Workshop #:

Helical Antenna Axial mode

INNOVENT Proprietary 1
 Problem Definition

Resonant Frequency at 700MHz

Parameters Symbol Dims. (cm)

Ground plane X Gx 48
Ground plane Y Gy 48
Normal Mode or Broadside helix: D<<
Helix Diameter D 13.63 Axial Mode or End fire helix: D
Helix Spacing S 9.497
Number of Turns N 4
Wire Diameter d 2.417
Feed pin height h 0.604

INNOVENT Proprietary 2
 Solution process

Insert HFSS Design

Select Solution Type-> Driven Terminal
Choose Modeler-> Units -> cm
Draw helix curve
Select Draw->Equation based curve
X(_t) :13.63cm/2*cos(2*pi*_t*4/38)
Y(_t) :13.63cm/2*sin(2*pi*_t*4/38)
Z(_t):1cm*_t
Start _t : 0
End _t : 38

Hint: The left/right direction of helix is decided by the cos/sin terms in X(_t)
and Y(_t) respectively

INNOVENT Proprietary 3
 Solution Process

INNOVENT Proprietary 4
 Solution Process

Draw-> Circle
Position: 6.815, 0,0
Axis: Y & Radius : 2.417/2
Select Circle and Equation curve1
Draw-> Sweep -> Along Path
This creates the helix geometry(3D geometry)
and name it as helix
Draw Ground plane
Draw ->Rectangle with Gndplane
Position: -24, -24, -1.8125
Xsize: 48, Ysize: 48 and axis: Z
Select Gndplane and assign PerfE boundary

INNOVENT Proprietary 5
 Solution Process

Draw Coaxial probe

Draw->Circle with name cutout

Position: 6.815, 0,-1.8125

Axis: Z & Radius : 1.6615

Select Gndplane and cutout

Modeler -> Boolean -> Subtract to create a slot in the ground plane

Draw ->Cylinder with name Coax_outer

Position: 6.815, 0, -1.8125

Axis: Z, Radius : 1.6615, Height: -7.142

Select Coax_outer and assign Teflon material to it

INNOVENT Proprietary 6
 Solution Process

Draw ->Cylinder with name Coax_inner

Position: 6.815, 0, -1.8125

Axis: Z, Radius : 0.4995 , Height: -7.142

Select Coax_inner and assign pec material to it

Draw ->Cylinder with name Coax_pin

Position: 6.815, 0, -1.8125

Axis: Z, Radius : 0.4995 , Height: 1.8125

Select Coax_pin and assign pec material to it

Select Helix and Coax_pin

Modeler -> Boolean -> Unite to unite the geometry

Assign pec material to the geometry and ignore it if already assigned

INNOVENT Proprietary 7
 Solution Process

Edit->Select->Faces option or press F in the GUI window

Edit->Select->By Name

Select Coax_outer in the object name

Select the outer face in the faceid

Assign PerfE boundary to the selected face

Draw port cap

Draw->Cylinder with name port_cap
Position: 6.815, 0, -8.9545

Axis: Z, Radius: 1.6615 and Height: -0.3

Select port_cap and assign pec material to it

INNOVENT Proprietary 8
 Solution Process

Assign Excitation

Draw-> Circle with name Feed

Position: 6.815, 0, -8.9545

Axis: Z and Radius: 1.6615

Select Feed and assign Excitations as Waveport and select port_cap as the
reference conductor

Draw a box with name airbox

Position: 27.5, 27.5, 50.21

Xsize: -55, Ysize: -55, Zsize: -62

Select airbox and assign Boundaries->Radiation to it

INNOVENT Proprietary 9
 Solution Process

Add solution setup-> Solution frequency: 0.7 GHz

Number of passes: 20

Maximum Delta S: 0.02

Add Frequency Sweep and select Fast as sweep type

Start : 0.4 GHz Stop: 1 GHz with count of 201

To plot the antenna parameters the far field setup is to be defined.

Insert Far field setup and the values to be input as

Phi: Start: 0 deg Stop 360 deg Step: 3 deg

Theta: Start -180 deg Stop 180 deg Step 3 deg

HFSS-> Validation Check

HFSS-> Analyze all

INNOVENT Proprietary 10
 Solution Process

Create Rectangular plot-> Select S parameters and plot S11in dB

Create Far field report->Radiation pattern->3D polar plot
Gain->Gain Total -> dB

Create Far field report->Rectangular plot

Primary Sweep: Phi
Category: Axial Ratio
Quantity: AxialRatioValue
Function: Mag
Select Families Tab
Phi: 0 deg
Freq: 0.7 GHz
This creates the report of Axial ratio to check the antenna is linearly
polarized/circular polarized

INNOVENT Proprietary 11
 Alternative method

An alternative way to draw the helix curve.

Draw->User Defined primitive-> Segmented Helix -> Polygon Helix

Enter the design parameters in the respective field and start designing the model as
in the previous steps

INNOVENT Proprietary 12