PRODUCT FEATURE
PARAMETRICS
AND OPTIMIZATION
USING ANSOFT HFSS
T
he high frequency structure simulator
(HFSS) is widely recognized as the tool
that brought the power of the finite ele-
ment method to three-dimensional (3-D) RF
and microwave design. Finite element analysis
allows complicated 3-D structures such as
transitions, filters, couplers and antennas to be
simulated accurately by computing the under-
lying electromagnetic fields. Optimetrics™ is
a powerful new capability in Ansoft HFSS that
speeds the design process and allows users to
perform parametric analysis, optimization,
sensitivity analysis and other design studies
from an easy-to-use interface. With this new
capability, dozens of design variations can be
performed quickly and effortlessly, compo-
nents can be optimized to minimize any user-
defined cost function and design of experi-
ments studies can be automated to derive sen-
sitivities and uncertainties as a function of
manufacturing tolerances.
Optimetrics provides integrated paramet-
rics and optimization capabilities by exploiting
the macro scripting language in the simulator.
An existing feature of Ansoft HFSS is its abili-
ty to record macro commands whenever the
software is run. This capability allows any sim-
ulator session to be replayed by simply rerun-
ning the associated macro file. Modifying the
macros modifies the operations that the HFSS
performs and allows quantities such as geome-
try, materials, boundary conditions, sources
and frequencies to be varied.
The smart parametrics and optimization
engine in Optimetrics are made possible by
having a convenient interface to generate
macro commands. At the start of a session, the
Reprinted with permission of MICROWAVE JOURNAL® from the November 1999 issue.
©
1999 Horizon House Publications, Inc.
user creates a nominal problem and defines
the independent parameters to be varied. The
dependent variables to be computed in a para-
metric analysis or the cost function to be mini-
mized in optimization is then defined. These
dependent variables and cost functions can be
of any quantity capable of being computed in
the simulator. Field values, S parameters, fre-
quency response, eigenmode data, impedance
and antenna metrics are available at the click
of a button. The simulator performs the re-
quested computations, providing the output in
convenient table format in the case of para-
metric analysis or in terms of optimal design
specification in the case of optimization.
The need for the user to work with the
macro commands has been largely eliminated.
A user interface has been created that auto-
matically and seamlessly creates HFSS macro
commands for most of the operations involved
in parametrics and optimization applications.
In addition, only a single nominal project is
needed, greatly simplifying the input require-
ments for the user.
PARAMETRIC STUDY
A key feature of Optimetrics is its ability to
study performance characteristics with respect
to changes in design. Any number of design
parameters may be varied in a single nominal
project design. In general, geometric shapes,
material properties, source excitations, bound-
ary conditions and specified frequencies are
independent parameters; S parameters, anten-
ANSOFT CORP.
Pittsburgh, PA
 PRODUCT FEATURE
na parameters, eigenmode data or
other HFSS-computed quantities are
dependent parameters. Users can
create compound parameters, which
are a function of both dependent and
independent parameters. Such a
compound parameter can be used for
better visualization and understand-
ing of the project or as a cost function
to be used in the optimizer. The
number of independent or depen-
dent parameters is unlimited. All de-
pendencies, such as boundary condi-
tions, are restored intelligently in-
cluding face picks, impedance,
calibration lines, gap source lines and
the UV coordinate system of periodic
boundaries. For example, if an impe-
dance line has been created that is
one-third wavelength from the end of
a port face, this line will always be
one-third wavelength for the para-
metric projects.
Fig. 1 An H-plane reactive T-junction with
inductive septum. ▼
Fig. 2 Optimetrics table for organizing and simulating
parameters. ▼
Consider the problem of comput-
ing the power division produced by an
inductive septum in a waveguide T-
junction at 10 GHz, as shown in Fig-
ure 1. To solve this problem as a
function of the septum offset, the
nominal problem is entered and
solved. With Optimetrics, a table is
set up for sweeping the offset with
each row of the table corresponding
to a specific offset value. (There is no
limit on the number of rows users can
enter.) Taking into account the para-
meters specified for the row, solving
the table creates an HFSS project for
every row of the table. Optimetrics
supports automatic seeding for each
parametric setup. In the case where
no geometry parameter is changed,
the refined nominal mesh is used as
the starting mesh for all solutions.
Dependent and compound parame-
ters can be added as columns of a table.
In this case, the original dependent pa-
rameters of interest are the magnitude
of the scattering parameters. Upon exe-
cution, the value of the dependent pa-
rameter computed for this row’s solu-
tion fills the far right columns as shown
in Figure 2. In this case, the problem
size was 8000 unknowns and required
three minutes and five seconds per row
using a 360 MHz Pentium III proces-
sor. If the user is not satisfied with the
accuracy of the solution, it is possible to
perform additional refinement and ob-
tain a higher accuracy solution for
every row. Users can also add frequen-
cy sweeps if single frequency
information is insufficient.
Optimetrics offers users the choice
of either saving or deleting the para-
metric field solutions. Turning off the
field-saving feature saves disk space,
but the parametric field solutions are
not available for later viewing. The
values of the dependent parameters
are always retained.
Table postprocessing enables users
to plot one column against another, as
shown in Figure 3. Parametric pro-
jects can be viewed in the same detail
as the nominal project. A macro file
created in the nominal project to
generate plots can be run for any
parametric setup with the click of a
button. The saved plots for every row
can be plotted together to view the
effect of changing parameter values
on the plots.
Even after the solution is complet-
ed, the user may add new solution
columns to the table. In this case, the
left-to-right power ratio vs. offset is
evaluated and plotted. Within seconds,
Optimetrics creates new columns and
fills them by deriving the newly re-
quested data from the existing solutions
in the corresponding rows. The results
are shown in Figure 4.
Fig. 3 S parameters vs. septum position
for the reactive T-junction. ▼
Fig. 4 New plots of derived quantities. ▼
 PRODUCT FEATURE
▲ Fig. 5 A four-post microstrip filter.
▲ Fig. 6 The optimized filter’s frequency response.
Fig. 7 The modeled microstrip
patch antenna. ▼
OPTIMIZATION
Optimetrics contains a powerful
internal optimization algorithm to
help users achieve optimal designs.
This optimizer employs a constrained
superlinearly convergent active set al-
gorithm. To restrict the search region
and prevent the optimizer from cre-
ating physically meaningless designs
(such as overlapping geometry), Opti-
metrics supports simple bounds as
well as linear constraints. The opti-
mized design is guaranteed to be
within the feasible domain.
Optimetrics also provides users
with unlimited freedom in defining
cost functions for optimization. Any
algebraic expression may be defined
as the cost function and any solution
quantity (such as field strength, far-
field values or circuit parameters that
can be computed in the simulator)
may be used as a variable in this cost
function. Optimetrics searches the
design space to minimize the cost
function. To accommodate maximiza-
tion or compound objectives, the user
may construct partial cost functions
and/or apply appropriate weights.
To simplify cost function definition
for standard tasks, Optimetrics pro-
vides a graphical user interface that
allows the user ac-
cess to commonly
used quantities
(such as circuit pa-
rameters) with the
push of a button. A
special panel for fil-
ter optimization is
also provided. The
user may choose an
arbitrary number of
frequency bands
and specify the re-
quested filter char-
acteristics. Expert
users can even cre-
ate their own macro
scripts. The cost functions in the
macro script may contain loops and
conditional statements.
By default, optimization starts from
the nominal settings for the design.
However, if a parametric table is avail-
able, Optimetrics will first scan the
table, analyze all designs that are feasi-
ble and start optimization from the de-
sign of least cost. Hence, the user may
manually create parameter settings for
one or more candidates as the starting
point for the optimization, or even be-
gin with a parametric sweep. Beginning
with a parametric sweep is particularly
attractive when the user chooses to in-
spect the response surface over a wide
range of parameters and may also help
to avoid local optima.
FINE-TUNING A DESIGN
To illustrate some of the produc-
tivity gains afforded by Optimetrics,
consider the problem of fine-tuning
the product design. It often happens
that a designer has the basic parame-
ters for a microwave component but
needs to fine-tune these parameters
to deliver a precision product. Using
cut-and-try methods, such fine-tun-
ing can require weeks of prototyping
and tweaking; using Optimetrics, it
can be performed overnight.
Consider the four-post microstrip
bandpass filter shown in Figure 5.
This filter was designed 1 in an at-
tempt to meet a design goal of an 8 to
9 GHz passband with less than 1 dB
ripple. Using traditional filter design
techniques, a filter was designed, fab-
ricated, tested and published with a
7.6 to 9 GHz passband and 1.5 dB
ripple. Using the published dimen-
sions as the nominal design, this filter
was entered into Optimetrics. The
optimization problem consists of four
parameters: the diameter of the end
posts, the diameter of the center
posts, the spacing between the end
and center posts, and the spacing be-
tween the center posts. As shown in
Figure 6, Optimetrics improved this
design considerably; the optimized
design has a passband from 8 to 9
GHz with less than 0.6 dB ripple, ex-
ceeding the design specifications.
CREATING A DESIGN
FROM SCRATCH
In some cases, Optimetrics is able
to create an excellent design even
though the user has little initial
knowledge of a good design. This ca-
pability is not foolproof; complex de-
signs often have many parameters
and many local minima that can con-
found direct optimization. A designer
is advised to perform a parametric
sweep first and must use his or her
judgment to create an initial good de-
sign. Nevertheless, in some simple
cases, the optimizer works surprising-
ly well in creating designs with mini-
mal user design input.
Consider the microstrip patch an-
tenna in Figure 7. The design goal for
this antenna is to produce an antenna
resonant at 2 GHz and the lowest pos-
sible return loss at resonance. The de-
sign parameters are the length of the
patch and the feed location on the side
of the patch. The nominal patch and
the optimized patch are shown in Fig-
ure 8; the corresponding return loss vs.
frequency plots are shown in Figure 9.
In this case it can be seen that the
nominal patch is very far from an ac-
ceptable design while the optimized
patch provides good performance.
OPTIMIZATION USING
EXTERNAL OPTIMIZERS
Since Optimetrics is based on the
HFSS macro scripting language, it is
possible to drive Ansoft HFSS from
 PRODUCT FEATURE
▲ Fig. 8 The microstrip patch antenna’s geometry.
Fig. 9 The antenna’s nominal and optimized return loss
vs. frequency. ▼
start to finish from an outside pro-
gram. This outside program may be
used to adjust design parameters until
particular postprocessing results are
achieved. The outside program may
be written in C, C++, FORTRAN or
any other language. Unlike the auto-
mated procedures available in an in-
ternal optimizer, using an outside
computer program for optimization
requires a significant programming ef-
fort on the part of the user. In the ex-
ample described here, MatLab™ sup-
plies the optimization algorithm and
controls the input to Ansoft HFSS.
Consider the three-element Yagi-
Uda antenna shown in Figure 10. A
typical Yagi-Uda antenna should have
a high directivity, narrow beamwidth,
low sidelobes and a high front-to-back
ratio. In this example, the goal was to
optimize the variables to achieve a di-
rectivity and front-to-back ratio of 8
dB or greater. The antenna consists of
a director, driven element and reflec-
tor. The distance between the driven
element and reflector is denoted by S1
while the distance between the direc-
tor and driven ele-
ment is denoted by
S2. In order to
achieve their func-
tions, the reflector
should be longer
than the driven ele-
ments and the direc-
tor should be short-
er. (Constraints in
the optimization
were used to en-
force these condi-
tions.) Two cost
functions were used:
one to measure the
directivity, the other
to measure the ▲ Fig. 10 The three-element Yagi-Uda
front-to-back-ratio. array antenna.
The MatLab multi-
objective goal attain-
ment algorithm
(fgoalattain.m) was
also used.
The cross-sec-
tional radius of the
antenna elements is
assumed to be ▲ Fig. 11 Directivity and front-to-back
0.003369λ (ln λ/2a = ratio vs. optimization cycle.
5). A search was per- Fig. 12 The antenna’s dimensions
formed to determine vs. optimization cycle. ▼
a combination of el-
ement lengths and
separation distances
such that the directivity and front-to-
back ratio are greater than 8 dB. Fig-
ure 11 shows the directivity and front-
to-back ratio vs. number of iterations.
During the first few iterations, the op-
timizer was able to achieve a front-to-
back ratio greater than 8 dB, but the tion capability. Significant applica-
directivity was approximately 5 dB. Af- tions of Optimetrics include fine-tun-
ter 34 iterations, the software found its ing preliminary designs, searching the
goal at 8.05 and 8.46 dB. Figure 12 design space for acceptable designs
shows the initial and optimized dimen- and the possibility of creating excel-
sions as well as how they changed vs. lent designs from scratch. All of these
optimization cycle. applications provide good productivi-
ty improvements for designers and al-
CONCLUSION low precision designs to be created
Optimetrics is a powerful new fea- with minimal cost and time.
ture in Ansoft HFSS that provides
parametric and optimization capabili- References
ties for 3-D RF and microwave de- 1. MatLab Version 5.3 is a registered trade-
sign problems. The approach used is mark of the Mathworks Inc., Natick, MA
01760, USA.
very general and allows any design 2. K.L. Wu, C. Wu and J. Litva, “Characteriz-
quantity to be parameterized and op- ing Microwave Planar Circuits Using the
timized. It even allows outside pro- Coupled Finite-Boundary Element
grams such as MatLab to be used to Method,” IEEE Transactions on Mi-
crowave Theory and Techniques, Vol. 40,
drive the optimization. The examples October 1992, pp. 1963–1966.
shown indicate the ease with which
parametric solutions may be set up Ansoft Corp.
and the power of the new optimiza- Pittsburgh, PA (412) 261-3200