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HFSS Training
HFSS Training
(technical part)
Ben-Gurion University.
Course Antennas and Radiation.
Maksim Berezin
B
t
D
H = J +
t
D=
E=
B=0
Boundary Conditions define the field behavior across discontinuous boundaries
Why do I Care?
They Force the fields to align with the definition of the boundary condition
As a user I should be asking
What assumptions, about the fields, do the boundary conditions make?
Are these assumptions appropriate for the structure being simulated?
Model Scope
To reduce the infinite space of the real world to a finite volume, Ansoft HFSS automatically
applies a boundary to the surface surrounding the geometric model
Outer boundary
Default Boundary: Perfect E
Model Complexity
To reduce the complexity of a model, the boundary conditions can be used to improve the:
Solution Time
Computer Resources
Surface Approximations
Perfect E or Perfect H Surface
Finite Conductivity Surface
Impedance Surface
Symmetry Planes
Radiation Surface
Material Properties
Boundary between two dielectrics
Finite Conductivity of a conductor
Surface Approximations
Perfect E Forces the electric field perpendicular to the surface
Outer Surface Default Boundary
PEC/Perfect Conductor Material Property
Model complexity: Reduced by eliminating conductor loss
Perfect H Forces the electric field tangent to the surface
Perfect E Surface
Perfect H Surface
Full Model
Excitations
Ports are a unique type of boundary condition
Allow energy to flow into and out of a structure.
Defined on 2D planar surface
Arbitrary port solver calculates the natural field patterns or modes
Assumes semi-infinitely long waveguide
Same cross-section and material properties as port surface
2D field patterns serve as boundary conditions for the full 3D problem
Excitation Types
Wave Port (Waveguide) External
Recommended only for surfaces exposed to the background
Supports multiple modes (Example: Coupled Lines) and deembedding
Compute Generalized S-Parameters
Port 4
Frequency
dependent
Characteristic
Impedance
(Zo)
Measurements
Constant Zo
Perfectly matched at every frequency
Lumped Port Internal
Recommended only for surfaces internal to geometric model
Single mode (TEM) and no deembedding
Normalized to a constant user defined Zo
Port 1
Port 3
Port 2
Excitations (Continued)
Wave Equation
The field pattern of a traveling wave inside a waveguide can be determined by solving
Maxwells equations. The following equation that is solved by the 2D solver is derived directly
from Maxwells equation.
E ( x, y ) k02 r E ( x, y ) = 0
r
where:
E(x,y) is a phasor representing an oscillating electric field.
k0 is the free space wave number,
r is the complex relative permeability.
r is the complex relative permittivity.
To solve this equation, the 2D solver obtains an excitation field pattern in the form of a phasor
solution, E(x,y). These phasor solutions are independent of z and t; only after being multiplied
by e-z do they become traveling waves.
Also note that the excitation field pattern computed is valid only at a single frequency. A
different excitation field pattern is computed for each frequency point of interest.
Excitations (Continued)
Modes, Reflections, and Propagation
It 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 a high
frequency structure.
If these higher-order modes are reflected back to the excitation port or transmitted onto
another port, the S-parameters associated with these modes should be calculated.
If the higher-order mode decays before reaching any porteither because of attenuation due
to losses or because it is a non-propagating evanescent modethere is no need to obtain the
S-parameters for that mode.
Wave Ports Require a Length of Uniform Cross Section
Ansoft HFSS assumes that each port you define is connected to a semi-infinitely long
waveguide that has the same cross section as the Wave Port
no uniform cross section
at Wave Ports
Excitations (Continued)
Wave Port Boundary Conditions
Symmetry or Impedance
Recognized at the port edges
Radiation
Default interface is a Perfect E boundary
Excitations (Continued)
Lumped Port Boundary Conditions
Perfect H
All remaining port edges
Perfect E
Perfect H
Perfect H
Perfect E
Excitations (Continued)
Excitation Calibration
Ports must be calibrated to ensure consistent results. Determines:
Direction and polarity of fields
Voltage calculations.
Solution Type: Driven Modal
Expressed in terms of the incident and reflected powers of the waveguide modes.
Definition not desirable for problems having several propagating quasi-TEM modes
Coupled/Multi-Coupled Transmission Lines
Always used by the solver
Calibration: Integration Line
Phase between Ports
Modal voltage integration path: Zpi, Zpv, Zvi
Solution Type: Driven Terminal
Linear combination of nodal voltages and currents for the Wave Port.
Equivalent transformation performed from Modal Solution
Calibration: Terminal Line
Polarity
Nodal voltage integration path
Integration Line
Mode 2
(Odd Mode)
Integration Line
Port1
Modes to Nodes
Transformation
T1
Modal
Port2
2 Modes
2 Modes
T2
SPICE
Differential Pairs
T1
T1
Port1
T2
Terminal
Port2
T2
Example Structure
Coax to Stripline
Material Properties
All 3D (Solid) objects have material definitions
To complete the model shown previously we must include the air
that surrounds the structure.
air
Surface Approximations
Background or Outer Boundary
Not visible in the Project Tree
Any object surface that touches it Perfect E Boundary
Default boundary applied to the region surrounding the geometric model
Model is encased in a thin metal layer that no fields propagate through
outer
Override with
Radiation Boundary
Wave Port
Solution Type: Driven Terminal
SPICE Output
Define Default
Post Processing
Uniform crosscross-section
Rule of Thumb: 5x
Critical Distance