CHAPTER 5 DESIGN METHODOLY OF MICROSTRIP RAT-RACE COUPLER

CHAPTER-5

DESIGN METHODOLY OF MICROSTRIP RAT-RACE

COUPLER
In this chapter step by step procedure for construction of rat-race coupler is described
briefly.
5.1 Step 1: Opening a New Project:

In HFSS Desktop, select menu item File > New. From the Project menu,
select Insert HFSS Design.

Figure-5.1: Opening a New Project.

5.2 Step 2: Solution Set Type:

Select the menu item HFSS > Solution Type

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 Choose Driven Terminal

 Click the OK button

Figure-5.2: Solution Set Type.

5.3 Step 3: Set Model Units:
Select the menu item Modeler > Units
 Select Units: mm
 Click the OK button

Figure-5.3: Set Model Units.

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5.4 Step 4: Set Default Material:

 Using the 3D Modeler Materials toolbar, choose Select
 Click the Add Material button
 For the Material Name type: My_Sub
 For the Value of Relative Permittivity type: 2.33
 For the Value of Dielectric Loss Tangent type: 4.29e-4
 Click the OK button

Figure-5.4: Set Default Material.

5.5 Step 5: Create Substrate:
 Select the menu item Draw > Regular Polyhedron Using the coordinate entry
fields, enter the center position X: 0.0, Y: 0.0, Z: -1.2, Press the Enter key
 Using the coordinate entry fields, enter the radius: dX: 22mm/cos(30*pi/180),dY:
0.0, dZ: 0.0, Press the Enter key
 Using the coordinate entry fields, enter the height dX: 0.0 dY: 0.0, dZ: 2.4, Press
the Enter key
 Segment Number Window and enter number of Number of Segments as 6 and Click
the OK button
 Select the Attribute tab from the Properties window. For the Value of Name type as
Substrate and Click the OK button
 To fit the view and Select the menu item View > Fit All > Active View

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Figure-5.5: Creating Substrate.

5.6 Step 6: Create Trace:
 Select the menu item Draw > Rectangle and by using the coordinate entry fields,
enter the rectangle position as X: -0.9, Y: 0.0, Z: 0.0, Press the Enter key
 Using the coordinate entry fields, enter the opposite corner of the rectangle as dX:
1.8, dY: 22., dZ: 0.0, Press the Enter key
 Select the Attribute tab from the Properties window. For the Value of Name type
select Trace and Click the OK button

Figure-5.6: Creating Trace

5.7 Step 7: Assign a Perfect E boundary to the Trace:
 Select the menu item Edit > Select > By Name
 Select the objects named: Trace

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 Click the OK button

 Select the menu item HFSS > Boundaries > Assign > Perfect E
 Name: PerfE_Trace
 Click the OK button

Figure-5.7: Assign a Perfect E boundary to the Trace.

5.8 Step 8: Create the remaining Traces:
 Select the menu item Edit > Select > By Name and Select the objects named: Trace
and Click the OK button
 Select the menu item, Edit > Duplicate > Around Axis and select below attributes
 Axis: Z
 Angle: 60deg
 Total Number: 4
 Click the OK button

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Figure-5.8: Create the remaining Traces.

5.9 Step 9: Create Outer Ring:
 Select the menu item Modeler > Grid Plane > XY
 Select the menu item Draw > Circle and by using the coordinate entry fields, enter
the position as X: 0.0, Y: 0.0, Z: 0.0, Press the Enter key
 Using the coordinate entry fields, enter the radius as dX: 11.8, dY: 0.0, dZ: 0.0,
Press the Enter key
 Select the Attribute tab from the Properties window. For the Value of Name
type select outer, Click the OK button
 To fit the view. Select the menu item View > Fit All > Active View ( Ctrl + D)

Figure-5.9: Create Outer Ring.

5.10 Step 10: Unite the Conductors:
 Select the menu item Edit > Select > By Name and Select the objects named as
Outer , Trace, Trace_1, Trace_2, Trace_3 and Click the OK button
 Select the menu item, Modeler > Boolean > Unite

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Figure-6.0: Unite the Conductors.

5.11 Step 11: Create Inner Ring:
 Select the menu item Draw > Circle
 Using the coordinate entry fields, enter the position
o X: 0.0, Y: 0.0, Z: 0.0, Press the Enter key
 Using the coordinate entry fields, enter the radius:
o dX: 10.8, dY: 0.0, dZ: 0.0, Press the Enter key
 Select the Attribute tab from the Properties window.
 For the Value of Name type: Inner
 Click the OK button
 Select the menu item Edit > Select > By Name
 Select the objects named: Outer, Inner
 Click the OK button
 Select the menu item, Modeler > Boolean > Subtract
 Blank Parts: Outer (may also be called Outer depending on selection
order in previous step)
 Tool Parts: Inner
 Clone tool objects before subtracting: � Unchecked
 Click the OK button

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Figure-6.1: Create Inner Ring.

5.12 Step 12: Create Wave Port Excitation:
This structure requires 4 ports with 1 terminal per port. We could use face
selection to select the ends of the substrate that represent the port, assign excitation, and
repeat for port 2-4. Since we can duplicate port definitions, it is more efficient to define
a rectangle with the appropriate port definition and copy it to the location of ports 2-4.
The second method is described here:
 Select the menu item Modeler > Grid Plane > XZ
 Select the menu item View > Modify Attributes > Orientation
 From the list select the view name: Right
 Click the Apply To View button
 Click the Close button
 Select the menu item View > Fit All > Active View.
 Select the menu item Draw > Rectangle
 Using the mouse, position the active position indicator such that it snaps to the
vertex of the lower left corner of the substrate face. The shape of the active
position indicator will change to a square when it snaps to the vertex.
 Click the left mouse button to select this point as the start position.
 Continued on next page…

Figure-6.2: Selecting point at the start position.

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Using the mouse, position the active position indicator such that it snaps to the
vertex of the upper right corner of the substrate face. The shape of the active position
indicator will change to a square when it snaps to the vertex and click the left mouse
button to set the opposite corner of the rectangle.

Figure-6.3: Selecting point at the opposite corner of rectangle.

Select the Attribute tab from the Properties window.

 For the Value of Name type: Port
 Click the OK button
 To fit the view select the menu item View > Fit All > Active View

Figure-6.4: Fit the active view.

Select the menu item Edit > Select > By Name
 Select the objects named: Port Click the OK button
 Select the menu item HFSS > Excitations > Assign > Wave Port and click the Next
button and click the Finish button
 Right click on port 1 under the Excitation in Project Manager Window and
select Auto Assign Terminals and click the OK button (Reference conductor is
implied)

Figure-6.5: Auto assigning terminals.

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Figure-6.6: Naming terminals.

5.13 Step 13: Creating an Analysis Setup:
Select the menu item HFSS > Analysis Setup > Add Solution Setup and click the
General tab:
 Solution Frequency: 4.2 GHz
 Maximum Number of Passes: 20
 Maximum Delta S: 0.02
 Click the OK button

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Figure-6.7: Creating an Analysis Setup.

5.14 Step 14: Adding a Frequency Sweep :
 Select the menu item HFSS > Analysis Setup > Add Frequency Sweep
 Select Solution Setup: Setup1
 Click the OK button
 Edit Sweep Window:
 Sweep Type: Fast
 Frequency Setup Type: Linear Step
 Start: 2.0 GHz
 Stop: 7.0 GHz
 Step: 0.05 GHz
 Save Fields: Checked and Click the OK button

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 Save Project :
 Select the menu item File > Save As
 Filename: hfss_ringhybrid
 Click the Save button

 Model Validation :
 Select the menu item HFSS > Validation Check
 Click the Close button (Note: To view any errors or
 warning messages, use the Message Manager.)

Figure-6.8: Adding a Frequency Sweep.

5.15 Step 15: Analysing HFFS:

 Select the menu item HFSS > Analyze All
In the Solution Data, Select the menu item HFSS > Results > Solution
Data

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Figure-6.9: Analysing HFSS project.

 To view the Profile, Click the Profile Tab.
 To view the Convergence, Click the Convergence Tab
 Note: The default view is for convergence is Table. Select the Plot radio button to
view a graphical representations of the convergence data.
 To view the Matrix Data, Click the Matrix Data Tab
 Note: To view a real-time update of the Matrix Data, set the Simulation to Setup1,
Last Adaptive
 To view the Mesh Statistics, Click the Mesh Statistics Tab. Click the Close
button and Create Terminal S-Parameter Plot vs. Adaptive Pass
 Note: If this report is created prior or during the solution process, a real-time
update of the results are displayed
 Select the menu item HFSS > Results > Create Terminal Solution Data Report >
Rectangular Plot
 Solution: Setup1: Adaptive Pass
 Click the Trace tab
 Primary Sweep: Pass

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 Category: Terminal S Parameter

 Quantity: St(Trace_T1,Trace_T1), St(Trace_T1,Trace_T2),
St(Trace_T1,Trace_T3),
 St(Trace_T1,Trace_T4) (hold down the Ctrl key to select multiple quantities)
 Function: dB
 Click the New Report button
 Click the Close button
 Create Terminal S-Parameter Plot – Magnitude
 Select the menu item HFSS > Results > Create Terminal Solution
Data Report > Rectangular Plot
 Solution: Setup1: Sweep
 Domain: Sweep
 Click the Trace tab
 Primary sweep: Frequency
 Category: Terminal S Parameter
 Quantity: St(Trace_T1,Trace_T1), St(Trace_T1,Trace_T2),
St(Trace_T1,Trace_T3),
 St(Trace_T1,Trace_T4)
 Function: dB
 Click the New Report button
 Click the Close button

Figure-7.0: Return loss of Rat-race coupler.

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Similarly by calculating VSWR of the rat-race coupler, we will get following

graph.

Figure-7.1: VSWR of Rat-race coupler.

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