05.02.

2010

CST MICROWAVE STUDIO

General purpose solver 3D-volume
Transient Frequency Domain large problems broadband arbitrary time signals narrow band / single frequency small problems periodic structures with Floquet port modes

Special solver 3D-volume: closed resonant structures

Eigenmode FD Resonant strongly resonant structures, narrow band cavities strongly resonant, non radiating structures

Special solver 3D-surface: large open metallic structures

Integral Equation (based on MLFMM)
1

large structures dominated by metal

Transient Solver Introduction

Begin with no energy inside calculation domain. Inject energy and step through time. As time progresses, energy inside calculation domain decays. When energy decays far enough, the simulation stops.

hexahedral mesh only time and frequency domain results all frequencies in one simulation

05.02.2010

Transient Solver
Overview An arbitrary input signal can be used. Inject energy and watch it dissipate. Solve for unknowns without matrix inversion. Hexahedral mesh: broadband meshing and results with a single solver run. Simulation is performed on a port-by-port basis. smaller mesh cells = longer simulation runtime Energy storage for high Q structures prolongs simulation time.
The transient solver is very robust and can handle most applications. Well suited applications: broadband, electrically large structures. Highly resonant, electrically small structures may be better suited to the frequency domain solver.
3

Frequency Domain Solver

Simulation performed at single frequencies. Broadband Frequency Sweep to achieve accurate S-parameters. Very robust automatic mesh refinement (easy to learn). 2nd general purpose solver (besides time domain)

05.02.2010

Eigenmode Solver

The eigenmode solver is a very specialized tool for closed cavities. No S-parameters are generated, only eigenmodes which are single frequency results. Well suited applications: narrow band, resonant cavities.

Integral Equation Solver

Areas of application S-parameter calculation far field & RCS calculation reflector antennas for electrically large problems Excitations plane wave excitation discrete face ports waveguide ports far field source excitation current source

05.02.2010

General Performance Tuning

General Performance Tuning

To obtain the most efficient simulation times:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Delete all unnecessary field monitors. Stimulate only the ports necessary for the results of interest. Consider structure symmetries. Use the combined strength of CST DESIGN STUDIO and the 3D CST solver modules. If applicable, use field sources to reduce model complexity.

05.02.2010

Field Monitors
3D field monitors need resources and slow down the simulation. Thus, do not define field monitors you do not really need.

Excitation Ports
Excite only the ports of interest.

Example: Only excitation of mode 1 for port 1 is of interest.

Only the desired port/mode is excited.

10

05.02.2010

Symmetry Planes (I)

Electric and magnetic symmetry conditions are available.
Computational Domain Magnetic

Electric

Computational resources (memory and simulation time) can be reduced by a factor of 4 for this example!

To use symmetry conditions the model and the excitation must meet this symmetry.
11

Symmetry Planes (II)

Electric Field

Magnetic Field

Electric symmetry plane (i.e. tangential electric field vanishes) Magnetic symmetry plane (i.e. tangential magnetic field vanishes)

To use symmetry conditions the model and the excitation must meet the symmetry specifications.
12

05.02.2010

Performance Tuning for Transient Simulations

13

Transient Simulation - Behind the Scenes

Excitation Time Signal Output Time Signal

Numerical time integration of 3D Maxwell equations

Port 1
The simulation duration depends on:

Port 2

1. Duration of input signal (determined by frequency range selected) 2. Duration of output signal (determined mainly by the size and the resonances of the model under study) 3. Time step width for numerical time integration (determined by the mesh used to discretize your model)
14

05.02.2010

Performance Tuning -Transient Simulations

To obtain the most efficient simulation times:
1. 2. Decrease the duration of the excitation signal by choosing a proper frequency range. Split the simulation frequency range into several portions for structures with multiple resonances such that only one resonance is left in each frequency band. Use online AR-Filter for resonant structures (for S-parameter calc.). Increase time step by increasing the size of the smallest mesh cell. Use subgridding if applicable. Use the combined strength of CST DESIGN STUDIO and CST MWS.

3. 4. 5. 6.

15

Frequency Range (I) Excitation Signal

The duration of the excitation pulse for the T-solver is proportional to Frequency Range = IDFT Resulting Excitation Signal .

DFT
frequency time

IDFT

DFT
frequency
16

time

The broader the frequency range the shorter the excitation signal.

05.02.2010

Frequency Range (II) Excitation Signal

If DC is included ( ) then the duration of the excitation pulse decreases again compared to the case . Frequency Range = IDFT Resulting Excitation Signal

DFT
Frequency Time

Frequency Range = IDFT

DFT
Frequency Time

17

If the excited mode has no cutoff frequency (TEM or Quasi-TEM), include DC in the simulation bandwidth.

Frequency Range (III) - Resonances

Be very careful when changing the frequency range as this may lead to the inclusion of a resonance that was previously excluded. This will increase the amount of transient activity (duration of output signals) and slow down the energy decay leading to a longer simulation time.

Higher upper frequency limit increases simulated time interval by >10 ns.
18

Resonance is included in frequency range causing the slow energy decay.

05.02.2010

Frequency Range (IV) - Resonances

A method to decrease transient activity (duration of the output signals) is to break up the simulation bandwidth into intervals. This has the effect of only simulating one resonant point at a time.

Frequency Range 1

Frequency Range 2

19

Online AR-Filter (I)

Resonant structures capture the EM energy which leads to a slow energy decay and thus, to a long simulation time.
Example: Waveguide Iris Filter

20

"Ringing" behavior of time signals

Inaccurate S-parameters (ripples) due to truncation error

10

05.02.2010

Online AR-Filter (II)

Such a resonant behavior of the time signals, can easily be predicted using an analytical model. This is what the AR-Filter does. Signals which can be described by a weighted sum of exponentially decaying sine functions of different frequency can be handled.

3D simulation in this range.

analytical description possible in this range

If such an analytical description of the time signal can be found, the ARfilter can produce accurate S-parameter results. This can shorten the simulation time.
21

Increase the Time Step

For stability, the time step is determined by the smallest mesh step. Increasing the smallest mesh step will increase the time step.
Mesh line ratio limit > 30 allows fine meshing.

tiny t: slow

Thin Wires

t
Mesh line ratio limit < 5 generates one mesh line.

Thin Microstrip Line

big t: fast

t w
t
22

11

05.02.2010

Smallest Mesh Step

The smallest mesh step in a model can be visualized in the mesh view.
To increase the smallest mesh step the following settings can be adjusted: 1. Decrease the ratio limit in the global mesh settings or specify the minimal size of the smallest mesh cell. 2. Switch off fixpoints of less important model parts.

23

BUT: Be aware of critical cells when coarsening the mesh!

Staircase Cells
Cells which contain more than two metallic material boundaries are completely filled with PEC (staircase cells).

A warning is shown by the solver to inform you of this modification.

Staircase cells are shown in the mesh view.

24

12

05.02.2010

Online Help PBA and TST

PBA

TST

25

Whenever a mesh cell cuts more than two metallic material boundaries the cell is filled with PEC material (staircase cell). Quite often such cells do not influence the simulation result much, but if they introduce shortcuts (as shown on the last slide) this might be critical.

Workflow Example
Horn Antenna
Purpose : Optimize the aperture of the horn antenna such that the gain is maximized at 10 GHz.

26

13

05.02.2010

CST MWS - Standard Workflow

Choose a project template. Create your model.
parameters + geometry + materials

Define ports. Set the frequency range. Specify boundary and symmetry conditions. Define monitors. Check the mesh. Run the simulation.
27

Cylindrical Horn Antenna 8 12 GHz

1 0.5 0.5 dia=2, rad=1 zlength=2 units: inch waveguide: 1.0 in x 0.5 in x 0.5 in aperture radius: 1.0 in, length: 0.25 in shell thickness: 0.01 in (outside) monitors: E-field, H-field & far field at 10 GHz

0.25

28

14

05.02.2010

Project Template
At the beginning choose File -> New to create a new project. For an existing project you may choose File -> Select Template.

The project templates customize the default settings for particular types of applications.
29

Project Template
background material

Antennas should be modeled with vacuum as background material.

PEC is very practical for closed structures. (e.g. waveguides, connectors, filters)

The project templates customize the default settings for particular types of applications.
30

15

05.02.2010

Change the Units

Define units.

31

Horn Antenna Construction (I)

Define a brick (1.0 x 0.5 x 0.5 in) made of PEC.

Pick face. Align the WCS with the face.

Define a cylinder (outer radius: 1.0 in, height: 0.25 in) made of PEC.
32

Move the WCS by 2.0 inches.

16

05.02.2010

Horn Antenna Construction (II)

Pick two opposite faces.

Perform a loft.

33

Horn Antenna Construction (III)

Perform a Boolean add. Select multiple objects (ctrl or shift + left mouse button).

shell solid: 0.01 in (outside)

Pick two faces.

34

17

05.02.2010

Port Definition
Pick point inside corner. Define a waveguide port.

Pick edge.

Define the port on the internal profile.

35

Set the Frequency Range

Set the frequency range.

36

18

05.02.2010

Boundary Conditions and Symmetry Planes

37

3D Monitors

Add field monitors for E-field, H-field, and far field at 10 GHz.

38

19

05.02.2010

Mesh View (I)

mesh properties

39

Mesh View (II)

TST at work!

40

20

05.02.2010

Transient Solver: Start Simulation

The accuracy defines the steadystate monitor. The simulation is finished when the electromagnetic energy in the computational domain falls below this level.

41

Analyze 1D Results
port signals

S-parameter

energy

42

21

05.02.2010

Analyze 2D/3D Results

port information:
cut-off frequency line impedance propagation constant
43

Electric Field at 10 GHz

44

22

05.02.2010

Far Field at 10 GHz

45

Polar Plot for Far Field at 10 GHz

phi=90 phi=0

Create a new folder Comparison to compare different 1D results.

46

23

05.02.2010

Parameterization Optimization

47

Parameterization (I)

r1
outer radius r1 = variable goal: maximize gain

48

24

05.02.2010

Parameterization (II)

outer radius r1

49

Result Processing Templates (Shift+P)

1D results Define gain(theta) at phi=0.

Postprocessing templates provide a convenient way to calculate derived quantities from simulation results. Each template is evaluated for each solver run.
50

25

05.02.2010

Result Processing Templates (Shift+P)

0D results

Define max of gain(theta).

Read the online help to learn more about the postprocessing in CST MWS.
51

Result Processing Templates (Shift+P)

Alternative solution: The maximum gain can be computed using the Farfield template in 0D Results.

Define max of gain(theta).

52

26

05.02.2010

Parameter Sweep - Settings

1

3
53

Parameter Sweep - Settings

Add a S-parameter watch.

The results will be automatically listed in the Tables folder.

54

27

05.02.2010

Parameter Sweep Table Results

Right click on plot window and select Table Properties.

Choose the result curve for each parameter value with the slider.

55

Parameter Sweep Table Results

parameter values

parameter values

56

28

05.02.2010

Automatic Optimization

57

Automatic Optimization
Define the parameter space. Define the goal function.

Template based postprocessing 0D results can be used to define very complex goal functions.
58

29

05.02.2010

Automatic Optimization
Choose the Classic Powell optimizer. Follow the optimization.

59

Automatic Optimization - Results

parameter values

1D results

goal: maximize gain

60

30