IE3D Tutorial 1: Edge-fed Patch Antenna

Goal: design a microstripline edge-fed patch antenna operating at

2.425 GHz using a substrate with thickness 1.6 mm,
. The
return loss must be less than 20 dB at 2.425 GHz.
1.
2.

Start a New Project

File->New
Specifying layer structures in the Basic Parameters Dialog

Input a grounded substrate with thickness 1.6 mm,

3.
4.

Save it as tutorial1.geo
File->Save as
Determine the approximate size of the patch.
,

5.

Enter a half wavelength (

6.

Entity->Rectangle
Determine the line width of a 50 microstrip line.
The width is about 4.5 mm. Let the length be near quarter
wavelength (

7.

) square patch.

Entity->Rectangle
Define a wave port at the end of the microstrip line. Set
reference plane to the edge of the patch. Change the default
setting. Good Reference = 20. Min. Extension = 20. Min.
Length Ratio = 6.
1

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

16.

17.

Port->Define Port.
Perform a simulation from 1 GHz to 3 GHz. Set Mesh
Frequency at 3 GHz and 10 per wavelength. Enable edge mesh.
Select 1 layer. Select contemporary meshing scheme.
Process->Simulate
From the simulated result, the length is too long. Select two
vertices of the patch to tune the length.
Edit->Select Vertices
Set up a variable called Length with lower bound 0 and upper
bound 10.
Optim->Variables for Selected Objects
Define the tuning range of the variable from 2.5 to 10 at step
2.5.
Process->Simulate
Plot the simulated results in Modua. Make sure it is possible to
reach resonance at 2.425 GHz and this length range.
File->Parameter File Queue
Perform a optimization on length to reach resonance at 2.425
GHz. Select Powell. Set Error Function Limit to 1e-7. Set
Maximum Iteration to 100. Set frequency to only 2.425 GHz.
Set optimization goal to the phase of S11 to be between
.
Process->Optimize
After successful optimization, file tutorial1m.geo will be
opened. Next step is to optimize the S-parameter. First, perform
a frequency sweep and check the Smith Chart to determine the
whether the impedance is too large or small. The result is that
the impedance is too large at 2.425 GHz.
Enlarge the width of the patch to reduce its impedance. Select
the top 2 vertices and make it a variable. Do the same to the
lower 2 vertices. Remember to change the Turning Angle in
Optimization Variable Definition Dialog
Delete the Length variable. Link the lower vertices to the upper
vertices.
Optim->Change Variables and Calls
Perform a sweep over the variable Width from 10 to 50 at step
2

10 to see if the goal

can be reached. From the

result, it can be reached at 40.

Process->Simulate
18. Delete the variables. Enlarge the patch accordingly. Build the
variables again. Set the width variable range to
and length
variable range to
. Perform an optimization for the goal
.
19. Check current and pattern to see if it is the right resonance.