Report on Sonnet Lite

TM
EE-532 Antenna Theory
Sandeep
Introduction
Sonnet software provides solutions for high frequency electromagnetic analysis. This
electromagnetic simulation software is used for design and analysis of high frequency circuits,
distributed filters, transitions, LTCC and multi layer RF pacages, wave guides and antennas.
Capabilities
Sonnet lite is a limited registered version of full Sonnet Suite. Sonnet Lite contains many
of the features and capabilities of Sonnet suite, using the same user interface and analysis engine.
The analysis engine of Sonnet lite, Em, performs electromagnetic analysis for !"# planar $e.g.,
microstrip, coplanar, strip line, etc.% geometries. The analysis includes cross"coupling,
discontinuities, dielectric loss & radiation loss. 'm uses (Fast Fourier Transform) $FFT% for
analy*ing !"# structures which are embedded in planar multilayered dielectric on an underlying
fi+ed grid, and because of FFT technique it ables to calculate the electromagnetic coupling on
and between each dielectric surface efficiently.
Feature Sonnet Lite Sonnet Suite
,nalysis -emory ,llowed ./ -0 1nlimited
-etal Layers ,llowed 2345# 1nlimited
Circuit 6orts 7 1nlimited
#ielectric Layers ! 1nlimited
,daptive 0and Synthesis 8ncludes includes
8nterfaces with -icrowave
9ffice and ,gilent
( (
:ia -odeling ( (
Capabilities of Sonnet Lite
o! Sonnet Suite does !or"s;
The Suite of Sonnet analysis tool is shown in the following figure. The following is a brief
description of sonnet tools
o! does the Sonnet Suite !or"s
#ro$e%t Editor< The pro=ect editor is a user friendly graphical interface that enables the user to
input the circuit geometry or circuit netlist for subsequent em analysis.
Analysis En&ine< 'm is the electromagnetic analysis engine. 8t uses a method of moments
analysis based on ma+well>s equations to perform a three dimensional current analysis of
predominantly planar structures. 8t computes S,?, or @"parameters, transmission line parameters,
and Spice equivalent lumped networs.
Analysis Monitor' This allows you to observe the on"going status of analyses being run by 'm.
Response (ie!er' This allows you to plot your response data from 'm as a Cartesian graph or
a Smith Chart.
Current )ensity (ie!er' This is a visuali*ation tool, which provides the qualitative view of the
em interactions occurring in your circuit.
Far Field (ie!er' 8t computes the far field radiation pattern of radiating structures using the
current density information from em and displays the far field radiation patterns in one of the
three formats< Cartesian plot, polar plot or surface plot.
*)S++ Translator' This provides bi directional translation of 4#S88 layout files toA from the Sonnet
pro=ect editor geometry format.
),F Translator' This provides bi directional translation of #BF layout files toA from the
Sonnet pro=ect editor geometry format.
A&ilent +nterfa%e' This 8nterface provides a translation capability between Sonnet and ,gilent
Series 8: and ,gilent ,#S. From within the Series 8: or ,#S Layout pacage you can directly
create Sonnet geometry files.
Analysis Memory Limits
, free demo version of sonnet lite can be downloaded from !!!-sonnetsoft!are-%om.
8t is limited to the si*e of circuit it can analy*e. Larger, more comple+ circuits require more
memory to analy*e. Sonnet Lite is limited to . -0 when it is first installed, but you can increase
the limit to ./ -0 by registering. Registration is free.
)ra!in& &eometry in Sonnet Lite<
This section describes the basic steps for drawing any geometry in Sonnet Lite along with
the geometry of a double stub micro strip tuner, which is used to analy*e double stub micro strip
design curves. Following are the steps for drawing geometry in Sonnet Lite.
8f you wish to manually enter new circuit geometry in the pro=ect editor, you must first create a
new pro=ect. To do so, select pro=ect 5ew 4eometry from pro=ect editor main menu or select
edit pro=ect new geometry. This opens a new geometry pro=ect with a blan pro=ect editor, quic
start guide and toolbo+. The screen will loo lie as shown in figure .
Fi&ure . /e! &eometry !ith blan" pro$e%t editor0 1ui%" start &uide 2 toolbo3 in sonnet lite
0efore entering the circuit in the pro=ect editor, the user should input what length and frequency
units to use for the geometry. 8t is possible to change the units later if needed. 1nits are available
for length, frequency, resistance, inductance and capacitance. Resistance, inductance and
capacitance are only available for 5et list 6ro=ects. The bo+ is as shown in figure 2.
Fi&ure 2 )ialo& bo3 for %hoosin& units
Spe%ify )iele%tri% Layers
The ne+t step is to specify the dielectric layers. 'ach dielectric layer has a metal level
associated with it. The circuit geometry consists of alternative dielectric layers and metal levels
enclosed in a si+ sided metal bo+.
The e+ample below in figure ! is a !"dimensional drawing of a circuit on the left side
with the dielectric dialog bo+ for the same circuit on the right. 8t is important to note that metal
level associated with the dielectric layer above it. For e+ample if we remove the dielectric layer
between metals levels . and 2 in figure ! shown below, the metal level 2 will also be removed.
$a4 $b4
Fi&ure 3' Spe%ifyin& diele%tri% layers in the diele%tri% dialo& bo3 5a4' 3-dimensional
dra!in& of a %ir%uit- 5b4 )iele%tri%s in the dialo& bo3
The type of dielectric is defined for each dielectric layer by entering the dielectric loss, thicness
in the dielectric layer dialog bo+.
For the double stub micro strip tuner dialog bo+ for dielectric layers as shown in figure 7
Fi&ure 6' )iele%tri% Layer dialo& bo3
Spe%ify %ell and bo3 si7e'
Sonnet analyses the circuit in a si+ sided shielding bo+. The cell si*e shows how the circuit is
sub sectioned for analysis and also it is used to set the grid for the circuit.
8hat is a bo39
Sonnet analy*es the planar structures inside a si+ sided shielding bo+. 8t is as
shown in figure C. 6ort connections are usually made at the bo+ sidewalls. The sidewalls of the
bo+ are modeled as lossless metal. The top and bottom of the bo+ can be defined with any metal
types. The perfectly conducting side walls allows sonnet to use the FFT, and because of FFT
technique it able to calculates the electromagnetic coupling on and between each dielectric
surface efficiently. 8f there is no bo+ it is not able to use FFT, it would use a 7"dimensional
numerical integration to calculate the same couplings. 5umerical integration introduces errors.
This error directly impacts the accuracy. So by using shielding bo+ the accuracy of sonnet
increases.

Fi&ure 5' Sonnet :o3
8hat is a Cell9
The electromagnetic analysis starts by automatically subdividing a circuit into
small subsections. , %ell is the basic building bloc of all the subsections, and each subsection is
built from one or more cells. The smaller the subsection is made, the more accurate the result is
and the longer it taes to get the result and vice versa. Therefore accuracy and processing time
depends upon the cell si*e.
For e+ample if you want to analy*e a line that is D.C mils wide, you no need to set your cell
dimension to E.C mils. ?ou can set it to 7.FC mils or !..// mils. This will speed up the analysis
because fewer subsections will be used. ,lso the width of the cell does not need to be the same
as the length.
For the double stub micro strip tuner the dialog bo+ for bo+ settings as shown in figure /
Fi&ure ;' :o3 settin&s for double stub
Spe%ify the metal types
The ne+t step is you need to specify the metal types for your circuit. 'very new circuit
geometry in Sonnet has one metal, Loss less, defined. 8f that is the only metal you wish to use,
you can sip this step. Gowever, if you wish to define additional metals for use in your circuit,
you can do. Gere for the double stub micro strip tuner 8 am using gold as my metal.
Add a poly&on
Selecting the add a rectangle button in the pro=ect editor>s toolbo+ provides you with a
quic way to create rectangular polygons.
Add a port
There are four ind of port we can add in Sonnet.
Standard bo+ wall port
1ngrounded internal port
:ia port
,uto grounded port.
The port added here in this double stub micro strip tuner is standard bo+ wall port. , standard
bo+ wall port is a grounded port, one terminal attached to a polygon edge coincident with a bo+
wall and the second terminal attached to ground.
Spe%ify fre1uen%y 2 analysis type
?ou must input the set of frequencies at which you wish to analy*e your circuit. There
are also some other types of analysis available. They are ,daptive Sweep $,0S%, Frequency
Sweep Combinations, 6arameter Sweep, 9ptimi*ation and '+ternal Frequency File.
For the double stub micro strip tuner the dialog bo+ for analysis as shown in figure F
Fi&ure <' )ialo& bo3 for Analysis setup in )ouble stub
The final geometry of double stub microstrip tuner will loo lie as shown in figure H.
Fi&ure = Final &eometry of double-stub mi%rostrip filter
Referen%es<
I.J www.sonnetsoftware.comAresources