November 13, 2012

HFSS INTRODUCTION AND TUTORIAL

Written By: Ari Bross Joseph Sarnelle Lauren Breslin

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What is HFSS? HFSS is the industry-standard simulation program for 3-dimensional full-wave electromagnetic field simulation, particularly at high frequencies and high speeds. HFSS does not require any advanced user end programming knowledge to solve problems. The solver is built on an automated solution process that only requires the user to specify the material being used in the design, the geometry of this design, and the desired output. The solver will then create a mesh specific to the design problem to allow for the most efficient solution method. HFSS Basics: 1. Creating a New HFSS Projecta. Open HFSS and create a new project by clicking File =>New b. Save the project by clicking File =>Save As i. For this tutorial, save the file as uhfprobe c. Right click on the project under the Project Manager Window and select Insert HFSS Design. This will open up a design workspace

2. Useful Optionsa. Click Tools =>Options =>HFSS Options i. Under the Solver tab, change Number of Processors and Number of Processors, Distributed to the number of processors your computer contains ii. Change the Maximum RAM Limit to the total amount of RAM in your computer. Set the Desired RAM Limit to around 500 MB less than the maximum b. Click Tools =>Options =>Modeler Options c. Select the Drawing tab, under Operation Data Entry Mode, select Dialog. This makes drawing designs easier. d. To make the entire design visible in the design workspace, click View =>Fit All =>Active View or press Ctrl+D on the keyboard

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3. Setting Solution Typea. Set the solution type by clicking HFSS =>Solution Type. SelectDriven Terminal

4. Setting Unitsa. For this example, we will use inches. To change the units click Modeler =>Units. Change toInches

b. Other designs may require you to use a different default unit, so this option should be checked with each new design. c. Click OK 5. Setting Select Typea. Set the select type to Objects by clicking Edit =>Select. ClickObjects. i. The other options allow you to either select a whole object, a face of an object, an edge of an object, etc. 6. Setting Default Materiala. The 3D Modeler Toolbar should already be visible at the top of the screen. i. If a toolbar is not visible, right click the empty gray space around the toolbars and select the toolbar you need. ii. For this example 3D Modeler Material should be checked. b. Choose Select from the drop down menu and a new window should appear.

c. Search and select Copper d. Click OK

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Tutorial: Designing and Simulating a UHF Probe This section will cover the steps necessary to design and simulate an Ultra High Frequency (UHF) Probe. 1. Creating Annular Ringsa. Creating Inner Ring i. At the top of the window, click Draw =>Cylinder. A dialog box will appear titled CreateCylinder ii. In this dialog box, set the Center Position to (0,0,0) iii. Set the Radius to 0.31 iv. Set the Height to 5.00 v. Click OK

A cylinder will appear in the design workspace. Under the Properties Windows, select the Attributetab; click the cell to the right of Name and rename the cylinder to ring_inner

*NOTE: If the Attribute tab is not available, click Cylinder1 in the design workspace. *

b. Creating Ring 1 i. At the top of the window, click Draw =>Cylinder.A dialog box will appear titled CreateCylinder ii. In this dialog box, set the Center Position to (0,0,0) iii. Set the Radius to 0.37 iv. Set the Height to 5.00 v. Change the name to ring_1 vi. Click OK vii. Fit the design window using Ctrl+D

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2. Subtracting Objectsa. Holding Ctrl, select both objects in the design workspace

b. Click Modeler =>Boolean =>Subtract This opens a Subtract window c. ring_1 should be under Blank Parts and ring_inner should be under Tool Parts d. The checkbox labeled Clone Tool Objects before Operation should be unchecked e. Click OK f. Right click in the design workspace and click View =>Apply Orientation =>Top

3. Creating Ring 2a. Click ring_1 in the design workspace and click Edit =>Copy or Ctrl+C and Edit =>Paste or Ctrl+V to create the second ring i. You wont be able to see the second ring because it is still the same as ring_1 b. Double click CreateCylinder under ring_2 in the design workspace. This will open a properties window c. Set the Radius to 0.5 and click OK d. Double click CreateCylinder under ring_inner1 and change the Radius to 0.435, click OK

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4. Creating Arm 1a. Click Draw =>Box. Doing so will open a dialog window b. Set the Position to (-0.1, -0.31, 5.0) c. Set the XSize to 0.2 d. Set the YSize to -4.69 e. Set the ZSize to -0.065 f. Change the name to Arm_1 g. Fit the window using Ctrl+D

5. Grouping Conductorsa. Click Edit =>Select All Visible or press Ctrl+A b. Click Modeler =>Boolean =>Unite. This groups and physically bonds all conductors together

6. Creating Center Pina. Click Draw =>Cylinder b. Set the Center Position to (0,0,0) c. Set the Radius to 0.1 d. Set the Height to 5.1 e. Change the name to center_pin

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7. Creating Arm 2a. Click Draw =>Box. Doing so will open a dialog window b. Set the Position to (-0.1, 0, 5.1) c. Set the XSize to 0.2 d. Set the YSize to 5.0 e. Set the ZSize to -0.065 f. Change the name to Arm_2 g. Fit the window using Ctrl+D

8. Creating Ground Pina. Click Draw =>Cylinder b. Set the Center Position to (0,1.0,0) c. Set the Radius to 0.0625 d. Set the Height to 5.1 e. Change the name to ground_pin

9. Grouping Conductorsa. Holding Ctrl, select Arm_2, center_pin, and ground_pin b. Click Modeler =>Boolean =>Unite

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10. Creating Wave Porta. A Wave Port indicates the area on a structure where the energy enters and exits the conductive shield b. Click Draw =>Circle c. Set the Center Position to (0,0,0) d. Set the Radius to 0.31 e. Click OK f. Change the name to p1

11. Changing the Default Materiala. Change the default material back to vacuum

12. Creating Aira. Click Draw =>Box b. Set the Position to (-5.0,-10.0,0) c. Set the XSize to 10.0 d. Set the YSize to 20.0 e. Set the ZSize to 12.0 f. Fit the window using Ctrl+D *NOTE: The box should completely surround the probe. * 13. Creating Radiation Boundarya. Select Air in the design window b. Click HFSS =>Boundaries =>Assign =>Radiation c. The name should be Rad1, click OK 14. Creating Wave Port Excitationa. Select p1 in the design workspace b. Click HFSS =>Excitations =>Assign =>Wave Port. This opens a new window c. Name the port p1 d. Next to ring_1, check the box label Use as Reference e. Click OK

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f. Double click Arm_2_T1 under p1 under Excitations in the Project Manager window g. Change the name to T1 and click OK

15. Creating Infinite Ground Planea. Click Edit =>Select =>Faces b. Click the face of the Air object at Z = 0. Do this by rotating the object to view the bottom of the box i. To rotate the object, hold Alt, click and drag the design until you see the bottom c. Click HFSS =>Boundaries =>Assign =>Finite Conductivity d. Change the name to gnd_plane The box labeled Use Material should be checked and the material should be set to Copper e. Check the box labeled Infinite Ground Plane f. Click OK

16. Creating Radiation Setupa. Click HFSS =>Radiation =>Insert Far Field Setup =>Infinite Sphere. This opens a dialog window b. Change the name to ff_2d under the Infinite Sphere tab c. Change Phi to start at 0, stop at 90, with a step size of 90 d. Change Theta to start at -180, stop at 180, with a step size of 2 e. Click OK

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17. Creating Analysis Setupa. Click HFSS =>Analysis Setup =>Add Solution Setup b. Set Solution Frequency under the General tab to 0.55 GHz c. Set the Maximum Number of Passes to 10 d. Set Maximum Delta S to 0.02 e. Click OK

18. Adding Frequency Sweepa. Click HFSS =>Analysis Setup =>Add Frequency Sweep b. Select Setup1 and Click OK. This opens a new dialog window c. Under General tab, set Sweep Type to Fast d. Set Frequency Setup Type to LinearCount e. Start the sweep at 0.35 and Stop at 0.75 with a Count of 401. f. Save Fields should be checked g. Click OK

19. Analyzinga. Save the project b. Click HFSS =>Validation Check and click Close c. Click HFSS =>Analyze All and wait *NOTE: This process can take very long depending on the analysis settings*

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20. Solution Dataa. Click HFSS =>Results =>Solution Data. This opens a new dialog window b. These tabs allow you to view the solution data c. To view a plot of the convergence, click the Plot button under the Convergence tab next to View

21. Creating Reportsa. Click HFSS =>Results =>Create Terminal Solution Data Report =>Rectangular Plot b. This opens a new dialog window c. The Solution should read Setup1:Sweep d. The Domain should be Sweep e. Under the Trace tab, the Category should read Terminal S Parameter f. Quantity should read St(T1,T1) g. Functionshould be dB h. Click New Report

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22. Create Far Field Overlaya. Click HFSS =>Results =>Create Far Fields Report =>Radiation Pattern. This opens a new dialog window b. Solutionshould be Setup1:LastAdaptive c. Geometry should be ff_2d d. Change Primary Sweep to Theta e. Select Gain under Category f. Set Quantity to GainTotal g. Set the Function to dB h. Click New Report and Close

Congratulations! You have now finished your first HFSS project!