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Dipole antenna#

This example shows how to use PyAEDT to create a dipole antenna in HFSS and postprocess results.

Keywords: HFSS, modal, antenna, 3D components, far field.

Perform imports and define constants#

Perform required imports.

[1]:

import os
import tempfile
import time

[2]:

import ansys.aedt.core

Define constants.

[3]:

AEDT_VERSION = "2024.2"
NUM_CORES = 4
NG_MODE = False  # Open AEDT UI when it is launched.

Create temporary directory#

Create a temporary directory where downloaded data or dumped data can be stored. If you’d like to retrieve the project data for subsequent use, the temporary folder name is given by temp_folder.name.

[4]:

temp_folder = tempfile.TemporaryDirectory(suffix=".ansys")

Launch AEDT#

[5]:

d = ansys.aedt.core.launch_desktop(
    AEDT_VERSION, non_graphical=NG_MODE, new_desktop=True
)

PyAEDT INFO: Python version 3.10.11 (tags/v3.10.11:7d4cc5a, Apr  5 2023, 00:38:17) [MSC v.1929 64 bit (AMD64)]
PyAEDT INFO: PyAEDT version 0.14.dev0.
PyAEDT INFO: Initializing new Desktop session.
PyAEDT INFO: Log on console is enabled.
PyAEDT INFO: Log on file C:\Users\ansys\AppData\Local\Temp\pyaedt_ansys_180abbbb-e3d7-45d4-b7e2-2a909f530287.log is enabled.
PyAEDT INFO: Log on AEDT is enabled.
PyAEDT INFO: Debug logger is disabled. PyAEDT methods will not be logged.
PyAEDT INFO: Launching PyAEDT with gRPC plugin.
PyAEDT INFO: New AEDT session is starting on gRPC port 54890
PyAEDT INFO: AEDT installation Path C:\Program Files\AnsysEM\v242\Win64
PyAEDT INFO: Ansoft.ElectronicsDesktop.2024.2 version started with process ID 2688.

Launch HFSS#

Create an HFSS design.

[6]:

project_name = os.path.join(temp_folder.name, "dipole.aedt")
hfss = ansys.aedt.core.Hfss(
    version=AEDT_VERSION, project=project_name, solution_type="Modal"
)

PyAEDT INFO: Python version 3.10.11 (tags/v3.10.11:7d4cc5a, Apr  5 2023, 00:38:17) [MSC v.1929 64 bit (AMD64)]
PyAEDT INFO: PyAEDT version 0.14.dev0.
PyAEDT INFO: Returning found Desktop session with PID 2688!
PyAEDT INFO: Project dipole has been created.
PyAEDT INFO: No design is present. Inserting a new design.
PyAEDT INFO: Added design 'HFSS_6VB' of type HFSS.
PyAEDT INFO: Aedt Objects correctly read

Define variable#

Define a variable for the dipole length.

[7]:

hfss["l_dipole"] = "13.5cm"

Get 3D component from system library#

Get a 3D component from the syslib directory. For this example to run correctly, you must get all geometry parameters of the 3D component or, in case of an encrypted 3D component, create a dictionary of the parameters.

[8]:

compfile = hfss.components3d["Dipole_Antenna_DM"]
geometryparams = hfss.get_components3d_vars("Dipole_Antenna_DM")
geometryparams["dipole_length"] = "l_dipole"
hfss.modeler.insert_3d_component(compfile, geometryparams)

PyAEDT INFO: Modeler class has been initialized! Elapsed time: 0m 1sec
PyAEDT INFO: Parsing C:/Users/ansys/AppData/Local/Temp/tmpmtlrf9in.ansys/dipole.aedt.
PyAEDT INFO: File C:/Users/ansys/AppData/Local/Temp/tmpmtlrf9in.ansys/dipole.aedt correctly loaded. Elapsed time: 0m 0sec
PyAEDT INFO: aedt file load time 0.015618324279785156

[8]:

<ansys.aedt.core.modeler.cad.components_3d.UserDefinedComponent at 0x1cf66542800>

Create boundaries#

Create an open region.

[9]:

hfss.create_open_region(frequency="1GHz")

PyAEDT INFO: Open Region correctly created.
PyAEDT INFO: Project dipole Saved correctly

[9]:

True

Create setup#

[10]:

setup = hfss.create_setup("MySetup")
setup.props["Frequency"] = "1GHz"
setup.props["MaximumPasses"] = 1

Run simulation#

[11]:

hfss.analyze_setup(name="MySetup", cores=NUM_CORES)

PyAEDT INFO: Key Desktop/ActiveDSOConfigurations/HFSS correctly changed.
PyAEDT INFO: Solving design setup MySetup
PyAEDT INFO: Key Desktop/ActiveDSOConfigurations/HFSS correctly changed.
PyAEDT INFO: Design setup MySetup solved correctly in 0.0h 0.0m 19.0s

[11]:

True

Postprocess#

Plot s-parameters and far field.

[12]:

hfss.create_scattering("MyScattering")
variations = hfss.available_variations.nominal_w_values_dict
variations["Freq"] = ["1GHz"]
variations["Theta"] = ["All"]
variations["Phi"] = ["All"]
hfss.post.create_report(
    "db(GainTotal)",
    hfss.nominal_adaptive,
    variations,
    primary_sweep_variable="Theta",
    context="3D",
    report_category="Far Fields",
)

PyAEDT INFO: Parsing C:/Users/ansys/AppData/Local/Temp/tmpmtlrf9in.ansys/dipole.aedt.
PyAEDT INFO: File C:/Users/ansys/AppData/Local/Temp/tmpmtlrf9in.ansys/dipole.aedt correctly loaded. Elapsed time: 0m 0sec
PyAEDT INFO: aedt file load time 0.03248739242553711
PyAEDT INFO: PostProcessor class has been initialized! Elapsed time: 0m 0sec
PyAEDT INFO: Post class has been initialized! Elapsed time: 0m 0sec

[12]:

<ansys.aedt.core.visualization.report.field.FarField at 0x1cf674bfdc0>

Create a far field report.

[13]:

new_report = hfss.post.reports_by_category.far_field(
    "db(RealizedGainTotal)", hfss.nominal_adaptive, "3D"
)
new_report.report_type = "3D Polar Plot"
new_report.secondary_sweep = "Phi"
new_report.create("Realized3D")

[13]:

True

This code generates a 2D plot.

[14]:

hfss.field_setups[2].phi_step = 90
new_report2 = hfss.post.reports_by_category.far_field(
    "db(RealizedGainTotal)", hfss.nominal_adaptive, hfss.field_setups[2].name
)
new_report2.variations = variations
new_report2.primary_sweep = "Theta"
new_report2.create("Realized2D")

[14]:

True

Get solution data using the new_report object and postprocess or plot the data outside AEDT.

[15]:

solution_data = new_report.get_solution_data()
solution_data.plot()

PyAEDT INFO: Solution Data Correctly Loaded.

[15]:
../../../_images/examples_high_frequency_antenna_dipole_29_1.png
../../../_images/examples_high_frequency_antenna_dipole_29_2.png

Generate a far field plot by creating a postprocessing variable and assigning it to a new coordinate system. You can use the post prefix to create a postprocessing variable directly from a setter, or you can use the set_variable() method with an arbitrary name.

[16]:

hfss["post_x"] = 2
hfss.variable_manager.set_variable(name="y_post", expression=1, is_post_processing=True)
hfss.modeler.create_coordinate_system(origin=["post_x", "y_post", 0], name="CS_Post")
hfss.insert_infinite_sphere(custom_coordinate_system="CS_Post", name="Sphere_Custom")

[16]:

<ansys.aedt.core.modules.boundary.hfss_boundary.FarFieldSetup at 0x1cf6a6d2f50>

Retrieve solution data#

You can also process solution data using Python libraries like Matplotlib.

[17]:

new_report = hfss.post.reports_by_category.far_field(
    "GainTotal", hfss.nominal_adaptive, "3D"
)
new_report.primary_sweep = "Theta"
new_report.far_field_sphere = "3D"
solutions = new_report.get_solution_data()

PyAEDT INFO: Solution Data Correctly Loaded.

Generate a 3D plot using Matplotlib.

[18]:

solutions.plot_3d()

[18]:

<ansys.aedt.core.visualization.plot.matplotlib.ReportPlotter at 0x1cf54b4de70>
../../../_images/examples_high_frequency_antenna_dipole_35_1.png

Generate a far fields plot using Matplotlib.

[19]:

new_report.far_field_sphere = "Sphere_Custom"
solutions_custom = new_report.get_solution_data()
solutions_custom.plot_3d()

PyAEDT INFO: Solution Data Correctly Loaded.

[19]:

<ansys.aedt.core.visualization.plot.matplotlib.ReportPlotter at 0x1cf68189300>
../../../_images/examples_high_frequency_antenna_dipole_37_2.png

Generate a 2D plot using Matplotlib where you specify whether it is a polar plot or a rectangular plot.

[20]:

solutions.plot(formula="db20", is_polar=True)

[20]:
../../../_images/examples_high_frequency_antenna_dipole_39_0.png
../../../_images/examples_high_frequency_antenna_dipole_39_1.png

Retrieve far-field data#

After the simulation completes, the far field data is generated port by port and stored in a data class. You can use this data once AEDT is released.

[21]:

ffdata = hfss.get_antenna_data(
    sphere="Sphere_Custom",
    setup=hfss.nominal_adaptive,
    frequencies=1
)

PyAEDT INFO: Far field sphere Sphere_Custom is assigned
PyAEDT INFO: Exporting antenna metadata...
PyAEDT INFO: Antenna metadata exported.
PyAEDT INFO: Exporting geometry...
PyAEDT INFO: Exporting embedded element patterns.... Done: 0.537086009979248 seconds

Generate 2D cutout plot#

Generate a 2D cutout plot. You can define the Theta scan and Phi scan.

[22]:

ffdata.farfield_data.plot_cut(
    primary_sweep="theta",
    secondary_sweep_value=0,
    quantity="RealizedGain",
    title="FarField",
    quantity_format="dB20",
    is_polar=True,
)

[22]:

<ansys.aedt.core.visualization.plot.matplotlib.ReportPlotter at 0x1cf6a6d3130>
../../../_images/examples_high_frequency_antenna_dipole_43_1.png

Release AEDT#

[23]:

hfss.save_project()
d.release_desktop()
# Wait 3 seconds to allow AEDT to shut down before cleaning the temporary directory.
time.sleep(3)

PyAEDT INFO: Project dipole Saved correctly
PyAEDT INFO: Desktop has been released and closed.

Clean up#

All project files are saved in the folder temp_folder.name. If you’ve run this example as a Jupyter notebook, you can retrieve those project files. The following cell removes all temporary files, including the project folder.

[24]:

temp_folder.cleanup()

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