Patch Antenna Design using MICROWAVE STUDIO

CST MICROWAVE STUDIO is a full-featured software package for electromagnetic analysis and design in the high frequency range. It simplifies the process of inputting the structure by providing a powerful solid 3D modelling front end, see figure. Strong graphic feedback simplifies the definition of the device even further. After the component has been modelled, a fully automatic meshing procedure is applied before a simulation engine is started.

CST MICROWAVE STUDIO is part of the CST DESIGN STUDIO suite and offers a number of different solvers for different types of application. Since no method works equally well in all application domains, the software contains four different simulation techniques (transient solver, frequency domain solver, integral equation solver, Eigen mode solver) to best fit their particular applications.

Figure 3: Graphical User Interface of CST MICROWAVE STUDIO version

The most flexible tool is the transient solver, which can obtain the entire broadband frequency behaviour of the simulated device from only one calculation run (in contrast to the frequency step approach of many other simulators). It is based on the Finite Integration Technique (FIT) introduced in electrodynamics more than three decades ago. This solver is efficient for most kinds of high frequency applications such as connectors, transmission lines, filters, antennas and more. In this tutorial we will make use of the transient solver for designing a microstrip patch antenna as an example.

2. Simulation Workflow
After starting CST DESIGN ENVIRONMENT, choose to create a new CST MICROWAVE STUDIO project. You will be asked to select a template for a structure which is closest to your device of interest, but you can also start from scratch opening an empty project. An interesting feature of the on-line help system is the Quick Start Guide, an electronic assistant that will guide you through your simulation. You can open this assistant by selecting HelpQuick Start Guide if it does not show up automatically. If you are unsure of how to access a certain operation, click on the corresponding line. The Quick Start Guide will then either run an animation showing the location of the related menu entry or open the corresponding help page. As shown in the Quick Start-dialog box which should now be positioned in the upper right corner of the main view, the following steps have to be accomplished for a successful simulation: Define the Units Choose the settings which make de_ning the dimensions, frequencies and time steps for your problem most comfortable. The defaults for this structure type are geometrical lengths in mm and frequencies in GHz. Define the Background Material By default, the modelled structure will be described within a perfectly conducting world. For an antenna problem, these settings have to be modified because the structure typically radiates in an unbounded (\open") space or half-space. In order to change these settings, you can make changes in the corresponding dialogue box (SolveBackground Material).

Model the Structure Now the actual antenna structure has to be built. For modelling the antenna structure, a number of different geometrical design tools for typical geometries such as plates, cylinders, spheres etc. are provided in the CAD section of CST MICROWAVE STUDIO. These shapes can be added or intersected using Boolean operators to build up more complex shapes. An overview of the different methods available in the tool-set and their properties is included in the on-line help.

Define the Frequency Range The next setting for the simulation is the frequency range of interest. You can specify the frequency by choosing SolveFrequency from the main menu: Since you have already set the frequency units (to GHz for example), you need to define only the absolute numbers here (i.e. without units). The frequency settings are important because the mesh generator will adjust the mesh refinement (spatial sampling) to the frequency range specified.

Define Ports Every antenna structure needs a source of high-frequency energy for excitation of the desired electromagnetic waves. Structures may be excited e.g. using impressed currents or voltages between discrete points or by wave-guide ports. The latter are pre-defined surfaces in which a limited number of Eigen modes are calculated and may be stimulated. The correct definition of ports is very important for obtaining accurate S-parameters.

Define Boundary and Symmetry Conditions The simulation of this structure will only be performed within the bounding box of the structure. You may, however, specify certain boundary conditions for each plane (xmin; xmax; ymin etc.) of the bounding box taking advantage of the symmetry in your specific problem. The boundary conditions are specified in a dialogue box that opens by choosing SolveBoundary Conditions from the main menu.

Set Field Monitors In addition to the port impedance and S-parameters which are calculated automatically for each port, field quantities such as electric or magnetic currents,

power flow, equivalent currents density or radiated far-field may be calculated. To invoke the calculation of these output data, use the command SolveField Monitors. Start the Simulation After defining all necessary parameters, you are ready to start your first simulation. Start the simulation from the transient solver control dialogue box: SolveTransient Solver. In this dialogue box, you can specify which column of the S-matrix should be calculated. Therefore, select the Source type port for which the couplings to all other ports will then be calculated during a single simulation run.

2.1 Using Parameters

CST MICROWAVE STUDIO has a built-in parametric optimizer that can help to find appropriate dimensions in your design. To take advantage of this feature you need to declare one or more parameters in the parameter list (bottom left part of the program window) and use the symbols in almost every input field of the program (dimensions, port settings etc.) Also simple calculations using these pre-defined symbols are possible (e.g.4*x+y).

3 Simulation Results
After a successful simulation run, you will be able to access various calculation results and retrieve the obtained output data from the problem object tree at the right hand side of the program window.

3.1 Analyse the Port Modes

After the solver has completed the port mode calculation, you can view the results (even if the transient analysis is still running). In order to visualize a particular port mode, you must choose the solution from the navigation tree. If you open the specific sub-folder, you may select the electric or the magnetic mode field. Selecting the folder for the electric field of the first mode e1 will display the port mode and its relevant parameters in the main view: Besides information on the type of mode, you will also find the propagation constant at the central frequency. Additionally, the port impedance is calculated automatically (line impedance).

3.2 Analyse S-Parameters and Field Quantities

At the end of a successful simulation run you may also retrieve the other output data from the navigation tree, e.g. S-Parameters and electromagnetic field quantities.