a mesh fine enough to obtain an accurate field solution but not so fine that it overwhelms the avail-able computer memory and processing power.To produce the optimal mesh, HFSS uses an iterative process, called an adaptive analysis, in which the mesh is automatically refined in critical regions. First, it generates a solution based on a coarse initial mesh. Then, it refines the mesh in areas of high error density and generates a new solution. When selected parameters converge to within a desired limit, HFSS breaks out of the loop.

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The HFSS Solution ProcessTo calculate the S-matrix associated with a structure with ports, HFSS does the following:• Divides the structure into a finite element mesh.• Computes the modes on each port of the structure that are supported by a transmission line

having the same cross-section as the port.• Computes the full electromagnetic field pattern inside the structure, assuming that one mode is

excited at a time.• Computes the generalized S-matrix from the amount of reflection and transmission that occurs.The resulting S-matrix allows the magnitude of transmitted and reflected signals to be computed directly from a given set of input signals, reducing the full 3D electromagnetic behavior of a struc-ture to a set of high frequency circuit parameters.

The Mesh Generation ProcessFollowing is the general mesh generation process:1. HFSS generates an initial mesh, which includes surface approximation settings.2. If lambda refinement was requested, HFSS refines the initial mesh based on the material-

dependent wavelength.3. Any mesh operations that were defined are used to refine the mesh.4. If ports were defined, HFSS iteratively refines the 2D mesh at the ports.5. Using the resulting mesh, HFSS computes the electromagnetic fields that exist inside the struc-

ture when it is excited at the solution frequency. 6. If you are performing an adaptive analysis, HFSS uses the current finite element solution to

estimate the regions of the problem domain where the exact solution has strong error. Tetrahe-dra in these regions are refined.

7. HFSS generates another solution using the refined mesh.8. HFSS recomputes the error, and the iterative process (solve — error analysis — adaptive

refinement) repeats until the convergence criteria are satisfied or the maximum number of adaptive passes is completed.

9. If a frequency sweep is being performed, then HFSS solves the problem at the other frequency points without further refining the mesh. An adaptive solution is performed only at the speci-fied solution frequency.

Related TopicsReverting to the Initial MeshSeeding the MeshGuidelines for Seeding the Mesh

Note HFSS does not generate an initial mesh each time it starts the solution process. The initial mesh is generated only if a current mesh is unavailable.

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Length-Based Mesh RefinementSkin Depth-Based Mesh RefinementSurface Approximation SettingsGuidelines for Modifying Surface Approximation SettingsMeshing Region Vs. Problem RegionMesh Refinement on PortsModel Resolution

Seeding the MeshIn HFSS, mesh operations are optional mesh refinement settings that enable you to provide HFSS with engineering guidance based on your knowledge of the parts of the model geometry that are critical to the structure’s electromagnetic performance. Providing such guidance to HFSS prior to beginning the adaptive analysis process can reduce (sometimes extensively) the number of passes necessary to converge upon a field solution as well as the final number of tetrahedra in the mesh for that solution. Although adaptive analysis convergence targets areas where field behavior is found, refining the mesh using more than the standard criteria, such as material characteristics, can result in finding areas of critical field behavior as soon as the first few passes are solved. The technique of guiding HFSS’s mesh construction is referred to as "seeding" the mesh. Seeding is performed using the Mesh Operations commands on the HFSS menu.You can instruct HFSS to refine the length of tetrahedral elements on a surface or within a volume until they are below a certain value (length-based mesh refinement) or you can instruct HFSS to refine the surface triangle length of all tetrahedral elements on a surface or volume to within a spec-ified value (skin depth-based mesh refinement.) These types of mesh operations can be defined at any time. If you apply them before the adaptive solution process, they are used to refine the initial mesh after it has been generated. You can also choose to apply mesh operations without generating a solution, in which case the mesh operations are applied to the current mesh.In a few circumstances, you may also want to define a mesh operation that modifies HFSS’s surface approximation settings for one or more faces. Surface approximation settings are only applied to the initial mesh.

Related TopicsDefining Mesh OperationsTechnical Notes: The Mesh Generation Process

Guidelines for Seeding the MeshWhile seeding the mesh is not required, it is useful in the following conditions:• Seeding the mesh inside a volume in the model geometry where regions of strong electric

or magnetic fields (with strong capacitive or inductive loading) are expected. Examples include a capacitively loaded gap in a resonant structure, sharp waveguide angles or cor-ners, or gaps between multi-coupled lines in filter structures.

• Seeding the mesh on every face of higher aspect ratio boundaries, such as long PCB traces or on the surfaces of long wires. Spacing the mesh points roughly equal to the trace width

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of the wire diameter enables you to more accurately capture the behavior of the high-aspect structure from the first adaptive pass.

Related TopicsDefining Mesh Operations

Length-Based Mesh RefinementWhen you request length-based mesh refinement, you instruct HFSS to refine the length of tet-rahedral elements until they are below a specified value. The length of a tetrahedron is defined as the length of its longest edge.You can specify the maximum length of tetrahedra on faces or inside of objects. You can also specify the maximum number of elements that are added during the refinement. When the ini-tial mesh has been generated, the refinement criteria you specified will be used to refine the initial mesh.

Related TopicsAssigning Length-Based Mesh Refinement on Object FacesAssigning Length-Based Mesh Refinement Inside Objects

Skin Depth-Based Mesh RefinementWhen you request skin depth-based mesh refinement, you instruct HFSS to refine the surface triangle length of all tetrahedral elements on a face to within a specified value. A layered mesh is created based on the surface mesh. The layers are graded based on the skin depth and num-ber of layers you specify.During skin depth-based mesh refinement, HFSS creates a series of layers that are planes par-allel to the object face, and that are spaced within the specified skin depth. For each point on the surface of the face, a series of points (P0, P1, P2, ..., Pn) are added to the mesh, where n is the number of layers. P0 is the point on the surface and the distance from P0 to Pn is the skin depth. The points are spaced in a non-uniform manner, with the distance between them decreasing in a geometric progression, as you move from Pn to P0.For example, if

then

Skin Depth: 12 mm

Number of Layers of Elements: 4

Distance [P0,P1]: 0.8 mm.

Distance [P1,P2]: 1.6 mm.

Distance [P2,P3]: 3.2 mm.

Distance [P3,P4]: 6.4 mm.

Distance [P0,P4]: 0.8 + 1.6 + 3.2 + 6.4 = 12 mm

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The skin depth-based refinement first satisfies the surface triangle edge length criterion, then introduces the series of points to each additional layer. If a limit has been placed on mesh growth, one of the following happens:• The limit is set high enough to complete the skin depth refinement.• The limit is set high enough to satisfy the surface triangle edge length criterion, but not

high enough to complete the depth seeding. • The limit is not set high enough to satisfy even the surface triangle edge length criterion. Because refining by skin depth can add many seeding points, you should first refine the surface of the object using length-based mesh refinement to obtain an accurate count of the number of points HFSS will add when refining by skin depth. This allows you to reach the surface edge length criterion and approximate the number of elements in the mesh and the number of points on the surfaces before proceeding to skin depth seeding.The refinement criteria you specified are used to refine the current mesh.

Related TopicsAssigning Skin Depth-Based Mesh Refinement on Object Faces

Surface Approximation SettingsObject surfaces in HFSS may be planar, cylindrical or conical, toroidal, spherical, or splines. The original model surfaces are called true surfaces. To create a finite element mesh, HFSS first divides all true surfaces into triangles. These triangulated surfaces are called faceted surfaces because a series of straight line segments represents each curved or planar surface.For planar surfaces, the triangles lie exactly on the model faces; there is no difference in the loca-tion or the normal of the true surface and the meshed surface. When an object’s surface is non-pla-nar, the faceted triangle faces lie a small distance from the object’s true surface. This distance is called the surface deviation, and it is measured in the model’s units. The surface deviation is greater near the triangle centers and less near the triangle vertices. The normal of a curved surface is different depending on its location, but it is constant for each tri-angle. (In this context, "normal" is defined as a line perpendicular to the surface.) The angular dif-ference between the normal of the curved surface and the corresponding mesh surface is called the normal deviation and is measured in degrees. The aspect ratio of triangles used in planar surfaces is based on the ratio of circumscribed radius to the in-radius of the triangle. It is unity for an equilateral triangle and approaches infinity as the tri-angle becomes thinner.You can modify the surface deviation, the maximum permitted normal deviation, and the maximum aspect ratio of triangles settings on one or more faces at a time in the Surface Approximation dia-log box. (Click HFSS>Mesh Operations>Assign>Surface Approximation.) The surface approximation settings are applied to the initial mesh.

Note For the initial mesh, all the vertices of the triangles lie on the true surfaces. During adaptive meshing, the vertices are added to the meshed surfaces, not to the true surfaces.

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Related TopicsModifying Surface Approximation SettingsTechnical Notes: Guidelines for Modifying Surface Approximation SettingsTechnical Notes: The Mesh Generation Process

Guidelines for Modifying Surface Approximation SettingsIf you intend to modify the surface approximation settings for an object face or faces, keep the following guidelines in mind:• When necessary, override the default surface approximation settings to represent curved

surfaces more accurately. More accurate representation will increase the mesh size and consume more CPU time and memory. The default settings are adequate for most circum-stances.

• If you want to obtain a faster solution by using a cruder representation of curved surfaces, set the coarser setting for the whole object, not just a single face.

• It is difficult for HFSS to satisfy aspect ratio demands if the aspect ratio value is set close to 1 because an arbitrary shape cannot be filled with only equilateral triangles. Therefore, setting the aspect ratio to 1 can lead to unreasonably large meshes. HFSS limits the aspect ratio to 4 for planar objects and 1.2 for curved objects.

Related TopicsModifying Surface Approximation SettingsTechnical Notes: Surface Approximation Settings

Meshing Region Vs. Problem RegionHFSS distinguishes between the problem region and the meshing region. The problem region is the region in which the solution is generated and the mesh is refined. The meshing region, which includes the problem region, is the area in which an initial mesh is generated. After an initial mesh is generated, the mesh is refined only in the problem region.The problem region encompasses an area that is just large enough to include the entire design, but no larger. HFSS automatically defines the problem region during the solution process. If you are interested in effects outside of the structure, such as radiated effects, then you can create a virtual object to expand the size of the problem region to include these areas.The meshing region, like the problem region, is a box that completely encloses the structure. How-ever the meshing region must be at least 10 times larger than the model. The part of the meshing region not occupied by objects is considered to be the background object. The background extends to the boundaries of the meshing region and fills in any voids not occupied by objects. Since the background object is defined as a perfect conductor, no solution is generated inside the background even though an initial mesh is generated for it. HFSS automatically defines the meshing region dur-ing the solution process.

16-8 Technical Notes

HFSS Online Help

The problem region and the meshing region are illustrated below.

Model ResolutionModel Resolution is a setting that determines the smallest details of a model that the mesher should capture and represent in the mesh.Many times the analysis starts with the geometry already drawn in a different tool for different pur-pose. Some tools are designed for manufacturing and the resulting models contain lots of extra details not needed for electromagnetic analysis. If the user removes such details in the original tool the results will be better. But if the user does not have access to the original drawing tool or redraw-ing the model without these details is not possible, Model Resolution is another way to remove the details from analysis.When the user sets the model resolution length to be L, the mesher will start with a surface repre-sentation of the model accurate to the modeler's tolerance limit. Then it will progressively remove edges, move points, merge points etc., within the allowable model resolution limit and simplify the surface mesh. During this process, tiny fillets, rounds, and chamfer protrusions are removed. Other common model translation anomalies are also handled using Model Resolution. For exam-ple, some geometry engines will blindly export all of the surfaces as splines. When a user imports such a model for analysis, it would result in very large number of triangles. If the surface can be represented by a smaller set of triangles using Model Resolution, this procedure would reduce the number of triangles in the surface mesh.The user can start with a model resolution length around 0.1*wavelength. If the model resolution length chosen by the user is too large, the mesher will detect it and report it as an error. The model resolution length is specified in the user units of the modeler. It can be set on selected bodies only. The default value is 100* the tolerance limit of the ACIS modeler. Related TopicsSpecifying Model Resolution

Device

Problem RegionMeshingRegion

PerfectConductor

Background Object

Technical Notes 16-9

HFSS Online Help

Port SolutionsThe excitation field pattern at each port must be calculated before the full 3D electromagnetic field inside a structure can be calculated. HFSS calculates the natural field patterns (or modes) that can exist inside a transmission structure with the same cross-section as the port. The resulting 2D field patterns serve as boundary conditions for the full 3D problem.

Excitation FieldsHFSS assumes that each port is connected to a uniform waveguide that has the same cross-section as the port. Therefore, the excitation field is the field associated with traveling waves propagating along the waveguide to which the port is connected,

where • ℜ is the real part of a complex number or function.• E(x,y) is a phasor field quantity.• γ=α + jβ is the complex propagation constant, where

• α is the attenuation constant of the wave.• β is the propagation constant associated with the wave that determines, at a given time t,

how the phase angle varies with z.• ω is angular frequency, 2πf.• j is the imaginary unit, .In this context, the x- and y-axes are assumed to lie in the cross-section of the port; the z-axis lies along the direction of propagation.

Wave EquationThe field pattern of a traveling wave inside a waveguide can be determined by solving Maxwell’s equations. The following equation that the Wave module solves is derived directly from Maxwell’s equation

where• E(x,y) is a phasor representing an oscillating electric field.• k0 is the free-space wave number,

.

• ω is the angular frequency, 2πf.• ε0 is the permittivity of free space, 1/(c2μ0)• is the complex relative permeability.• is the complex relative permittivity.

E x y z t, , ,( ) ℜ E x y,( )ejωt γz–[ ]= .

1–

1μr----- E x y,( )∇× ⎠

⎞ k02

εrE x y,( )– 0= ,

ω μ0ε0 ω c⁄=

μr x y,( )εr x y,( )

16-10 Technical Notes

HFSS Online Help

When the Wave module solves this equation, it obtains an excitation field pattern in the form of a phasor solution, E(x,y). It also solves independently for H(x,y) using the corresponding wave equa-tion in H. These phasor solutions are independent of z and t; only after being multiplied by e-γz do they become traveling waves.Also note that the excitation field pattern computed by the Wave module is valid only at a given frequency. A different excitation field pattern is computed for each frequency point of interest.

Mesh Refinement on PortsThe Wave module treats its computation of the excitation field pattern as a 2D finite element prob-lem. The mesh associated with each port is simply the 2D mesh of triangles corresponding to the face of tetrahedra that lie on the port surface. The Wave module performs an iterative refinement of this 2D mesh without calling the Meshmaker.The refinement procedure is as follows:1. Using the triangular mesh formed by the tetrahedra faces of the initial mesh, Wave calculates

solutions for both the magnetic field, H, and the electric field, E.2. To determine if the 2D solution is accurate, wave uses the following equations:

where H(x,y) and E(x,y) are phasors.3. Wave first calculates E and H independently using the appropriate wave equations. Next, it

computes and compares the results to the solved E. It then computes and compares the results to the solved H.

4. If the reciprocal comparison falls within an acceptable tolerance, the solution is accepted. Oth-erwise, the 2D mesh on the port face is refined and Wave performs another iteration.

5. Any mesh points that have been added to the face of a port are read out to the existing mesh files. These points are incorporated into the full 3D mesh the next time the Meshmaker is called.

For a detailed understanding of the theory implemented by the Wave module, refer to the follow-ing:

Jin-Fa Lee, Din-Kow Sun, and Zoltan J. Cendes, "Full-Wave Analysis of Dielectric Waveguides Using Tangential Vector Finite Elements," IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques, vol. 39, No 8, August 1991.

Related TopicsTechnical Notes: The Mesh Generation Process

ModesFor a waveguide or transmission line with a given cross-section, there is a series of basic field patterns, or modes, that satisfy Maxwell’s equations at a specific frequency. Any linear combi-nation of these modes can exist in the waveguide. By default, HFSS computes only the domi-nant mode field pattern.

H∇× σE jωεE+=E∇× jωμH–=

∇ H× ∇ E×

Technical Notes 16-11

HFSS Online Help

Related TopicsTechnical Notes: Mode ConversionTechnical Notes: Modes, Reflections, and PropagationTechnical Notes: Modal Field Patterns and Frequency

Mode ConversionIn some cases it is necessary to include the effects of higher order modes because the structure acts as a mode converter. For example, if the mode 1 (dominant) field at one port is converted (as it passes through a structure) to a mode 2 field pattern at another, then it is necessary to obtain the S-parameters for the mode 2 field.

Modes, Reflections, and PropagationIt is also possible for a 3D field solution generated by an excitation signal of one specific mode to contain reflections of higher order modes which arise due to discontinuities in the structure. If these higher order modes are reflected back to the excitation port or transmit-ted to another port, the S-parameters associated with these modes should be calculated.If the higher order mode decays before reaching any port — either because of attenuation from losses or because it is a non-propagating evanescent mode — there is no need to obtain the S-parameters for that mode. Therefore, one way to avoid the need for comput-ing the S-parameters for a higher order mode is to include a length of waveguide in the model that is long enough for the higher order mode to decay in. For example, if the mode 2 wave associated with a certain port decays to near zero in 0.5 mm, then the "constant cross-section" portion of the geometric model leading up to the port should be at least 0.5 mm long. Otherwise, for accurate S-parameters, the mode 2 S-parameters must be included in the S-matrix. The length of the constant cross-section segment that has to be included in the model depends on the value of the mode’s attenuation constant, α.

Modal Field Patterns and FrequencyThe field patterns associated with each mode generally vary with frequency. However, the propagation constants and impedances always vary with frequency. When performing fre-quency sweeps, be aware that as the frequency increases, the likelihood of higher order modes being propagating modes also increases.

Multiple Ports on the Same FaceVisualize a port face on a microstrip that contains two conducting strips side by side as two separate ports. If the two ports are defined as being separate, the system simulates the case in which the two ports are connected to uncoupled transmission structures. It is as if a conductive wall separates the excitation waves. However, in actuality, there will be electromagnetic cou-pling between the two strips. To model this coupling accurately, analyze the two ports as a single port with multiple modes. In general, if there are N disconnected conductors in the port cross-section, at least N - 1 modes are required for an accurate solution. For example, if the port consists of two adjacent micros-

16-12 Technical Notes

HFSS Online Help

trip lines surrounded by a conducting enclosure, N = 3; therefore at least two modes should be defined on the port. Assign an equal number of terminals as modes. Refer to Assigning Wave Ports for Terminal Solutions for more information.If the multi-conductor port plane is near discontinuities within the 3D model, additional modes beyond N - 1 may be necessary. However, if you define terminals on a multi-conductor port, the presence of non-quasi transverse electromagnetic (TEM) modes will adversely affect the entries of any computed terminal matrices. Therefore, rather than increase the number of modes beyond the required N - 1, extend the port outward until any higher-order modes have sufficient attenuation to be omitted from consideration.

Port Field AccuracyGenerally, the default Port Field Accuracy value, specified under the Ports tab of the Solu-tion Setup dialog box, is adequate. You may want improved port accuracy under the following conditions:• You are interested primarily in the port impedances. Port impedances are computed as part

of the port solution.• You need to lower the noise floor to catch S-parameters that are expected to be in the −70

dB range.While HFSS uses the Port Field Accuracy value each time you request a ports-only solution, it only uses this value for the first full-field solution. This happens because a set of port solu-tions is computed at the beginning of the field solution process and then that set is used for all subsequent field solutions. Therefore, to specify a new port field accuracy for a field solution, add another solution setup and generate a new solution.Refining the mesh at the ports causes HFSS to refine the mesh for the entire structure as well. This occurs because it uses the port field solutions as boundary conditions when computing the full 3D solution. Therefore, specifying too small a port field accuracy can result in an unneces-sarily complex finite element mesh.

Saving Field SolutionsWhen specifying the frequency points to be solved during a sweep, you can specify whether you want to save the 3D field solutions associated with all port modes at each frequency. Because each additional field solution — those associated with higher order modes — increases the amount of required disk space by several megabytes, by default HFSS does not save the data for higher order modes unless you specifically request it do so. If you do not save the field solution, the associated mode will not be available as a source stimulation during post processing.

The Adaptive Analysis ProcessAn adaptive analysis is a solution process in which the mesh is refined iteratively in regions where the error is high, which increases the solution’s precision. You set the criteria that control mesh refinement during an adaptive field solution. Many problems can be solved using only adaptive refinement.

Technical Notes 16-13

HFSS Online Help

e S-

Following is the general process followed during an adaptive analysis:1. HFSS generates an initial mesh.2. Using the initial mesh, HFSS computes the electromagnetic fields that exist inside the structure

when it is excited at the solution frequency. (If you are running a frequency sweep, an adaptive solution is performed only at the specified solution frequency.)

3. Based on the current finite element solution, HFSS estimates the regions of the problem domain where the exact solution has strong error. Tetrahedra in these regions are refined.

4. HFSS generates another solution using the refined mesh. 5. HFSS recomputes the error, and the iterative process (solve — error analysis — refine) repeats

until the convergence criteria are satisfied or the requested number of adaptive passes is com-pleted.

6. If a frequency sweep is being performed, HFSS then solves the problem at the other frequency points without further refining the mesh.

Maximum Delta SFor designs with ports. The delta S is the change in the magnitude of the S-parameters between two consecutive passes. If the magnitude and phase of all S-parameters change by an amount less than the Maximum Delta S Per Pass value from one iteration to the next, the adaptive analysis stops. Otherwise, it continues until the requested number of passes is completed.For example, if you specify 0.1 as the Maximum Delta S Per Pass, HFSS continues to refine the mesh until the number of requested passes is completed or until the magnitude of the complex delta of all S-parameters changes by less than 0.1.The maximum delta S is defined as

where:• i and j cover all matrix entries.• N represents the pass number.

Related TopicsViewing the Maximum Magnitude of Delta S Between Passes

Maximum Delta EFor designs with voltage sources, current sources, or incident waves. Not applicable to designs with ports.

Note Delta S is computed on the appropriate S-parameters - modal or terminal - after thparameters have been de-embedded and renormalized.

Maxij mag SNij

SN 1–

ij–⎝ ⎠

⎛ ⎞

16-14 Technical Notes

HFSS Online Help

The delta E is the difference in the relative energy error from one adaptive solution to the next. It is a measure of the stability of the computed field values from pass to pass. As the solution converges, delta E approaches zero.The Maximum Delta E Per Pass value is a stopping criterion for the adaptive solution. If the delta E falls below this value, the adaptive analysis stops. Otherwise, it continues until the convergence criteria are reached. The data represents the delta E for all tetrahedra.

Percent of Tetrahedra Refined Per PassThe value you set for Percent Refinement Per Pass determines how many tetrahedra are added at each iteration of the adaptive refinement process. For instance, entering 10 causes the mesh to increase approximately 10 percent each pass. The tetrahedra with the highest error will be refined. If your mesh consisted of 1000 elements, the tetrahedra would be refined so that 100 new elements are added to the mesh. Generally, you can accept the default value.

Magnitude MarginFor solutions in which convergence criteria for specific S-matrix entries were specified. For each element in the S-matrix, the magnitude margin is the difference between the S-parameter delta magnitude and the target delta magnitude, which was specified in the Matrix Convergence dialog box. The magnitude margin reported under the Convergence tab is the maximum of these values over the entire matrix. The magnitude margin is defined as

where Mij is the matrix convergence entry. It indicates the solution’s proximity to the target delta magnitude. If the solution has converged within the target delta magnitude, a value of zero will be reported for the pass.

Phase MarginFor solutions in which convergence criteria for specific S-matrix entries were specified. For each element in the matrix, the phase margin is the difference between the S-parameter delta phase and the target delta phase, which was specified in the Matrix Convergence dialog box. The phase margin reported under the Convergence tab is the maximum of these values over the entire matrix. The phase margin is defined as where Mij is the matrix convergence entry. The phase margin indicates the solution’s proximity to the target delta phase. If the solution has converged within the target delta phase, a value of zero will be reported for the pass.

Maxij magSNij

magSN 1–

ij– magMij–

Technical Notes 16-15

HFSS Online Help

Maximum Delta FrequencyFor Eigenmode solutions.At any time during the solution process, you can view the percent difference in the resonant fre-quencies from one adaptive solution to the next, or the maximum delta frequency. This is a measure of the stability of the computed frequencies from pass to pass and is available only two or more adaptive passes are completed.For lossless problems, the maximum delta frequency is the largest percent change in the real part of the frequency for any of the calculated modes. For lossy problems, the maximum delta frequency is the greater of two quantities: the largest percent change in the real part of the frequency over all the modes, and the largest percent change in the imaginary part of the frequency.

Max Delta (Mag S)For solutions in which convergence criteria for specific S-matrix entries were specified. The Max delta(Mag S) is the maximum difference of S-Matrix magnitudes between two consecu-tive passes. If the difference in magnitudes of the S matrices change by an amount less than the Maximum Delta Mag S value from one pass to the next, this satisfies the part of the convergence criteria.

Max Delta (Phase S)For solutions in which convergence criteria for specific S-matrix entries were specified. The Max delta(Phase S) is the maximum difference of S-Matrix phase between two consecutive passes. If the difference in phase of the S matrices change by an amount less than the Maximum Delta Phase S value from one pass to the next, this satisfies this part of the convergence criteria.

Note When the Mag S becomes small (near to zero) its phase becomes indefinite and insignificance due to mathematical issue so that Phase Margin will be discarded.

Maxij phaseSNij

phaseSN 1–

ij– phaseMij–

Max MagSNij

MagSN 1–

ij–⎝ ⎠

⎛ ⎞

Max PhaseSn PhaseSn 1––( )

16-16 Technical Notes

HFSS Online Help

Matrix SolversHFSS includes two solvers. The default solver and the Iterative Matrix Solver. See Enable Iterative Solver for a discussion of when to use the Interative Matrix solver. For details on the Iterative Matrix solver seeTechnical Notes: Iterative Matrix Solver.

Iterative Matrix SolverThis section contains information on the Iterative Matrix Solver.• Guidelines for Using the Iterative Solver• Multiprocessing and the Iterative Solver• Iterative Solver Technical Details

Guidelines for Using the Iterative Solver1. The iterative solver works most efficiently when it is enabled for designs that do not contain

many ports. (For example, the number of excitations is less than twice the number of proces-sors.)

2. If you choose to take advantage of the iterative solver, and your analysis includes interpolating sweeps or discrete sweeps, the adaptive solution should be well converged at the higher end of the frequency band.

3. The Relative Residual provides a stopping criteria. The residual measures the convergence of the iterative solver to the solution of the matrix equation. Its value affects the performance of the iterative solver as follows:• Default is 1E-4. This gives accurate S-parameters and fields, indistinguishable from those

generated by the direct solver. Ansoft recommends this residual.• With a larger residual, for example, 1E-3 or 1E-2, the iterative process will stop with

fewer iterations and the solution will be less converged. S-parameters won't differ much from those of a direct solution, for example, a difference in third or second digit. Fields and antenna patterns are visually the same.

• A residual of 0.1 can be used for quick adaptive mesh refinement early in the adaptive pro-cess, but S-parameters will be noticeably different.

• A residual of 1 should never be used. The interface will not allow a residual above 0.1.

Multiprocessing and the Iterative SolverIn computing the pre-conditioner, the iterative solver uses multiple processors, if set under Tools>Options>HFSS Options, just like the multi-frontal solver does. The operations involved are very similar. After that, there is one iterative process per excitation. Each iterative process can only use one processor. If you have one excitation and multiple processors, you will see that HF3D.exe uses only one processor at this stage. If you have multiple excitations and multiple pro-cessors, HF3D.exe will use multiple processors at this stage. For example, with four processors and eight excitations, HF3D will perform the iterative processes for four excitations first, and for the other set of four excitations next.

Technical Notes 16-17

HFSS Online Help

Iterative Matrix Solver Technical DetailsThe iterative solver always saves significant memory - easily a factor two with simulations of inter-mediate size, and more with larger simulations. It is also faster than the multi-frontal solver with large simulations. The following table shows asymptotic behavior with large simulations. N = number of unknowns. This shows that the iterative solver has a better asymptotic behavior both in RAM and in time.

The iterative solver uses a preconditioner that is based on the next-lower order. Therefore, there is no iterative solver option when you solve with zeroth order.Consider the matrix equation

(1)where A is a matrix, b a right hand side and x the solution.When is computationally expensive or the exact solution x is impossible, an alternative is to seek an approximation to x, with an error . The exact solution can therefore be rewritten as

(2)Substituting (2) into (1) results in the so called residual equation

(3)where r is the residual defined by

(4)As aforementioned, the exact solution for e in (3) is impossible since it requires . However, if an approximation is available, the error e can be approximated in (3) by

(5)Finally, the approximation is updated by

(6)It is (4)-(6) that form the foundation of the iterative solution method. A matrix solver using the iter-ative solution method is called an iterative matrix solver. The method starts with an initial guess

and repeats (4)-(6) until the approximation to x is within tolerance, or the number of iterations exceeds a given number. In the former case, it is said the solution converges; while in the latter, it doesn’t. The residual r is used for measuring the closeness of to x. Since A and b in (1) can be scaled by the same factor without altering x, so does the residual r in (4). It typically makes more sense to replace ||r|| as the stopping criterion with the relative residual:

Time RAM

Multi-frontal Solver N 1.7 N 1.3

Iterative Solver N 1.2 N 1.0

bAx =

1−Ax xxe −=

exx +=

rAe =

xAbr −=1−A

M A≈rMe -1=

xexx +←

0xx = x

x

16-18 Technical Notes

HFSS Online Helpr

(7)where stands for vector norm.M in (5) is called a preconditioner of A. A good preconditioner greatly reduces the number of itera-tions.The following makes M a good preconditioner: M is very similar to A in eigen spectrum and

is computationally cheap. Some of the classic iterative matrix methods include: the Jacobi method where M is the diagonal of A, the Gauss-Seidel method where M is the lower triangular or upper triangular matrix of A and the successive over-relaxation method (SOR) where M is a weighted combination of the lower triangular and upper triangular matrix of A.In the iterative method, the major storage is for matrix A and for preconditioner M. The major oper-ation is a matrix-vector multiplication in (4). The computational cost is S+mnT, where S is the num-ber of operations for setting up the preconditioner, m the number of right hand sides, n the average number of iterations per right hand side and T the number of operations for each iteration.Details of the iterative solver are given in:D. K. Sun, J. F. Lee and Z. J. Cendes, "Construction of nearly orthogonal Nedelec bases for rapid convergence with multilevel preconditioned solvers", SIAM Journal on Scientific Computing, Vol. 23, No. 4, pp. 1053-1076, 2001.I. Bardi, G. Peng and Z.J. Cendes, "Improvements in Adaptive Mesh Refinement and Multi-level methods in High Frequency Electromagnetics", ACES Symposium, 2002.Related TopicsEnable Iterative Solver

Single Frequency SolutionA single frequency solution generates an adaptive or non-adaptive solution at a single frequency, the solution frequency specified in the Solution Setup dialog box, and is often the first step in per-forming a frequency sweep. An adaptive solution is one in which a finite element mesh is created

bres =

1−M

Technical Notes 16-19

HFSS Online Help

and automatically refined in the areas of highest error — increasing the accuracy of succeeding adaptive solutions. The procedure for performing a single frequency solution is shown below.

Frequency SweepsPerform a frequency sweep when you want to generate a solution across a range of frequencies. You may choose one of the following sweep types:

Fast Generates a unique full-field solution for each division within a frequency range. Best for models that will abruptly resonate or change operation in the frequency band. A Fast sweep will obtain an accurate representation of the behavior near the resonance.

Discrete Generates field solutions at specific frequency points in a frequency range. Best when only a few frequency points are necessary to accurately represent the results in a frequency range.

Interpolating Estimates a solution for an entire frequency range. Best when the frequency range is wide and the frequency response is smooth, or if the memory requirements of a Fast sweep exceed your resources.

Compute excitation currentpattern for each port atω = ωtest.

No

Create an initial mesh.

No Yes

Yes

No

Yes

Acceptable?Refine the meshat the ports.

Test accuracy of excitationsignal at each port by com-paring∇x H to E and ∇ x Eto H.

Δ Sacceptable?

Make circuit parameters and fielddistributions available.

Refine the mesh insidethe structure.

Compute field solutioninside structure due toexcitation at ports forω = ωtest

Adaptiveanalysis?

16-20 Technical Notes

HFSS Online Help

ange. If ition.

Fast Frequency SweepsA Fast sweep generates a unique full-field solution for each division within a frequency range. Choose a Fast sweep if the model will abruptly resonate or change operation in the frequency band. A Fast sweep will obtain an accurate representation of the behavior near the resonance. HFSS uses the center frequency of the frequency range to select an appropriate eigenvalue problem with which to generate a solution for the entire Fast sweep. It then uses an Adaptive Lanczos-Padé Sweep (ALPS)- based solver to extrapolate the field solution across the requested frequency range from the center frequency field solution.HFSS uses the solution frequency as the center frequency if it is within the frequency range (greater than the Start frequency and less than the Stop frequency). Otherwise the middle of the frequency range is used as the center frequency.Be aware that HFSS uses the finite element mesh refined during an adaptive solution at the solution frequency or, if you did not request an adaptive solution, the initial mesh generated for the problem. It uses this mesh without further refinement. Also, the field solution at the center frequency is the most accurate. Depending upon the desired level of accuracy you require throughout the frequency range, you may wish to perform additional Fast sweeps at other center frequencies. The full-field solution is saved only at the center frequency, while the S-parameters are saved for every frequency point; however, the Fast sweep allows the you to post process fields for any fre-quency entries to the sweep range.The time required for a Fast sweep may be significantly greater than the time required for a single frequency solution.

Note When performing a Fast sweep, no port mode may cross cut-off in the frequency rthis occurs, an error message appears listing the port and mode violating this cond

Technical Notes 16-21

HFSS Online Help

The procedure for a Fast frequency sweep is shown below.

Discrete Frequency SweepsA Discrete sweep generates field solutions at specific frequency points in a frequency range. For example, if you specify a range of 1000 MHz to 2000 MHz, then a Step Size of 2.5, the result would be solutions at 1000, 1250, 1500, 1750, and 2000 MHz. By default, the field solution is only saved for the final frequency point computed, which would be at 2000 MHz in this case. Select the Save Fields option when setting up the points to solve if you want to save the field solution for a specific point. The S-parameters are saved for every frequency point. The more steps you request, the longer it takes to complete the frequency sweep. Choose a Discrete sweep if only a few frequency points are necessary to accurately represent the results in a frequency range. Be aware that HFSS uses the finite element mesh refined during an adaptive solution at the solution frequency or, if you did not request an adaptive solution, the initial mesh generated for the problem. It uses this mesh without further refinement. Because the mesh for the adaptive solution is opti-mized only for the solution frequency, it is possible that the accuracy of the results could vary at frequencies significantly far away from this frequency. If you wish to minimize the variance, you can opt to use the center of the frequency range as the solution frequency. Then, after inspecting the results, run additional solutions with the solution frequency set to the critical frequencies.

Perform ports-only sweep atfrequencies chosen by HFSSacross the frequency range.

Compute the ALPS matrices.

Compute eigenvectors for ALPS

. Enable field post processing

"fsweep-part1"

Invert the lowest order ALPS matrix."Solver"

system."mr"

Recover S-parameters"fsweep-part2"

at any frequency within the sweep’sfrequency range.

Select a proper mesh or adopt the mesh at the selected frequency.

16-22 Technical Notes

HFSS Online Help

The procedure for a Discrete frequency sweep is shown below, where n equally spaced frequencies are included in the sweep.

Interpolating Frequency SweepsAn Interpolating sweep estimates a solution for an entire frequency range. HFSS chooses the fre-quency points at which to solve the field solution so that the entire interpolated solution lies within a specified error tolerance. The sweep is complete when the solution meets the error tolerance crite-rion or generates the maximum number of solutions. To view more information about the solution, increase the number of steps and perform the sweep again. The field solution for each point is deleted so that a new field solution can be generated for the next point. The full-field solution is only saved for the final frequency point computed. The S-parame-ters are saved for every solved frequency point.Choose an Interpolating sweep if the frequency range is wide and the frequency response is smooth, or if the memory requirements of a Fast sweep exceed your resources. An Interpolating sweep’s time requirement is much less than a Discrete sweep’s because a solution for the entire fre-quency range is interpolated based on solutions for a minimal number of frequency points. The maximum time required for an Interpolating sweep is the time required for a single frequency solu-tion multiplied by the maximum number of solutions.

Set f = f0

Select a proper meshor adopt the mesh at f0

Solve the problem.Recover the S-parameters

f = fnext

if F <FlastYes

No

End

Technical Notes 16-23

HFSS Online Help

Be aware that HFSS uses the finite element mesh refined during an adaptive solution at the solution frequency or, if you did not request an adaptive solution, the initial mesh generated for the problem. It uses this mesh without further refinement. The procedure for an Interpolating sweep is shown below, where n frequencies determined by the system are included in the sweep.

Solution TypesDriven Modal SolutionChoose the Driven Modal solution type when you want HFSS to calculate the modal-based S-parameters of passive, high-frequency structures such as microstrips, waveguides, and transmission lines. The S-matrix solutions will be expressed in terms of the incident and reflected powers of waveguide modes.Driven Terminal SolutionChoose the Driven Terminal solution type when you want HFSS to calculate the terminal-based S-parameters of multi-conductor transmission line ports. The S-matrix solutions will be expressed in terms of terminal voltages and currents.Eigenmode Solution

Set f = f0

Select a proper meshor adopt the mesh at f0

Solve the problem.Recover the S-parameters

Yes

No

End

if error > tolerance

16-24 Technical Notes

HFSS Online Help

Choose the Eigenmode solution type to calculate the eigenmodes, or resonances, of a structure. The Eigenmode solver finds the resonant frequencies of the structure and the fields at those reso-nant frequencies.

Eigenmode SolutionsThe Eigenmode solver can find the eigenmodes of lossy as well as lossless structures, and can cal-culate the unloaded Q of a cavity. Q is the quality factor, and is a measure of how much energy is lost in the system. Unloaded Q is the energy lost due to lossy materials. Because ports and other sources are restricted for eigenmode problems, the Q calculated does not include losses due to those sources.The following restrictions apply to Eigenmode solution designs:• The following excitations may not be defined: port, incident wave, voltage source, current

source, and magnetic bias source.• Radiation boundaries may not be defined.• Frequency sweeps are not available.• You may not view or plot the S-matrix data. • Designs cannot include ferrite materials.

Related TopicsCalculating the Resonant FrequencyCalculating the Quality FactorCalculating the Free Space Wave Number

Calculating the Resonant FrequencyEigenmodes are the resonances of the structure. The eigenmode solver finds the resonant frequen-cies of the structure and the fields at those resonant frequencies. For a Driven Solution, HFSS solves the following matrix equation (for a lossless case):

where• S and T are matrices that depend on the geometry and the mesh. • x is the electric field solution.• ko is the free-space wave number.• b is the value of the source defined for the problem. However, in order to find the resonances of the structure, the eigenmode solver sets b to zero, and solves the equation

Sx ko2Tx+ b=

Sx ko2Tx+ 0=

Technical Notes 16-25

HFSS Online Help

for sets of (ko,x), one ko for every x. The variable x is still the electric field solution, and ko is the free space wave number corresponding to that mode. The wave number ko is related to the fre-quency of the resonant modes through the following: ,

where• c is the speed of light.• f is the frequency of the wave.

Calculating the Quality FactorQ is the unloaded quality factor, and is a measure of how much energy is lost in the structure due to lossy materials. Because ports and other sources are restricted for Eigenmode solutions, the Q calculated does not include losses due to those sources.HFSS uses the following equation to calculate the approximate quality factor:

The Fields Calculator can also be used to calculate Q. In general, the equation for Q is

where:• U is the total energy stored in the cavity.• P is the power lost, from resistive losses, for example.

Calculating the Free Space Wave NumberThe free space wave number ko is related to the frequency of the resonant modes and, for loss-less problems, is calculated from

where:• S and T are matrices that depend on the model geometry and the mesh. • x is the electric field solution.• ko is the free space wave number.

Field SolutionsDuring the iterative, adaptive solution process, the S-parameters typically stabilize before the full field solution. Therefore, when you are interested in analyzing the field solution associated with a structure, it may be desirable to use convergence criteria that are tighter than usual.

fkoc2π--------=

Q Mag freq( )2 I⋅ m freq( )------------------------------=

Q 2π( ) freq( )UP----=

Sx ko2Tx+ 0=

16-26 Technical Notes

HFSS Online Help

In addition, for any given number of adaptive iterations, the magnetic field (H-field) is less accurate than the solution for the electric field (E-field) because the H-field is computed

from the E-field using the relationship .

Field Overlay PlotsIn HFSS, field overlays are representations of basic or derived field quantities on surfaces or objects. The objects on which you plot the fields may be pre-existing parts of the model geometry or they may be objects that you draw in post-processing mode. If you select a surface, HFSS will plot the field quantities on the surface. If you select an object, HFSS will plot the field quantities within the volume of the object.You can choose to create a scalar plot or a vector plot of the fields. A scalar plot uses shaded lines to illustrate the magnitude of field quantities on surfaces or volumes. A vector plot uses arrows to illustrate the magnitudes of the x-, y-, and z-components of field quantities.

Field QuantitiesThe default field quantities that can be plotted, their definitions, and associated units are as follows:

Field Quantity Definition UnitsMag E The magnitude of the electric field, |E|(x,y,z,t). V/m

Mag H The magnitude of the magnetic field, |H|(x,y,z,t). Amps/m

Mag Jvol The magnitude of the current density, |J|(x,y,z,t), over the volume.

Amps/m2

Mag Jsurf The magnitude of the current density, |J|(x,y,z,t), on the surface.

Amps/m

Complex Mag E The complex magnitude of the electric field, |E|(x,y,z). V/m

Complex Mag H The complex magnitude of the magnetic field, |H|(x,y,z). Amps/m

Complex Mag Jvol The complex magnitude of the current density, |J|(x,y,z), over the volume.

Amps/m2

Complex Mag Jsurf The complex magnitude of the current density, |☺|(x,y,z), on the surface.

Amps/m

Vector E The electric field, E(x,y,z,t). V/m

Vector H The magnetic field, H(x,y,z,t). Amps/m

Vector Jvol The current density, J(x,y,z), over the volume. Amps/m2

Vector Jsurf The current density, J(x,y,z), on the surface. Amps/m

Vector Real Poynting

The Poynting vector, defined as E x H*. W/m2

H E∇×jωμ–

-------------=

Technical Notes 16-27

HFSS Online Help

Specifying the Phase AngleSpecifying the phase angle at which the field quantity is calculated enables you to compute the real part of the field’s magnitude at different points in its cycle. These quantities can be represented in the form , where• ω is the angular frequency at which the quantities are oscillating, specified during the solution.• θ (x,y,z) is the phase angle (the offset from a cosine wave that peaks at t = 0).

Peak Versus RMS PhasorsThis section concerns how field quantities are represented within HFSS. Some users will not need this information, such as those who wish to know port S-parameters or relative amplitudes of field solutions. Those that wish to find absolute field values, for example, will need to review the differ-ence between the two types of field representation, peak and RMS.HFSS solves in the frequency domain and obtains a phasor representation of the steady-state finite element field solution. Physical quantities such as the instantaneous (time domain) electric field are then obtained as derived quantities from the phasor representation. If Ex is the x-component of a "peak" phasor quantity representing a time-harmonic electric field, the physical electric field x-component at time t, denoted Ex(t), is computed from

where• ℜ is the real part of a complex number or function.• ω is angular frequency, 2πf.• j is the imaginary unit, .• t is the time.On the other hand, if Ex is an "RMS" phasor, an additional factor of is required asfollows:

As a consequence of these equations, the peak physical field, max (Ex(t)) observed over a full time cycle is for peak phasors and for RMS pha-sors.

Local SAR The specific absorption rate. W/kg

Average SAR The average specific absorption rate. W/kg

Certification SAR The IEEE specific absorption rate certification number. W/kg

A x y z t, , ,( ) A x y z, ,( ) ωt θ x y z, ,( )+( )cos=

Ex t( ) ℜ Exejωt[ ]=

1–

2

Ex t( ) ℜ 2Exejωt[ ]=

max Ex t( )( ) Ex= max Ex t( )( ) 2 Ex=

16-28 Technical Notes

HFSS Online Help

Additionally, given field phasors E and H, to compute the time-averaged power flow through a sur-face, the normal component of the real part of the complex Poynting vector is integrated over the surface. The correct form of the complex Poynting vector S depends on which phasor representa-tion is used. For peak phasors, .

For RMS phasors, .The conventions used by HFSS are as follows:• Each propagating mode incident on a port contains 1 watt of time-averaged power. • Circuit gap sources are specified in a peak sense. That is, if a voltage gap source magnitude is

5 volts, then the time domain circuit source behaves as v(t) = 5cosωt. Likewise for a current gap source.

• Plane wave sources are specified in a peak sense. That is, if the plane wave magnitude is 5 V/m, then the plane wave incident field magnitude is .

• Radiated power, as computed by the fields post processor, is a time-averaged quantity com-puted using the complex Poynting vector.

• Phasors in the Fields Calculator are peak phasors. The Poynting vector button in the calculator

therefore implements the Poynting vector for peak phasors, . Calculations that compute either average or instantaneous time domain quantities must adhere to the peak phasor conventions.

Calculating the SARThe specific absorption rate (SAR) is a measure of the amount of electromagnetic energy absorbed in a lossy dielectric material. The SAR is a basic scalar field quantity that can be plotted on surfaces or objects in HFSS.HFSS uses the following equation to calculate the SAR: σ ∗ E2/(2ρ).where • σ = the material’s conductivity. This is defined as: • ρ = the mass density of the dielectric material in mass/unit volume.There are three types of SAR plots available in HFSS: local SAR, average SAR, and certification SAR. When calculating the local SAR, HFSS uses the equation above to calculate the SAR at each mesh point on an overlay plot. HFSS interpolates the values between the mesh points across the plot. When plotting the average SAR, for each mesh point on the plot, HFSS reports the SAR averaged over a volume that surrounds that point. The volume is determined by the settings for the material’s mass density and mass of the material surrounding each mesh point set in the Specific Absorption Rate Setting dialog box. When plotting the certification SAR, HFSS applies an IEEE standard procedure. The IEEE proce-dure makes the following assumptions:• The peak E-field will reside on the surface of the phantom.

S 12---E H∗×=

S E H∗×=

E t( ) 5 k r⋅ ωt+( )cos=

S 12---E H∗×=

σbulk ωεoεrtgδ+

Technical Notes 16-29

HFSS Online Help

• The volume used for the integration will be an equal sided cube contained completely inside the phantom with an axis normal to the surface of the location of the peak value of SAR

Related TopicsModifying SAR Settings

16-30 Technical Notes

HFSS Online Help

S-ParametersPlease see the following topics in this section:Renormalized S-MatricesCalculating Characteristic ImpedanceRenormalizing to Zpv or Zvi ImpedancesCalculating the PI ImpedanceCalculating the PV ImpedanceCalculating the VI ImpedanceImpedance MultipliersCalculating the S-MatrixCalculating the Z-MatrixCalculating the Y-MatrixCalculating the Complex Propagation Constant (Gamma)Calculating the Effective Wavelength (Lambda)Calculating the Relative Permittivity (Epsilon)De-embedded S-Matrices

Renormalized S-MatricesBefore a structure’s generalized S-matrix can be used in a high frequency circuit simulator to com-pute the reflection and transmission of signals, it must be normalized to the appropriate impedance. For example, if a generalized S-matrix has been normalized to 50 ohms, it can be used to compute reflection and transmission directly from signals that are normalized to 50 ohms.To renormalize a generalized S-matrix to a specific impedance, HFSS first calculates a unique impedance matrix Z, associated with the structure defined as follows:

where• S is the n x n generalized S-matrix.• I is an n x n identity matrix.• Z0 is a diagonal matrix having the characteristic impedance (Z0) of each port as a diagonal

value.The renormalized S-matrix is then calculated from the unique impedance matrix using this relation-ship:

where• Z is the structure’s unique impedance matrix.

Z Z0 I S–( ) 1– I S+( ) Z0=

SΩ YΩ Z ZΩ–( ) Z ZΩ+( ) 1– ZΩ=

Technical Notes 16-31

HFSS Online Help

• ZΩ and YΩ are diagonal matrices with the desired impedance and admittance as diagonal val-ues. For example, if the matrix is being renormalized to 50 ohms, then ZΩ would have diago-nal values of 50.

Visualize the generalized S-matrix as an S-matrix that has been renormalized to the characteristic impedances of the structure. Therefore, if a diagonal matrix containing the characteristic imped-ances of the structure is used as ZΩ in the above equation, the result would be the generalized S-matrix again. For information about renormalized terminal S-matrices, see Differential Pairs in the Technical Notes. HFSS needs to calculate the characteristic impedance of each port in order to compute a renormal-ized S-matrix.

Related TopicsRenormalizing S-Matrices

Calculating Characteristic ImpedanceEach port in a structure being analyzed can be viewed as a cross-section of a transmission line. HFSS computes the characteristic impedance of each port in three ways — as Zpi, Zpv, and Zvi impedances. You have the option of specifying which impedance will be used in the renormaliza-tion calculations.• For TEM waves, the Zvi impedance converges on the port’s actual impedance and should be

used.• When modeling microstrips, it is sometimes more appropriate to use the Zpi impedance.• For slot-type structures (such as inline or coplanar waveguides), Zpv impedance is the most

appropriate.HFSS will always calculate Zpi impedance, the impedance calculation using power and current, which are well-defined for a port because they are computed over the area of the port. Zpv and Zvi are not calculated by default. This is because V is computed by integrating along a user-defined integration line. To renormalize the solution to a Zpv or Zvi characteristic impedance, you must have defined an impedance line.Under the Matrix Data tab of the Solution Data dialog box, the characteristic impedance can be displayed as magnitude/ phase, real/ imaginary, magnitude, phase, real, or imaginary.For more information on the computation of impedances, refer to the following:

Bruno Bianco, Luigi Panini, Mauro Parodi, and Sandro Ridella, "Some Considerations about the Frequency Dependence of the Characteristic Impedance of Uniform Microstrips," IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques, vol. MTT-26 No. 3, March 1978.

Edward F. Kuester, David C. Chang, and Leonard Lewin, "Frequency-Dependent Definitions of Microstrip Characteristic Impedance," International URSI Symposium on Electromagnetic Waves, Munich, 26-29 August 1980, pp. 335 B/1-3.

16-32 Technical Notes

HFSS Online Help

Renormalizing to Zpv or Zvi ImpedancesThe S-matrices initially calculated by HFSS are generalized S-matrices that have been normal-ized to the impedances of each port; however, you can compute S-matrices that are normalized to specific impedances, such as 50 ohms.To convert a generalized modal S-matrix to a renormalized modal S-matrix, HFSS first needs to compute the characteristic impedance at each port. There are several ways to compute char-acteristic impedance. Two methods — the Zpv and Zvi methods — require an impedance, or integration, line.HFSS will always calculate Zpi impedance, the impedance calculation using power and cur-rent, which are well-defined for a port because they are computed over the area of the port. Zpv and Zvi are not calculated by default. This is because v is computed by integrating along a user-defined integration line. To renormalize the solution to a Zpv or Zvi characteristic imped-ance, you must define an integration line.

Calculating the PI ImpedanceThe Zpi impedance is the impedance calculated from values of power (P) and current (I):

.The power and current are computed directly from the simulated fields. The power passing through a port is equal to the following: , where the surface integral is over the surface of the port.The current is computed by applying Ampere’s law to a path around the port: .

While the net current computed in this way will be near zero, the current of interest is that flowing into the structure, I-, or that flowing out of the structure, I+. In integrating around the port, HFSS keeps a running total of the contributions to each and uses the average of the two in the computa-tion of impedances.

Calculating the PV ImpedanceThe Zpv impedance is the impedance calculated from values of power (P) and voltage (V):

, where the power and voltage are computed directly from the simulated fields.

The power is computed in the same way as the Zpi impedance. The voltage is computed as follows:, over which HFSS integrates is referred to as the impedance line — which is

defined when the ports are set up. To define the impedance line for a port, select the two points across which the maximum voltage difference occurs. You must define an integration line to spec-ify where the maximum voltage difference will be.

Calculating the VI ImpedanceThe Zvi impedance is given by .

ZpiP

I I⋅--------=

P E Hds×s∫°=

I H dl•l∫°=

ZpvV V•

P-------------=

V E dl•l∫°=

Zvi ZpiZpv=

Technical Notes 16-33

HFSS Online Help

For TEM waves, the Zpi and Zpv impedances form upper and lower boundaries to a port’s actual characteristic impedance. Therefore, the value of Zvi approaches a port’s actual impedance for TEM waves.

Impedance MultipliersIf a symmetry plane has been defined (allowing the model of a structure to be cut in half), the impedance computations must be adjusted by specifying an impedance multiplier. The need for this multiplier can be understood by looking at how the use of symmetry affects the computation of Zpv.In cases where a perfect E plane of symmetry splits a structure in two, only one-half of the voltage differential and one-half of the power flow can be computed by the system. Therefore, since theZpv impedance is given by , the computed value is one-half the desired value. An impedance multiplier of 2 must be specified in such cases.In cases where a perfect H plane of symmetry splits a structure in two, only one-half of the power flow is seen by the system but the full voltage differential is present. Therefore, structures split in half with perfect H symmetry planes result in computed impedances that are twice those for the full structure. An impedance multiplier of 0.5 must be specified in such cases.If multiple symmetry planes are used or if only a wedge of a structure is modeled, you must adjust the impedance multiplier accordingly.If you have defined a symmetry plane, the computed impedances will not be for the full structure. Generally, use one of the following values for the impedance multiplier:• If the structure has a perfect E plane of symmetry, use 2. Such models have one-half of the

voltage differential and one-half of the power flow of the full structure, resulting in imped-ances that are one-half of those for the full structure.

• If the structure has a perfect H plane of symmetry, enter 0.5. Such models have the same volt-age differential but half the power flow of the full structure, resulting in impedances that are twice those for the full structure.

• If the structure has a combination of perfect H and perfect E boundaries, adjust accordingly. For example, you do not have to enter an impedance multiplier for a structure with both a per-fect E and perfect H boundary since you would be multiplying by 2 and 0.5.

Related TopicsSetting the Impedance Multiplier

Calculating Terminal Characteristic Impedance MatrixSee Converting Modes to Nodes.

Calculating the S-MatrixA generalized S-matrix describes what fraction of power associated with a given field excitation is transmitted or reflected at each port. The S-matrix for a three-port structure is as follows: where• All quantities are complex numbers.

ZpvV V•

P-------------=

16-34 Technical Notes

HFSS Online Help

ormation alibrated, lution.

• The magnitudes of a and b are normalized to a field carrying one watt of power.• |ai|2 represents the excitation power at port i.• |bi|2 represents the power of the transmitted or reflected field at port i.

• The full field pattern at a port is the sum of the port’s excitation field and all reflected/transmit-ted fields.

• The phase of ai and bi represent the phase of the incident and reflected/transmitted field at t=0.• represents the phase angle of the excitation field on port i at t = 0. (By default, it is

zero for lossy port modes and lossless propagating modes. For lossless cut-off modes, it is 90.)

• represents the phase angle of the reflected or transmitted field with respect to the excitation field.

• Sij is the S-parameter describing how much of the excitation field at port j is reflected back or transmitted to port i. For example, S31 is used to compute the amount of power from the port 1 excitation field that is transmitted to port 3. The phase of S31 specifies the phase shift that occurs as the field travels from port 1 to port 3.

Under the Matrix Data tab of the Solution Data dialog box, the S-matrix can be displayed as mag-nitude/ phase, real/ imaginary, dB/ phase, magnitude, phase, real, imaginary, or dB.

Calculating the Z-MatrixThe impedance matrix, Z, is calculated from the S-matrix as follows:

where• S is the n x n generalized S-matrix.• I is an n x n identity matrix.• Z0 is a diagonal matrix having the characteristic impedance (Z0) of each port as a diagonal

value.Under the Matrix Data tab of the Display Items Dialog, the Z-matrix can be displayed as magni-tude/ phase, real/ imaginary, magnitude, phase, real, or imaginary.

Note When the Wave module computes the excitation field for a given port, it has no infindicating which way is "up" or "down." Therefore, if the port mode has not been cthe calculated S-parameters may be 180 degrees out of phase with the expected so

b1

b2

b3

S11 S12 S13

S21 S22 S23

S31 S32 S33

a1

a2

a3

=

ai∠

bi∠

Z Z0 I S–( ) 1– I S+( ) Z0=

Technical Notes 16-35

HFSS Online Help

Calculating the Y-MatrixThe admittance matrix, Y, is simply the inverse of the impedance matrix, Z. Under the Matrix Data tab of the Solution Data dialog box, the Y-matrix can be displayed as mag-nitude/ phase, real/ imaginary, magnitude, phase, real, or imaginary.

Calculating the Complex Propagation Constant (Gamma)Each port is assumed to be connected to a transmission structure that has the same cross-section as the port. The complex propagation constant, γ, of these transmission lines is computed by HFSS, and is given by , where:• α is the attenuation constant of a signal in the transmission structure. It is the real component

of the propagation constant and has units of nepers per meter.• β is the phase constant associated with the wave. It is the imaginary component of the propaga-

tion constant and has units of radians per meter.Under the Matrix Data tab of the Display Items Dialog, gamma can be displayed as magnitude/ phase, real/ imaginary, magnitude, phase, real, or imaginary.

Calculating the Effective Wavelength (Lambda)The effective wavelength, λeff, is calculated from

where β is the phase constant associated with the wave. Under the Matrix Data tab of the Solution Data dialog box, lambda is displayed when Gamma is selected as the matrix type.

Calculating the Relative Permittivity (Epsilon)The relative permittivity, εr, is calculated using

where• λeff is the effective wavelength given in meters.• c is the speed of light.• f is the frequency of the wave.Under the Matrix Data tab of the Solution Data dialog box, epsilon is displayed when Gamma is selected as the matrix type.

De-embedded S-MatricesIf a uniform length of transmission line is added to (or removed from) a port, the S-matrix of the modified structure can be calculated using the following relationship ,where

γ α jβ+=

λeff2πβ

------=

λeffcεrf

----------=

S' eγl S eγl=

16-36 Technical Notes

HFSS Online Help

• is a diagonal matrix with the following entries:

• γ=α + jβ is the complex propagation constant, where:• α is the attenuation constant of the wave.• β is the propagation constant of the uniform transmission line at port i.

• lι is the length of the uniform transmission line that has been added to or removed from the structure at port i. A positive value indicates that a length of transmission line has been removed from the structure.

The value of γ for each port is automatically calculated by HFSS.

Related TopicsDe-embedding S-Matrices

PassivityPassive devices can only dissipate or temporarily store energy, but never generate it. The math-ematical definition of passivity is based upon the following condition:

Q = I - conjugate(transpose(S)) * S must be a positive semidefinite matrix. where:• S is the S-parameter matrix • I is an identity matrix.A positive semidefinite matrix has only non-negative eigenvalues. The passivity test computes the eigenvalues of the matrix Q above at each frequency in the sweep. If any of the eigenvalues is negative, and larger (in magnitude) than the specified passivity tolerance, then a violation of passivity is reported to the user. The default value for passivity tolerance is 5 percent tolerance above 1.0 magnitude.

eγl

eγ1l1 0 0

0 eγ2l2 0

0 0 eγ3l3

Technical Notes 16-37

HFSS Online Help

Radiated FieldsWhen HFSS calculates radiation fields, the values of the fields over the radiation surface are used to compute the fields in the space surrounding the device. This space is typically split into two regions — the near-field region and the far-field region. The near-field region is the region closest to the source. In general, the electric field E(x,y,z) external to the region bounded by a closed sur-face may be written as

where• s represents the radiation boundary surfaces.• j is the imaginary unit, .• ω is the angular frequency, 2πf.• μ0 is the relative permeability of the free space, 4π×10-7 Wb/Am.• Htan is the component of the magnetic field that is tangential to the surface.• Enormal is the component of the electric field that is normal to the surface.• Etan is the component of the electric field that is tangential to the surface.• G is the free space Green’s function, given by

where • k0 is the free space wave number,

.

• r and represent field points and source points on the surface, respectively.• ε0 is the permittivity of free space, 1/(c2μ0)• εr is the relative permittivity of a dielectric.• μr is the relative permeability of a dielectric.

This r dependence is characteristic of a spherical wave, a key feature of far fields. The far field is a spherical TEM wave with the following equation:

.

where η0 is the intrinsic impedance of free space.

E x y z, ,( ) jωμ0Htan⟨ ⟩G Etan ∇G×⟨ ⟩ Enormal∇G⟨ ⟩+ +( ) sd

s∫=

1–

G ejk0 r r′– μrεr–

r r′–-------------------------------------=

ω μ0ε0 ω c⁄=r′

E η0H r×=

16-38 Technical Notes

HFSS Online Help

When calculating the near fields, HFSS uses the general expressions given in (eq. 1). You must specify the radial coordinate r. Because it can be used to compute fields at an arbitrary radius from the radiating structure, this command can be useful in EMC applications.

When calculating the far fields, the previously discussed far-field approximations are used, and the result is valid only for field points in the far-field region.

Spherical Cross-SectionsWhen you set up a spherical surface over which to analyze near or far fields, you specify a range and step size for phi and theta. These indicate the spherical direction in which you want to evaluate the radiated fields. For every value of phi there is a corresponding range of values for theta, and vice versa. This creates a spherical grid. Each grid point indicates a unique direction along a line that extends from the center of the sphere through the grid point. The radiated field is evaluated in this direction. The number of grid points is determined by the step size for phi and theta.The sphere can be defined according to any defined coordinate system and before or after a solution has been generated.The relationship between phi and theta is shown below.

When HFSS evaluates the radiated fields, it needs at least two directions along which to plot the fields. Therefore, if the step size for phi is zero, then the step size for theta must be greater than zero, and vice versa. This ensures that the fields are plotted in at least two directions.

Note If HFSS calculates the near fields in a problem containing an incident wave, the radius at which the fields are calculated is very important. If the radius is within the solution region, then the fields calculated are either the total fields or the scattered fields depending upon which is selected. If the radius is outside the solution region, then the fields calculated are only the scattered fields.

Warning A radiation or PML boundary must have been defined in the design for HFSS to calculate radiated fields.

x y

z

φ is rotated away from the x-axis.

θ is rotated away from the z-axis.

φ

θ

Technical Notes 16-39

HFSS Online Help

When setting up the sphere, phi and theta angles must be specified between -360 degrees (deg) and 360 degrees (deg), or the equivalents in radians (rad). If deg nor rad is specified, HFSS assumes the value to be in degrees.Following are additional guidelines for specifying Phi in the Near Field Radiation Sphere Setup window or the Far Field Radiation Sphere Setup window:

Following are additional guidelines for specifying Theta:

Related TopicsSetting up a Far-Field Infinite SphereSetting up a Near-Field Sphere

Maximum Near-Field DataThe parameters listed in the Max Field Data window remain the same regardless of the geometry over which they were calculated. However, the coordinates displayed change depending on the geometry.On a sphere, the coordinates — phi and theta — of the maximum value are listed under Phi and Theta. The values are given in volts per meter. Along a line, the coordinates — x, y, and z — of the

Start The point where the rotation of phi begins. The Start value must be equal to or greater than one.

Stop The point where the rotation of phi ends. The Stop value must be greater than the Start value and less than 360. If the Stop value is equal to the Start value, then HFSS assumes that only one angle should be used and the Step Size value will be ignored.

Step Size The number of degrees or radians (spherical grid points) between the sweep of phi. For example, to divide a sweep from 0° to 180° into 10° increments, you would enter 10. Entering zero for the Step Size causes the sweep to consist of one point, the start value. If the Step Size value is zero, then HFSS assumes that only one angle should be used.

Start The point where the rotation of theta begins. The Start value must be greater than -90 degrees, or the equivalent in radians.

Stop The point where the rotation of theta ends. The Stop value must be greater than the Start value and less than 90 degrees, or the equivalent in radians. If the Stop value is equal to the Start value, HFSS assumes that only one angle should be used and the Step Size value will be ignored.

Step Size The number of degrees or radians (spherical grid points) between the sweep of theta. For example, to divide a sweep from -60 degrees to 60 degrees into 10-degree increments, you would enter 10deg. Entering zero for the number of steps causes the sweep to consist of one point, the Start value. If the Step Size value is zero, then HFSS assumes that only one angle should be used.

16-40 Technical Notes

HFSS Online Help

maximum values are listed under X, Y, and Z. The values are given in volts per meter, and the coor-dinates are given in meters.The following parameters are listed:

Maximum Far-Field DataWhen HFSS calculates antenna parameters, the following maximum field data is calculated:

Total The maximum of the total E-field.

X The maximum E-field in the x-direction.

Y The maximum E-field in the y-direction.

Z The maximum E-field in the z-direction.

Phi The maximum E-field in the φ-direction.

Theta The maximum E-field in the θ-direction.

LHCP The maximum left-hand circularly polarized component, which is equal

to .

RHCP The maximum right-hand circularly polarized component, which is equal

to .

Ludwig 3/X dominant

The maximum of the dominant component, Vmain, for an x-polarized aperture using Ludwig’s third definition of cross polarization. This is equal to |Eθcosφ - Eφsinφ|.

Ludwig 3/Y dominant

The maximum of the dominant component, Vmain, for a y-polarized aperture using Ludwig’s third definition of cross polarization. This is equal to |Eθsinφ + Eφcosφ|.

Total The maximum of the total rE-field.

X The maximum rE-field in the x-direction.

Y The maximum rE-field in the y-direction.

Z The maximum rE-field in the z-direction.

Phi The maximum rE-field in the φ-direction.

Theta The maximum rE-field in the θ-direction.

LHCP The maximum left-hand circularly polarized component, which is equal to

12

------- Eθ jEφ–( )

12

------- Eθ jEφ+( )

12

------- Eθ jEφ–( ) .

Technical Notes 16-41

HFSS Online Help

When calculating the maximum far field values, the distance r is factored out of the E-field. There-fore, the units for the maximum field data values are given in volts.

Array FactorsHFSS enables you to compute antenna array radiation patterns and antenna parameters for designs that have analyzed a single array element. You can define array geometry and excitation. HFSS models the array radiation pattern by applying an "array factor" to the single element’s pattern.Two array geometry types are supported. The "regular uniform array" geometry defines a finite 2D array of uniformly spaced, equal-amplitude elements. This is a natural specification after analyzing a single-unit cell of an infinite array. The regular array type may be scanned to a user-specified direction. Scan direction can be specified in terms of spherical coordinate angles in the radiation coordinate system. The regular array geometry type also allows scan specification in terms of dif-ferential phase shifts between elements.The "custom array" geometry allows for greater flexibility. It defines an arbitrary array of identical elements distributed in 3D space with individual user-specified complex weights.

Cautionary Note for Array Factor UseThe field factorization (eq. 1) and consequent use of an array factor are useful tools for analyzing the radiated fields of antenna arrays; however, the analysis can yield incorrect results if used improperly. An HFSS single array element solution does not generally take into account the effects of the element’s hypothetical neighbors.For closely spaced array elements, these proximity effects (mutual coupling) may be significant. Consequently the patterns of the array elements vary with their position in the array and may depart significantly from the isolated element pattern. In such cases, the primary assumption in the use of the array factor is violated and the results will be inaccurate.Note in particular that the array power expressions (eq. 13) and (eq. 14) neglect mutual coupling between elements of the finite array. Unless mutual coupling effects are negligible or have been implicitly included in the single element solution, the normalizations (eq. 13) and (eq. 14) gain and directivity are incorrect.

Related TopicsDefining Antenna Arrays

RHCP The maximum right-hand circularly polarized component, which is equal to

Ludwig 3/X dominant

The maximum of the dominant component, Vmain, for an x-polarized aperture using Ludwig’s third definition of cross polarization. This is equal to |Eθcosφ - Eφsinφ|.

Ludwig 3/Y dominant

The maximum of the dominant component, Vmain, for a y-polarized aperture using Ludwig’s third definition of cross polarization. This is equal to |Eθsinφ + Eφcosφ|.

12

------- Eθ jEφ+( ) .

16-42 Technical Notes

HFSS Online Help

Theory of the Array Factor CalculationThe composite far-field pattern, Earray (φ, θ) from an array of N identical radiating sources, each with far-field pattern Eelement (φ, θ), may be factored into the form

where the "array factor" AF (φ, θ) is defined as

and where• (φ, θ) are the field-point spherical angles.• Wn is the complex weight assigned to element n.• j is .• k is 2π/λ.• rn is the position vector of element n, <xn, yn, zn>.• is the pattern angle unit vector, <sinθcosφ, sinθsinφ, cosθ>.The complex weights Wn in (eq. 2) may be written in terms of a (real) voltage amplitude An and (real) phase as:

To scan a regular array in the direction (φ0, θ0), the element phases are set to

where

is the scan-angle unit vector.

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

= <sinθ0cosφ0, sinθ0sinφ0, cosθ0>(5)

Earray φ θ,( ) AF φ θ,( )Eelement φ θ,( )=

AF φ θ,( ) Wnejkrn r⋅

n 1=

N

∑=

1–

r

ψn

Wn Anejψn= .

ψn

ψn krn– roˆ⋅=

r0ˆ

Technical Notes 16-43

HFSS Online Help

Regular Uniform ArraysLet us define a uniform array as an array with unity amplitude weights for all elements, i.e., An = 1 for all n. For the case in which a uniform array is scanned to direction , the array factor (eq. 2) becomes

For a "regular" uniform array with element spacing defined by lattice vectors u and v, the element position vectors rn may be written in the doubly-indexed form

with m = 1, 2, ..., Nu and n = 1, 2, ...., Nv. The total number of elements in the array is given by N = NuNv.The array factor (eq. 6) for the Nu x Nv array becomes

Scan Specification for Regular Uniform Arrays

The scanning phase (eq. 4) is written in terms of the scan direction . Alternatively, for a reg-ular uniform array, the scanning phase may be written in terms of the differential phase shift between elements. This may be more natural in cases where the individual array element was analyzed using linked boundaries with user-specified phase shifts applied between master and slave boundaries.To develop this alternate scanning phase description, (eq. 7) is used to rewrite the expression (eq. 4) in doubly-indexed form as follows:

(6)

(7)

(8)

(9)

r0

AF φ θ,( ) ejkrn r r0

ˆ–( )⋅

n 1=

N

∑= .

rmn m 1–( )u n 1–( )v+=

AF φ θ,( ) ejkrmn r r0

ˆ–( )⋅

n 1=

Nv

∑m 1=

Nu

∑= .

r0

ψmn k– rmn r0ˆ⋅ k– m 1–( )u r0

ˆ k n 1–( )v– r0ˆ⋅ ⋅= = .

16-44 Technical Notes

HFSS Online Help

Let us define ψu as the differential phase between adjacent elements in the u direction. Simi-larly, let us define ψv as the differential phase between adjacent elements in the v direction. Then

and

The scanning phase (eq. 4) may now be rewritten in terms of ψu and ψv as

Thus in the case of a regular uniform array, the angle pair (ψu, ψv) may act as a substitute scan definition for the more general (φ0, θ0).

Custom ArraysOnce you have imported the array factor information from a text file, HFSS uses (eq. 8) to compute the array factor. When a custom array is defined, no scan direction is set and the array factor phase weights are those specified on an element-by-element basis in the geometry file. The text file must have the following format:

N

x_1 y_1 z_1 A_1 P_1

x_2 y_2 z_2 A_2 P_2

...

...x_N y_N z_N A_N P_N

where• x_1 is the x-coordinate position of the first element, which will take the model drawing unit.• y_1 is the y-coordinate position of the first element, which will take the model drawing unit.• z_1 is the y-coordinate position of the first element, which will take the model drawing unit.• A_1 is the amplitude weight of the first element.• P_1 is the phase weight for the first element.

(10)

(11)

(12)

ψu ψm 1 n,+ ψm n,–≡ k– u r0ˆ⋅=

ψv ψm n, 1+ ψm n,–≡ k– v r0ˆ⋅= .

ψmn m 1–( )ψu n 1–( )ψv+= .

Technical Notes 16-45

HFSS Online Help

Following is an example of a square 3 x 3 custom array geometry defined in a text file. The array elements are uniformly weighted and separated from one another in the x- and y-directions by 0.6729 user units.

9

0.0 0.0 0.0 1.00 .00.6729 0.0 0.0 1.00 .01.3458 0.0 0.0 1.00 .00.0 0.6729 0.0 1.00 .00.6729 0.6729 0.0 1.00 .01.3458 0.6729 0.0 1.00 .00.0 1.3458 0.0 1.00 .00.6729 1.3458 0.0 1.00 .01.3458 1.3458 0.0 1.00 .0

The information will appear as follows in the Custom Array Definition window:

Power NormalizationsWhen the array factor feature is in use, the power normalizations used to compute the gain and directivity are modified as follows.Let and denote the radiated power and the accepted power of the single array element. is computed by integrating the Poynting vector

P radelement P accepted

elementP rad

element

16-46 Technical Notes

HFSS Online Help

on the radiation boundary surface and is computed by integrating the Poynting vector on the union of port boundary surfaces.When the array factor feature is invoked for an array of N elements, the array radiated power

and array accepted power will be computed simply as the sums of element-radiated and element-accepted powers, respectively, as follows:

Here An, as defined in (eq. 3), is the real amplitude weight applied to element n.

Antenna ParametersGenerally, when dealing with radiated fields, you are also interested in the antenna properties of the radiated bodies. HFSS calculates the following antenna properties:

Related TopicsComputing Antenna Parameters

Polarization of the Electric FieldAt each aspect angle in the far field of a radiating source, the electric and magnetic field vectors lie in a fixed plane. Over time, the instantaneous electric field vector traces out a figure or shape in this plane. This figure defines the polarization state of the field.

(13)

(14)

Maximum intensity (Max U)

Peak directivity

Peak gain

Peak realized gain

Radiated power

Accepted power

Incident power

Radiation efficiency

Warning A radiation or PML boundary must have been defined in the design for HFSS to calculate radiated fields.

P acceptedelement

P radarray P accepted

array

Prad

arrayA

2n

n 1=

N

∑⎝ ⎠⎜ ⎟⎜ ⎟⎛ ⎞

Prad

element=

Paccepted

arrayA

2n

n 1=

N

∑⎝ ⎠⎜ ⎟⎜ ⎟⎛ ⎞

Pacceptedelement

= .

Technical Notes 16-47

HFSS Online Help

In general, this figure is an ellipse and is called the polarization ellipse. The wave is said to be ellip-tically polarized when the instantaneous electric field traces out an ellipse. As a special case, the polarization ellipse may be a circle, in which case the wave is circularly polarized. Elliptical and circular polarization have two different states, left and right, distinguished by the sense of rotation of the electric field vector. Some of these figures, or states, are shown below. In each case the direc-tion of propagation is off the screen.

A second special case occurs when the polarization ellipse degenerates to a straight line. In this case the wave is linearly polarized.To completely describe the polarization state of a radiated field, two independent components are required. HFSS supports three types of descriptions:• Spherical polar• Ludwig-3• Circular

Spherical PolarThe most fundamental description of the polarization state of a radiated field is spherical polar, which is the electric field phasor resolved in the directions of unit theta and phi vectors of the reference coordinate system. In this description, the field may be written as E = (Εθ, Εφ).

The polarization ratio for a predominantly φ-polarized antenna is equal to

Circular

Elliptical

Right-hand circular polarization Left-hand circular polarization

Right-hand elliptical polarization Left-hand elliptical polarization

ω

ω

ωω

where ω is the rotation radian frequency.

Eφ

Eθ------ .

16-48 Technical Notes

HFSS Online Help

The polarization ratio for a predominantly θ-polarized antenna is equal to

Ludwig-3 PolarizationArthur C. Ludwig wrote a classic paper [Ref. 1]on the definition of cross polarization. In par-ticular, his third definition is often used since it describes the field components that are typi-cally measured on a far-field antenna test range. Using his definition, the radiated field may be written as E = (Ex, Ey) where

and phi is the usual azimuthal angle in the reference spherical coordinate system.[1] Arthur C. Ludwig, The Definition of Cross Polarization, IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Prop-

agation, vol. AP-21 num. 1, pp. 116 -119, Jan. 1973.

Circular PolarizationFor antennas designed to receive or transmit circularly polarized fields, a meaningful descrip-tion is in terms of pure left and right circular states. In this description, the field may be written as E = (ER, EL) where

Axial RatioAxial ratio is defined as the ratio of the major to the minor axis of the polarization ellipse.1. Ex and Ey are orthogonal complex-valued field components. If either is zero, HFSS treats the

field as linearly polarized. However, if neither Ex and Ey is zero:2. Compute circular components E- and E+ from:

E- = Ex - jEyE+ = Ex + jEy

3. If E+ = 0 or E- = 0 HFSS understands the field as perfectly circular, the axial ratio is 1. Other-wise, for the elliptical polarization case, HFSS determines the tilt angle τ from:

phase(E-/E+) = 2τ4. Rotate the orginal data to coincide with the axes of the polarization ellipse.

Eθ

Eφ------ .

Ex Eθ φcos Eφ φsin–=

Ey Eθ φsin Eφ φcos+=

ER12

------- Eθ jEφ+( )=

EL12

------- Eθ j– Eφ( )·= .

E'x Ex τcos Ey τsin–=

Technical Notes 16-49

HFSS Online Help

5. The Axial Ratio AR is given by:

Because the above definition does not discriminate between major and minor ellipse axes, to enforce the convention that AR< 1, it is necessary to check this condition and if necessary invert the value obtained.

Polarization RatioThe IEEE defines the (complex) polarization ratio as, "For a given field vector at a point in space, the (magnitude of the) ratio of the complex amplitudes of two specified orthogonally polarized field vectors into which the given field vector has been resolved." [Ref. 2] HFSS computes the fol-lowing six polarization ratios at each selected aspect angle:

[2] IEEE Standard Definitions of Terms for Antennas, IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propaga-tion, vol. AP-31 num. 6, Nov. 1983.

E'y Ex τsin Ey τcos–=

AR E'yE'x------=

Circular LHCP⁄ ELER------=

Circular RHCP⁄ EREL------=

Spherical Phi⁄ Eφ

Eθ------=

Spherical Theta⁄ Eθ

Eφ------=

Ludwig 3 X⁄ ExEy-----=

Ludwig 3 Y⁄ EyEx-----=

16-50 Technical Notes

HFSS Online Help

Max UThe radiation intensity, U, is the power radiated from an antenna per unit solid angle. HFSS calcu-lates the radiation intensity in the direction in which it has the maximum value. The maximum intensity of the radiation is measured in watts per steradian and is calculated by

where• U (θ,φ) is the radiation intensity in watts per steradian.• |E| is the magnitude of the E-field.• η0 is the intrinsic impedance of free space — 376.7 ohms.• r is the distance from the antenna, in meters.

Related TopicsComputing Antenna Parameters

Peak DirectivityDirectivity is defined as the ratio of an antenna’s radiation intensity in a given direction to the radi-ation intensity averaged over all directions. Peak directivity, in turn, is the maximum directivity over all the user-specified directions of the far-field infinite sphere. Directivity is a dimensionless quantity represented by

where• U is the radiation intensity in watts per steradian in the direction specified.• Prad is the radiated power in watts.

• For a lossless antenna, the directivity will be equal to the gain. However, if the antenna has inherent losses, the directivity is related to the gain by the radiation efficiency of the antenna.

Related TopicsSetting up a Far-Field Infinite SphereComputing Antenna Parameters

Peak GainGain is four pi times the ratio of an antenna’s radiation intensity in a given direction to the total power accepted by the antenna. Peak gain, in turn, is the maximum gain over all the user-specified directions of the far-field infinite sphere.

Note The peak directivity displayed in the Antenna Parameters window is the directivity in the direction of maximum radiation intensity, Umax.

U θ φ( , ) 12--- E 2

η0---------r2=

directivity 4πUPrad-----------=

Technical Notes 16-51

HFSS Online Help

The following equation is used to calculate gain in HFSS:

where• U is the radiation intensity in watts per steradian in the direction specified.• Pacc is the accepted power in watts entering the antenna.Gain can be confused with directivity, since they are equivalent for lossless antennas. Gain is related to directivity by the radiation efficiency of the antenna. If the radiation efficiency is 100%, they are equal.

Related TopicsSetting up a Far-Field Infinite SphereComputing Antenna Parameters

Peak Realized GainRealized gain is four pi times the ratio of an antenna’s radiation intensity in a given direction to the total power incident upon the antenna port(s). Peak realized gain, in turn, is the maximum realized gain over all the user-specified directions of the far-field infinite sphere. The following equation is used to calculate realized gain in HFSS:

realized gain =

where• U is the radiation intensity in watts per steradian in the direction specified.• Pincident is the incident power in watts.

Related TopicsSetting up a Far-Field Infinite SphereComputing Antenna Parameters

Radiated PowerRadiated power is the amount of time-averaged power (in watts) exiting a radiating antenna struc-ture through a radiation boundary.

Note Because the gain is calculated from the input signal at the port, a port must be defined for this quantity to be displayed.

Note Because the gain is calculated from the input signal at the port, a port must be defined for this quantity to be displayed.

gain 4π UPacc----------=

4π UPincident--------------------

16-52 Technical Notes

HFSS Online Help

For a general radiating structure in HFSS, radiated power is computed as

where• Prad is the radiated power in watts.• ℜ is the real part of a complex number.• s represents the radiation boundary surfaces.• E is the radiated electric field.• H* is the conjugate of H.• ds is the local radiation-boundary unit normal directed out of the 3D model.

The accuracy of the computed radiated power depends on the accuracy of E and H on the absorbing boundary. In some cases it is possible that the computed radiated power may deviate slightly from the actual radiated power. To increase the accuracy of the radiated power, seed the mesh on the absorbing boundary. As a check, you can use the S-parameters — if ports have been defined — to calculate the radiated power.

Related TopicsComputing Antenna Parameters

Accepted PowerThe accepted power is the amount of time-averaged power (in watts) entering a radiating antenna structure through one or more ports. For antennas with a single port, accepted power is a measure of the incident power reduced by the mismatch loss at the port plane. For a general radiating structure in HFSS, accepted power is computed as

where• Pacc is the accepted power in watts.• ℜ is the real part of a complex number.• A is the union of all port boundaries in the model.• E is the radiated electric field.• H* is the conjugate of H.

Note The accuracy of the computed radiated power depends on the accuracy of E and H. In some cases it is possible that the computed radiated power may deviate slightly from the actual radiated power.

Prad ℜ E H∗× ds⋅s∫=

Pacc ℜ E H∗ ds⋅×A∫=

Technical Notes 16-53

HFSS Online Help

• ds is the local port-boundary unit normal directed into the 3D HFSS model.For the simple case of an antenna with one lossless port containing a single propagating mode, the above expression reduces to

where• a is the complex modal excitation specified.• s11 is the single-entry generalized scattering matrix (without renormalization) computed by

HFSS.

Related TopicsComputing Antenna Parameters

Incident PowerIncident power is the total amount of time-averaged power (in watts) incident upon all port bound-aries of an antenna structure. Incident power is set at your discretion in the Edit Sources window.For the simple case of an antenna with one lossless port containing a single propagating mode, the incident power Pincident is given by

where• a is the complex modal-project excitation specified in the Edit Sources window.

Related TopicsComputing Antenna Parameters

Radiation EfficiencyThe radiation efficiency is the ratio of the radiated power to the accepted power given by

where• Prad is the radiated power in watts.

Note Because the accepted power is calculated from the input signal at the port, a port must be defined for this quantity to be displayed.

Note Because input power is calculated from the input signal at the port, a port must be defined for incident power to be displayed.

Pacc a 2 1 s112–( )=

Pincident a 2=

ePradPacc----------=

16-54 Technical Notes

HFSS Online Help

• Pacc is the accepted power in watts.

Related TopicsComputing Antenna Parameters

Note Because the radiation efficiency is calculated from the accepted power, a port must be defined for radiation efficiency to be displayed.

Technical Notes 16-55

HFSS Online Help

Calculating Finite Thickness ImpedanceThe Assign DC Thickness option on the HFSS menu is enabled if at least one object contains a good conducting isotropic material (such as copper), and the Solve Inside property is not selected. If the object meets these conditions, you can assign a DC thickness. If the thickness of the layer is finite, the skin impedance is calculated as:

where

where h is the layer thickness.Similar skin impedance is assigned to surfaces of 3D objects of good conductors, which are of NoSolveInside and Thickness for DC Resistance is set

Z R jX= =

R 1σδ------ sh 2v( ) 2v( )sin+

ch 2v( ) 2v( )cos–-------------------------------------------=

X 1σδ------ sh 2v( ) 2v( )sin–

ch 2v( ) 2v( )cos–-------------------------------------------=

δ 2ωμσ-----------=

v hδ---=

16-56 Technical Notes

HFSS Online Help

Modes to Nodes ConversionThis section describes the conversion of modal S-parameters, computed using Ansoft HFSS’s full-wave field solver, into nodal or voltage-based pseudo-S-parameters used in circuit theory.The S-matrix solutions in HFSS express their results in terms of the incident and reflected powers of waveguide modes. This description is mathematically and physically rigorous, but does not lend itself to problems where several different modes can propagate simultaneously. Examples of such situations include coupled transmission lines on printed circuit boards, multi-conductor cables, and many common types of electrical connectors. For these types of structures, which generally support multiple, quasi-transverse electromagnetic (TEM) modes of propagation, it is difficult to excite and measure a single mode. In any practical, or laboratory-like, measurement situation: • measurements (e.g., of voltage) contain contributions from several modes• the applied stimuli excite several modes simultaneouslyNodal or “terminal” support was added to HFSS to enable the simulation of terminal currents and voltages directly, without requiring engineers to determine the needed linear combinations of waveguide modes.

BackgroundRecall from electromagnetic field theory that the solutions for the transverse components of the electric and magnetic fields in a waveguide with a uniform cross-section can be written as

Here the an and bn are the intensities of the forward and backward traveling modal waves, and and are the transverse electric and magnetic field patterns. Note that the an and bn are consid-ered to be dimensionless quantities here, while and have the normal units for electric and magnetic fields. For this discussion’s purpose, assume that each port is defined at z = 0; this permits the removal of exponential terms in the above equations.

Nodal Voltages and CurrentsIt is possible to define a set of voltages for a port by establishing a number of different integration paths across the port. If a port supports N quasi-TEM modes of propagation, one can set up N dif-ferent open contours of integration, C1, C2, ... CN, and define N different voltages, v1, v2, ... vN, according to the integral formulas

Et anen x y,( )e γz–

n∑ bnen x y,( )eγz

n∑+=

Ht anhn x y,( )e γz–

n∑ bnhn x y,( )eγz

n∑–=

enhn

en hn

vk Et ld⋅Ck

∫–= .

Technical Notes 16-57

HFSS Online Help

These integration paths are set when you define the terminal voltage lines on a port. Alternatively, you can define a set of currents {ik}using a set of closed contours of integration {Dk}:

Ansoft HFSS does not require you to set up the current integration contours separately. The soft-ware automatically infers the current contours from the chosen voltage contours using a power con-servation relationship.Each definition produces a set of relationships between the modal intensities and the voltages or currents. Since the total transverse fields can be expanded as a linear combination of modes, we can rewrite the previous equations as

To simplify, introduce the following terms:

Now vk and ik become

Since there are N possible voltage definitions and N quasi-TEM modes, there are NxN matrices that relate the nodal voltages and currents to the following modal intensities:

ik Ht ld⋅Dk

∫°= .

vk an en x y,( ) ld⋅Ck

∫n∑– bn en x y,( ) ld⋅

Ck

∫n∑–= .

ik an hn x y,( ) ld⋅Dk

∫n∑ bn hn x y,( ) ld⋅

Dk

∫n∑–=

tkn en x y,( ) ld⋅Ck

∫–=

ukn hn x y,( ) ld⋅Dk

∫= .

vk antknn∑ bntkn

n∑+=

ik anuknn∑ bnukn

n∑–= .

vk[ ] tkn[ ] an[ ] bn[ ]+( )= .

ik[ ] ukn[ ] an[ ] bn[ ]–( )=

16-58 Technical Notes

HFSS Online Help

Now introduce the matrices and to represent these transformations. Note that the units of are volts, while the units of are amperes.In summary, the 3D Post Processor could be used to load different modal field patterns and manu-ally perform the integrals defined previously over each terminal contour line. This would be a tedious and error-prone process, which HFSS’s modes-to-terminals conversion feature eliminates.

Related TopicsTerminal Based Models for Circuit AnalysisTerminal Characteristic Impedance MatrixDifferential Pairs

Terminal-Based Models for Circuit AnalysisIt is possible to use the transformations developed above to compute terminal-based admittance (Y), impedance (Z) and pseudo-S-matrices ( ). First consider the admittance case. A relationship of the form is needed that gives the vector of terminal currents as a function of the vector of terminal voltages . It is known that

and

It is also known that the incident and scattered modal powers are related by , where is the modal S-matrix computed by HFSS. Therefore

Here denotes an identity matrix of the same size as . can then be solved for in terms of by eliminating the incident wave variable .

The terminal-based (or nodal) admittance matrix is identified from the above expression as

A similar relationship can be developed for the terminal-based impedance matrix

It is also possible to convert the terminal-based admittance and impedance matrices into a terminal-based “pseudo-S-matrix” . To do this, a reference impedance must be defined for each ter-

T tkn[ ]= U ukn[ ]=T U

Spi Yv= i ik[ ]=

v vk[ ]=v T a b+( )=

i U a b–( )= .b Sa= S

v T a Sa+( ) T I S+( )a= =i U a Sa–( ) U I S–( )a= = .

I S i va

a I S+( ) 1– T 1– v=

i U I S–( ) I S+( ) 1– T 1– v= .Y

Y U I S–( ) I S+( ) 1– T 1–= .

Z T I S+( ) I S–( ) 1– U 1–= .

Sp Zk

Technical Notes 16-59

HFSS Online Help

minal . Then standard formulas are used to convert the terminal impedance matrix into the ter-minal S-matrix

Here is a diagonal matrix whose entries are the reference impedances . The terminal S-matrix relates the intensities of the incident and reflected pseudo-waves at the terminals

These pseudo-waves are defined by

Here is the incident pseudo-wave at terminal , and is the reflected pseudo-wave at the same terminal. Note that the units of and are watts1/2. The terminal voltages and currents can also be written in terms of the pseudo-waves

Unlike true waveguide modes, the pseudo-waves and have no associated propagation con-stant. The pseudo-waves represent linear combinations of several modes, which may all have dif-fering propagation constants. HFSS is still capable of performing de-embedding on the terminal-based S-matrix, but this is accomplished by first de-embedding the modal S-matrix and then per-forming the transformation back to a terminal-based S-matrix.For the normalization of terminal voltages in the Fields Post Processor, see Scaling a Source’s Magnitude and Phase.

Related TopicsModes to Nodes ConversionTerminal Characteristic Impedance MatrixDifferential Pairs

Terminal Characteristic Impedance MatrixConsider the situation illustrated below. A 3D structure with one multi-mode waveguide port is loaded by an N-port matrix impedance Z. The structure contains internal sources, which generate outgoing waves that exit through the waveguide port and strike the impedance . If does not

k Z

Sp Zref1 2⁄ Z Z+ ref( ) 1– Z Zref–( )Zref

1 2⁄–= .

Zref diag Zk( )= ZkSp

βk[ ] Sp αk[ ]= .

αk12---Zk

1 2⁄– vk Zkik+( )=

βk12---Zk

1 2⁄– vk Zkik–( )= .

αk k βkαk βk

vk Zk1 2⁄ αk βk+( )=

ik Zk1 2⁄– αk βk–( )= .

αk βk

Z Z

16-60 Technical Notes

HFSS Online Help

match the impedance of the waveguide in some sense, a reflection will occur from this load and will return to the 3D structure, where it is interpreted as an incident wave.

An optimal choice of Z will prevent any reflections from the load returning as an incident wave a. Note that the circuit equations at the load are (the minus sign is due to the sense of the current ). By replacing the voltages and currents with their modal expansions, the voltage becomes

Rearranging this to isolate and , it is determined that

Now notice that if we select ; the incident wave vanishes. Corresponding to this con-dition is an “optimal” choice for the impedance

is the terminal characteristic impedance matrix for the multi-mode waveguide port. This value of impedance will completely absorb any linear combination of modal waves leaving the port. As such, it should be of interest to circuit designers wishing to control reflections. In the important, special case of a lossless waveguide, it can be shown that is a real-valued, symmetric impedance matrix. It is then easy to synthesize a network of resistors with the specified matrix impedance.

Related TopicsModes to Nodes ConversionTerminal Based Models for Circuit AnalysisDifferential Pairs

Z

+

_v

i

a

b3D structure

v Zi–=i

v T a b+( ) ZU a b–( )–= = .a b

T ZU+( )a T ZU–( )b+ 0= .T ZU= aZ0 Z

Z0 TU 1–= .Z0

Z0 TTT=

Technical Notes 16-61

HFSS Online Help

16-62 Technical Notes

HFSS Online Help

Geometric ObjectsFollowing are supplemental technical details about the following geometric objects:• Bondwires• Healing Models

BondwiresA bondwire is a thin metal wire that connects a metal signal trace with a chip. You can choose to draw a standard JEDEC 4-point bondwire, as shown below:

whereh1 = the height between the bond pad point and the top of the loop.h2 = the height between the lead point and the bond pad point.radius = half the diameter, or thickness of the wire.Or you can choose to draw a standard JEDEC 5-point bondwire, as shown below:

whereα = the angle between the horizontal plane and the wire at the bond pad point.β = the angle between the horizontal plane and the wire at the lead point.When drawing the bondwire, you will first select the bond pad point, a point in 3D space that defines the bond pad position in a horizontal plane. Then you will select the lead point, which indi-cates the distance the wire covers in the horizontal plane. HFSS will use the distance between the bond pad and lead points to calculate the height between the bond pad and the lead point, or h2, a value that you can modify in the Bondwires dialog box.

Related TopicsDrawing Bondwires

Lead Point

Horizontal Plane

Bond Pad Point

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Healing and MeshingPotential problems with 3D ModelsThis section lists problems that can prevent a 3D model from being meshed successfully. Subse-quent sections will describe how these problems can be detected and addressed.

ACIS errorsThe underlying solid modeling technology used by Ansoft’s 3D products Maxwell, HFSS and Q3D is provided by the ACIS geometric modeler. You can create models directly in the drawing environ-ment of these Ansoft products using primitives, such as boxes, cylinders, etc. and operations on primitives, such as Boolean operations. In addition, you can import models produced by other CAD tools in a variety of formats such as STEP, IGES, etc. In Ansoft’s 3D products, all models have to be stored internally in ACIS’ native format, known as sat format. When you import models into Ansoft products, translators are invoked that convert the models to sat format. Often, models that were created in other CAD tools were created initially for other purposes than electromagnetic analysis, such as for mechanical design or just for display purposes. They may have imperfections that make them illegal to ACIS. Further, there can be compatibility issues between different ver-sions and even flavors of modeling tools. All this can lead to errors in imported 3D models.If you use Ansoft products to create geometry models, and thereby avoid model import and transla-tion, you are unlikely to encounter such problems.

Mixed dimensionalityEven if a model is imported and translated without errors, there is a restriction to be aware of. ACIS can handle mixed-dimensionality models. One of the goals of Ansoft’s use of the ACIS modeling system is to create a valid volumetric mesh for simulation. Mixed-dimensionality models will not yield a valid volumetric mesh. Therefore, the Ansoft tools will not mesh objects with mixed dimen-sionality, so-called non-manifold objects. For instance, imagine a 3D object representing a curved metal plate with a small but finite thickness. If it reaches zero thickness somewhere while having non-zero thickness elsewhere, it has mixed dimensionality, 2D as well as 3D. You will get an error message saying that the object is non manifold. Of course, 2D and 3D objects can co-exist in a model, but any one object cannot be both 2D and 3D.

Intersecting objectsAnother restriction is that Ansoft 3D tools don’t allow partial intersections (also known as partial overlaps) between 3D objects. Each element of the mesh has to belong unambiguously to one object. There is no problem if one object is enclosed completely inside a bigger object, but partial intersections lead to ambiguities. As long as there are partial object intersections, the mesh genera-tor will not attempt to create a mesh. Instead, you will get an error message notifying you which objects are intersecting. You must remove the intersections before you can proceed. You can do this by changing the shapes of objects slightly, or by subtracting one object from the other. Caveat: if as a result of a subtraction the model has pairs of true surfaces that are coincident, that is, smooth curved surfaces that fit exactly one inside the other, you make it harder for the mesh gen-erator to create a mesh. This is because ACIS will create segmentations on each of these surfaces, and these segmentations are not guaranteed to fit. Setting a small value for Surface Deviation

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under Mesh Operations >Assign>Surface Approximation increases your chance of success in such a case, but it is better to avoid such situations if you can.

Small features and misalignmentWhen there are no ACIS errors in the model, no non-manifold objects and no partial object inter-sections, the mesh generator can be invoked to create a valid mesh for the electromagnetic analysis. Even if the geometry is valid, mesh generation can still fail. Possible causes are the presence of very short edges, very small faces, long and thin sliver faces, and slight misalignments between faces that are supposed to be coincident.

Related TopicsTechnical Notes: Detecting and Addressing Model Problems to Improve Meshing

Detecting and Addessing Model Problems to Improve MeshingThe following sections describe a systematic procedure to detect and address model problems that can interfere with the meshing process.Technical Notes: Healing During Geometry ImportTechnical Notes: Healing After Geometry ImportTechnical Notes: Removing Object IntersectionsTechnical Notes: Removing Small FeaturesTechnical Notes: Aligning ObjectsTechnical Notes: Troubleshooting if Meshing Still Fails

One: Healing during geometry importIn case you don’t draw your entire geometry in the Ansoft environment but wish to import (part of) it, in the Import File window you select which geometry file to import. Some formats permit heal-ing during import. These are: 3D Modeler file (*.sm3), SAT file (*.sat), STEP file (*.step,*. stp), IGES file (*.iges, *.igs), ProE files (*.prt, *.asm). Selecting these formats enables a checkbox at the bottom of this window, "Heal Imported Objects." For these supported formats (except for 3D Modeler file), two modes exist, "auto" and "manual". Auto Healing will try to address ACIS errors and non-manifold errors, the first two classes of potential problems listed earlier. It will also fix sur-

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face normals in the body and updating orientation of body, to avoid having a body with negative volume.

Manual healing adds small-feature removal to this. You can remove small features at this stage if you wish. However, the usual approach is to apply auto-healing at this stage and leave small-feature removal until later.

Two: Healing after geometry importHealing can only be performed on objects that have no drawing history other than "import". If nec-essary, object history can be deleted through 3D Modeler>Purge History. If that causes a warning that another object will be deleted, you may need to purge the history of that other object first, or purge the histories of several objects simultaneously.At any time after import, you can perform a Validation Check: HFSS>Validation Check. This will enable you to focus on bodies and body pairs that need attention before a mesh can be created. 1. Select the objects that have ACIS errors, such as failing api_check_entity(), and the objects

that have non-manifold features, i.e. mixed dimensionality. 2. Invoke 3D Modeler->Model Analysis->Analyze Objects.

This will bring up an Options dialog to set thresholds for small feature detection and on com-

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pletion, the Model Analysis dialog is displayed. All bodies in the model are shown in the objects grid along with their status. Bodies can have the following status:1. Good2. Null Body3. Analysis not performed4. Invalid entities found 5. Small-entity errors

Invalid-entity errors are ACIS errors and non-manifold errors. Small-entity errors are small faces, sliver faces and small edges that are optionally detected based on user-defined parameters.

To fix invalid entity errors:1. Choose the bodies that have "Invalid Entities Found."2. In the same window, choose Perform>Heal Objects, with or without an optional setting for

small-feature removal. In most cases, the bodies will be healed and the errors fixed.

3. If errors still persist, choose "offending" faces and edges and click on Delete. This will replace the selected face/edge entity by a tolerant edge/vertex respectively.

In order to avoid unintended changes, it is good practice to do the following:1. At the bottom of the Model Analysis window, check the box "Auto Zoom to Selection." 2. Select one face or edge at a time3. Decide for each face and edge whether you want to delete it.

Note Invalid-entity errors must be fixed before a mesh can be generated.

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In some cases the replacement of the face/edge by tolerant edge/vertex will fail. If the object remains invalid, you know at this point what parts of the object are invalid. You will need to change that part of the object manually, either in Ansoft’s drawing environment or in the original CAD tool, to make it pass. Often, the invalid entities are in small details that can be changed without noticeably affecting the results of the electromagnetic analysis. For example, it may be possible to create a small object, well placed in the "offending" region, and to unite it with or subtract it from the problematic object, such that the "offending" details don’t exist anymore.

Three: Removing Object IntersectionsIf there are any intersecting objects, a Validation Check will list them. You must eliminate object intersections before a mesh can be created.

Note Healing causes changes to the geometry and topology of the body being healed. Validation check has to be re-run after healing is done to identify body pairs that intersect. It is possible that after healing, bodies that were disjoint before now overlap.

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In complicated models, before making changes, it is good practice to inspect the overlap visually. A way to do this is to:1. Duplicate both objects and place the copies outside the model. 2. Perform Boolean Intersect on the copies.

This will show you what causes the intersection and will help you decide how to remove it. 3. Then, delete the copies.The easiest way to eliminate object overlap is to subtract one object from the other, in the order that leaves the desired material in the region of overlap. If the overlap is very small and you can choose the order of subtraction, choose one that does not create coincident true surfaces, if possible. Caveat: if as a result of a subtraction the model has pairs of true surfaces that are coincident, that is, smooth curved surfaces that fit exactly one inside the other, you will make it harder for the mesh generator to create a mesh. This is because ACIS will create segmentations on each of these sur-faces, and these segmentations are not guaranteed to fit. Setting a small value for Surface Devia-tion under Mesh Operations>Assign>Surface Approximation increases your chance of success in such a case, but it’s better to avoid such situations if you can.A way to eliminate object intersections without subtraction is to split one object in parts, in such a way that some parts are completely enclosed in the other object, and some parts are completely out-side the other object. Even for complicated objects, this is possible through a sequence of Boolean operations on the objects and copies of the objects.At this point, the geometry has no ACIS errors, no non-manifold objects and no partial object inter-sections. A mesh can be created for the electromagnetic analysis.

Four: Removing Small FeaturesEven though, in principle, the geometry may be ready for a mesh to be created, it is possible that small features in the geometry lead to a mesh that is unnecessarily large and contains long and thin tetrahedra that make the simulation converge slower. Small features may even cause the mesh gen-eration to fail. By small, we mean details on an object that are thousands of times smaller than the main features of the object, and that, in most cases, are unintended consequences of the drawing history in another CAD tool. Therefore, it is advantageous to remove small features.To do this, you may need to purge the history of objects, since healing and related operations can only be performed on objects without history beyond import. You may have noticed that you could have invoked small-feature removal at several earlier stages. There is no objection to doing it ear-lier. The reason why it is presented here as stage four is that the previous stages were necessary while this one is optional.To start the small-feature removal:1. Select objects and invoke object analysis through 3D Modeler>Model Analysis>Analyze

Objects. Alternatively, without objects selected, use 3D Modeler>Model Analysis>Show Analysis Dialog>Objects and select objects from the list. In the Model Analysis window, invoke Per-form>Analyze Objects. The software will report the smallest edge length and the smallest face area, and enable you to

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set thresholds for the detection of short edges, small faces and sliver faces. 2. Upon clicking OK, the analysis is performed.

As a result of the analysis, the software presents a list of all faces and edges that don’t meet the thresholds set by you.

3. Check the box "Auto-Zoom to Selection" at the bottom of the Model Analysis window and click on small faces and short edges in the list. Inspect them visually and decide whether they can be deleted. It is good practice to delete them one by one rather than deleting many at once in order to prevent unintended changes. Sometimes, an edge or face cannot be deleted, and you get a message notifying you. In that case, either ignore it, or revisit it after deleting some other details first, or revisit it later manu-ally in the 3D drawing environment.At this point, the geometry has no ACIS errors, no non-manifold objects and no partial object intersections. Furthermore, there are fewer small features that were unintended or unimportant for the electromagnetic analysis, so the quality of the model has improved.

Five: Aligning ObjectsObjects that touch each other in imported geometries don’t always have well-aligned faces. Often, this is a consequence of the limited level of precision in the imported file. Misaligned faces can cause tiny object intersections or tiny gaps between objects, which in turn can lead to an inefficient mesh or even a failure to create the mesh.To repair such occurrences in an automated way, you can select groups of objects and invoke 3D Modeler>Model Analysis>Analyze Interobject Misalignment. This will yield face pairs from different bodies that are slightly misaligned with respect to each other. In the window that shows this list, check the box "Auto-Zoom to Selection" and select face pairs from the list. When you decide that faces should be aligned, click Align Faces. In some cases, face alignment will fail if the topology of the body would change by a large amount after alignment. In that case, you can decide to ignore it, as it may not be a problem, or revisit it later manually in the 3D Modeler environment.

Note In complicated models, the Interobject Misalignment analysis can take a long time if you select all objects before launching the analysis. If you don’t know which pairs of objects to analyze, just let the mesh generator try to make a mesh. If the mesh fails, a list will be presented to you of misalignments that the mesh generator finds suspicious but didn’t want to adjust without permission. Not every misalignment in the list is always a problem: this is a list of features that might need your attention.

Note As face misalignments between touching objects can cause small object intersections, this alignment capability can already serve a useful role in stage three.

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Six: Troubleshooting if meshing still failsIf mesh generation fails, information about the reasons for the failure is presented under 3D Mod-eler>Model Analysis>Show Analysis Dialog>Last Simulation Mesh. Again, check the box "Auto Zoom to Selection" and click on the errors in the list. This can give you hints about which parts of the model are causing difficulties.For instance, there may be self-intersecting bodies or faces. Such errors can have a variety of causes, such as a face that is supposed to be planar, but of which the vertices don’t quite lie in the same plane. When you zoom and search you are likely to see what causes the problem.Also, there may be face misalignments. Once you know they exist, you can inspect them and decide whether to align them under the Objects Misalignment tab.One of the tabs of the Model Analysis window is the Surface Mesh tab. Under that tab, you can try to create surface meshes for objects and pairs of objects. Since a surface mesh on selected objects is easier to create than a volume mesh for the whole model, this can help you to identify quickly which objects are causing difficulties and why.Also, in order to determine which objects are causing difficulties, you can exclude objects tempo-rarily from the model. If the mesh succeeds without them, this helps to identify the reason for fail-ure. To exclude an object temporarily, select it and uncheck "Model" in its properties window. Then try to create the mesh again.Once you know which objects make the mesh fail, you can try to make small changes to them that don’t affect the electrical properties noticeably but help the mesh maker succeed. For example: • Zoom in on details and consider removing details; • Find coincident true surfaces and move one of the faces over a very short distance so the pair

of faces is not coincident anymore;• Split very complicated objects into multiple less-complicated objects;• Delete a complicated 3D ground object and create a 2D ground through a boundary condition

on the appropriate faces of a dielectric;• Replace imported objects by objects drawn in Ansoft’s 3D modeling environment. For

instance, some CAD tools produce cylinders that consist of two half cylinders that have a seam where they join. The fit is not always perfect.

Finally, for coincident true surfaces, set a very small value for Surface Deviation under Mesh Operations>Assign>Surface Approximation. ACIS will give them more segments, but you can compensate for that with Model Resolution. In a parametric sweep, you can experiment with set-tings for Surface Deviation and Model Resolution.Related TopicsAnalyze ObjectsAnalyze Interobject MisalignmentAnalyze Surface MeshHealingValidating Projects

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BoundariesBoundary conditions specify the field behavior on the surfaces of the problem region and object interfaces. This area of the technical notes includes information about the following boundary types:

and the following subjects:• Frequency-Dependent Boundaries• Default Boundary Assignments

Perfect E BoundariesIn HFSS, perfect E boundaries represent perfectly conducting surfaces in a structure.By default, all HFSS model surfaces exposed to the background are assumed to have perfect E boundaries; HFSS assumes that the entire structure is surrounded by perfectly conducting walls. The electric field is assumed to be normal to these surfaces. The final field solution must match the case in which the tangential component of the electric field goes to zero at perfect E boundaries.The surfaces of all model objects that have been assigned perfectly conducting materials are auto-matically assigned perfect E boundaries.

Impedance BoundariesIn HFSS, impedance boundaries represent surfaces of known impedance. The behavior of the field at the surface and the losses generated by the currents flowing on the surface are computed using analytical formulas; HFSS does not actually simulate any fields inside the resistor. Similar to finite conductivity boundaries, the following condition applies at impedance boundaries:

where

• is the is the unit vector that is normal to the surface.• Etan is the component of the E-field that is tangential to the surface.

• Perfect E• Impedance• Radiation• PML• Finite Conductivity• Symmetry• Master and Slave• Lumped RLC• Layered Impedance• Infinite Ground Planes

Etan Zs n Htan×( )=

n

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• Htan is the component of the H-field that is tangential to the surface.• Zs is the surface impedance of the boundary, Rs + jXs, where

• Rs is the resistance in ohms/square.• Xs is the reactance in ohms/square.

For example, assume that a structure contains two dielectrics separated by a thin-film resistor. This resistor could be represented by an impedance boundary at the surface between the two objects.

Units of Impedance BoundariesImpedance on the surface of objects, Zs, has units of ohms per square. The units ohms per square indicate that the impedance, Zs, is equal to the equivalent circuit impedance, Z, measured between the edges of a square sheet of the material.For example, a rectangle of length L and width w has a uniform current, I, applied to it. It has a volt-age drop, V, across it and an equivalent circuit impedance of Z ohms.

If the current density, J, is uniform over the rectangle then the equation becomes

(3)where• on the rectangle, and

• on the rectangle.The circuit quantities and fields are related as follows:

Substituting equation (1) into equation (2) results in the following equation:

w

L y

x

I I

+ -V

Z

n E× Zsn J×=

E ZsJ=

E E=

J J=

V E Ld⋅

x 0=

L

∫ EL= =

I J x⋅ ydy 0=

w

∫ Jw= =

Z VI--- EL

Jw-------= =

Z ZsLw----=

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Thus, when L = w, the equivalent circuit impedance is equal to the impedance on one square. Hence the units ohms per square.If in this example L = 2w, the impedance would be equal to one-half of the circuit equivalent impedance for the rectangle, or the circuit equivalent impedance of one "square" of the rectangle is equal to the impedance of that square. Therefore, when entering the surface impedance for an object, you must enter the impedance per square.

Radiation BoundariesIn HFSS, radiation boundaries are used to simulate open problems that allow waves to radiate infi-nitely far into space, such as antenna designs. HFSS absorbs the wave at the radiation boundary, essentially ballooning the boundary infinitely far away from the structure. At radiation boundary surfaces, the second-order radiation boundary condition is used:

where• Etan is the component of the E-field that is tangential to the surface.• k0 is the free space phase constant,

.

• j is .The second-order radiation boundary condition is an approximation of free space. The accuracy of the approximation depends on the distance between the boundary and the object from which the radiation emanates.

PML BoundariesPerfectly matched layers (PMLs) are fictitious materials that fully absorb the electromagnetic fields impinging upon them. These materials are complex anisotropic. There are two types of PML applications: free space termination and reflection-free termination. With free space termination, PMLs are associated with a surface that radiates into free space equally in every direction. PMLs are more appropriate than radiation boundaries in this case because PMLs enable radiation surfaces to be located closer to radiating objects, reducing the prob-lem domain. Any homogenous isotropic material, including lossy materials like ocean water, can surround the design. With reflection-free termination of guided waves, the structure continues uniformly to infinity. Its termination surface radiates in the direction in which the wave is guided. Reflection-free PMLs are appropriate for simulating phased array antennas because the antenna radiates in a certain direction.Related TopicsAssigning PML Bounaries

E∇×( )tan jk0Etanj

k0-----∇tan ∇tan Etan×( ) j

k0-----+× ∇tan ∇tan Etan•( )–=

ω μ0ε0

1–

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Material Tensors Applied at PML BoundariesTensor EntriesBoundaries at PML Surfaces

Material Tensors Applied at PML BoundariesPMLs materials are complex anisotropic. An example is shown below.

To ensure that there will not be any reflection at the PML/air interface, the bi-axial diagonal mate-rial tensors for x-, y- and z-directed PMLs (PML_X, PML_Y, and PML_Z) are as follows.For PML_X:

For PML_Y:

For PML_Z:

where C = a - jb.The tensors designated as PML_X characterize an x-directed PML corresponding to a PML wall in the yz plane. Similarly, PML_Y and PML_Z are designated tensors for y- and z-directed PMLs.

PML_Z

PML_XYZ

PML_XY

PML_X

PML_Y

ε[ ]ε0------- 1

C---- C C= μ[ ]

μ0-------- 1

C---- C C=

ε[ ]ε0------- C 1

C---- C= μ[ ]

μ0-------- C 1

C---- C=

ε[ ]ε0------- C C 1

C----= μ[ ]

μ0-------- C C 1

C----=

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PMLs of different directions must be joined in order to construct a box with PML walls. To ensure complete coverage where the edges and corners of two PMLs meet, create edge and corner PML objects. The tensors of an edge object joining PML_X and PML_Y are as follows for PML_XY:

A similar tensor construction rule is valid for joining x- and z-directed and y- and z-directed PMLs. The tensor for a corner object is a follows for PML_XYZ:

Related TopicsTensor EntriesBoundaries at PML SurfacesPML Boundaries

Tensor EntriesEntering the matrices of the anisotropic materials doesn’t require a special procedure. The usual anisotropic material definitions can be used for any PML structure. However, keep in mind that the efficiency of the PMLs depends on the material values assigned to them.Setting the complex parameter C ensures that the electromagnetic field decays strongly in the PMLs. Back reflections from the bounding PECs are then kept below a prescribed bound. To accomplish this, the following inequalities have to be satisfied:

where

• e = a = b• a and b are the real and imaginary parts of C.• H is the thickness of the PML object.• ωmax and ωmin are the minimum and maximum angular frequencies.

ε[ ]ε0------- 1 1 C2= μ[ ]

μ0-------- 1 1 C2=

ε[ ]ε0------- C C C= μ[ ]

μ0-------- C C C=

e ρln–2DminH------------------- emin=≥

e dln–2Dmaxh------------------- emax=≤

Dmin αmin βmin+ 1rmax----------

ωminc

-----------+= =

Dmax αmax βmax+ 1rmin---------

ωmaxc

------------+= =

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• rmax and rmin are the minimum and maximum distance of a radiating object to the PML sur-face.

• ρ is the bound for back reflection.• d is the maximum decay characterizing the element. (d is approximately .)• h is the thickness of one finite element.• c is the velocity of light in vacuum.

Related TopicsMaterial Tensors Applied at PML BoundariesBoundaries at PML SurfacesPML Boundaries

Boundaries at PML SurfacesAfter embedding a structure in PMLs, the next step is to specify boundaries on the outer surface of the box. The simplest way is to bound the box either with perfect electric conductors (PECs) or per-fect magnetic conductors (PMCs.) In general, use PECs because they reduce the problem size.Related TopicsTensor EntriesPML BoundariesBoundaries at PML SurfacesMaterial Tensors Applied at PML Boundaries

Finite Conductivity BoundariesIn HFSS, finite conductivity boundaries represent imperfect conductors. At such boundaries, the following condition holds:

where• Etan is the component of the E-field that is tangential to the surface.• Htan is the component of the H-field that is tangential to the surface.• Zs is the surface impedance of the boundary, , where

• δ is the skin depth, , of the conductor being modeled.• ω is the frequency of the excitation wave.• σ is the conductivity of the conductor.• μ is the permeability of the conductor.

The fact that the E-field has a tangential component at the surface of imperfect conductors simu-lates the case in which the surface is lossy.

3 10 3–⋅

Etan Z n Htan×( )=

1 j+( ) δσ( )⁄

2 ωσμ( )⁄

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The surfaces of any objects defined to be non-perfect conductors are automatically set to finite con-ductivity boundaries. Note that HFSS does not attempt to compute the field inside these objects; the finite conductivity boundary approximates the behavior of the field at the surfaces of the objects. The finite conductivity boundary condition is valid only if the conductor being modeled is a good conductor, that is, if the conductor’s thickness is much larger than the skin depth in the given fre-quency range. If the conductor's thickness is in the range or larger than the skin depth in the given frequency range, HFSS’s layered impedance boundary condition must be used.

Symmetry BoundariesIn HFSS, symmetry boundaries represent perfect E or perfect H planes of symmetry. Symmetry boundaries enable you to model only part of a structure, which reduces the size or complexity of your design, thereby shortening the solution time.When you are defining a symmetry plane, keep the following requirements in mind:• A plane of symmetry must be exposed to the background.• A plane of symmetry must not cut through an object drawn in the 3D Modeler window.• A plane of symmetry must be defined on a planar surface.• Only three orthogonal symmetry planes can be defined in a problem.

Perfect E Vs. Perfect H Symmetry BoundariesIn general, use the following guidelines to decide which type of symmetry boundary to use, a perfect E or a perfect H: • If the symmetry is such that the E-field is normal to the symmetry plane, use a perfect E

symmetry plane. • If the symmetry is such that the E-field is tangential to the symmetry plane, use a perfect H

symmetry plane.The simple rectangular waveguide shown below illustrates the differences between the two types of boundaries. The E-field of the dominant mode signal (TE10) is shown. The waveguide has two planes of symmetry, one vertically through the center and one horizontally.

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The horizontal plane of symmetry is a perfect E surface. The E-field is normal and the H-field is tangential to that surface. The vertical plane of symmetry is a perfect H surface. The E-field is tangential and H-field is normal to that surface.

For common problems, you can usually decide which symmetry boundary to use by reviewing the geometry. For example, if the structure is a microstrip, the flux lines of the E-field run between the ground plane and the conductive strip; therefore, the E-field is tangential to any vertical symmetry plane that slices a microstrip in half.

Symmetry and Port ImpedanceIf a symmetry plane has been defined, the computed port impedances will not match the port impedance of the full structure unless an impedance multiplier is specified.

Symmetry and Multiple ModesIf you are solving for multiple modes, keep in mind that the orientation of the E- and H-fields may differ from mode to mode. A perfect H symmetry boundary for the dominant mode may be a per-fect E symmetry for another mode.

Master and Slave BoundariesMaster and slave boundaries enable you to model planes of periodicity where the E-field on one surface matches the E-field on another to within a phase difference. They force the E-field at each

Note Port impedance is only calculated when a port has been defined. If you are solving a problem without ports, you do not need to specify an impedance multiplier.

Electric field of TE10 Mode

Perfect E symmetry plane

Perfect H symmetry plane

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point on the slave boundary match the E-field to within a phase difference at each corresponding point on the master boundary. They are useful for simulating devices such as infinite arrays. Unlike symmetry boundaries, E does not have to be tangential or normal to these boundaries. The only condition is that the fields on the two boundaries must have the same magnitude and direction (or the same magnitude and opposite directions). When creating matching boundaries, keep the following points in mind:• Master and slave boundaries can only be assigned to planar surfaces. These may be the faces of

2D or 3D objects.• The geometry of the surface on one boundary must match the geometry on the surface of the

other boundary. For example, if the master is a rectangular surface, the slave must be a rectan-gular surface of the same size.

• If the mesh on the master boundary does not match the mesh on the slave boundary exactly, the solution will fail. Normally HFSS automatically forces the mesh to match on each boundary; however, in some cases, the mesh cannot be forced to match. To prevent the solution from fail-ing, create a virtual object on the slave boundary that exactly matches any extra object on the master boundary, or create a virtual object on the master boundary that exactly matches any extra object on the slave boundary.

• To make a surface a master or slave boundary, you must specify a coordinate system that defines the plane on which the selected surface exists. When HFSS attempts to match the two boundaries, the two coordinate systems must also match each other. If they do not, HFSS will transpose the slave boundary to match the master boundary. When doing this, the surface to which the slave boundary is assigned is also transposed. If, after doing this, the two surfaces do not occupy the same position relative to their combined defined coordinate system, an error message appears. For example, consider the following figure:

To match the coordinate system of the master boundary, the coordinate system on the slave boundary must rotate 90 degrees counterclockwise; however, when this is done, you get the following:

U

V

V

U

Slave Master

V

U

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The two surfaces do not correspond and thus the mesh will not match, causing an error mes-sage.

• The angle between the axes defined by the u point and v point must be identical for the master and slave boundary.

Calculating the E-Field on the Slave BoundaryThe E-field on the slave boundary is forced to match the E-field on the master boundary. The mag-nitude of the E-field on both boundaries is the same; however, the fields may be out of phase with each other.The function relating the electric field on the slave boundary, ES, to the electric field on the master boundary, EM, depends on the type of problem you are solving. For example, consider an infinite array simulation for a rectangular array. If the array excited to radiate in the direction (θ, φ) in spherical coordinates. The fields above the array experience a phase delay of

where• is the unit vector in the direction of scan.• is the vector from the slave boundary to the master boundary.To simulate this in the finite element solution, HFSS incorporates phase shifts in the relation between the matching boundaries. That is, the electric field values on the master boundary will be related to the electric field values on the corresponding points on the slave boundary. This equation would be the following:

HFSS gives you the option of entering the scan angles, φ and θ, when relating ES to EM. The phase delay is calculated from the scan angles. However, if you know the phase delay, you may enter that directly.

Ψ k roˆ v•( )=

r0v

ES ejΨEM=

Technical Notes 16-79

HFSS Online Help

Lumped RLC BoundariesTo model any combination of lumped resistor, inductor, and/or capacitor in parallel on a surface, create a lumped RLC boundary. A lumped RLC boundary represents R, L, and C in parallel:

Similar to impedance boundaries, the following condition holds at lumped RLC boundaries:

where• is the is the unit vector that is normal to the surface.• Etan is the component of the E-field that is tangential to the surface.• Htan is the component of the H-field that is tangential to the surface.• Zs is the surface impedance of the boundary, Rs + jXs, where

• Rs is the resistance in ohms/square.• Xs is the reactance in ohms/square.

Unlike impedance boundaries, you are not required to supply the impedance per square, but you must supply the actual values for R, L, and C. HFSS then determines the impedance per square of the lumped RLC boundary at any frequency.A Fast frequency sweep is supported for this boundary condition.

Layered Impedance BoundariesA layered impedance boundary is used to model multiple layers in a structure as one impedance surface. The effect is the same as an impedance boundary condition, except that HFSS calculates the reactance and resistance values for the surface based on data you enter for the layered structure. Surface roughness is also taken into account.The reactance and resistance values are calculated differently for internal and external layered impedance boundaries. For external layered impedance boundaries, HFSS calculates the imped-ance for the side of the surface in contact with the computational domain and assigns this value to the boundary. For internal layered impedance boundaries, HFSS calculates the average impedance value for the two sides of the surface in contact with the computational domain and assigns this value to the boundary.

Etan Zs n Htan×( )=

n

16-80 Technical Notes

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The layered impedance boundary is supported for single-frequency solutions and Discrete and Interpolating frequency sweeps.

Impedance Calculation for Layered Impedance BoundaryThe impedance of the layered structure is calculated by recursively calling the impedance calcula-tion formulation known from transmission line theory:

where• Z inputk is the input impedance for the kth layer.

•

• ch is the hyperbolic cosine function.• sh is the hyperbolic sine function.•

where• γ is the propagation coefficient.• k0 is the free space wave number, , where ω is the angular frequency, 2πf.• εrk is the relative complex permittivity of the Kth layer.• μrk is the relative complex permeability of the Kth layer.

where•

•

• dk is the thickness of the Kth layer.

Zinputk ZwkZinputk 1+ ch γkdk( ) Zwk+ sh γkdk( )

Zinputk 1+ sh γkdk( ) Zwk+ ch γkdk( )---------------------------------------------------------------------------------=

Zwkμ0μrkε0μεrk----------------=

γk k0 εrk– μrk=

ω μ0ε0

εrk epsrk j sigmaωε0

--------------- epsr detan⋅+⎝ ⎠⎛ ⎞–=

μrk murk j murk dmktan⋅( )–=

Technical Notes 16-81

HFSS Online Help

Surface Roughness Calculation for Layered Impedance BoundaryThe surface roughness is measured as the RMS deviation of the conductor surface from a plane. Surface roughness increases conduction losses. Ansoft HFSS calculates surface roughness by mod-ifying the conductivity as follows:

whereσ is the material’s conductivity.

where, further:• h is the surface roughness.• s is the skin depth.

Infinite Ground PlanesTo simulate the effects of an infinite ground plane, select the Infinite ground plane check box when setting up a perfect E, finite conductivity, or impedance boundary condition. The selection only affects the calculation of near- and far-field radiation during post processing. The 3D Post Pro-cessor models the boundary as a finite portion of an infinite, perfectly conducting plane.Conceptually, a boundary condition designated as an infinite ground plane divides the problem region into the half above it, where the entire model resides, and the half below it, where the radi-ated fields are set to zero. Antenna parameters involving radiated power will be consistent with these properties.Lossy ground planes may be approximated by selecting the Infinite ground plane check box when assigning a finite conductivity or impedance boundary. The effects of these boundaries are incorpo-rated into the field solution in the usual manner, but the radiated fields in the 3D Post Processor are computed as if the lossy ground planes were perfectly conducting.When defining an infinite ground plane, keep the following requirements in mind:• An infinite ground plane in a model must be exposed to the background.• An infinite ground plane must be defined on a planar surface.• The total number of infinite ground planes and symmetry planes cannot exceed three.• All infinite ground planes and symmetry planes must be mutually orthogonal.

Frequency-Dependent Boundaries and ExcitationsIn general, boundary and excitation parameters cannot depend on intrinsic functions. An exception is when a parameter depends on the variable Freq, which represents the solution frequency. The following boundary parameters can be assigned an expression that includes Freq:

σcσ

K2w

--------=

Kw 1 s2h------⎝ ⎠

⎛ ⎞–1.6

⎝ ⎠⎛ ⎞exp+=

16-82 Technical Notes

HFSS Online Help

• Impedance boundary - the Resistance and Reactance parameters.• Finite conductivity boundary - the Conductivity parameter. If a material is specified, the mate-

rial can be frequency dependent.• Slave boundary - the Phase parameter.• Lumped RLC boundary - Resistance, Inductance, and Capacitance parameters.• Layered impedance boundary - materials assigned on layers can be frequency dependent.

Default Boundary AssignmentsIf a boundary has not been assigned to a model surface, one of the following default boundaries will be assigned to the surface:

Related TopicsReviewing Boundaries and Excitations in the Solver View

Note Dependence on Freq is supported for single-frequency solutions and for Discrete and Interpolating frequency sweeps. If a Fast sweep is requested, the solution will be valid for the center frequency, but may not be valid at other frequencies.

smetal A single perfect E boundary is assigned to all objects that do not have Solve Inside selected in the Properties window and that are perfect conductors.

i_<object name> A finite conductivity boundary is assigned to each object that does not have Solve Inside selected in the Properties window and that is not a perfect conductor. <object name> is the name of the object on which the boundary is assigned.

outer A default boundary applied on the outermost surfaces of the model.

Technical Notes 16-83

HFSS Online Help

ExcitationsAssigning excitations to an HFSS design enables you to specify the sources of electromagnetic fields and charges, currents, or voltages on objects or surfaces. This area of the Technical Notes includes information on the following topics:• Wave Ports• Polarizing the E-Fields• Lumped Ports• Setting the Field Pattern Direction• Differential Pairs• Magnetic Bias Sources• Incident Waves• Formula Summary for HFSS Floquet Modes

Wave PortsBy default, the interface between all 3D objects and the background is a perfect E boundary through which no energy may enter or exit. Wave ports are typically placed on this interface to pro-vide a window that couples the model device to the external world.HFSS assumes that each wave port you define is connected to a semi-infinitely long waveguide that has the same cross-section and material properties as the port. When solving for the S-parameters, HFSS assumes that the structure is excited by the natural field patterns (modes) associated with these cross-sections. The 2D field solutions generated for each wave port serve as boundary condi-tions at those ports for the 3D problem. The final field solution computed must match the 2D field pattern at each port.HFSS generates a solution by exciting each wave port individually. Each mode incident on a port contains one watt of time-averaged power. Port 1 is excited by a signal of one watt, and the other ports are set to zero watts. After a solution is generated, port 2 is set to one watt, and the other ports to zero watts and so forth.Within the 3D model, an internal port can be represented by a lumped port. Lumped ports compute S-parameters directly at the port. The S-parameters can be renormalized and the Y-matrix and Z-matrix can be computed. Lumped ports have a user-defined characteristic impedance.

Polarizing the E-FieldsIn some cases, such as when a port is square or circular, not only is the positive and negative direc-tion in question, the line with which the E-field is aligned is also arbitrary.For example, in the case of a square waveguide, the E-field of the dominant mode can be aligned horizontally, vertically, or diagonally within the guide. There is no preferred direction. However, HFSS aligns the field with the defined integration line if you select Polarize E Field.Circular waveguides also require a polarized E-field. The direction of the E-field at ωt = 0 can point in any direction. To align the simulated field with a preferred direction, define an integration line

16-84 Technical Notes

HFSS Online Help

and select Polarize E Field. In this case, the integration line must lie in the middle of the port, that is, in the symmetry plane.When polarizing the E-fields, observe the following guidelines. Otherwise the results may not be as expected.• Polarize the E-field only on square or circular waveguides. • Make sure the port on the waveguide only feeds a single conductor (the waveguide wall.) • Do not polarize the E-fields if you are using a symmetry boundary. The polarization is auto-

matically enforced by the symmetry boundary condition.

DeembeddingDeembedding means adding or subtracting transmission line. The deembedding operation uses the complex propagation constant to adjust the S-parameters. In the lossless case, it is nothing more than a change of the phase in the S-parameters. Deembedding is just post processing, meaning that a change in deembedding doesn't require HFSS to rerun the simulation. The new results appear instantaneously.This section shows an example where subtracting transmission line can be useful and an example where adding transmission line can be useful.Consider the aperture-coupled patch antenna shown in Fig. 1. A microstrip trace located below a ground plane feeds a patch antenna located above the ground plane. A slot in the ground plane cou-ples power from the microstrip trace to the antenna.

microstrip trace

slot

patch antenna

ground plane

Technical Notes 16-85

HFSS Online Help

Fig. 1 Aperture-coupled patch antenna

A port is located at the beginning of the trace. It cannot be located very close to the slot, since a port has to be located in a position where a clean transmission-line mode is expected, at some distance from the first discontinuity. The port is shown in Fig. 2. One edge coincides with the ground plane. The other edges are such that the port width is several times the trace width and the port height sev-eral times the substrate thickness. The red arrows represent the port field solution. Notice that the three non-ground-plane edges don't influence the port solution noticeably, so this port is large enough.

Fig. 2 Magnitude of S11 in dB

16-86 Technical Notes

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The S-parameter characteristic is shown in Fig. 3 in a rectangular plot and in Fig. 4 in a Smith chart. Note that the resonance frequency in Fig. 3 corresponds to the point in Fig. 4 where the curve is closest to the center of the chart. Also note that the curve circles the chart several times.

Fig. 3 Magnitude of S11 in dB

Technical Notes 16-87

HFSS Online Help

Fig. 4 Smith Chart before deembeddingAntenna designers who need to design a matching circuit close to the feed point may want to see the Smith chart with the reference point located close to the feed point of the antenna, that is. close to the slot, rather than some distance away from the feed point. That can be achieved by deembed-ding. Fig. 5 shows the Smith chart after deembedding.

16-88 Technical Notes

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Fig. 5 Smith Chart after deembeddingNote that after this kind of deembedding, where transmission line was removed, the curve circles the Smith chart fewer times. As an example where adding transmission line may be useful, consider an IC package or a connec-tor mounted on a printed circuit board. Fig. 6 shows a connector on a printed circuit board. The connector designer has included short sections of traces on the board in his model. These are cou-pled differential lines, and because of the coupling they share one port. Again, there is some dis-tance between the port and the first discontinuity, so the fields that reach the port form clean transmission-line modes. To model the connector accurately, this model is sufficient.

Technical Notes 16-89

HFSS Online Help

Fig. 6 Connector on printed circuit boardOn the board, the traces may continue as uniform transmission lines for some distance. To evaluate system performance, it may be desirable to include that length in the S-parameters that are to be exported to a circuit simulator. With deembedding, uniform transmission line can be added as a matrix post processing step.Another example where adding transmission-line length through deembedding may be useful is modeling long cables with frequency-dependent materials, for example, in back planes. In HFSS, only a short section would be modeled, and its behavior over the entire frequency range analyzed accurately. Analyzing only a short section has the benefits of both speed and accuracy. Then, with deembedding, the cable can be extended to any desired length. The S-parameters for the full length can be exported to a circuit simulator to be incorporated into a system.

16-90 Technical Notes

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Lumped PortsLumped ports are similar to traditional wave ports, but can be located internally and have a com-plex user-defined impedance. Lumped ports compute S-parameters directly at the port. Use lumped ports for microstrip structures.A lumped port can be defined as a rectangle from the edge of the trace to the ground or as a tradi-tional wave port. The default boundary is perfect H on all edges that do not come in contact with the metal or with another boundary condition. The complex impedance Zs defined for a lumped port serves as the reference impedance of the S-matrix on the lumped port. The impedance Zs has the characteristics of a wave impedance; it is used to determine the strength of a source, such as the modal voltage V and modal current I, through complex power normalization. (The magnitude of the complex power is normalized to 1.) In either case, you would get an identical S-matrix by solving a problem using a complex imped-ance for a lumped Zs or renormalizing an existing solution to the same complex impedance.When the reference impedance is a complex value, the magnitude of the S-matrix is not always less than or equal to 1, even for a passive device.

Setting the Field Pattern DirectionWhen HFSS computes the excitation field pattern at a port, the direction of the field at ωt = 0 is arbitrary; the field can always point in one of at least two directions.In the figure below, the mode 1 field at ωt = 0 can either point to the left or to the right. Either direc-tion is correct — unless a preferred direction is specified. To specify a direction, you must calibrate the port relative to some reference orientation by defining an integration line.

In the case of rectangular waveguides, visualize the difference in terms of a physical connection. If the up side of a port is aligned with the up side of the waveguide carrying the excitation signal, the signal at the port is in phase with what is expected. But if the up side of the port is connected to the down side of the waveguide, the incoming signal will be out of phase with the expected signal. Likewise, it is desirable to define which way is up at all ports on a structure; otherwise, the result-ing S-parameters can be shifted from the expected orientation.

Note When a lumped port is used as an internal port, the conducting cap required for a traditional wave port must be removed to prevent short-circuiting the source.

Technical Notes 16-91

HFSS Online Help

Calibrate a port to define a preferred direction at each port relative to other ports having identical or similar cross-sections. In this way, the results of laboratory measurements, in which the setup is cal-ibrated by removing the structure and connecting two ports together, can be duplicated.

Differential PairsA differential pair represents two circuits, one positive and one negative, routed close together so they will pick up nearly the same amount of noise. The two signals are subtracted from each other by a receiver, yielding a much more noise-free version of the signal.You can compare the noise rejection of a differential pair to that of a conventional "single-ended" signal and alter the differential pair’s terminal Zo to determine its best reference impedance value.You can define a series of differential pairs from terminal voltage lines defined on existing ports. You must have defined two terminal lines on a single port for this command to be active.

Computing Differential PairsTo compute the differential and common voltages vd and vc of a terminal pair on a shared port rather than the single-ended voltages v1 and v2, define a differential pair in the Wave Port dialog box.The differential and common voltages vd and vc are defined by

(1)Consistent with power conservation, the corresponding differential and common currents, repre-sented as id and ic respectively, are defined by

(2)Equations (1) and (2) can be concisely represented asv = Qei = Q-Tu

(3)where

Note Because integration lines can determine the phase of the excitation signal and traveling wave, they are ignored by HFSS when a ports-only solution is requested.

vd v1 v2–=

vcv1 v2+

2----------------=

idi1 i2–

2--------------=

ic i1 i2+=

16-92 Technical Notes

HFSS Online Help

•

•

•

•

• Q is the real, non-singular matrix defined by

(4)• Q-T is the inverse transpose of Q defined by

(5)Using equations (3), we may easily transform between single-ended and differential quantities.

Differential Admittance and Impedance MatricesThe terminal admittance (Y) and impedance (Z) matrices discussed in the previous topics in the Technical Notes relate single-ended voltages and currents as and , respectively. If you defined differential voltages and currents e and u, equations (3) can be used to derive new Y and Z matrices that relate differential quantities.For example, if , then substituting equations (3) yieldsQ-Tu = YQe.

vv1

v2

=

ii1

i2

=

evd

vc

=

uid

ic

=

Q

12--- 1

12---– 1

=

Q T–1 1

2---

1– 12---

=

i Yv= v Zi=

i Yv=

Technical Notes 16-93

HFSS Online Help

Solving for u yieldsu = QTYQe and the matrix Y’ relating differential quantities e and u is defined byY’ = QTYQ.

(6)A similar procedure applies to the terminal Z matrix.

Differential S-MatricesIt is clear that an S-matrix can be computed for differential signals because it is possible to compute admittance and impedance matrices for differential signals. The differential S-matrix can be envi-sioned as relating in-going and out-going waves on imaginary transmission lines attached to the differential ports. The characteristic impedance must be specified for these lines. In the single-ended case, the characteristic impedance for a pair of transmission lines may be writ-ten in the form of a matrix relating the voltages and currents on the two (uncoupled) lines,

(7)where and are the user-specified reference impedances. In the differential case, the matrix equation relating differential and common currents and voltages is written as

(8)In this case, and denote the user-specified differential and common reference impedances, respectively.

Magnetic Bias SourcesWhen you create a ferrite material, you must define the net internal field that biases the ferrite by assigning a magnetic bias source. The bias field aligns the magnetic dipoles in the ferrite, produc-ing a non-zero magnetic moment. When the applied bias field is assumed to be uniform, you will specify the tensor coordinate system through a rotation from the global coordinate system. When the applied bias field is non-uniform, specified coordinate system rotations are not allowed. The permeability tensor’s local coordinate system is calculated on a tetrahedron by tetrahedron basis, with the direction determined by the

v1

v2

Z 1( )ref 0

0 Z 2( )ref

i1

i2

=

Z 1( )ref Z 2( )

ref

vd

vc

Z d( )ref 0

0 Z c( )ref

id

ic

= .

Z d( )ref Z c( )

ref

16-94 Technical Notes

HFSS Online Help

field directions calculated in the static solution. HFSS references the static solution project as the source of the non-uniform magnetostatic field information during solution generation.If a design already contains a magnetic bias field, you cannot assign another of a different type. If a single bias field exists in a design, you can edit the type.Related TopicsTechnical Notes: Uniform Applied Bias FieldsTechnical Notes: Non-uniform Applied Bias Fields

Uniform Applied Bias FieldsThe applied DC bias that causes ferrite saturation is always in the positive z direction of the tensor coordinate system. Initially the tensor coordinate system is assumed to be aligned with the fixed coordinate system; the tensor’s z-axis is the same as the model’s z-axis. To model other directions of applied bias, the permeability tensor must be rotated so that its z-axis lies in another direction on the fixed coordinate system. This is accomplished by specifying the rotation angles about the axes when you assign a magnetic bias source to a model surface.The rotation angles should be defined in the Magnetic Bias Source dialog box in such a way that the tensor coordinate system is obtained in the following manner:1. Rotating the tensor coordinate system by α degrees (from the X Angle) around the fixed x-

axis.2. Rotating the resulting tensor coordinate system by β degrees (from the Y Angle) around the

new y-axis.3. Rotating the new tensor coordinate system by γ degrees (from the Z Angle) around the new z-

axis.This concept is illustrated in the following graphic. In the first panel, the permeability tensor is rotated α degrees about the x-axis. In the second panel, the tensor is rotated β degrees about the y'-axis (the new y-axis). In the third panel, the tensor is rotated γ degrees about the z''-axis (the new z-axis). The resulting tensor has the coordinate system (x''y''z'') relative to the fixed coordinate sys-tem.

For example, to model the DC bias in the x direction you would rotate the tensor coordinate system so that its z-axis lies along the x-axis of the fixed coordinate system. To do this you would enter 0 for the X Angle, 90 for the Y Angle, and 0 for the Z Angle.

z

y

y’

α

z’y’

x’

x’’

γ

y’’

x y’

x

z’

z’’

β

x’

z’’

1. 2. 3.

Technical Notes 16-95

HFSS Online Help

Non-uniform Applied Bias FieldsTo accurately model a ferrite in an applied static magnetic bias field, the non-uniform magnetic bias fields must also be calculated. In HFSS, a ferrite’s permeability tensor is a direct result of an applied static magnetic bias field. The static field causes the tensor to assume an hermitian form, with cross coupling terms between field components perpendicular to the bias. However, a uniform bias field is difficult to achieve in practice. Even if the bias field is nearly uniform, a non-ellipsoi-dal-shaped ferrite material will have non-uniform demagnetization, resulting in non-uniform fields in the ferrite.Use the magnetostatic solver provided in the Maxwell 3D Field Simulator to generate a solution for non-uniform magnetostatic fields. Once a solution is generated it may be imported into HFSS.

Incident WavesAn incident wave (or plane wave) is a wave that propagates in one direction and is uniform in the directions perpendicular to its direction of propagation. The angle at which the incident wave impacts the device is known as the angle of incidence. The equation that HFSS uses to calculate the incident wave is

where• Einc is the incident wave.• E0 is the E-field polarization vector.• is the free space wave number. It is equal to .

• is the propagation vector. It is a unit vector.• r is the position vector and is equal to .Incident wave excitations are specified in a peak sense. That is, if the incident wave magnitude is 5 V/m, then the real time function of the incident field is .

Port Terminals in HFSSHFSS can categorize microwave structures in terms of a black-box that relates voltages and cur-rents flowing in and out of a given structure. The black-box has several terminals, each with an associated voltage/current pair. In HFSS, these terminals reside inside wave ports that enable post processing of a modal representation of the black-box into the terminal representation.When a terminal project is solved using HFSS, the number of modes for a port is determined by the number of terminals touching the port. If N+1 distinct conductors touch the port, there are N termi-

Note To specify the non-uniform bias field, you must have purchased the Maxwell 3D Field Simulator. Refer to the Maxwell 3D Field Simulator documentation for instructions on solving for non-uniform magnetostatic fields.

Einc E0e jk0– k r⋅( )=

k0 ω μ0ε0

kxx yy zz+ +

E t( ) 5 k r⋅ ωt+( )cos=

16-96 Technical Notes

HFSS Online Help

nals and one reference conductor usually referred to as ground. The modal port representations of the electric and magnetic fields are:(1)

(2)

where an and bn are unitless complex amplitudes of the ingoing and outgoing modal fields, respec-tively. The modal black-box representation of a given structure is given by HFSS in terms of the generalized scattering matrix, S,(3)

where a and b are the unitless complex modal coefficient vectors. In order to obtain a terminal rep-resentation of the black-box, N integration paths Ci and N integration loops Li are used to define N voltages and N currents, respectively,(4)

(5)

In matrix notation, the equations become

E an bn+( )enn 1=

N

∑=

H an bn–( )hnn 1=

N

∑=

b Sa=

vi E dl⋅( )

Ci

∫ an bn+( ) en dl⋅

Ci

∫n 1=

N

∑ an bn+( )Tinn 1=

N

∑ i 1,2... N,== = =

ii H dl⋅( )

Ci

∫° an bn–( ) hn dl⋅

Ci

∫°n 1=

N

∑ an bn–( )Uinn 1=

N

∑ i 1,2... N,== = =

Technical Notes 16-97

HFSS Online Help

(6)

(7)

Combining these equations with (3), yields the following circuit or terminal descriptionof the black-box representation of the structure(8)

where the terminal admittance matrix Y is given by(9)

In HFSS, a generalized terminal scattering matrix St is suppl,ied to the user instead of Y due to more stable properties of St.

(10)

where α and β are ingoing and outgoing pseudo power waves, respectively. The St matrix is obtained by assuming that the voltages and currents are measured by some device with a given ref-erence impedance. This assumption leads to the following relations.(11)

(12)

where Zref is a diagonal reference impedance matrix representing the measuring device. An expression for St is obtained by using equations (8) - (12)(13)

v T a b+( )=

i U a b–( )=

i Yv=

Y U I S–( ) I S+( ) 1– T 1–=

β stα=

v Zref1 2⁄ α β+( )=

i Zref1– 2⁄ α β–( )=

St I Z1 2⁄ref YZref

1 2⁄+( )1–

I Z1 2⁄ref YZref

1 2⁄–( )=

16-98 Technical Notes

HFSS Online Help

Prior to HFSS version 11, the T matrix was obtained by integrating the modal electric fields from the user specified terminal lines, and the U matrix was implicitly obtained from a modal power matrix P, with the assumption that

(14)

where * indicates complex conjugation and Um and Tm are the mth column vector of the U and Tmatrices, respectively. Equation (14) can be written in matrix format as(15)

In HFSS version 11, the user no longer has to draw the terminal lines which sometimes can be a rather difficult and time consuming task. Instead, the U matrix is obtained by integrating the modal magnetic fields around each terminal touching a port and the T matrix is then implicitly obtained from (15). Each integration loop needed to obtain U is automatically determined based on the ter-minal definitions.

Formula Summary for HFSS Floquet Modes• Planar array lattice is specified by lattice vectors a and b.• Lattice angle defined by • Global material is lossless, isotropic, and homogeneous, and specified by real and .

• Frequency is specified in the form of free-space wavenumber where f is fre-quency and c is th espeed of light in a vaccum.

• Local coordinatate system (LCS) unit vectors and are related to lattice vectors by:(1)

(2)

(3)

Pmn en h*m×( ) dS⋅∫

Port∫ Um

H Tn= =m 1 2 3 ...,N, , ,=n 1 2 3 ... N, , , ,=

P UHT=

α a b⋅ ab αcos=εr μr

k02πf

c--------=

x y

x a=

c b b(– a )a⋅=

Technical Notes 16-99

HFSS Online Help

where

Scan unit vector is given by:(4)

where scan angles and are specified as spherical angles in the LCS.(5)

(6)

(7)

(8)

If

(9)

(9)

y cc--=

a aa---=

rs

rs θsin s φcos sx θsin s φsin sy θcos sz+ +=

θs φs

ψa μrεrksr a⋅=

ψb μrεrk0rs b⋅=

m nε … 2– 1–, 0, 1 2,, …,,{ },

ka2πm

a-----------

ψaa

------+=

kz 0≠

kb2πn

b----------

ψbab------+=

16-100 Technical Notes

HFSS Online Help

(10)

(11)

(12)

(13)

(14)

(15)

(16)

(17)

kx ka=

kykb

αsin----------- ka αcot–=

k2c k2

x k2y+=

kz μrεrk20 k2

c–=

ψmn x y,( ) 1ab αsin------------------e

jkxx–e

jkyy–=

Ψmn1( ) kyx kxy–

kc----------------------- ψmn x y,( )= kc 0≠( )

Ψmn2( ) kxx kyy+

kc----------------------- ψmn x y,( )= kc 0≠( )

Technical Notes 16-101

HFSS Online Help

(18)

(19)

(20)

(21)

(22)

(23)

(24)

Ψ˜

mn1( ) 1

ab αsin------------------ θssin x θscos y–( )= kc 0≠( )

Ψ˜

mn2( ) 1

ab αsin------------------ θssin x θscos y+( )= kc 0≠( )

emnTE

NmnTE Ψmn

1( )=

hmnTE

YmnTE z e×

TEmn=

YmnTE kz

μ0k0----------- 1

η0-----=

N TEmn μrk0

1kz

------------ η0=

zeTEmn 0=

zhmnTE z– YTE

mn NTEmn

kckz-----

⎝ ⎠⎜ ⎟⎛ ⎞

ψmn=

16-102 Technical Notes

HFSS Online Help

(25)

(26)

(27)

(28)

(29)

(30)

emnTE

NmnTM Ψmn

2( )=

hmnTM

YmnTM z e×

TMmn=

YmnTM

εrk0kz

---------- 1η0-----=

NmnTM 1

εrk0--------------

kz

kz------------ η0=

zemnTM z– NTM

mnkckz-----

⎝ ⎠⎜ ⎟⎛ ⎞

ψmn=

zhmnTM 0=

Technical Notes 16-103

HFSS Online Help

If , use the preceeding formulas with where is a small constant.If (31)

(32)

(33)

(34)

(35)

(36)

kz 0= kz 0≠ kz α= 0 α 1«<

kc 0=

emnTEM1

NTEMΨ˜ 1( )

=

hmnTEM1

Y TEM z e×TEM1mn=

emnTEM1

NTEMΨ˜ 2( )

=

hmnTEM2

Y TEM z e×TEM2mn=

YTEM εrμr----- 1

η0------=

NTEM 1

YTEM----------------=

16-104 Technical Notes

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MaterialsThis section of the Technical Notes includes information on the following linear material proper-ties:• Relative Permeability• Relative Permittivity• Bulk Conductivity• Dielectric Loss Tangent• Magnetic Loss Tangentand the following ferrite material properties:• Magnetic Saturation• Lande G Factor• Delta HInformation is also included about the following:• Anisotropic materials and defining anisotropy tensors.• Frequency-dependent material properties.• Frequency-dependent Loss Model in HFSS

Relative PermeabilityThe real portion of the relative permeability is a dimensionless quantity. The relative permeability of all dielectrics is assumed to be complex, as follows:

which can also be expressed as

where μ′ is the real portion of μ and μ′′/μ′ is the magnetic loss tangent.

Relative PermittivityThe relative permittivity of all dielectrics is assumed to be complex, as follows:

which can also be expressed as

where ε′ is the real portion of ε and ε′′/ε′ is the dielectric loss tangent.

μ μ' j– μ''=

μ μ' 1( jμ''μ'−−−⎠

⎞–=

ε ε' j– ε''=

ε ε' 1( jε''ε'−−⎠

⎞–=

Technical Notes 16-105

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If a material’s losses due to bulk conductivity will be significant, such as in semiconductor dielec-tric materials, an additional bulk conductivity value, σ, must be added. From the time harmonic form of Maxwell’s equations, the complex permittivity, εc is defined as

where

When entering the relative permittivity in the Relative Permittivity field, use the object’s real component, ε′. The real portion of the relative permittivity is a dimensionless quantity and is iden-tical to the material’s relative dielectric constant, εr.

Bulk ConductivityHFSS is capable of including conductivity in the model either as a bulk material loss factor, similar to dielectric loss tangent, or as an impedance boundary condition applied to the outer surfaces of the object. The choice of bulk material loss instead of the boundary condition is made by selecting Solve Inside in the Properties window. The choice between bulk material loss and the surface boundary condition is problem dependent. The boundary condition should be applied whenever the conductor is much thicker than the skin depth at the solution frequency. In this case, the unknowns within the conductor are not included in the unknown vector, resulting in a smaller matrix and a faster analysis. However, if the conductor is not thick relative to the skin depth, the bulk material conductivity must be used to arrive at an accu-rate solution. With this assumption, the wave equation reduces to

Dielectric Loss TangentTo represent a dielectric that dissipates the power of a high-frequency electric field, enter a dielec-tric loss tangent, ε′′/ε′, property value for the material. The smaller the loss tangent, the less lossy the material.The dielectric loss tangent may vary with frequency. To simulate the variances, define a function for the dielectric loss tangent.

∇ H× σ jωε+( )E jωεcE= =

εc ε 1( j δ j– σωε-------tan ⎠

⎞–=

1–jωμ--------- E∇×⎝ ⎠

⎛ ⎞∇× jωε σ+( )E=

16-106 Technical Notes

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Magnetic Loss TangentTo represent a dielectric that dissipates the power of a high-frequency magnetic field, enter a mag-netic loss tangent, μ′′/μ′, property value for the material. The smaller the loss tangent, the less lossy the material.

Ferrite MaterialsFerrite materials are used to model the interaction between a microwave signal and a material whose magnetic dipole moments are aligned with an applied bias field. The gyrotropic quality of the ferrite is evident in the permeability tensor which is Hermitian in the lossless case. The Hermi-tian tensor form leads to the non-reciprocal nature of the devices containing microwave ferrites. If the microwave signal is circularly polarized in the same direction as the precession of the magnetic dipole moments, the signal interacts strongly with the material. When the signal is polarized in the opposite direction to the precession, the interaction will be weaker. Because the interaction between the signal and material depends on the direction of the rotation, the signal propagates through a fer-rite material differently in different directions.If you assign a ferrite material to an object, you must assign a magnetic bias source to the object.

Magnetic SaturationA material with a non-zero magnetic saturation is considered to be a ferrite. When a ferrite is placed in a uniform magnetic field, the magnetic dipole moments of the material begin to align with the field. As the strength of the applied bias field increases, more of the dipole moments align. The magnetic saturation, Ms, is a property that describes the point at which all of the magnetic dipole moments of the material become aligned. At this point, further increases in the applied bias field

Note If you plan to do a frequency sweep for a design that includes dielectrics, make sure that the dielectric or magnetic loss tangent does not vary significantly over the requested frequency range. If they do, the results may not be what you expect. In cases where the loss tangent does vary significantly over the frequency range in which you are interested, copy and solve the design several times, adjusting the loss tangent and associated frequency range for the copied design so that the loss tangent is relatively stable over the design’s requested frequency range.

Technical Notes 16-107

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strength do not result in further saturation. The relationship between the magnetic moment, M, and the applied bias field, H, is shown below.

The magnetic saturation, 4πM, is entered in gauss.

Lande G FactorThe Lande g factor is a ferrite property that, on a microscopic level, describes the total magnetic moment of the electrons according to the relative contributions of the orbital moment and the spin moment. When the total magnetic moment is due entirely to the orbital moment, g is equal to one. When the total magnetic moment is due entirely to the spin moment, g is equal to two. For most microwave ferrite materials, g has a range from 1.99 to 2.01. The Lande g factor is dimensionless.

Delta HDelta H is the full resonance line width at half-maximum, which is measured during a ferromag-netic resonance measurement. It relates to how rapidly a precessional mode in the biased ferrite will damp out when the excitation is removed. The factor ΔΗ doesn’t appear in the permeability tensor; instead, the factor α appears. The factor α is computed from

The factor α changes the κ and χ terms in the permeability tensor from real to complex, which makes the tensor complex non-symmetric (where it had been hermitian for lossless ferrites).Enter the full resonance line width at half maximum in the Delta H value box. The full resonance line width at half maximum is entered in oersteds. Delta H is measured at a specific frequency. That frequency needs to be entered by the user at the interface. The default value for Delta H frequency should be 9.4 GHz.

Anisotropic MaterialsAnisotropic materials have characteristics that vary with direction. These characteristics are defined by their anisotropy tensors. You must define three diagonals each for anisotropic permittiv-ity, electric loss tangent, conductivity, permeability, and magnetic loss tangent. Each diagonal rep-resents a tensor of your model along an axis.Related TopicsAssigning Material Property Types

Applied bias field H

M

Mag

netic

Mom

ent M

0

s

αγμ0 HΔ

2ω-----------------–=

16-108 Technical Notes

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Setting Coordinate SystemsCreating a Relative Coordinate SystemChange the Orientation of an object

Anisotropic Relative Permeability TensorsThe relative permeability tensor for an anisotropic material is described by

where• μ1 is the relative permeability along one axis of the material’s permeability tensor.• μ2 is the relative permeability along the second axis.• μ3 is the relative permeability along the third axis.• μ0 is the permeability of free space.The relationship between B and H is:

To specify the relative permeability for an anisotropic material, enter the μ1, μ2, and μ3 values in the Value boxes of the T(1,1), T(2,2), and T(3,3) rows, respectively. If the relative permeability is the same in all directions, use the same value for μ1, μ2, and μ3. These values can also be entered as variables.

Anisotropic Relative Permittivity TensorsThe relative permittivity tensor for an anisotropic material is described by

where • ε1 is the relative permittivity of the material along one tensor axis.• ε2 is the relative permittivity along the second axis.

μ[ ]μ1μ0 0 0

0 μ2μ0 00 0 μ3μ0

=

Bx

By

Bz

μ

Hx

Hy

Hz

=

εε1ε0 0 0

0 ε2ε0 00 0 ε3ε0

=

Technical Notes 16-109

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• ε3 is the relative permittivity along the third axis.• ε0 is the permittivity of free space.The relationship between E and D is then

To specify the relative permittivity for an anisotropic material, enter the ε1, ε2, and ε3 values in the Value boxes of the T(1,1), T(2,2), and T(3,3) rows, respectively. These values can also be entered as variables.

Anisotropic Conductivity TensorsThe conductivity tensor for an anisotropic material is described by

where• σ1 is the relative conductivity along one axis of the material’s conductivity tensor.• σ2 is the relative conductivity along the second axis.• σ3 is the relative conductivity along the third axis.The relationship between J and E is then:

To specify the conductivity for an anisotropic material, enter the σ1 , σ2, and σ3 values in the Value boxes of the T(1,1), T(2,2), and T(3,3) rows, respectively. The values of σ1 and σ2 apply to axes that lie in the xy cross-section being modeled. The values of σ3 apply to the z-component. These values affect current flowing in dielectrics between the conductors. These values can also be entered as variables.

Dx

Dy

Dz

ε

Ex

Ey

Ez

=

σ[ ]σ1 0 00 σ2 00 0 σ3

=

Jx

Jy

Jz

σ

Ex

Ey

Ez

=

16-110 Technical Notes

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Anisotropic Dielectric Loss Tangent TensorsThe dielectric loss tangent tensor for an anisotropic material is described by

where• tanδ1 is the ratio of the imaginary relative permittivity to the real relative permittivity in one

direction.

• tanδ2 is the ratio of the imaginary relative permittivity to the real relative permittivity in the second direction.

• tanδ3 is the ratio of the imaginary relative permittivity to the real relative permittivity in the third orthogonal direction.

• , , and are the real relative permittivities specified earlier.ε• j is the imaginary unit, .The relationship between D and E will then be

To specify the electric loss tangent for an anisotropic material, enter the tanδ1, tanδ2, and tanδ3 val-ues in the Value boxes of the T(1,1), T(2,2), and T(3,3) rows, respectively. These values can also be entered as variables.

ε[ ]ε'1 1 j δ1tan–( ) 0 0

0 ε'2 1 j δ2tan–( ) 00 0 ε'3 1 j δ3tan–( )

=

δ1tanε″1ε′1-------=

δ2tanε″2ε′2-------=

δ3tanε″3ε′3-------=

ε′1 ε′2 ε′31–

Dx

Dy

Dz

ε[ ]Ex

Ey

Ez

=

Technical Notes 16-111

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Anisotropic Magnetic Loss Tangent TensorsThe magnetic loss tangent tensor for an anisotropic material is described by

where• tanδM1 is the ratio of the imaginary relative permeability to the real relative permeability in

one direction.

• tanδM2 is the ratio of the imaginary relative permeability to the real relative permeability in the second direction.

• tanδM3 is the ratio of the imaginary relative permeability to the real relative permeability in the third orthogonal direction.

• , , and are the real relative permeabilities specified earlier.• j is the imaginary unit, .The relationship between B and H will then be

To specify the magnetic loss tangent for an anisotropic material, enter the tanδM1 , tanδM2, and tanδM3 values in the Value boxes of the T(1,1), T(2,2), and T(3,3) rows, respectively. These values can also be entered as functions.

Anisotropic Materials and PortsAn anisotropic material can be in contact with a port under the following conditions:• There is no loss on the port: a lossy material or boundary condition (finite conductivity or

μ[ ]μ'1 1 j δM1tan–( ) 0 0

0 μ'2 1 j δM2tan–( ) 00 0 μ'3 1 j δM3tan–( )

=

δM1tanμ″1μ′1--------=

δM2tanμ″2μ′2--------=

δM3tanμ″3μ′3--------=

μ′1 μ′2 μ′31–

Bx

By

Bz

μ[ ]Hx

Hy

Hz

=

16-112 Technical Notes

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impedance) cannot be in contact with the port. Although a radiation boundary is lossy, it can be in contact with a port in this case because it is generally not modeled as lossy where it touches the port. Note that a radiation boundary can be modeled as lossy if the environment variable ZERO_ORDER_ABC_ON_PORT is set.

• One principal axis of the anisotropic material is aligned normal to the port.

Frequency-Dependent Material PropertiesThe properties of some materials vary with the frequency of the field excitation. This frequency dependence is often linear within a certain frequency range and constant outside of the frequency range, as shown below,

where• epsrlower is the relative permittivity of a material below the frequency range 20 - 50 GHz.• epsrupper is the relative permittivity of a material above the frequency range 20 - 50 GHz.• flower is the lower frequency, below which the material property is constant.• fupper is the upper frequency, above which the material property is constant.In general, to account for this variance within a given frequency range, use the Piecewise Linear Material Input window dialog box to specify a property’s values at frequencies below and above the frequency range. Based on these values, HFSS automatically creates a linear dataset that speci-fies the property’s values at the desired frequencies during solution generation. This dataset can be modified with additional points if desired.If the material is a lossy dielectric with a lower frequency near DC, use the Loss Model Material Input dialog box to specify the material’s conductivity at DC or, if you prefer, its loss tangent

Technical Notes 16-113

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value at the lower frequency. HFSS also enables you to specify the lossy dielectric material’s high frequency/optical permittivity. In most materials, up to a couple with a 10-GHz limit, ion and dipole polarization dominate. These polarization types can be described by Debeye’s relaxation polarization model:

whereτ = the relaxation time.εrstatic = the static permittivity.εroptical = the high frequency/optical permittivity.HFSS uses the values you specify in the Loss Model Material Input dialog box in Debeye’s equa-tion above to determine the relative permittivity at any frequency.Debeye’s model is valid for most microwave applications. If the frequency exceeds the limit of Debeye’s model, other models that take atomic and electron polarization into account are available.Frequency-dependent materials are appropriate for problems solved using a discrete or interpolat-ing sweep.

Related TopicsDefining Frequency-Dependent Material PropertiesDefining Frequency-Dependent Material Properties for Lossy DielectricsFrequency Dependent Material Loss Model in HFSS

Frequency Dependent Material Loss Model in HFSSIn the simulation of high speed connectors or PCB boards, it is important to take the losses into account. Especially, in the case of transient analysis, where the improper specification of the fre-quency dependency of the materials would lead to unphysical results. This section discusses the loss mechanism of dielectric materials. Magnetic losses could also be taken into account, but it is not the aim of the current discussion.A lossy dielectric material is characterized by two measured values at a certain frequency:

dielectric constant and loss tangent . There are two problems at the specification of the fre-quency dependency of dielectric materials:• The frequency range, in which the solution has to be calculated, is much wider than the range

where measured material data are available. It is very usual, to have just two measured points. A low frequency point, which can be taken as DC value and a higher frequency point, which serves to describe the behavior of the material at high frequency. The question arises: what is to do between and outside the measured points.

• A measurement always suffers from errors. If the measured data are not consistent, it could cause unphysical effects during the time domain analysis. A question arises again: how to

εrcomplex εropticalεrstatic εroptical–( )

1 jωτ+---------------------------------------------+=

rε δtg

16-114 Technical Notes

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check whether the measured data are consistent, and how to adjust them if they are not.To answer the questions raised we need to discusses the polarization loss mechanism of dielectric materials.Figure 1 shows the different polarization mechanisms occur in the frequency domain. It can be seen from the figure that up to a couple of 10 GHz limits, ion and dipole polarization dominate. These polarization types can be described by Debye’s relaxation polarization model:

(1)where

is the relaxation time, and are the static and high frequency per-mittivity, respectively. Debye’s model is valid for the most of microwave applica-tions. If the frequency exceeds the limit of Debye’s model, there exists other models which take the atomic and electron polarization into account [1].

Figure 1 : Polarization mechanisms

ωτεε

εεj

ropticalrsrtaticropticalrcomplex +

−+=

1)(

τ rstaticε ropticalε

Technical Notes 16-115

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The question is now how to fit Debye’s model to the actual material characteristics. In order to do this, let us express the real part of the dielectric constant and the conductivity from Eq. (1):

(2)

(3)where

is the DC conductivity.

Eqs (2) and (3) have 4 parameters: and .

Usually, measured data are available at two frequencies for a regular material. The measured data are the dielectric constant and the loss tangent. One set of the measured data is at low frequency( , ) and the other set is at higher frequency ( , ).The static or dc values can be considered as the low frequency measured data. So,

(4)and

(5)

The critical need is to predict the high frequency behavior of the material.

If we know from measurement, the high frequency behavior of Deby’s model is set. We just need to calculate the relaxation time as:

(6)where

(7)and

(8)

Knowing , Eqs. (2) and (3) prescribe the material characteristic in the whole frequency region.

2)(1)(

ωτεε

εε+

−+= ropticalrsrtatic

ropticalr

2

2

)(1)(

ωτεετεω

σσ+

−+= ropticalrsrtatico

o

oσ

ropticalrstatico εεσ ,, τ

MHzf 11 ≈ 11,σε r GHzf 2~12 ≈ 22 ,σε r

1rrstatic εε =

111 tanδεεωσ roo =

ropticalε

2

2

24

ωτ −−

=bb

2

2 )(σ

εεεω ropticalrstaticob−

=

oro σδεεωσ −= 2222 tan

τ

16-116 Technical Notes

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If we do not know , it can be calculated by simultaneously solving the following two equations to get and :

(9)

(10)where is measured and id determined by Eq.(8).

Solving equations (9) and (10), we get:

(11)

(12)

This method also yields the parameters of the Debye’s model, but the accuracy of the method, espe-cially at high frequencies, depends on the accuracy and the consistency of the measurement at frequency

Typical Debye’s model material characteristics can be seen in Fig. 2, where

(11)and

(12)

ropticalεropticalε τ

22

2 )(1)(

τωεε

εε+

−+= ropticalrsrtatic

ropticalr

22

22

2 )(1

)(

τω

εετεωσσ

+

−+= ropticalrsrtatico

o

2rε 2σ

o

rrstatico

σσεεε

τ−

−=

2

2

2f

rεε ='

22

''

)(1)(

τωεεωτ

ε+

−= ropticalrsrtatic

))(

)(1( 2

2

22

2 τωτω

εεεε+

−−= rrstaticrstaticroptical

Technical Notes 16-117

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Figure 2 : Material characteristics of a Debye model

The model was verified by using a double strip line filled by FR4 material. A 10 mils section of the line was modeled by HFSS and de-embedded into a 34 inch long line. The structure of HFSS model can be seen in Fig. 3.

16-118 Technical Notes

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Figure 3 : A 10 mils long structure of a double strip lineThe input data panel of HFSS for FR4 can be seen in Fig. 4:

Technical Notes 16-119

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Figure 4 : Input data panel for FR4 material in HFSSIt can be seen from the panel that:

; ; ;

The calculated and measured frequency response of can be seen in Fig. 5. The agreement between the calculated and measured values is good.The transient response of the line to an input pulse also has been calculated. The schematic arrange-ment of the model in Maxwell Spice is shown in Fig. 6. The output signal is plotted in Fig. 7. The green curve is the transient response of an ideal reference line (lossless) of the same length.

98.3=rstaticε 7.3=ropticalε 025.0tan 2 =δ 028.0tan 1 =δ

12S

16-120 Technical Notes

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Figure 5 : Calculated and measured frequency response of 12S

Technical Notes 16-121

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Figure 6 : Schematic arrangement in Maxwell Spice

16-122 Technical Notes

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Figure 7 : Transient response by Maxwell Spice

ConclusionsDebys’s material loss model predicts the dielectric losses in the whole frequency range within an acceptable accuracy. The model can be set up by using low frequency and higher frequency mea-sured dielectric constants and loss tangents and the optical dielectric constant. If the latter is not available, the model might be less accurate at high frequencies. Using Debye’s model, no unphysi-cal phenomena can be observed at the transient response.

References

[10] E.U. Condon and Hugh Odishaw, Handbook of Physics, McGraw Hill Book Company, Inc., New York Toronto London, 1958. Pp. 4-113 – 4-119.

[11] G.R. Strobl, The Physics of Polymers, Chapter 5, 2nd Ed. Springer, NY, 1977.

Technical Notes 16-123

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16-124 Technical Notes

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Parametric OverviewRunning a parametric analysis enables you to simulate several design variations using a single model. You define a series of variable values within a range, or a variable sweep definition, and HFSS generates a solution for each design variation. You can then compare the results to determine how each design variation affects the performance of the design.You can vary design parameters that are assigned a quantity, such as geometry dimensions, material properties, and boundary and excitation properties. (See the online help topic for the specific parameter you want to vary.) The number of variations that can be defined in a parametric sweep setup is limited only by your computing resources.To perform a parametric analysis, you first create a nominal design. A nominal design is created like any other design, except that variables are assigned to those aspects of the model you want to change. All variables must be defined before you start the parametric analysis. Although you are not required to solve the nominal design before performing a parametric analysis, doing so helps ensure that the model is set up and operates as intended. Alternatively, you can perform a validation check on the nominal design before performing a parametric analysis.Parametric analyses are often used as precursors to optimization analyses because they enable you to determine a reasonable range of variable values for an optimization analysis.

Related TopicsSetting up a Parametric Analysis

Technical Notes 16-119

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Optimization OverviewOptimization is the process of locating the minimum of a user-defined cost function. Optimetrics modifies the variable values until the minimum is reached with acceptable accuracy.Choosing an OptimizerOptimization Variables in Design SpaceCost Function

Choosing an OptimizerWhen running an optimization analysis, you can choose from five optimizers, though in most cases, the Sequential Non-Linear Programming optimizer is recommended: • Quasi Newton

If the Sequential Non Linear Programming Optimizer has difficulty, and if the numerical noise is insignificant during the solution process, use the Quasi Newton optimizer to obtain the results. This optimizer uses gradient approximation of a user-defined cost function in its search for the minimum location of the cost function. This gradient approximation is only accurate enough if there is little noise involved in the cost function calculation. The cost function calcu-lation involves FEA, which possesses finite accuracy.

• Pattern SearchIf the noise is significant in the nominal project, use the Pattern Search optimizer to obtain the results. It performs a grid-based simplex search, which makes use of simplices: triangles in 2D space or tetrahedra in 3D space. The cost value is calculated at the vertices of the simplex. The optimizer mirrors the simplex across one of its faces based on mathematical guidelines and determines if the new simplex provides better results. If it does not produce a better result, the next face is used for mirroring and the pattern continues. If no improvement occurs, the grid is refined. If improvement occurs, the step is accepted and the new simplex is generated to replace the original one. Pattern Search algorithms are less sensitive to noise.

• Sequential Non-Linear ProgrammingThe main advantage of SNLP over quasi Newton is that it handles the optimization problem in more depth. This optimizer assumes that the optimization variables span a continuous space.Like the Quasi Newton, the SNLP optimizer assumes that the noise is not significant. It does reduce the effect of the noise, but the noise filtering is not strong. The SNLP optimizer approx-imates the FEA characterization with Response Surfaces. With the FEA-approximation and with light evaluation of the cost function, SNLP has a good approximation of the cost function in terms of the optimization variables. This approximation allows the SNLP optimizer to esti-mate the location of improving points. The overall cost approximations are more accurate. This allows the SNLP optimizer a faster practical convergence speed then that of quasi Newton.

The SNLP Optimizer attempts to solve a series of NLP problems on a series of inexpensive, local surrogates. Direct application of a Nonlinear Programming (NLP) solver is impractical because the cost evaluation involves finite element analysis (FEA), which uses extensive com-putational resources.

16-120 Technical Notes

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The SNLP method is similar to the Sequential Quadratic Programming (SQP) method in two ways: Both are sequential, and both use local and inexpensive surrogates. However, in the SNLP case, the surrogate can be of a higher order and is more generally constrained. The inex-pensive surrogate model is obtained by response surface (RS) techniques. The goal is to achieve a surrogate model that is accurate enough on a winder scale, so that the search proce-dures are well lead by the surrogate, even for relatively large steps. All functions calculated by the supporting finite element product (for example, Maxwell 3D or HFSS) is assumed to be expensive, while the rest of the cost calculation (for example, an extra user-defined expression) -- which is implemented in Optimetrics -- is assumed to be inexpensive. For this reason, it makes sense to remove inexpensive evaluations from the finite element problem and, instead, implement them in Optimetrics. This optimizer holds several advantages over the Quasi New-ton and Pattern Search optimizers.Most importantly, due to the separation of expensive and inexpensive evaluations in the cost calculation, the SNLP optimizer is more tightly integrated with the supporting FEA tools. This tight integration provides more insight into the optimization problem, resulting in a signifi-cantly faster optimization process. A second advantage is that the SNLP optimizer does not require cost-derivatives to be approximated, protecting against uncertainties (noise) in cost evaluations. In addition to derivative-free state of the RS-based SNLP, the RS technique also proves to have noise suppression properties. Finally, this optimizer allows you to use nonlinear constraints, making this approach much more general than either of the other two optimizers.

• Sequential Mixed Integer Non-Linear ProgrammingTo be able to optimize on number of turns or quarter turns, the optimizer must handle discrete optimization variables. This optimizer can mix continuous variables among the integers, or can have only integers, and works if all variables are continuous. The setup resembles that for SNLP, except that you must flag the integer variables.supporting integer variables. You can set up internal variables based on the integer optimization variable. For example, consider N to be an integer optimization variable. By definition it can only assume integer values. You can establish another variable, which further depends on this one: K = 2.345 * N, or K = sin(30 * N). This way K has a discrete value, but is not necessarily inte-ger. Or, one can use N directly as a design parameter.

• Genetic AlgorithmThe Genetic Algorithm (GA) search is an iterative process that goes through a number of gen-erations (see picture below). In each generation some new individuals (Children / Number of Individuals) are created and the so grown population participates in a selection (natural-selec-tion) process that in turn reduces the size of the population to a desired level (Next Generation / Number of Individuals).When a smaller set of individuals must be created from a bigger set, the GA selects individuals from the original set. During this process, better fit (in relation to the cost function) individuals are preferred. In the elitist selection, simply the best so many individuals are selected, but if you turn on the roulette selection, then the selection process gets relaxed. An iterative process starts selecting the individuals and fill up the resulting set, but instead of selecting the best so many, we use a roulette wheel that has for each selection-candidate divisions made propor-

Technical Notes 16-121

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tional to the fitness level (relative to the cost function) of the candidate. This means that the fit-ter the individual is, the larger the probability of his survival will be.

Related TopicsOptimization Variables in Design SpaceCost FunctionAdvanced Genetic Optimizer Options

Optimization Variables and the Design SpaceOnce the optimization variables are specified, the optimizer handles each of them as an n-dimen-sional vector x. Any point in the design space corresponds to a particular x-vector and to a design instance. Each design instance may be evaluated via FEA and assigned a cost value; therefore, the cost function is defined over the design space (cost(x): , where n is the number of optimi-zation variables.In practice, a solution of the minimization problem is sought only on a bounded subset of the Rn space. This subset is called the feasible domain and is defined via linear constraints.

Cost FunctionOptimetrics manipulates the model’s design variable values to find the minimum location of the cost function; therefore, you should define the cost function so that a minimum location is also the optimum location. For example, if you vary a design to find the maximum transmission from Wave Port 1 to Wave Port 2 (S21=>1), define the cost function to be -mag(S(WavePort2,WavePort1)).When using the Quasi Newton optimizer, which is appropriate for designs that are not sensitive to noise, the best cost function is a smooth, second-order function that can be approximated well by quadratics in the vicinity of the minimum; the slope of the cost function should decrease as Optime-trics approaches the optimum value. The preferred cost function takes values between 0 and 1. In practice, most functions that are smooth around the minimum are acceptable as cost functions. Most importantly, the cost function should not have a sharp dip or pole at the minimum. A well designed cost function can significantly reduce the optimization process time.The cost function is defined in the Setup Optimization dialog box when you set up an optimiza-tion analysis. If you know the exact syntax of the solution quantity on which you want to base the cost function, you can type it directly in the Calculation text box. Otherwise, you can create an output variable that represents the solution quantity in the Output Variables dialog box.

Related TopicsAdding a Cost FunctionTechnical Notes: Acceptable CostTechnical Notes: Cost Function NoiseTechnical Notes: Linear ConstraintsTechnical Notes: Goal WeightTechnical Notes: Step Size

Rn R→

16-122 Technical Notes

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Technical Notes: Explanation of L1, L1, Norm Costs in OptimizationTechnical Notes: Example of More Complex Cost Functions

Acceptable CostThe acceptable cost is the value of the cost function at which the optimization process stops; the cost function value must be equal to or below the acceptable cost value for the optimization analy-sis to stop. The acceptable cost may be a negative value.

Related TopicsTechnical Notes: Cost Function

Cost Function NoiseThe numerical calculation of the electromagnetic field introduces various sources of noise to the cost function, particularly because of changes in the finite element mesh. You must provide the optimizer with an estimate of the noise. The noise indicates whether a change during the solution process is significant enough to support achievement of the cost function. For example, if the cost function, c, is

where |S11| is the magnitude of the reflection coefficient, at the minimum, |S11| is expected to be very small, .From the solution setup, the error in |S11| is expected to be . The perturbed cost func-tion is therefore

Near the minimum, the error in the cost function Ec is given by

Therefore, the cost function noise would be 1.0.

Related TopicsTechnical Notes: Cost Function

Linear ConstraintsYou may constrain the feasible domain of a design variable by defining linear constraints for the optimization process. The feasible domain is defined as the domain of all design variables that sat-isfy all upper and lower bounds and constraints. Linear constraints are defined by the following ine-qualities:

where

c 10000 S112⋅=

S11 0≈ES11 0.01≈

cperturbed 10000 S11 min ES11+( )2⋅=

Ec cperturbed cmin– 10000 0.0 0.01+( )2 10000 0.0⋅( ) 1.0=–⋅= =

αiji

∑ xi cj j∀<

Technical Notes 16-123

HFSS Online Help

• αij are coefficients.• cj is a comparison value for the jth linear constraint.• xi is the ith designer parameter.

Related TopicsSetting a Linear Constraint

Goal WeightIf an optimization setup has a cost function made up of multiple goals, you can assign a different weight to each goal. The goal with the greater weight is given more importance during the cost cal-culation.The error function value is a weighted sum of the sub-goal errors. Each sub-goal, at each frequency at which it is evaluated, gives rise to a (positive) error value that represents the discrepancy between the simulated response and the goal value limit. If the response satisfies the goal value limit, then the error value is 0. Otherwise, the error value depends on the differences between the simulated response and the respective goal limit. The error function may be defined as follows:

where• G is the number of sub-goals.• Wj is the weight factor associated with the jth sub-goal.• Nj is the number of frequencies for the jth sub-goal.• ei is the error contribution from the jth sub-goal at the ith frequency.The value of ei is determined by the band characteristics, target value, and the simulated response value. The choices for band characteristics are <=, =, and >=.

Band Characteristics

(Condition)

ei evaluation where si is the simulated response andgi is the desired limit.

WjNj------

j

G

∑ eii

Nj

∑

16-124 Technical Notes

HFSS Online Help

If the total error value is within the acceptable cost, the optimization stops.

Related TopicsAdding a Cost FunctionTechnical Notes: Cost Function

Step SizeIn order to make the search for the minimum cost value reasonable, the search algorithm is limited in two ways. First, you do not want the optimizer to continue the search if the step size becomes irrelevant or small. This limitation impacts the accuracy of the final optimum. Second, in some cases you do not want the optimizer to take large steps either. In case the cost function is suspected to possess large variations in a relatively small vicinity of the design space, large steps may result in too many trial steps, which do not improve the cost value. In these cases, it is safer to proceed with limited size steps and have more frequent improvements.For these two limitations, the optimizer uses two independent distance measures. Both are based on user-defined quantities: the minimum and maximum step limits for individual optimization vari-ables. Since the particular step is in a general direction, these measures are combined together in order to derive the limitation for that particular direction. The step vector between the ith and (i+1)th iterate is as follows: .

The natural distance measure is , which is the Euclidean norm.

A more general distance measure incorporates some "stretching" of the design

space: , where the matrix D incorporates the linear operation of thestretching of design space. The simplest case is when the D matrix is diagonal, meaning that the design space is stretched along the orthogonal direction of the base vectors.

The optimizer stops the search if , where Dmin consists of diagonal elements

<=

=

>=

ei0

si gi–⎩⎨⎧

=si gi≤

si gi>

ei si gi–=

ei0

gi si–⎩⎨⎧

=si gi≥

si gi<

si xi 1+ xi–=

si siTsi=

si D siTDTDsi=

si Dmin1<

Technical Notes 16-125

HFSS Online Help

equal to the inverse of the Min. Step value assigned to the corresponding optimization variable. Similarly the optimizer truncates steps for which

where Dmax has diagonal elements equal to the inverse of Max. Step values of the corresponding optimization variables.

Related TopicsSetting the Min. and Max. Step SizesTechnical Notes: Cost Function

Explanation of L1, L2 and Max norms in OptimizationWhen you set multiple goals for an optimization, the question arises as to what is actually going to drive the optimizer which is not a multi-objective one. The answer is that the cost function will have a lot to do with it, but how the cost function is put together when there are multiple goals is discussed next.The general goal setting structure in Optimetrics is a logical sentence with the format:

Calculation(i) Condition(i) Goal(i) Weight(i)

The cost function that the optimizer uses is built based on the norm setting as long as there are mul-tiple goals and none of those use the “minimize” or “maximize” conditions. Thus, in this case the error associated with each individual goal (weighted) is combined in a way that is specific for each norm type chosen.For L1 norm the actual cost function uses the sum of absolute weighted values of the individual goal errors:

For L2 norm the actual cost function uses the weighted sum of absolute values of the individual

si Dmax1>

Cost wiεi1

N

∑=

Cost wiε2i

1

N

∑=

16-126 Technical Notes

HFSS Online Help

For the Max norm the cost function uses the maximum among all the weighted goal errors:

For all the above situations N is the number of individual goals wi ει are individual weighting fac-tors and residual error respectively. A minimization of the cost function is performed during opti-mization since it makes sense to minimize the error in the sense of the chosen norm type.The graphical representation of the error is possible and depends upon the actual condition being used. If a “<” condition is used, the error can be represented as below:

If a “>” condition is used, the error can be represented as below:

Cost MaxN

1Wi εi⋅=

Technical Notes 16-127

HFSS Online Help

If a “=” condition is used, the error is double-sided and can be represented as below:

The norm type doesn’t impact goal setting that use as condition the “minimize” or “maximize” sce-narios. Note that when using “minimize” or “maximize” settings for the condition there should be a single goal setting which in this case coincides with the cost function.

Related TopicsTechnical Notes: Cost Function

Example of a More Complex Cost FunctionAs an example of a more sophisticated cost function, consider the figure. It belongs to a connector with more than four ports.

The cost function given here concentrates only on a signal sent into port in_1. Suppose the specifi-cations to be met are: reflection, backward cross talk and forward cross talk all smaller than or equal to -20 dB, of which the forward cross talk is the most important. The first three entries in the cost function enforce those specifications, with the weight for the for-ward cross talk being a larger number than the other weights. The actual values for the weights are somewhat arbitrary and serve as examples only. For this cost function, as long as specifications are

16-128 Technical Notes

HFSS Online Help

not met, the optimizer puts the most effort in getting the forward cross talk close to its specification. Once the three specifications have been satisfied, their contributions to the cost function become zero, and only the fourth entry remains. Remember that the connector has more than four ports, so satisfying the given specs does not guarantee maximum transmission. The fourth line tries to maximize the transmission by asking for S(out_1, in_1) to be 0 dB. That will never be reached, but its presence forces the optimizer to improve the connector a bit beyond the specifications. The cost function norm type specifies how the four lines are combined into one cost function with one value. With L1 and L2, all four contribute simultaneously, rather than only the largest of the four at any one time.

Related TopicsTechnical Notes: Cost Function

Technical Notes 16-129

HFSS Online Help

Sensitivity Analysis OverviewDuring a sensitivity analysis, Optimetrics explores the vicinity of the design point to determine the sensitivity of the design to small changes in variables. The variables and their attributes define the design point, the problem around which the sensitivity analysis is performed.When Optimetrics performs a sensitivity analysis, its goal is to calculate the second-order regres-sion polynomials for all of the design’s output parameters. The algorithm first determines an appro-priate interval for each variable. The intervals are further sub-divided according to the available number of iterations and variables. If the master output is not used, the specified initial displace-ment values define those intervals. When all of the design calculations are complete, the second-order polynomials are fitted for all the output parameters. Optimetrics then reports the following quantities:• regression value at the current variable value.• first derivative of the regression.• second derivative of the regression.

Related TopicsSetting up a Sensitivity Analysis

Selecting a Master OutputDuring a sensitivity analysis, the design variations that Optimetrics selects to solve are close to the design point, but not so close that numerical noise (from the finite element mesh) affects the analy-sis. The algorithm that Optimetrics uses to determine the design variations to solve must be based on only one output parameter and that output parameter’s numerical noise. Therefore, if you have defined more than one output parameter, be sure to select Master Output for the output variable on which you want the selection of design variations to be based.

Related TopicsSetting up an Output ParameterSetting up a Sensitivity Analysis

16-130 Technical Notes

HFSS Online Help

Tuning Analysis OverviewTuning a variable is useful when you want to manually modify its value and immediately perform an analysis of the design. For example, it is useful after performing an optimization analysis, in which Optimetrics has determined an optimal variable value, and you want to fine tune the value to see how the design results are affected.A design can be updated after a tuning analysis to reflect a design variation solved during a tuning analysis and the results, including field solutions if Save Fields was selected, of each solved design variation are saved for post processing.

Related TopicsTuning a Variable

Technical Notes 16-131

HFSS Online Help

Statistical Analysis OverviewStatistical analysis allows you to explore the effects of random combinations of values of selected variables on selected global or local available analysis results. Therefore, before a variable can be included in a statistical analysis, you must specify that you intend for it to be used during a statisti-cal analysis. For each variable you must specify the type of distribution (Uniform, Gaussian, Log-normal or User Defined) and the corresponding parameters of the selected distribution.In addition to specifying the variables to be used in the statistical analysis and the parameters of the chosen distribution, the output quantities of interest also need to be specified. These quantities can be global ones such as previously defined parameters (Force/torque, inductance / capacitance, etc), other named quantities, quantities defined in the field calculator as global (such a domain integral of a certain field quantity) or local (such as field value at a certain location). The calculations to be performed during the statistical analysis are specified during setup, in a manner similar to other types of analysis in Optimetrics. Following the analysis the statistical distribution of the output quantities can be visualized. To access available reports, after the statistical analysis is complete, right click the respective Statisti-cal analysis setup and select View Analysis Result.Related TopicsSetting Up a Statistical Analysis

16-132 Technical Notes

17Scripting

For information on how to create, edit and use scripts in HFSS see:. in html format.. in pdf format.

You can also access help for the scripting commands via the menu bar:• Click Help>Scripting Contents• Click Help>Scripting Index• Click Help>Search Scripting

Recording a ScriptOnce you start to record a script, your subsequent actions are added to the script. Each interface command has one or more associated script commands that are recorded to the script. The script is recorded to a text file in .vbs (VBScript) file format.1. On the Tools menu, click Record Script.

The Save As dialog box appears.2. Use the file browser to locate the folder in which you want to save the script, such as:

C:\Ansoft\HFSS9\Scripts

Then double-click the folder’s name.3. Type the name of the script in the File name text box, and then click Save.

The script is saved in the folder you selected by the file name filename.vbs.4. Perform the steps that you want to record. 5. When you have finished recording the script, click Stop Script Recording on the Tools menu.

Stopping Script Recording• On the Tools menu, click Stop Script Recording.

Scripting 17-1

HFSS Online Help

HFSS stops recording to the script.

Running a ScriptTo run a script from HFSS:1. Click Tools>Run Script.

The Open dialog box appears.2. Use the file browser to locate the folder in which you saved the script, and then double-click

the folder’s name.3. Type the name of the script in the File name text box, or click its name, and then click Open.

HFSS executes the script.To supply script arguments when running from Tools>Run Script, use the edit field at the bot-tom of the file selection dialog. You can access the script arguments using the Ansoft-ScriptHost.arguments collection from vbscript. This is a standard COM collection.

To run a script from a command line, use:-runscriptandexit or -runscript arguments to the HFSS command line syntax.You can give -scriptargs parameter to the script and specify arguments.

If you run the script from DOS prompt as a .vbs file (that is, you don't launch HFSS, but just launch vbs directly, or use wscript.exe or cscript.exe), the arguments will be in the WSH.arguments collec-tion, not the AnsoftScriptHost.arguments collection. To handle this, you can write this:

on error resume next

dim args

Set args = AnsoftScript.arguments

if(IsEmpty(args)) then

Set args = WSH.arguments

End if

on error goto 0

'At this point, args has the arguments no matter if you are running

'under windows script host or Ansoft script host

msgbox "Count is " & args.Count

for i = 0 to args.Count - 1

msgbox args(i)

next

Pausing and Resuming a ScriptTo pause a script during its execution:• Click Tools>Pause Script.To resume a script after pausing it:

17-2 Scripting

HFSS Online Help

• Click Tools>Resume Script.

Stopping a ScriptClickTools>Stop Script.HFSS stops executing the script that has been paused.

Scripting17-3

HFSS Online Help

17-4 Scripting

18Glossaries

Glossary of Terms

cost function In an optimization setup, a cost function is based on goal values specified for at least one solution quantity. Optimetrics changes the design parameter values to fulfill the cost function. The cost function can be based on any solution quantity that HFSS can compute, such as field values, S-parameters, and eigenmode data.

design variation A single combination of variable values that is solved during a parametric or optimization setup.

goal In an optimization setup, a goal is the value of a solution quantity that you want to be achieved during the optimization. A goal is represented as one row in the cost function table. Each cost function defined in an optimization setup must include at least one goal.

nominal design The original model on which Optimetrics analyses are based.

sweep definition See variable sweep definition.

variable sweep definition

A set of variable values within a range that Optimetrics drives HFSS to solve when a parametric setup is analyzed. A parametric setup can include one or more sweep definitions.

Glossaries 18-1

HFSS Online Help

18-2 Glossaries

Index

Numerics1D objects 5-22D model files

exporting 3-17importing 3-21

2D objects 5-23D model files

exporting 3-173D Modeler

Chamfer command 5-60opening new windows 5-1

3D Modeler commandsDelete Last Operation 5-41Purge History 5-60

3D Modeler window 1-213D movement mode 5-783D objects 5-23D UI Options

View Options command 10-6

Aaborting analyses 13-53absolute coordinates, entering 5-75absorbing boundary

for ports 12-18acceptable cost 16-123

accepted power 16-52adaptive analysis

and frequency sweeps 12-19bypassing 12-2, 12-8maximum refinement per pass 12-13setting convergence on real frequency only 12-10setting lambda refinement 12-12setting matrix convergence 12-14setting maximum delta Energy 12-9setting maximum delta S 12-9setting maximum number of passes 12-8setting minimum number of converged passes 12-

14setting minimum number of passes 12-14setting up 12-8

Adaptive Lanczos-Padé Sweep (ALPS) 16-20adaptive passes

completed and remaining 15-3adaptive solution

single frequency 16-18admittance matrix

for differential pairs 16-93method of calculation 16-35plotting parameters 15-68

analyseschanging priority of 13-52monitoring 13-50Optimetrics 14-1

Index-1

re-solving 13-54starting 13-1stopping 13-53

Analyze All commandusing 13-2

animationscontrolling the display 15-28exporting 15-29frequency 15-26geometry 15-27overview 15-26phase 15-26

anisotropic materialsabout 16-103and ports 16-107assigning 8-5conductivity tensor 16-105electric loss tangent tensor 16-106magnetic loss tangent tensor 16-107permeability tensor 16-104permittivity tensor 16-104

anisotropyconductivity 16-105electric loss tangent 16-106magnetic loss tangent 16-107permeability 16-104permittivity 16-104

anisotropy tensorsdefining conductivity 8-7defining dielectric loss tangent 8-8defining magnetic loss tangent 8-8defining relative permeability 8-6defining relative permittivity 8-7

antenna arraysdefining custom 15-124defining regular uniform 15-123

antenna parametersexporting 15-126

antenna propertiesaccepted power 16-52axial ratio 16-48computing 15-124incident power 16-53max far-field data 16-40

maximum radiation intensity 16-50overview 16-46peak directivity 16-50peak gain 16-50peak realized gain 16-51polarization 16-46polarization ratio 16-49radiated power 16-51radiation efficiency 16-53

arc linescenter-point arcs 5-4three-point arcs 5-3

arcscenter-point 5-4three-point 5-3

array factorand power normalizations 16-45calculation 16-42scan angle 16-41

arraysdefining custom 15-124defining regular 15-123

arrowsmodifying in plots 15-88types in plots 15-88

attenuation constant 16-35auto-save file 3-10average SAR

calculation of 16-28axial ratio 16-48

Bbackground color, setting 10-17basis functions

low-order solution basis 12-16overview 16-2

bondwiresdrawing 5-21overview 16-61

boundariesand frequency dependence 16-82assigning 6-1assigning at face intersections 5-57

Index-2

default assignments 16-83deleting 6-25duplicating with geometry 6-29editing properties of 6-24hiding 6-30moving to different surfaces 6-26reassigning 6-26reprioritizing 6-27setting default values 6-33types of 6-1

BoundaryZoom to selected 6-2

boxes, drawing 5-12

Ccalculated expressions

plotting 15-82calculation range

setting for a cost function 14-14setting in a parametric setup 14-8

calculatorentering values and geometries 15-99exporting 15-114general operations 15-103output commands 15-112registers 15-97scalar operations 15-105stack commands 15-98stacks 15-97units assumed as SI 15-98vector operations 15-109

capacitorsmodeling lumped 6-18

Cartesiancoordinates on grid 10-19entering coordinates 5-73setting as grid type 10-19

categorytraces 15-67

center-point arcs 5-4Chamfer command

3D modeler 5-60characteristic impedance 16-31

and renormalized S-parameters 16-30plotting 15-68specifying impedance lines 7-16Zpi impedance 16-32Zpv impedance 16-32Zvi impedance 16-32

circles, drawing 5-7circuit types, modeling 6-18circular polarization 16-48clean stop 13-53cleaning up solutions 15-15clear linked data 12-12clearing selections 5-73cloning objects

before intersecting 5-56before subtracting 5-55before uniting 5-53

closed objects 5-2cloud plots 15-89color key

moving 15-87setting visibility 15-86

colorsassigning to objects 5-38default for objects 5-38default for outlines 5-38of field overlays 15-86of highlighted objects 5-65of selected objects 5-64setting background color 10-17

command properties 1-20command-line options 1-28complex numbers

in calculator registers 15-97complex propagation constant 16-10complex weight 16-41conductivity 16-101

anisotropic 16-105defining anisotropy tensors 8-7

cones, drawing 5-13connecting objects 5-51constraints, setting linear 14-44context-sensitive help 2-1convergence

Index-3

in solution process 16-3on real frequency only 12-10output variable 12-10viewing output variable 15-4

convergence criteriamatrix 12-14maximum number of passes 12-8minimum converged passes 12-14minimum number of passes 12-14setting delta Energy 12-9setting maximum delta S 12-9

convergence datafor design variations 15-18mag margin 16-15maximum delta Energy results 15-4maximum delta S results 15-3number of passes completed 15-3output variable 15-4phase margin 16-15plotting 15-7viewing 15-2viewing the mag margin 15-5viewing the max delta (Mag S) 15-5viewing the max delta (phase S) 15-6viewing the maximum delta frequency 15-6viewing the phase margin 15-5

coordinate systemscreating face 5-89creating relative 5-87default planes 5-89deleting 5-90enlarging axes 10-18hiding axes 10-18modifying 5-90modifying view of axes 10-18operations affecting 5-90overview 5-86setting the working CS 5-86showing axes 10-18shrinking axes 10-18specifying for matching boundaries 6-15

coordinatesentering absolute 5-75entering Cartesian 5-73

entering cylindrical 5-74entering relative 5-75entering spherical 5-74

copy commandfor report and trace definitions 15-60

Copying 5-39copying and pasting objects 5-39copying materials 8-15copying to the clipboard 5-39copyright notices 1-33corners

removing rounded 5-52cost function

adding 14-13and acceptable cost 16-123guidelines for defining 16-122overview 16-122plotting results vs. iteration 15-20setting a goal 14-13setting the calculation range 14-14specifying solution quantity for 14-14viewing results vs. iteration 15-20

cost function noise 16-123count

setting for sweep definitions 14-4covering faces 5-50covering lines 5-50CPU time

viewing for solution tasks 15-7vs. real time 15-7

creating a User Defined Primitive 5-35cross-sections

creating 5-51plotting spherical 16-38

CTRL+A shortcut keys 5-64current coordinate system

about 5-86current flow direction 7-34current flow lines 6-18current sources

assigning 7-34editing 7-34scaling the magnitude 15-23setting the phase 15-23

Index-4

custom arraysgeometry file setup 16-44setting up 15-124

cylinders, drawing 5-11cylindrical coordinates, entering 5-74

Ddata tables

exporting 3-19importing 3-29

data tables, creating 15-47data types for convergence

sweep setup 12-21dataset expressions

adding 3-53using 3-53

datasetsadding 3-53and frequency-dependent materials 8-9modifying 3-54

DC thicknessassigning 2-1

Debeye’s model 16-108, 16-109decade count sweep definitions 14-4decay of higher order modes 16-12de-embedding

S-matrices 7-45theory 16-30, 16-35

deembeddingtechnical notes 16-85

default impedancechanging 15-51

default variable valueoverriding for a parametric setup 14-6

defaults 5-38, 5-39assigned boundaries 16-83auto cover closed polylines 5-50auto cover polylines 5-50background color 10-17basic field quantities 16-26clone objects before intersecting 5-56clone objects before subtracting 5-55clone objects before uniting 5-53

color of highlighted objects 5-65color of selected objects 5-64field plot attributes 15-85lighting 10-15mesh plot attributes 15-129open Properties window after drawing objects 1-

19rendering mode 10-11SAR settings 15-83setting face CS 5-90setting for boundary values 6-33setting for excitation values 6-33snap settings 5-81view orientation 10-13

Delete Last Operation command3D Modeler 5-41

deletingboundaries 6-25excitations 7-39field overlay plots 15-93materials 8-16polyline segments 5-40projects 3-12solution data 15-15start points and end points 5-41

deleting objects 5-40delta between markers

in reports 15-50delta E, See maximum delta Energy 12-9delta frequency, maximum 15-6delta H 16-103delta S, See maximum delta S 12-9density of grid 10-19derived field quantities

plotting 15-82design variables

deleting 3-49See local variables 3-48

design variationsmanually modifying points 14-5viewing all in a parametric setup 14-3viewing solution data 15-18

designsin project tree 1-16

Index-5

inserting in project 4-2setting up 4-1

desktopmenu bar 1-6overview 1-6status bar 1-15toolbars 1-8

detaching faces 5-50dielectric loss tangent 16-101

defining anisotropy tensors 8-8differential pairs

admittance and impedance matrices 16-93computing the S-matrix 16-94setting up 7-18

directivity, peak 16-50discard below value 15-58Discrete frequency sweep 16-21Discrete sweeps

saving fields 12-25saving fields at single frequencies 12-26specifying single frequencies 12-26

display types, of reports 15-40distributed analysis 14-9

licensing 13-47distribution criteria

setting for statistical setups 14-31donuts, See toruses 5-14draft angles

and sweeping objects 5-47draft types

and sweeping objects 5-47drawing a model

overview 5-1drawing objects

bondwires 5-21boxes 5-12center-point arcs 5-4circles 5-7cones 5-13cross-sections 5-51cylinders 5-11ellipses 5-8equation based curve 5-7for post processing 5-22

helices 5-15non model 5-22overview 5-2planes 5-22points 5-21polylines 5-5rectangles 5-9regular polygons 5-10regular polyhedrons 5-13spheres 5-11spiral using UDP 5-20spirals 5-18splines 5-4straight line segments 5-2three-point arcs 5-3toruses 5-14

Driven Modal solutionsoverview 16-23setting 4-3

Driven Terminal solutionsoverview 16-23setting 4-3

duplicates and parent objects 5-43duplicating

boundaries 6-29excitions 6-29integration lines 7-17

duplicating objectsalong a line 5-44and mirroring 5-45around an axis 5-45overview 5-43

Eedges

creating objects from 5-57rounding 5-60

edges, selecting 5-70effective wavelength 16-35E-field

aligning with integration lines 16-84specifying direction of 7-33

e-field

Index-6

specifying direction of 7-16E-fields

calculating on slave boundary 16-79mapping to other surfaces 16-77relating master and slave boundary 6-16

Eigenmodesetting Maximum delta Frequency 12-10

Eigenmode solutionsoverview 16-23setting 4-3viewing solution data 15-15

eigenmodesminimum frequency to search for 12-6specifying number of 12-7

ellipses, drawing 5-8Emission test

selecting quantity to plot 15-75energy error 12-9epsilon 16-35equation based surface

drawing 5-10equations based curve, drawing 5-7equivalent circuit export options 15-13error tolerance

for interpolating sweeps 12-22Eval command

fields calculator 15-112Excitation

Zoom to selected 7-2excitation fields 16-10excitations

and frequency dependence 16-82deleting 7-39duplicating with geometry 6-29editing properties of 7-38hiding 6-30invalidated 7-40moving to another surface 7-40scaling the magnitude 15-23setting default values 6-33setting the phase 15-23types of 7-1

exponential count sweep definitions 14-4export

from the calculator 15-114Export command

fields calculatorfields calculator

Export command 15-114exporting

2D model files 3-173D model files 3-17animations 15-29antenna parameters 15-126data tables 3-19equivalent circuit data files 15-13field overlay plots 15-93materials to libraries 8-17matrix data 15-11maximum field data 15-126W-element data 15-14

expressionsdataset 3-53defining 3-49including in functions 3-55intrinsic functions in 3-51piecewise linear functions in 3-53using as cost function goal 14-15valid operators 3-50

extruding faces 5-52

Fface coordinate system

about 5-86creating 5-89creating automatically 5-90operations affecting 5-89

facescopying 5-56covering 5-50creating coordinate system on 5-89creating face lists 5-69creating objects from 5-56detaching 5-50extruding 5-52intersections 5-57moving along a vector 5-52

Index-7

moving along the normal 5-52removing 5-50selecting 5-66selecting all object 5-67selecting behind 5-73selecting by name 5-68uncovering 5-50

far fieldplotting on spherical cross-sections 16-38

far fieldsand radiation boundaries 15-120calculation of 16-37computing antenna parameters 15-124computing max data 15-124defining antenna arrays 15-123horizontal cross-sections 15-73infinite spheres 15-121plotting on spherical cross-sections 16-38plotting quantities 15-70reports 15-39vertical cross-sections 15-73

far-field pattern 16-41Fast frequency sweep 16-20Fast sweeps

modifying matrix data 15-9saving fields 12-25

ferrite materialsadding to libraries 8-5properties of 8-5

ferritesabout 16-102and delta H 16-103and lande G 16-103and magnetic saturation 16-102assigning bias field 7-35assigning magnetic bias sources 7-35

field overlay plots 15-81, 15-82default settings 15-93hiding color key 15-86modifying attributes 15-84modifying colors of 15-86modifying field quantities 15-83modifying phase 15-81modifying plot scale 15-87

moving color key 15-87on lines 15-91SAR 16-28SAR settings 15-83scalar plots 15-82vector plots 15-83

field pattern direction, specifying 16-91field quantities

defaults 16-26phase angle 15-105plotting basic 15-81plotting derived 15-82within tetrahedra 16-2

field reports 15-39field solutions

linking from simulations 7-20saving at all frequency points 12-25saving for a parametric setup 14-36saving for a sensitivity setup 14-37saving for a statistical setup 14-36, 14-38saving for a tuning analysis 14-36, 14-37saving for all Optimetrics setups 14-36saving for an optimization setup 14-36

fieldssaving at specific frequency points 12-26

fields calculatorEval command 15-112Value command 15-112Write command 15-113

Fields Reporter options 3-38file formats

animated GIF 15-29.asol 3-2.avi 15-29data table 15-11.dsp 15-93Ensemble ver. 6+ 15-11.gds 3-21.hfss 3-2HFSS ver. 6+ 15-11.hfssresults 3-2HSpice 15-13.lib 15-13Libra 15-11

Index-8

.m files 15-11Maxwell Spice 15-13Neutral Model Format 15-11nmf 15-11PSpice 15-13.sat 3-17.sm2 3-17, 3-21.sm3 3-17.sNp 15-11.sp 15-13.spc 15-13Touchstone 15-11

filesauto-save 3-10HFSS 3-2importing 3-21

fillet commandrounding edges 5-60

filtering materials 8-19finite array patterns 16-41finite conductivity boundaries

and frequency dependence 16-82assigning 6-13conditions applied at 16-75guidelines for assigning 16-75

finite element mesh, overview 16-2finite element method, overview 16-2fitting all objects in view 10-7fitting selections in view 10-7fixed variables

setting values during analyses 14-43free space lambda refinement 12-12free space termination, and PMLs 16-72free space wave number 16-25Freq variable 16-82frequency 16-10

and propagating modes 16-12frequency animations 15-26frequency depedent data points

adding for materials 8-11frequency points

choosing for full-wave SPICE 12-28deleting from solution 12-27inserting in solution 12-28

frequency sweeprange for full-wave SPICE 12-28

frequency sweepsadding to designs 12-19and adaptive analysis 12-19and bypassing adaptive analysis 12-2, 12-8and lumped RLC boundaries 16-80error tolerance 12-22Fast sweep overview 16-20, 16-21Interpolating sweep overview 16-22linear step frequencies 12-24maximum number of solutions 12-22minimum number of solutions 12-21overview 16-19selecting type 12-20setting points to solve 12-24setting single frequencies 12-26settings for 12-19

frequency-dependent materialsand lossy dielectrics 16-108, 16-109defining 8-9defining properties for lossy dielectrics 8-10

FSS surfacesassigning reference surface for radiation bound-

aries 6-6, 6-9, 6-10full-wave SPICE

choosing frequencies 12-28guidelines for calculating maximum frequency

12-29guidelines for calculating step size 12-29

functionsdefining 3-55for traces 15-58reserved names in HFSS 3-55selecting for a quantity 15-63valid operators 3-50

Ggain, peak 16-50gain, peak realized 16-51Generate History command 5-61geometry animations 15-27Getting Started guides 1-31

Index-9

global coordinate systemabout 5-86

global materialsAnsoft 8-20user-defined 8-20

glossaryof terms 17-1

goalsetting a complex value 14-15setting a real value 14-15setting a single value 14-15setting as variable dependent 14-16setting for cost function 14-15setting weight of 14-13using an expression for 14-15

goal weightoverview 16-124setting 14-13

gotolink face selection toolbar 5-67, 5-68gradient background colors 10-17grid settings

choosing 10-19density 10-19dots or lines 10-19grid plane 10-20spacing 10-19style 10-19type 10-19visibility 10-20

ground planeslossy 16-82

group delayplotting 15-68

guide 1-32

Hhelices, drawing 5-15helix

drawing segmented polygon with UDP 5-16drawing segmented rectangular with UDP 5-17

helpabout conventions used 2-3on context 2-1

on dialog boxes 2-1on menu commands 2-1

HFSScommand-line options 1-28getting started 1-1introduction 1-1setting options 3-34

HFSS Options dialogsolving inside threshold 8-3

hidingboundaries 6-30color key 15-86excitations 6-30field overlay plots 15-92objects 10-8selections 10-8

historyviewing outline of merged objects 3-44

History operationssetting visualization 3-44

history treecontrolling view of objects 1-25operations affecting CSs 5-90operations affecting face CS 5-89operations affecting relative CS 5-86Unclassified folder 1-24

holesmoving 5-52resizing 5-52

horizontal cross-sections 15-73HSpice files

exporting to 15-13

Ii_<object name> boundary type 16-83impedance

and frequency 16-12and symmetry 16-77changing 15-51characteristic 16-31method of calculating 16-31renormalizing S-matrices 7-44renormalizing S-parameters 16-30

Index-10

impedance boundariesand frequency dependence 16-82assigning 6-5conditions applied at 16-70overview 16-70

impedance boundaryunits 16-71

impedance linesSee integration lines 7-16

impedance matrixfor differential pairs 16-93method of calculation 16-34plotting parameters 15-68

impedance multiplierand symmetry planes 16-77setting 7-43theory behind 16-33

imperfect conductors, modeling 6-13importing

data tables 3-29files 3-21solution data 3-28

incident power 16-53incident waves

assigning 7-20scaling the magnitude 15-23scaling the phase 15-23

inductorsmodeling lumped 6-18

infinite arrays 16-41defining custom 15-124defining regular 15-123

infinite sphere, defining 15-121infinity visualization 15-37initial displacement, setting 14-28initial mesh

source from current or other design 12-11initial mesh, reverting to 11-8in-plane movement mode 5-77input signal, for time domain reports 15-50input time signal duration 12-28inserting

line segments 5-6inserting designs 4-2

integration linesand multiple modes 7-16defining 7-16deleting 7-17duplicating 7-17guidelines for defining 7-16modifying 7-17reversing direction of 7-17swapping endpoints 7-17

Interpolating sweep 16-22Interpolating sweeps

modifying matrix data 15-9interpolating sweeps

error tolerance 12-22intersecting faces 5-56intersecting objects 5-55intrinsic functions 3-51introduction to HFSS 1-1invalid excitations 7-40isosurface display 15-89Iterative matrix solver 16-17

JJEDEC 4-point bondwires 16-61JEDEC 5-point bondwires 16-61joining objects 5-53

LL1

Cost Function Norm Type 14-11L2 Cost Function Norm Type 14-11lambda 16-35lambda refinement

setting 12-12lande G factor 16-103layered impedance boundaries

and frequency dependence 16-82assigning 6-21external vs. internal 16-80impedance calculation 16-80impedance calculation formula 16-81surface roughness calculation 16-82

Index-11

legacy HFSS projectsopening 3-4translation overview 3-4

legends in reporrts 15-38length of transmission line

adding to ports 7-45subtracting from ports 7-45

length-based refinementinside objects 11-3on faces 11-2

librariesediting methods for user and system 8-20

licensingdistributed analysis 13-47

lighting 10-15line segments

inserting 5-6linear constraints

deleting 14-45modifying 14-44overview 16-123setting 14-44

linear count sweep definitions 14-4linear materials

adding to libraries 8-5properties of 8-5

linear polarization 16-46linear step frequencies 12-24linear step sweep definitions 14-4lines

between grid points 10-19converting to arcs 5-59converting to splines 5-59covering 5-50drawing center-point arc segments 5-4drawing straight segments 5-2drawing three-point arc segments 5-3field plots on 15-91integration 7-16value vs. distance plots 15-62

linking from simulations 7-20Linux

system requirements 1-5local SAR

calculation of 16-28local variables

adding 3-48units in definition 3-48

log of solution tasks 15-7lossy ground planes 16-82low-order solution basis 12-16Ludwig-3 16-48Lumped Port wizard 7-10lumped ports

for modal solutions 7-10for terminal solutions 7-11guidelines for assigning 16-91overview 16-91

lumped RLC boundariesand frequency dependence 16-82and frequency sweeps 16-80assigning 6-18conditions applied at 16-80overview 16-80

lumps, multiple 5-58

MM3DFS

as source of field information 7-35MAFET Consortium 15-11mag margin 16-15magnetic bias

non-uniform 16-96uniform 16-95

magnetic bias sourcesassigning to ferrites 7-35

magnetic loss tangent 16-102defining anisotropy tensors 8-8

magnetic saturation 16-102magnifying objects 10-4magnitude

setting maximum change for matrix entries 12-15magnitude margin 15-5Map Infinity Mode 15-37markers

adding to plot traces 15-56delta between markers 15-50

Index-12

markers, point plot 15-91master boundaries

assigning 6-15guidelines for assigning 16-77

master outputoverview 16-130

matching boundariesassigning 6-15defining coordinate systems 16-78guidelines for assigning 16-77

material browseraccessing 8-1

material characteristicsmagnetic loss tangent 16-102permeability 16-100

material propertiesanisotropic 8-5changing units of 8-5conductivity 16-101defining frequency dependent 8-9defining variables for 8-9delta H 16-103dielectric loss tangent 16-101lande G 16-103magnetic loss tangent 16-102magnetic saturation 16-102permeability 16-100permittivity 16-100simple 8-5types of 8-5using expressions for 8-12using functions for 8-12using variables for 8-9

materialsabout ferrites 16-102adding to library 8-5assigning to objects 8-1copying, cloning 8-15deleting 8-16exporting to libraries 8-17filtering 8-19global 8-20modifying 8-13removing from libraries 8-16

search by name 8-4search by property 8-4solving inside an object 8-3solving on object surface 8-3sorting 8-18user-defined database 8-20validating 8-14viewing 8-13

mathematical functionsSee functions 3-55

matrices, admittancecomputing from S-parameters 16-35method of calculation 16-35

matrices, impedancemethod of calculation 16-34relationship to S-parameters 16-30

matrix convergence, setting 12-14matrix data

display format 15-10exporting 15-11for design variations 15-18modifying frequencies 15-8renaming 15-12viewing 15-8

matrix entriesselecting convergence criteria 12-14

max delta (Mag S) 15-5max delta (phase S) 15-6max U 16-50maximum delta Energy

setting 12-9viewing results 15-4

maximum delta frequency 15-6maximum delta S

setting 12-9viewing results 15-3, 15-4

maximum far-field datacomputing 15-124overview 16-40

maximum near-field datacomputing 15-120overview 16-39

maximum number of iterationssetting for a sensitivity analysis 14-24

Index-13

setting for an optimization 14-12setting for statistical analysis 14-29

maximum number of passes, setting 12-8maximum number of solutions 12-22maximum refinement

solution setup options 12-14Maximum refinement per pass

setting maximum 12-13maximum step size

how used by Optimetrics 16-125setting for optimization analysis 14-18

maximum variableOptimetrics calculation of 14-17, 14-27

maximum variable valuechanging for all setups 14-32overriding for a sensitivity setup 14-27overriding for all optimization setups 14-17overriding for all sensitivity setups 14-27overriding for an optimization setup 14-17

Maxwell Spice filesexporting to 15-13

Measure Modedistance between two points 5-84

Measure modeposition 5-84

memorysetting hard limit 12-35setting soft limit 12-34used during solution 15-7

menu baroverview 1-6

menusshortcut menus 1-10

Merged objectsviewing outlines 3-44

Meshstatistics 15-15

meshcolor in plots 15-128for discrete frequency sweep 16-21for fast frequency sweep 16-20matching on master/slave boundaries 16-78plotting 15-128purpose of 16-2

size vs. accuracy 16-3mesh generation

and surface approximation settings 16-7Copy geometric equivalent meshes options 14-39copy geometrically equivalent meshes 14-39process 16-4reverting to initial mesh 11-8

Mesh operationsmodel resolution 11-7

mesh operationsapplying without solving 11-9defining 11-1modifying surface approximation 11-6surface approximation overview 16-7

mesh plotscolor of mesh 15-128creating 15-128setting attributes 15-128tetrahedra scale factor 15-128transparency 15-128

mesh refinementbased on material-dependent wavelength 12-12defining mesh operations 11-1maximum refinement per pass 12-13on ports 16-11setting lambda refinement 12-12without solving 11-9

meshingdetecting and addressing problems 16-63

meshing region 16-8Message window

about 1-21displaying 1-21

Min and Max focusSNLP optimizer 14-18

minimum frequencyfailure to solve 12-29

minimum frequency, setting 12-6minimum number of converged passes, setting 12-14minimum number of passes, setting 12-14minimum number of solutions 12-21minimum rise time 12-28minimum step size

how used by Optimetrics 16-125

Index-14

setting for optimization analysis 14-18minimum variable value

changing for all setups 14-32Optimetrics calculation of 14-17, 14-27overriding for a sensitivity setup 14-27overriding for all optimization setups 14-17overriding for all sensitivity setups 14-27overriding for an optimization setup 14-17

mirroring objects 5-42modal solutions

assigning lumped ports 7-10assigning wave ports 7-3selecting 4-3

modal S-parameter reports 15-39model analysis

3D modeler menu command 5-25model resoliution

mesh operations 11-7modes 16-11

and lumped ports 7-10conversion to nodes/terminals 16-56field pattern conversion 16-12multiple at wave ports 7-3multiple modes and integration lines 7-16relationship to voltages or currents 16-57simultaneously propagating 16-56

modes, multiplefor multi-conductor ports 16-12See multiple modes 16-77simultaneously propagating 16-56

modifying in Properties window 1-20modifying objects 5-37monitoring solutions 13-50movement mode

3D 5-78along x-axis 5-79along y-axis 5-80along z-axis 5-80choosing 5-77in plane 5-77out of plane 5-77

moving facesa specified distance 5-52along a vector 5-52

along the normal 5-52moving holes 5-52moving objects 5-41moving the cursor

along x-axis 5-79along y-axis 5-80along z-axis 5-80in 3D space 5-78in plane 5-77out of plane 5-77selecting movement modes 5-77

multiple modesand lumped ports 7-10, 16-91and symmetry planes 16-77at wave ports 7-3

Nnamed expressions

plotting 15-82near field

plotting on spherical cross-sections 16-38near fields

and radiation boundaries 15-119calculation of 16-37computing max parameters 15-120line setup 15-120plotting quantities 15-74reports 15-39sphere setup 15-118

new projects, creating 3-3Next Behind command 5-73nodes

conversion from modes 16-56noise, cost function 16-123nominal design 14-1non-adaptive solution

single frequency 16-18non-model objects 5-22non-uniform magnetic bias 16-96normalized distance

overview 15-62notes

saving with project 3-33

Index-15

number of passessetting maximum 12-8setting minimum 12-14setting minimum converged 12-14

number of processors, setting 12-33number of time points 12-28

Oobject history

viewing outline of merged objects 3-44object orientation

changing 5-42objects

associating with faces 5-89bondwires 5-21boxes 5-12center-point arcs 5-4circles 5-7cones 5-13converting polyline segments 5-59creating from faces 5-56creating from intersections 5-55creating object lists 5-65cylinders 5-11deleting parts on a plane 5-57drawing relative to 5-87duplicates and parents 5-43ellipses 5-8equation based curve 5-7for post processing 5-22helices 5-15modifying 5-37non model 5-22planes 5-22points 5-21polylines 5-5rectangles 5-9regular polygons 5-10regular polyhedrons 5-13separating 5-58spheres 5-11spirals 5-18, 5-20splines 5-4

straight lines 5-2three-point arcs 5-3toruses 5-14types of 5-2ways to select 5-63

octave count sweep definitions 14-4offsetting objects 5-43ohms per square 16-71old HFSS projects, opening 3-4open objects 5-2opening

existing projects 3-4field overlay plots 15-93legacy HFSS projects 3-4recent projects 3-4

operating systemsHP-UX 1-5Sun Solaris 1-4Windows 1-2

OptimetricsCopy geometric equivalent meshes 14-39overview 14-1tuning a variable 14-34types of analyses 14-1viewing analysis results 15-18viewing solution data 15-18

Optimizationnorms, L1, L2, and Max 16-126

optimization analysischoosing variables to optimize 3-56optional settings 14-11overview 16-120plotting cost vs. iteration results 15-20setting up 14-11viewing cost vs. iteration results 15-20

optimization setupsadding 14-11adding a cost function 14-13procedure for defining 14-11setting a goal 14-13setting the max. iterations 14-12solving 13-1

optimizerschoosing between 16-120

Index-16

Pattern Search 16-120Quasi Newton 16-120

optionssetting in HFSS 3-34

orientationchanging for objects 5-42creating new view directions 10-13deleting view directions 10-14setting in view window 10-13

orthographic view 10-16outer boundary type 16-83out-of-plane movement mode 5-77output parameter

adding to sensitivity setup 14-25plotting results 15-21setting calculation range 14-26specifying solution quantity for 14-25viewing results in table format 15-20

output variableviewing convergence 15-4

output variable convergenceSetup Context for field quantities 12-11

output variablesdeleting 15-80specifying 15-78

Ppanning the view 10-3parameterizing

See variables 3-47parameters

assigning variables to 3-56parametric analysis

overview 16-119setting up 14-3solution quantity results 15-19

parametric setupadding 14-3overview 14-3

parametric setupsadding sweep definitions 14-3adding to a design 14-3plotting solution quantity results 15-19

setting the calculation range 14-8solution quantity results 15-19solving 13-1solving before optimization 14-19solving before sensitivity analysis 14-28solving during optimization 14-20solving during sensitivity analyses 14-28, 14-33specifying a solution setup 14-6specifying solution quantities for 14-6using results for optimization 14-19using results for sensitivity analysis 14-28

parametric sweepdistributed analysis 14-9

parent objectsand duplicates 5-43

pasting objects 5-39Pattern Search optimizer 16-120pausing a script 17-2peak directivity 16-50peak gain 16-50peak phasors

and gap sources 16-28and incident waves 16-28calculating 16-27

peak realized gain 16-51perfect conductors, modeling 6-3perfect E boundaries

and symmetry planes 16-76assigning 6-3impedance multiplier for 16-33overview 16-70

perfect H boundariesand symmetry planes 16-76assigning 6-4impedance multiplier for 16-33

perfectly matched layers, See PML boundaries 6-8permeability 16-100

anisotropic 16-104permittivity 16-100

anisotropic 16-104perspective view 10-16phase

modifying for field overlays 15-81setting for excitations 15-23

Index-17

setting maximum change for matrix entries 12-15phase angle

in the calculator 15-105phase animations 15-26phase constant 16-35phase delay

defining for matching boundaries 6-16phase difference

defining for matching boundaries 6-16phase margin 15-5, 16-15phasors

peak 16-27RMS 16-27

piecewise linear functionsdataset expressions in 3-53for material properties 8-9using in expressions 3-53

planescreated with coordinate system 5-89default 5-22drawing 5-22setting the grid plane 10-20

planes of periodicity, modeling 16-77planes of symmetry, modeling 6-14play panel 15-28plots

adding markers 15-56convergence data 15-7deleting field overlays 15-93distribution results for statistical analyses 15-22hiding 15-92mesh 15-128modifying field overlays 15-84modifying field quantities 15-83named expressions 15-82on spherical cross-sections 16-38opening field overlays 15-93parametric solution quantity results 15-19saving field overlays 15-93

plottingbasic quantities 15-81characteristic port impedances 15-68derived quantities 15-82group delay 15-68

on spherical cross-sections 16-38TDR impedance 15-68VSWR 15-68

PML boundariesapplications for 16-72assigning 6-8creating automatically 6-8creating manually 6-10guidelines for assigning 6-11material tensors at 16-73modifying 6-12recalculating materials 6-12specifying boundaries at 16-75

point of reference 5-77point plots

markers 15-91points

measuring distance between 5-84points, drawing 5-21polar

coordinates on grid 10-19setting as grid type 10-19

polar plotscreating 2D 15-43creating 3D 15-45creating radiation patterns 15-48creating Smith charts 15-46information displayed 15-45

polarization 16-46circular 16-48linear 16-46Ludwig-3 16-48spherical 16-47

polarization ratio 16-49polarizing E-fields 16-84polygons, drawing 5-10polyhedrons, drawing 5-13polylines

center-point arcs 5-4connecting between planes 5-51connecting with sheet objects 5-51converting segments 5-59converting to sheet objects 5-50covering 5-50

Index-18

defining sweep paths 5-48drawing 5-5plotting value vs. distance 15-62setting up near-field 15-120spline segments 5-4straight line segments 5-2three-point arcs 5-3

port adapt optionssolution setup 12-18

port field accuracyoverview 16-13

port impedance, plotting in time domain 15-50port solutions

overview 16-10setting only 12-5

portsand anisotropic materials 16-107and mesh refinement 16-11assigning lumped ports 7-10assigning wave ports 7-3internal to model 16-91multiple 16-12scaling the magnitude 15-23setting the phase 15-23use absorbing boundary 12-18

ports only solutionssetting 12-5

positionmeasuring 5-84

post processingoverview of options 15-1viewing convergence data 15-2viewing matrix data 15-8viewing profile data 15-7

post processing objectspoints 5-21

poweraccepted 16-52incident 16-53radiated 16-51

power flowand perfect E symmetry planes 16-33and perfect H symmetry planes 16-33

Poynting vector

for peak phasors 16-28for RMS phasors 16-28

primary sweepmodifying the variable 15-61specifying for 2D rectangular plots 15-41specifying for 3D polar plots 15-46specifying for 3D rectangular plot 15-42specifying for data tables 15-48specifying for radiation patterns 15-49

printingfrom HFSS 3-32

priority of boundaries, changing 6-27priority, changing simulation 13-52problem region 16-8profile information

for design variations 15-18for Optimetrics solutions 15-18viewing 15-7

Progress windowmonitoring solutions 13-50

Project Manager windowoverview 1-15showing 1-15

project treeauto expanding 1-16field overlays 15-81field plot folders 15-81showing 1-15

project variablesadding 3-47and material properties 8-9deleting 3-48naming conventions 3-47units in definition 3-47

projection view 10-16projects

creating new 3-3default names 3-1deleting 3-12managing 3-1opening existing 3-4opening legacy HFSS 3-4opening recent 3-4renaming 3-9

Index-19

saving 3-8saving active 3-9saving automatically 3-10saving copies 3-9saving new 3-8saving notes 3-33

propagation constant 16-10and de-embedding 16-35and frequency 16-12plotting 15-68viewing 16-35

propagation of higher order modes 16-12properties

report backgrounds 15-36Properties window

modifying command properties 1-20set to open after drawing objects 1-19

PSpice filesexporting to 15-13

Purge History command3D Modeler 5-60

QQ factor 16-25

viewing results 15-15quality factor 16-25quantities

plotting far field 15-70plotting field 15-69plotting near field 15-74plotting S-parameter 15-67

Quasi Newton optimizer 16-120queued simulations

removing 13-51viewing 13-51

Rradiated fields

calculation of 16-37post-processing capabilities 15-118

radiated power 16-51radiation boundaries

and far fields 15-120and near fields 15-119assigning 6-6conditions applied at 16-72FSS surfaces 6-6, 6-9, 6-10guidelines for assigning 16-72overview 16-72

radiation efficiency 16-53radiation intensity, maximum 16-50radiation patterns, creating 15-48radius, on polar grid 10-19RAM

available to HFSS 12-34used during solution 15-7

RAM requirementsHP-UX 1-5Sun Solaris 1-4Windows 1-2

real frequency only convergence 12-10reassigning boundaries 6-26reassigning excitations 7-40recording a script 17-1rectangles, drawing 5-9rectangular plots

creating 2D 15-40creating 3D 15-42of parametric solution quantity results 15-19

reference pointmoving relative to 5-77selecting 5-77

reflectionof higher order modes 16-12

reflection-free termination, and PMLs 16-72registers 15-97regular arrays

calculation of 16-43scan specification 16-43setting up 15-123

regular polygons, drawing 5-10regular polyhedrons, drawing 5-13relative coordinate system

about 5-86creating 5-87operations affecting 5-86

Index-20

relative coordinates, entering 5-75relative permeability 16-100

defining anisotropy tensors 8-6relative permittivity 16-100

defining anisotropy tensors 8-7viewing 16-35

remote analysis 13-5renaming

matrix data 15-12renaming projects 3-9rendering objects

as shaded solids 10-11as wireframes 10-11setting default for 10-11

renormalizing S-matrices 7-44report properties

discard below value 15-58Report setup options 3-46report types, selecting 15-39Reports

background properties 15-36reports

adding traces 15-52creating 15-31creating 2D polar plots 15-43creating 2D rectangular plots 15-40creating 3D polar plots 15-45creating 3D rectangular plots 15-42creating data tables 15-47creating radiation patterns 15-48creating Smith charts 15-46display types 15-40finding delta between markers 15-50modifying data in 15-35overview 15-31plotting far-field quantities 15-70plotting field quantities 15-69plotting near-field quantities 15-74selecting a function 15-63specifying time or frequency domain 15-34, 15-

41, 15-43, 15-48sweeping variables 15-61types of 15-39value vs. distance 15-62

reprioritizingboundaries 6-27

Reset command, in Tuning dialog box 14-35resistive surfaces

modeling 6-5modeling layered structures 6-21

resistorsmodeling lumped 6-18

resizing holes 5-52resizing objects 5-46re-solving a problem 13-54resonant frequency 16-24resuming a script 17-2rise time

for time domain reports 15-50rise time, minimum 12-28RMS

and radiated power 16-28RMS phasors

calculating 16-27rotating

and sweeping objects 5-48objects 5-42the view 10-2

roughness, surface 16-82rounded corners

removing 5-52running a script 17-2

SSAR

calculating 16-28modifying settings 15-83

savingfield overlay plots 15-93tuned states 14-35

saving fieldsat all frequency points 12-25at specific frequency points 12-26for a parametric setup 14-36for a sensitivity setup 14-37for a statistical setup 14-36, 14-38for a tuning analysis 14-36, 14-37

Index-21

for all Optimetrics setups 14-36saving projects 3-8

active projects 3-9automatically 3-10new projects 3-8saving copies 3-9

scalar field plotscloud plots 15-89creating 15-82isosurface display 15-89transparency 15-90

scalar operations 15-105scale

modifying for field overlays 15-87scaling

magnitude of excitations 15-23objects 5-46

scan anglesdefining for slave boundaries 6-16

scriptspausing 17-2recording 17-1resuming 17-2running 17-2stop recording 17-1stopping execution of 17-3

secondary sweepmodifying the variable 15-61specifying for 3D polar plots 15-46

seeding the mesh 16-5segmented polygon helix

drawing with UDP 5-16segmented rectangular helix

drawing with UDP 5-17Select All command 5-64Select All Visible command 5-64selecting

all object faces 5-67all visible objects

selectingall objects in design 5-64

clearing a selection 5-73edges 5-70face behind 5-73

faces 5-66faces by name 5-68multiple objects 5-64object behind 5-73objects 5-63objects by name 5-64vertices 5-71

sensitivity analysischoosing variables to include 3-57optional settings 14-24overview 16-130setting up 14-24

sensitivity setupsadding 14-24adding an output parameter 14-25procedure for defining 14-24setting initial displacement 14-28setting the max. iterations 14-24

separating bodies 5-58setting object color 5-38setting object transparency 5-39setting outline color 5-38setting up designs 4-1setting up projects 4-1Setup Context dialog

output variable convergence 12-11setup link dialog 7-37setups, dependent solution 12-2setups, solution 12-1sheet objects 5-2sheets

thicken to make 3D objects 5-49shortcut keys

CTRL+A 5-64shortcut menus

overview 1-10Show Queued Simulations command

using 13-51showing

selections 10-9some objects 10-9

shrinking objects 10-4signal rise time 12-28signals

Index-22

minimum rise time 12-28simulations

changing priority of 13-52monitoring 13-50re-solving 13-54running Optimetrics 13-1starting 13-1stopping 13-53

single frequency points 12-26single frequency solution 16-18

method for computing 16-18single frequency solutions

specifying 12-2, 12-8skin depth-based refinement

creation of layers 16-6on faces 11-4

slave boundariesand frequency dependence 16-82assigning 6-16guidelines for assigning 16-77

S-matricesde-embedding 7-45renormalizing 7-44

S-matrixfor differential signals 16-94

smetal boundary type 16-83Smith charts, creating 15-46snap settings

choosing 5-81guidelines for 5-82modes 5-81setting default 5-81

SNLP optimizersetting Min and Max focus 14-18

solid objects 5-2solution data

deleting 15-15for design variations 15-18importing 3-28viewing 15-2viewing convergence data 15-2viewing eigenmode 15-15

solution frequencyand Fast sweeps 12-4

setting 12-4solution process

overview 16-4tetrahedra used during 15-7viewing memory used during 15-7viewing profile data 15-7viewing tasks performed 15-7

solution quantitycalculation range for optimization 14-14calculation range for parametric setups 14-8calculation range for sensitivity 14-26calculation range for statistical 14-30plotting parametric setup results 15-19specifying for cost function 14-14specifying for output parameter 14-25specifying for parametric setups 14-6specifying for statistical setups 14-30

solution settingsadding frequency sweeps 12-19available memory 12-34convergence on real frequency 12-10lambda refinement 12-12matrix convergence 12-14maximum delta Energy per pass 12-9maximum delta S per pass 12-9maximum number of passes 12-8maximum refinement per pass 12-13memory limit 12-35minimum frequency 12-6minimum number of converged passes 12-14minimum number of passes 12-14number of eigenmodes 12-7number of processors 12-33setting up adaptive analyses 12-8solution frequency 12-4solving ports only 12-5

solution settings, specifying 12-1solution settings, specifying dependent 12-2solution setup

data types for convergence 12-21port adapt options 12-18

solution setupsadding 12-1adding dependent 12-2

Index-23

choosing for a parametric analysis 14-6solution type

overview 16-23setting 4-3

solutionsafter modifying the model 13-54at single frequency 16-18changing priority of 13-52monitoring 13-50re-solving 13-54starting 13-1stopping 13-53

Solutions windowdisplaying 13-50

solving 13-1batch solution 1-28inside an object 8-3on surface 8-3parametric setup before optimization 14-19parametric setup before sensitivity analysis 14-28parametric setup during optimization 14-20parametric setup during sensitivity analysis 14-

28, 14-33solving remotely 13-5sorting materials 8-18spacing between grid points 10-19S-parameters

and reflected modes 16-12de-embedding 16-30, 16-35plotting quantities 15-67renormalized 16-30

specific absorption ratesee SAR 15-83

spheresdrawing 5-11plotting value vs. distance 15-62setting up infinite 15-121setting up near-field 15-118

spherical coordinates, entering 5-74spherical cross-sections 16-38spherical polar 16-47spinning the view 10-2spirals

drawing 5-18, 5-20

splinesconverting to straight lines 5-59drawing 5-4

splitting objects on a plane 5-57square (unit of) 16-71stack 15-97stack commands

clear 15-98exch 15-98loading into 15-99performing operations on 15-103pop 15-98push 15-98rldn 15-98rlup 15-98undo 15-99

starting frequency 12-24starting variable value

overriding for optimizations 14-16overriding for sensitivity 14-26overriding for statistical 14-32

statistical analysischoosing variables to include 3-58plotting distribution results 15-22setting up 14-29viewing distribution results 15-21

statistical setupsadding 14-29procedure for defining 14-29setting the max. iterations 14-29specifying solution quantities for 14-30

status baroverview 1-15

step sizedetermined by Optimetrics 16-125overview 16-125setting constraints for optimization 14-18setting for sweep definitions 14-4

step size between frequencies 12-24stopping a script 17-3stopping an analysis 13-53stopping criteria

matrix convergence 12-14maximum delta Energy 12-9

Index-24

maximum delta S 12-9maximum number of passes 12-8minimum number of converged passes 12-14minimum number of passes 12-14

stopping criteria for optimizationacceptable cost 16-123maximum number of iterations 14-12minimum step size 16-125

stopping criteria for sensitivity analysismax. iterations 14-24

stopping frequency 12-24stopping script recording 17-1subtracting objects 5-54surface approximation

guidelines for setting 16-8modifying settings 11-6overview 16-7

surface roughness 16-82surface visualization

setting 10-12surfaces

covering 5-50creating face lists 5-69detaching 5-50uncovering 5-50

sweep definitionsSee variable sweep definitions 14-3

sweep variables in reportsmodifying values 15-61normalized distance 15-62normalized line 15-62spherical coordinates 15-62

sweepingfaces along normal 5-49

sweeping objectsalong a path 5-48along a vector 5-47and draft angles 5-47and twisting 5-48around an axis 5-47draft types 5-47overview 5-46

symmetry boundariesand multiple modes 16-77

and polarizing E-fields 16-85assigning 6-14guidelines for assigning 16-76overview 16-76

symmetry planesand impedance 16-77and multiple modes 16-77guidelines for modeling 16-76Perfect E vs. Perfect H 16-76

symmetry planes, modeling 6-14Sync # column 14-5synchronizing sweep definitions 14-5system material libraries 8-20system requirements

HP-UX 1-5Sun Solaris 1-4Windows 1-2

TTDR Impedance

changing default value 15-51TDR impedance

plotting 15-68TDR impedance, plotting 15-50TDR Options dialog box 15-50tensor coordinate system 16-95terminal

conversion from modes 16-56terminal lines

and differential pairs 7-18terminal solutions

assigning lumped ports 7-11assigning wave ports 7-5setting 4-3

terminal S-parameter reports 15-39terminals

scaling the magnitude 15-23setting a complex impedance 15-23

tetrahedracolor in plots 15-128display options 15-128field quantities within 16-2scale factor in plot 15-128

Index-25

setting number added each pass 12-13used during solution 15-7

theta, on polar grid 10-19thicken sheets 5-49three-point arcs 5-3time

real vs. CPU 15-7viewing for solution tasks 15-7

time domainspecifying for report 15-50

time steps per rise time 12-28T-junction Getting Started guide 1-31toolbars

overview 1-8toruses, drawing 5-14Traces

display properties 15-55traces

adding characteristics 15-58adding to reports 15-52categories 15-67copy and paste definitions 15-60removing 15-59

Traces dialog box 15-31trademark notices 1-33translating legacy projects 3-4transparency

assigning to objects 5-38default for objects 5-39in scalar field plots 15-90of mesh plots 15-128

traveling wavesat ports 16-10

tuningchoosing variables to tune 3-57overview 16-131

tuning analysisresetting variable values after 14-35reverting to a state 14-35saving a state 14-35setting up 14-34

twisting objectswhile sweeping 5-48

UUDPPrimitiveTypeInfo

data structure 5-36Unclassified folder

history tree 1-24uncovering faces 5-50uniform magnetic bias 16-95uniting objects 5-53units

as part of variable definitions 3-47of impedance boundaries 16-71setting for design 4-4

User Defined Primitives 5-20, 5-35user interface

overview 1-6user material libraries 8-20

Vvalidating materials 8-14validation check 3-15Value command

fields calculator 15-112value vs. distance plots 15-62variable

for output convergence 12-10variable sweep definitions

adding to parametric setups 14-3manually modifying 14-5overview 14-3setting values to solve 14-4synchronizing 14-5tracking changes to 14-5viewing all design variations 14-3

variable-dependent goal 14-16variables

adding local variables 3-48adding project variables 3-47and object parameters 5-2assigning to material properties 8-9assigning to parameters 3-56choosing to optimize 3-56choosing to tune 3-57

Index-26

dataset expressions in 3-53defining sweep definitions 14-3deleting from design 3-49deleting from project 3-48excluding from Optimetrics analyses 14-42including in functions 3-55including in sensitivity analysis 3-57including in statistical analysis 3-58material properties 8-9min. and max values for optimization 14-17min. and max values for sensitivity analysis 14-27output 15-78overriding default value for a parametric setup 14-

6overview 3-47predefined in HFSS 3-55setting default value 3-48setting distribution criteria 14-31setting fixed values 14-43setting range of values 14-27setting range of values for optimization 14-17tuning 14-34types in HFSS 3-47updating to optimized values 14-20

.vbs file format 17-1VBScript

.vbs file format 17-1vector field plots

creating 15-83modifying arrows 15-88

vector operations 15-109vertex, selecting 5-71vertical cross-sections 15-73vertices, selecting 5-71video drivers

recommended 1-2view direction 10-13view options

background color 10-17fit all in view 10-7lighting 10-15modifying 10-1orientation 10-13pan 10-3

projection 10-16rotate 10-2spin 10-2view direction 10-13zoom 10-4zoom on rectangle 10-4

visibilityhiding objects 10-8of color key 15-86of field overlay plots 15-92of mesh on field plots 15-89showing objects 10-9

visualization optionsfor boundaries 6-30for excitations 6-30

Visualize hiistory of objectsSetting option for 3-44

voltage differentialsand perfect E symmetry planes 16-33and perfect H symmetry planes 16-33

voltage sourcesassigning 7-33editing 7-33setting the phase 15-23

voltage standing wave ratioplotting 15-68

voltage transformplotting’plotting

voltage transform 15-68

WWave Port wizard 7-3wave ports

for modal solutions 7-3for terminal solutions 7-5overview 16-84specifying multiple modes 7-3

weight of goalsSee goal weight 16-124

W-element dataexporting 15-14

wireframe objects 10-11working coordinate system

Index-27

about 5-86selecting 5-86

Write commandfields calculator 15-113

YY-parameters, plotting 15-68

Zzero order basis functions 16-2Zo

changing default impedance 15-51Zoom

to selected boundary 6-2to selected excitation 7-2

zoomingin and out 10-4on rectangular area 10-4

Z-parameters, plotting 15-68Zpi

definition of 16-32Zpv

definition of 16-32Zvi

definition of 16-32

Index-28