Getting Started with HFSS: Monocone
Antenna
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Getting Started with HFSS: Monocone Antenna
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Getting Started with HFSS: Monocone Antenna
Conventions Used in this Guide
Please take a moment to review how instructions and other useful information are presented in this
guide.
l Procedures are presented as numbered lists. A single bullet indicates that the procedure
has only one step.
l Bold type is used for the following:
o Keyboard entries that should be typed in their entirety exactly as shown. For example,
“copy file1” means the word copy must be typed, then a space must be typed, and
then file1 must be typed.
o On-screen prompts and messages, names of options and text boxes, and menu com-
mands. Menu commands are often separated by carats. For example, “click
HFSS>Excitations>Assign>Wave Port.”
o Labeled keys on the computer keyboard. For example, “Press Enter” means to press
the key labeled Enter.
l Italic type is used for the following:
o Emphasis.
o The titles of publications.
o Keyboard entries when a name or a variable must be typed in place of the words in ital-
ics. For example, “copy file name” the word copy must be typed, then a space must
be typed, and then name of the file must be typed.
l The plus sign (+) is used between keyboard keys to indicate that you should press the keys
at the same time. For example, “Press Shift+F1” means to press the Shift key and the F1
key at the same time.
Ribbons, menu bars, and short-cut menus are three methods that can be used to see what
commands are available in the application.
l Ribbons are the rectangular area on top of the application window and contain multiple tabs.
Each tab has relevant commands that are organized, grouped, and labeled. An example of a
typical user interaction is as follows:
"On the Draw ribbon tab, click the Box primitive" means you can click the Box icon on the
Draw tab and execute the Box command to draw a box.
l The menu bar (located above the ribbon) is a group of the main commands of an application
arranged by category such File, Edit, View, Project, etc. An example of a typical user inter-
action is as follows:
"On the File menu, click the Open Examples command" means you can click the File menu
and then click Open Examples to launch the dialog box.
l Another alternative is to use the short-cut menu that appears when you click the right-mouse
button. An example of a typical user interaction is as follows:
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Getting Started with HFSS: Monocone Antenna
“Right-click and select Assign Excitation> Wave Port” means when you click the right-
mouse button with an object face selected, you can execute the excitation commands from
the short-cut menu (and the corresponding sub-menus).
Getting Help: ANSYS Technical Support
For information about ANSYS Technical Support, go to the ANSYS corporate Support website,
https://www.ansys.com/Support. You can also contact your ANSYS account manager in order to
obtain this information.
All ANSYS software files are ASCII text and can be sent conveniently by e-mail. When reporting dif-
ficulties, it is extremely helpful to include very specific information about what steps were taken or
what stages the simulation reached, including software files as applicable. This allows more rapid
and effective debugging.
Help Menu
To access help from the menu bar, click Help and select from the menu:
l HFSS Contents - click here to open the contents of the help.
l HFSS Search - click here to open the search function of the online help.
Context-Sensitive Help
To access help from the user interface, do one of the following:
l To open a help topic about a specific menu command, press Shift+F1, and then click the
command or toolbar icon.
l To open a help topic about a specific dialog box, open the dialog box, and then press F1.
4
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Getting Started with HFSS: Monocone Antenna
Table of Contents
Table of Contents Contents-1
1 - Introduction 1-1
Launch Application and Insert HFSS Design 1-1
2 - Create the Model 2-1
Set Drawing Options 2-1
Set Units and Default Material 2-2
Draw the Ground Plane Rectangle 2-3
Assign an Infinite Ground Plane 2-4
Draw the Cone 2-6
Draw the Port Rectangle 2-8
Assign Lumped Port Excitation 2-9
Assign an IE Region 2-11
3 - Add Solution Setup and Analyze 3-1
4 - Plot the Radiation Pattern 4-1
Contents-1
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Getting Started with HFSS: Monocone Antenna
Contents-2
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Getting Started with HFSS: Monocone Antenna
1 - Introduction
This example looks at the radiation pattern from a monocone antenna using the HFSS design type
with an IE hybrid region applied to the model objects. An IE Region results in a fullwave Integral
Equation solver being used to analyze the model. This solver is particularly well suited for analyzing
large conducting objects, and it eliminates the necessity of creating an open region (that is, a
vacuum or air box) around the model to determine far field effects.
Note:
IE Regions in an HFSS design have replaced the legacy HFSS-IE design type. If you
open a legacy HFSS-IE design, you are prompted with the option to automatically con-
vert the model to an HFSS design with an IE Region applied to its objects.
Building this model is straightforward. You need to create a 3D solid cone and two rectangular
sheet objects—one to serve as an infinite ground plane and one as a port.
Launch Application and Insert HFSS Design
Prepare for building the model by completing the following steps:.
Introduction 1-1
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Getting Started with HFSS: Monocone Antenna
1. Launch the ANSYS Electronics Desktop application.
2. Insert a new project (if an empty one doesn't already exist), and name it Mono-
coneAntenna.
3. On the Desktop ribbon tab, click HFSS to insert an HFSS design.
Note:
You do not have to access the HFSS drop-down menu. Inserting an HFSS design
(as opposed to an HFSS 3D Layout design) is the default action when you click this
icon.
Introduction 1-2
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Getting Started with HFSS: Monocone Antenna
2 - Create the Model
In this section you will draw the model geometry and assign the excitation. The following pro-
cedures are covered:
l Set Drawing Options
l Set Units and Default Material
l Draw the Ground Plane Rectangle
l Assign an Infinite Ground Plane
l Draw the Cone
l Draw the Port Rectangle
l Assign Lumped Port Excitation
l Assign an IE Region
Set Drawing Options
Before creating any geometry, you must customize a couple of program options to ensure that your
experience is consistent with the instructions in this guide.
1. On the Desktop ribbon tab, click General Options.
The Options dialog box appears.
2. On the left side of the dialog box, expand the 3D Modeler branch and select Drawing.
3. Specify the following 3D Modeler – Drawing settings:
a. Select the Point option under Drawing Data Entry Mode.
Note:
This option enable you to define objects by clicking grid points or snapping
points in the Modeler window or by typing coordinates in the coordinate text
boxes that are located in the status bar. The alternative method opens a dia-
log box as soon as you execute a drawing command, and you specify the
properties entirely within the dialog box.
b. Ensure that the Edit properties of new primitives option is cleared (that is, not
selected).
Create the Model 2-1
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Getting Started with HFSS: Monocone Antenna
Note:
When selected, this option causes a dialog box to appear for editing the
object's parameters whenever you create an object (such as a box, line, or
cylinder). For this exercise, you will instead use the docked Properties win-
dow to edit the parameters of your drawn objects.
4. Click OK.
Set Units and Default Material
1. On the Draw ribbon tab, click Units.
The Set Model Units dialog box appears.
2. From the Select units drop-down menu, choose meter.
3. Click OK.
Create the Model 2-2
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Getting Started with HFSS: Monocone Antenna
4. At the right end of the Draw ribbon tab, click Default material> Select:
The Select Definition dialog box appears.
5. Type pec in the Search by Name text box.
The pec material is highlighted in the list of library materials:
6. Click OK to select pec (perfect electrical conductor) as the default material and to close the
dialog box.
Draw the Ground Plane Rectangle
1. On the Draw ribbon tab, click Draw rectangle.
2. Click on two different grid points to create an arbitrary rectangle.
3. In the Command tab of the docked Properties window, edit the values to match the fol-
lowing figure:
Create the Model 2-3
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Getting Started with HFSS: Monocone Antenna
Keep the rectangle selected.
4. On the Draw ribbon tab, click Fit Selected.
5. Continue keeping the rectangle selected. In the next topic, you will assign an infinite ground
plane to it.
Assign an Infinite Ground Plane
The next step is to assign a Perfect E boundary to the rectangle just drawn and declare it as an Infin-
ite Ground Plane.
1. With Rectangle1 still selected, right-click on Boundaries in the Project Manager and select
Assign> Perfect E from the shortcut menu.
Create the Model 2-4
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Getting Started with HFSS: Monocone Antenna
2. Make the following two changes in the Perfect E Boundary dialog box that appears:
a. Change the Name to InfGndPlane.
b. Select the Infinite Ground Plane option.
3. Click OK.
InfGndPlane appears under Boundaries in the Project Manager:
Also, while this boundary is selected, the following visualization appears on the model:
Create the Model 2-5
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Getting Started with HFSS: Monocone Antenna
4. Click in the Modeler window's background area to clear the selection.
Draw the Cone
1. On the Draw ribbon tab, click Draw cone.
Use the X, Y, and Z coordinate entry text boxes near the right end of the status bar to enter
the center location as 0, 0, 0.0125 (the units should be meters) and then press Enter.
Important:
l Navigate between the text boxes using the Tab key.
l When using the coordinate entry text boxes, be careful not to move your
mouse, otherwise the cursor location will overwrite the values you've typed
into the text boxes.
2. Use the dX, dY, and dZ coordinate entry text boxes to enter the lower radius as 0.0125, 0, 0
and then press Enter.
3. Use the dX, dY, and dZ coordinate entry text boxes to enter the upper radius as 0.5, 0,
0.4875 and then press Enter.
Create the Model 2-6
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Getting Started with HFSS: Monocone Antenna
Keep the cone selected. It should appear as shown in the following image:
In the Command tab of the docked Properties window, you should see the following values:
4. If any of your CreateCone values do not match the preceding figure, edit them to correct the
discrepancy.
5. Click in the Modeler window's background area to clear the selection.
Create the Model 2-7
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Getting Started with HFSS: Monocone Antenna
Draw the Port Rectangle
1. On the Draw ribbon tab, click Draw rectangle.
2. Click on two different grid points to create an arbitrary rectangle.
3. In the Command tab of the docked Properties window, edit the values to match the fol-
lowing figure:
Keep the rectangle selected.
4. On the Draw ribbon tab, click Fit Selected.
The rectangle should be visible under the cone and should lie on the global YZ plane. (The X
value specified for the Axis is the direction normal to the plane of the objects.)
5. Continue keeping Rectangle2 selected. In the next topic, you will add a lumped port excit-
ation to it.
Create the Model 2-8
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Getting Started with HFSS: Monocone Antenna
Assign Lumped Port Excitation
Next, assign a lumped port excitation to the rectangle, as follows:
1. With Rectangle2 still selected, right-click in the Modeler window and choose Assign Excit-
ation> Lumped Port from the short cut menu.
2. In the Reference Conductors for Terminals dialog box that appears, make the following
changes:
a. Change the Port Name to LumpPort1.
b. Ensure that the Use conductor name option is selected.
c. Select the Use as Reference option for the Rectangle1 Conductor.
3. Click OK.
The lumped port and associated terminal assignment appear under Excitations in the Pro-
ject Manager:
Create the Model 2-9
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Getting Started with HFSS: Monocone Antenna
4. In the Project Manager, select LumpPort1 to see it visualized on the model:
5. Select Rectangle2_T1 under LumpPort1 to see the terminal visualized:
6. Clear the selection and press Ctrl+D to fit the view.
Create the Model 2-10
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Getting Started with HFSS: Monocone Antenna
Assign an IE Region
Next, assign a hybrid region of the type IE Region to all objects in the model.
1. Click in the Modeler window and press O to ensure that you are in the Object selection
mode.
2. Press Ctrl+A to select all objects.
3. Right-click Hybrid Regions in the Project Manager and choose Assign> IE Region from
the shortcut menu.
The Hybrid Region dialog box appears:
4. Click OK to create the IE Region using the default type and name.
Hybrid1 appears under Hybrid Regions in the Project Manager:
Also, the IE Region is visualized on the model:
Create the Model 2-11
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5. Clear the selection.
Create the Model 2-12
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Getting Started with HFSS: Monocone Antenna
3 - Add Solution Setup and Analyze
The last modeling step is to add the solution setup. Then, you can run the analysis.
1. On the Simulation ribbon tab, click Setup> Advanced.
The Driven Solution Setup dialog box appears.
2. In the General tab, change the Frequency to 0.3 GHz.
Leave the remaining settings at their default values:
3. Click OK.
The Monocone Antenna setup is compete.
4. Save the project.
5. On the Simulation ribbon tab, click Analyze All.
The solving process will take approximately five minutes to complete, depending on your
computer system.
Add Solution Setup and Analyze 3-1
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Getting Started with HFSS: Monocone Antenna
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Getting Started with HFSS: Monocone Antenna
4 - Plot the Radiation Pattern
To plot the radiation you first must create a far field setup (the same as required for HFSS designs).
Create a far field setup with a single Phi (ɸ) value of 0°.
1. Right-click Radiation in the Project Manager and select Insert Far Field Setup> Infinite
Sphere from the shortcut menu.
The Far Field Radiation Sphere Setup dialog opens.
2. Enter 0 for all three Phi values (Start, Stop, and Step Size).
3. Enter the following settings for Theta:
a. Start = -90 deg
b. Stop = 90 deg
c. Step Size = 1 deg
Plot the Radiation Pattern 4-1
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Getting Started with HFSS: Monocone Antenna
4. Click OK.
InfiniteSphere1 appears under Radiation in the Project Manager.
5. On the Results ribbon tab, click Far Fields Report> Mag/Ang Polar.
The Report dialog box appears.
6. Specify the following settings:
a. For Category: rE
b. For Quantity: rETotal
c. For Function: dB.
7. Click New Report and then click Close.
8. Click and drag the Curve Info legend to position it as desired.
The resulting plot should resemble the following figure:
Plot the Radiation Pattern 4-2
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Plot the Radiation Pattern 4-3
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Getting Started with HFSS: Monocone Antenna
Note:
If you click the circular axis, its settings are displayed in the docked Properties win-
dow. In the Axis tab, you can change the major and minor divisions, axis line width
and color, and more. Click one of the radial or circumferential grid lines to see a dif-
ferent set of settings. In the Grid tab, you can change the Rho (radial) minimum
scale and maximum scale values. Select the trace to customize its line width, color,
or other settings in the Attribute tab. Finally, click the title to change its font style,
size, or color in the Header tab.
9. Save your project.
You have completed the Monocone Antenna exercise.
Plot the Radiation Pattern 4-4
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