HFSS 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 2.42 GHz.
Lessons learned:

Basic geometry entry.

Frequency sweep setup.

Parameter sweep setup.

Boundary setup.

Lump port setup.

Bx
Wp

dx
z

y
By

Lp

dz

substrate

r =2.54

Bt

air

Lf
Wf

1.
2.
3.

Insert a New Design

Project->Insert HFSS Design
Save it as tutorial1
File->Save as
Determine the approximate size of the patch.
,

4.

Determine the line width of a 50 microstrip line.

The width is about 4.5 mm ( ) . Let the length be near quarter

wavelength (
5.

Determine the substrate size as

.

and

is the thickness.

6.

Determine the air box size

7.

Enter the above variables.

Project->Project Variables
Enter the substrate
Draw->Box
Enter position as (

8.

where
where

). Give it a name

substrate.
9. Assign material property to the substrate by creating a new
material by right click on the substrate.
10. Create the patch surface and name it Patch.
Draw->Rectangle
Enter the position and size as in 8.
11. Enter the feed line. Give it a name feedline.
Draw->Rectangle
The position is (
), size is (
).
12. Define the ground plane. The position is (
is (

), size

).

Draw->Rectangle
13. Define a surface for the lumped port at the end of the microstrip
line. The position is (
), size is (
).
14.
15.
16.
17.

Draw->Rectangle.
Define the air box.
Draw->Box
Assign PMC boundary to the substrate.
Assign PEC boundary to the patch, feedline and ground by right
click on them.
Assign Radiation Boundary to the air box.
2

18. Assign Lump Port to the port surface similarly.

19. Perform a simulation from 1 GHz to 3 GHz.
Analysis->Add Solution Setup
Set solution frequency to 3 GHz. Set Maximum Number of
Passes to 99.
20. Add Fast Sweep from 1 GHz to 3 GHz. Step size 0.01.
Setup1->Add Frequency Sweep
21. Perform simulation
Sweep->Analyze
22. Check simulation results. Check convergence.
Results->Solution Data
23. Plot
and Smith Chart.
Results->Create Modal Solution Date Report.
24. Add Parametric Sweep for
.
Optimetrics->Add->Parametric
25. Add Parametric Sweep for

Optimetrics->Add->Parametric
26. Repeat 24 and 25 until satisfactory results are achieved.
27. The first solution is
. However, from the
current distribution and radiation pattern, the excited mode is xdirected, not y-directed.
28. Keep increase
and steps 24 and 25.
29. Final result:

Note about default boundary setting:

Metal: finite conductivity.

Dielectric: none.

Outmost surface: PEC.

S Parameter

0.00
Name

Y
Curve Info

m1 2.4150 -24.1468

dB(S(1,1))
Setup1 : Fast

-5.00

dB(S(1,1))

-10.00

-15.00

-20.00

m1

-25.00
1.00

1.25

1.50

1.75

2.00
Freq [GHz]

2.25

2.50

Radiation Pattern 1

Curve Info

dB(GainPhi)
Setup1 : Single
Freq='2.42GHz' Phi='0deg'
dB(GainPhi)
Setup1 : Single
Freq='2.42GHz' Phi='90deg'
dB(GainTheta)
Setup1 : Single
Freq='2.42GHz' Phi='0deg'
dB(GainTheta)
Setup1 : Single
Freq='2.42GHz' Phi='90deg'

0
-30

10.00

30

0.00
-10.00

-60

60

-20.00
-30.00

-90

90

-120

120

-150

150
-180

2.75

3.00

S Parameter

0.00
Name

Y
Curve Info

m1 2.4150 -24.1468
m2 2.4180 -20.2851

dB(S(1,1))
Setup1 : Fast
$Lp='37mm' $Wp='74mm'
dB(S(1,1))
Setup1 : Fast
$Lp='36.6mm' $Wp='120mm'

-5.00

dB(S(1,1))

-10.00

-15.00

m2

-20.00

m1

-25.00
1.00

1.25

1.50

1.75

2.00
Freq [GHz]

2.25

2.50

2.75

0
Curve Info

-30

10.00

dB(GainPhi)
Setup1 : Single
Freq='2.42GHz' Phi='0deg'
dB(GainPhi)
Setup1 : Single
Freq='2.42GHz' Phi='90deg'
dB(GainTheta)
Setup1 : Single
Freq='2.42GHz' Phi='0deg'
dB(GainTheta)
Setup1 : Single
Freq='2.42GHz' Phi='90deg'

30

0.00
-10.00

-60

60

-20.00
-30.00

-90

90

-120

120

-150

150
-180

3.00

S Parameter
0.00

Wp=120mm

-2.50
-5.00

Wp=110mm

Curve Info

dB(S(1,1))
Setup1 : Fast
$Lp='36.6mm' $Wp='80mm'
dB(S(1,1))
Setup1 : Fast
$Lp='36.6mm' $Wp='90mm'
dB(S(1,1))
Setup1 : Fast
$Lp='36.6mm' $Wp='100mm'
dB(S(1,1))
Setup1 : Fast
$Lp='36.6mm' $Wp='110mm'
dB(S(1,1))
Setup1 : Fast
$Lp='36.6mm' $Wp='120mm'

Wp=100mm

dB(S(1,1))

-7.50

Wp=90mm

-10.00

Wp=80mm

-12.50
-15.00
-17.50
-20.00
-22.50

1.00

1.25

1.50

1.75

2.00
Freq [GHz]

2.25

2.50

2.75

3.00