HFSS 3D Layout Low Pass Filter

Getting Started with HFSS 3D Layout: Low
Pass Filter
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Getting Started with HFSS 3D Layout: Low Pass Filter
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Conventions Used in this Guide

Please take a moment to review how instructions and other useful information are presented in this
guide.
l Procedures are presented as numbered lists. A single bullet indicates that the procedure
has only one step.
l Bold type is used for the following:
o Keyboard entries that should be typed in their entirety exactly as shown. For example,
“copy file1” means the word copy must be typed, then a space must be typed, and
then file1 must be typed.
o On-screen prompts and messages, names of options and text boxes, and menu com-
mands. Menu commands are often separated by carats. For example, “click
HFSS>Excitations>Assign>Wave Port.”
o Labeled keys on the computer keyboard. For example, “Press Enter” means to press
the key labeled Enter.
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key at the same time.
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commands are available in the application.
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Each tab has relevant commands that are organized, grouped, and labeled. An example of a
typical user interaction is as follows:
"On the Draw ribbon tab, click the Box primitive" means you can click the Box icon on the
Draw tab and execute the Box command to draw a box.
l The menu bar (located above the ribbon) is a group of the main commands of an application
arranged by category such File, Edit, View, Project, etc. An example of a typical user inter-
action is as follows:
"On the File menu, click the Open Examples command" means you can click the File menu
and then click Open Examples to launch the dialog box.
l Another alternative is to use the short-cut menu that appears when you click the right-mouse
button. An example of a typical user interaction is as follows:
3
“Right-click and select Assign Excitation> Wave Port” means when you click the right-
mouse button with an object face selected, you can execute the excitation commands from
the short-cut menu (and the corresponding sub-menus).
Getting Help: ANSYS Technical Support
For information about ANSYS Technical Support, go to the ANSYS corporate Support website,
https://www.ansys.com/Support. You can also contact your ANSYS account manager in order to
obtain this information.
All ANSYS software files are ASCII text and can be sent conveniently by e-mail. When reporting dif-
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and effective debugging.
Help Menu
To access help from the menu bar, click Help and select from the menu:
l HFSS Contents - click here to open the contents of the help.
l HFSS Search - click here to open the search function of the online help.
Context-Sensitive Help
To access help from the user interface, do one of the following:
l To open a help topic about a specific menu command, press Shift+F1, and then click the
command or toolbar icon.
l To open a help topic about a specific dialog box, open the dialog box, and then press F1.
4
Table of Contents
Table of Contents Contents-1
1 - Introduction 1-1
Sample Project – Low Pass Filter 1-1
HFSS 3D Layout in ANSYS Electronics Desktop 1-1
Set Up an HFSS 3D Layout Design 1-3
2 - Create the Model 2-1
Insert Layers 2-1
Draw the Model 2-6
Assign the Ports 2-11
3 - Set Up Solution and Analyze 3-1
Set Up a Planar EM Analysis 3-1
Set Up Frequency Sweeps 3-3
Explore Disabling Sweeps and Setups 3-6
View the Mesh 3-8
Explore Dynamic Mesh Updates 3-9
Run the Analysis 3-10
4 - Evaluate the Results (Post-Processing) 4-1
View S Matrix Data 4-1
Plot Return Loss 4-3
Plot a Smith Chart 4-4
Revise p2 Excitation and Animate Current Results 4-6
Frequency Animated Far Field Plot 4-13
Contents-1
Contents-2
1 - Introduction
This chapter contains the following topics:
l Sample Project – Low Pass Filter
l HFSS 3D Layout in ANSYS Electronics Desktop
l Set up an HFSS 3D Layout Design
Sample Project – Low Pass Filter

The figure below is a low pass filter that you will create as an HFSS 3D Layout design and analyze
as a planar EM solution. The model consists of three layers, one signal layer, a dielectric layer, and
a ground layer. You will define the layers, assign a custom material to the dielectric, draw the
model, define the ports, and set up the solution.
After solving the model, you will review the S Matrix results and plot the return loss and a Smith
chart. You will also create a current density overlay, a far field display, and animate both of these
results.
Figure 1-1: Low Pass Filter Model
HFSS 3D Layout in ANSYS Electronics Desktop

HFSS 3D Layout offers several design simulators for HFSS, Planar EM, SIwave, EMI, and
Nexxim. Within the scope of this guide, we will discuss the PlanarEM Solution Setup only.
Introduction 1-1
Figure 1-2: ANSYS Electronics Desktop – Analysis Setups for HFSS 3D Layout Designs
EM Design simulators are the ideal tools for projects that involve full-wave or radiative effects for
multilayered structures. For example, you can draw the physical layout of a patch antenna or a mil-
limeter-wave integrated circuit and then simulate the electromagnetic properties to display the fol-
lowing:
l Radiated electric fields
l Basic electromagnetic field quantities
l Characteristic port impedances and propagation constants
l Basic far-field parameters for electromagnetic fields and antennas
l Generalized S-parameters, and S-parameters renormalized to specific port impedances
For more information see the HFSS 3D Layout Simulator in the main help.
Introduction 1-2
The following sections will guide you through the physical design and EM analysis of a low-pass fil-
ter. As you work through this sequence of HFSS 3D Layout topics, you will learn the following:
l How to start ANSYS Electronics Desktop and explore the HFSS 3D Layout tools
l How to use the HFSS 3D Layout ribbon, menubar, and shortcut menu
l Terms and concepts essential to the simulation of an HFSS 3D Layout design
l How to add a custom-defined dielectric material to a design
l How to create a report to display simulation results
Set Up an HFSS 3D Layout Design

Before inserting an HFSS 3D Layout Design into your project, ensure that the ANSYS Electronics
Desktop options are set appropriately for this exercise.
Launch ANSYS Electronics Desktop (EDT):
1. Launch EDT using the desktop shortcut ( ) or the Windows Start menu.
There should be an empty project at the top of the Project Manager. However, if you already
had EDT open and closed a previous model, you will have to create a new project (by com-
pleting optional step 2).
2. Optionally (if needed), on the Desktop ribbon tab, click New to create a new project.
3. Right-click Projectx at the top of the Project manager and select Rename. Then, type
LowPassFilter as the new name and press Enter.
Verify EDT General Options:
4. On the Desktop ribbon tab, click General Options.

5. In the tree on the left side of the Options dialog box, expand the General group and select
the Default Options subgroup.
6. Ensure that mm is selected from the Length drop-down menu to use millimeters as the
default length unit.
7. From the Options tree, select the Layout Editor> Snapping subgroup.
8. Click Snapping tab, deselect Snap to grid, and ensure that your selected options match the
following settings:
Introduction 1-3
Figure 1-3: Layout Editor Snapping Options
9. From the Options tree, select the Layout Editor> Display subgroup.
10. In the Grid panel, enter 10 mm for Major and 1 mm for Minor, making sure that the unit
used for each is millimeter (mm), the default setting.
Introduction 1-4
Figure 1-4: Layout Editor Display Options
11. Click OK to close the Options dialog box.
Insert an HFSS 3D Layout Design into Your Project:
12. On the Desktop ribbon tab, choose HFSS 3D Layout from the HFSS drop-down
menu.
Alternatively, you can insert an HFSS 3D Layout using either of the following two options:
l Using the menu bar, click Project> Insert HFSS 3D Layout Design.
l Right-click the project name at the top of the Project Manager and choose Insert>
Insert HFSS 3D Lay-out Design from the shortcut menu.
Introduction 1-5
13. If the Choose Technology dialog box appears, click None.
Figure 1-5: Choose Technology Dialog Box
The Layout Editor window appears.
l All EM designs must define a process topology (also called a stackup).

l Layout technology files provide a quick way to store frequently used process topo-
logies. For example, an engineer who frequently uses a specific substrate can pre-
specify the correct materials and stackups with a single click.
l In this example, you will not use a layout technology file but will define the topology or
stackup manually.
14. Hide the Message Manager and Progress windows if either is currently displayed.
l On the View menu, you can deselect the check-boxes for Message Manager and
Progress.
l Alternatively, you can click Hide Messages and Hide Progress along the bottom of
the program window.
Introduction 1-6
2 - Create the Model

The low pass filter model consists of a ground layer, a dielectric layer, and a signal layer. You will
only draw objects on the signal layer, which you will name t1. In this section, you will define the
stackup layers (topology) of the model, draw the geometry of the filter, and assign the excitation
ports.
l Insert Layers
l Draw the Model Geometry
l Assign the Ports
Insert Layers
1. Access the Edit Layers dialog box by doing either of the following:
l On the Layout ribbon tab, click Layout dialog.
l From the menu bar, select Layout> Layers.
2. Under Stackup, in the Edit Layers dialog box, deselect the Laminate mode option.
3. Under Layer, click Insert below to begin inserting an infinite ground layer, Then, in the Add
Stackup Layer dialog box, do the following:
Note:
When adding the first layer to the table, the actions of Insert above and Insert below
are identical.
a. Enter g1 in the Name text box.

b. Choose signal from the Type drop-down menu.
Figure 2-1: Inserting Ground Layer (g1)
c. Click OK to add the layer.
Notice that the material copper is automatically assigned to signal layers.
Create the Model 2-1

4. To make the Negative column visible, right-click any one of the column header at the top of
the layer table (such as Material, Type, or Name) and select the Negative option, which is
off by default:
Figure 2-2: Showing the Negative Column
5. Set the new g1 layer to be negative by selecting the check-box in the Negative column.
Note:
Activating this option tells the program that this is a ground plane layer. Any object
you draw on a negative layer becomes a cutout in the ground layer (conductor
removed). However, you will not be drawing any objects on the g1 layer for this
model.
6. Deselect the Rough option for this layer if it is currently selected.
Note:
If the Rough option is selected, the surface roughness of the conductors is taken
into account when approximating the impedance of the signal traces. However, sur-
face roughness is ignored for ground layers. Deselecting this option prevents a
warning to that effect from being encountered when validating the model and solu-
tion setup.

7. Insert and define a dielectric layer as follows:

a. Right-click the g1 layer and select Insert dielectric above from the short-cut menu.
Figure 2-3: Inserting the Dielectric Layer above Layer g1
b. In the new dielectric row that appears in the layers table, click the Name text box and
change the name to d1.
c. In the Thickness text box, specify 1.6mm.
Notice that the material FR4_epoxy, which is a common printed circuit board material, is
automatically assigned to dielectric layers. In the next step, you will change this specification
to a user-defined material.
8. Select Edit from the Materials drop-down menu in the d1 row.
Figure 2-4: Edit Material Command
In the Select Definition dialog box that appears, do the following:
a. Click Add Material.
The Edit Materials dialog box appears.
b. In the Material Name text box, enter my_d1.

c. In the Relative Permittivity text box, enter 2.2.

d. Leave all other settings unchanged and click OK to close the Edit Material dialog box.
e. Click OK to close the Select Definition dialog box.
9. Insert a trace (signal) layer as follows:
a. Right-click the dielectric (d1) layer and choose Insert signal above.
b. In the Name column of the new signal row, type t1.
c. Select the Rough option for this layer.
10. Ensure that the Solver option is deselected for all layers. You will not be overriding any of
the default solver options.
11. Choose Select all from the drop-down menu in the Layer section at the bottom-left corner of
the Edit Layers dialog box to simultaneously select all three rows in the table.
Note:
Even if Select all is already showing in this drop-down menu, choose it again to
actually select all the layers.
12. Ensure that the second checkbox in the Attributes section of the dialog box is selected to
ensure that all objects will be shaded, as opposed to a wire frame view (outline only):
Figure 2-5: Enable Shading for Drawn Objects

13. Verify that the Edit Layers dialog box matches the following figure:
Figure 2-6: Edit Layers Dialog Box
Note:
If you did not create the stackup in the correct order, rearrange the layers by click-
ing and dragging the selection handles in the leftmost column. Drag layer t1 to the
top of the list, d1 to the middle, and g1 to the bottom.
14. Click Apply and Close to apply the layer definitions and close the Edit Layers dialog box.

Draw the Model

1. On the Layout ribbon tab, select t1 from the Active Layer drop-down menu:
Figure 2-7: Setting t1 as the Active Layer
2. Draw a rectangle:
a. Do either of the following:
l On the Layout ribbon tab, click Draw rectangle.
l Using the menu bar, click Draw> Primitive> Rectangle.
b. Then in the Layout window, click, move the mouse, and click again to draw a rectangle
of any location and size.
c. In the docked Properties window, ensure that 2Pt Description is selected, type 0,0
for the Pt A value, type 20, 4.6 for the Pt B value, and press Enter.
Alternative Method of creating the rectangle (using the coordinate text boxes to specify
the precise location and size of the rectangle while drawing it):
a. After initiating the Draw rectangle command, double-click in the X coordinate text
box on the Status Bar (located at the bottom of the ANSYS Electronics Desktop
screen) and enter 0.
b. Press Tab to move to the Y coordinate text box, enter 0 here too, and press Enter.
Note:
The Tab key switches between text boxes, while pressing Enter commits the
data to the design. Also note that the first corner of the rectangle has been
placed at the center of the grid per the 0, 0 values for the X and Y coordin-
ates.

Figure 2-8: Coordinates of First Corner of Rectangle
c. Complete the rectangle by entering the values of 20 for Delta X and 4.6 for Delta Y.
Then, press Enter.
Warning:
Be careful not to move the mouse while inputting values in the coordinate text
boxes, or the values will revert to the cursor location.
3. Fit the drawing to the Layout window by doing one of the following:
l Press Ctrl+D.
l On the Layout ribbon tab, click Fit All.
l Using the menu bar, click View> Fit Drawing.
4. On the Layout ribbon tab, click Draw rectangle, then define the second rectangle as fol-
lows:
a. Click the lower-right corner of the first rectangle to snap the first corner of the second
rectangle to that point. The cursor changes to a square shape when the snap point is
found.
b. Double-click the Delta X text box and type 2.1.
c. Tab to the Delta Y text box, type -10.5, and press Enter.
5. On the Layout ribbon tab, click Draw rectangle, then define the third rectangle as fol-
lows:
a. In the coordinate text boxes, type 21.05 for X, 0 for Y, and press Enter.
b. In the coordinate text boxes, type 21.7 for Delta X, 0.7 for Delta Y, and press Enter.
6. On the Layout ribbon tab, select Zoom Area from the Zoom drop-down menu.
Then, click and drag the mouse to define a zoom area that tightly encloses only the right
edge of the first rectangle, the top edge of the second one, and the left edge of the third one.
The display should resemble the following figure:

Figure 2-9: Zooming into Polygon Area
7. On the Layout ribbon tab, click Draw polygon, then define the polygon as follows:
a. Click the upper-right corner of the first rectangle. If you let the mouse hover briefly
over the target point, the cursor becomes a square and jumps to the snap point. (The
coordinates in the status bar should display 20.0, 4.6.)
b. Click the upper-left corner of the third rectangle (when the displayed coordinates are
21.05, 0.7).
c. Click the lower-left corner of the third rectangle (when the displayed coordinates are
21.05, 0.0). Note that the cursor may become a triangle in this case, since the snap-
ping point corresponds to the midpoint of the second rectangle's top edge as well as
the end point of two of the third rectangle's edges.
d. Double-click the lower-right corner of the first rectangle ((when the displayed coordin-
ates are 20.0, 0.0).
8. Press Ctrl+D to fit the drawing within the Layout window and click in the background area to
clear the current selection.
At this point, your layout should look similar to the following figure:

Figure 2-10: Partially Completed Model Layout
9. Copy and paste a duplicate of all objects except for the third rectangle drawn, as follows:
a. Press Ctrl+A to select all objects.
b. While holding down Ctrl, click the third rectangle drawn to deselect it. The first and
second rectangle and the polygon should now be selected.
c. Press Ctrl+C to copy the selected objects to the Windows clipboard.
d. Press Ctrl+V to paste a duplicate set of objects into the Layout window. The location
of the pasted objects will move as you move the mouse, but do not click yet.
e. Click a point within the Layout window to drop the objects anywhere that they won't
overlap the original objects, but keep them selected afterward:
Figure 2-11: Copy & Paste Operation

10. On the Layout ribbon tab, click Flip> About Y (or, using the menu bar, click Draw>
Flip Horizontal).
11. Click on one of the selected objects and drag them so that the bottom left corner of the
second polygon snaps to the bottom right corner of the third rectangle:
Figure 2-12: Positioning the Mirrored Objects
The result is a set of objects that are symmetrical about the vertical centerline of the
assembly.
12. Clear the current selection and press Ctrl+D to fit the model within the Layout window. The
model should look like the following figure:
Figure 2-13: Model with Mirrored Objects Properly Positioned
13. On the Layout ribbon tab, click Draw rectangle, then define the final rectangle as fol-
lows:
a. In the coordinate text boxes, enter 29.3 for X, 0 for Y, and press Enter.
b. In the coordinate text boxes, enter 5.3 for Delta X, -10.5 for Delta Y, and press Enter.
14. Press Ctrl+A to select all objects in the model.

15. On the Layout ribbon tab, click Unite.
The rectangles and polygons are united into a single object, and your layout should look sim-
ilar to the following figure:
Figure 2-14: United Model Geometry
Note:
It is not mandatory to unite the individual shapes. Where they exactly meet each
other, the solver will treat them as a contiguous object. However, uniting them pro-
duces a simpler model and eliminates the possibility of accidentally dragging one
shape out of its proper position.
16. Click the united object to select it. Then, in the docked Properties window, change the Name
to Filter and press Enter.
17. Click Save, which is located on all ribbon tabs.
Assign the Ports

1. Create Port1:
a. Press E to begin the Select Edges mode.
l Alternatively, on the Layout ribbon, choose Select Edges from the selec-
tion mode drop-down menu (immediately below the Layers dialog command):

Figure 2-15: Choosing Selection Mode Via the Layout Ribbon Tab
l Or, from the menu bar, click Edit> Select Edges.

b. Click the left edge of the first (leftmost) rectangle to select it.
Figure 2-16: Selecting Edge for Port 1
c. On the Layout ribbon tab, click Create edge port.
Note that Port1 appears in the layout editor and is also listed in the Project Manager
under Excitations.
Alternative methods of adding a port. After selecting the edge:
l In the Project Manager, right-click Excitations and choose Add Port.

l Using the menu bar, click Draw> Port> Create.
l Or, right-click in the Layout window and choose Port> Create from the short-
cut menu.

2. Create Port 2:
a. Click the right edge of the rightmost rectangle to select it.
Figure 2-17: Selecting Edge for Port 2
b. On the Layout ribbon tab, click Create edge port.

3. Rename Port 1:
a. In the Project Manager, under Excitations, right-click Port1 and choose Rename.
b. Type p1 and press Enter.
4. Rename Port 2 (this time you will use an alternative method):
a. In the Project Manager, under Excitations, click Port2 to select it.
b. In the docked Properties window, change the Port value (row 1, column 2) to p2 and
press Enter.
Figure 2-18: Renaming Port 2

3 - Set Up Solution and Analyze

l Set Up a Planar EM Analysis
l Set Up Frequency Sweeps
l Explore Disabling Sweeps and Setups
l View the Mesh
l Explore Dynamic Mesh Updates
l Run the Analysis
Set Up a Planar EM Analysis

Each set of solution parameters to be solved by ANSYS Electronics Desktop is listed as a setup
under Analysis in the Project Manager. To add a new solution setup to this project using basic, ini-
tial meshing tools, do the following:
1. On the Simulation ribbon tab, click PlanarEM (Add Planar EM Solution Setup).
Alternatively, complete this action in one of the following two ways:
l Right-click Analysis in the Project Manager and click Add Planar EM Solution
Setupfrom the shortcut menu.
l Using the menu bar, select HFSS 3D Layout> Solution Setup> Add Planar EM
Solution Setup.
2. When the PlanarEM Setup dialog box appears, select Fixed Mesh, under Mesh Selection in
the General tab.
Set Up Solution and Analyze 3-1

3. Enter 5GHz in the Solution Frequency text box.
Figure 3-1: PlanarEM Setup Dialog Box
4. Click OK to accept the setup.
The Planar EM Setup dialog box closes and the Edit Frequency Sweep dialog box appears.
You will define the frequency sweep in the next topic.
Note:
For more information on setting up an HFSS simulation, see Add HFSS Solution
Setup in the product Help.

Set Up Frequency Sweeps

To set up sweeps, you can choose to add either an interpolating sweep or a discrete sweep. You
will define both types of sweeps. The procedural steps for setting up each sweep type are
described below:
Add an Interpolating Sweep:

1. An interpolating sweep can be added in any of the following ways:
l The sweep appears automatically after you create a solution setup.
l Select the analysis setup in the Project Manager (in this case, PlanarEM Setup 1).
Then, on the Simulation ribbon tab, click Sweep (Set Up Frequency Sweeps).
l Select the analysis setup in the Project Manager. Then, using the menu bar, click
HFSS 3D Layout> Solution Setup> Add Frequency Sweep.
l In the Project Manager, expand the Analysis folder, right-click Planar EM Setup 1,
and click Add Frequency Sweep from the shortcut menu.
Any one of these actions opens the Edit Frequency Sweep dialog box associated with a
Planar EM solution setup.
In the case of this exercise, the Edit Frequency Sweep dialog box should already be open as
a result of completing the addition of a Planar EM solution setup in the previous topic.
2. Select Interpolating from the Sweep Type drop-down menu.

3. Select Linear Count from the Distribution pull-down menu.
4. Enter the following sweep parameters:
l Start = 1.5 GHz
l Stop = 5GHz
l Points = 201.
The Edit Frequency Sweep dialog box should now look like the following figure:

Figure 3-2: Edit Frequency Sweep Dialog Box – Interpolating Sweep

5. Click Preview to display the Sweep Points window:
Figure 3-3: Sweep Points Window – Interpolating Sweep
6. Close the Sweep Points window.

7. Click OK to add the interpolating sweep and close the Edit Frequency Sweep dialog box.
Add a Discrete sweep:

8. In the Project Manager (under Analysis), right-click Planar EM Setup 1, and click Add Fre-
quency Sweep
9. Choose Discretefrom the Sweep Type drop-down menu.
10. Select Linear Count in the pull-down menu of the Distribution column.
11. Enter the sweep parameters:
l Start = 1.6GHz
l Stop = 2.6GHz
l Count = 11.

12. Click the Preview button to display the Sweep window:
Figure 3-4: Sweep Points Window – Discrete Sweep
13. Close the Sweep Points window.

14. Select Generate surface current, under Options in the Edit Frequency Sweep dialog box.
Note:
For discrete sweeps, optionally generating surface currents enables you to view
currents and calculate far field effects at multiple frequencies in later post-pre-
cessing steps. For interpolating sweeps you can optionally save surface current
data for only the last adaptive pass of the solution frequency. For fixed mesh ana-
lyses, you cannot save surface current data.
15. Click OK to add the discrete sweep and close the Edit Frequency Sweep dialog box.
Explore Disabling Sweeps and Setups

ANSYS Electronics Desktop lets you to disable/enable sweep and setup definitions independently.
Disable or Enable a Sweep Definition:

To enable/disable a frequency sweep definition, right-click the sweep in the Project Manager and
choose Enable Sweep Analysis or Disable Sweep Analysis, whichever option is present:
Figure 3-5: Disable Sweep Analysis Option
Note:
You can also disable a sweep by double-clicking it in the Project Manager (or right-click-
ing and selecting Properties from the shortcut menu) to open the Edit Frequency Sweep
dialog box. In the upper-right corner of this dialog box, deselect the Enabled option and
click OK to apply the change. (To reactivate the sweep, simply re-open the Edit Fre-
quency Sweep dialog box, select the Enabled option, and click OK.)
Disable or Enable a Setup Definition:

To enable/disable a setup definition, right click the setup in the Project Manager and choose
Enable Setup Analysis or Disable Setup Analysis, whichever option is available:

Figure 3-6: Disable Setup
Note:
You can also disable an analysis setup by double-clicking it in the Project Manager (or
right-clicking and selecting Properties from the shortcut menu) to open the PlanarEM
Setup dialog box. Below the Setup Name text box, deselect the Enabled option and click
OK to apply the change. (To reactivate the setup, simply re-open the PlanarEM Setup dia-
log box, select the Enabled option, and click OK.)
When you disable an analysis setup, any sweep associated with it has no effect, even though the
sweep is still enabled.
View the Mesh

You can view the layout of the design within the Layout window in a number of planar or 3D views.
If you've closed the Layout window or opened other windows in front of it, such as a 2D report plot,
you can quickly return to the Layout window as follows:
l From the menu bar, click HFSS 3D Layout> Layout Editor. This command will reopen the
window if it has been closed or bring it to the front if it's already open.
l Or, when the Layout window is still open but hidden by other windows, select it from the Win-
dow menu to bring it to the front.
In the Layout window, you can view the mesh in either of two ways:

l In the Project Manager, click to select the setup (such as PlanarEM Setup 1). Then, from the
menu bar, click HFSS 3D Layout> Solution Setup> Pre-Process Geometry> Display.
l In the Project Manager, right-click the setup and select Pre-Process Geometry> Display
from the shortcut menu.
Either of the preceding two options displays a 3D mesh on the model in the Layout window. The
mesh display honors layer visibility; that is, the mesh will not be displayed on a layer that is not vis-
ible. If there are self-intersecting mesh edges, these are highlighted in bold yellow.
To hide the mesh, repeat the command from either access point and toggle off the Display option.
However, for now, leave the mesh visible and proceed to the next topic. You can hide the mesh
later.
Explore Dynamic Mesh Updates

In the previous topic, you learned how to display the mesh. The Layout editor allows you to change
the shape of the objects you've drawn by select them and then clicking and dragging grips on the
edges (such as midpoint and endpoint grips). This feature enables you to freely move, stretch, com-
press, or skew object shapes. Additionally, you can add or remove objects from the model. By
default, the mesh is not dynamically updated when you change the geometry in any of these ways.
Therefore, after adding, deleting, or altering any geometry, you would have to refresh the displayed
mesh manually using one of the follow methods:
l In the Project Manager, right-click the analysis setup (such as PlanarEM Setup 1) and
choose Pre-Process Geometry> Refresh from the shortcut menu.
l Select the analysis setup in the Project Manager. Then, from the menu bar, click HFSS 3D
Layout> Solution Setup> Pre-Process Geometry> Refresh.
Important:
The consolidation of surfaces into a conformal mesh is skipped for dynamic and tolerant
meshing, including for light weight geometries. This can lead to overlapping surfaces in
SBR+ simulations. The user should carefully avoid overlapping surfaces or objects as
SBR+ can produce unexpected results.
Dynamic Updates:
By enabling the Dynamic Updates feature, the mesh will automatically refresh whenever you alter
the geometry in any way. You can enable this feature in either of two ways:
l In the Project Manager, right-click the analysis setup (such as PlanarEM Setup 1) and
choose Pre-Process Geometry> Dynamic Updates from the shortcut menu.
l Select the analysis setup in the Project Manager. Then, from the menu bar, click HFSS 3D
Layout> Solution Setup> Pre-Process Geometry> Dynamic Updates.
Either of these actions toggles the state of the Dynamic Updates option. That is, the feature is
enabled if currently disabled, and the feature is disabled if currently enabled.

Feel free to experiment by displaying the mesh, enabling Dynamic Updates, and then adding new
geometry or distorting existing geometry to see the mesh refresh itself. Afterward, use the Undo
command, which is available on multiple ribbon tabs, to revert to the correct model configuration.
Be careful not to undo to many operations, or your sweeps, analysis setup, or port definitions will
be undone. If you do go too far, click Redo to restore the desired modeling and setup steps.
Important:
It is a good idea to save the model first and avoid saving it during the experiment. In this
way, you can close the altered model (without saving it) and reopen the saved version if
necessary.
When finished, deactivate the Pre-Process Geometry> Display option to hide the mesh.
Run the Analysis

1. To sequentially run all analysis setups and associated frequency sweeps that exist in the
design, take one of the following actions:
l On the Simulation ribbon tab, click Analyze.

l From the menu bar, click HFSS 3D Layout> Analyze.
l In the Project Manager, right-click Analysis and choose Analyze from the shortcut
menu.
Alternatively, you can run a single sweep: In the Analysis branch of the Project Manager,
right-click the appropriate sweep and choose Analyze from the shortcut menu.

Figure 3-7: Analyzing a Single Sweep
2. Click Show Progress in the status bar at the bottom of the program window to display the
solution progress (if the window is not already displayed).
3. Check the status while the analysis is running.
The following additional actions are possible:
l While the simulation is running, you can Pause or Abort it through the shortcut menu
that appears when you right-clicking in the Progress window.
l The Clean Stop command completes the computation of the current frequency point
before stopping the analysis.
l To alter the priority of a particular simulation, right-click the Progress window, click
Change Priority, and then select the appropriate setting (Highest, Above Normal,
Normal, Below Normal, or Lowest Priority).
Figure 3-8: Changing the Priority of the Analysis Solution
Note:
Altering the priority of a solution can be useful when you are multitasking on
the computer. It can help to free up resources from a computationally intens-
ive application so that other programs perform adequately. Conversely, it
can prevent less important programs from excessively slowing down the
more intensive application.

4 - Evaluate the Results (Post-Pro-

cessing)
Use the post-processing capabilities of ANSYS Electronics Desktop to display the results of a sim-
ulation. You can also use the export features to save the analysis data (and an equivalent circuit) in
various industry-standard file formats.
The topics for this section include:
l View S Matrix Data
l Plot Return Loss
l Plot a User Defined Graph
l Revise p2 Excitation and Animate Current Results
l Frequency Animated Far Field Plot
View S Matrix Data

You can review the scatter matrix (S Matrix) data at all sweep frequencies or at a selected fre-
quency as the solution progresses. You can also review Y and Z Matrix data and more. Here, you
will look at the S Matrix data for all frequencies in Sweep 1, as follows:
1. In the Project Manager, right-click Sweep1, and select Results> Matrix data.
The Solutions dialog box appears.
2. Ensure that only the S Matrix option is selected under the Profile tab.
Evaluate the Results (Post-Processing) 4-1

3. Select the Display All Freqs. option. Your results should be similar to the following figure:
Figure 4-1: Solutions Dialog Box – Sweep 1 S Matrix Data
4. Select the Format tab and then choose the desired data format from the drop-down menu
(for example, Magnitude/Phase(deg), dB/Phase(deg), Real, or Imaginary).
5. Select the Export tab and click Export Matrix Data.
The Export Network Data Solution dialog box appears.
a. Select the preferred file format (Save as type) – for example, Touchstone(*.sNp) or
Neutral Model Format (*.nmf).
b. Optionally, customize the File name, if desired.
c. The default save location is the same folder where the model resides. However, you
can navigate to an alternative folder is desired.
d. Click Save or click Cancel to abort the operation.

6. To export the circuit as an equivalent SPICE model, click Equivalent Circuit Export.
Note:
SPICE models require solution data at DC (0Hz) conditions, so a warning mes-

sage is encountered for this sweep.
a. Select the desired location, format, and other equivalent circuit options.
b. Click OK to save the exported model or Cancel to abort the operation.
7. To see run time data pertaining to the analysis, click the Profile tab.
8. Close the Solutions dialog box.
Plot Return Loss

To create a report:
1. First, open the Report dialog box by using one of the following three methods:
l On the Results ribbon tab, click Standard Report> 2D.

l Using the menu bar, click HFSS 3D Layout> Results> Create Standard Report>
Rectangular Plot.
l In the Project Manager, right-click Results and choose Create Standard Report>
Rectangular Plot from the shortcut menu.
The Report dialog box opens with the Trace tab selected.
2. Plot the return loss:

a. From the Solution drop-down menu, select Planar EM Setup 1 : Sweep 1.
b. In the Category, Quantity, and Function lists, select S Parameters, S(p1, p1) and
dB, respectively.
c. Click New Report and then click Close.

Figure 4-2: S-Parameter Plot, dB(S(p1,p1)) - Return Loss
For additional details about formatting the plot (for example, labeling the axes and changing
the trace color) see the Generating Reports and Postprocessing section of the help.
Plot a Smith Chart

Next, you will display a Smith chart for S(p1, p1). The Smith chart is a convenient means of sim-
ultaneously displaying multiple parameters (such as impedance, reflection coefficients, scattering
parameters, constant gain contours, and more). It is a useful graphical aid for electronics engineers
working in the radio frequency disciplines. The chart was invented by Phillip H. Smith
1. On the Simulation ribbon tab, click Standard Report> Smith Chart.
The Reportdialog box opens with the Trace tab selected.

Note:
As with the previous plot (Return Loss), this chart and other plot commands can
also be accessed from other locations (HFSS 3D Layout menu and Project Man-
ager: Results shortcut menu).
2. From the Solution drop-down menu, select Planar EM Setup 1 : Sweep 1.

3. In the Category, Quantity, and Function lists, select S Parameters, S(p1, p1), and
<none>, respectively.
4. Click New Report and Close.
The Smith Chart appears:

Figure 4-3: Smith Chart
Revise p2 Excitation and Animate Current Results

Before creating an overlay of the current results and animating it, you will alter the edge port defin-
ition for port p2. The default configuration applies an identical 1 volt magnitude excitation at 0
degrees phase angle to both of the ports that you added (p1 and p2). You will now set the p2 excit-
ation to 0 volts, essentially making p1 the input of the low pass filter and p2 the output for the pur-
pose of the overlay.
To revise the p2 excitation:
1. In the Project Manager, under Excitations, double-click p2.
The Edge Port Definition dialog box appears:
2. In Post Processing Settings section, enter 0V and 0deg, respectively, for the Magnitude
and Phase values.

Figure 4-4: Edge Port Definition Dialog Box – Port p2
The following controls are also available:
Port Definition settings:
l PortName specifies the port being defined

l Terminal Name controls the name of the terminal
l Reference specifies the reference used by the port
l Calibration Zo equivalent to the Full Port Impedance of the port and expressed in
Ohms
Planar EM settings:

l Type of port
l Ignore Reference allows you to choose Use Port Solver
l Use Port Solver should be selected if you want the characteristic impedance and
propagation constant for the port to be calculated. The gap source is automatically cal-
ibrated for greater accuracy.
l Use Default should be selected if, instead of the Port Solver, you want the default set-
ting to be used (expressed in Ohms).
HFSS section:
l Type of port is displayed
Post Processing settings:
l Magnitude expressed in Volts (V)

l Phase expressed in degrees
l Post Process Port allows you to specify the Renormalize Impedance and Deembed
Distance settings
l Renormalize Impedance expressed in ohms
l Deembed Distance expressed in mm
l Deembed Gap Port Inductance specifies that the inductance of the port is cal-
culated and cached as part of the solution data for subsequent use. During post pro-
cessing a list of the ports to deembed is used to calibrate the network data.
Note:
For more information, see Deembedding in the help.
3. When all settings are as desired, click OK to close the dialog box.
Note:
Alternatively, the following method is convenient for multi-port designs. You can
right-click Excitations in the Project Manager and select Port Excitations from
the shortcut menu. The Port Excitations dialog box appears, in which you can
modify multiple port excitations.

Figure 4-5: Edit Port Excitations Dialog Box
Note:
Renormalization is ignored if it is set to zero, but de-embedding is still honored. The

following warning message is produced for all ports with a zero post-processing
renormalization impedance:
Zero impedance on port '<arg1>' is ignored; renormalization will by skipped for this
port.
Display and Animate the Currents:

4. In the Project Manager, right-click Field Overlaysand select Plot PEM Fields> Mag_Sru-
faceJ.
The Create Field Plot dialog box appears.
Note:
The only Solution available for selection is Planar EM Setup1:Sweep2, since only
the discrete sweep type has the option to output currents.
5. In the Intrinsic Variables section, select 2.1GHz from the F (frequency) pull-down menu. This
is the frequency that most closely corresponds to the point of minimum return loss on the S
Parameter plot.

6. Accept the remaining options and click Done.
The Select Geometry dialog box appears, where you specify on which layers you wish to
overlay the current results.
7. Select the t1 layer and click OK.
The current overlay should resemble the following figure:
Figure 4-6: Surface Current Overlay @ 2.1 GHz – t1 Layer
8. In the Layout window, double-click within the current overlay legend to access the J Surf
plot settings.
9. In the Color map tab, choose Temperature from the Spectrum drop-down menu:

Figure 4-7: J Surf Plot Settings – Color map Tab
10. Select the Scale tab and make the following changes:
a. Specify 21 for Num. Divisions
b. Select the Log option to produce a logarithmic scale.
c. Select Use Limits.
d. For Min, specify 0.05.
e. For Max, specify 26.
Figure 4-8: J Surf Plot Settings – Scale Tab
11. In the Project Manager, under Field Overlays> J Surf, right-click Mag_SurfJ1 and click
Animate.
The Create Animation Setup dialog box appears.

12. Specify the following animation settings:

a. Ensure that Single Variable and Phase are selected from the Swept Variable(s)
pull-down menus.
b. In the Start, Stop, and Steps text boxes, enter 0deg, 360deg, and 37, respectively.
These settings will result in an animation with 10 degree phase increments.
Figure 4-9: Setup Animation Dialog Box
13. Click OK. A control panel opens, and the animation begins:
Figure 4-10: Animation Dialog Box
14. You can use the animation controls to pause, restart, reverse, or change the speed of the
animation.

15. In the Layout window, use the various tools to Zoom, Rotate, or Pan the animation.
The resulting animation should resemble the one shown below:
Figure 4-11: Resulting Current Animation
16. In the Animation dialog box, click Close when finished.
Frequency Animated Far Field Plot

Far fields are not usually of interest when designing a filter, but the procedure is shown here for ref-
erence. Current outputs are required as the basis of far field computations. So that the currents are
saved, and the currents and fields results are available for you to plot, one of the following two con-
ditions must be met:
l Run a discrete sweep with the Generate surface current option selected in the Sweep
setup. In this case, you can specify multiple discrete frequency points and will have the cur-
rents and fields available for all specified frequencies. As with the current animation, you can
define the frequency at which you view the far field results. Additionally, you can animate far
field results based on the available frequencies. That is, the video time line progresses from
one frequency to the next (as opposed to progressing through the range of phase angles as
the basis of the animation).
l Run an adaptive mesh or advanced adaptive mesh analysis with the Save currents for
last adaptive pass option enabled in the Analysis setup. In this case, the current and field
results are only available for the last adaptive pass of the specified solution frequency.
In order to plot far field results, you have to define an Infinite Sphere far field setup under Radiation
in the Project Manager.

Define an Infinite Sphere and Plot the Far Field Results:

1. In the Project Manager, right-click Radiation and choose Insert Far Field Setup> Infinite
Sphere.
The Infinite Sphere Setup dialog box appears:
Figure 4-12: Infinite Sphere Setup Dialog Box
2. Accept the default setup and click OK to add the far field setup.
3. On the Results ribbon tab, click Far Fields Report> 3D Polar.
The Report window appears. Notice that the Solution and Geometry parameters are already
set with the only available choices that provide far field results: PlanarEM Setup 1 : Sweep 2
and Infinite Sphere 1, respectively. Also, the Category, Quantity, and Function settings have
defaulted to Far Field, Etotal, and <none>, respectively, which are the desired settings for
this report.
4. Select the Families tab and then click the elipsis button ( ) in the Edit column of the
Families table.

5. In the pop-up dialog box that appears, select the frequency, 2.1GHz, which corresponds
most closely to the point of minimum return loss:
Figure 4-13: Choosing the Frequency for the Far Field Plot
6. Click New Report and then click Close.
Note:
You can also access this command in the following alternative ways:
l Right-click Results in the Project Manager and choose Create Far Fields
Report> 3D Polar Plot from the shortcut menu.
l Using the menu bar, click HFSS 3D Layout> Results> Create Far Fields
Report> 3D Polar Plot.
The Far Field Plot 1 window appears, and the far field pattern is displayed. Rotate, zoom,
and/or pan for a good view point of the model:

Figure 4-14: Far Field Plot (Etotal)
Overlay the Far Field Pattern on the Model Geometry:

To better see how the far field pattern relates to the low pass filter geometry, overlay the pattern on
the model in the Layout window, as follows:
7. Under Results in the Project Manager, right-click Far Field Plot 1 and select Overlay Vis-
ibility.
8. Adjust the model viewpoint as desired. The model layout and overlay should resemble the fol-
lowing figure:

Figure 4-15: Far Field Pattern Overlay
Note:
The plot legend and the color contours applied to the trace layer of the model still
correspond to the surface current plot created earlier. Optionally, to avoid con-
fusion, you could right-click Mag_SurfaceJ1, under Field Overlays> J Surf in the
Project Manager, and deselect Plot Visibility in the shortcut menu. This action
hides the J Surf color contour and the associated legend.
Frequency Animate the Far Field Plot:

9. Use the Window menu to select the Far Field Plot 1 window, bringing it to the foreground.
10. Right-click in the Far Field Plot 1 window and choose View> Animate.
The Create Animation Setup dialog box appears:

11. Ensure that the settings in the dialog box match the following figure and then click OK.
Figure 4-16: Setup Far Field Animation with Frequency as Sweep Variable
The Animation control panel appears and the far field plot animation begins to play:

Figure 4-17: Far Field Plot 1 Animation
12. Use the animation controls to pause, restart, reverse, or change the speed of the animation.
13. In the Animation dialog box, click Close when finished.
14. Save the project and exit ANSYS Electronics Desktop.
Congratulations, you've completed the HFSS 3D Layout: Low Pass Filter exercise.


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Getting Started with HFSS 3D Layout: Low

ANSYS, Inc. Release 2020 R2

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Conventions Used in this Guide

Sample Project – Low Pass Filter

Figure 1-1: Low Pass Filter Model

HFSS 3D Layout in ANSYS Electronics Desktop

Set Up an HFSS 3D Layout Design

Launch ANSYS Electronics Desktop (EDT):

Verify EDT General Options:

4. On the Desktop ribbon tab, click General Options.

Figure 1-3: Layout Editor Snapping Options

Figure 1-4: Layout Editor Display Options

11. Click OK to close the Options dialog box.

Insert an HFSS 3D Layout Design into Your Project:

13. If the Choose Technology dialog box appears, click None.

Figure 1-5: Choose Technology Dialog Box

The Layout Editor window appears.

l All EM designs must define a process topology (also called a stackup).

2 - Create the Model

a. Enter g1 in the Name text box.

Figure 2-1: Inserting Ground Layer (g1)

c. Click OK to add the layer.

Notice that the material copper is automatically assigned to signal layers.

Create the Model 2-1

Figure 2-2: Showing the Negative Column

6. Deselect the Rough option for this layer if it is currently selected.

Create the Model 2-2

7. Insert and define a dielectric layer as follows:

Figure 2-3: Inserting the Dielectric Layer above Layer g1

8. Select Edit from the Materials drop-down menu in the d1 row.

Figure 2-4: Edit Material Command

In the Select Definition dialog box that appears, do the following:

a. Click Add Material.

The Edit Materials dialog box appears.

b. In the Material Name text box, enter my_d1.

Create the Model 2-3

Figure 2-5: Enable Shading for Drawn Objects

Create the Model 2-4

Figure 2-6: Edit Layers Dialog Box

Create the Model 2-5

Draw the Model

Figure 2-7: Setting t1 as the Active Layer

Create the Model 2-6

Figure 2-8: Coordinates of First Corner of Rectangle

Create the Model 2-7

Figure 2-9: Zooming into Polygon Area

Create the Model 2-8

Figure 2-10: Partially Completed Model Layout

Figure 2-11: Copy & Paste Operation

Create the Model 2-9

Figure 2-12: Positioning the Mirrored Objects

Figure 2-13: Model with Mirrored Objects Properly Positioned

Create the Model 2-10

15. On the Layout ribbon tab, click Unite.

Figure 2-14: United Model Geometry

17. Click Save, which is located on all ribbon tabs.

Assign the Ports

Create the Model 2-11

l Or, from the menu bar, click Edit> Select Edges.

Figure 2-16: Selecting Edge for Port 1

c. On the Layout ribbon tab, click Create edge port.

Alternative methods of adding a port. After selecting the edge:

l In the Project Manager, right-click Excitations and choose Add Port.