Ansoft Corporation

Four Station Square, Suite 200

Pittsburgh, PA 15219-1119 USA
(412) 261-3200
Guidelines for Meshing in
Ansoft HFSS
Topics Covered
Adaptive Meshing Overview
Description
Choosing Adapt Frequency
Driven Solution Mesh Guidelines
Frequency and Adaptation Criteria
Mesh Settings
Seeding and Manual Refinement
Eigenmode Solution Mesh
Considerations
Examples
Adaptive Meshing Overview
Adaptive meshing is performed at a single
frequency specified by the user
Model behavior is explored systematically
by solving gradually denser meshes
Mesh density is added where necessary,
not indiscriminately
Solution progress is evaluated after each
adaptive mesh is solved based on the
convergence criteria
Criterion 1: Number of Passes
Criterion 2: Maximum Delta-S
Maximum Delta-S is the worst-case
vector magnitude change of any S-
parameters solution from Pass N as
compared to its solution from Pass
(N-1).
Per-Parameter criteria also available
95% of HFSS Project Setups Should Use
at Least Some Adaptation!!!
Note how mesh density is
greater in the region
between filter posts,
where wave energy is
superposed by reflections
Filter Posts
Overview: Tetrahedral Refinement
Tetrahedral Refinement is based on
percentage of the prior mesh
This maintains a consistent lever
arm for solution changes
If the mesh grows too quickly,
subsequent solutions may be
accurate, but take excessive
computer resources and time
If the mesh grows too slowly
(e.g. a fixed tet growth count,
rather than percentage), the
lever arm shrinks with respect
to the problem, and solutions
may appear to converge before
an accurate solution is reached
The default Tet. Refinement value is
20%. This is adequate for the vast
majority of HFSS projects.
Convergence data below is shown for a model using
the default 20% tetrahedral refinement criterion. Had
the number of new tetrahedra been kept level, the
solution would likely have exited on or around Pass 5.
Choosing Adapt Frequency
Proper adaptive frequency selection is
very important to solution accuracy
Initial mesh and subsequent adaptation
are in part wavelength dependent
Despite convergence, the mesh may be
too coarse for good results at higher
frequencies with a significantly smaller
wavelengths
Adaptive frequency recommendations:
For single-frequency or narrow-band
solutions (insignificant change in ):
Adapt at frequency of interest
For wide-band solutions: Adapt between
the middle and high ends of the band
(smaller wavelength)
Caution: If you want to view
behavior over a specific band, but
the devices response is more
narrow, adapt within the devices
bandwidth
For this band-pass filter, adapting here will
result in mesh refinement inside the filter
structure, capturing its behavior...
...while adapting here may only permit
tetrahedral refinement at the ends of the
filter, where the energy is being
rejected.
Driven Solutions: Mesh Selection
Solutions can begin with several different meshes
For the first solution performed, the initial mesh is
generally used
Initial mesh uses lambda refinement by default,
and can also utilize seed refinement
If adaptive passes have been solved (at one or more
adaptive frequencies) the current or previous mesh
can be used
Current allows continuation of the adaptation
process if the desired number of passes was
reached before the desired delta-S value.
Previous allows the user to take a step back
from an overly large mesh
For the first or subsequent solution(s), the user may
elect to create a manual mesh
The Mesh Options button allows further definition
for either the Initial or the Manual meshes
Initial Mesh Options: Seeding
Lambda Refinement is the
default initial mesh setting
The mesher will assure that
tetrahedral edge lengths are on
the order of /4
The Define Seed Operations
button accesses the graphical
meshing interface
Here, the user selects objects,
object faces, or box subregions
within the model to apply mesh
seeding
Seeding is application of
additional vertices with a
specified spacing within the
model
Seeding is acted upon
when the solution process
begins meshing the project
Initial Mesh Options: Seeding Method
Select an object, face, or
combination thereof in which
a seeding parameter is
desired.
From the Seed menu, select
Object to seed the volume, or
Object Face to seed surfaces
Box does not require prior
object selection; the
interface will prompt for the
box location in which to
apply seeding.
Define whether seeding
should be by (tet edge)
length, (triangular face) area,
or (tetrahedral) volume.
Define seed dimension (in the
active drawings units) and
tetrahedral count restraints
1.
2.
3.
4.
Manual Mesh Options
To create a Manual Mesh, first
select the mesh to use
Options will be the same as those
available for solution, depending
on the projects current status
The Define Manual Mesh button
activates the graphical meshing
interface
This is the same interface used
for mesh seeding. However, in
Manual Mesh mode the seeding
operations are disabled
The interface is used to directly
generate a mesh based on user
inputs
Manual meshing options are
identical to the seeding options
Manual Mesh Options: Procedure
Select an object, object face, or
combination thereof
From the Refine menu, pick
whether you want to refine the
mesh in the object volume or on
its faces
Box requires no prior geometry
selection
Select whether to refine by
length, area, volume, etc.
Provide refinement dimension
criteria and mesh growth limit
Continue through all objects to
be manually refined
NOTE: Since you are
generating a MANUAL mesh,
Lambda Refinement will NOT
be performed on any objects
you neglect!
1.
2.
3.
4.
When to Seed or Manual Mesh
Some model types do not solve
efficiently using adaptive refinement
alone; these options can speed
convergence
High Dielectric Constants: Materials
with high dielectric constants solve
better if seeded or manually meshed
due to their smaller effective
wavelength
Locally Strong Field Gradients:
Some structures, such as the
capacitively-loaded cavity on the
lower left, have features whose
influence on the behavior is not
wavelength-driven
Extreme Aspect Ratios: Models with
very high aspect ratios are harder to
mesh with high quality tetrahedra;
manual or seed-based assistance
can improve the mesh quality and
resultant matrix condition
Cylindrical Dielectric Resonator
in Cavity. Dielectric Puck has
r

= 90. Wavelength is only 1/10
that in surrounding air volume!
Seeded to /4 in the material
to compensate.
Cavity structure at right has
post extending from bottom to
almost touch the top. The
narrow capacitive gap between
the post end face and the
cavity end itself has a virtual
solid defined to allow manual
meshing where fields will be
very strong
Eigenmode Meshing Options
Eigenmode Solution
Starting Mesh selection
and Initial and Manual
Mesh Options are
identical to those for
driven solution
Initial Mesh Options
accesses the mesh
seeding interface
Manual Mesh Options
accesses the graphical
mesher for direct user-
refined meshing
Seed coupling structures that are <<
Seed/manually mesh reactive regions
Example 1: Reactive Coupling
Initial mesh for lead-frame that has high aspect ratio objects
Example 2: Lead-Frame
Example 2: Lead-Frame (detail)
Initial mesh shows
long, skinny surface
triangles
May need seeding or
manual refinement to
fully capture field
behavior
Note: It is always a
good idea to try
adaptive solutions to
evaluate if user
modification of the
mesh is required.
Example 3: Flat Panel LCD
Many thin
objects closely
packed and
stacked
Example 3: Flat Panel LCD (detail)
Example 4: Spiral Inductor
8 turn spiral
2 micron thick traces
0.8 micron gap
200 micron square
Example 4: Spiral Inductor
Initial mesh is sparse on
traces (in gap region also)
Seeding/Manual meshing
may be needed to
characterize spiral properly
Due to small electrical
size, may need:
Skin Depth meshing
Solve Inside conductors
If electrical size <<
Create large dense mesh
Use ZERO_ORDER_MODE
for the solution