Workshop 3-4: Circular Waveguide Horn Antenna

Introduction to ANSYS HFSS

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Example – Circular Waveguide Horn Antenna
• Circular Waveguide Horn Antenna
• This example is intended to show you how to simulate and analyze a circular waveguide horn antenna system efficiently, using ANSYS
Electronic Desktop 2016.

Radome

Waveguide Plug

Dielectric Waveguide

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HFSS: Getting Started
• Launching ANSYS Electronics Desktop 2015
• To access ANSYS Electronics Desktop, click the Microsoft Start button, select Programs > ANSYS Electromagnetics > ANSYS
Electromagnetics Suite 17.0 > ANSYS Electronics Desktop 2016

• Setting Tool Options

• Select the menu item Tools > Options > General Options…
– Find HFSS line and expand it
• Choose Boundary Assignment window and check all entries
– Find 3D Modeler line and expand it
• Choose Drawing window and make sure the last line is checked
• Find Display line and expand it
– Choose History Tree window and check all entries

Option settings suggested here ensure that the user can consistently follow the
steps in the Workshop. A user can prefer his/her own option configuration.

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Creating the Design

• Opening the Project

• In Electronic Desktop, click the  On the Standard toolbar, or
select the menu item File > Open.
• Browse to the folder containing the file WaveguideHornAntenna.aedt and
select Open

• Review Solution Type

• Select the menu item HFSS > Solution Type
• Note that the following is selected
– Driven Modal
– Network Analysis
– Click the OK button

• Review Model Units

• Select the menu item Modeler > Units
• Note that the following is selected
– Select Units: mil
– Click the OK button

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Setting the Materials
• Set the waveguide plug Material
• Select the WG_Plug object from the modeler tree
• Right click and select Assign Material
• From the Select Definition window, click the Add Material Button
• For the Material Name type: WGPlug
• For the Value of Relative Permittivity type: 1.9
• Click the OK Button to create the material
– Click the OK button to assign the material

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Setting the Materials
• Set the waveguide Material
• Similarly select the WG object from the modeler tree
• Right click and select Assign Material
• From the Select Definition window, click the Add Material Button
• For the Material Name type: WG
• For the Value of Relative Permittivity type: 2.1
• Click the OK Button to create the material
– Click the OK button to assign the material

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Setting the Materials
• Set the waveguide Body Material
• Similarly select the WG_Body object from the modeler tree
• Right click and select Assign Material
• From the Select Definition window:
– Type aluminum in the Search by Name field
– Click the OK button to assign the material

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Setting the Materials
• Set the Radom Material
• Similarly select the Radome object from the modeler tree
• Right click and select Assign Material
• From the Select Definition window, click the Add Material Button
• For the Material Name type: Radome
• For the Value of Relative Permittivity type: 4.1
• Click the OK Button to create the material
– Click the OK button to assign the material

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Port Setup
• Create Excitation
• Select the WG object from the modeler tree
• Select the menu item View > Visibility > Show Only Selection > Active
View or click the icon shortcut in the Toolbar. All but WG objects became
In ToolBar, make sure
hidden.
that snapping to edge
• Select the menu item Edit > Select > Faces quadrant is On
• Rotate the object and graphically select the bottom face of the WG by
left clicking mouse button
• Select the menu item HFSS > Excitations > Assign > Wave Port
– Wave Port : General
• Name: p1
• Click the Next button
– Wave Port : Modes Snapping to point 1
• Number of Modes: 2,
• For mode 1, click the None entry in the Integration Line column
and select New Line
• On the port face, draw the diameter parallel to Y axis by either
– Snapping to the points graphically as shown here or
– Using coordinate entry fields:
• Point1: X: 0., Y:- 284., Z: -990.
• Point2: X: 0., Y: 284., Z: -990.

Snapping to point 2

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Port Setup
• Create Excitation (contd.)
• For mode 2, click the None entry in the Integration Line column and select New Line
• On the port face, draw the diameter parallel to X axis by either
– Snapping to the points graphically or
– Using coordinate entry fields:
• Point1: X: -284., Y:0., Z: -990.,
• Point2: X: 284., Y: 0., Z: -990.
• Select Align modes using integration lines
• For both modes, click the none entry in the Alignment Groups column and select 1
• Click the Next button
– Click the Finish button

Note: Rotational symmetry in this waveguide produces

ambiguity in both mode alignment and mode order. That is
why it is necessary to align modes instead of just setting mode
polarity. All modes with the same propagation constant should
be assigned to the same group. For more details, see Appendix
Lecture materials.

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Create Open Region

• Create Open Region

• Select the menu item HFSS > Model > Create Model Region
– Operating Frequency: 10.8GHz
– Boundary: choose PML radio button
– Click the OK button
• Select the menu item View > Visibility > Show All > Active View
• Select the menu item View > Fit All > Active View

Note: New vacuum object called RadiatingSurface is

automatically created, Perfectly Matched Layers are also
created automatically. New objects can be seen in Modeler
Tree window. Also PML_radiation boundary conditions are
created on the faces of the region.

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Analysis Setup
• Creating an Analysis Setup
• Select the menu item HFSS > Analysis Setup > Add
Solution Setup…
Add Solution Setup
– Click the General tab:
• Solution Frequency: 10.8 GHz
• Maximum Number of Passes: 10
– Click HPC and Analysis Options button
• Make sure that all cores available are used
• Edit HPC and Analysis configuration if necessary
– With active configuration chosen, click Edit
button
• Use Automatic Settings:  Checked
– Click the Ok button to save Analysis
Configuration
• Click the Ok button to apply active Analysis
Configuration

Note: Number of cores are determined based on

hardware and licensing options. For classroom
settings, use 4.

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Analysis Setup
• Creating an Analysis Setup (contd.)
– Click the Options tab:
• Select order of basis functions: Second Order
• Enable the iterative solver:  Iterative Solver
– Click the OK button

Adaptive Frequency

Basis Order

Iterative Solver

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Analysis Setup

• Adding a Frequency Sweep

• Select the menu item HFSS > Analysis Setup > Add Frequency Sweep… Add Sweep
– Select Solution Setup: Setup1
– Click the OK button
• Edit Sweep Window:
– Sweep Type: Discrete
– Frequency Setup Type: Linear Step
• Start: 10.2 GHz
• Stop: 10.8 GHz
• Step Size: 0.1 GHz
• Save Fields (All Frequencies):  Checked
– Click the OK button

Note: Discrete sweep solves frequency points using adaptive

mesh at every frequency. Matrix Data and Fields at every
frequency in sweep are reported.

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Analyze
• Save Project
• Select the menu item File > Save As
– Filename: hfss_wg_ant
– Click the Save button

• Model Validation Validate Analyze All

• Select the menu item HFSS > Validation Check

– Click the Close button
• Note: To view any errors or warning messages, use the Message Manager.

• Analyze
• Select the menu item HFSS > Analyze All

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Post Processing: 2D Rectangular Plot, S-Parameters
• Create Reports
• Select the menu item HFSS > Results > Create Modal Solution Data Report> Rectangular Plot
– Solution: Setup1: Sweep
– Domain: Sweep
• Category: S Parameter
• Quantity: S(p1:1, p1:1), S(p1:1, p1:2), S(p1:2, p1:2) Note: Hold Ctrl key to select multiple traces
• Function: dB
• Click New Report button
– Click Close button

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Post Processing: Edit Sources
• Set Mode Field Excitation Note: The Edit Sources only impacts the field display and
• Select the menu item HFSS > Fields > Edit Sources data based on the fields (Far/Near Field). The default for
• Edit Sources Window: a Driven Modal solution is to excite Port 1 Mode 1 with
1W. The remaining modal ports are perfectly matched.
– For p1:1: Magnitude: 1, Phase: 0 deg The suggested option with equal amplitude and 90 deg
– For p1:2: Magnitude: 1, Phase: 90 deg shift between modes creates a circular polarization.
• Click the OK button

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Post Processing: Field Overlay, E-Field
• Create Field Overlay
• Return to the 3D Model Window HFSS > 3D Model Editor
• From the 3D Model tree, expand the Planes
• From the tree, select the Global XY
• Select the menu item HFSS > Fields > Plot Fields > E > Mag_E
– Solution: Setup1 : LastAdaptive
– Quantity: Mag_E
– Click the Done button
• Select the menu item HFSS > Fields > Modify Plot Attributes
– In Plot Folder Window, Click the OK button
– E-Field Window:
• Click the Scale tab
– Scale: Log
• If real time mode is not checked, click the Apply button.
– Click the Close button
• To Animate the field plot:
– Select the menu item HFSS > Fields> Animate
• Click the OK button

3D Model Tree

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Post Processing: 3D Radiation Pattern, Gain
• Create a Radiation Setup for 3D Far Field report
• Select the menu item HFSS > Radiation > Insert Far Field Setup > Infinite Sphere
• Name: 3d
• Phi: (Start: 0, Stop: 360, Step Size: 2)
• Theta: (Start: 0, Stop: 180, Step Size: 2)
– Click the OK button

• Create Report
• Select the menu item HFSS > Results > Create Far Fields Report> 3D Polar Plot
• New Report Window:
– Solution: Setup1: Last Adaptive
– Geometry: 3d
• Category: Gain
• Quantity: GainTotal
• Function: dB
• Click New Report button
– Click Close button

• Create a Radiation Setup for Radiation pattern report

• Select the menu item HFSS > Radiation > Insert Far Field Setup > Infinite Sphere
• Name: 2d
• Phi: (Start: 0, Stop: 0, Step Size: 10)
• Theta: (Start: -180, Stop: 180, Step Size: 2)
– Click the OK button

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Post Processing: 2D Radiation Pattern, Gain
• Create Reports
• Select the menu item HFSS > Results > Create Far Fields Report> Radiation Pattern
• New Report Window:
– Solution: Setup1: Last Adaptive
– Geometry: 2d
• Category: Gain
• Quantity: GainLHCP, GainRHCP, Note: Hold Ctrl key to select multiple traces
• Function: dB
• Click New Report button
– Click Close button

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Post Processing: Field Overlay, Radiation Pattern
• Create Field Overlay
• Return to the 3D Model Window HFSS > 3D Model Editor
• Select the menu item HFSS > Fields > Plot Fields > Radiation Field
– Overly Radiation Field Window:
• 3D Polar Plot 1:  Visible
– Transparency: 0.75
– Scale: 0.25
• Radiation Pattern 1:  Visible
– Transparency: 0.5
– Scale: 0.25
• Click Apply
• Click Close
Note: The Mag_E field overlay visibility can be turned on/off from the Project Manger Window.

The mag_E field overlay visibility off The Mag_E field overlay visibility on

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