MaxwellV12 Onlinehelp

Table of Contents
1. Welcome to Maxwell Online Help

User Interface Quick Links . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Modeling Quick Links . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Boundaries/Excitations Quick Links . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Meshing Quick Links . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Analysis Quick Links . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Optimetrics Quick Links . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Results Quick Links . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Scripting Quick Links . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1 1-2 1-2 1-3 1-3 1-4 1-4 1-5
2. Getting Started with Maxwell and RMxprt

System Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2 Additional Windows Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2 Increasing RAM on a 32-Bit PC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3 Increasing RAM on a 32-Bit Windows Vista PC . . . . . . . 2-3 Additional Sun Solaris Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Additional Linux Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Setting Up a Printer on Solaris/Linux . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Maxwell Desktop UI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Working with the Menu Bar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Working with Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Working with the Toolbars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Customizing Toolbars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-4 2-4 2-4 2-6 2-7 2-8 2-9 2-9
Customize Toolbar Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-10

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Maxwell Online Help
External User Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-10 Working with the Shortcut Menus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-11 Shortcut Menu in the Toolbars Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-11 Shortcut Menu in the Modeler Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-11 Shortcut Menus in the Project Manager Window . . . . . . 2-11 General Purpose Keyboard Shortcuts for Maxwell . . . . . . . . . . Working with the Status Bar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Working with the Project Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Working with the Project Tree . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-12 2-13 2-13 2-13
Viewing Maxwell Design Details . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-14 Viewing Material Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-15 Working with the Properties Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-15 Opening the Properties Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-15 Showing and Hiding the Properties Window . . . . . . . . . . 2-16 Setting the Properties Window to Open Automatically . . 2-16 Modifying Object Attributes Using the Properties Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-16 Modifying Object Command Properties Using the Properties Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-17 Working with the Progress Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-17 Stopping or Aborting Simulation Progress . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-17 Viewing Distributed Analysis Subtasks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-17 Working with the Message Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-18 Clearing Messages for the Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-18 Clearing Messages for the Model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-18 Copying Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-18 Setting the Message Manager to Open Automatically . . 2-18 Working with the Modeler Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-19 Working with the History Tree . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-20 Controlling the View of Objects in the History Tree . . . . . 2-22 Keyboard Shortcuts for the 3D Modeler Window . . . . . . . . . . . . Running Maxwell From a Command Line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Getting Started Guides . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A 3D Rotational Actuator Magnetostatic Problem with Parametrics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A 3D Transient Rotational Actuator Problem with Motion . . . . .
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2-22 2-24 2-27 2-28 2-28
Maxwell Online Help
A 2D Magnetostatic Solenoid Problem with Parametrics . . . . . . 2-29 Copyright and Trademark Notices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-30
3. Getting Help
Ansoft Technical Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Accessing the Ansoft Company Website . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Obtaining Information About the Software and Version . . . . . . . . . . . . Accessing the Online Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Inserting a Documentation File into a Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Conventions Used in the Online Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2 3-3 3-4 3-5 3-6 3-7
4. Working with Maxwell Projects and Designs

Maxwell Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Creating Projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Creating New 2D Designs from 3D Designs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Converting a 3D Model to 2D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Creating New 3D Designs from 2D Designs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Converting 2D XY Model to 3D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Converting 2D RZ Model to 3D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Opening Projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Opening Recent Projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Opening Legacy Maxwell Projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Translating Legacy Maxwell Projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Saving Projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Saving a New Maxwell Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Saving the Active Maxwell Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Saving a Copy of a Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Save a Project as a Technology File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Saving Project Data Automatically . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Recovering Project Data in an Auto-Save File . . . . . . . . Saving a Project From a Previous Version . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Closing a Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Exiting Maxwell and RMxprt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Undoing Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Redoing Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Removing Unused Components from a Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Updating Design Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Managing Projects and Designs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Copy and Paste a Project or Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rename a Project or Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2 4-3 4-4 4-4 4-5 4-5 4-5 4-7 4-7 4-7 4-7 4-9 4-9 4-9 4-10 4-10 4-10 4-11 4-12 4-13 4-14 4-15 4-16 4-17 4-18 4-19 4-19 4-19
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Maxwell Online Help
Delete a Project or Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Validating Designs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Modeler Validation Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Exporting Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Exporting Ansoft 2D Modeler Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Exporting 2D AutoCAD Drawing Interchange Format Files . . . . Exporting 3D Model Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Exporting Graphics Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Importing Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Importing 2D Model Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Importing GDSII Format Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Importing 3D Model Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Importing DXF and DWG Format Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Importing and Converting Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Importing a Model from the Clipboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Printing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Previewing the Printout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Changing the Page Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Saving Design Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Using the Password Manager to Control Access to Resources . . . . . . Specifying a New Password Protected Resource . . . . . . . . . . . Encrypting a Resource . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Setting Options in Maxwell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Setting General Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . General Options: Project Options Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
4-20 4-21 4-21 4-23 4-23 4-23 4-24 4-25 4-26 4-26 4-26 4-29 4-31 4-34 4-35 4-36 4-37 4-38 4-39 4-41 4-41 4-41 4-42 4-42 4-42
General Options: Miscellaneous Options Tab . . . . . . . . . 4-43 General Options: Default Units Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-44 General Options: Analysis Options Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-45 General Options: WebUpdate Options Tab . . . . . . . . . . . 4-46 General Options in Maxwell 2D/3D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Solver Options in Maxwell 2D/3D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Setting Maxwell 3D Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Maxwell 3D Options: General Options Tab . . . . . . . . . . . 4-47 4-47 4-47 4-47
Maxwell 3D Options: Solver Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-48 Report Setup Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-49 Setting Maxwell 2D Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-49 Maxwell 2D Options: General Options Tab . . . . . . . . . . . 4-50 Maxwell 2D Options: Solver Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-51 Setting RMxprt Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-51
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Maxwell Online Help
RMxprt Options: General Options Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-51 RMxprt Options: Solver Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-52 RMxprt Options: Export Options Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-52 Setting Report2D Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-53 Report 2D Options: Curve Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-53 Report2D Options: Axis Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-54 Report2D Options: Grid Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-54 Report2D Options: Header Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-54 Report2D Options: Note Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-54 Report2D Options: Legend Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-55 Report2D Options: Marker tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-55 Report2D Options: Marker Table Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-56 Report2D Options: General Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-56 Report2D Options: Table Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-57 Setting Modeler Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-57 Modeler Options: Operation Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-57 Modeler Options: Display Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-58 Modeler Options: Drawing Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-59 Setting Machine Options in Maxwell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Working with Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Adding a Project Variable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Adding a Design Variable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Adding Datasets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Modifying Datasets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Defining Mathematical Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Defining an Expression . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Using Valid Operators for Expressions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-60 4-61 4-61 4-62 4-63 4-63 4-64 4-64 4-65
Using Intrinsic Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-65 Using Intrinsic Functions in Expressions . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-67 Using Piecewise Linear Functions in Expressions . . . . . 4-69 Using Dataset Expressions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-69 Assigning Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Choosing a Variable to Optimize . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Including a Variable in a Sensitivity Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Choosing a Variable to Tune . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Including a Variable in a Statistical Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-69 4-70 4-70 4-71 4-71
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Maxwell Online Help
5. Setting Up a Maxwell Design

Inserting a Maxwell Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Setting the Model's Units of Measurement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Design Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Setting the Material Threshold Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Set Ambient Temperature Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Set Material Override Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Setting a Symmetry Multiplier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Export Options Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Model Depth Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Background Material Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Preserve Transient Solution Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Advanced Product Coupling Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Band Meshing Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2 5-3 5-4 5-4 5-5 5-5 5-6 5-6 5-6 5-7 5-7 5-7 5-7
6. Specifying the Solver Type

Magnetostatic Solver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Eddy Current Solver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Transient Solver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Electrostatic Solver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . AC Conduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DC Conduction Solver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Transient Electric Solver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Disconnected Solution Domains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2 6-2 6-3 6-3 6-4 6-4 6-4 6-6
7. Drawing a Model
Drawing Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Drawing a Line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Drawing a Polyline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Drawing a Spline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Drawing a Three-Point Arc Line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Drawing a Center-Point Arc Line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Drawing an Equation Based Curve . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Drawing a Rectangle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Drawing an Ellipse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Drawing a Circle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Drawing a Regular Polygon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Drawing an Equation Based Surface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Drawing a Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Drawing a Cylinder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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7-2 7-2 7-3 7-4 7-4 7-5 7-6 7-6 7-7 7-8 7-9 7-9 7-10 7-11
Maxwell Online Help
Drawing a Regular Polyhedron . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Drawing a Cone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Drawing a Sphere . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Drawing a Torus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Drawing a Helix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Drawing a Segmented Helix with Polygon Cross-Section Using a User Defined Primitive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Drawing a Segmented Helix with Rectangular Cross-Section Using a User Defined Primitive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Drawing a Spiral . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Drawing a Spiral Using User Defined Primitives . . . . . . . . . . . . Sweeping Objects Around an Axis, Along a Vector, or Along a Path . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Drawing a Bondwire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Drawing a Plane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Drawing a Point . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Drawing a Line Segment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Creating Segmented Geometry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Segmented Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
7-11 7-12 7-13 7-14 7-15 7-16 7-17 7-19 7-20 7-21 7-21 7-22 7-22 7-23 7-24 7-24
Drawing Non-Model Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-25 Selecting Non-Model Drawing Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-26 Changing an Object to Non-Model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-26 User Customization through User Defined Primitives (UDPs) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Creating a User Defined Primitive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Updating the User Defined Primitives Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . User Defined Primitives (UDPs) for Motor Geometries . . . . . . . Stator Geometries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-27 7-28 7-29 7-30 7-31
Rotor Geometries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-32 Pole Geometries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-33 Parameters for RMxprt User Defined Primitives . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-34 RMxprt/Band . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-34 RMxprt/ClawPoleCore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-34 RMxprt/ConCoil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-36 RMxprt/DCMCore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-37 RMxprt/DiskCoil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-38 RMxprt/DiskPMCore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-39 RMxprt/DiskSlotCore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-40
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RMxprt/DoubleCage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-41 RMxprt/IPMCore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-42 RMxprt/LapCoil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-43 RMxprt/LinearMCore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-44 RMxprt/NonSalientPoleCore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-44 RMxprt/PMCore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-45 RMxprt/PMDamperCore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-46 RMxprt/RacetrackSlotCore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-47 RMxprt/SalientPoleCore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-48 RMxprt/SlotCore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-50 RMxprt/SquirrelCage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-50 RMxprt/SRMCore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-51 RMxprt/SynRMCore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-52 RMxprt/TransCoil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-53 RMxprt/TransCore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-53 RMxprt/UnivMCore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-54 RMxprt/VentSlotCore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-55 RMxprt/WaveCoil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-56 Specifying UDP Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Creating a Background Region . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Model Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Analysis Options Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Analyzing the Surface Mesh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Model Analysis Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Objects Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-57 7-58 7-61 7-61 7-62 7-62 7-63
Objects Misalignment Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-64 Surface Mesh (Single/Pairs) Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-64 Last Simulation Mesh Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-65 Aligning Selected Faces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Removing Selected Faces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Removing Selected Edges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Healing an Imported Object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Healing Stage One: Validation Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Healing Stage Two: Fix Intersections Between Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-69
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7-66 7-66 7-66 7-67 7-68
Maxwell Online Help
Healing Stage Three: Fix Object Pair Intersections . . . . 7-70 Healing Stage Four: Analysis Phase . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-70 Healing Non-Manifold Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-70 Setting the Healing Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-71 Modifying Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-73 Assigning Color to Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-74 Setting the Default Color of Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-74 Setting the Default Color of Object Outlines . . . . . . . . . . 7-74 Assigning Transparency to an Object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-74 Setting the Default Transparency of Objects . . . . . . . . . . 7-75 Copying and Pasting Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Copying an Image to the Clipboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Deleting Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Deleting Polyline Segments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Deleting Last Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cutting Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Moving Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rotating Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Changing the Orientation of an Object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mirroring Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Offsetting Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Duplicating Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Duplicating Objects Along a Line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-75 7-75 7-76 7-76 7-76 7-77 7-77 7-77 7-77 7-78 7-79 7-79 7-80
Deleting Start Points and Endpoints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-76
Duplicating Objects Around an Axis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-80 Duplicating and Mirroring Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-81 Scaling Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-81 Sweeping Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-82 Sweeping Around an Axis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-82 Sweeping Along a Vector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-83 Sweeping Along a Path . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-84 Sweeping Faces Along Normal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-84 Thicken Sheet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-85 Covering Lines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Covering Faces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Uncovering Faces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Detaching Faces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-85 7-85 7-86 7-86
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Detaching Edges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Creating a Cross-Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Connecting Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Moving Faces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Moving Faces Along the Normal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Uniting Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Subtracting Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Creating New Objects By Intersecting Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . Creating an Object from a Face . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Creating an Object from an Edge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Splitting Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Separating Bodies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Converting Polyline Segments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rounding the Edge of an Object (Fillet Command) . . . . . . . . . . Flattening the Edge of an Object (Chamfer Command) . . . . . . . Purging the History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Deleting the Last Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Generating History to Reproduce Portions of a Model . . . . . . . Modifying the Model View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rotating the View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Panning the View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Spinning the View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Zooming In and Out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Zooming In or Out on a Rectangular Area . . . . . . . . . . . .
7-86 7-86 7-87 7-87 7-87 7-89 7-89 7-90 7-91 7-92 7-92 7-94 7-94 7-95 7-96 7-96 7-97 7-97 7-99 7-99 7-100 7-100 7-100 7-101
Moving Faces Along a Vector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-88
Viewing 3D User Interface Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-101 Fitting Objects in the View Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-102 Fitting All Objects in a View Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-102 Fitting a Selection in a View Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-103 Hiding Objects from View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Showing Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Active View Visibility Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rendering Objects as Wire Frames or Solids . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Setting the Default Rendering Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-103 7-103 7-104 7-104 7-105
Setting the Surface Visualization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-105 Modifying the View Orientation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-106 Applying a Default View Orientation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-106 Applying a New View Orientation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-107 Removing an Orientation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-107
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Modifying the Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Setting the Projection View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Setting the Background Color . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Modifying the Coordinate System Axes View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Showing or Hiding the Axes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
7-108 7-108 7-109 7-110 7-110
Show the Axes for Selected Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-110 Enlarging or Shrinking the Axes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-110 Showing or Hiding the Triad Axes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-110 Choosing Grid Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-111 Setting the Grid Type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-111 Setting the Grid Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-111 Setting the Grid Density and Spacing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-111 Setting the Grid's Visibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-112 Setting the Grid Plane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-112 Setting the Color Key Visibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Setting a Plot's Visibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Selecting Items in the Modeler Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Selecting Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Selecting Multiple Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Setting the Default Color and Transparency of Selected Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-116 Setting the Default Color of Highlighted Objects . . . . . . . 7-117 Creating an Object List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-117 Reassigning Objects to Another Object List . . . . . . . . . . 7-118 Using or Viewing List Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-118 Selecting Faces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-119 Selecting All Faces of an Object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-120 Selecting Faces by Name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-120 Selecting Faces by Plane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-121 Face Selection Toolbar Icons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-121 Creating a Face List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-122 Selecting Edges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-123 Selecting All Edges of an Object or Face . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-124 Selecting Vertices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-124
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7-112 7-113 7-115 7-115 7-116
Selecting Objects by Name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-116
Maxwell Online Help
Selecting Multi (a Mode for Selecting Objects, Faces, Vertices or Edges) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-125 Controlling the Selection in Multi Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-125 Clearing a Selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Selecting the Face, Edge, Vertex, or Object Behind . . . . . . . . . Selecting the Edges of the Problem Region . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Selecting Objects and Surfaces That Lie Inside Other Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Selecting Based on Assignment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Using the Mouse to Select Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Selecting Cartesian Coordinates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Selecting Cylindrical Coordinates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Selecting Spherical Coordinates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Selecting Absolute Coordinates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Selecting Relative Coordinates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Setting Coordinate Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Setting the Working Coordinate System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Creating a Relative Coordinate System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Creating an Offset Relative CS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-126 7-126 7-127 7-127 7-127 7-127 7-128 7-128 7-129 7-129 7-130 7-131 7-131 7-132 7-132
Creating a Rotated Relative CS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-132 Creating an Offset and Rotated Relative CS . . . . . . . . . . 7-133 Creating a Face Coordinate System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-134 Automatically Creating Face Coordinate Systems . . . . . 7-135 Modifying Coordinate Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Deleting Coordinate Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Assigning Coordinates to New Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Defining Cartesian Coordinates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Defining Cylindrical Coordinates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Defining Spherical Coordinates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Using Absolute Coordinates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Using Relative Coordinates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Choosing the Movement Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Moving the Cursor In Plane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Moving the Cursor Out of Plane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Moving the Cursor in 3D Space . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Moving the Cursor Along the X-Axis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Moving the Cursor Along the Y-Axis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Moving the Cursor Along the Z-Axis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Choosing Snap Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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7-135 7-135 7-137 7-137 7-137 7-138 7-139 7-139 7-140 7-140 7-141 7-141 7-142 7-143 7-143 7-144
Maxwell Online Help
Snap Setting Guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Measure Modes for Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Measuring Position and Distance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Setting the Drawing Plane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Group Objects by Material . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
7-145 7-146 7-147 7-149 7-150
8. Assigning Materials
Searching for Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Searching by Material Name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Searching by Material Property . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Adding New Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Defining Variable Material Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Defining Material Properties as Expressions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Defining Functional Material Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Material Coordinate Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Anisotropic Dielectric Permittivity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Anisotropic Magnetic Permeability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Anisotropic Electric Conductivity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Anisotropic Admittivity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lamination Modeling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Stacking Direction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Core Loss Type for a Maxwell Material . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dielectric Loss Tangent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Magnetic Loss Tangent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Calculating Properties for Core Loss (BP Curve) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Core Loss Coefficients for Electrical Steel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Core Loss Coefficient Extraction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Importing a BP Curve From a File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Manually Specifying BP Curve Coordinates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Viewing and Modifying Material Attributes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Setting the Material Threshold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Validating Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Copying Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Removing Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Exporting Materials to a Library . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sorting Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Working with Material Libraries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Configuring Design Libraries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Editing Material Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Setting a Thermal Modifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-3 8-3 8-3 8-4 8-5 8-5 8-5 8-6 8-6 8-8 8-11 8-11 8-12 8-12 8-13 8-13 8-14 8-15 8-16 8-17 8-18 8-18 8-20 8-21 8-22 8-23 8-24 8-25 8-26 8-27 8-27 8-29 8-29
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Specify Thermal Quadratic Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-30 Permanent Magnets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nonlinear vs. Linear Permanent Magnets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Characteristics and Main Parameters of Permanent-magnetic Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Demagnetization Curve . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Calculating the Properties for a Permanent Magnet . . . . . . . . . Calculating the Properties for a Non-Linear Permanent Magnet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nonlinear Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Perfect Conductors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-32 8-32 8-32 8-33 8-37 8-37 8-39 8-40
Recoil Lines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-34
9. Assigning Boundaries and Excitations for 3D Designs

Selecting Objects and Faces in the Geometry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Defining Boundary Conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Defining Excitations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Viewing Boundaries and Excitations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Setting the Visibility for Boundaries and Excitations . . . . . . . . . Functional Boundaries and Excitations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Setting Eddy Effects and Displacement Current . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Setting Core Loss for Transient Solvers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Showing and Verifying Conduction Paths . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Recalculating Conduction Paths . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Modifying Boundary Conditions and Excitations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Duplicating Boundaries and Excitations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Showing and Hiding Boundaries and Excitations . . . . . . . . . . . . Showing and Hiding Boundaries and Excitations in Setting Default Values for Boundaries and Excitations . . . . . . . Reassigning Boundaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Reassigning Excitations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Deleting All Boundaries and/or Excitations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Reprioritizing Boundaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Viewing and Editing Boundary or Excitation Properties . . . . . . . Set Default Boundary/Excitation Base Name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Magnetostatic Boundaries and Excitations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Magnetostatic Boundaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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9-1 9-2 9-2 9-4 9-4 9-4 9-6 9-7 9-8 9-8 9-8 9-8 9-9
Every View Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-9 9-9 9-10 9-10 9-11 9-11 9-12 9-13 9-14 9-14
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Default Boundary Conditions for a Magnetostatic Solver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-15 Assigning a Magnetic H Field for a Magnetostatic Solver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-15 Assigning an Insulating Boundary for a Magnetostatic Solver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-16 Assigning a Symmetry Boundary Condition for a Magnetostatic Solver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-16 Assigning a Master Boundary for a Magnetostatic Solver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-17 Assigning a Slave Boundary for a Magnetostatic Solver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-18 Magnetostatic Excitations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-19 Assigning a Voltage Excitation for a Magnetostatic Solver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-19 Assigning a Voltage Drop Excitation for a Magnetostatic Solver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-20 Assigning a Current Density Excitation for a Magnetostatic Solver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-20 Assigning a Current Excitation for a Magnetostatic Solver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-21 Electrostatic Boundaries and Excitations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-22 Electrostatic Boundaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-22 Default Boundary Conditions for an Electrostatic Solver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-23 Assigning a Symmetry Boundary Condition for an Electrostatic Solver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-23 Assigning a Master Boundary for an Electrostatic Solver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-24 Assigning a Slave Boundary for an Electrostatic Solver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-25 Electrostatic Excitations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-26 Assigning a Voltage Excitation for an Electrostatic Solver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-26
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Assigning a Charge Excitation for an Electrostatic Solver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-27 Assigning a Floating Excitation for an Electrostatic Solver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-27 Assigning a Volume Charge Density Excitation for an Electrostatic Solver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-27 DC Conduction Boundaries and Excitations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-29 DC Conduction Boundaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-29 Default Boundary Conditions for a DC Conduction Solver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-30 Assigning an Insulating Boundary for a DC Conduction Solver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-30 Assigning a Symmetry Boundary Condition for a DC Conduction Solver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-30 Assigning a Master Boundary for a DC Conduction Solver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-31 Assigning a Slave Boundary for a DC Conduction Solver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-32 DC Conduction Excitations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-33 Assigning a Voltage Excitation for a DC Conduction Solver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-34 Assigning a Current Excitation for a DC Conduction Solver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-34 Assigning a Sink Excitation for a DC Conduction Solver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-34 DC Conduction + Electrostatic Boundaries and Excitations . . . . . . . . . 9-35 Eddy Current Boundaries and Excitations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-36 Eddy Current Boundaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-36 Default Boundary Conditions for the Eddy Current Solver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-37 Assigning a Magnetic H Field for the Eddy Current Solver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-37 Assigning an Insulating Boundary for the Eddy Current Solver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-38
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Assigning a Symmetry Boundary for the Eddy Current Solver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-38 Assigning a Master Boundary for the Eddy Current Solver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-39 Assigning a Slave Boundary for the Eddy Current Solver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-40 Assigning a Radiation Boundary for the Eddy Current Solver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-41 Assigning an Impedance Boundary for the Eddy Current Solver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-42 Eddy Current Excitations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-45 Assigning a Current Density Excitation for the Eddy Current Solver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-45 Assigning a Current Density Terminal Excitation for the Eddy Current Solver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-46 Assigning a Current Excitation for the Eddy Current Solver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-46 Transient Boundaries and Excitations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-47 Transient Boundaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-47 Default Boundary Conditions for a Transient Solver . . . . 9-48 Assigning a Zero Tangential H Field Boundary for a Transient Solver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-48 Assigning an Insulating Boundary for a Transient Solver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-49 Assigning a Symmetry Boundary for a Transient Solver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-49 Assigning a Master Boundary for a Transient Solver . . . 9-49 Assigning a Slave Boundary for a Transient Solver . . . . 9-50 Transient Excitations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-52 Assigning a Coil Terminal for a Transient Solver . . . . . . 9-52 Assigning a Winding Setup for a Transient Solver . . . . . 9-53 Setting Up an External Circuit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-54 Editing the External Circuit Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-57
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10. Assigning Boundaries and Excitations for 2D Designs

Selecting Objects and Faces in the 2D Geometry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Defining Boundary Conditions in 2D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Defining 2D Excitations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Viewing 2D Boundaries and Excitations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Setting the Visibility for 2D Boundaries and Excitations . . . . . Functional Boundaries and Excitations in 2D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Setting Eddy Effects and Displacement Current in 2D . . . . . . . . . . . . Setting Core Loss for 2D Transient Solvers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Modifying 2D Boundary Conditions and Excitations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Duplicating 2D Boundaries and Excitations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Showing and Hiding Boundaries and Excitations in 2D . . . . . . Showing and Hiding 2D Boundaries and Excitations Setting Default Values for 2D Boundaries and Excitations . . . Reassigning 2D Boundaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Reassigning 2D Excitations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Deleting All 2D Boundaries and/or Excitations . . . . . . . . . . . . . Viewing and Editing 2D Boundary or Excitation Properties . . . 2D Magnetostatic Boundaries and Excitations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2D Magnetostatic Boundaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Default Boundary Conditions for a 2D Magnetostatic Assigning a Vector Potential for a 2D Magnetostatic Solver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-11 Assigning a Symmetry Boundary Condition for a 2D Magnetostatic Solver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-12 Assigning a Balloon Boundary Condition for a 2D Magnetostatic Solver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-12 Assigning a Master Boundary for a 2D Magnetostatic Solver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-12 Assigning a Slave Boundary for a 2D Magnetostatic Solver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-13 2D Magnetostatic Excitations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-14 Assigning a Current Density Excitation for a 2D
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10-1 10-2 10-2 10-4 10-4 10-4 10-5 10-6 10-6 10-7 10-7
in Every View Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-7 10-8 10-8 10-9 10-9 10-9 10-10 10-10
Solver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-11
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Magnetostatic Solver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-14 Assigning a Current Excitation for a 2D Magnetostatic Solver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-14 2D Electrostatic Boundaries and Excitations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-16 2D Electrostatic Boundaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-16 Default Boundary Conditions for a 2D Electrostatic Solver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-17 Assigning a Symmetry Boundary Condition for a 2D Electrostatic Solver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-17 Assigning a Balloon Boundary Condition for a 2D Electrostatic Solver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-18 Assigning a Master Boundary for a 2D Electrostatic Solver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-18 Assigning a Slave Boundary for a 2D Electrostatic Solver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-19 2D Electrostatic Excitations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-19 Assigning a Voltage Excitation for a 2D Electrostatic Solver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-19 Assigning a Charge Excitation for a 2D Electrostatic Solver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-20 Assigning a Floating Excitation for a 2D Electrostatic Solver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-20 Assigning a Charge Density Excitation for a 2D Electrostatic Solver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-21 2D AC Conduction Boundaries and Excitations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-22 2D AC Conduction Boundaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-22 Default Boundary Conditions for a 2D AC Conduction Solver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-23 Assigning a Symmetry Boundary Condition for a 2D AC Conduction Solver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-23 Assigning a Balloon Boundary Condition for a 2D AC Conduction Solver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-24 Assigning a Master Boundary for a 2D AC Conduction Solver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-24
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Assigning a Slave Boundary for a 2D AC Conduction Solver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-24 2D AC Conduction Excitations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-25 Assigning a Voltage Excitation for a 2D AC Conduction Solver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-25 2D DC Conduction Boundaries and Excitations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-27 2D DC Conduction Boundaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-27 Default Boundary Conditions for a 2D DC Conduction Solver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-28 Assigning a Symmetry Boundary Condition for a 2D DC Conduction Solver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-28 Assigning a Balloon Boundary Condition for a 2D DC Conduction Solver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-29 Assigning a Resistance Boundary Condition for a 2D DC Conduction Solver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-29 Assigning a Master Boundary for a 2D DC Conduction Solver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-30 Assigning a Slave Boundary for a 2D DC Conduction Solver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-30 2D DC Conduction Excitations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-31 Assigning a Voltage Excitation for a 2D DC Conduction Solver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-31 2D Eddy Current Boundaries and Excitations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-32 2D Eddy Current Boundaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-33 Default Boundary Conditions for the 2D Eddy Current Solver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-34 Assigning a Vector Potential for the 2D Eddy Current Solver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-34 Assigning an Impedance Boundary for the 2D Eddy Current Solver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-34 Assigning a Symmetry Boundary for the 2D Eddy Current Solver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-36 Assigning a Balloon Boundary Condition for the 2D Eddy Current Solver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-37
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Assigning a Master Boundary for the 2D Eddy Current Solver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-37 Assigning a Slave Boundary for the 2D Eddy Current Solver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-38 2D Eddy Current Excitations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-38 Assigning a Current Excitation for the 2D Eddy Current Solver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-39 Assigning a Parallel Current Excitation for the 2D Eddy Current Solver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-39 Assigning a Current Density Excitation for the 2D Eddy Current Solver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-40 2D Transient Boundaries and Excitations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-41 2D Transient Boundaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-41 Default Boundary Conditions for a 2D Transient Solver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-42 Assigning a Vector Potential for a 2D Transient Solver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-42 Assigning a Symmetry Boundary for a 2D Transient Solver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-43 Assigning a Balloon Boundary Condition for a 2D Transient Solver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-43 Assigning a Master Boundary for a 2D Transient Solver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-43 Assigning a Slave Boundary for a 2D Transient Solver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-44 2D Transient Excitations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-44 Assigning a Current Excitation for a 2D Transient Solver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-45 Assigning a Current Density Excitation for a 2D Transient Solver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-45 Assigning a Coil for a 2D Transient Solver . . . . . . . . . . 10-46 Assigning an End Connection for a 2D Transient Solver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-47 Assigning a Winding Setup for a 2D
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Transient Solver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-47 Setting up a Y Connection in 2D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-49 Setting Up an External Circuit in 2D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-50 Editing the External Circuit Connection for 2D Transient . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-54
11. Setting Up Motion for Transient Projects

Assigning a Band of Motion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Non-Cylindrical Rotational Motion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Reassigning a Band of Motion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Adding and Deleting Objects from a Band of Motion . . . . . . . . . . . . . Showing and Hiding Motion Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Setting the Visibility for Motion Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-2 11-4 11-5 11-6 11-6 11-6
12. Adding Solution Parameters

Assigning a Force Parameter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Assigning a Torque Parameter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Assigning a Matrix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Reassigning Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Viewing Parameter List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Deleting All Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Showing and Hiding Solution Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Setting the Visibility for Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Changing the Parameter Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-1 12-2 12-2 12-4 12-4 12-4 12-4 12-5 12-6
13. Defining Mesh Operations

Assigning Length-Based Mesh Refinement on Object Faces . . . . . . Assigning Length-Based Mesh Refinement Inside Objects . . . . . . . . Assigning Skin Depth-Based Mesh Refinement on Object Faces . . . Modifying Surface Approximation Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Surface Approximation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Guidelines for Modifying Surface Approximation Settings . . . . Modifying the Model Resolution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Applying Mesh Operations Without Solving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Reverting to the Initial Mesh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Deleting All Previously-Assigned Mesh Refinements . . . . . . . . . . . . . Viewing List of Mesh Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Reassigning a Mesh Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Viewing Mesh Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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14. Specifying Solution Settings

Analysis Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Setting Analysis Parameters for Non-Transient Solutions . . . . . . . . . Defining Settings on the General Tab for Non-Transient Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Setup Name (Non-Transient) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-3 14-5 14-5 14-5
Adaptive Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-5 Parameter Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-6 Defining Settings on the Convergence Tab for Non-Transient Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Specifying Output Variable Convergence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Defining Settings on the Solver Tab for Non-Transient Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Magnetostatic Solver Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-6 14-6 14-7 14-7
Eddy Current Solver Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-14 Import Mesh for Non-Transient Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . 14-14 Setup Link for Non-Transient Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-14 Defining Settings on the Frequency Sweep Tab for Eddy Current Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Defining Settings on the Defaults Tab for Non-Transient Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Setting Analysis Parameters for Transient Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . Defining Settings on the General Tab for Transient Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Setup Name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-15 14-16 14-17 14-17 14-17
Transient Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-17 Defining Settings on the Save Fields Tab for Transient Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-18 Defining Settings on the Advanced Tab for Transient Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-18 Using a Control Program in Transient Solutions . . . . . . 14-18 Get Data From Link . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-21 Compute Data For Link . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-24 Defining Settings on the Solver Tab for Transient Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-24 Defining Settings on the Output Variables Tab for Transient Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-24
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Defining Settings on the Defaults Tab for Transient Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Resetting Analysis to Time Zero . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Changing Memory Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Specifying the Desired RAM Limit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Specifying the Hard Memory Limit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Setting View Context for Transient Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Speed and Position Display Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Renaming a Solution Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Copying a Solution Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Clearing Linked Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Setting the Report Updating During Analysis Options . . . . . . . . . . . .
14-25 14-26 14-27 14-27 14-28 14-29 14-29 14-31 14-32 14-33 14-34
15. Maxwell Coupling with ePhysics, HFSS, and Simplorer

Creating Coupled Designs Between Maxwell and ePhysics . . . . . . . 15-3 Linking from ePhysics to an Automatically Created Maxwell Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-4 Multiple Links in Designs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Using Variables in Coupled Designs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . External Load Check Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mesh Import for Coupled Designs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Setup Links in Coupled Designs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Setup Link:General Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Setup Link:Parameters Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Setup Link:Solver Tab (Thermal Transient Only) . . . . . . . . . . . Near Field Coupling Between Maxwell and HFSS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Magnetic bias source coupling between Maxwell and HFSS . . . . . . . Coupling Maxwell to a Simplorer Component . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-5 15-6 15-8 15-10 15-11 15-11 15-13 15-14 15-17 15-18 15-19
16. Exporting Equivalent Circuit Data

Exporting a Circuit From a Parametric Solution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Types of Equivalent Circuit Models . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Exporting a Circuit From an Imported Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Setting Up Current Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Current Variables Represent Ampere-Turns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Current Variables Represent Amperes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Setting Inputs and Outputs in the Table Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Setting Coil and Mechanical Terminals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-2 16-3 16-5 16-7 16-7 16-7 16-9 16-12
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17. Scripting in Maxwell

Recording a Script . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Stopping Script Recording . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Running a Script . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pausing and Resuming a Script . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Stopping a Script . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-2 17-3 17-4 17-5 17-6
18. Running Simulations

Solving a Single Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Running More Than One Simulation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Specifying the Analysis Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Remote Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Determining the Desired Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Common Windows Configurations (Advantages 18-2 18-2 18-3 18-5 18-6
and Disadvantages) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18-7 Unix Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18-8 Determining User Accounts to Use with the Selected Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18-8 Using Groups for Security Permissions on Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18-12 Configuring the Remote Machine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18-13 A. Configuring the Remote Machine for Windows XP Professional (32-bit and 64-bit) and Windows Server 2003 (32-bit and 64-bit) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18-13 B. Configuring the Remote Machine for Unix . . . . . . . . 18-21 Configuring the Local Machine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18-29 A. Configuring the Local Machine for Windows XP Professional (32-bit and 64-bit) and Windows Server 2003 (32-bit and 64-bit) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18-29 B. Configuring the Local Machine for Unix . . . . . . . . . . 18-33 Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Distributed Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Configuring Distributed Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Licensing for Distributed Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Selecting an Optimal Configuration for Distributed Analysis . . Monitoring the Solution Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Monitoring Queued Simulations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18-39 18-47 18-47 18-49 18-49 18-51 18-51
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Changing a Solutions Priority . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18-52 Aborting Analyses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18-53 Re-solving a Problem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18-54
19. Post Processing and Generating Reports

Viewing Solution Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-2 Viewing Convergence Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-2 Viewing the Number of Completed Passes . . . . . . . . . . 19-3 Viewing Output Variable Convergence . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-3 Plotting Convergence Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-3 Viewing a Solution's Profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-4 Viewing Matrix Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-4 Exporting a Circuit Model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-5 Coupling Coefficient Matrix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-6 Viewing Parameter Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Viewing Mesh Statistics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Creating Animations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Creating Geometry Animations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Creating Field Plot Animations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Controlling the Animation's Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Exporting Animations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Creating Reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Creating a New Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Modifying Reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Modifying the Background Properties of a Report . . . . . . . . . . Modifying the Legend in a Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-6 19-7 19-9 19-9 19-10 19-11 19-13 19-15 19-17 19-19 19-20 19-21
Selecting the Report Type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-23 Selecting the Display Type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-23 Creating 2D Rectangular Plots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-23 Plotting a Quantity Versus Adaptive Pass . . . . . . . . . . . 19-25 Creating 3D Rectangular Plots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-26 Creating Data Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-27 Delta Markers in 2D Reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-28 Working with Traces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-28 Editing Trace Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-29 Editing the Display Properties of Traces . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-30 Adding Data Markers to Traces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-31
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Discarding Report Values Below a Specified Threshold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-33 Add Trace Characteristics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-33 Removing Traces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-34 Copy and Paste of Report and Trace Definitions . . . . . 19-35 Copy and Paste of Report and Trace Data . . . . . . . . . . 19-36 Sweeping a Variable in a Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-36 Sweeping Values Across a Distance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-37 Selecting a Function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Selecting Solution Quantities to Plot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Selecting a Field Quantity to Plot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Post-Processed Quantities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Setting a Range Function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Spectral Domain Plots in Transient (FFT) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Time Domain Plots in Eddy (IFFT) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Specifying Output Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Adding a New Output Variable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-37 19-42 19-43 19-43 19-43 19-45 19-45 19-46 19-46
Building an Expression Using Existing Quantities . . . . . 19-46 Deleting Output Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-47 Creating a Quick Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Quick Report Categories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Updating All Reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Opening All Reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Deleting All Reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cleaning Up Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Plotting Field Overlays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Plotting Standard Field Quantities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Loss Quantities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Named Expressions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Plotting Derived Field Quantities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Creating 2D Reports From Named Expressions . . . . . . . . . . . Creating Scalar Field Plots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Creating Vector Field Plots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Modifying Field Plots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Setting Field Plot Attributes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Modifying Field Plot Colors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-49 19-49 19-51 19-52 19-53 19-54 19-55 19-56 19-59 19-60 19-61 19-62 19-63 19-63 19-64 19-64 19-65
Modifying the Field Plot Scale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-67 Modifying Vector Field Plot Arrows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-69
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Setting the Mesh Visibility on Field Plots . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-69 Modifying Scalar Field Plot Isovalues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-70 Mapping Scalar Field Plot Transparency to Field Values . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-71 Modifying Markers on Point Plots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-71 Viewing Data Markers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-72 Modifying Line Plots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-72 Setting a Plot's Visibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Saving a Field Overlay Plot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Opening a Field Overlay Plot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Deleting a Field Overlay Plot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Setting Field Plot Defaults . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Renaming a Plot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Using the Fields Calculator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Opening the Fields Calculator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Context Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Registers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Enlarging the Register Display Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Calculator Stack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Stack Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Input Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Quantity Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-73 19-74 19-74 19-74 19-74 19-75 19-76 19-76 19-76 19-77 19-77 19-77 19-78 19-79 19-79
Units of Measure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-77
Geometry Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-79 Constant Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-80 Number Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-81 Function Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-81 Geometry Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-82 Reading an External Input . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-82 General Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . + (Add) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (Subtract) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . * (Multiply) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . / (Divide) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Neg . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Abs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Smooth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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19-82 19-82 19-83 19-83 19-83 19-83 19-83 19-83
Maxwell Online Help
Complex . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Domain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Scalar Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Vec? Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
19-83 19-84 19-84 19-85
1/x (Inverse) Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-85 Pow Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-85 (Square Root) Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-85 Trig . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-86 (Integral) Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-86 Max Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-87 Min Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-87 (Gradient) Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-88 Ln Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-88 Log Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-88 Vector Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-88 Scal? Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-88 Matl Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-88 Mag Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-89 Dot Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-89 Cross Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-89 Divg Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-89 Curl Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-89 Tangent Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-89 Normal Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-90 Unit Vec Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-90 Output Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-91 Value Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-91 Eval Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-91 Write Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-92 Export Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-93 Calculating Derived Field Quantities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Named Expression Library . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Exiting the Fields Calculator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Plotting the Mesh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Setting Mesh Plot Attributes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-94 19-95 19-95 19-96 19-96
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Maxwell Online Help
20. Optimetrics
Parametric Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Setting Up a Parametric Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Adding a Variable Sweep Definition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Specifying Variable Values for a Sweep Definition . . . . 20-3 20-4 20-4 20-5
Synchronizing Variable Sweep Definitions . . . . . . . . . . 20-6 Modifying a Variable Sweep Definition Manually . . . . . . . . . . . 20-7 Overriding a Variable's Current Value in a Parametric Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20-7 Specifying a Solution Setup for a Parametric Setup . . . . . . . . 20-8 Specifying the Solution Quantity to Evaluate for Parametric Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20-8 Setup Calculations for Optimetrics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20-9 Specifying a Solution Quantity's Calculation Range . . . 20-10 Viewing Results for Parametric Solution Quantities . . . . . . . . . Using Distributed Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Optimization Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Choosing an Optimizer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Quasi Newton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20-10 20-12 20-13 20-13 20-13
Pattern Search . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20-17 Sequential Non-linear Programming(SNLP) . . . . . . . . . 20-18 Sequential Mixed Integer NonLinear Programming . . . 20-20 Genetic Algorithm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20-20 Optimization Variables and the Design Space . . . . . . . . . . . . . Setting Up an Optimization Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Optimization Setup for the Quasi Newton Optimizer . . . . . . . . Optimization Setup for the Pattern Search Optimizer . . . . . . . Optimization Setup for the SNLP Optimizer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Optimization Setup for the SMINLP Optimizer . . . . . . . . . . . . . Optimization Setup for the Genetic Algorithm Optimizer . . . . . Setting the Maximum Iterations for an Optimization Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cost Function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Acceptable Cost . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20-21 20-22 20-23 20-24 20-25 20-26 20-27 20-29 20-29 20-30
Cost Function Noise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20-30 Adding a Cost Function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20-31 Setting a Goal Value . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20-34
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Maxwell Online Help
Goal Weight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20-36 Modifying the Starting Variable Value for Optimization . . . . . . 20-37 Setting the Min. and Max. Variable Values for Optimization . . 20-37 Overriding the Min. and Max. Variable Values for a Single Optimization Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20-38 Changing the Min. and Max. Variable Values for Every Optimization Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20-38 Step Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20-38 Setting the Min. and Max. Step Sizes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20-40 Setting the Min and Max Focus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20-40 Equalizing the influence of different optimization variables. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20-41 To set the Min and Max Focus values: . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20-41 Solving a Parametric Setup Before an Optimization . . . . . . . . Solving a Parametric Setup During an Optimization . . . . . . . . Automatically Updating a Variable's Value After Optimization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Changing the Cost Function Norm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Explanation of L1, L2 and Max norms in Advanced Genetic Algorithm Optimizer Options . . . . . . . . . . . Sensitivity Analysis Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Selecting a Master Output . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Setting Up a Sensitivity Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Setting the Maximum Iterations Per Variable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Setting Up an Output Parameter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Specifying a Solution Quantity for an Output Setting the Calculation Range of an Output Parameter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20-52 Modifying the Starting Variable Value for Sensitivity Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20-52 Setting the Min. and Max. Variable Values . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20-53 Overriding the Min. and Max. Variable Values for a Single Sensitivity Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20-53 Changing the Min. and Max. Variable Values for
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20-41 20-42 20-42 20-42
Optimization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20-43 20-45 20-49 20-49 20-50 20-50 20-51
Parameter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20-51
Maxwell Online Help
Every Sensitivity Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20-54 Setting the Initial Displacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Solving a Parametric Setup Before a Sensitivity Analysis . . . . Solving a Parametric Setup During a Sensitivity Analysis . . . . Statistical Analysis Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Setting Up a Statistical Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Setting the Maximum Iterations for a Statistical Analysis . . . . Specifying the Solution Quantity to Evaluate for Statistical Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Setting the Solution Quantity's Calculation Range . . . . . . . . . . Setting the Distribution Criteria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Overriding the Distribution Criteria for a Single Changing the Distribution Criteria for Every Statistical Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20-60 Statistical Cutoffs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20-61 Edit Distribution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20-61 Modifying the Starting Variable Value for Statistical Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Solving a Parametric Setup During a Statistical Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tuning Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tuning a Variable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Applying a Tuned State to a Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Saving a Tuned State . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Reverting to a Saved Tuned State . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Resetting Variable Values after Tuning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Saving Field Solutions for Optimetrics Analyses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Saving Field Solutions for a Parametric Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . Saving Field Solutions for an Optimization Setup . . . . . . . . . . Saving Field Solutions for a Sensitivity Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . Saving Field Solutions for a Tuning Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Saving Field Solutions for a Statistical Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Copying Meshes in Optimetrics Sweeps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Adding an Expression in the Output Variables Window . . . . . . . . . . . Excluding a Variable from an Optimetrics Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Modifying the Value of a Fixed Variable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Linear Constraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Setting a Linear Constraint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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20-54 20-54 20-55 20-56 20-57 20-57 20-58 20-58 20-59
Statistical Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20-59
20-63 20-63 20-64 20-65 20-66 20-66 20-66 20-67 20-68 20-68 20-68 20-69 20-69 20-70 20-71 20-72 20-73 20-74 20-75 20-75
Maxwell Online Help
Modifying a Linear Constraint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Deleting a Linear Constraint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Viewing Analysis Results for Optimetrics Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Viewing Solution Data for an Optimetrics Design Variation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Viewing an Optimetrics Solution's Profile Data . . . . . . . . . . . . Plotting Solution Quantity Results vs. a Swept
20-76 20-76 20-78 20-78 20-78
Variable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20-79 Viewing Cost Results for an Optimization Analysis . . . . . . . . . 20-79 Plotting Cost Results for an Optimization Analysis . . . . 20-80 Viewing Output Parameter Results for a Sensitivity Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20-80 Plotting Output Parameter Results for a Sensitivity Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20-80 Viewing Distribution Results for a Statistical Analysis . . . . . . . 20-81 Plotting Distribution Results for a Statistical Analysis . . 20-82
21. Maxwell 2D Technical Notes

Technical Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Solvers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Electrostatic Field Simulation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Electrostatic Theory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Capacitance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Capacitance in Terms of Charges and Voltages . . . . . . Capacitance in Terms of Currents and Time Varying Voltages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21-7 Computing Capacitance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21-9 Virtual Forces (Electrostatic) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Virtual Torques (Electrostatic) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Flux Linkage (Electrostatic) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Magnetostatic Field Simulation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Magnetostatic Theory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Inductance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Inductance in Terms of Flux Linkage and Inductance in Terms of Voltages and Time Varying Currents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21-16
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21-2 21-3 21-4 21-4 21-5 21-6
21-9 21-10 21-11 21-12 21-12 21-13
Currents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21-14
Maxwell Online Help
Computing an Inductance Matrix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21-17 Virtual Forces (Magnetostatic) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Virtual Torques (Magnetostatic) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Flux Linkage (Magnetostatic) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Eddy Current Field Simulation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Eddy Current Theory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Components of Current Density . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21-17 21-18 21-19 21-20 21-20 21-21
Integrating the Current Density . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21-21 Eddy Current Assumptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21-22 Deriving the Eddy Current Equation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21-22 Maxwells Equations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21-23 Relationship of Magnetic and Electric Field . . . . . . . . . . 21-24 Relationship of Current and Current Density . . . . . . . . . 21-24 Eddy Currents and Skin Depth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21-25 Impedance Matrix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21-26 Computing an Impedance Matrix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21-27 Inductance and Resistance in Impedance Computations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21-29 21-30 21-31 21-31 21-32 21-32 Virtual Forces (Eddy Current) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Virtual Torques (Eddy Current) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Current Flow (Eddy Current) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nonlinear Eddy Current Field Simulation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nonlinear Eddy Current Theory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
DC Conduction Field Simulation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21-35 DC Conduction Theory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21-35 Steady-state Conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21-37 Relevant Time Constant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21-38 Conductance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Current Flow (DC Conduction) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . AC Conduction Field Simulation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . AC Conduction Theory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . AC Conduction Assumptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Admittance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Current Flow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Axisymmetric Field Simulation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Transient Simulation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Transient Simulation Assumptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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21-39 21-39 21-41 21-41 21-41 21-42 21-42 21-43 21-45 21-45
Maxwell Online Help
Time-Dependent Magnetic Field Simulation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21-45 Stranded Conductors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21-46 Solid Conductors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21-47 Translational Motion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21-49 Rotational Motion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21-49 Phasor Notation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Real and Imaginary Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Boundary Conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Vector Potential . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Vector Potential Boundaries in Axisymmetric 21-50 21-51 21-53 21-54
Models . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21-55 Symmetry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21-55 Odd Symmetry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21-55 Even Symmetry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21-56 Balloon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Impedance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Resistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Master/Slave . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2D Sources/Excitations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2D Voltage Sources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DC Voltage Source . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21-57 21-58 21-60 21-61 21-64 21-65 21-65
AC Voltage Source . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21-65 2D Current/Current Density . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21-66 DC Current Source . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21-66 AC Current Source . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21-66 Active vs Passive Conductors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21-67 Passive Conductors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21-68 Current Sources for Touching Conductors . . . . . . . . . . 21-68 Current Sources for Perfect Conductors . . . . . . . . . . . . 21-69 Solid, Stranded, and Parallel Current Sources . . . . . . . 21-69 2D Charge/Charge Density . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2D Floating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . External Circuit Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . References for Electric or Magnetic Potential . . . . . . . . . . . . . End Connections in 2D Transient . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Functional Boundaries and Sources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21-70 21-71 21-71 21-72 21-72 21-74
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22. Maxwell 3D Technical Notes

Introduction to Maxwell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mouse Button Usage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Maxwell Desktop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Finite Element Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Types of Solutions and Degrees of Freedom (DOFs) . . . . . . . Size of Mesh Vs. Accuracy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Mesh Generation Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seeding the Mesh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22-2 22-3 22-3 22-4 22-5 22-6 22-6 22-7
Surface Approximation Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22-9 Meshing Region Vs. Problem Region . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22-10 Model Resolution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22-11 Electric Field Calculation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22-13 Symmetry for an Electric Field Solution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22-17 Even Symmetry (Flux Tangential) for an Electric Field Solution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22-17 Odd Symmetry (Flux Normal) for an Electric Field Solution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22-17 Matching Boundary for an Electric Field Solution . . . . . . . . . . 22-18 Master Boundary for an Electric Field Solution . . . . . . . 22-18 Slave Boundary for an Electric Field Solution . . . . . . . . 22-18 When to Use Matching Boundaries for an Electric Field Solution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22-18 Solution Process for an Electric Field Solution . . . . . . . . . . . . Electric Field Energy for an Electric Field Solution . . . . . . . . . Capacitance Matrix for an Electric Field Solution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Capacitance in Terms of Charge and Voltage . . . . . . . . Capacitance in Terms of Current and Time Varying Voltage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22-22 Matrix Elements for an Electric Field Solution . . . . . . . . 22-23 Symmetry for a Capacitance Matrix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22-24 Solution Process for a Capacitance Matrix . . . . . . . . . . 22-24 Lorentz Force for an Electrostatic Calculation . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22-26 Lorentz Torque for an Electrostatic Calculation . . . . . . . . . . . . 22-26 Virtual Force for an Electrostatic Calculation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22-27
Contents-36
22-19 22-20 22-21 22-21
Maxwell Online Help
Virtual Torque for an Electrostatic Calculation . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ohmic Loss for DC Conduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Surface Charge Density . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Magnetostatic Field Calculation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Symmetry for a Magnetostatic Field Solution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Odd Symmetry (Flux Tangential) for a Magnetostatic Even Symmetry (Flux Normal) for a Magnetostatic
22-27 22-28 22-29 22-30 22-36
Field Solution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22-36 Field Solution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22-36 Matching Boundary for a Magnetostatic Field Solution . . . . . . 22-37 Master Boundary for a Magnetostatic Field Solution . . . 22-37 Slave Boundary for a Magnetostatic Field Solution . . . . 22-37 When to Use Matching Boundaries for a Magnetostatic Field Solution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22-38 Solution Process for a Magnetostatic Field Solution . . . . . . . . Magnetic Field Energy for a Magnetostatic Field Solution . . . . Magnetic Coenergy for a Magnetostatic Field Solution . . . . . . Inductance Matrix for a Magnetostatic Field Solution . . . . . . . Types of Inductance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Inductance in Terms of Voltage and Time-Varying Current . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22-45 Matrix Elements for an Inductance Matrix . . . . . . . . . . . 22-46 Symmetry for an Inductance Matrix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22-46 Solution Process for an Inductance Matrix . . . . . . . . . . 22-46 Grouping Inductance Matrix Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22-47 Lorentz Force . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lorentz Torque . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Virtual Force . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Virtual Torque . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Frequency Domain (Eddy Current) Solver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Phasor Notation for an Eddy Current Solution . . . . . . . . . . . . . Real and Imaginary Components for an Eddy Current Solution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Solution Process for an Eddy Current Solution . . . . . . . . . . . . Skin Depth for an Eddy Current Solution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Magnetic Field Energy for an Eddy Current Solution . . . . . . . . 22-48 22-49 22-49 22-50 22-52 22-53 22-54 22-56 22-57 22-58 22-38 22-38 22-40 22-41 22-41
Inductance in Terms of Flux Linkage and Current . . . . . 22-44
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Maxwell Online Help
Hysteresis Loss for an Eddy Current Solution . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ohmic Loss for an Eddy Current Solution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dielectric Loss for an Eddy Current Solution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Impedance Matrix for an Eddy Current Solution . . . . . . . . . . . Matrix Elements for an Impedance Matrix . . . . . . . . . . .
22-59 22-60 22-61 22-62 22-63
Solution Process for an Impedance Matrix . . . . . . . . . . 22-64 Line Impedance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22-65 AC Inductance and Resistance for an Impedance Matrix . . . . Lorentz Force in an Eddy Current Solution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lorentz Torque in an Eddy Current Solution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Virtual Force in an Eddy Current Solution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Virtual Torque in an Eddy Current Solution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Average Force in an Eddy Current Solution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3D Transient Excitations (Sources) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Coil Terminals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Solution Process for a Transient Solution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Complex Field Behavior for a Transient Solution . . . . . . . . . . . Special Mesh Structure for a Transient Solution . . . . . . . . . . . Overcoming Challenges for a Transient Solution . . . . . . . . . . . Boundary Conditions for a Transient Solution . . . . . . . . . . . . . Default Boundary Conditions for a Transient Natural Boundary Conditions for a Transient Solution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22-77 Neumann Boundary Conditions for a Transient Solution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22-78 Symmetry for a Transient Solution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22-78 Odd Symmetry (Magnetic Flux Tangential) for a Transient Solution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22-78 Even Symmetry (Magnetic Flux Normal) for a Transient Solution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22-78 Matching Boundary for a Transient Solution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Insulating Boundary for a Transient Solution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Meshing and Band Setting Recommendations for 3D Transient Applications With Motion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Geometric Objects Bondwires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Healing Models . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Error Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Contents-38
22-66 22-67 22-67 22-68 22-68 22-68 22-71 22-73 22-76 22-76 22-77 22-77 22-77
Solution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22-77
22-81 22-82 22-83 22-86 22-87 22-87
Maxwell Online Help
Detecting Errors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Healing and Meshing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Detecting and Addressing Model Problems to Improve Meshing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Stage One: Healing during geometry import . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Stage Two: Healing after geometry import . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Stage Three: Removing Object Intersections . . . . . . . . . . . . . Stage Four: Removing Small Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Stage Five: Aligning Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Stage Six: Troubleshooting if meshing still fails . . . . . . . . . . . . Handling Complicated Models . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Interface Options for Complicated Models . . . . . . . . . . .
22-88 22-89 22-90 22-90 22-91 22-93 22-94 22-95 22-95 22-96 22-97
RAM Settings for Large Geometries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22-97 Geometry Imperfections and Complicated Models . . . . 22-97 Object Overlap Settings for Complicated Models . . . . . 22-98 Post Processing for Complicated Models . . . . . . . . . . . 22-98
23. Maxwell V12 Examples

Maxwell 3D/2D Examples: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23-2 RMxprt Examples: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23-8
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Maxwell Online Help
Contents-40
11
Welcome to Maxwell Online Help
Use the following links for quick information on the following topics. User Interface Meshing Analysis Results Getting Started Guides Technical Library Materials Modeling Boundaries/Excitations Optimetrics Scripting Example Projects Ansoft Website
For detailed information on these and many other topics:
Use F1 on any open dialog to open the Online Help for that dialog. Click the "?" icon on the toolbar, and then click on any menu command, icon, or window for help on that selection. With the Online Help Contents tab selected, navigate the help topic hierarchy. With the Online Help Index tab selected, search the help index. With the Online Help Search tab selected, search the full help text. With Online Help Favorites tab selected, create a custom list of favorite topics.
User Interface Quick Links

Use the following links for quick information on the following topics. The Maxwell Desktop General Purpose Keyboard Shortcuts for Maxwell Customize Toolbar Options Running Maxwell From a Command Line
Welcome to Maxwell Online Help 1-1
Maxwell Online Help
Modeling Quick Links

Use the following links for quick information on the following topics. Set the models units of measurement. Assign transparency to an object. Subtract objects. Measuring Objects Drawing Bondwires Keyboard shortcuts for the 3D Modeler Window. Modifying the Model View For detailed information on these and many other topics: Setting Modeler Drawing Options Selecting Items in the Modeler Window Drawing Objects Choosing the Cursor Movement Mode Importing Files Modifying Objects
Boundaries/Excitations Quick Links

Use the following links for quick information on the following topics. Defining Boundary Conditions Setting Eddy Effects and Displacement Current Setting Up Motion for Transient Projects Defining Boundary Conditions in 2D
1-2 Welcome to Maxwell Online Help
Defining Excitations Setting Core Loss for Transient Solver Functional Boundaries and Excitations Defining 2D Excitations
Maxwell Online Help
Meshing Quick Links

Use the following links for quick information on the following topics. Defining Mesh Operations Detecting and Addressing Model Problems to Improve Meshing Plot the finite element mesh Handling Complicated Models
Analysis Quick Links

Use the following links for quick information on the following topics. Specifying the Analysis Options Configuring Distributed Analysis Selecting an Optimal Configuration for Distributed Analysis Specifying Output Variable Convergence For detailed information on these and many other topics: Remote Analysis Specifying Solution Settings Setting Adaptive Analysis Parameters
Use F1 on any open dialog to open the Online Help for that dialog. Click the "?" icon on the toolbar, and then click on any menu command, icon, or window for help on that selection.
Maxwell Online Help
With the Online Help Contents tab selected, navigate the help topic hierarchy. With the Online Help Index tab selected, search the help index. With the Online Help Search tab selected, search the full help text. With Online Help Favorites tab selected, create a custom list of favorite topics.
Optimetrics Quick Links

Use the following links for quick information on the following topics. Setting up a Parametric Analysis Setting up a Sensitivity Analysis Setting up a Statistical Analysis Setup Calculations for Optimetrics Setting up an Optimization Analysis Tuning a Variable Setting a Range function Adding a cost function
Results Quick Links

Use the following links for quick information on the following topics. View solution data Plot field overlay Plot the finite element mesh Create animations Specifying Output Variables Using the Fields Calculator For detailed information on these and many other topics: Creating Reports Working with Traces Adding Data Markers to Traces Creating a Quick Report Dynamically Updating Reports During Solution
Use F1 on any open dialog to open the Online Help for that dialog. Click the "?" icon on the toolbar, and then click on any menu command, icon, or window for help on that selection.
Maxwell Online Help
With the Online Help Contents tab selected, navigate the help topic hierarchy. With the Online Help Index tab selected, search the help index. With the Online Help Search tab selected, search the full help text. With Online Help Favorites tab selected, create a custom list of favorite topics.
Scripting Quick Links

Use the following links for quick information on the following topics. Recording a Script Stopping Script Recording Stopping a Script Running a script Pausing and Resuming a Script Introduction to Scripting Command Language
Maxwell Online Help
2
Getting Started with Maxwell and RMxprt
Maxwell is an interactive software package that uses finite element analysis (FEA) to solve threedimensional (3D) electrostatic, magnetostatic, eddy current, and transient problems. Use it to compute:
Static electric fields, forces, torques, and capacitances caused by voltage distributions and charges. Static magnetic fields, forces, torques, and inductances caused by DC currents, static external magnetic fields, and permanent magnets. Time-varying magnetic fields, forces, torques, and impedances caused by AC currents and oscillating external magnetic fields. Transient magnetic fields caused by electrical sources and permanent magnets.
Rotational Machine Expert (RMxprt) is an interactive software package used for designing and analyzing electrical machines. Related Topics Working with Maxwell Projects and Designs Setting Up a Maxwell Design Getting Started with RMxprt Quick Start for RMxprt Using the Maxwell Circuit Editor
Getting Started with Maxwell and RMxprt 2-1
Maxwell 3D Online Help
System Requirements
Maxwell supports the following operating systems:
Windows Sun Solaris Linux
For details regarding which revisions of each of these operating systems are supported; as well as, memory and disk requirements and known issues at the time of shipping, consult the readme file shipped with this release of the software by clicking the link below: . On all systems, when you run Maxwell for the first time (that is, with no project directory specified in the registry), or if the project directory or the temp directory does not exist, Maxwell asks you to set the project and temp directories. For the temp directory, you need to ensure adequate disk space is available. Maxwell 12 requires at least the FLEXlm for Ansoft v10.8.5 license server. Note If you try to run Maxwell and get a message reporting a corrupted license file, please contact Ansoft. Maxwell displays a warning message if the license file expires within 15 days. All operating systems must have 32-bit OpenGL libraries installed regardless of whether the OS is 32-bit or 64-bit.
Note Note
Related Topics Additional Windows Information Additional Sun Solaris Information Additional Linux Information
Additional Windows Information

In addition to information in the readme.txt file, the following information may be useful to Windows users: Note If you are using the NVIDIA Quadro2 MXR/EX video card on Windows XP, you should also download Version 40.41 or greater video driver, available for download at http://www.nvidia.com.
Related Topics Increasing RAM on a 32-bit PC
2-2 Getting Started with Maxwell and RMxprt
Increasing RAM on a 32-Bit PC

If you are running the appropriate Windows Operating System, you can take advantage of potentially all the installed RAM up to a limit of 3GB on 32-bit machines. Doing so also requires setting up the appropriate OS boot.ini switch (/3GB) to tell the OS that 3 GB is to be used for application space and only one GB for the OS kernel and related overhead. Related Topics Increasing RAM on a 32-bit Windows Vista PC
Increasing RAM on a 32-Bit Windows Vista PC

Warning Windows Vista (32-bit and 64-bit) is supported in limited capacity for this release. Ansoft will attempt to assist with any problems or questions you may have but cannot guarantee full compatibility with Windows Vista.
If you are running the Windows Vista 32-bit Operating System, you can take advantage of potentially all the installed RAM up to a limit of 3GB on 32-bit machines. On Windows Vista, the /3gb switch has been replaced with an option called increaseuserva. You must edit its value using the bcdedit utility. If you type bcdedit from a Windows command prompt, you will see the current values for the Boot Manager and Boot Loader. If you do not have increaseuserva set, then you will not see this line in the boot loader output. To set increaseuserva to 3GB: 1. 2. Open a Command Prompt window. Type bcdedit /set increaseuserva 3072 in the Command Prompt window and press Enter. Open a Command Prompt window. Type bcdedit /deletevalue increaseuserva in the Command Prompt window and press Enter. You must edit this value as an administrator. If you have User Access Control enabled, then you must start the command prompt in elevated mode. To do this, find the Command Prompt in the Windows Start menu, right-click on it, and choose Run as Administrator.
To delete the increaseuserva setting, which will revert the OS back to 2GB: 1. 2. Note
Additional Sun Solaris Information

In addition to information in the readme.txt file, the following information may be useful to the Solaris user: Note You must install Sun OpenGL libraries before installing and running Maxwell. This is available for free download at the following location: http://wwws.sun.com/software/ graphics/opengl/download.html
Additional Linux Information

If you attempt to open an Maxwell project from a version before v12 in Linux, you receive an error message that the project must first be converted to Maxwell v12. This must be done using the BatchSave command on a non-Linux system running Maxwell v12. -BatchSave <project file name> Saves a named project to the current version. This is primarily intended for converting prior version Maxwell projects to version 12 when you intend to subsequently run them on a Linux platform. The conversion to version 12 must be done under Windows, HP, or Solaris before those projects can run on a Linux system. See Running Maxwell From a Command Line.
Setting Up a Printer on Solaris/Linux

To print from Ansoft software on Solaris or Linux, you must first configure a printer . To do this, launch the MainWin control panel. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Run mwcontrol & in the installation subdirectory. The MainWin Control Panel appears. Double-click the Printers icon to start the MainWin Printers panel. Double-click the Add New Printer icon. The Add Printer Wizard is launched. Select the Let the wizard search for printers radio button and click Next. In the Identify your Unix Printer dialog do one of the following:
If your printer is listed, select it. If your printer is not listed, you will need to cancel and get someone with root permission to setup a printer queue on your machine (and then you will need to come back and run this wizard later). On Solaris you setup a new print queue by running "lpadmin" (as root). On Red Hat Linux, you can run 'System Settings/Printing' to launch printconf-gui (as root).
Note 6. 7.
Click Next. The Print Command dialog appears. Change the Print Command only if instructed to do so by your user administrator.
8. 9.
Click Next. The Choose PPD File dialog appears. Select your printer manufacturer and model from the list or use the Choose File button to browse to a PPD file provided by your printer manufacturer. Click Next. The Printer Name dialog appears.
10. Enter a Name to identify the printer. Click Next. 11. Choose whether this printer should be the default and click Next. 12. Choose whether you would like to print a test page and click Next. 13. In the Finish Adding New Printer dialog, verify the printer setup information. If the information is incorrect, use the Back button to return to the appropriate dialog and correct the entry. If the information is correct, click Finish to complete the setup of your printer. With a print queue setup, and the printer added, you should then see the printer when running Maxwell.
The Maxwell Desktop UI

The Maxwell desktop consists of several windows, a menu bar, toolbars, and a status bar. You can open multiple windows in Maxwell to display different parts of the model. For instance, one window can remain fixed on the winding, one on the diagram, and one on the main desktop window. To open a new window, click Window>New Window. To move back and forth between windows, select the Windows menu, and select the window you want to view. Click a link below to view more information about that desktop component.
3D Modeler window
Menu bar Toolbars
Project Manager
Property window
Status bar Progress window Message Manager
Working with the Menu Bar

The menu bar enables you to perform all Maxwell tasks, such as managing project files, customizing the desktop, drawing objects, and setting and modifying all project parameters. Maxwell contains the following menus, which appear at the top of the desktop: File menu Edit menu View menu Use the File menu commands to manage Maxwell project files and printing options. Use the Edit menu commands to modify the objects in the active model and undo and redo actions. Use the View menu commands to display or hide desktop components and model objects, modify 3D Modeler window visual settings, and modify the model view. Use the Project menu commands to add a Maxwell or RMxprt design to the active project, define datasets, and define project variables. Use the Draw menu to draw the elements that make up the model Use the 3D Modeler menu to work with the model drawn via the Draw menu commands. Use these menu commands to change solution type, assign boundaries and excitations, set up parameters, add analysis setups, set up Optimetrics, post process solutions, export equivalent circuits, define datasets, and other design tasks. Use the Tools menu to modify the active project's material library, arrange the material libraries, run and record scripts, update project definitions from libraries, display options, customize the desktop's toolbars, and modify many of the software's default settings. Use the Window menu commands to rearrange the Modeler windows and toolbar icons. Use the Help menu commands to access the online help system and view the current Maxwell version information.
Project menu Draw menu Modeler menu Maxwell3D, Maxwell2D, or RMxprt menu Tools menu
Window menu Help menu Related Topics Getting Help
Working with Windows

The Window menu allows you to manage the currently open windows in the Maxwell Desktop user environement. In addition to the standard functions listed in the table, the menu also contains a list of currently open windows for easily switching between them. This is important in multiple window environments where the desktop make become crowded with open windows and some may be partially or completely obscured. Minimized windows are automatically opened when selected in this list. Command New Window Cascade Tile Horizontally Tile Vertically Arrange Icons Close All Description Open a new window. New windows shows the model by default. Arranges all non-minimized windows in a cascade with the window title bar visible. Arranges all non-minimized windows to use the maximum horizontal size of the desktop. Arranges all non-minimized windows to use the maximum vertical size of the desktop. Arranges the icons of any minimized windows along the bottom of the Desktop. Close All currently open desktop windows.
Working with the Toolbars

The toolbar buttons and shortcut pull-down lists act as shortcuts for executing various commands. To execute a command, click a toolbar button or click a selection on the shortcut pull-down list. To open a help topic about a toolbar buttons functionality, press Shift+F1, and then click the toolbar button or a command in the shortcut pull-down list. To display a brief description of the toolbar button, move the pointer over the button or shortcut pull-down list. Hint To modify the toolbars on the desktop, do one of the following:
On the Tools menu, click Customize. Right-click the history tree, and then click Customize on the shortcut menu. On the Tools menu, click Customize. On the Customize dialog box, click Reset All.
To reset to toolbars to the default positions and settings:
Related Topics Customize Toolbar Options Customize Toolbar Commands
Customizing Toolbars
To customize the Toolbar displays by using the toolbar list: 1. Select Tools>Customize. This displays the Customize dialog with the Toolbars tab selected. The field lists the available toolbars, with those currently selected being checked. To the right of the field are three buttons: New... -- launches the New Toolbar dialog that lets you specify a new toolbar name. Reset -- This resets the toolbar display to apply your current selections. Reset All -- this resets the toolbar display to match the original defaults. 2. Check the buttons to add additional toolbars to the desktop. New toolbar icons are added to new rows as you click them. You can drag these to convenient locations. 3. 4. Uncheck any buttons to remove toolbar icons. Use the OK button to close the dialog, or the Cancel button to close without making changes.
Related Topics Working with Toolbars Customize Toolbar Commands

Customize Toolbar Commands

To customize the Toolbar by dragging icons: 1. Select Tools>Customize. This displays the Customize dialog with the Commands tab selected. The Categories field lists the available toolbars. The icons for the currently selected toolbar are shown to the right of the field. 2. 3. 4. Select from the Categories list to display the icons you want to add to the toolbar. Drag the icons from the Customize dialog to a location on the desktop toolbar. Use the OK button to close the dialog, or the Cancel button to close without making changes.
Related Topics Customize Toolbar Options Working with Toolbars
External User Tools

To add an external user tools menu to Maxwell: 1. 2. Click Tools>External Tools This displays the Customize User Tools Menu dialog. If a User Tools menu has been defined, its contents are displayed. Navigation buttons let you Move Up, Move Down, Add, and Delete. 3. Click the Add button in the Customize User Tools Menu dialog. This enables the following fields: Menu Text field -- this displays [new tool] as text you will replace with the text you want to appear in the User Tools menu. Command field -- this will display the external executable. An ellipsis button [...] lets you navigate to the file location. Arguments field -- this field accepts command arguments from the > button menu selections for File Path, File Directory, File Name, File Extension, Project Directory, or Temp Directory. Initial Directory -- this field specifies the initial directory for the command to operate. The ellipsis button {...] displays a dialog that lets you navigate folders in your desktop, or acrss the network. 4. Click OK to add the External Tools menu to Maxwell or Cancel to close the dialog without changes.
Working with the Shortcut Menus

A variety of shortcut menus menus that appear when you right-click a selection are available in the toolbars area of the desktop, in the Modeler window, and in the Project Manager window. Shortcut menu in the toolbars area Shortcut menu in the Modeler window Use the shortcut menu in the toolbars area of the desktop to show or hide windows or toolbars, and customize the toolbars. Use the shortcut menu in the Modeler window to select, magnify, and move options (zoom, rotate, etc.), change the view, perform boolean operations, assign materials, or mesh operations to objects, and work with field overlays.
Shortcut menus in the Use the shortcut menus in the Project Manager window to manage Project Manager window Maxwell project and design files and design properties; assign and edit excitations, and mesh operations; add, analyze, and manage solution setups; add optimetrics analyses; create post-processing reports; edit project definitions. Note All of the commands on the shortcut menus are also available on the menu bar.
Shortcut Menu in the Toolbars Area

Use the shortcut menu in the toolbars area of the desktop to show or hide windows or toolbars, and customize the toolbars. To access the shortcut menu in the toolbars area:
Right-click in the toolbars area at the top of the desktop.
A check box appears next to a command if the item is visible. For example, if a check box appears next to the Project Manager command, then the Project Manager window is currently visible on the desktop. Click Customize to open the Customize dialog box, which enables you to modify the toolbar settings on the desktop.
Shortcut Menu in the Modeler Window

Use the shortcut menu in the Modeler window to select, magnify, and move options (zoom, rotate, etc.), change the view, assign materials, nets, excitations, or mesh operations to objects, work with field overlays, and plot objects. To access the shortcut menu in the Modeler window:
Right-click in the Modeler window (grid area).
Shortcut Menus in the Project Manager Window

Each node, or item, in the project tree has a shortcut menu. To access the shortcut menu in the Project Manager window, for a particular node:
Select a node or item.

Right-click in the Project Manager window.
In the project tree, an "unknown" section lists objects that do not fit one of the following dimensionality types: solid, sheet, or wire.
General Purpose Keyboard Shortcuts for Maxwell

The following keyboard shortcuts apply to Maxwell and RMxprt in general
F1: Help F1 + Shift: Context help F4 + CTRL: Close program CTRL + C: Copy CTRL + N: New project CTRL + O: Open... CTRL + P: Print... CTRL + V: Paste CTRL + X: Cut CTRL + Y: Redo CTRL + Z: Undo CTRL + 0: Cascade windows CTRL + 1: Tile windows horizontally CTRL + 2: Tile windows vertically
Working with the Status Bar

The status bar is located at the bottom of the application window. It displays information about the command currently being performed. To display or hide the status bar:
Click View>Status Bar.
A check box appears next to this command if the status bar is visible. Depending on the command being performed, the status bar can display the following:
X, Y, and Z coordinate boxes. A pull-down list to enter a point's absolute, relative, cartesian, cylindrical, or spherical coordinates. The model's units of measurement.
When creating object in the model window, you may jump to the coordinate entry boxes by pressing the Tab key. In addition, the Tab key moves the focus to the next coordinate box when performing manual data entry.
Working with the Project Manager

The Project Manager window displays the open project's structure, which is referred to as the project tree. The Project Manager window displays details about all open Maxwell projects. To show or hide the Project Manager window, do one of the following:
Click View>Project Manager. A check box appears next to this command if the Project Manager window is visible. Right-click in the toolbars area on the desktop, and then click Project Manager on the shortcut menu.
A check box appears next to this command if the Project Manager window is visible. Related Topics Working with the Project Tree Shortcut Menus in the Project Manager Window
Working with the Project Tree

The project tree is located in the Project Manager window and contains details about all open Maxwell projects. The top node listed in the project tree is the project name. It is named Projectn by default, where n is the order in which the project was added to the current session of Maxwell. Expand the project icon to view the project's Maxwell design information and material definitions. In the project tree, an "unknown" section lists objects that do not fit one of the following dimensionality types: solid, sheet, or wire. Related Topics Viewing Maxwell Design Details
Setting the Project Tree to Expand Automatically

You can set the project tree to automatically expand when an item is added to a project. 1. 2. 3. 4. Click Tools>Options>General Options. The Options dialog box appears. Click the Project Options tab. Under Additional Options, select Expand Project Tree on Insert. Click OK.
Viewing Maxwell Design Details

Once you insert a Maxwell design into a project, it is listed as the second node in the project tree. It is named MaxwellModeln by default, where n is the order in which the design was added to the project. Expand the design icon in the project tree to view specific data about the model. The MaxwellModeln node contains the following project details: Model Boundaries Excitations Parameters Mesh Operations Allows you to display the design list, define motion setup, and set the symmetry multiplier. Allows you to define boundary conditions on selected faces. Allows you to define voltage and current sources on selected objects. Allows you to assign executive parameters to solve for (such as force and torque). Displays the mesh operations specified for objects or object faces. Mesh operations are optional mesh refinement settings that are specified before a mesh is generated. Displays the solution setups for a Maxwell design. A solution setup specifies how Maxwell computes the solution. Displays any Optimetrics setups added to a Maxwell design. Displays any post-processing reports that have been generated. Displays field overlay plots, which are representations of basic or derived field quantities on surfaces or objects. Plot folders are listed under Field Overlays. These folders store the project's plots and can be customized. See Setting Field Plot Defaults for information on how to customize the plot folders. Note To edit a project's design details:
Analysis Optimetrics Results Field Overlays
In the project tree, double-click the design setup icon that you want to edit. A dialog box appears with that setup's parameters, which you can then edit.
In the project tree, an "unknown" section lists objects that are not solid, sheet, or wire.
Design List Dialog Box

You can also view the design list for a model in the following ways:
By clicking Maxwell3D, Maxwell2D, or RMxprt and then selecting List. By double-clicking Model in the project tree. By right-clicking items in the project tree and selecting List from the shortcut menu.
Information about the model, boundaries and excitations, mesh operations, and analysis setup can be viewed in the Design List dialog box that appears, with the following tabs available: Model Machine Type (for RMxprt projects) Motion Boundaries Excitations Parameters Mesh Operations Analysis Setup
In the Design List dialog box, all objects are shown, regardless of the type of dimensionality (solid, sheet, wire, or unknown); whereas, in the project tree, an "unknown" section lists objects that are not solid, sheet, or wire.
Viewing Material Definitions

The definitions node is listed at the bottom of the project tree and displays all of the material definitions that are assigned to the objects in the active model. Related Topics Adding New Materials
Working with the Properties Window

The Properties window displays the attributes, or properties, of an item selected in the project tree, the history tree, or the Modeler window. The Properties window enables you to edit an item's properties. The properties, and the ability to edit them in the Properties window vary depending on the type of item selected. The tabs available in the Properties window also vary depending the selection. Related Topics Opening the Properties Window Showing and Hiding the Properties Window Setting the Properties Window to Open Automatically
Opening the Properties Window

1. 2. Select the object whose properties you want to view. Click Edit>Properties.
The Properties window for that object appears. 3. When you are finishing making changes, click OK. Rather than opening a separate window, you can also view an object's properties if you have the Properties window displayed within the desktop.
Showing and Hiding the Properties Window

To show or hide the Properties window on the desktop, do one of the following:
Click View>Properties Window. A check box appears next to this command if the Properties window is visible. Right-click in the area at the top of the desktop, and then click Properties on the shortcut menu. A check box appears next to this command if the Properties window is visible. Note You can also click any command or attribute in the Property window, and then click Edit>Properties to view its properties.
Setting the Properties Window to Open Automatically

To modify the object's properties and set the Properties window to open after an object is drawn, do the following: 1. 2. 3. 4. Click Tools>Options>Modeler Options. The Modeler Options window appears. Click the Drawing tab. Select Edit property of new primitives. Click OK. From now on, after you draw an object, the Properties window opens.
Modifying Object Attributes Using the Properties Window

1. 2. Select the object for which you want to edit its attributes by clicking it in the view window or clicking its name in the history tree. Under the Attribute tab in the Properties window, edit the object attribute. Depending on the attribute type, you can edit it by doing one of the following:
Select the check box to apply the attribute; clear the check box to disable the attribute. Click in the field and edit the numeric values or text, and then press Enter. Click the button and then edit the current settings in the window or dialog box that appears. Click the Value column of the attribute, and then select a new setting from the menu that appears.
Modifying Object Command Properties Using the Properties Window

The Command tab in the Properties window displays information about an action selected in the history tree that was performed either to create an object, such as the Draw>Box command, or to modify an object, such as the Edit>Duplicate>Mirror command. Not all command properties can be modified. The command properties you can typically modify include the numeric values, such as position values (base position, normal position, start position, etc.), size values (height, radius, etc.), and various other coordinate values. You can also modify many of the unit settings for a command property. 1. In the history tree, select the command for which you want to edit its properties. Hint 2. Press and hold Ctrl to select multiple commands. If you select multiple commands, only the common, or shared, properties are displayed under the Command tab.
Under the Command tab in the Properties window, edit the command's properties. Depending on the property type, you can edit it by doing one of the following:
Select the check box to apply the property; clear the check box to disable the property. Click in the field and edit the numeric values or text, and then press Enter. Click the button and then edit the current settings in the window or dialog box that appears. Click the attribute, and then select a new setting from the menu that appears.
Working with the Progress Window

The Progress window monitors a simulation while it is running. To display or hide the Progress window, click View>Progress Window. A check box appears next to this command if the Progress window is visible.
Stopping or Aborting Simulation Progress

To abort progress, right-click in the Progress window, and select Abort. To stop the simulation cleanly between time steps, right-click in the Progress window, and select Clean Stop.
Viewing Distributed Analysis Subtasks

While a distributed analysis is running, you can access parent and child progress bars. By default, only the main progress bar is displayed, while the child progress bars (or subtasks) remain hidden. You can toggle between showing and hiding the child progress bars. To show the child progress bars:
Right-click the progress window, and select Show Subtask Progress Bars. Right-click the progress window, and select Hide Subtask Progress Bars.
To hide the child progress bars:
Working with the Message Manager

The Message Manager displays messages associated with a project's development, such as error messages about the design's setup or informational messages about the progress of an analysis. To display or hide the Message Manager:
Click View>Message Manager.
A check box appears next to this command if the Message Manager is visible.
Clearing Messages for the Project

You can clear all the messages for a particular project. To clear messages: 1. 2. Right-click the project# in the Message Manager. A pop-up appears. Click Clear messages for Project#.
Clearing Messages for the Model

You can clear all the messages for a particular model. To clear messages: 1. 2. Right-click the MaxwellModel# in the Message Manager. A pop-up appears. Click Clear messages for MaxwellModel#.
Copying Messages
You can copy all the messages for a particular project. To copy messages: 1. 2. Right-click in the Message Manager. A pop-up appears. Click Copy messages to clipboard.
Setting the Message Manager to Open Automatically

You can set the Message Manager to open automatically to show new messages and errors and warnings. Related Topics Showing new messages Showing errors and warnings
Showing new messages

You can set the Message Manager to automatically be brought up when a new message appears. 1. Click Tools>Options>General Options.
The General Options dialog box appears. 2. 3. 4. Click the Project Options tab. Under Additional Options, select Show Message Window on new messages. Click OK.
Showing errors and warnings

You can set the Message Manager to automatically expand when an item is added to a project. 1. 2. 3. 4. Click Tools>Options>General Options. The General Options dialog box appears. Click the Project Options tab. Under Additional Options, select Expand Message Window Tree on errors and warnings. Click OK.
Working with the Modeler Window

The Modeler window is the area where you create the model geometry. It appears to the right of the Project Manager window after you insert a Maxwell design to a project. The Modeler window consists of the model view area, or grid, and the history tree, as shown below: History tree
Model view area (grid)
To open a new Modeler window, do one of the following:
Insert a Maxwell design into a project. Double-click a Maxwell design in the project tree.
The model you draw is saved with the current project when you click File>Save.
Objects are drawn in the Modeler window. You can create 3D objects by using Maxwell's Draw menu commands, or you can draw 1D and 2D objects and then manipulate them to create 3D objects. For more information, see Drawing a Model. You can modify the view of objects in the Modeler window without changing their actual dimensions or positions. For more information, see Modifying the Model View.
Working with the History Tree

The history tree in the Modeler window lists the active model's structure and grid details, including the model's objects, coordinate systems, default planes, and any object or face lists.
Expand or Collapse Items Right-clicking on any group icon opens a pull-down to expand all groupings or collapse all groupings. In addition, right-clicking on Objects lets you specify whether or not the Objects are sorted by material (the default is to sort by material.) When the objects are sorted by material, 2D and 3D objects are listed separately in the history tree. History of Commands on Objects The history tree also lists the history of all commands carried out a models objects. This history is displayed in the order in which it occurred. Note in the above image the expanded air object and its history of commands. Selecting Objects in the History Tree Selecting objects in the History tree also selects them in the View window. This can be useful for complex objects, when it may be easier to find the objects of interest by name or material, if the object of interest is inside or behind others. You can use CTLR-click to make multiple selections. You can select a range of objects by a click on the first, and then SHIFT-Click to select all in the range. Only visible objects are selected. That is, if the hierarchy is closed under the selection, any operand parts are ignored and do not interfere with cut and paste operations. Viewing Item Properties To view the properties of an item in the history tree:
Click the items name in the history tree.
The items properties appears in the docked Properties window.
Click the items name in the history tree, and double right click to display a shortcut menu. Then select Properties to display the Properties window. Lists all invalid objects Displays all the models objects and a history of the commands carried out on each object. By default objects are grouped by material. you can change this by selecting the Objects icon in the history tree and right-click to display the shortcut menu with the Group Objects By Material check box. Displays all the sheets in the model 3D design area. By default, all sheet objects are grouped by boundary assignment. You can change this by selecting the Sheet icon in the history tree and right-click to display the shortcut menu with the Group Sheets by Assignment check box. Displays all line objects included in the active model. See Drawing a Line for information on how to draw a line object. Displays all point objects included in the active model. See Drawing a Point for information on how to draw a point object.
The history tree contains the following model details: Invalid Objects
Sheets
Lines Points
Coordinate Systems Displays all the coordinate systems for the active model. See Setting Coordinate Systems for more information on this model detail. Planes Lists Displays the planes for all the coordinate systems. When you create a coordinate system, default planes are created on its xy, yz, and xz planes. Displays the object or face lists for the active model. By default, a list called "AllObjects" appears. Creating an object list is a convenient way to identify a group of objects for a field plot or calculation. Creating a face list is a convenient way to identify a specific set of surfaces for a field plot or calculation.
Note
While objects created in Maxwell can always be classed in the history tree as either a solid, sheet, or wire some imported objects may have mixture of these. Such objects are placed in an Unclassified folder in the history tree.
Expanding or Collapsing Sections of the History Tree

To expand or collapse a path in the history tree: 1. Right-click the item in the history tree.
A shortcut menu appears. 2. Select Expand All or Collapse All from the shortcut menu.
Controlling the View of Objects in the History Tree

To control the view and visibility of an object such as a box or PML, right click on an object in the history tree display the short-cut menu and select View. The short cut menu contains the following commands:
Fit in Active View Hide in Active View Show in Active View Fit in All Views Hide in All Views Show in All Views
Related Topics Purge History
Keyboard Shortcuts for the 3D Modeler Window

The following keyboard shortcuts apply to the 3D Modeler Window
B: Select face/object behind current selection F: Select faces mode O: Select objects mode E: Select edges mode V: Select verticies mode M: Mult select mode CTRL + A: Select all visible objects CTRL + SHIFT + A: Deselect all objects CTRL + D: Fit view CTRL + E: Zoom in, screen center CTRL + F: Zoom out, screen center SHIFT + LMB: Zoom in / out Alt + LMB: Rotate model Alt + SHIFT + LMB: Zoom in / out Alt + Double Click LMB: Sets model projection to standard isometric projections (cursor must be in corner of model screen N/NE/E/SE/S etc) F3: Switch point entry mode to mouse (draw objects by mouse) F4: Switch to dialogue entry mode (Draw objects by entry in the command and attribute box) F6: Render model wire frame
F7: Render model smooth shaded Note LMB means Left Mouse Button
Related Topics General Purpose Keyboard Shortcuts for Maxwell
Running Maxwell From a Command Line

Maxwell includes options that can be used when launching from a command line or terminal prompt. All command-line arguments are case-insensitive. Command-line syntax maxwell (command-line options) (file name) Run Commands The following command line run commands are available in Maxwell. Of the commands (BatchSave, BatchSolve, RunScript, RunScriptandExit), one or none must be used as arguments after maxwell. Links to the valid options for each run command are listed and/or linked to descriptions. -BatchSave <project file name> Saves a named project to the current version. This is primarily intended for converting projects to the current software version from a previous version. Generally, conversion is supported for the previous two releases of the product. You can run this command with the -Iconic option, the -Logfile option, and the -ng option (no graphics). -BatchSolve <project file name> By default, solve all adaptive setups, sweeps, as well as Optimetrics setups found in the project file. Additional parameters for batch solves include the following: [designName] - Batch solve all setups for design with the name given under the project. [designName]:Nominal - Batch solve all nominal setups for design with the name given under the project. [designName]:Optimetrics - Batch solve all Optimetrics setups for design with the name given under the project. [designName]:Nominal:[setupname] - Batch solve the specified nominal setup for design with the name given under the project. [designName]:Optimetrics:[setupname] - Batch solve the specified Optimetrics setup for design with the name given under the project. If parallel solve is possible, you can use the -Distribute option in conjunction with -BatchSolve. You can run this command with the -Iconic option, the -Logfile option, the -ng option (no graphics), and the -WaitForLicense option. Example: C:\Maxwell\maxwell.exe -batchsolve MaxwellDesign1:Nominal "C:\Project1.mxwl" -RunScript <script file name> Run the specified script. You can use the -ScriptArgs option to add one or more arguments to this command and can use the -Iconic option. -RunScriptAndExit <script file name>
Run the specified script and exit. You can use the -ScriptArgs option to add one or more arguments to this command. You can also use the -Iconic option, the -Logfile option, and the -WaitForLicense option. <none> If you do not specify a run command with maxwell on the command line, you can still specify the Help and -Iconic options. Options The following options can be associated with one or more of the run commands: -distribute Distribute a batch solve to multiple machines. This option must be combined with the -BatchSolve run command and must be specified before it in the command line. See Distributed Analysis for more information on distributed analysis. Example: C:\Maxwell\maxwell.exe -distribute -batchsolve _ MaxwellDesign1:Optimetrics:ParametricSetup1 "C:\Project1.mxwl" -Help Open a window that displays the different command-line options. This is only used when none of the four run commands is used. -Iconic Run Maxwell with the window iconified (minimized). This can be used with all or none of the run commands. -LogFile <log file name> Specify a log file (use in conjunction with the -BatchSave, -BatchSolve, or -RunScriptAndExit run commands). If no log file is specified, it is written to the directory in which the script or Maxwell project is located, with the name <project_name>.log. -ng Run Maxwell in non-graphical mode (use in conjunction with -BatchSave or -BatchSolve). -WaitForLicense Queue licenses (use in conjunction with -BatchSolve or -RunScriptAndExit). -ScriptArgs <scriptArguments> Add arguments to the specified script in conjunction with -RunScript and -RunScriptAndExit. ScriptArgs looks at the single argument after it and uses those as script arguments. You can pass multiple arguments to scriptargs by surrounding the script arguments in quotes. For instance: maxwell -scriptargs "MaxwellDesign1 Setup1" -RunScriptAndExit c:\temp\test.vbs
Here, MaxwellDesign1 is taken into Maxwell as the first argument, and Setup1 is the second argument. Without the quotes, MaxwellDesign1 is taken as the first argument, and Setup1 is not understood by Maxwell. maxwell -scriptargs MaxwellDesign1 Setup1 -RunScriptAndExit c:\temp\test.vbs Example: c:\maxwell\maxwell.exe -runscriptandexit "c:\project1.vbs" -scriptargs "Setup1" Related Topics Running a Script.
Getting Started Guides

The following getting started guides are available to assist you in familiarizing yourself with the features and function of Ansofts Maxwell software suite. 3D Rotational Actuator with Parametrics
3D Transient Rotational Actuator Problem with Motion
2D Magnetostatic Solenoid Problem with Parametrics
A 3D Rotational Actuator Magnetostatic Problem with Parametrics

Open the PDF: Alternatively: This Getting Started Guide is written for Maxwell beginners and experienced users who would like to quickly familiarize themselves with the capabilities of Maxwell 3D. This guide leads you stepby-step through creating, solving, and analyzing the results of solving a 3D rotational actuator magnetostatic problem. By following the steps in this guide, you will learn how to perform the following tasks:
Draw a geometric model. Modify a models design parameters. Assign variables to a models design parameters. Specify solution settings for a design. Validate a designs setup. Run a Maxwell simulation. Plot the magnetic flux density vector. Run a parametric analysis. Create an animation using saved parametric field data.
A 3D Transient Rotational Actuator Problem with Motion

Open the PDF:
Alternatively: This Getting Started Guide is written for Maxwell beginners and experienced users who would like to quickly familiarize themselves with the capabilities of Maxwell 3D. This guide leads you stepby-step through creating, solving, and analyzing the results of solving a Transient rotational actuator problem with motion. This Getting Started Guide builds on the problem and techniques presented in the 3D rotational actuator magnetostatic problem. By following the steps in this guide, you will learn how to perform the following tasks:
Import a geometric model. Modify a models design parameters. Assign variables to a models design parameters. Specify solution settings for a design. Validate a designs setup. Run a Maxwell simulation. Plot the magnetic flux density vector. Include motion in the simulation.
A 2D Magnetostatic Solenoid Problem with Parametrics

Open the PDF: Alternatively: This Getting Started Guide is written for Maxwell beginners and experienced users who would like to quickly familiarize themselves with the capabilities of Maxwell 2D. This guide leads you stepby-step through creating, solving, and analyzing the results of solving a 2D axisymmetric solenoid magnetostatic problem with parametric analysis. By following the steps in this guide, you will learn how to perform the following tasks:
Draw a geometric model. Modify a models design parameters. Assign variables to a models design parameters. Specify solution settings for a design. Validate a designs setup. Run a Maxwell 2D simulation. Plot the simulation results. Set up a parametric sweep analysis varying multiple solution variables. Plot familes of curves of the parametric results.
Copyright and Trademark Notices

The information contained in the Maxwell, RMxprt, and Maxwell Circuit Editor online help is subject to change without notice. Ansoft makes no warranty of any kind with regard to this material, including, but not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose. Ansoft shall not be liable for errors contained herein or for incidental or consequential damages in connection with the furnishing, performance, or use of this material. This document contains proprietary information that is protected by copyright. Ansoft Corporation 225 West Station Square Suite 200 Pittsburgh, PA 15219 (412) 261 - 3200 Maxwell, RMxprt, Optimetrics, and Maxwell Circuit Editor are trademarks of Ansoft Corporation. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. 2008 Ansoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Unigraphics and Parasolid geometry translators incorporated in this software are used under license from Siemens PLM Copyright 2006. All rights reserved.
3
Getting Help
Ansoft maintains a variety of systems to provide the customer with assistance using the software. All Ansoft software files are ASCII text and can be sent conveniently by e-mail. When reporting difficulties, it is extremely helpful to include very specific information about what steps were taken or what stages the simulation reached. This allows more rapid and effective debugging.
Getting Help 3-1
Ansoft Technical Support

To contact Ansoft technical support staff in your geographical area, please log on to the Ansoft corporate website, http://www.ansoft.com, click the Contact button, and then click Support. You may also contact your Ansoft sales engineer to obtain this information. E-mail can work well for technical support. All Ansoft software files are ASCII text and can be sent conveniently by e-mail. When reporting difficulties, it is extremely helpful to include very specific information about what steps were taken or what stages the simulation reached. This allows more rapid and effective debugging.
3-2 Getting Help
Accessing the Ansoft Company Website

To open the Ansoft site in your Internet browser:
Click Help>Ansoft Corporate Website. The Ansoft home page opens. http://www.ansoft.com
Getting Help 3-3
Obtaining Information About the Software and Version

To obtain information about 1. Click Help>About Ansoft Maxwell. The About Ansoft Maxwell dialog box appears, listing information about Maxwell 2D, Maxwell 3D and RMxprt. Click the Installed Components tab to view a list of software installed. Click the Client License Settings tab to view information about the following:
2. 3.

4. a. b. c. d. 5.
Active Host Ids Active Servers Admin Directory FLEXlm Version License Files Click Export. The Save As dialog box appears. Browse to the location where you want to save the information as a text file. Type a name for the file in the File name text box. The Save as type pull-down list is already specified as Export (*.txt). Click Save.
To export the software information:
Click OK to close the About Ansoft Maxwell dialog box.
3-4 Getting Help
Accessing the Online Help

To open the online help for Maxwell2D, Maxwell3D and RMxprt, do one of the following:

1. 2.
Click Help>Contents to open the help with the contents displayed. Click Help>Search to open the help with the Search tab displayed. Click Help>Index to open the help with the index displayed. Click Help>Scripting Contents. Click Help>Scripting Search. Click Help>Scripting Index.
To open the online help for Maxwell Scripting features, do one of the following:
To use context-sensitive help: Place you cursor over any menu item in the menu bar or in any shortcut menu and press F1 to get help on that item. The item does not have to be active at the time to obtain help. Click Help>On Context. The cursor changes to changes to a What's This? arrow with a question mark. Click on the section of the interface with which you would like help. The online help opens to the specific help topic required for the subject. 3. With any dialog box open, press F1 to get the context sensitive help associated with the dialog box.
Related Topics Scripting in Maxwell
Getting Help 3-5
Inserting a Documentation File into a Project

To insert a documentation file so that it can be accessed from the project tree: 1. 2. 3. Click Project>Insert Documentation File. The Open dialog box appears. Find and select the file you want to insert. Click Open. The documentation file appears in the project tree for the current project.
3-6 Getting Help
Conventions Used in the Online Help

The following documentation conventions are used in the Maxwell online help.
Procedures are presented as numbered lists. A single bullet indicates that the procedure has only one step. Menu commands are separated by the ">" symbol. Bold type is used for the following: - Keyboard entries that should be typed in their entirety exactly as shown. - On-screen prompts and messages, names of options and text boxes, and menu commands. - Labeled keys on the computer keyboard.
Italic type is used for the following: - Emphasis. - The titles of publications. - Keyboard entries when a name or a variable must be typed in place of the words in italics.
The plus sign (+) is used between keyboard keys to indicate that you should press the keys at the same time. Toolbar buttons serve as shortcuts for executing commands. Toolbar buttons are displayed after the command they execute.
Getting Help 3-7
3-8 Getting Help
4
Working with Maxwell Projects and Designs
A Maxwell project is a folder that includes one or more models, or designs. Each design ultimately includes a geometric model, material assignments, and field solution and post-processing information. If you set your options accordingly, a new project called Projectn is automatically created when the software is launched, where n is a number. You can also open a new project by clicking File>New. In general, use the File menu commands to manage projects. If you move or change the names of files without using these commands, the software may not be able to find information necessary to solve the model.
Working with Maxwell Projects and Designs 4-1
Maxwell Files
When you create a Maxwell project, it is given a .mxwl file extension and stored in the directory you specify. Any files related to that project are also stored in that directory. Some common Maxwell file and folder types are listed below: .mxwl project_name.mxwlresults design_name.results design_name.asol Maxwell project. Maxwell folder containing results data for a project. Maxwell folder containing results data for a design. This folder is stored in the project_name.mxwlresults folder. Maxwell results data for a design. This file's contents may be empty if a solution is unavailable. This file is stored in the project_name.mxwlresults folder. Ansoft legacy EM projects.
.cls
4-2 Working with Maxwell Projects and Designs
Creating Projects
1. Click File>New. A new project is listed in the project tree. It is named Projectn by default, where n is the order in which the project was added to the current session. Project definitions, such as material assignments, are stored under the project name in the project tree. 2. Click Project>Insert Maxwell Design. You specify the name of the project when you save it using the File>Save or File>Save As commands. Note To insert an RMxprt project, click Project>Insert RMxprt Design.
Creating New 2D Designs from 3D Designs

The Maxwell system contains both 2D and 3D projects. Often, you may want to take a cross section of a 3D model to perform a 2D analysis. The following cases represent the scenarios available for automatically converting models.
3D model to 2D XY model 3D model to 2D RZ model A 2D design is created in the same project. All 3D geometry is used, you cannot select which geometry to include in the conversion. If there are any sheet objects in 3D, only those sheets that lie in the same plane as the section plane are converted. 1D objects are not converted from 3D to 2D.
You must keep the following points in mind before you convert any project:
Related Topics Converting a 3D Model to 2D
Converting a 3D Model to 2D
To create a 2D design from an existing 3D design: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Click Maxwell3D>Create 2D Design. The Create 2D Design dialog box appears. Select the Coordinate System to be used for creating sections in the 3D model. Choose the Section Plane within the chosen coordinate system. You can choose XY, YZ, or ZX. Select the Geometry Mode, to use for the target 2D design. You can choose either XY or RZ. Click OK to create the 2D design.
The modeler creates a new design within the current project and generates the 2D model within the new design. All material properties and material assignments are copied to the new design. Related Topics Creating a Cross-Section
Creating New 3D Designs from 2D Designs

The Maxwell system contains both 2D and 3D projects. Often, you may want to sweep or rotate a 2D model to create a full 3D design. The following cases represent the scenarios available for automatically converting models from 2D to 3D.
2D XY model to 3D model 2D RZ model to 3D model A 3D design is created in the same project. All 2D geometry is used, you cannot select which geometry to include in the conversion. 1D objects are converted from 2D into 3D sheet objects.
You must keep the following points in mind before you convert any project:
Related Topics Converting 2D XY Model to 3D Converting 2D RZ Model to 3D
Converting 2D XY Model to 3D
To create a 3D design from an existing 2D XY design: 1. 2. 3. 4. Click Maxwell2D>Create 3D Design. The Sweep Along Vector dialog box appears. Enter a value in the Length along z-axis box to obtain a swept length of the model. Choose the desired Dimension of the sweep distance entered from the pull-down menu. Click OK to create the 3D design.
The modeler creates a new design within the current project and generates the 3D model within the new design. All material properties and material assignments are copied to the new design. Related Topics Sweeping Along a Vector
Converting 2D RZ Model to 3D
To create a 3D design from an existing 2D RZ design: 1. 2. 3. Click Maxwell2D>Create 3D Design. The Sweep Around Z Axis dialog box appears. Enter the Angle of Sweep to obtain a full 360 3D-model or a wedge model to a selectable degree. Enter the desired Draft Angle and Draft Type. Entering a draft angle for a model where objects touch the z axis results in a error due to an invalid object being requested. Draft angles may only be used when no objects are touching the z axis.
Note
4. 5.
Enter the Number of Segments to use in creating the 3D model. If you do not change the default value (=0), the project will be created with true surfaces. Click OK to create the 3D design.
The modeler creates a new design within the current project and generates the 3D model within the new design. All material properties and material assignments are copied to the new design. Related Topics Sweeping Around an Axis
Opening Projects
Open a previously saved project using the File>Open command. 1. 2. Click File>Open. The Open dialog box appears. Use the file browser to find the Maxwell project file. By default, Maxwell files are displayed. To see other files, change the file filter in the Files of type pull-down list. 3. 4. Select the file you want to open. Click OK. The project information appears in the project tree. Related Topics Opening Legacy Maxwell Projects
Opening Recent Projects

To open a project you recently saved in Maxwell:
1. 2. 3. 4.
Click the name of the project file at the bottom of the File menu. Click File>Open. Select Ansoft Legacy EM Projects (*.cls) from the Files of type pull-down list. In the Look in pull-down list, click the location of the project. In the folder list, double-click folders to find the one that contains the project. Double-click the project you want to open. Related Topics: Translating Legacy Maxwell Projects
Opening Legacy Maxwell Projects
Translating Legacy Maxwell Projects

When you open a legacy Maxwell project, virtually all of the project's pre-processing data is translated. Solution results and Optimetrics setup data are unavailable; however, the nominal model created for Optimetrics can be translated if you open the project in the "template" subdirectory. Objects that were considered non-model in the legacy project (Model Object check box was cleared in the Properties dialog) are translated but remain non-model objects in the translated project. Following are additional notes about the translation of legacy project information:
Model Geometry
The translated geometry's construction history is unavailable; therefore, the original object properties you defined cannot be modified in the Properties window. However, you can modify the geometry using Maxwell's modeling features. For units unavailable in the current version of Maxwell, such as yards, the nearest available units are used; the model is scaled slightly to fit the new units. Functions defined in legacy projects become project variables in version 12 and later; therefore, functional material properties and functional material assignment angles are not translated. Perfect conductors become regular materials with conductivity values of of 1E30. Maxwell 12 uses a conductivity threshold that treats all conductors over the threshold as perfect conductors. When translating a legacy project, Maxwell does not import any variables that depend on intrinsic variables (this feature is unavailable in Maxwell 12 and later versions). For material properties depending on intrinsic variables, the variable reference is replaced with its expanded expression. Mesh refinement operations performed on arbitrary boxes in legacy projects are ignored. Area-based and volume-based mesh operations are translated as lengthbased mesh operations in version 12 and later by taking their square roots and cube roots, respectively. Setup information, including design variables, is not supported; however, the nominal model can be translated. Parameterizing a translated model is limited because geometry construction history is unavailable. The design's initial mesh is used for the solution. Meshes are not translated. Solution data is not translated; therefore, you must solve legacy Maxwell projects again.
Materials
Mesh Operations
Optimetrics
Solution Setup Solutions
Saving Projects
Use the File>Save As command to do the following:
Save a new project. Save the active project with a different name or in a different location.
Use the File>Save command to save the active project. Related Topics Saving a New Project Saving the Active Project Saving a Copy of a Project Saving a Project as a Technology File
Saving a New Maxwell Project

1. 2. 3. 4. Click File>Save As. The Save As dialog box appears. Use the file browser to find the directory where you want to save the file. Type the name of the file in the File name box. By default, all files have the .mxwl extension. Click Save. Maxwell saves the project to the location you specified. Related Topics Saving the Active Project Saving a Copy of a Project
Saving the Active Maxwell Project Click File>Save.

Maxwell saves the project over the existing one. Warning Be sure to save geometric models periodically. Saving frequently helps prevent the loss of your work if a problem occurs. Although Maxwell has an "auto-save" feature, it may not automatically save frequently enough for your needs.
Related Topics Saving a New Project Saving a Copy of a Project
Saving a Copy of a Project

To save an existing, active project with a new name, a different file extension, or to a new location: 1. 2. 3. 4. Click File>Save As. Use the file browser to find the directory where you want to save the file. Type the name of the file in the File name box. Click Save. Maxwell saves the project with the new name or file extension to the location you specified. Related Topics Saving a New Project Saving the Active Project
Save a Project as a Technology File

1. 2. 3. 4. Click File>Save As Technology File. The Save to user library dialog box appears. Click the PersonalLib button or UserLib button to specify the location to save the file. Type the name of the file in the File name box. By default, all technology files have the .asty extension. Click Save. Related Topics Saving a New Project Saving the Active Project Saving a Copy of a Project
Saving Project Data Automatically

Maxwell stores recent actions you performed on the active project in an auto-save file in case of a sudden workstation crash or other unexpected problem. The auto-save file is stored in the same directory as the project file and is named Projectn.mxwl.auto by default, where n is the order in which the project was added to the current session. After you have done a Save As, the autosave file name is <name>.mxwl.auto, where <name> is the name you gave the project when saving. Maxwell automatically saves all data for the project to the auto-save file, except solution data. By default, Maxwell automatically saves project data after every ten edits. An "edit" is any action you perform that changes data in the project or the design, including actions associated with project management, model creation, and solution analysis. With auto-save activated, after a problem occurs, you can choose to re-open the original project file (Projectn.mxwl) in an effort to recover the solution data or to open the auto-save file. If a crash recovery file contains 0 bytes, the other file is opened instead.
To modify the auto-save settings: 1. 2. 3. Click Tools>Options>General Options. The Options dialog box appears. Under the Project Options tab, verify that Do Autosave is selected. This option is selected by default. In the Autosave interval box, enter the number of edits that you want to occur between automatic saves. By default, this option is set at 10. Auto-save always increments forward; therefore, even when you undo a command, Maxwell counts it as an edit.
Note 4.
Click OK to apply the specified auto-save settings. Once the specified number of edits is carried out, a "model-only" save occurs. This means that Maxwell does not save solutions data or clear any undo/redo history. When Maxwell auto-saves, an ".auto" extension is appended to the original project file name. For example, "Project1.mxwl" is automatically saved as "Project1.mxwl.auto".
Warning
When you close or rename a project, Maxwell deletes the auto-save file. Maxwell assumes that you have saved any desired changes at this point.
Related Topics Recovering Project Data in an Auto-Save File
Recovering Project Data in an Auto-Save File

Following a sudden workstation crash or other unexpected problem, you can recover the project data in its auto-save file. Warning When you recover a project's auto-save file you cannot recover any solutions data; recovering an auto-save file means you will lose any solutions data that existed in the original project file.
To recover project data in an auto-save file, if Maxwell has unexpectedly crashed: 1. 2. 3. Launch Maxwell from your desktop. Click File>Open. Select the original Projectn.mxwl project file for which you want to recover its Projectn.mxwl.auto auto-save file. The Crash Recovery dialog box appears, giving you the option to open the original project file or the auto-save file. 4. Select Open project using autosave file to recover project data in the auto-save file, and then click OK. Maxwell replaces the original project file with the data in the auto-save file. Maxwell immediately overwrites the original project file data with the auto-save file data,
removing the results directory (solutions data) from the original project file as it overwrites to the auto-save file. Warning If you choose to recover the auto-save file, you cannot recover the original project file that has been overwritten; recovering data in an auto-save file is not reversible.
Related Topics Saving Project Data Automatically
Saving a Project From a Previous Version

When you open a Maxwell project from a version earlier than version 11, Maxwell creates a new project. The v10 or earlier project is not modified.
Closing a Project
To close a Maxwell or RMxprt project:
Click File>Close.
If the project has not been saved since the last change, a message appears asking if you want to save the project before closing it. Do one of the following: Click Yes to save the project. Click No to close the project WITHOUT saving it. Click Cancel to keep the project open.
Exiting Maxwell and RMxprt

To exit the Maxwell and RMxprt interfaces:
Click File>Exit.
Undoing Commands
Use the Undo command on the Edit menu to cancel, or undo, the last action you performed on the active project or design. This is useful for undoing unintended commands related to project management, model creation, and post-processing. 1. In the Project Manager window, do one of the following:

Note 2.
To undo the last action you performed on the active project, such as inserting a design or adding project variables, click the project icon. To undo the last action you performed on the active design, such as drawing an object or deleting a field overlay plot, click the design icon. You cannot undo an analysis that you have performed on a model, that is, the Maxwell>Analyze command.
Click Edit>Undo. Your last action is now undone.
Note
When you save a project, Maxwell always clears the entire undo/redo history for the project and its designs.
Related Topics Redoing Commands
Redoing Commands
Use the Redo command on the Edit menu to reapply, or redo, the last action that was canceled, or undone. You can redo a canceled action related to project management, model creation, and postprocessing. 1. In the Project Manager window, do one of the following:

2.
To redo the last action you canceled on the active project, such as inserting a design or adding project variables, click the project icon. To redo the last action you canceled on the active design, such as drawing an object or deleting a field overlay plot, click the design icon.
Click Edit>Redo. Your last canceled action is now reapplied.
Note
When you save a project, Maxwell always clears the entire undo/redo history for the project and its designs.
Related Topics Undoing Commands
Removing Unused Components from a Project

To remove unused components from a Maxwell project: 1. 2. 3. Click Project>Remove Unused Definitions. The Unused Definitions dialog box appears. Select the Delete check box for any components you want to remove.
You can also click the Select All button to select all components listed.
Click Apply. A warning message appears, telling you that the undo/redo history will be cleared for the project. Click OK to continue, or click Cancel to cancel the deletion. When you are finished removing components, click OK to close the Unused Definitions dialog box.
4. 5.
Updating Design Components

To update components defined in the current design: 1. 2. Click Tools>Update Definitions. The Update Definitions dialog box appears. Select one of the following two radio buttons.

3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
Show Items with newer definitions Show All Items
From the Show Types list in the List Options section, select the types of definitions you want to show in the Item List list. Select the item you want to update from the Item List list. Click the Select All or Unselect All buttons to select or clear all items listed. Click Update. A message appears telling you the update was successful. Click OK to close the message. When you are finished updating definitions, click Close.
Managing Projects and Designs

Copy and Paste a Project or Design
To copy a project or design: 1. 2. 1. 2. Select a project or design in the project tree in Project Manage Window to enable the menu command Edit>Copy. Click Edit>Copy. The project or design is copied for pasting. Select a project or design in the project tree in Project Manage Window to enable the menu command Edit>Paste. Click Edit>Paste. The project or design is pasted under the seleted project, an icon is added to the project tree. Right click the design icon to display the shortcut menu, as shown.
To paste a project or design:
Rename a Project or Design

1.
2. 3.
Click Rename in the shortcut menu. Define the new name for the design by typing it directly into the Project Window.
4. 1. 2. 3.
Press Enter to complete the rename. Select a project or design in the project tree in Project Manage Window to enable the menu command Edit>Delete. Click Edit>Delete, or the Delete key. Confirm the warning box to complete the delete operation, the icon is removed from the project tree.
Delete a Project or Design
Validating Designs
Before you run an analysis on a model, it is very important that you first perform a validation check on the design. When you perform a validation check on a design, Maxwell runs a check on all setup details of the active design to verify that the necessary steps have been completed and their parameters are reasonable. To perform a validation check on the active design: 1. 2. Click Maxwell3D or Maxwell2D, and then select Validation Check. Maxwell checks the project setup, and then the Validation Check window appears. View the results of the validation check in the Validation Check window. The following icons can appear next to an item: Indicates the step is complete. Indicates the step is incomplete. Indicates the step may require your attention. 3. 4. 5. 6. View any messages in the Message Manager window. If the validation check indicates that a step in your design is incomplete or incorrect, carefully review the setup details for that particular step and revise them as necessary. Run a validation check after you have revised any setup details for an incomplete or incorrect design step. Click Close. Modeler Validation Settings
Related Topics
Modeler Validation Settings

You can adjust the degree to which the software checks a model for faults that could jeopardize mesh accuracy. There are three levels of model validation that a user can specify for a given design: Warning Only, Basic, and Strict. Note that this setting affects only the "3D Model" stage of a design validation.
The Warning Only entity check setting allows all models to pass 3D Model validation regardless of any faults that are found. These faults are posted in the message window as warnings. The Basic entity check setting allows most models to pass 3D Model validation. Some faults are flagged as model errors, thereby prohibiting a design from proceeding to the meshing stage of an analysis. You must correct such errors before attempting to analyze the design under the Basic setting, or you must change the Model Validation level to Warning Only. The Strict entity check setting enforces a tighter tolerance for model faults than the "Warning
Only" and "Basic" settings. All model faults that are found during 3D Model validation are posted to the message window. These errors must be corrected before attempting to analyze the design under the Strict setting, or you must change the Model Validation level to Basic or Warning Only. To set the Model Validation level: 1. 2. Select Modeler->Validation Settings. This displays a dialog that lets you set the validation as basic, strict, or warning only. 2. Choose the desired level of validation from the Entity Check Level drop down box. You can also click the Save as Default button to make the current selection the default. You can select the Restore Default button. 3. Click OK to accept the selection and close the dialog.
Related Topics Model Analysis Analyze Objects Interobject Misalignment Analyze Surface Mesh Heal Technical Notes: Healing and Meshing Technical Notes: Detecting and Addressing Model Problems to Improve Meshing
Exporting Files
You can export the following types of files from Maxwell:
Ansoft 2D modeler files AutoCAD Drawing Interchange Format files 3D model files Graphics files
Related Topics Exporting Matrix Data Exporting Equivalent Circuit Data
Exporting Ansoft 2D Modeler Files

When you export a file in the Ansoft 2D Modeler (.sm2) format, the geometry located within the xy plane is exported. Note If you want to export a plane that does not coincide with the global xy plane, you must create a relative coordinate system to redefine the location of the origin and xy plane. See Creating a Relative Coordinate System for more information. To export a file to a .sm2 format: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Click Modeler>Export to save the file in an Ansoft 2D Modeler format. The Export File dialog box appears. Use the file browser to find the directory where you want to save the file. Type the name of the file in the File name box. Select Ansoft 2D Geometry Files(*.sm2) from the Save as type pull-down list. Click Save. The file is exported to the specified location as a .sm2 file.
Related Topics Exporting 2D AutoCAD Drawing Interchange Format Files Exporting 3D Model Files Exporting Graphics Files
Exporting 2D AutoCAD Drawing Interchange Format Files

When you export a file in the AutoCAD Drawing Interchange Format (.dxf), the 2D geometry located within the xy plane on the working coordinate system is exported. Note If you want to export a plane that does not coincide with the global xy plane, you must create a relative coordinate system to redefine the location of the origin. See Creating a Relative Coordinate System for more information.
To export a file to a .dxf format: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Click Modeler>Export. The Export File dialog box appears. Use the file browser to find the directory where you want to save the file. Type the name of the file in the File name box. Select AutoCAD DXF Files(*.dxf) from the Save as type pull-down list. Click Save. The file is exported to the specified location as a .dxf file.
Related Topics Exporting 2D Model Files Exporting 3D Model Files Exporting Graphics Files
Exporting 3D Model Files

You can export 3D models to the following 3D model file formats: To export a file to a 3D model format: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Click Modeler>Export to save the file in a 3D model format. The Export File dialog box appears. Use the file browser to find the directory where you want to save the file. Enter the name of the file in the File name box. Select the desired 3D model file format from the Save as type pull-down list. If you selected .sm3, the Select Version dialog box appears. Do the following:
6.
Click an ACIS version in which to export the model from the ACIS SM3 Version pulldown list, and then click OK.
Click Save. Unless you selected GDSII, the file is exported to the specified location as a 3D model file. If you selected GDSII, the GDSII Export dialog appears.
If the model has been defined with layers, those layers are listed by layer number in the table, with columns for Layer Name, Layer Number, Elevation in units. There is a checkbox to specify whether to include the layer in the exported file. If you have defined a layer map file for the model, the Layermap button opens a browser for you to open that file before export. The *.layermap file is a text file that maps the GDSII layer numbers to layer names in the stackup. The *.layermap file can have the same format as the .tech file used in GDSII import, but it only needs the layer name and number in the file. In a *.layermap file, other information is ignored. In the Polygon Vertices area, check a radio button to select either No Limit to the number of vertices or Limit the number of vertices to a specified value. For Arc tolerance, specify a value or accept the default.

7.
Click the OK button in the GDSII Export dialog to complete the export. The file is exported to
to the specified location. Extension .sat .sm3 .dxf, .dwg .step, .stp .iges, .igs ACIS geometry solid model files. Maxwell 3D Modeler files in ACIS version 2.0 or greater. AutoCAD Drawing Interchange Format files. Industry standard AP203 STEP files. An additional license is required. Industry standard Initial Graphics Exchange Specification (IGES) files. An additional license is required. Contents
Related Topics Exporting 2D Model Files Exporting 2D AutoCAD Drawing Interchange Format Files Exporting Graphics Files Importing GDSII Format Files
Exporting Graphics Files

You can export the following graphics formats

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
.bmp .gif .jpg .tiff .wrl Click Modeler>Export to save the file in a graphics format. The Export File dialog box appears. Use the file browser to find the directory where you want to save the file. Type the name of the file in the File name box. Select the desired graphics file format from the Save as type pull-down list. Click Save. The file is exported to the specified location as a graphics file.
To export a file to a graphics format:
Related Topics Exporting 2D Model Files Exporting 3D Model Files

Importing Files
You can import the following types of files to Maxwell:
2D model files 3D model files
Related Topics Exporting Files
Importing 2D Model Files

You can read the following 2D model files directly into the active Modeler window: Note If you import a file into an active Modeler window that contains an existing model, the file is added to the existing model; it will not replace it.
When importing .sm2 files, they will import into the current XY or XZ plane depending upon how they were originally created. If you want to import them in a specific orientation other than the current XY or XZ plane, you must first create a relative coordinate system with the planes in the desired orientation. See Creating a Relative Coordinate System for more information. To import a 2D model file: 1. 2. 3. 4. Click Modeler>Import. The Import File dialog box appears. Select a file type from the Files of type pull-down list. For 2D model files, this would be either GDSII Files (*.gds) or Ansoft 2D Geometry Files (*.sm2). Use the file browser to find and select the file you want to import. Click Open. The file is imported into the active Modeler window. Extension .gds .sm2 Related Topics Importing 3D Model Files Importing GDSII Format Files Contents GDSII is a standard file format for 2D graphical design layout data. Ansoft 2D Modeler files.
Importing GDSII Format Files

A GDSII format file is one type of 2D model file that can be read directly into the active Modeler window.
To import a GDSII format file: 1. 2. 3. 4. Click Modeler>Import. The Import File dialog box appears. Select GDSII Files (*.gds) from the Files of type pull-down list. Use the file browser to find and select the GDSII format file you want to import. Click Open. The GDSII Import dialog box appears.
5.
Select the desired check boxes in the GDSII structures section of the dialog box.
GDSII Structures Panel: The GDSII file may contain several top-level structures. You can do one of the following:
Click a structure name in the GDSII Structures panel to highlight it. Clicking the Select check box in the GDSII Structures panel highlights the structure and selects that top-level structure to be imported.
When multiple structures are imported, Maxwell 3D creates multiple designs under the current project, one for each GDSII structure.
6.
View the sub-layouts in the Descendants section of the dialog box.
Descendants Panel: The GDSII file is hierarchical and may contain many sub-layouts. The Descendants panel shows the sub-layouts in the selected top-level designs. 7. In the Layers for structurename section, view the layers for the top-level structure. Layers for structurename Panel: The Layers for structurename panel shows the layers for the most recently highlighted top-level structure [structurename]. GDSII layers are identified by layer numbers. 8. In the All GDSII Layers section, select the layers you want to import. All GDSII Layers Panel: The All GDSII Layers panel lists all the layers from all the structures in the file. Use the Import Layers check boxes in the All GDSII Layers panel to select the layers to import. You can drag and drop the layers in the list to change the vertical stackup of layers. 9. In the Convert Nodes to section, convert or ignore objects that use the "nodes" data type. Convert Nodes to Panel: GDSII supports nodes and boundaries as separate data types. Normally, boundaries represent polygons. Maxwell can do one of the following: Convert objects that use the nodes data type to boundary types, or ignore them. You can do one of the following:
Use the Convert Nodes to radio buttons to select Boundary or Ignore. The default is to convert data type nodes to the data type boundary. The Flatten Hierarchy check box is automatically selected. Maxwell 3D always flattens any hierarchical geometry in the GDSII.
10. In the Layer Mapping File section, create a mapping to use for the import. Layer Mapping File Panel: If desired, you can create a mapping of the GDSII layer numbers to layer names in the design stackup. To create and use the mapping, do the following: a. Use a text editor to create a text file that maps the GDSII layer numbers to layer names in the stackup. The layer mapping file must have a .tech suffix. The format of a .tech format layer mapping file lists includes the layer number and corresponding layer name, color,
elevation, and thickness. For example, a layer mapping file may look like the following: //# //# //# 0 17 18 25 26 29 30 31 Layer Name ref POLYG POLY2 PIMP NIMP RPO CONT METAL1 b. Color Purpose red blue2 blue2 tan blue3 green white red Elevation [um] 0.000 420.0 420.0 400.0 400.0 400.0 400.0 890.0 Thickness [um] 0.000 180.0 180.0 0.000 0.000 0.000 490.0 280.0
//#--------------------------------------------------------------------
Click the Open button in the Layer Mapping File section to locate and open an existing layer mapping file.
11. When you are finished viewing and selecting options in the GDSII Import dialog box, click OK. The file is imported into the active Modeler window. Related Topics: Importing 2D Model Files
Importing 3D Model Files

You can read the following 3D model files directly into the active Modeler window: Note If you import a file into an active Modeler window that contains an existing model, the file is added to the existing model; it will not replace it.
To import a 3D model file: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Click Modeler>Import. The Import File dialog box appears. Select the file type you want from the Files of type pull-down list. Use the file browser to find the file you want to import. Select the 3D model file you want to import or enter the name of the file in the File Name box. Click Open. The file is imported into the active Modeler window. If you selected Heal Imported Objects with the Manual option selected for the import, then
the Healing Options dialog box opens, allowing you to set parameters for the heal operation. Note While objects created in Maxwell can always be classed in the history tree as either a solid, sheet, or wire some imported objects may have mixture of these. Maxwell places such objects in an Unclassified folder in the history tree.
Extension .dxf, .dwg .gds .geo .iges, .igs
Contents AutoCAD Drawing Interchange Format files. GDSII files Agilent solid model files. Industry standard Initial Graphics Exchange Specification (IGES) files. An additional license is required.1 Catia R4/R5 models1 NASTRAN format files2 ACIS geometry solid model files.1 Ansoft 3D modeler files. 1 Industry standard AP203 STEP files. An additional license is required.1 Ansoft legacy 3D model files Stereolithography files2 Pro/E model files. An additional license is required.1
.model, .CATPart .nas .sat .sm3 .step, .stp
.sld .stl .prt*, .asm*
1. Automatic or Manual Healing available if desired. See Healing an Imported Object. 2. Defeaturing based on Model Resolution Length. Select Auto, None, or enter a numeric value directly in the entry box. Related Topics Importing 2D Model Files
Importing DXF and DWG Format Files. Exporting 3D Model Files
Importing DXF and DWG Format Files

The process for importing DXF and DWG format files into an active Layout Editor design uses a dialog box with three tabs. To import a .dxf or .dwg model file: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Click Modeler>Import. The Import File dialog box appears. Select AutoCAD Files (*.dxf;*.dwg) from the Files of type pull-down list. Use the file browser to find the file you want to import. Select the .dxf/.dwg model file you want to import. Click Open. The DXF/DWG Import dialog box appears, with the DWG/DXF Layer Selection tab initially displayed. The Input Layer Name field shows the names of the layers in the DXF/DWG file. The layer names cannot be edited.
6.
Select the Include check boxes to specify which layers to import from the selected file.
7.
Click the Options tab:
8. 9.
Select the layout units for the imported file from the Import Units pull-down list. The default is mm. Select or clear the following check boxes to fine-tune the import: Union overlapping combines multiple objects that overlap in the input file, creating a single object. This check box is grayed out if disabled. Auto-detect closed objects checks if polylines are closed. If a polyline is closed, Maxwell 3D creates a polygon in the design. Self-stitch objects joins multiple straight line segments to form polylines. If the resulting polyline is closed, a polygon is created in Maxwell 3D. De-feature geometry at distance removes certain small features in the imported geometry to reduce complexity. Features that are removed include the following: multiple points placed within the specified distance; thin or narrow regions ("thins" and "spikes"); and extraneous points along straight line segments. Type a value in the text box. Round coordinates to nearest nth decimal place rounds all imported data to the specified
number of decimal points. Type a value in the text box.
Write closed polygon with line width as filled Polygons imports wide polylines as polygons. You have more flexibility to change the shape of such an object when it is imported as a polygon.
10. Click the Language tab.
The input language and format is normally auto-detected. You can override the auto-detection algorithm if it fails to detect the correct language or when you want to perform a specific language conversion. Specify the following options, as desired:
From the Drawing Code Page pull-down list, select the language format with which to interpret the file. Select the Filter inappropriate import code page names check box to eliminate language options that do not apply to the data in the file. From the Import Code Page pull-down list, select a language format to use when importing the data.
11. When you have completed the settings on all tabs, click OK on any tab. The file is imported into the active Layout window.
Importing and Converting Materials

To preserve custom materials, you need to import them from a maxwell0.mat file (from a previous version of Maxwell) into the latest version of Maxwell user library. Note The .mat extension shows up as a shortcut in the file browser.
To import these materials from previous versions, you must have at least one Maxwell design loaded in the project window. To translate custom materials to the latest Maxwell version: 1. From the menu Click Maxwell3D or Maxwell2D, and then select Translate Material Database. The Translate Legacy Material Database appears. Enter the name of the old database in the Legacy Material DB Name box. You can also click the ... button to locate the database. Enter a name for the new database in your current project in the User Material DB Name box. Click Translate. To use the library, you need to first use the Tools>Configure Libraries command.
2. 3. 4.
Note
Related Topics Assigning Materials.
Importing a Model from the Clipboard

You can copy and paste a model to and from the Clipboard in order to use a geometry from a different design. To use a geometry with datalink, the geometry ID must be preserved. To import a model from the Clipboard, the model for the current design must be empty. To import a 3D model from the Clipboard:
Click Modeler>Import From Clipboard. The geometry model is pasted from the Clipboard with the ID preserved.
Printing
The printing commands enable you to print the display in the active window. To print the project: 1. 2. 3. Click File>Print. The Print dialog box appears. You can change the print quality (a higher dpi produces a higher quality print but takes more time and printer memory), or you can send the output to a .prn file. Do one of the following:
Click OK to print the project. Click Cancel to dismiss the window without printing. Click Properties to define printer settings.
You can also access the printer properties by clicking Printer in the Page Setup dialog box.
Previewing the Printout

To preview how the page will look when printed: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Click File>Print Preview. The preview window appears. To print the project after seeing the preview, click the Print button. The Print dialog box appears. To navigate through the preview, click the Next Page, Prev Page, and/or Two Page buttons. To zoom in or out on the preview, click the Zoom In or Zoom Out button. To close the preview and return to your project, click Close.
Changing the Page Setup

To set or change the page setup: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Click File>Page Setup. The Page Setup dialog box appears. Under Paper, select a Size and Source for the paper. Under Orientation, select either Portrait or Landscape. Under Margins, change the values as desired in the Left, Right, Top, and Bottom text boxes. Click OK.
You can also access the printer properties by clicking Printer in the Page Setup dialog box.
Saving Design Notes

You can save notes about a design, such as its creation date and a description of the device being modeled. This is useful for keeping a running log on the project. To add notes to a project: 1. Click Maxwell3D, Maxwell2D, or RMxprt, and then select Edit Notes. Alternatively, rightclick a design icon in the project tree and select Edit Notes from the shortcut menu. The Design Notes dialog box appears. 2. 3. Click in the window and type your notes. Click OK to save the notes with the current project.
To edit existing design notes you may:
Double-click the Notes icon in the project tree. Click Maxwell3D, Maxwell2D, or RMxprt, and then select Edit Notes. Right-click a design icon in the project tree and select Edit Notes from the shortcut menu.
The Design Notes window appears, in which you can edit the design's notes as shown in the example below.
To delete the existing notes for a design: 1. 2. Select the icon Notes in the project tree, click Edit>Delete. Right-click the icon Notes in the project tree, click Delete from the shortcut menu.
The Notes icon is removed from the project tree.
Note
Notes are used to document aspects of designs only. For project level documentation, you can insert a documentation file into a project with the Project>Insert Documentation Files command.
Using the Password Manager to Control Access to Resources

Maxwell and RMxprt allow you to specify library resources that require password access and encryption. The same password can apply to multiple resources. To access the Password Manager, click Tools>Password Manager.
Specifying a New Password Protected Resource

To specify a new password protected resource: 1. 2. 3. 4. Click Tools>Password Manager. The Password Manager dialog box appears. Click the New button. The New Encrypted Resource dialog box appears. Specify the name of the resource that you want to protect, and click OK. The Enter Passwords dialog appears. Select one of the following radio buttons:

5.
Enter Password and confirm for Full Access or for Execute Only Access. Use Ansoft Password (for execute only). This does not require you to enter a password, but it still encrypts the library.
After you have selected a radio button, and, if necessary, specified passwords correctly, click OK. The Password Manager dialog box appears, with the resource listed.
Encrypting a Resource
To encrypt a resource 1. 2. Select an existing resource to highlight it and enable the Encrypt button. A file browser window appears. Select the appropriate Files of type filter. The choices are Circuit files (*.lib) and Ansoft Library files. Any existing resources in the selected directory appear. Click OK. The resource is encrypted.
3.
Setting Options in Maxwell

You can set the following options from the Maxwell Desktop:
General Options, such as project directory, WebUpdate options, and distributed analysis options. Maxwell 3D Options, such as the default solution type and number of processors. Report Setup Options, Maxwell 2D Options, such as the default solution type and number of processors. RMxprt Options , such as the default solution type and material thresholds. Report2D options, such as formatting and cell size. Modeler options, such as coordinate system settings, color, and grid settings. Machine options for RMxprt, such as wire setting.
Setting General Options

To set general options in Maxwell: 1. Click Tools>Options>General Options. The General Options window appears, displaying six available tabs:

2. 3.
Project Options Miscellaneous Options Default Units Analysis Options WebUpdate Options
Click each tab, and make the desired selections. Click OK.
General Options: Project Options Tab

These options are set on the Project Options tab of the General Options dialog box. 1. To auto-save your project, do the following in the Autosave section: a. b. 2. 3. Select the Do Autosave check box. Enter the number of edits after which to save in the Autosave interval text box. The default is 10.
Enter a directory path in the Project Directory text box, or click the ... button to find and select the desired directory. Enter a directory path in the Temp Directory text box, or click the ... button to find and select
the desired directory. Note Maxwell will delete temporary results saved to the directory you set in Temp Directory after results are obtained. If you want to keep the temporary results, set an environment variable (in Windows Control Panel>System Properties>Environment Variables) PRESERVE_SOLVER_FILES to 1, but you need to delete the temporary results regularly to avoid using too much disk space.
4. 5. 6. 7.
Enter a directory path in the Library Directory text box, or click the ... button to find and select the desired directory. To reset the library directory to the default, click Reset Library Directory. Select or clear the Expand Project Tree on Insert check box in the Additional Options section. To specify the type of design to automatically insert when you create a new project, select one of the following under When creating a new project:
Insert a design of type. Select this radio button, and select RMxprt, Maxwell 3D or Maxwell 2D from the pull-down list to make it the default design. Don't insert a design. Select this radio button if you do not want a new design to automatically open every time you insert a new project.
General Options: Miscellaneous Options Tab

These options are set on the Miscellaneous Options tab of the General Options dialog box. 1. 2. 3. 4. 1. 2. Select or clear the Show Message Window on new messages check box. Select or clear the Ensure that new messages are visible in the Message Window Tree check box. Select or clear the Show Progress Window when starting a simulation check box. Select or clear the Update reports on file open check box. Using the Design type pull-down, select Maxwell 3D, Maxwell 2D, or RMxprt. Select or clear Whether to dynamically update reports and field overlays during edits. This option applies only to solved designs that are being edited. The Dynamically Update Options are set and maintained inpedendently for each design type.
Report Update Options for Design Type:
Note 3.
In the pull-down menu, select the type of updating desired for Dynamically update postprocessing data for new solutions. Use this menu to specify when updates are reported during analysis, depending on your needs relative to the impact on overall solve time. Select one of the following options to specify when to update the reports:
Automatically - the default.

Immediately - update reports as soon as data comes from the solver. Never - only manual intervention updates reports. On Completion - as with 'never', but a single update is done when the solve completes.
For additional information on these options, see Setting the Report Updating During Analysis Options. Animation Computing animated plots of fields or geometry requires significant memory which depends upon the size of the mesh and plot type. The animation setting is used to prevent problems related to low memory should an animation require large memory allocation.
Specify the memory to preserve when computing animation frames using the entry field.
General Options: Default Units Tab

These options are set on the Default Units tab of the General Options dialog box. Select the desired units from each of the following pull-down lists:
Length Angle Time Temperature Torque Magnetic Induction Pressure Frequency Power Voltage Current Speed Weight Resistance Inductance Capacitance Force Angular Speed Mag Field Strength
Note
Units specified in the Default Units Tab are generally for problem definition. The Post Processor diisplays output in the unit that scales best for plotting, however, the user may change the unit when creating the plot. Also, the Fields Calculator always works with SI units.
General Options: Analysis Options Tab

These options are set on the Analysis Options tab of the General Options dialog box. 1. In the Design Analysis Options section, select either Maxwell 3D, Maxwell 2D or RMxprt from the Design Type pull-down list. All Analysis Machine Options and Remote Analysis Options are set and maintained inpedendently for each design type.
Note 2.
If you want to select the machine to which to send the analysis immediately before analyzing, select the Prompt for analysis machine when launching analysis check box. If you select this check box, a dialog box appears when you start a simulation. You can then select on which machine you want to run the remote analysis. Under Analysis Machine Options, select whether the default analysis machine should be the local machine (Local), a remote machine (Remote), or whether analysis should be distributed across multiple machines (Distributed). a. b. If you selected Remote, enter the default analysis machine information either as an IP address, a DNS name, or a UNC name. See Remote Analysis. If you selected Distributed, you can add machines to a list, or edit an existing machine list. Select the Edit button to display the Distributed Analysis Machines dialogue. Here you specify an IP address, a DNS name, or a UNC name for each machine to add to the list. Control buttons let you Add Machine to List to or Remove machines from the list. If Distributed is selected for a solve of either sweeps or distributable Optimetrics setup, then Maxwell selects machines in top down order depending on the load on them. Machine load is determined by the number of solve processes running on that machine that were launched within a single session of Maxwell. For example, if the list contains 4 machines, and the topmost machine is already running a simulation and we need 2 machines, we pick 2 and 3 in the list and update their load by 1. Thus Maxwell selects the highest machine on the list that has the least load. If Distributed is selected when you run a nominal solve, Maxwell always selects the topmost machine listed. The displayed list always shows the order in which you entered them irrespective of the load on the machines. To control the list order, select one or more machines, and use the Move up or Move down buttons. Click OK to accept the changes and close the Distributed Analysis Machines dialog. The machines are listed in the Analysis Machines Options field in alphabetical order, rather than the distributed list order.
3.
For more information, see distributed analysis. You can also control these selections via toolbar icons for:

4.
Local Remote Distributed
, , and
To launch all analyses as a specific user, rather than the current user, do the following in the Remote Analysis Options section. (Note: If any of the remote machines are Unix-based, you must specify the current user.)
Note
For the Send analysis request as option, select Specified User. If any machines are Unix-based, Current User must be selected. You can only have one remote analysis user configuration on Unix. Enter the user name, password, and domain information in the corresponding text boxes.
5.
Select or clear the Queue all simulations check box. This allows subsequent projects to wait in a queue till the currently running project solves completely.
Related Topics Remote Analysis Specifying the Analysis Options Using Distributed Analysis Solving Remotely Setting Up Distributed Analysis with Licensing Viewing Distributed Analysis Subtasks
General Options: WebUpdate Options Tab

These options are set on the WebUpdate Options tab of the General Options dialog box. Select one of the following from the Automatically check for updates every pull-down list:
Never 7 days 15 days 30 days 60 days 120 days 180 days
The last time the software was updated, as well as the last attempt, are displayed in the following two fields: Last update date Last update attempt date
General Options in Maxwell 2D/3D

Select the General Options page of interest: Maxwell 3D Options Maxwell 2D Options
Solver Options in Maxwell 2D/3D

Select the Solver Options page of interest: Maxwell 3D Options Maxwell 2D Options
Setting Maxwell 3D Options

To set Maxwell 3D options: 1. Click Tools>Options>Maxwell 3D Options. The Maxwell 3D Options window appears, displaying two available tabs:

2. 3.
General Options Solver
Maxwell 3D Options: General Options Tab

These options are set on the General Options tab of the Maxwell 3D Options dialog box. 1. To change the default solution type when you initially insert a project, select one of the following from the Default solution type pull-down list:

2.
Electrostatic DC Conduction Electrostatic & DC Conduction Magnetostatic Eddy Current Transient
In the Material Threshold Options section, enter the Default perfect conductor and Default insulator/conductor values in siemens/m. Setting the material thresholds under Tools>Options> impacts the default setting for the current and all future projects/designs. To change the material threshold for the current design only, use the Maxwell3D>Design Settings, Maxwell2D>Design Settings, or RMxprt>Design Settings command and change the material thresholds on the Set Material Thresholds tab.
Note
3.
In the Boundary Options section, select or clear the following two check boxes:
Use Wizards for data input when creating new boundaries

4.
Duplicate boundaries with geometry Save before solving When you enable the Save before solving setting, the project is only saved if it has been modified since its last save. Save Optimetrics field solutions Apply variation deletions immediately
Select or clear the following check boxes:
Note
Related Topics: Setting the Material Threshold
Maxwell 3D Options: Solver Tab

These options are set on the Solver tab of the Maxwell 3D Options dialog box. To set the solver options for Maxwell3D: 1. 2. Enter the Number of Processors to use. Select one of the following from the Default Process Priority pull-down list:

3.
Critical (highest) Priority (Not recommended) Above Normal Priority (Not recommended) Normal Priority Below Normal Priority Idle (lowest) Priority Desired RAM Limit (MB) Maximum RAM Limit (MB)
Select one or both of the following check boxes, and enter values in the text boxes:
You can also set the number of processors, desired RAM limit, and maximum RAM limit using VB scripts.
Specifying the Number of Processors

If you want to use more than one processor (multi-processing), you can specify the number of processors in the Maxwell Options dialog box. By default, this value is set to 1. Using multiple processors (if physically available on the computer) increases the speed of the matrix solution process phase. Thus, shorter solution times can be achieved with significant savings in absolute times, particularly for large models of 100,000 finite elements or more. To modify the number of processors used when solving: 1. 2. 3. Click Tools>Options>Maxwell 3D Options. The Maxwell 3D Options window appears, displaying two available tabs: Click the Solver tab. Type a value in the Number of Processors text box.
4.
Click OK.
This setting affects all Maxwell projects for the current user and machine. However, the solver considers the number of processors to be optional and reverts to a single processor solution if a multiple processor licence is not available. An optional multiprocessor license is required to use more than one processor. If this license is unavailable, only a single processor is used, regardless of the setting in this dialog box.
Setting Solver Settings Using VB Scripts

Being able to set the number of processors, desired RAM limit, and maximum RAM limit using VB scripts allows you to solve a project by running a VB script, without having to toggle the computer hardware usage settings. The following macros allow you to set these options: oDesign.SetDesiredRamMBLimit <integer num in MB> oDesign.SetMaximumRamMBLimit <integer num in MB> oDesign.SetNumberOfProcessors <num> limit = oDesign.GetDesiredRamMBLimit() limit = oDesign.GetMaximumRamMBLimit() num = oDesign.GetNumberOfProcessors()
Report Setup Options

To set up general options for Reports 1. 2. Click Tools>Options>Report Setup Options. The Report Setup Options window appears: Use the checkbox to specify whether to use advanced mode when editing and viewing trace components. Advanced mode allows greater freedom in choosing the values for the X component in data plots such as using a function, alternative sweep, etc. Advanced mode is used automatically if the trace requires it.
Note 3. 4. 5.
Set the Maximum number of significant digits to display in the reporter when displaying numeric quantities. In the Drap and Drop section, select either Drag Item Data, or Drag Item Definition. Click OK.
Setting Maxwell 2D Options

To set Maxwell 2D options: 1. Click Tools>Options>Maxwell 2D Options. The Maxwell 2D Options window appears, displaying two available tabs:
General Options
2. 3.
Solver
Maxwell 2D Options: General Options Tab

These options are set on the General Options tab of the Maxwell 2D Options dialog box. 1. To change the default solution type when you initially insert a project, select one of the following from the Default solution type pull-down list:

2.
Electrostatic DC Conduction AC Conduction Magnetostatic Eddy Current Transient
To change the default geometry mode when you initially insert a project, select one of the following from the Default geometry mode pull-down list.

3.
XY About Z
In the Material Threshold Options section, enter the Default perfect conductor and Default insulator/conductor values in siemens/m. Setting the material thresholds under Tools>Options>Maxwell 3D Options or Tools>Options>Maxwell 2D options impacts the default setting for the current and all future projects/designs. To change the material threshold for the current design only, use the Maxwell>Design Settings command and change the material thresholds on the Set Material Thresholds tab.
Note
4.
In the Boundary Options section, select or clear the following two check boxes:

5.
Use Wizards for data input when creating new boundaries Duplicate boundaries with geometry Save before solving When you enable the Save before solving setting, the project is only saved if it has been modified since its last save. Save Optimetrics field solutions Apply variation deletions immediately Generate model history when importing legacy 2D projects
Note
Related Topics:
Setting the Material Threshold
Maxwell 2D Options: Solver Tab

These options are set on the Solver tab of the Maxwell 2D Options dialog box. To set the solver options for Maxwell2D: 1. 2. Enter the Number of Processors to use. Select one of the following from the Default Process Priority pull-down list:

3.
Critical (highest) Priority (Not recommended) Above Normal Priority (Not recommended) Normal Priority Below Normal Priority Idle (lowest) Priority Desired RAM Limit (MB) Maximum RAM Limit (MB)
Select one or both of the following check boxes, and enter values in the text boxes:
You can also set the number of processors, desired RAM limit, and maximum RAM limit using VB scripts.
Setting RMxprt Options

To set RMxprt options: 1. Click Tools>Options>RMxprt Options. The RMxprt Options window appears, displaying three available tabs:

2. 3.
General Options Solver Export Options
RMxprt Options: General Options Tab

These options are set on the General Options tab of the RMxprt Options dialog box. 1. To change the default machine type when you initially insert a project, select one of the following from the Default machine type pull-down list:
Three Phase Induction Motor Single Phase Induction Motor Three Phase Synchronous Machine Brushless Permanent-Magnet DC Motor Adjust-Speed Synchronous Machine Permanent-Magnet DC Motor

2.
Switched Reluctance Motor Line-Start PM Synchronous Motor Universal Motor DC Machine Claw-Pole Synchronous Machine Three Phase Non-Salient Synchronous Machine
In the Material Threshold Options section, enter the Default conductivity and Default permeability values in siemens/m. Setting the material thresholds under Tools>Options>Maxwell 3D Options or Tools>Options>Maxwell 2D options impacts the default setting for the current and all future projects/designs. To change the material threshold for the current design only, use the Maxwell>Design Settings command and change the material thresholds on the Set Material Thresholds tab.
Note
3.
Note
Save before solving When you enable the Save before solving setting, the project is only saved if it has been modified since its last save. Apply variation deletions immediately
Related Topics: Setting the Material Threshold
RMxprt Options: Solver Tab

These options are set on the Solver tab of the RMxprt Options dialog box. To set the solver options for RMxprt: 1. Select one of the following from the Default Process Priority pull-down list:
Critical (highest) Priority (Not recommended) Above Normal Priority (Not recommended) Normal Priority Below Normal Priority Idle (lowest) Priority
RMxprt Options: Export Options Tab

These options are set on the Export Options tab of the RMxprt Options dialog box. To set the Export options for RMxprt: 1. Choose which options to use when exporting a design from RMxprt to Maxwell3D:
Periodic
Difference Band Arc Teeth-Teeth Segmented Arc
Setting Report2D Options

To set Report2D options in Maxwell: 1. Click Tools>Options>Report2D Options. The Report2D Options window appears, displaying ten available tabs:
Curve Axis Grid Tab Header Tab Note Tab Legend Tab Marker Tab Marker Table Tab General Tab Table tab
For properties controlled by checkboxes, you can set values for all curves by clicking the column header cell that contains the property title. Right-clicking on a text field cell displays a context menu that lets you cut, copy and paste values. Right-clicking on a menu cell displays a context menu that lets you copy and paste entire rows. You can use a Restore Defaults button. 1. 2. Click each tab, and make the desired selections. Click OK.
Report 2D Options: Curve Tab

These options are set on the Curve tab of the Report2D Options dialog box. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Line style -- select the options from the drop down menu. The options are Solid, Dot, Dash, and Dot dash. Color -- set the color by double clicking to display the Set color dialog. Select a default or custom color and click OK. Width -- set the line width by editing the real value in the text field. Arrows -- use the check box to use arrows on the curve ends. Symbol -- use the check box to have symbols mark the locations of data points on the curve. Sym Freq -- set the symbol frequency by editing the integer value in the text field. Sym Style -- select the symbol to display for the designated data points. The sym style can be
box, circle, vertical ellipse, horizontal ellipse, vertical up triangle, vertical down triangle, horizontal left triangle, horizontal right triangle. 8. 9. Fill Sym -- use the check box to set the symbol display as a solid or as hollow. Sym Color -- set the color for the symbol by double clicking to display the Set color dialog. Select a default or custom color and click OK.
Report2D Options: Axis Tab

These options are set on the Axis tab of the Report2D Options dialog box. 1. 2. 3. 4. Axis Name -- this describes the axis to which the following options refer. Color -- set the color by double clicking to display the Set color dialog. Select a default or custom color and click OK. Font color -- set the font color of the axis by double clicking to display the Set color dialog. Select a default or custom color and click OK. Edit Font -- click the cell to display the Edit Text Font dialog. The dialog lets you select from a list of available fonts, styles, sizes, effects, colors, and script. The dialog also contains a preview field. OK the selections to apply the font edits and to close the dialog. Font Description -- displays the chosen font properties.
5.
Report2D Options: Grid Tab

These options are set on the Grid tab of the Report2D Options dialog box. 1. 2. 3. Grid Name -- lists the name or letter of the grid. Not editable. Line Style -- select the options from the drop down menu. The options are Solid, Dot, Dash, and Dot dash. Line Color -- set the color by double clicking to display the Set color dialog. Select a default or custom color and click OK.
Report2D Options: Header Tab

These options are set on the Header tab of the Report2D Options dialog box. For the Title and subtitle, you can independently specify the following: 1. 2. Color -- set the color by double clicking to display the Set color dialog. Select a default or custom color and click OK. Font -- click the cell to display the Edit Text Font dialog. The dialog lets you select from a list of available fonts, styles, sizes, effects, colors, and script. The dialog also contains a preview field. OK the selections to apply the font edits and to close the dialog.
Report2D Options: Note Tab

These options are set on the Note tab of the Report2D Options dialog box. 1. 2. Note Color -- set the color by double clicking to display the Set color dialog. Select a default or custom color and click OK. Note Font -- click the cell to display the Edit Text Font dialog. The dialog lets you select from a list of available fonts, styles, sizes, effects, colors, and script. The dialog also contains a pre-
view field. OK the selections to apply the font edits and to close the dialog. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Background Color -- set the color by double clicking to display the Set color dialog. Select a default or custom color and click OK. Background Visibility -- use the checkbox to toggle the background for the note on or off. Border Line Color -- set the color by double clicking to display the Set color dialog. Select a default or custom color and click OK. Border Visibility -- use the checkbox to toggle the visibility of the note border. Border Line Width -- set the line width by editing the real value in the text field.
Report2D Options: Legend Tab

These options are set on the Legend tab of the Report2D Options dialog box. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Show Trace Name -- use the checkbox to toggle the visibility of the trace name. Show Solution Name -- use the checkbox to toggle the visibility of the solution name. Show Variation Key -- use the checkbox to toggle the visibility of the variation key. Text Color -- set the color by double clicking to display the Set color dialog. Select a default or custom color and click OK. Text Font -- click the cell to display the Edit Text Font dialog. The dialog lets you select from a list of available fonts, styles, sizes, effects, colors, and script. The dialog also contains a preview field. OK the selections to apply the font edits and to close the dialog. Background Color -- set the color by double clicking to display the Set color dialog. Select a default or custom color and click OK. Border Line Color -- set the color by double clicking to display the Set color dialog. Select a default or custom color and click OK. Border Line Width -- set the line width by editing the real value in the text field. Grid Color -- set the color by double clicking to display the Set color dialog. Select a default or custom color and click OK.
6. 7. 8. 9.
Report2D Options: Marker tab

These options are set on the Marker tab of the Report2D Options dialog box. 1. 2. Marker Color -- set the color by double clicking to display the Set color dialog. Select a default or custom color and click OK. Marker Font -- click the cell to display the Edit Text Font dialog. The dialog lets you select from a list of available fonts, styles, sizes, effects, colors, and script. The dialog also contains a preview field. OK the selections to apply the font edits and to close the dialog. X Marker -- use the following options to set the X Marker properties. a. b. c. Show Intersection -- checkbox to show the intersection. XMarker Color -- set the color by double clicking to display the Set color dialog. Select a default or custom color and click OK. XMarker Font -- click the cell to display the Edit Text Font dialog. The dialog lets you
3.
select from a list of available fonts, styles, sizes, effects, colors, and script. The dialog also contains a preview field. OK the selections to apply the font edits and to close the dialog. d. e. f. g. Box Background Color -- set the color by double clicking to display the Set color dialog. Select a default or custom color and click OK. Line Color -- set the color by double clicking to display the Set color dialog. Select a default or custom color and click OK. Line Style -- select the options from the drop down menu. The options are Solid, Dot, Dash, and Dot dash. Line Width -- set the line width by editing the real value in the text field.
Related Topics Modifying Markers on Point Plots
Report2D Options: Marker Table Tab

These options are set on the Marker Table tab of the Report2D Options dialog box. 1. 2. Text Color -- set the color by double clicking to display the Set color dialog. Select a default or custom color and click OK. Text Font -- click the cell to display the Edit Text Font dialog. The dialog lets you select from a list of available fonts, styles, sizes, effects, colors, and script. The dialog also contains a preview field. OK the selections to apply the font edits and to close the dialog. Background Color -- set the color by double clicking to display the Set color dialog. Select a default or custom color and click OK. Border Line Color -- set the color by double clicking to display the Set color dialog. Select a default or custom color and click OK. Border Line Width -- set the line width by editing the real value in the text field. Grid Color -- set the color by double clicking to display the Set color dialog. Select a default or custom color and click OK. Grid Line Width -- set the line width by editing the real value in the text field.
3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
Report2D Options: General Tab

These options are set on the General tab of the Report2D Options dialog box. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Background Color -- set the color by double clicking to display the Set color dialog. Select a default or custom color and click OK. Plot Area Color -- set the color by double clicking to display the Set color dialog. Select a default or custom color and click OK. Highlight Color -- set the color by double clicking to display the Set color dialog. Select a default or custom color and click OK. Accumulate Depth -- . Curve Tooltip Option -- use the checkboxes to toggle the following properties: a. Show Trace Name
b. c. 6. a. b. 7. a. b. c.
Show Variation Key Show Solution Name Capture Aspect Size Ratio -- this can be As Shown or Full Screen. Capture Background Color -- this can be As Shown or White. Field Width -- set the number of digits to display by editing the real value field. Precision -- set the precision for marker placement by editing the real value field. Use Scientific Notation -- use the checkbox to toggle scientific notation on or off.
Clipboard Option -- use the drop down menus to specify the following properties:
Format -- specify the following properties:
Report2D Options: Table Tab

These options are set on the Table tab of the Report2D Options dialog box. 1. Text Font -- click the cell to display the Edit Text Font dialog. The dialog lets you select from a list of available fonts, styles, sizes, effects, colors, and script. The dialog also contains a preview field. OK the selections to apply the font edits and to close the dialog. Format -- use the following properties to set the format: a. b. c. 3. Field Width -- set the table field width by editing the real value in the text field. Precision -- set the table precision by editing the real value in the text field. Use Scientific Notation -- use the checkbox to toggle scientific notation on or off.
2.
Copy to Clipboard -- use the following checkboxes to toggle the following properties for table copy operations: a. b. With Header With Tab Separator
Setting Modeler Options

To set modeler options in Maxwell: 1. Click Tools>Options>Modeler Options. The Modeler Options window appears, displaying three available tabs:

2. 3.
Operation Display Drawing
Modeler Options: Operation Tab

These options are set on the Operation tab of the Modeler Options dialog box. 1. By default, the modeler will delete tool objects when performing tasks such as Uniting, Subtracting, or Intersecting objects. The user may specify that the modeler should make a copy (clone) of the tool object prior to the operation, allowing the object to remain available for subWorking with Maxwell Projects and Designs 4-57
sequent operations. To specify when to clone tool objects, select or clear the following check boxes in the Clone section:

2.
Clone tool objects before uniting Clone tool objects before subtracting Clone tool options before intersecting
In the Coordinate System section, select or clear the Automatically switch to face coordinate system check box. By default, the modeler operates within the user selected coordinate system. If this option is enabled, the user can select a face and when a new object creation is started, the modeler will first create a face coordinate system consistent with the selected face and the new object will be created within the face coordinate system. With this selection, unchecked, the user must manually create a Face Coordinate System prior to creating an object related to it. By default, surface objects created with the Polyline command will be created with a cover so that they become sheet objects. The user may choose to leave the polyline as an uncovered object to perform further operations prior to creating a sheet object. In the Polyline section, select or clear the Automatically cover closed polylines check box. Selecting the Select last command on object select checkbox cause the modeler to select the object and that last command used to create the object to be selected together. The Command tab is automatically enabled in the Properties window on the desktop to allow for quick editing of the parameters used to create the object.
3.
4.
Modeler Options: Display Tab

These options are set on the Display tab of the Modeler Options dialog box. 1. To specify a default color for a Modeler drawing object or action (such as on select):

2. 3. 4. 5.
Select the object or action from the Default color pull-down list. The Color window appears. Select a color, and click OK.
To specify how to render an object, select WireFrame or SmoothShade from the Default view render pull-down list. To set the Default transparency, move the slider, or enter a numerical value. Select or clear the Show orientation of selected objects check box. Select or clear the Highlight selection dynamically check box. This option causes objects or faces (depending on the selection mode) to be highlighted when you pass the mouse pointer over them. You may want to turn this off for complicated models. Under Default tree layout, select or clear the Group objects by material check box. This feature is the same as selecting or clearing the Group Objects By Material toggle command from the Modeler menu. Under History operations visualization, select or clear the Visualize history of objects check box. The option lets you view an outline of each part that comprises an object when the given part is selected in the model history tree. This can help you visualize an object that has
6.
7.
been merged with another object. A change to the option takes effect only when you restart Maxwell. The following figure shows an example history tree with an object selected and the outline view of that object in the main window.
Modeler Options: Drawing Tab

These options are set on the Drawing tab of the Modeler Options dialog box. 1. To specify snap settings, select or clear the following check boxes in the Snap Mode section:

2. 3.
Grid Vertex Edge Center Face Center Quadrant Arc Center
Enter how near the mouse needs to be to click a grid item in the Mouse Sensitivity box, in pixels. Select or clear the Edit property of new primitives check box. When this check box is selected, a Properties dialog box appears when a new object (primitive) is created. If the Check box is unselected, object properties can be edited in the Properties window section of the Maxwell Desktop. Under Operation Data Entry Mode, set the data entry mode to either Point or Dialog. In point mode, you use a combination of the mouse and the keyboard entry area of the Status Bar
4.
to define objects. In dialog mode, a Properties dialog box immediately appears to allow you to enter values from the keyboard.
Setting Machine Options in Maxwell

To set machine options in Maxwell: 1. 2. 3. Click Tools>Options>Machine Options. The Machine Editor Options window appears, displaying one available tab: General. Select a system wire library from the Wire Setting pull-down list or choose to use the user or personal libraries for wire data. Click OK.
Related Topics Wire Specification Library
Working with Variables

A variable is a numerical value, mathematical expression, or mathematical function that can be assigned to a design parameter in Maxwell. Variables are useful in the following situations:
When you expect to change a parameter often. When you expect to use the same parameter value often. When you intend to run a parametric analysis, in which you specify a series of variable values within a range to solve. When you intend to optimize a parameter value by running an optimization analysis.
There are two types of variables in Maxwell: Project Variables A project variable can be assigned to any parameter value in the project in which it was created. Maxwell differentiates project variables from other types of variables by prefixing the variable name with the $ symbol. You can manually include the $ symbol in the project variable's name, or Maxwell can automatically append the $ after you define the variable. Project variables can be used in any design within the project. Design Variables A design variable can be assigned to any parameter value in the Maxwell design in which it was created. Design variables are limited to the design in which it is created and are not available to other designs within the same project.
Adding a Project Variable

A project variable can be assigned to a parameter value in the Maxwell project in which it was created. Maxwell differentiates project variables from other types of variables by prefixing the variable name with the following symbol: $. You can manually include the symbol $ in the project variable's name when you create it, or Maxwell automatically appends the project variable's name with the symbol after you define the variable. Project variables can be used in any design within the project. 1. Click Project>Project Variables.
Alternatively, right-click the project name in the project tree, and then click Project Variables on the shortcut menu.
The Properties dialog box appears. 2. 3. Under the Project Variables tab, click Add. The Add Property dialog box appears. In the Name box, type the name of the variable. Project variable names must start with the symbol $ followed by a letter. Variable names may include alphanumeric characters and underscores ( _ ). The names of intrinsic functions and the pre-defined constant pi () cannot be used as variable names. 4. In the Value box, type the quantity that the variable represents. Optionally, include the units of
measurement. Warning If you include the variable's units in its definition (in the Value box), do not include the variable's units when you enter the variable name for a parameter value.
The quantity can be a numerical value, a mathematical expression, or a mathematical function. The quantity entered will become the current, or default, value for the variable. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. Click OK. You return to the Properties dialog box. The new variable and its value are listed in the table. Optionally, type a description of the variable in the Description box. Optionally, select Read-Only. The variable's name, value, unit, and description cannot be modified when Read-only is selected. Optionally, select Hidden. If you clear the Show Hidden option, the hidden variable does not appear in the Properties dialog box. Click OK.
The new variable can now be assigned to a parameter value in the project in which it was created. Related Topics Adding a Design Variable
Adding a Design Variable

A design variable is associated with a Maxwell or RMxprt design. A design variable can be assigned to a parameter value in the Maxwell design in which it was created. Design variables are only available within the design where they are created and are not available to other designs within the same project. 1. Click Maxwell3D, Maxwell2D, or RMxprt, and then select Design Properties.
Alternatively, right-click the design name in the project tree, and then click Design Properties on the shortcut menu.
The Properties dialog box appears. 2. 3. Under the Local Variables tab, click Add. The Add Property dialog box appears. In the Name box, type the name of the variable. Variable names must start with a letter, and may include alphanumeric characters and underscores ( _ ). The names of intrinsic functions and the pre-defined constant pi () cannot be used as variable names. 4. In the Value box, type the quantity that the variable represents. Optionally, include the units of measurement. If you include the variable's units in its definition (in the Value box), do not include the variable's units when you enter the variable name for a parameter value.
Note
The quantity can be a numerical value, a mathematical expression, or a mathematical function. The quantity entered will become the current or default value for the variable. 5. 6. 7. Click OK. You return to the Properties dialog box. The new variable and its value are listed in the table. Optionally, type a description of the variable in the Description box. Click OK.
The new variable can now be assigned to a parameter value in the design in which it was created. Related Topics Adding a Project Variable
Adding Datasets
Datasets are collections of points which are connected together into a continuous plot using linear interpolation. Each plot consists of straight line segments whose vertices represent their end points. This data is then used in a piecewise linear intrinsic function such as: pwl, pwlx or pwl_periodic. 1. Click Project>Datasets. The Datasets dialog box appears. Note 2. 3. 4. 5. You can also use the Maxwell3D>Design Datasets or Maxwell2D>Design Datasets menu command to open the Datasets dialog box and add/edit datasets.
Click Add. The Add Dataset dialog box appears. Optionally, type a name other than the default for the dataset in the Name box. Type the X and Y-coordinates for the first data point in the row labeled 1. Type the X and Y-coordinates for the remaining data points in the dataset using the same method. After you type a point's coordinates and move to the next row, the point is added to the plot, and the view is adjusted with each newly entered point.
6. 7.
When you are finished entering the data point coordinates, click OK. Click Done in the Datasets dialog box.
The dataset plot is extrapolated into an expression that can be used in parametric analyses or assigned to a material property value.
Modifying Datasets
1. 2. 3. Click Project>Datasets. The Datasets dialog box appears. Click the dataset name you want to modify, and then click Edit. The Edit Dataset dialog box appears. Optionally, type a name other than the default for the dataset in the Name box.
4. 5. 6.
Type new values for the data points as desired. The plot is adjusted to reflect the revised data points. When you are finished entering the data point coordinates, click OK. Click Done.
Defining Mathematical Functions

A mathematical function is an expression that references another defined variable. A function's definition can include both expressions and variables. The following mathematical functions may be used to define expressions: Basic functions Intrinsic functions Trigonometric expressions /, +, -, *, mod (modulus), ** (exponentiation), - (Unary minus), == (equals), ! (not), != (not equals), > (greater than), < (less than), >= (greater than equals), <= (less than equals), && (logical and), || (logical or) if, sqn, abs, exp, pow, ln (natural log), sqrt sin, cos, tan, asin, acos, atan, sinh, cosh, tanh
The predefined variables X, Y, Z, Phi, Theta, R, and Rho must be entered as such. X, Y, and Z are the rectangular coordinates. Phi, Theta, and Rho are the spherical coordinates. R is the cylindrical radius, and Rho is the spherical radius. All trigonometric expressions expect their arguments to be in radians, and the inverse trigonometric functions' return values are in radians (although the user interface often converts them to degrees automatically). These function names are reserved and may not be used as variable names.
Defining an Expression
Expressions are mathematical descriptions that typically contain intrinsic functions, such as sin(x), and arithmetic operators, such as +, -, *, and /, but do not reference defined variables. The symbol, pi ( ), is a pre-defined constant. It may not be reassigned a new value. Other predefined constants can be viewed on the Constants tab in the Project Variables dialog box. Numerical values may be entered in Ansoft's shorthand for scientific notation. For example, 5x107 could be entered as 5e7.
Using Valid Operators for Expressions

The operators that can be used to define an expression or function have a sequence in which they are performed. The following list shows both the valid operators and the sequence in which they are accepted (listed in decreasing precedence): () ! parenthesis not (If you use "**" for exponentiation, as in previous software versions, it is automatically changed to "^".) * / + == != > < >= <= && || unary minus multiplication division addition subtraction equals not equals greater than less than greater than or equal to less than or equal to logic and logic or 4 5 5 6 6 7 7 7 7 7 7 8 8 1 2 3
^ (or **) exponentiation
Using Intrinsic Variables

Maxwell recognizes a set of intrinsic variables that can be used to define expressions. Intrinsic variable names are reserved and may not be used as user-defined variable names. User-defined variables cannot depend on any intrinsic variables. The following intrinsic variables may be used to define expressions: Variable _I1 through _I9 A _t Units Description Terminal current in an interpretive user-defined model Variable to define a parametric equation based curve
_u _v _V1 through _V9 V Ang Budget_Index Distance mm ElectricalDegree deg F F1 F2 F3 FNoi Freq Ia and Ib Index IWavePhi IWaveTheta Normalized Deformation Normalized Distance OP Pass Phase Phi R Rho RSpeed Spectrum Temp Theta rpm Hz cel/deg deg deg deg mm W deg deg Hz Hz Hz Hz Hz Hz A deg
Variable to define a parametric equation based surface Variable to define a parametric equation based surface Port voltage in an interpretive user-defined model Post-processing variable (cannot be set by the user) Post-processing variable (cannot be set by the user) Electrical degree of the rotating machine (cannot be set by the user) Frequency of the circuit/system analysis Frequency of tone 1 in the harmonic balance analysis Frequency of tone 2 in the harmonic balance analysis Frequency of tone 3 in the harmonic balance analysis Offset noise frequency in the harmonic balance noise analysis Post-processing variable (cannot be set by the user) Post-processing variable (cannot be set by the user) Post-processing variable (cannot be set by the user) Post-processing variable (cannot be set by the user) Post-processing variable (cannot be set by the user)
Post-processing variable (cannot be set by the user) Post-processing variable (cannot be set by the user) Post-processing variable (cannot be set by the user) Post-processing variable (cannot be set by the user) Post-processing variable (cannot be set by the user) Post-processing variable (cannot be set by the user) Post-processing variable (cannot be set by the user) Speed of the machine (cannot be set by the user) Post-processing variable (cannot be set by the user) Analysis temperature Post-processing variable (cannot be set by the user)
Time Vac Vbe Vce Vds Vgs X, Y, and Z
s V V V V V mm
Time point in a transient analysis Post-processing variable (cannot be set by the user) Post-processing variable (cannot be set by the user) Post-processing variable (cannot be set by the user) Post-processing variable (cannot be set by the user) Post-processing variable (cannot be set by the user) Post-processing variable (cannot be set by the user) Post-processing variable (cannot be set by the user)
ZAng and ZRho deg
Using Intrinsic Functions in Expressions

Maxwell recognizes a set of intrinsic trigonometric and mathematical functions that can be used to define expressions. Intrinsic function names are reserved and may not be used as variable names. The following intrinsic functions may be used to define expressions: Function abs sin cos tan asin acos atan atan2 asinh atanh sinh cosh tanh even Sine Cosine Tangent Arcsine Arccosine Description Absolute value (|x|) abs(x) sin(x) cos(x) tan(x) asin(x) acos(x) Syntax
Arctangent (in range atan(x) of -/4 to /4 degrees) Arctangent (in range atan2(y,x) of -/2 to /2 degrees) Hyperbolic Arcsine Hyperbolic Sine Hyperbolic Cosine Hyperbolic Tangent Returns 1 if integer part of the number is even; returns 0 otherwise. asinh(x) sinh(x) cosh(x) tanh(x) even(x) Hyperbolic Arctangent atanh(x)
odd
Returns 1 if integer part of the number is odd; returns 0 otherwise. Sign extraction Exponential (e ) Raise to power (x ) If
y x
odd(x)
sgn exp pow if pwl
sgn(x) exp(x) pow(x,y) if(cond_exp,true_exp, false_exp)
Piecewise Linear with pwl(dataset_exp, variable) linear extrapolation on x Piecewise Linear x with linear extrapolation on x pwlx(dataset_exp, variable)
pwlx
pwl_periodic Piecewise Linear with pwl_periodic(dataset_exp, variable) periodic extrapolation on x sqrt ln Square Root Natural Logarithm (The "log" function has been discontinued. If you use "log(x)" in an expression, the software automatically changes it to "ln(x)".) log10 int nint max min mod rem Logarithm base 10 Truncated integer function Nearest integer log10(x) int(x) nint(x) sqrt(x) ln(x)
Maximum value of two max(x,y) parameters Minimum value of two min(x,y) parameters Modulus Fractional part (remainder) mod(x,y) rem(x.y)
Note
If you do not specify units, all trigonometric functions interpret their arguments as radians. Likewise, inverse trigonometric functions' return values are in given in radians. When the argument to a trigonometric expression is a variable, the units are assumed to be radians. If you want values interpreted in degrees, supply the argument with the unit name deg.
Using Piecewise Linear Functions in Expressions

The following piecewise linear intrinsic functions are accepted in expressions: pwl (dataset_expression, variable) pwlx (dataset_expression, variable) pwl_periodic (dataset_expression, variable) The pwl and pwlx functions interpolate along the x-axis and returns a corresponding y value. The pwl_periodic function also interpolates along the x-axis but periodically.
Using Dataset Expressions

Dataset expressions take the following form: dset((x0,y0), ..., (xn,yn)) These expressions may be used as the first parameter to piecewise linear (pwl, pwlx and pwl_periodic) functions, and may also be assigned to variables, in which case the variable may be used as the second parameter to pwl, pwlx and pwl_periodic functions. Dataset expressions are derived from a series of points in a plot created in the Datasets dialog box. Each plot consists of straight line segments whose vertices represent their end points. A curve is fitted to the segments of the plot, and an expression is derived from the curve that best fits the segmented plot. The created expression is then used in the piecewise linear intrinsic functions.
Assigning Variables
To assign a variable to a parameter in Maxwell:
Type the variable name or mathematical expression in place of a parameter value in a Value box. If you typed a variable name that has not been defined, the Add Variable dialog box appears, enabling you to define the design variable. If you typed a variable name that included the $ prefix, but that has not been defined, the Add Variable dialog box appears, enabling you to define the project variable. You can assign a variable to nearly any design parameter assigned a numeric value in Maxwell.
Choosing a Variable to Optimize

Before a variable can be optimized, you must specify that you intend for it to be used during an optimization analysis in the Properties dialog box. 1. If the variable is a design variable, click Maxwell>Design Properties. If the variable is a project variable, click Project>Project Variables. The Properties dialog box appears. 2. 3. Click the tab that lists the variable you want to optimize. Click the row containing the variable you want to optimize. Dependent variables cannot be optimized.
Note 4. 5.
Select the Optimization option. For the variable you want to optimize, select Include. The selected variable is now available for optimization in an optimetrics setup defined in the current design or project.
6.
Optionally, override the default minimum and maximum values that Optimetrics uses for the variable in every optimization analysis. During optimization, the optimizer does not consider variable values that lie outside of this range. Click OK.
7.
Related Topics Setting up an Optimization Analysis
Including a Variable in a Sensitivity Analysis

Before a variable can be included in a sensitivity analysis, you must specify that you intend for it to be used during a sensitivity analysis in the Properties dialog box. 1. If the variable is a design variable, click Maxwell>Design Properties. If the variable is a project variable, click Project>Project Variables. The Properties dialog box appears. 2. 3. Click the tab that lists the variable you want to include in the sensitivity analysis. Click the row containing the variable you want to include in the sensitivity analysis. Dependent variables cannot be included in a sensitivity analysis.
Note 4. 5.
Select the Sensitivity option. For the variable you want to include in the sensitivity analysis, select Include. The selected variable is now available for sensitivity analysis in a sensitivity setup defined in the current design or project.
6.
Optionally, override the default minimum and maximum values that Optimetrics uses for the variable in every sensitivity analysis. During sensitivity analysis, Optimetrics does not con-
sider variable values that lie outside of this range. 7. Optionally, override the default initial displacement value that Optimetrics uses for the variable in every sensitivity analysis. During sensitivity analysis, Optimetrics will not consider a variable value for the first design variation that is greater than this step size away from the starting variable value. Click OK.
8.
Related Topics Setting up a Sensitivity Analysis
Choosing a Variable to Tune

Before a variable can be tuned, you must specify that you intend for it to be tuned in the Properties dialog box. 1. If the variable is a design variable, click Maxwell>Design Properties. If the variable is a project variable, click Project>Project Variables. The Properties dialog box appears. 2. 3. Click the tab that lists the variable you want to tune. Click the row containing the variable you want to tune. Dependent variables cannot be tuned.
Note 4. 5. 6.
Select the Tuning option. For the variable you want to tune, select Include. Click OK. The selected variable is now available for tuning in the Tune dialog box.
Related Topics Tuning a Variable
Including a Variable in a Statistical Analysis

Before a variable can be included in a statistical analysis, you must specify that you intend for it to be used during a statistical analysis in the Properties dialog box. 1. If the variable is a design variable, click Maxwell>Design Properties. If the variable is a project variable, click Project>Project Variables. The Properties dialog box appears. 2. 3. Click the tab that lists the variable you want to include in the statistical analysis. Click the row containing the variable you want to include in the statistical analysis. Dependent variables cannot be included in a statistical analysis.
Note 4.
Select the Statistics option.

5.
For the variable you want to include in the statistical analysis, select Include. The selected variable is now available for statistical analysis in a statistical setup defined in the current design or project.
6. 7.
Optionally, override the distribution criteria that Optimetrics uses for the variable in every statistical analysis. Click OK.
Related Topics Setting up a Statistical Analysis
5
Setting Up a Maxwell Design
After you insert a design, you do not need to perform the basic steps sequentially, but they all must be completed before a solution can be generated. To set up a Maxwell design, follow this general procedure: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. Insert a Maxwell design into a project. After you insert the design, you can then set the model's units of measurement and the background material. Draw the model geometry. Specify the solver type. Assign material characteristics to objects. Assign boundaries and excitations. (For Transient Solutions Only) Set up motion. Add parameters for which you want to solve. Specify mesh settings. Specify how Maxwell will compute the solution.
10. (Optional) Set up any optimetrics you want to run. 11. Run the simulation. 12. View solution results, post-process results, view reports, and create field overlays. 13. (Optional) Export the circuit to generate a circuit equivalent of the model.
Setting Up a Maxwell Design 5-1
Inserting a Maxwell Design

The first step in setting up a Maxwell Project is to add a design to the active project. To insert a design: 1. Click Project and select one of the following:

2.
Insert Maxwell 3D Design Insert Maxwell 2D Design Insert RMxprt Design
The new design is listed in the project tree. It is named Maxwell3DDesignn, Maxwell2DDesignn, or RMxprtDesignn by default, where n is a number signifying the order in which the design was added to the project. The Modeler window appears to the right of the Project Manager. You can now create the model geometry.
Note
Click the plus sign to the left of the design icon in the project tree to expand the project tree and view specific data about the model.
Related Topics Setting the Project Tree to Expand Automatically
5-2 Setting Up a Maxwell Design
Setting the Model's Units of Measurement

You can specify the units of measurement for drawing geometric models. After the units of measurement have been specified, they are assigned to the objects in the Modeler window. You can then choose to display the model's dimensions in the new units, or rescale the model's dimensions to the new units. To set the model's units of measurement: 1. 2. 3. Click Modeler>Units. The Set Model Units dialog box appears. Select the new units for the model from the Select units pull-down list. Specify how the change in units affects the model:

4.
Select the Rescale to new units option to rescale the dimensions to the new units. For example, selecting centimeters (cm) as the new unit of measurement results in a dimension of 10 millimeters (mm) becoming 10 cm. Clear the Rescale to new units option (the default) to convert the dimensions to the new units without changing their scale. For example, selecting cm as the new unit of measurement results in a dimension of 10 mm becoming 1 cm.
Click OK to apply the new units to the model.
Design Settings
The Design Settings dialog allows you to specify how the simulator will deal with some aspects of the design.
Set the Material Threshold for treating materials as conductors/insulators. Set Ambient Temperature (Maxwell3D Only). Set the Material Override (Maxwell3D Only) to allow metals to automatically override dielectrics. Set the Symmetry Multiplier (For Transient Solutions Only). Set Preserve Transient Solution options (For Transient Solutions Only). Set transient coupling with Simplorer on the Advanced Product Coupling tab (For Transient Solutions Only) Set the Model Depth (Maxwell2D XY Transient Designs Only). Set the default Background material (Maxwell2D Designs Only). Set Export Options (RMxprt Only).
Setting the Material Threshold Tab

Maxwell3D and Maxwell2D Material Thresholds: The material thresholds tell the Maxwell 2D and Maxwell 3D solvers how to deal with conductors and insulators. Materials with conductivities above the Perfect Conductor threshold are treated as having infinite conductivity and surface current only. Materials with conductivity values below the Insulator/Conductor threshold are treated as insulators with no conductivity and no current carrying capability. Materials that fall between the two thresholds are treated as normal conductors that can carry current throughout the volume of the material. 1. 2. 3. 4. Click Maxwell>Design Settings. The Design Settings dialog box appears. The material thresholds are set in the Set Material Thresholds tab. Type a value in the Perfect Conductor text box. Type a value in the Insulator/Conductor text box. Click OK.
RMxprt Material Thresholds: 1. 2. 3. Click RMxprt>Design Settings. The Design Settings dialog box appears with the Set Material Threshold tab selected. Type a value in the Conductivity Threshold text box (Default=10,000). Type a value in the Permeability text box (Default=100). RMxprt will treat materials with conductivity greater than 10,000 as conductors, and materials with Permeability greater than 100 as steels.
Note
4.
If you want these values to be the default, change the values by clicking the Tools>Options>RMxprt Options menu and setting the material thresholds in the RMxprt Options dialog. Click OK.
5.
Related Topics Setting Maxwell 3D Options Setting Maxwell 2D Options Setting RMxprt Options
Set Ambient Temperature Tab

The Set Ambient Temperature setting allows you to specify a simulation temperature for use when there are temperature dependent materials in the design. This design setting specifies the temperature and therefore the specific material properties that will be used during the simulation. This feature must be used in conjunction with the Thermal Modifier in the material properties. Related Topics Setting a Thermal Modifier
Set Material Override Tab

The Maxwell3D>Design Settings command brings up a dialog with text note and a checkbox to Allow metals to override dielectrics. Normally, the modeler considers any intersection between 3D objects to be an error. But, if you check this option, the modeler allows a metal object to intersect a dielectric, and just gives a warning. Intersections between two metals or two dielectrics will still be errors. In the mesher, the dielectrics are "subtracted" from the metals in the intersecting region. That is, the part of the dielectric that is inside the metal is removed, and if the dielectric is completely inside, the whole object disappears. The purpose of this feature is to allow you to avoid doing explicit subtraction in the modeler. One example application is a via that passes through many dielectric layers--with the option turned on, the via does not have to be subtracted from the layers. Note Users must be careful: this setting changes the "ground rules" of the modeler, and may have unexpected results.
Related Topics Analyze Objects Analyze Interobject Misalignment Analyze Surface Mesh Healing an Imported Object
Materials
Setting a Symmetry Multiplier

(Transient Solutions Only) If you are using symmetry and/or master/slave boundary conditions in your solution, you may need to specify a multiplier (so that the other part of the model, which is not included in the solution domain, can be properly taken into account). To specify a multiplier: 1. Click Maxwell>Model>Set Symmetry Multiplier.
Alternate method: In the project tree, right-click Model, and select Set Symmetry Multiplier.
The Set Symmetry Multiplier dialog box appears. 2. Enter a numerical value in the Symmetry Multiplier text box, and click OK. Related Topics Modifying the Model View Assigning Boundaries and Excitations for 3D Designs
Export Options Tab

To set the Export options for RMxprt: 1. Choose which options to use when exporting a design from RMxprt to Maxwell3D:

Note
Periodic Difference Band Arc Teeth-Teeth Segmented Arc These options may also be set on the Export Options tab of the RMxprt Options dialog box. Using the Tools>Options>RMxprt Options command changes the default for the current design and all future designs.
You may also set the default Design Sheet for use with RMxprt by entering the path and filename or by browsing to the Excel file using the ellipsis button. Related Topics Generating a Custom Design Sheet for RMxprt
Model Depth Tab

(Maxwell2D XY Transient Designs Only)
For Maxwell2D XY transient designs, torque, flux linkage, back EMF, etc are scaled by the length provide in the Model Depth field. The scaled results are used to calculate output quantities.
Background Material Tab

(Maxwell2D Designs Only) The area of a model not enclosed within specific objects is termed the background. The material assigned to this area is vacuum by default. To change the default setting: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Click Maxwell2D>Design Settings. The Design Settings dialog is displayed. Select the Background tab. Click the Background button listing the current material setting. The Select Definition dialog is displayed with the Material Database. Locate the material desired and click on the Name in the table. Click OK to return to the Design Settings dialog. The Background button will now list the newly selected material indicating that it will be used as the background material. Click OK to finalize the change and dismiss the dialog.
Preserve Transient Solution Tab

For Transient solutions, you have the option of enabling the Preserve solution after dataset edits function on this tab. Datasets may be used to describe material and source behavior in Maxwell. Enabling the Preserve solution after dataset edits function allows source, material, or other parameters that depend upon datasets to be modified without deleting the transient solution data. The transient solver may then be restarted from the final time step of the previous simulation.
Advanced Product Coupling Tab

The checkbox on this tab enables transient-transient coupling with the Simplorer product.
Band Meshing Tab

(Maxwell3D Magnetostatic and Eddy Current Designs Only) The checkbox on this tab enables a specialized set of meshing features to create a mesh in Magnetostatic or Eddy Current designs which is consistent with the meshing in Transient designs. The following changes are enabled by this checkbox:
In the Project Manager window, the Model folder contains a option for Band Mesh Setup. After selecting an object in the model, the Band Mesh Setup>Assign Band command is used to create an assignment for meshing. Once a band object is assigned, a MotionSetup is created in the Model folder in a manner sim-
ilar to Transient analysis. Note This functionality is provided for consistency in meshing with Transient analysis. You should familiarize yourself with Band of Motion concepts using the Getting Started with Maxwell: Transient Problem guide.
Related Topics Assigning a Band of Motion Meshing and Band Setting Recommendations for 3D Transient
6
Specifying the Solver Type
Before you begin to draw the models in your project, choose which field solver to use for it. Each solver requires a different type of problem setup. If you later change the solver, all problem setups become invalid, and all solutions are deleted. Because of this, it is a good idea to decide on a solver before starting. To specify a solver: 1. Click Maxwell 2D>Solution Type or Maxwell 3D>Solution Type. The Solution Type window appears with the solvers generally split between Magnetic and Electric solver types. For Maxwell3D designs, select one of the following solver types: Magnetostatic Eddy Current Transient Electrostatic
2.

3.
DC Conduction, either with or without Insulator Field Electric Transient
For Maxwell2D designs, select one of the following solver types: Magnetostatic Eddy Current Transient Electrostatic AC Conduction DC Conduction For Maxwell2D designs, you must also specify the geometry mode, either Cartesian, XY or Cylindrical about Z.
Specifying the Solver Type 6-1
Note
4.
Click OK.
Related Topics: Disconnected Solution Domains Specifying Solution Settings Post-Processed Quantities
Magnetostatic Solver
The magnetostatic field simulator computes static magnetic fields in 2D or 3D. The source of the static magnetic field can be:
DC currents in conductors. Static external magnetic fields represented by boundary conditions. Permanent magnets.
The quantities for which the magnetostatic field simulator solves are the magnetic field, H, and the current distribution, J; the magnetic flux density, B, is automatically calculated from the H-field. Derived quantities such as forces, torques, energy, and inductance may be calculated from these basic field quantities. Related Topics: Technical Notes: 3D Magnetostatic Field Calculation Technical Notes: 2D Magnetostatic Field Simulation
Eddy Current Solver

The eddy current (AC magnetics) field simulator computes electromagnetic fields in the frequency domain in 2D or 3D. The sources of the electromagnetic field can be:
AC currents in conductors. Time-harmonic external magnetic fields represented by boundary conditions.
The quantity for which the eddy current field simulator solves is the magnetic field, H. The magnetic flux density, B, is automatically calculated from the H-field. Optionally, the eddy current solver can incorporate displacement currents into the solution even in non-conducting domains, thereby allowing the solution of the full system of Maxwell's equations and the recovery of the electric field E everywhere including the non-conducting regions. Derived quantities such as forces, torques, energy, losses, and impedances may be calculated from these basic field quantities at the solution frequencies. Related Topics: Technical Notes: 3D Frequency Domain (Eddy Current) Solver Technical Notes: 2D Eddy Current Field Simulation
6-2 Specifying the Solver Type
Transient Solver
The transient field simulator computes the time-domain magnetic fields in 2D or 3D. The source of the magnetic fields can be:
Moving or non-moving time varying currents and voltages. Moving or non-moving permanent magnets and/or coils. Moving or non-moving external circuit coupling.
The quantities for which the transient field simulator solves are the magnetic field, H, and the current distribution, J; the magnetic flux density, B, is automatically calculated from the H-field. Derived quantities such as forces, torques, energy, speed, position, winding flux linkage, and winding induced voltage may be calculated from these basic field quantities. Related Topics: Technical Notes: 3D Transient Excitations (Sources) Technical Notes: 2D Transient Simulation
Electrostatic Solver
The electrostatic field simulator computes static electric fields in 2D or 3D due to:
Stationary charge distributions. Applied potentials.
The quantity for which the electrostatic field simulator solves is the scalar electric potential, ; the electric field (E-field) and the electric flux density (D-field) are automatically calculated from the potential. Derived quantities such as forces, torques, energy, surface charge density, and capacitance matrix may be calculated from these basic field quantities. Related Topics: Technical Notes: 3D Electrostatic Field Calculation Technical Notes: 2D Electrostatic Field Simulation
AC Conduction
The AC conduction field simulator computes steady-state 2D electric fields in conductors due to:
Applied potentials.
The AC conduction field solver allows you to analyze conduction currents due to timevarying electric fields in conductors and lossy dielectrics. Use it to analyze current distributions, electric field distributions and potential differences, admittances, lossy materials, and stored energy. For instance, the admittance matrix associated with a structure can be computed using the AC conduction field solver. In addition, any quantity that can be derived from the basic electromagnetic quantities can then be analyzed. The AC conduction field solver can compute conduction currents for cartesian (XY) and axisymmetric (Cylindrical about Z) models. It assumes that all sources are sinusoids oscillating at the same frequency. Optionally, you may specify different phase angles for different sources. You are expected to specify material properties and the electric potential at one or more object interfaces or boundaries in the model. The AC conduction field solver then computes the electric potential, (t), for the model. From the electric potential, it derives the electric field, E(t), the electric flux density, D(t), and the current density, J(t). Related Topics: Technical Notes: 2D AC Conduction Field Simulation
DC Conduction Solver
The electric conduction field simulator computes steady-state 2D or 3D electric fields in conductors due to:
Current excitations. Applied potentials.
The quantity for which the electric conduction field simulator solves is the electric potential, ; the electric field (E-field) and the current density (J-field) are automatically calculated from the potential. The resistance matrix, a derived quantity, may be calculated from these basic field quantities. As an additional option, perfect insulators, that is, non-conduction regions, surrounding the conductors can also be added to the simulation domain allowing to calculate the electric field everywhere including the insulators. Related Topics: DC Conduction Boundaries and Excitations Technical Notes: 2D DC Conduction Field Simulation
Transient Electric Solver

The 3D transient electric field simulator computes time-varying electric fields excited by:
Time-varying applied potentials.
Time-varying charge distributions. Time-varying current excitations.
The quantity for which the transient electric field simulator solves is the electric potential, ; the electric field (E-field), the current density (J-field) and the electric flux density (D-field) are automatically calculated from the potential. Derived solution parameters such as the electric energy, Ohmic loss, surface charge density and maximum electric field can be obtained for each solid.
Disconnected Solution Domains

There are two ways to create a problem that contains multiple disconnected solution domains:
By not creating or by excluding (not solving in) the background object, when the included objects are not all touching. By using excluded objects or perfect conductors that cut the included objects into different regions.
The Maxwell solver identifies multiple disconnected solution domains. For the electric solvers (electrostatic, conduction, and conduction+electrostatic), the solution is allowed even if multiple disconnected solution domains are detected. In this case, an error message appears only if a solution domain with inconsistent or unsolvable solution setup is detected. For the magnetic solvers (magnetostatic, eddy current, and transient EM), an error message appears when multiple disconnected solution domains are detected. Related Topics: Creating a Background Region
7
Drawing a Model
After you insert a Maxwell design into the current project, you can draw a model of the electromagnetic structure. The general strategy is to build the model as a collection of 3D objects. Objects are grouped automatically based on the material assigned. You can create 3D objects by using Maxwell's Modeler, Draw, and Edit commands, or you can draw 1D and 2D objects and then manipulate them to create 3D objects. The model you draw is saved with the current project when you click File>Save. When working with multiple projects, or when a project has multiple designs, you may have multiple Modeler windows available. To switch to the modeler window associated with a specific design: 1. 2. In the Project Manager window, select the Design of interest. Click Maxwell3D>3D Model Editor or Maxwell2D>3D Modeler Editor to focus the modeling window on the selected design. If the menu command is unavailable, then the selected design is already in the modeler window.
Drawing a Model 7-1
Drawing Objects
You can draw one-, two-, or three-dimensional objects using the Draw commands. You can alter objects individually or together to create the geometry of your structure. One-dimensional (1D) objects in Maxwell include straight lines, arc lines, spline segments, equation based curves, or a combination of these - called polylines. One-dimensional objects are open objects; their boundaries do not enclose a region unless you connect their endpoints. They have length but no surface or volume. Generally they are used as temporary objects from which to create 2D objects. Two-dimensional (2D) objects in Maxwell include objects such as arcs, rectangles, ellipses, circles, regular polygons, and equation based surfaces. Two-dimensional objects are closed sheet objects; their boundaries enclose a region. You can create 2D sheet objects by covering the enclosed region. Three-dimensional (3D) objects in Maxwell include objects such as boxes, cylinders, regular polyhedrons, cones, spheres, tori, and helices. These objects have boundaries that enclose a region with volume. You can create 3D objects by manipulating 2D objects along a plane or by using the appropriate Draw commands. After you draw an object in the Modeler window, you can modify the object's properties, such as its position, dimensions, or color, in the Properties dialog box. Parameters that can be assigned a value can be assigned a variable.
Drawing a Line
To create an object with one or more straight line segments, use the Draw>Line command. 1. 2. Click Draw>Line. Select the first point of the line in one of the following ways:

3.
Click the point. Type the point's coordinates in the X, Y, and Z boxes.
Select the endpoint of the line by clicking the point or typing the coordinates in the X, Y, and Z boxes. The endpoint serves as the start point for a subsequent line segment. To delete all points and start over, press Esc or click Escape Draw Mode on the shortcut menu.
4.
Complete the line in one of the following ways:
Double-click the endpoint. Click Done on the shortcut menu. Press Enter.
The Properties dialog box appears, enabling you to modify the object's attributes.
7-2 Drawing a Model
5.
Click OK. While drawing a polyline, you can switch between straight line, arc line, or spline segments using the Set Edge Type commands on the shortcut menu.
Note
Related Topics Drawing a Polyline Deleting Polyline Segments Converting Polyline Segments
Drawing a Polyline
A polyline is a single object that includes any combination of straight line, arc line, or spline segments. The endpoint of one segment is the start point for the next segment. Use the shortcut menu's Set Edge Type commands to switch between straight line, arc line, or spline segments while drawing a polyline. 1. 2. 3. 4. Click Draw>Line. Right-click in the Modeler window to access the shortcut menu, and then point to Set Edge Type. Click Straight, Spline, 3 Point Arc, or Center Point Arc depending on which type of polyline segment you want to draw. If you clicked Straight, follow the procedure for drawing a straight line. If you clicked Spline, follow the procedure for drawing a spline. If you clicked 3 Point Arc, follow the procedure for drawing a three-point arc line. If you clicked Center Point Arc, follow the procedure for drawing a center-point arc line. 5. 6. Repeat steps 2 and 3 for each segment of the polyline object. The endpoint of the previous segment serves as the start point for the next segment. Complete the polyline in one of the following ways:

Note
Double-click the endpoint of the final segment. Click Done on the shortcut menu. To connect the polyline's start and endpoints, click Close Polyline on the shortcut menu.
The Properties dialog box appears, enabling you to modify the object's attributes. 7. Click OK. Related Topics Deleting Polyline Segments Converting Polyline Segments Modifying Lines on Line Plots
Drawing a Model 7-3
Drawing a Spline
A spline is a curved line that passes through a series of three or more given points. Internally, a spline is represented by a segmented curve, which is continuous in value and derivative at the joints of consecutive segments. Maxwell uses a natural spline type: a piecewise cubic spline with a natural boundary condition (meaning the derivative at the ends is se to zero). Use the Draw>Spline command to create a polyline object with one or more spline segments. 1. 2. Click Draw>Spline. Select the spline's start point in one of the following ways:
Click the point. Type the point's coordinates in the X, Y, and Z boxes, and then press Enter.
To delete all selected points and start over, press ESC or click Escape Draw Mode on the shortcut menu. 3. 4. 5. Select the next consecutive point of the spline by clicking the point or typing the coordinates in the X, Y, and Z boxes. Optionally, repeat step 3 for additional consecutive points. Select the endpoint of the spline by clicking the point or typing the coordinates in the X, Y, and Z boxes. The endpoint serves as the start point for a subsequent spline segment. 6. Complete the spline in one of the following ways:

7.
The Properties dialog box appears, enabling you to modify the object's attributes. Click OK. While drawing a polyline, you can switch between spline, straight line, or arc line segments using the Set Edge Type commands on the shortcut menu.
Note
Related Topics Deleting Polyline Segments Converting Polyline Segments
Drawing a Three-Point Arc Line

In Maxwell, a three-point arc line segment is an arced line defined by three points on its curve. Use the Draw>Arc>3 Point command to create a polyline object with one or more arc line segments. 1. 2. Click Draw>Arc>3 Point. Select the start point of the arc in one of the following ways:

7-4 Drawing a Model
3.
Select the midpoint of the arc by clicking the point or typing the coordinates in the X, Y, and Z boxes. To delete all points and start over, press Esc or click Escape Draw Mode on the shortcut menu.
4.
Select the endpoint of the arc by clicking the point or typing the coordinates in the X, Y, and Z boxes. The endpoint serves as the start point for a subsequent arc line segment. If the endpoint is the last point of the polyline object, double-click the point to complete the polyline or click Done on the shortcut menu. The Properties dialog box appears, enabling you to modify the object's attributes. Click OK. Based on the three points you specified, Maxwell calculates the center point and radius of the arc and draws an arced line through the three points.
5.
6.
Note
While drawing a polyline, you can switch between arc line, straight line, or spline segments using the Set Edge Type commands on the shortcut menu.
Related Topics Drawing a Center-Point Arc Line Deleting Polyline Segments Converting Polyline Segments
Drawing a Center-Point Arc Line

In Maxwell, a center-point arc line segment is an arced line defined by a center point, start point, and angle. Use the Draw>Arc>Center Point command to create a polyline object with one or more center-point arc line segments. 1. 2. Click Draw>Arc>Center Point. Select the center point of the arc in one of the following ways:

3.
Select the start point, or radius, of the arc by clicking the point or typing the coordinates in the X, Y, and Z boxes. To delete all points and start over, press ESC or click Escape Draw Mode on the shortcut menu.
4. 5.
Sweep the angle, or endpoint, of the arc by clicking the point or typing the coordinates in the X, Y, and Z boxes. If the endpoint is the last point of the polyline object, double-click the point to complete the polyline or click Done on the shortcut menu. The Properties dialog box appears, enabling you to modify the object's attributes.
Drawing a Model 7-5
6.
Click OK. While drawing a polyline, you can switch between arc line, straight line, or spline segments using the Set Edge Type commands on the shortcut menu.
Note
Drawing an Equation Based Curve

To draw a curve based in an equation: 1. 2. Click Draw>Equation Based Curve. The Equation Based Curve dialog box appears. Type equations for X(_t), Y(_t), and Z(_t). You can also define an equation by doing the following: 1. 2. Click the ... button. The Edit Equation dialog box appears. Do one or more of the following to define the equation:
Note

3. 3. 4. 5. 6.
Type a numerical value or expression directly in the text box. Select a function to insert from the pull-down list, and select Insert Function. Select an operator from the pull-down list, and select Insert Operator. Select a quantity from the pull-down list, and select Insert Quantity.
When you are finished defining the equation, click OK to close the Edit Equation dialog box and return to the Equation Based Curve dialog box.
Select a start value from the Start_t pull-down list. Select an end value from the End_t pull-down list. Select the number of points in the curve from the Points pull-down list. Click OK.
Drawing a Rectangle
Draw a rectangle or square by selecting two diagonally opposite corners. 1. 2. Click Draw>Rectangle. Select the first diagonal corner in one of the following ways:
To delete the selected point and start over, press ESC or click Escape Draw Mode on the shortcut menu. 3. Select the second corner of the rectangle in one of the following ways:

7-6 Drawing a Model
Click the point. Type the coordinates of the point relative to the first diagonal corner in the dX, dY, and
dZ boxes. The Properties dialog box appears, enabling you to modify the object's properties. 4. Click OK. If the Automatically cover closed polyline option is selected in the Modeler Options dialog, the rectangle will be covered, resulting in a 2D sheet object. Otherwise it will be a closed 1D polyline object. Related Topics Covering Lines
Drawing an Ellipse
Draw an ellipse by specifying a center point, base radius, and secondary radius. 1. 2. Click Draw>Ellipse. Select the center point of the ellipse in one of the following ways:

3.
Specify the base radius of the ellipse. If the current drawing plane is xy, then x is the base radius direction. If the drawing plane is yz, then y is the base radius direction. If the drawing plane is xz, then z is the base radius direction. Select the point in one of the following ways:

4.
Click the point. Maxwell constrains mouse movement to the base radius direction. Type the coordinates of a point relative to the center point in the dX, dY, or dZ box, where d is the distance from the previously selected point. Click the point. Maxwell constrains mouse movement to a point on the plane orthogonal to the base radius direction. Type the coordinates of a point relative to the center point in the dX, dY, or dZ box.
Specify the secondary radius of the ellipse. Select the point in one of the following ways:
The Properties dialog box appears, enabling you to modify the object's properties. The Ratio value represents the aspect ratio of the secondary radius to the base radius. 5. Click OK. If the Automatically cover closed polyline option is selected in the Modeler Options dialog, the ellipse will be covered, resulting in a 2D sheet object. Otherwise it will be a closed 1D polyline object. If the base radius is larger than the secondary radius, the ellipse's longer axis will lie along the default base radius direction. If the secondary radius is larger than the base radius, the ellipse's longer axis will lie perpendicular to the default base radius direction. To create an ellipse with an arbitrary orientation, rotate or move the ellipse after drawing it. Related Topics Rotating Objects Moving Objects
Drawing a Model 7-7
Covering Lines Creating Segmented Geometry
Drawing a Circle
Draw a circle by selecting a center point and a radius. Circles are drawn as true surfaces in Maxwell. Note The Maxwell 3D Geometry Modeler allows you to draw true-curved objects. However, the solution is obtained with a tetrahedral mesh that conforms to the true surface only within the limits identified by certain mesh settings. For most objects, Maxwell's default settings for this conformance result in a reasonable trade-off between solution speed and solution quality, but the settings may not be ideal for all such objects. High-aspect ratio curves structures, such as helices with narrow and curved cross-sections, may benefit from user control of the faceting values. For more details about these commands please refer to the following:

1. 2.
Surface Approximation Modifying Surface Approximation Settings Guidelines for Modifying Surface Approximations
Click Draw>Circle. Select the center point of the circle in one of the following ways:

3.
Specify the radius by selecting a point on the circle's circumference in one of the following ways:

4.
Click the point. Type the coordinates of the point relative to the center point in the dX, dY, and dZ boxes.
The Properties dialog box appears, enabling you to modify the object's properties. Click OK. If the Automatically cover closed polyline option is selected in the Modeler Options dialog, the circle will be covered, resulting in a 2D sheet object. Otherwise it will be a closed 1D polyline object. Related Topics Covering Lines Creating Segmented Geometry
7-8 Drawing a Model
Drawing a Regular Polygon

A regular polygon is a 2D object with three or more equal sides. Regular polygons are useful for drawing faceted 2D objects. 1. 2. Click Draw>Regular Polygon. Select the center point of the polygon in one of the following ways:

3.
Specify the polygon's radius, the distance from the center point to one of the polygon's vertices, in one of the following ways:

4.
Click the point. Type the coordinates of the point relative to the center point in the dX, dY, and dZ boxes, where d is the distance from the previously selected point.
In the Segment number dialog box, enter the Number of segments in the polygon, and then click OK. The Properties dialog box appears, enabling you to modify the object's properties. Click OK. The radius is measured from the center point to a corner of the polygon, or the intersection of two edges. It is not measured from the center point to the midpoint of an edge.
5.
Note
If the Automatically cover closed polyline option is selected in the Modeler Options dialog, the polygon will be covered, resulting in a 2D sheet object. Otherwise it will be a closed 1D polyline object. Related Topics Covering Lines
Drawing an Equation Based Surface

To draw a surface based in an equation: 1. Click Draw>Equation Based Surface.
Drawing a Model 7-9
The Equation Based Surface dialog box appears. 2. Type equations for X(_u, _v), Y(_u, _v), and Z(_u, _v). You can also define an equation by doing the following: 1. 2. Click the ... button. The Edit Equation dialog box appears. Do one or more of the following to define the equation:
Note

3. 3. 4. 5.
Type a numerical value or expression directly in the text box. Select a function to insert from the pull-down list, and select Insert Function. Select an operator from the pull-down list, and select Insert Operator. Select a quantity from the pull-down list, and select Insert Quantity.
When you are finished defining the equation, click OK to close the Edit Equation dialog box and return to the Equation Based Surface dialog box.
Select start values from the Start_u and Start_v pull-down lists. Select end values from the End_u and End_v pull-down lists. Click OK.
Drawing a Box
Draw a box by selecting two diagonally opposite corners of the base rectangle, then specifying the height. 1. 2. Click Draw>Box. Select the first diagonal corner of the base rectangle in one of the following ways:
To delete the selected point and start over, press ESC or click Escape Draw Mode on the shortcut menu. 3. Select the second corner of the base rectangle in one of the following ways:

4.
Click the point. Type the coordinates of the point relative to the first diagonal corner in the dX, dY, and dZ boxes.
Specify the height of the box by selecting a point in the direction perpendicular to the base rectangle. Select the point by clicking the point or typing the coordinates in the dX, dY, and dZ boxes. The Properties dialog box appears, enabling you to modify the object's properties. Click OK.
5.
7-10 Drawing a Model
Drawing a Cylinder
Draw a cylinder by selecting a center point, radius, and height. Cylinders are drawn as true surfaces in Maxwell. Note The Maxwell 3D Geometry Modeler allows you to draw true-curved objects. However, the solution is obtained with a tetrahedral mesh that conforms to the true surface only within the limits identified by certain mesh settings. For most objects, Maxwell's default settings for this conformance result in a reasonable trade-off between solution speed and solution quality, but the settings may not be ideal for all such objects. High-aspect ratio curves structures, such as helices with narrow and curved cross-sections, may benefit from user control of the faceting values. For more details about these commands please refer to the following:

1. 2.
Click Draw>Cylinder. Select the center point of the cylinder's base circle in one of the following ways:

3.
Specify the radius by selecting a point on the base circle's circumference in one of the following ways:

4.
Specify the cylinder's height by selecting a point in the direction perpendicular to the base circle's plane. Select the point by clicking the point or typing the coordinates in the dX, dY, and dZ boxes. If you create a cylinder with a height of zero, Maxwell draws a circular sheet object.
Note
The Properties dialog box appears, enabling you to modify the object's properties. 5. Click OK. Related Topics Creating Segmented Geometry
Drawing a Regular Polyhedron

In Maxwell, regular polyhedrons are 3D objects with regular polygon faces; each face has three or more equal sides. Regular polyhedrons are useful for drawing faceted 3D objects. 1. 2. Click Draw>Regular Polyhedron. Select the center point of the polyhedron in one of the following ways:
Drawing a Model 7-11

3.
Select the radius of the polyhedron, the distance from the center point to one of the polyhedron's vertices, in one of the following ways:

4.
In the Segment number dialog box, enter the Number of segments in the polyhedron, and then click OK. The Properties dialog box appears, enabling you to modify the object's properties. Click OK.
5.
Drawing a Cone
Draw a cone by selecting the center point and radius of the cone's base circle, then specifying the radius of the cone's top circle and the cone's height. Cones are drawn as true surfaces in Maxwell. 1. 2. Click Draw>Cone. Select the center point of the cone's base circle in one of the following ways:

3.
Specify the radius of the cone's base circle by selecting a point on the base circle's circumference. Select the point in one of the following ways:

4.
Specify the radius of the cone's top circle by selecting a point on its circumference. Select the point by clicking it or typing its coordinates in the dX, dY, and dZ boxes. To create an apex, select the same center point as the cone's base circle. Specify the height of the cone by selecting a point in the direction perpendicular to the base circle's plane. Select the point by clicking the point or typing the coordinates in the dX, dY, and dZ boxes. The Properties dialog box appears, enabling you to modify the object's properties. Click OK.
5.
6.
Drawing a Sphere
Draw a sphere by selecting a center point and a radius. Spheres are drawn as true surfaces in Maxwell. Note The Maxwell 3D Geometry Modeler allows you to draw true-curved objects. However, the solution is obtained with a tetrahedral mesh that conforms to the true surface only within the limits identified by certain mesh settings. For most objects, Maxwell's default settings for this conformance result in a reasonable trade-off between solution speed and solution quality, but the settings may not be ideal for all such objects. High-aspect ratio curves structures, such as helices with narrow and curved cross-sections, may benefit from user control of the faceting values. For more details about these commands please refer to the following:

1. 2.
Click Draw>Sphere. Select the center point of the sphere in one of the following ways:

3.
Click the point. Type the point's coordinates in the X, Y, and Z boxes. Click the point. Type the coordinates of the point relative to the center point in the dX, dY, and dZ boxes.
Specify the radius by selecting a point on the sphere's surface in one of the following ways:

4.
The Properties dialog box appears, enabling you to modify the object's properties. Click OK.
Drawing a Torus
Draw a torus by selecting its center point, inner radius, and outer radius. Maxwell then sweeps a circle around a circular path. Toruses are drawn as true surfaces in Maxwell. Note The Maxwell 3D Geometry Modeler allows you to draw true-curved objects. However, the solution is obtained with a tetrahedral mesh that conforms to the true surface only within the limits identified by certain mesh settings. For most objects, Maxwell's default settings for this conformance result in a reasonable trade-off between solution speed and solution quality, but the settings may not be ideal for all such objects. High-aspect ratio curves structures, such as helices with narrow and curved cross-sections, may benefit from user control of the faceting values. For more details about these commands please refer to the following:

1. 2.
Click Draw>Torus. Select the center point of the torus in one of the following ways:

3.
Click the point. Type the point's coordinates in the X, Y, and Z boxes. Click the point. Type the coordinates of the point relative to the center point in the dX, dY, and dZ boxes.
Specify the inner radius by selecting a point in one of the following ways:

4. 5.
Specify the outer radius by selecting a point relative to the major radius point. The Properties dialog box appears, enabling you to modify the object's properties. Click OK.
Drawing a Helix
A helix is a 3D spiral object created by sweeping a 1D or 2D object along a spiral. Sweeping a 1D object results in a hollow 3D object. Sweeping a 2D sheet object results in a solid 3D object. Note The Maxwell 3D Geometry Modeler allows you to draw true-curved objects. However, the solution is obtained with a tetrahedral mesh that conforms to the true surface only within the limits identified by certain mesh settings. For most objects, Maxwell's default settings for this conformance result in a reasonable trade-off between solution speed and solution quality, but the settings may not be ideal for all such objects. High-aspect ratio curves structures, such as helices with narrow and curved cross-sections, may benefit from user control of the faceting values. For more details about these commands please refer to the following:

1. 2. 3.
Select the 1D or 2D object you want to sweep to form a helix. Click Draw>Helix. Draw the helix axis around and along which the selected object will be swept in a spiral manner: a. b. Select the start point by clicking the point or typing its coordinates in the X, Y, and Z boxes. Select the endpoint by clicking the point or typing its coordinates relative to the start point in the dX, dY, and dZ boxes. The Helix dialog box appears.
Note
The two points that describe the axis of the helix are used for axis direction only and have no bearing on the length of the helix. The helix length is determined by entering the pitch and number of turns in the Pitch and Turns text boxes. The initial radius of the helix is determined by the axis position relative to the object being swept.
4. 5. 6. 7.
Select Right hand if the turn direction is clockwise and Left hand if the turn direction is counter-clockwise. In the Pitch box, type the distance between each turn in the helix, and click a unit in the pulldown list. In the Turns box, type the number of complete revolutions the object will make along the axis. Click OK. The Properties dialog box appears, enabling you to modify the object's properties. The selected object is swept along the vector to form a helix. The original object you swept is deleted.
Related Topics: Drawing a Segmented Helix with Polygon Cross-Section Using a User Defined Primitive Drawing a Segmented Helix with Rectangular Cross-Section Using a User Defined Primitive
Drawing a Segmented Helix with Polygon Cross-Section Using a User Defined Primitive
Ansoft provides you with a DLL to define the parameters of a segmented helix with a polygon cross-section. 1. Click Draw>User Defined Primitive>SysLib>SegmentedHelix>PolygonHelix. The Create User Defined Part dialog box appears. The Parameters tab permits you to edit the parameters. An Info tab contains information about the user defined primitive, its purpose, the company/author who created it, the date created and the version number. 2. Specify the values for the following parameters: PolygonSegments Number of segments in the polygon cross-section. Enter zero (0) for true circle PolygonRadius Radius of the polygon cross-section. StartHelixRadius The radius of a segmented helix is defined from the helix center of rotation to the center of the helix cross-section at segment transitions. The first and last segments of the helix are half segments. See R in the figure below. RadiusChange Pitch Turns The radius change per turn of the helix. Distance between helix turns. The number of turns in the helix.
SegmentsPerTurn The number of segments constructing each turn. Enter zero (0) for true curve. RightHanded Helix winding direction. Enter non-zero value for righthanded helix.
3.
Click OK.
Related Topics Creating a User Defined Primitive
Drawing a Segmented Helix with Rectangular Cross-Section Using a User Defined Primitive
Ansoft provides you with a DLL to define the parameters of a segmented helix with a rectangular cross-section. 1. Click Draw>User Defined Primitive>SysLib>SegmentedHelix>RectHelix. The Create User Defined Part dialog box appears. The Parameters tab permits you to edit the parameters. An Info tab contains information about the user defined primitive, its purpose, the company/author who created it, the date created and the version number.
2.
Specify the values for the following parameters: RectHeight RectWidth Height of rectangular cross-section. Width of rectangular cross-section.
StartHelixRadius The radius of a segmented helix is defined from the helix center of rotation to the center of the helix cross-section at segment transitions. The first and last segments of the helix are half segments. See R in the figure below. RadiusChange Pitch Turns The radius change per turn of the helix. Distance between helix turns. The number of turns in the helix.
SegmentsPerTurn The number of segments constructing each turn. Enter zero (0) for true curve. RightHanded 3. Click OK. Helix winding direction. Enter non-zero value for righthanded helix.
Related Topics: Creating a User Defined Primitive
Drawing a Spiral
A spiral is a 2D or 3D spiral object created by sweeping an object around an axis. Sweeping a 1D object results in a 2D sheet object. Sweeping a 2D sheet object results in a solid 3D object. Note The Maxwell 3D Geometry Modeler allows you to draw true-curved objects. However, the solution is obtained with a tetrahedral mesh that conforms to the true surface only within the limits identified by certain mesh settings. For most objects, Maxwell's default settings for this conformance result in a reasonable trade-off between solution speed and solution quality, but the settings may not be ideal for all such objects. High-aspect ratio curves structures, such as helices with narrow and curved cross-sections, may benefit from user control of the faceting values. For more details about these commands please refer to the following:

1. 2. 3.
Select the 1D or 2D object you want to sweep to form a spiral. Click Draw>Spiral. Draw the axis you want to sweep the object around: a. b. Select the start point by clicking the point or typing its coordinates in the X, Y, and Z boxes. Select the endpoint by clicking the point or typing its coordinates relative to the start point in the dX, dY, and dZ boxes. The Spiral dialog box appears.
4. 5.
Select Right hand if the Turn Direction is clockwise and Left hand if the Turn Direction is counter-clockwise. In the Radius Change box, type the difference in radius between each turn of the spiral. The radius of the first turn is measured from the center point of the 1D or 2D object you are sweeping to the axis you drew.
6. 7. 8.
Select a unit for the radius change from the pull-down list. In the Turns box, type the number of complete revolutions the object will make around the vector. Click OK. The Properties dialog box appears, enabling you to modify the object's properties. The selected object is swept around the axis to form a spiral. The original object you swept is
deleted.
This 3D spiral was created from a 2D circle drawn at z = 0. The turn direction was right hand, the radius change was set at 2, and the number of turns was set at 2. Related Topics Drawing a Spiral Using User Defined Primitives
Drawing a Spiral Using User Defined Primitives

Ansoft provides you with a DLL to define the parameters of a rectangular spiral. 1. 2. Click Draw>User Defined Primitive>SysLib>Examples>RectangularSpiral. The Create User Defined Part dialog box appears. Specify the values for the following parameters: Xpos Ypos TurnSep Type the location of the starting point in the X direction. Type the location of the starting point in the Y direction. Type the separation distance between turns.
Turns Width Height 3. Click OK. Hint
Type the number of complete revolutions. Type a value for the width of the spiral. Type a value for the height of the spiral. If you specify the height as zero, Maxwell draws a sheet object.
To see newly created DLLs, click Draw>User Defined Primitive>Update Menu. To see the primitives you have created, click Draw>User Defined Primitive>UserLib.
Related Topics Creating a User Defined Primitive
Sweeping Objects Around an Axis, Along a Vector, or Along a Path

Use the following three commands (found on the Draw menu in the desktop) to sweep a spiral or other object:
Draw>Sweep>Around Axis Draw>Sweep>Along Vector Draw>Sweep>Along Path
Drawing a Bondwire
A bondwire is a thin metal wire that connects a metal signal trace with a chip. 1. 2. Click Draw>Bondwire. Select the bond pad point in one of the following ways:

3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.
Select the lead point by clicking the point or typing the coordinates in the X, Y, and Z boxes. The Bondwires dialog box appears. In the Type list, click the JEDEC modeling standard shape you want the bondwire to have: JEDEC 4-point or JEDEC 5-point. Type the number of facets in the bondwire in the No. of Facets box. The minimum value is 3. Specify the diameter. Enter the height between the bond pad and the top of the loop in the h1 box. Include the height's unit of length. The value in the h2 box is the height between the bond pad and the lead point. It was calculated by Maxwell based on the lead point you selected. If you modify the value of h2, the lead point will be modified.
Optionally, type a new value in the h2 box. Include the height's unit of length. 9. If you selected JEDEC 5-point, do the following to continue: a. b. Type the angle between the horizontal plane and the wire at the bond pad point in the alpha box. Type the angle between the horizontal plane and the wire at the lead point in the beta box.
10. Click OK. The Properties dialog box appears, enabling you to modify the object's properties.
Drawing a Plane
A plane object is a cutplane through the problem region. You can plot fields or perform field computations on its surface. Planes are always considered non-model objects by Maxwell. 1. 2. Click Draw>Plane. Select the origin in one of the following ways:

3.
To delete the selected point and start over, press Esc. Select a normal point in one of the following ways:
Click the point. Type the coordinates of the point relative to the origin in the dX, dY, and dZ boxes.
The plane is created. Its center point is located at the origin you specified and oriented perpendicular to the normal point you specified. The plane is listed under Planes in the history tree. Note You only need to draw a plane that does not lie on a pre-defined xy, yz, and xz plane. Default planes are created on the xy, yz, and xz planes of the global coordinate system as well as any new coordinate system you create.
Related Topics Drawing Non-Model Objects
Drawing a Point
Drawing a point object within the problem region enables you to plot fields or perform field computations at that point. Points are always considered nonmodel objects by Maxwell. 1. 2. Click Draw>Point. Select the point in one of the following ways:
The point is listed under Points in the history tree. Related Topics Modifying Markers on Point Plots
Drawing Non-Model Objects
Drawing a Line Segment

To create an object with one or more straight line segments after another object, use the Draw>Line Segment command. 1. Click Draw>Line Segment>Insert Segment Before or Draw>Line Segment>Insert Segment After. A submenu appears. Select one of the following:
2.

3.
Straight Spline 3 Point Arc Center Point Arc Click the point. Type the point's coordinates in the X, Y, and Z boxes.
Select the first point of the line in one of the following ways:

4.
Select the endpoint of the line by clicking the point or typing the coordinates in the X, Y, and Z boxes. The endpoint serves as the start point for a subsequent line segment. To delete all points and start over, press Esc or click Escape Draw Mode on the shortcut menu.
5.
Complete the line in one of the following ways:

6.
The Properties dialog box appears, enabling you to modify the object's attributes. Click OK. While drawing a polyline, you can switch between straight line, arc line, or spline segments using the Set Edge Type commands on the shortcut menu.
Note
After drawing a polyline, you can select any segment in the history tree and edit it by changing coordinates, inserting a segment before or after, deleting the start or end point, and making other modifications. Related Topics Deleting Polyline Segments Converting Polyline Segments
Creating Segmented Geometry

For many structures, you may want to create segmented as opposed to smooth (commonly referred to as True) surfaces. A comparison of a cylinder created with true surfaces and with segmented surfaces is shown in the figure.
The following model objects can be created as segmented structures: Circle, Ellipse, Cylinder Polyline, Arc, Line Segment See Segmented Objects See Converting Polyline Segments
Segmented Objects
Creating segmented circles, ellipses, and cylinders is performed with the Number of Segments parameter on the Properties dialog as shown below. To convert an object from true surface to segmented, do the following: 1. 2. Select the circle, ellipse, or cylinder in the modeler window or in the history tree. In the command tab of the properties window (shown docked below), change the Number of
Segments to an integer value of three or greater and press Enter.
Values of 1 and 2 are not valid values for the circle, ellipse, or cylinder command and will cause an error. Related Topics Surface Approximation
Drawing Non-Model Objects

If you want to create an object that does not affect the geometric model, define the object as non model. This ensures that the object is used for visualizing fields and/or post processing and does not affect the solution process. After drawing the object, assuming it lies in the problem region, you can plot field quantities on it. Following are examples of using non-model objects to analyze a solution:
Draw a polyline along which to plot fields or perform field computations. If you create a value versus distance plot, by default, the line is divided into 100 equally spaced points. You can modify the number of points into which the line is divided in the Edit Sweeps dialog box. For more information, see Specifying Variable Values for a Sweep Definition. Draw a rectangle upon which to plot fields or perform field computations. Draw a volume box to analyze fields in areas of the problem region that are not occupied by an
object or that consist of parts of several objects.
Draw a plane, which is always a non-model object, upon which you can plot fields or perform field computations. Draw a point object, which is always a non-model object, in order to plot fields or perform field computations at that point.
What do you want to do? Switch to non-model drawing mode. Objects you draw in nonmodel mode are not to be included in the solution process. Modify an existing model object to be a non-model object.
Selecting Non-Model Drawing Mode

To switch to non-model drawing mode: 1. 2. Click Modeler>New Object Type>Non Model. Draw the object.
Related Topics Changing an Object to Non Model Drawing Non-Model Objects
Changing an Object to Non-Model

To modify an existing object to be a non-model object: 1. 2. Select the object you want to modify. In the Properties dialog box, clear the Model option. The object will not be included in the solution process. If the object lies in the problem region, you can plot solution quantities on it. Related Topics Selecting Non-Model Drawing Mode Drawing Non-Model Objects
User Customization through User Defined Primitives (UDPs)

User Defined Primitives (UDPs) allow users to add customized geometric modeling commands to the Maxwell Desktop. UDPs are compiled libraries that can be added to the desktop interface and shared between users with common modeling needs. To create a UDP, see Creating a User Defined Primitive for requirements and the procedure for building a proper DLL. In order to share UDPs between users, an existing DLL may be copied into the userlib>User Defined Primitives subdirectory which can be found in the Maxwell installation directory. Placing an appropriately constructed DLL in this subdirectory will automatically add a new menu item in the Draw>User Defined Primitives menu to allow access to the UDP. Related Topics: Drawing a Segmented Helix with Polygon Cross-Section Using a User Defined Primitive Drawing a Segmented Helix with Rectangular Cross-Section Using a User Defined Primitive User Defined Primitives (UDPs) for Motor Geometries Parameters for RMxprt User Defined Primitives
Creating a User Defined Primitive

Maxwell allows you to generate user-defined primitives, primitives customized to suit any application. User-defined primitives are accessed using DLLs that you build and compile. Maxwell includes example C++ source and header files that can be used to generate DLLs. The files are located in the UserDefinedPrimitives/Examples subdirectory under the Maxwell directory. As an example, create the primitive myUDP.dll using Microsoft Visual C++ Developer Studio: 1. 2. Create a directory to store all of the workspace information, call it UDPDir. Use the sample workspace RectangularSpiral.dsw as a template: a. b. c. d. e. 3. 4. Copy RectangularSpiral.dsw and RectangularSpiral.dsp from the UserDefinedPrimitives/Examples directory to this new directory. Make sure the new files have write permissions. Rename the files to myUDP.dsw and myUDP.dsp respectively. Open the .dsw and .dsp files in a text editor, and replace every occurrence of RectangularSpiral with myDLL. Save myUDP.dsp and myUDP.dsw.
In the UDPDir directory, create a Headers subdirectory. Copy the UserDefinedPrimitiveStructures.h and UserDefinedPrimitiveDLLInclude.h files from the UserDefinedPrimitives/Headers directory. The header files include information on the methods that are available for use in your source code. They must be included when you compile the DLL.
Note 5. 6.
In the UDPDir directory, create a Source subdirectory. Use the sample source file RectangularSpiral.cpp as a template: a. b. c. Copy RectangularSpiral.cpp from the UserDefinedPrimitives/Examples directory to this new directory. Make sure the new file has write permission. Rename the file to myUDP.cpp. The resulting directory structure appears similar to the following:
UDPDir/ myUDP.dsw myUDP.dsp Headers/ UserDefinedPrimitiveDLLInclude.h UserDefinedPrimitiveStructures.h Sources/ myUDP.cpp

7. Open myUDP.dsw using Microsoft Visual C++ Developer Studio, and edit the source code to create your desired primitive. You may also add additional headers and source files as appropriate. Build myUDP.dll using the Win32 Release configuration. Copy the resulting file myUDP.dll to the Maxwell/userlib/UserDefinedPrimitives directory. To view it, click Draw>User Defined Primitive>UserLib. On UNIX, you may use the same example directory structure, source, and header files to build and compile a shared library using C++. The resulting shared library has a .so extension for Solaris and a .sl extension for HP-UX, and needs to be placed in the same Maxwell/userlib/UserDefinedPrimitives directory. As with the Windows DLL, the compiled library works only on the operating system on which it was built. Related Topics: User Defined Primitives for Motor Geometries Drawing a Segmented Helix with Polygon Cross-Section Using a User Defined Primitive Drawing a Segmented Helix with Rectangular Cross-Section Using a User Defined Primitive
8. 9.
Note
Updating the User Defined Primitives Menu

When new User Defined Primitives have been created or provided for your use, they should be placed in the Maxwell/userlib/UserDefinedPrimitives directory. The Update Menu command scans the disk and creates menu items for new UDPs. To create menu items for new UDPs: 1. 2. Place new UDPs in the directory listed above. Organizing UDPs using subdirectories is permitted. Select Draw>User Defined Primitive>Update Menu.
The new UDPs may now be run directly from the Maxwell menu. Related Topics: User Customization Through User Defined Primitives Creating a User Defined Primitive
User Defined Primitives (UDPs) for Motor Geometries

When designing a motor or other machine in either Maxwell or RMxprt, multiple stator, rotor, and pole geometries are available. Related Topics: Parameters for Rmxprt User Defined Primitives
Stator Geometries
Slot Type 1 Slot Dimensions Slot Type 4 Slot Dimensions
Related Topics:
Parameters for Rmxprt User Defined Primitives
Rotor Geometries
Related Topics: Parameters for Rmxprt User Defined Primitives
Pole Geometries
Related Topics: Parameters for Rmxprt User Defined Primitives
Parameters for RMxprt User Defined Primitives

In the Draw/User Defined Primitive/syslib/RMxprt menu, the following User Defined Primitives exists for creating elements of motors. Select the primitive of interest to see the parameters required. Band ClawPoleCore ConCoil DCMCore DiskCoil DiskPMCore DiskSlotCore DoubleCage IPMCore LapCoil LinearMCore NonSalientPoleCore PMCore PMDamperCore RacetrackSlotCore SalientPoleCore SlotCore SquirrelCage SRMCore SynRMCore TransCoil TransCore UnivMCore VentSlotCore WaveCoil
RMxprt/Band
Property DiaGap DiaYoke Length SegAngle Fractions InfoCore Related Topics: Parameters for Syslib User Defined Primitives Description Band diameter in gap center, DiaGap < DiaYoke for outer band Band diameter on yoke side, DiaYoke < DiaGap for inner band Band Length Angle per segment of band (0.1 ~ 5 degrees) Number of circumferential fractions, 1 for circular region 0: band; 100: outer region or shaft
RMxprt/ClawPoleCore
See graphic below for definitions. Property DiaGap DiaShaft Description Core diameter on gap side, DiaGap < DiaShaft for outer cores Core diameter on shaft side, DiaShaft < DiaGap for inner cores
Length Poles EmbraceTip EmbraceRoot ThickTip ThickRoot ThickShoe DepthSlot ThickYoke LengthPole LengthMag LenRegion InfoCore
Core Length Number of poles Embrace of pole tip Embrace of pole root Thickness of pole tip Thickness of pole root Thickness of side shoes Depth of slot between two poles Thickness of yoke Length of pole from tip to tip Length of magnet or the second air-gap Region length 0: core; 1: core&coil; 2: coil; 3: magnet; 100: region
Related Topics: Parameters for Syslib User Defined Primitives

RMxprt/ConCoil
Property DiaGap DiaYoke Length Skew Slots SlotType Hs0 Hs1 Hs2 Bs0 Bs1 Bs2 Rs FilletType LayerLoc CoilPitch EndExt LayerExt LayerDiff AltEnd LenRegion InfoCoil Related Topics: Parameters for Syslib User Defined Primitives Description Core diameter on gap side, DiaGap < DiaYoke for outer cores Core diameter on yoke side, DiaYoke < DiaGap for inner cores Core Length Skew angle in core length range Number of slots Slot Type: 1 to 7 Slot opening height Slot wedge height Slot body height Slot opening width Slot wedge maximum width Slot body bottom width, 0 for parallel teeth Slot body bottom fillet 0: a quarter circle; 1: tangent connection 0: whole; 1: middle; 2: top; 3: bottom Coil pitch measured in slots One-side end extended length Span layer extension in the axial direction Span layer difference in the radial direction 0: same end layers; 1: alternate end layers Region length 0: coil; 1: terminal1; 2: terminal2; 100: region
RMxprt/DCMCore
See graphics below for definitions. Property DiaGap DiaYoke Length Skew FrameWidth FrameThick FrameLength Poles PoleType Dmax Bp0 Bp1 Bp2/Rp0 Bp3/Rp1 Hp Bm FieldWndgs EndExt SlotsPerPole Bc0 Hc0 Bc2 Hc2 CmpEndExt ComPoleWidth Description Core diameter on gap side, or Dmin, the minimum inner diameter Core diameter on yoke side, or frame outer diameter Main pole length, 0 for 2D geometry Skew angle in pole length range Overall width of a racetrack frame Frame thickness Frame length Number of poles Pole Type: 1 or 2 Diameter of shoe tip with maximum air gap length Pole arc width with uniform air gap, 0 for eccentric air gap Total pole width (the width between shoe tips) Bp2 (max shoe width for pole type 1), or Rp0 (shoe fillet radius for pole type 2) Bp3 (min shoe width for pole type 1), or Rp1 (pole fillet radius for pole type 2) Pole body height Pole body width Number of field windings, 2 for both series and shunt windings Coil one-side end extended length Compensating slots per pole distributed under pole arc surface Opening width of compensation slots Opening height of compensating slots Width of compensating slots Height of compensating slots One-side end extended length of compensating coils Width of the commutating poles
ComPoleHeight ComPoleLength ComShoeWidth ComShoeHeight ComShoeLength ComGap2 CmtEndExt LenRegion InfoCore InfoTerm
Height of the commutating poles Length of the commutating poles Shoe width of the commutating poles Shoe height of the commutating poles Shoe length of the commutating poles Air gap length between commutating poles and the frame One-side end extended length of commutating coils Region length 0: core&coil; 1: poles; 2: frame; 3: com poles; 4: shunt coil; 5: series coil; 6: com coil; 100: region 0: whole coil; 1: terminal1; 2: terminal2
RMxprt/DiskCoil
Property DiaOuter DiaInner Thickness
Description Core outer diameter Core inner diameter Core thickness
Gap Skew Slots SlotType Hs0 Hs1 Hs2 Bs0 Bs1 Bs2 Rs FilletType Layers CoilPitch EndExt EndClr InfoCoil SegAngle Related Topics:
Gap between the core and xy plane, <0 for lower core Skew angle Number of slots Slot type: 1 to 7 Slot opening height Slot wedge height Slot body height Slot opening width Slot wedge maximum width Slot body bottom width. 0 for parallel teeth Slot body bottom fillet 0: a quarter circle; 1: tangent connection Number of winding layers Coil pitch measured in slots One-side end extended length Clearance between two end spans; 0 for no span 0: all coils; 1: one coil only Angle per segment of end span: 5~15 degrees
Parameters for Syslib User Defined Primitives
RMxprt/DiskPMCore
Property DiaOuter DiaInner Thickness Gap Skew Poles Core outer diameter Core inner diameter Core thickness Gap between the core and xy plane, <0 for lower core Skew angle Number of poles Description
Embrace ThickMag InfoCore Related Topics:
Pole embrace Magnet thickness 0: core only; 1: all PMs; 2: one PM only
RMxprt/DiskSlotCore
Property DiaOuter DiaInner Thickness Gap Skew Slots SlotType Hs0 Hs01 Hs1 Hs2 Bs0 Bs1 Bs2 Rs FilletType HalfSlot RingLength RingHeight InfoCore Related Topics: Parameters for Syslib User Defined Primitives
Description Core outer diameter Core inner diameter Core thickness Gap between the core and xy plane, <0 for lower core Skew angle Number of slots Slot type: 1 to 6 Slot opening height Slot closed bridge height Slot wedge height Slot body height Slot opening width Slot wedge maximum width Slot body bottom width. 0 for parallel teeth Slot body bottom fillet 0: a quarter circle; 1: tangent connection 0: symmetric slots; 1: half slots One-side radial ring length Axial ring height 0: core only; 1: squirrel cage only
RMxprt/DoubleCage
Property DiaGap DiaYoke Length Skew Slots SlotType Hs0 Hs01 Hs1 Hs2 Bs0 Bs1 Bs2 Rs FilletType HalfSlot BarEndExt RingLength RingHeight RingDiaGap DoubleCage BSlotType BHs0 BHs1 BHs2 BBs0 Description Core diameter on gap side, DiaGap < DiaYoke for outer cores Core diameter on yoke side, DiaYoke < DiaGap for inner cores Core Length Skew angle in core length range Number of slots Slot Type: 1 to 4 Slot opening height Slot closed bridge height Slot wedge height Slot body height Slot opening width Slot wedge maximum width Slot body bottom width, 0 for parallel teeth Slot body bottom fillet 0: a quarter circle; 1: tangent connection; 2 & 3: arc bottom 0: symmetric slots; 1: half slots One-side bar end extended length One-side radial ring length Radial ring height Ring diameter on gap side 0: normal squirrel cage; 1: double squirrel cage Bottom slot type: 1 to 4 Slot opening height Slot wedge height Slot body height Slot opening width
BBs1 BBs2 BRs CastRotor LenRegion InfoCoil Related Topics:
Slot wedge maximum width Slot body bottom width, 0 for parallel teeth Slot body bottom fillet 0: insert-bar; 1: cast-rotor Region length 0: bar & rings; 1: bars; 2: rings; 100: region
RMxprt/IPMCore
Property DiaGap DiaYoke Length Poles PoleType D1 O1 O2 B1 Rib HRib DminMag ThickMag WidthMag LenRegion InfoCoil Related Topics: Parameters for Syslib User Defined Primitives Description Core diameter on gap side, or outer diameter Core diameter on yoke side, or inner diameter Core Length Number of poles Pole Type: 1 or 3 Limited diameter of PM ducts Bottom width for separate or flat-bottom duct Distance from duct bottom to shaft surface Duct thickness Rib width Rib height Minimum distance between side magnets Magnet thickness Total width of all magnet per pole Region length 0: core; 1: magnets; 2: ducts; 100: region
RMxprt/LapCoil
Property DiaGap DiaYoke Length Skew Slots SlotType Hs0 Hs1 Hs2 Bs0 Bs1 Bs2 Rs FilletType Layers CoilPitch EndExt SpanExt SegAngle LenRegion InfoCoil Related Topics: Parameters for Syslib User Defined Primitives Description Core diameter on gap side, DiaGap < DiaYoke for outer cores Core diameter on yoke side, DiaYoke < DiaGap for inner cores Core Length Skew angle in core length range Number of slots Slot Type: 1 to 7 Slot opening height Slot wedge height Slot body height Slot opening width Slot wedge maximum width Slot body bottom width, 0 for parallel teeth Slot body bottom fillet 0: a quarter circle; 1: tangent connection Number of winding layers Coil pitch measured in slots One-side end extended length Axial length of end span; 0 for no span Angle per segment of end span: <5 for true-surface end span Region length 0: winding; 1: coil; 2: terminal1; 3:terminal2; 100:region
RMxprt/LinearMCore
Property WidthCore ThickCore Length SlotPitch Slots SlotType Hs0 Hs1 Hs2 Bs0 Bs1 Bs2 Rs Layers CoilPitch EndExt SpanExt InfoCore Related Topics: Parameters for Syslib User Defined Primitives Core thickness Core length The distance between two slots Number of slots Slot Type: 1 to 7 Slot opening height Slot wedge height Slot body height Slot opening width Slot wedge maximum width Slot body bottom width, 0 for parallel teeth Slot body bottom fillet Number of winding layers Coil pitch measured in slots One-side end extended length Axial length of end span; 0 for no span 0: core only; 1: core & all coils; 2: one coil only Description Core width in motion direction
RMxprt/NonSalientPoleCore
Property DiaGap DiaYoke Length
Description Core diameter on gap side, DiaGap < DiaYoke for outer cores Core diameter on yoke side, DiaYoke < DiaGap for inner cores Core Length
Skew IndexingSlots ActualSlots SlotType Hs0 Hs1 Hs2 Bs0 Bs1 Bs2 Rs FilletType Poles TangentDucts TDuctWidth TDuctDepth TDuctPitch AxialDucts ADuctWidth ADuctDepth LenRegion InfoCore Related Topics:
Skew angle in core length range Number of indexing slots for slot pitch calculation Number of actual slots: ActualSlots <= IndexingSlots Slot Type: 1 to 7 Slot opening height Slot wedge height Slot body height Slot opening width Slot wedge maximum width Slot body bottom width, 0 for parallel teeth Slot body bottom fillet 0: a quarter circle; 1: tangent connection; 2 & 3: arc bottom Number of poles Number of surface tangential vent ducts Width of surface tangential vent ducts Depth of surface tangential vent ducts Pitch of surface tangential vent ducts Number of axial vent ducts per pole Width of axial vent ducts in main tooth Depth of axial vent ducts in main tooth Region length 0: core; 100: region
RMxprt/PMCore
Property DiaGap DiaYoke Length Description Core diameter on gap side, or outer diameter Core diameter on yoke side, or inner diameter Core Length
Poles PoleType Embrace ThickMag WidthMag Offset Bridge Rib LenRegion InfoCoil Related Topics:
Number of poles Pole Type: 1 or 5 Pole embrace (not for type 4) Max thickness of magnets Magnet width (for types 4 & 5) Pole arc offset (for types 1, 2, & 3) Bridge thickness (for type 5 only) Rib width (for type 5 only), Rib=0 for rectangular ducts Region length 0: core; 1: magnets; 2: magnet; 100: region
RMxprt/PMDamperCore
Property DiaGap DiaYoke Length Skew Slots SlotType Hs0 Hs01 Hs1 Hs2 Bs0 Bs1 Bs2 Rs FilletType
Description Core diameter on gap side, or outer diameter Core diameter on yoke side, or inner diameter Core Length Skew angle in core length range Number of damper slots per pole Slot type: 1 to 4 Slot opening height Slot closed bridge height Slot wedge height Slot body height Slot opening width Slot wedge maximum width Slot body bottom width, 0 for parallel teeth Slot body bottom fillet 0: a quarter circle; 1: tangent connection; 2 & 3: arc bottom
Poles PoleType D1 O1 O2 B1 Rib ThickMag WidthMag BarEndExt RingLength RingHeight LenRegion InfoCore Related Topics:
Number of poles Pole Type: 1 or 8 Limited diameter of PM ducts A locating dimension of PM ducts, for pole types 3, 4, 7 & 8 A locating dimension of PM ducts, for pole types 1, 3, 5, 6, 7 &8 Barrier width, for pole types 1, 2 & 3 Rib to hold PM ducts, for pole types 1 to 7 Magnet thickness Total width of all magnet per pole One-side damper bar end extended length One-side axial ring length Radial ring height Region length 0: core; 1: magnets; 2: damper; 100: region
RMxprt/RacetrackSlotCore
Property DiaGap DiaYoke Length Skew Slots SlotType Hs0 Hs01 Hs1 Description Core diameter on gap side, DiaGap < DiaYoke for outer cores Core diameter on yoke side, DiaYoke < DiaGap for inner cores Core Length Skew angle in core length range Number of slots Slot type: 1 to 7 Slot opening height Slot closed bridge height Slot wedge height
Hs2 Bs0 Bs1 Bs2 Rs FilletType Poles WidYoke MidSlots MidHs2 MidBs2 SmlSlots SmlHs2 SmlBs2 LenRegion InfoCore Related Topics:
Slot body height Slot opening width Slot wedge maximum width Slot body bottom width, 0 for parallel teeth Slot body bottom fillet 0: a quarter circle; 1: tangent connection; 2 & 3: arc bottom Number of poles Racetrack width for 2/4-pole cores Number of middle-size slots for 2/4-pole cores Middle-size slot body height for 2/4-pole cores Middle-size slot body bottom width for 2/4-pole cores Number of small-size slots for 2/4-pole cores Small-size slot body height for 2/4-pole cores Small-size slot body bottom width for 2/4-pole cores Region length 0: core; 100: region
RMxprt/SalientPoleCore
Property DiaGap DiaYoke Length Skew Slots SlotType Hs0 Hs01
Description Core diameter on gap side, DiaGap < DiaYoke for outer cores Core diameter on yoke side, DiaYoke < DiaGap for inner cores Core Length Skew angle in core length range Number of damper slots per pole Slot type: 1 to 4 Slot opening height Slot closed bridge height
Hs1 Hs2 Bs0 Bs1 Bs2 Rs FilletType SlotPitch CenterPitch Poles WidthShoe HeightShoe WidthBody HeightBody AirGap2 Offset Off2_x Off2_y CoilEndExt EndRingType BarEndExt RingLength RingHeight LenRegion InfoCore Related Topics:
Slot wedge height Slot body height Slot opening width Slot wedge maximum width Slot body bottom width, 0 for parallel teeth Slot body bottom fillet 0: a quarter circle; 1: tangent connection; 2 & 3: arc bottom Slot pitch in mechanical degrees, refer to offset point Center slot pitch in mechanical degrees, refer to offset point Number of poles Pole shoe width Pole shoe height (maximum) Pole body width Pole body height Second air gap length Pole arc offset The second pole arc offset perpendicular to the pole-center line The second pole arc offset parallel with the pole-center line One-side coil end extended length 0: whole press board; 1: pole press board; 2: pole ring; 3: whole ring One-side damper bar end extended length, for types 2 & 3 only One-side axial ring length, or conductor press board thickness Radial ring height, for types 2 & 3 only Region length 0: core; 1: core & coils; 2: coil; 3:damper; 4:terminal1; 5: terminal2; ...
RMxprt/SlotCore
Property DiaGap DiaYoke Length Skew Slots SlotType Hs0 Hs01 Hs1 Hs2 Bs0 Bs1 Bs2 Rs FilletType HalfSlot LenRegion InfoCore Related Topics: Parameters for Syslib User Defined Primitives Description Core diameter on gap side, DiaGap < DiaYoke for outer cores Core diameter on yoke side, DiaYoke < DiaGap for inner cores Core Length Skew angle in core length range Number of slots Slot type: 1 to 6 Slot opening height Slot closed bridge height Slot wedge height Slot body height Slot opening width Slot wedge maximum width Slot body bottom width, 0 for parallel teeth Slot body bottom fillet 0: a quarter circle; 1: tangent connection; 2 & 3: arc bottom 0 for symmetric slot, 1 for half slot Region length 0: core; 100: region
RMxprt/SquirrelCage
Property DiaGap DiaYoke Description Core diameter on gap side, DiaGap < DiaYoke for outer cores Core diameter on yoke side, DiaYoke < DiaGap for inner cores
Length Skew Slots SlotType Hs0 Hs01 Hs1 Hs2 Bs0 Bs1 Bs2 Rs FilletType HalfSlot BarEndExt RingLength RingHeight RingDiaGap CastRotor LenRegion InfoCore Related Topics:
Core Length Skew angle in core length range Number of slots Slot type: 1 to 4 Slot opening height Slot closed bridge height Slot wedge height Slot body height Slot opening width Slot wedge maximum width Slot body bottom width, 0 for parallel teeth Slot body bottom fillet 0: a quarter circle; 1: tangent connection; 2 & 3: arc bottom 0 for symmetric slot, 1 for half slot One-side bar end extended length One-side axial ring length Radial ring height Ring diameter on gap side 0:insert-bar; 1: cast-rotor Region length 0: bars & rings; 1: bars; 2: rings; 100: region
RMxprt/SRMCore
Property DiaGap DiaYoke Length Description Core diameter on gap side, DiaGap < DiaYoke for outer cores Core diameter on yoke side, DiaYoke < DiaGap for inner cores Core Length
Poles ThkYoke Embrace EndExt LenRegion InfoCore Related Topics:
Number of poles Toke thickness Pole embrace (the ratio of pole arc to pole pitch) Coil one-side end extended length Region length 0: core; 1: core & coils; 2: coil; 3: terminal1; 4:terminal2; 100: region
RMxprt/SynRMCore
Property DiaGap DiaYoke Length Poles PoleType Barriers H W R R0 Rb Y0 B0 LenRegion InfoCore Related Topics: Parameters for Syslib User Defined Primitives Description Core diameter on gap side, or outer diameter Core diameter on yoke side, or inner diameter Core Length Number of poles 1: ALA; 2: arc; 3: hyperbolic; 4: hyperbolic line Barriers per pole, for PoleType 2 & 3 only Bridge thickness, for PoleType 2 & 3 only Rib width, for PoleType 2 & 3 only Barrier fillet radius, for PoleType 2 & 3 only Radius of the bottom barrier arch, for PoleType 2 & 3 only Barrier bottom minimum radius Yoke bottom thickness Barrier bottom thickness, for PoleType 2 & 3 only Region length 0: core; 1: one barrier; 100: region
RMxprt/TransCoil
Property DistLeg CoilType WidthIn DepthIn RadiusIn ThickCoil HighCoil Layers GapLayer InfoCore Related Topics: Parameters for Syslib User Defined Primitives Description Leg center to center distance Coil type: 1 for solenoid coil; 2 for pancake coil Coil width between two inner sides Coil depth between two inner ends Coil inner fillet radius Coil thickness of one side Coil Height Number of layers Gap between two layers 0: all coils; 1: one coil only
RMxprt/TransCore
Property DiaLeg DistLeg DistYoke Stages ThickCore WidthYoke InfoCore Related Topics: Parameters for Syslib User Defined Primitives Description Outer diameter of leg cross-section Leg center to center distance Yoke center to center distance Number of stages of leg cross-section Core thickness, only used for Stages=1 Yoke width, =0 for same cross-section as leg's 0: whole core; 1: legs only; 2: yokes only
RMxprt/UnivMCore
See graphic below for definitions. Property DiaGap DiaYoke Length Skew Poles PoleType WidthCore Embrace Offset WidthPole Ty Ts R1 R2 R3 R4 R5 R6 EndExt LenRegion InfoCore Description Core diameter on gap side, or outer diameter Core diameter on yoke side, or inner diameter Core Length Skew angle in core length range Number of poles Pole type: 1 to 2 Overall width of a racetrack core Pole embrace (the ratio of pole arc to pole pitch) Pole arc offset Minimum width at pole root Yoke thickness Shoe-tip thickness Radius of the screw holes in pole center Radius of the side fillet arc at pole root Radius of the side fillet arc center layout circle Radius of the shoe connecting arc, 0 for auto-design Inner radius of the screw holes in between two poles Outer radius of the screw holes in between two poles Coil one-side end extended length Region length 0: core; 1: coils; 2: one coil; 3: terminal1; 4: terminal2: 100: region
RMxprt/VentSlotCore
Property DiaGap DiaYoke Length Skew Slots SlotType Hs0 Hs01 Hs1 Hs2 Bs0 Bs1 Bs2 Description Core diameter on gap side, DiaGap < DiaYoke for outer cores Core diameter on yoke side, DiaYoke < DiaGap for inner cores Core Length Skew angle in core length range Number of slots Slot type: 1 to 7 Slot opening height Slot closed bridge height Slot wedge height Slot body height Slot opening width Slot wedge maximum width Slot body bottom width, 0 for parallel teeth
Rs FilletType HalfSlot VentHoles HoleDiaIn HoleDiaOut HoleLocIn HoleLocOut VentDucts DuctWidth DuctPitch LenRegion InfoCore Related Topics:
Slot body bottom fillet 0: a quarter circle; 1: tangent connection; 2 & 3: arc bottom 0 for symmetric slot, 1 for half slot Number of axial vent holes per row Diameter of inner vent holes Diameter of outer vent holes Diameter of inner vent hole center layout circle Diameter of outer vent hole center layout circle Number of radial vent ducts Axial width of radial vent ducts Center-to-center distance between two adjacent ducts Region length 0: core; 100: region
RMxprt/WaveCoil
Property DiaGap DiaYoke Length Skew Slots SlotType Hs0 Hs1 Hs2 Bs0 Bs1
Description Core diameter on gap side, DiaGap < DiaYoke for outer cores Core diameter on yoke side, DiaYoke < DiaGap for inner cores Core Length Skew angle in core length range Number of slots Slot type: 1 to 7 Slot opening height Slot wedge height Slot body height Slot opening width Slot wedge maximum width
Bs2 Rs FilletType Layers CoilPitch EndExt SpanExt SegAngle PolePitch LenRegion InfoCoil Related Topics:
Slot body bottom width, 0 for parallel teeth Slot body bottom fillet 0: a quarter circle; 1: tangent connection Number of winding layers Coil pitch measured in slots One-side end extended length Axial length of end span; 0 for no span Angle per segment of end span; 0 for true-surface end span Pole pair pitch measured in slots Region Length 0: winding; 1: one coil; 100: region
Specifying UDP Parameters

The User Defined Primitive Operation dialog box allows you to set the specific parameters required for a UDP. In the Parameters tab, a list of the parameters associated with the UDP is displayed along with the value, unit, evaluated value, and description for each parameter. To change a parameter: 1. 2. 3. Select the Value cell in the row corresponding to the parameter to be changed. The cell becomes editable. Enter the desired Value for the parameter. Click on the cell under Unit to obtain a list of the available units for the parameter. Select the desired Unit. When the desired changes have been made, click OK to create the geometry defined by the UDP and the parameters you have entered.
The Info tab provides information about the UDP. Related Topics: Drawing a Segmented Helix with Polygon Cross-Section Using a User Defined Primitive Drawing a Segmented Helix with Rectangular Cross-Section Using a User Defined Primitive Drawing a Spiral Using User Defined Primitives Parameters for RMxprt User Defined Primitives
Creating a Background Region

A background region surrounds all other object in your model. To create a background region: 1. 2. 3. Click Draw>Region. The Region dialog box appears. To assign the same size padding to all sides of the region, select One as the Padding Data, and enter a value in the Padding Percentage box. To assign a different size padding to different sides of the region: a. b. Select Six as the Padding Data. In the Padding Percentage section, for each coordinate system direction (X, Y, and Z), enter padding amounts in both the positive (+) and negative (-) direction (for a total of six sides).
4. 5. 6. 7.
Optionally, select Save as default to save your current settings as the default settings. Click OK. The Region dialog box closes, and the Properties window appears. Click the Command tab, and make any additional changes desired. These commands are the same as those in the Region dialog box. Click the Attributes tab, and make any desired changes. These attributes include the following:

8.
Name Material Solve Inside Orientation Model Display Wireframe Color Transparent
When you are finished in the Properties window, click OK to close it. The region is created.
If you try to create a region that does not contain all of the objects in your model, Maxwell automatically expands the region to cover all objects. The region also updates automatically as your geometry changes. If you do not create a region, Maxwell automatically generates one to surround the other objects in your model. Only one region can be created for a single project using the Draw>Region command. If you try to create a second region, the Properties window appears for the existing region, allowing you to change operation parameters and attributes.
Model Analysis
To avoid potential mesh issues, for some models, you may want to remove unnecessary small entities and fix object misalignments. Maxwell includes Model Analysis functions to help you evaluate models you have imported or created. Click Modeler> Model Analysis to view the menu options. Depending on the design and the current selection, some features may not be enabled. The menu includes the following commands:
Analyze Objects Analyze Interobject Misalignment Analyze Surface Mesh Heal Show Analysis Dialog Align Faces Remove Faces Remove Edges Note Before running model analysis, you must remove all command history for the selected object by using the Purge History command.
Analysis Options Dialog

Select the objects you want to analyze and click Modeler> Model Analysis>Analyze Objects to display the Analysis Options dialog. Select the types of geometry entities that you want to detect and specify the corresponding tolerance values.
Small Edges, length less than Small Faces, area less than Sliver Faces
Object Bounding Box scale factor Sliver Edge width
Minimum and maximum edges and face areas are stated at the bottom of the dialog for reference purposes: Edge length min and max Face area min and max
Clicking OK on this dialog displays the Model Analysis dialog which contains the results of the analysis. Related Topics Healing an Imported Object Model Analysis Dialog Set Material Override
Analyzing the Surface Mesh

To set the options to analyze the surface mesh: 1. Click Modeler >Model Analysis >Analyze Surface Mesh. The Surface Mesh Analysis Options dialog box appears. This dialog box allows you to set parameters to remove.
2. 3.
You can also open the Surface Mesh Analysis Options dialog box from the Model Analysis dialog box via the Perform pull-down menu on the Objects tab.
Select or clear the Perform Object Pairs Analysis check box. Selecting this option evaluates the mesh for all combinations of the selected objects. Select or clear the Ignore Objects Separated by greater than check box, and enter a value in the text box. Selecting this option means that object pairs are disregarded from analysis if their separation is greater than the specified value. Click OK to perform the analysis with the selected options. The Model Analysis dialog box appears, displaying the results of the analysis.
4.
Related Topics Healing an Imported Object Viewing Model Analysis Results (Model Analysis Dialog Box)
Model Analysis Dialog

This dialog box contains the results for all model analysis, including diagnostic information relating to mesh issues. To view the analysis options: 1. 2. Click Modeler > Model Analysis >Show Analysis Dialog. A submenu appears. Select one of the following from the submenu:
Objects Objects Misalignment Surface Mesh Last Simulation Mesh
The Model Analysis dialog box appears. (This dialog box also appears automatically after clicking OK in the Analysis Options dialog box.) 3. 4. Select the Auto zoom to selection check box to automatically zoom to the item selected on the Objects tab. Make the desired changes on each tab in the Model Analysis dialog box:

Objects tab Objects Misalignment tab Surface Mesh (Single/Pairs) tab
5.
Last Simulation Mesh tab
Click Close to close the Model Analysis dialog box.
Related Topics Healing an Imported Object Analyzing Objects Analyzing the Surface Mesh Set Material Override
Objects Tab
All results relating to model analysis of specific objects are presented under the Objects tab. The Objects tab for the Model Analysis dialog lets you view the following information: 1. The results table contains the following information.
Name - column listing the objects in the current design. Last Analysis status - column giving the analysis status of the listed objects. Objects can have the following status:

2.
Good - the object contains no invalid geometry entities given the tolerance values specified in the Analysis Options dialog. Null Body - the object is non-existent. Analysis not performed - the object was not selected for analysis. Invalid entity errors - these are api_check_entity() errors and non-manifold errors which must be fixed prior to meshing. Small entity errors - small faces, sliver faces and small edges that are optionally detected based on the tolerance limits specified in the Analysis Options dialog.
Select any object name in the table which contains errors to display a set of radio buttons in the panel and a list of corresponding faces, edges and vertices. Auto Zoom to Selection -- if this option is checked, the modeler automatically zooms to the item selected in the Model Analysis dialog box.
Note 3. 4. 5.
Select the face, edge or vertex entity from the list to view the error description in the Description field. Select the Delete button if you want to remove a selected face or edge entity. Select the Perform button to list the commands that you can execute on the selected objects in the Results table.
Heal Objects - repairs invalid geometry entities for the selected objects within the specified tolerance settings. The Healing Analysis dialog will appear. Analyze Objects - evaluates the object status. Selecting this displays the Analysis Options dialog.
Analyze Surface Mesh - invokes a mesh for each selected object and reports analysis results under the Surface Mesh (Single/Pairs) tab. Selecting this option displays a dialog with radio buttons to select.
Perform Object Pairs Analysis - evaluates mesh for all combinations of the selected objects. Ignore objects separated by greater than a specified value - object pairs are disregarded from analysis if their separation is greater than the specified value. Click OK to perform the analysis with the selected options.
Analyze Interobject Misalignment - determines any misalignments between two selected objects in the results table. The results are reported under the Objects Misalignment tab.
Display Healing Log -- checking this causes the Model Analysis dialog to display a healing log which includes information about operations performed on an object during the healing process.
Related Topics Analyze Objects Analyze Interobject Misalignment Analyze Surface Mesh Healing Set Material Override
Objects Misalignment Tab

The table in this panel displays results of an Interobject Misalignment analysis. All misaligned face pairs corresponding to the analyzed objects are listed in the table.
Align Faces - select a face pair in the table and click the Align Faces button to align selected faces. Clear All Analysis Data - this button removes all information from the tables. Auto Zoom to Selection -- if this option is checked, the modeler automatically zooms to the item selected in the table.
Related Topics Analyze Objects Analyze Interobject Misalignment Analyze Surface Mesh Healing Set Material Override
Surface Mesh (Single/Pairs) Tab

The panel displays the results of a surface mesh analysis. 1. You can display results for:
Individual Objects
Note 2.
Object Pairs Auto Zoom to Selection -- if this option is checked, the modeler automatically zooms to the object or object pair selected.
The results table contains the following information: Object - column listing object name or a pair of object names. Last Analysis Status - column stating the meshing status of the object or object pair.
Mesh Success Mesh Failure
Error Type - this column gives the category of error that caused the mesh failure. Error Detail - provide specific geometry information regarding mesh error location. Display Mesh Analysis log checkbox -checking this displays further details concerning each error to be listed. Auto Zoom to Selection -- checking this causes the modeler to automatically zoom to objects or faces corresponding to the error.
Display options include:
Related Topics Analyze Objects Analyze Interobject Misalignment Analyze Surface Mesh Healing
Last Simulation Mesh Tab

The table in this panel lists all model errors as viewed by the mesher.
Error Type - this column gives the category of error that caused the mesh failure. Error Detail - provide specific geometry information regarding mesh error location. Display Mesh Analysis log checkbox -checking this displays further details concerning each error to be listed. Auto Zoom to Selection -- checking this causes the modeler to automatically zoom to objects or faces corresponding to the error.
Display options include:
Related Topics Analyze Objects Analyze Interobject Misalignment Analyze Surface Mesh
Healing
Aligning Selected Faces

Use the Modeler >Model Analysis >Align Faces command to align the selected faces. You can also use the toolbar icon when you have made an appropriate face selection. Related Topics Technical Notes: Healing and Meshing Analyzing Objects Analyzing Interobject Misalignment Analyzing Surface Mesh Healing an Imported Object Technical Notes: Healing Models Technical Notes: Error Types Technical Notes: Detecting Errors Set Material Override
Removing Selected Faces

Use the Modeler >Model Analysis >Remove Faces command to remove the selected faces. You can also use the toolbar icon when you have made an appropriate face selection. Related Topics Technical Notes: Healing and Meshing Analyzing Objects Analyzing Interobject Misalignment Analyzing Surface Mesh Healing an Imported Object Technical Notes: Healing Models Technical Notes: Error Types Technical Notes: Detecting Errors
Removing Selected Edges

Use the Modeler >Model Analysis >Remove Edges command to remove the selected edges. You can also use the toolbar icon when you have made an appropriate edge selection. Related Topics Technical Notes: Healing and Meshing Analyzing Objects Analyzing Interobject Misalignment Analyzing Surface Mesh
Healing an Imported Object Technical Notes: Healing Models Technical Notes: Error Types Technical Notes: Detecting Errors
Healing an Imported Object

Use this command to heal an imported object. Some formats permit healing during import. These are: 3D Modeler file (*.sm3), SAT file (*.sat), STEP file (*.step,*. stp), IGES file (*.iges, *.igs), ProE files (*.prt, *.asm). Selecting these formats enables a checkbox at the bottom of this window, "Heal Imported Objects." Imported objects, which have only one operation on the history tree, can be healed. (Use the Purge History command to remove unwanted history operations before using Heal.) When models are imported, two types of errors can occur geometry errors and topology errors. Geometry errors are errors in definition of the underlying geometry while topology errors are errors in how the underlying components like faces, edges and vertices are connected. These must be fixed before mesh analysis can be performed. Basic Steps in the Healing Process There are four steps that are performed for healing objects. 1. 2. Validation check. Basic healing. This is done for all selected objects. Basic healing consists of fixing surface normals in the object and updating the orientation of (to avoid having an object with negative volume). Advanced healing. This is auto-heal. This is invoked on objects that require healing, that is. bodies that have failed api_check_entity() errors or have non-manifold errors. Small feature removal. If you choose to remove small edges, small faces and sliver faces, the actions are performed on all selected objects. There is no guarantee that small feature removal will be successful.
3. 4.
The above actions are performed on the selected objects. If you choose objects for healing which have not been analyzed, analysis is performed to determine its state (that is, whether it has invalid entities, small entities, and so forth). Invalid objects have all the above steps performed. Advanced healing is not performed on objects that do not require it. While working on analyzing complex bodies, it is sometimes useful to examine faces, edges, and vertices. In particular, it is useful to find the connected faces for a face/edge/vertex, connected edges for a face/edge/vertex, and connected vertices for a face/edge/vertex. The additional selection modes are available under Edit->Select and via the toolbar icons. Related Topics Setting the Healing Options Validation Check (Healing Stage 1) Fix Intersections Between Objects (Healing Stage 2) Fix Object Pair Intersections (Healing Stage 3)
Analysis Phase (Healing Stage 4) Healing Non-Manifold Objects Technical Notes: Healing Models Technical Notes: Error Types Technical Notes: Detecting Errors Technical Notes: Healing and Meshing
Healing Stage One: Validation Check

After import an object, you should perform a validation check. This lets you focus on objects and object pairs that prevent the mesh from being invoked. The objects that fail api_check_entity() should be analyzed via the Analyze Objects menu item. 1. Select the objects, and click Modeler >Model Analysis >Analyze Objects. The Analysis Options dialog box appears, allowing you to perform small feature detections. Once you have completed this, click OK. The Model Analysis dialog box appears. In the Model Analysis dialog box, select the objects marked with "Invalid Entities Found", and click Perform>Heal Objects. The Healing Options dialog box appears, allowing you to remove parameters. Click OK. The Model Analysis dialog box reappears. In most cases, the objects are healed, and the errors are fixed.
2.
Note 3.
If errors persist, select the edges and faces still containing errors, and click Delete. This replaces each selected face/edge object by a tolerant edge/vertex, respectively. In some cases, the replacement of the face/edge by tolerant edge/vertex fails.
When models pass the initial validity checks, mesh generation could still fail. The following errors can be present in models: (See Error Detection.) 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Non-manifold topology. These are non-manifold edges and vertices that are present in the model. Object pair intersection. This detects whether pairs of objects intersect. Small feature detection small edge length, small face area and sliver face detection. Mis-aligned entities detection detects pairs of faces from objects that can be aligned to remove object intersections. This improves the probability of mesh success. Mesh failure error display. This is available for single object, object pairs and last simulation run (all objects in a model). Errors reported by the meshing module are reported to the user.
Errors of type 3 and 4 must be resolved before the mesh can be invoked on the model. By default, the Heal command is automatically applied to imported objects. Related Topics Healing Fix Intersections Between Objects (Healing Stage 2)
Fix Object Pair Intersections (Healing Stage 3) Analysis Phase (Healing Stage 4) Healing Non-manifold Objects Healing Options Set Material Override Technical Notes: Healing and Meshing Technical Notes: Detecting and Addressing Model Problems to Improve Meshing
Healing Stage Two: Fix Intersections Between Objects

The second stage in healing is to fix intersections between objects. After validation check is performed, the pairs of objects that intersect are chosen for analysis. Use the analysis results to find whether objects have faces that can be aligned. Choose all the bodies that intersect with another body. 1. From the Objects tab of the Model Analysis dialog box, click Perform>Analyze Interobject Misalignment.
Alternatively, you can click Modeler>Model Analysis>Analyze Interobject Misalignment.
If the analysis finds object pairs that can be aligned, they are displayed on the Objects Misalignment tab. 2. 3. 4. 5. You can select individual or multiple rows, and align the faces. In some cases, face alignment fails if the topology of the body changes by a large factor after alignment. Identify individual bodies and body pairs that fail to mesh. Perform a mesh analysis on individual objects and object pairs. Review the reports and fix the errors.
Related Topics Healing Validation Check (Healing Stage 1) Fix Object Pair Intersections (Healing Stage 3) Analysis Phase (Healing Stage 4) Healing Non-manifold Objects Healing Options Set Material Override Technical Notes: Healing and Meshing Technical Notes: Detecting and Addressing Model Problems to Improve Meshing
Healing Stage Three: Fix Object Pair Intersections

The next stage of healing is to fix object-pair intersections. The healing process in stage two might fix some of these errors (by alignment). 1. 2. If these errors are still present, you must remove them either by using the Remove Faces command (Modeler>Model Analysis>Remove Faces) or by performing a Boolean subtraction. Overlap between objects is too large to be fixed by healing or by face alignment. Boolean intersect shows the common portion between the bodies. In this case, use a subtract operation to remove overlaps.
Related Topics Healing Validation Check (Healing Stage 1) Fix Intersections Between Objects (Healing Stage 2) Analysis Phase (Healing Stage 4) Healing Non-manifold Objects Healing Options Set Material Override Technical Notes: Healing and Meshing Technical Notes: Detecting and Addressing Model Problems to Improve Meshing
Healing Stage Four: Analysis Phase

If the last simulation run contains errors, they are displayed in the Model Analysis dialog box, on the Last Simulation Mesh tab. Related Topics Healing Validation Check (Healing Stage 1) Fix Intersections Between Objects (Healing Stage 2) Fix Object Pair Intersections (Healing Stage 3) Healing Non-manifold Objects Healing Options Set Material Override Technical Notes: Healing and Meshing Technical Notes: Detecting and Addressing Model Problems to Improve Meshing
Healing Non-Manifold Objects

If more than two faces meet along an edge, the edge is non-manifold. Normally, if you collect every face at a vertex that can be reached from a given face by crossing one or more edges starting
or ending at the vertex, the collection contains all of the faces that meet at that vertex. If this is not the case, the vertex is non-manifold. One or more wires may be attached to a vertex that is already on the boundary of one or more faces. This again makes the vertex non-manifold. To heal non-manifold objects: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Identify an edge that is non-manifold. Select the connected faces. Create a face coordinate system on the planar face. Create a small box to cover the non-manifold edge. Either do a unite or a subtract the faces to remove the faces that contain the non-manifold edge. The non-manifold edge is removed. You may also remove or add a small portion of the model. Repeat the above steps for all of the non-manifold edges.
Related Topics Healing Validation Check (Healing Stage 1) Fix Intersections Between Objects (Healing Stage 2) Fix Object Pair Intersections (Healing Stage 3) Analysis Phase (Healing Stage 4) Healing Options Set Material Override Technical Notes: Healing and Meshing Technical Notes: Detecting and Addressing Model Problems to Improve Meshing
Setting the Healing Options

To set the healing options in Maxwell: 1. Click Modeler >Model Analysis >Heal. The Healing Options dialog box appears, where you can set parameters to remove.
2.
You can also open the Healing Options dialog box from the Model Analysis dialog box via the Objects tab.
In the Remove section, do one or more of the following to specify the parameters you want to remove:

3.
Select the Small Edges, Length Less Than check box, and type a value in the text box. Select the Small Faces, Area Less Than check box, and type a value in the text box.
If you selected Sliver Faces, do one of the following in the Sliver Face Width Less Than section:
Select Object Bounding Box Scale Factor, and type a value in the text box.
Note
Select Sliver Edge Width, and type a value in the text box. Sliver faces have a maximum distance among the long edges that is smaller than the specified tolerance. They also have at least one short edge and at most three long edges. A short edge is shorter than the specified tolerance. A long edge is longer than the specified tolerance. You can give the tolerance as a absolute value or as a factor of the bounding box containing the face.
4.
Click OK to apply the specified healing options. The Model Analysis dialog box appears.
Related Topics Healing Validation Check (Healing Stage 1) Fix Intersections Between Objects (Healing Stage 2) Fix Object Pair Intersections (Healing Stage 3) Analysis Phase (Healing Stage 4) Healing Non-manifold Objects Set Material Override Technical Notes: Healing and Meshing Technical Notes: Detecting and Addressing Model Problems to Improve Meshing
Modifying Objects
You can quickly modify the position, dimensions, and other characteristics of objects created in the Modeler window. What do you want to do?
Assign color to an object. Assign transparency to an object. Copy and paste objects. Delete objects. Move objects. Rotate objects. Mirror objects about a plane. Offset an object (move every face of an object). Duplicate objects. Scale the size of objects. Sweep objects. Cover lines. Cover faces. Uncover faces. Detach faces. Detach edges. Create a new object by taking a cross-section of a 3D object. Connect objects. Move faces. Unite objects. Subtract objects. Create objects from intersections. Create an object from a face. Create an object from an edge. Split objects. Separate objects. Convert polyline segments. Round the edge of an object (Fillet) Flatten the edge of an object (Chamfer)
Assigning Color to Objects

1. Select the object to which you want to assign a color. If the Properties window not visible on the desktop, click View>Properties Window. Note 2. 3. 4. 5.
In the Properties window on the desktop, click the Attribute tab. Click Edit in the Color row. The Color palette appears. Select a color from the Color palette, and then click OK. The color is assigned to the selected object. Click OK to close the Properties dialog box.
Related Topics Setting the Default Color of Objects
Setting the Default Color of Objects

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Click Tools>Options>Modeler Options. Click the Display tab. Select Object from the Default color pull-down list. Click the color button beside the Default color pull-down list. The Color palette appears. Select a color from the Color palette, and then click OK. Any objects you draw after this point are assigned the default color you selected.
Setting the Default Color of Object Outlines

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Click Tools>Options>Modeler Options. Click the Display tab. Select Object Wire from the Default color pull-down list. Click the color button beside the Default color pull-down list. The Color palette appears. Select a color from the Color palette, and then click OK. The outlines of any objects you draw after this point are assigned the default color you selected.
Assigning Transparency to an Object

1. Select the object to which you want to assign a transparency. If the Properties window is not visible on the desktop, click View>Properties Window. Note 2.
In the Properties window on the desktop, click the Attribute tab.
3. 4. 5.
Click the value in the Transparency row. The Set Transparency window appears. Move the slider to the right to increase the transparency of the object. Move the slider to the left to decrease the transparency of the object. Click OK.
Related Topics Setting the Default Transparency of Objects
Setting the Default Transparency of Objects

1. 2. 3. Click Tools>Options>Modeler Options. Click the Display tab. Move the Default transparency slider to the right to increase the transparency of objects. Move the slider to the left to decrease the transparency of objects. Any objects you draw after this point are assigned the default transparency you selected.
Copying and Pasting Objects

To copy objects and paste them in the same design or another design, use the Edit>Copy and Edit>Paste commands. 1. 2. Select the objects you want to copy. Click Edit>Copy. The objects are copied to the Clipboard, a temporary storage area. The selected items are not deleted. 3. 4. 5. 6. Select the design into which you want to paste the objects. It can be the same design from which you copied the items. Click in the Modeler window. Select the working coordinate system. Objects are pasted relative to the current working coordinate system. Click Edit>Paste. The objects appear in the new window. Items on the Clipboard can be pasted repeatedly. The items currently stored on the Clipboard are replaced by the next items that are cut or copied.
Copying an Image to the Clipboard

Use this command to copy a 3D view of the design, field plots, or 2D reports to the Clipboard and paste it into another document, such as Word or PowerPoint. To copy an image to the Clipboard:
Click Edit>Copy Image.
Deleting Objects
1. 2. Select the objects to delete. Click Edit>Delete.
Note
Alternatively, press Delete.
The objects are deleted. To maintain valid excitations, or other parameters that were associated with the deleted object, reassign them to other objects.
Related Topics Deleting Polyline Segments Deleting Start Points and Endpoints
Deleting Polyline Segments

A polyline is a single object that includes any combination of straight line, arc line, or spline segments. You can delete the first or last segment of a polyline by selecting it in the history tree and pressing Delete. 1. 2. 3. In the history tree, locate the polyline that contains the segment you want to delete. Expand this part of the history tree. In the history tree, select the polyline segment operation you want to delete. Click Edit>Delete Start Point or Edit>Delete End Point. The polyline segment you selected is deleted. Note You may delete one polyline segment at a time.
Deleting Start Points and Endpoints

If you select a polyline in the history tree, the Delete Start Point and Delete End Point commands may be enabled. These permit you to delete portions of the line. 1. 2. 3. In the history tree, locate the polyline that contains the segment you want to delete. Expand this part of the history tree. In the history tree, select the polyline you want to edit. The segment is highlighted. On the Edit menu or the shortcut menu, click either Delete Start Point to remove the leading segments or Delete End Point to remove the following segments. The designated segment is removed, and the line changes.
Deleting Last Operation

1. 2. Select the objects to delete. Click Modeler>Delete Last Operation. This undoes the last operation, including removing that operation from history, and updating
the context for the Undo and Redo commands.
Cutting Objects
1. 2. Select the objects to cut. Click Edit>Cut.
The objects are copied to the Clipboard and deleted from the design.
Moving Objects
1. 2. 3. Select the objects to move. Click Edit>Arrange>Move. Select an arbitrary anchor point in one of the following ways:

4.
Click the point. Enter the point's coordinates in the X,Y, and Z boxes. Click the point. Type the coordinates of a point relative to the anchor point in the dX, dY, and dZ boxes.
Select a target point in one of the following ways:
All selected objects move the distance determined by the offset between the anchor point and the target point.
Rotating Objects
Rotate objects about the x-, y-, or z-axis using the Edit>Arrange>Rotate command. To rotate objects about an axis: 1. 2. 3. 4. Select the objects to rotate. Click Edit>Arrange>Rotate. The Rotate dialog box appears. Select the axis about which to rotate the objects: X, Y, or Z. Type the angle to rotate the objects in the Angle box. A positive angle causes the object to be rotated in the counter-clockwise direction. A negative angle causes the object to be rotated in the clockwise direction. 5. Click OK. The selected objects are rotated about the axis. To rotate and copy objects, use the Edit>Duplicate>Around Axis command.
Changing the Orientation of an Object

Each object has an Orientation property that specifies the coordinate system it uses is Global, or a user defined orientation relative to the Global coordinate.
This property is useful in dealing with anisotropic materials. The properties of anisotropic materials are specified relative to the objects orientation. Changing the orienation of an object provides a way for objects made of the same material to be orientated differently. To change an objects orientation. 1. 2. 3. 4. Define the coordinate systems you want to have available. Open the properties window for the object. Click on the Orientation property, and select from the Drop down list. If no Orientations other than Global have been defined, none appear on the list. Click OK to close the dialog and apply the changes.
Related Topics Setting Coordinate Systems Creating a Relative Coordinate System
Mirroring Objects
Mirror an object about a plane using the Edit>Arrange>Mirror command. The plane is selected by defining a point on the plane and a normal point. This command allows you to move an object and change its orientation. Note The distance between the point on the mirror plane and the point along the normal does not matter only the vector direction matters.
To mirror an object about a plane: 1. 2. 3. 4. Select the object you want to mirror. You can select multiple objects. Click Edit>Arrange>Mirror. Select a point on the plane on which you want to mirror the object. A line drawn from this point to the mirror plane is perpendicular to the plane. Select a normal point in one of the following ways:

Note
Click the point. Type the coordinates of a point relative to the first point in the dX, dY, and dZ boxes. For 2D designs, movement is restricted to the XY or RZ plane.
The mirror operation is completed, and the object is moved. To mirror and copy objects about a plane, use the Edit>Duplicate>Mirror command. Related Topics Duplicating and Mirroring Objects
Offsetting Objects
Move every face of a 3D object in a direction normal to its surface using the Edit>Arrange>Offset command. The faces are moved a specified distance normal to their original planes. This command enables you to move every face of a solid object without having to individually select and move each face. Use the Surfaces>Move Faces>Along Normal command if you want to move just one or more faces of an object. To offset every face of an object: 1. 2. 3. 4. Select the object you want to offset. Click Edit>Arrange>Offset. The Offset dialog box appears. Type the distance you want to move the object faces from their origins, and then select a unit from the pull-down list. Click OK. The selected object's faces are moved the distance you specified.
Duplicating Objects
You can duplicate objects within a design using the Edit>Duplicate commands. Duplicates are dependent upon the parameters of their parent object at the time they were created, that is, they share the parent object's history at the time of creation. The command hierarchy in the history tree shows the duplication command, illustrating which commands affect all duplicates (those performed before the duplication) and which commands do not affect the duplicates (those performed after the duplication). For example, if you modify the radius of a parent object's hole, the change is applied to the holes of the object's duplicates because they share the radius specification history, but if you move the faces of the parent object, its duplicates are not affected because this operation took place after the duplicates were created. Operations performed on duplicates are independent. For example, if you duplicate a cylinder twice, creating a row of three, and then split the second cylinder, the first and third cylinders are not affected by the split. When creating duplicates, the parent object is duplicated along a line or around an axis the number of times you specify. You can also create a single duplicate that mirrors the parent object about a plane. Choose from the following commands: Edit>Duplicate>Along Line Edit>Duplicate>Around Axis Edit>Duplicate>Mirror Duplicates the parent object along a straight line. Duplicates the parent object around an axis. Duplicates a mirror image of the parent object about a plane.
To copy objects to another design, use the Edit>Copy and Edit>Paste commands. Note There is currently no method for dissolving the parent/duplicate relationship once a duplicate has been created.
Duplicating Objects Along a Line

You can duplicate an object along a straight line using the Edit>Duplicate>Along Line command. The line along which the object is duplicated can be vertical, horizontal, or lie at an angle. 1. 2. 3. Select the object you want to duplicate. Click Edit>Duplicate>Along Line. Specify the vector along which the object is to be duplicated: a. Select an arbitrary anchor point in one of the following ways:
Click the point. Type the point's coordinates in the in the X, Y, and Z boxes.
Any point in the drawing region can be selected; however, selecting an anchor point on the object's edge or within the object makes it easier to select the duplication line. b. Select a second point in one of the following ways:
Click the point. Type the coordinates of a point relative to the anchor point in the dX, dY, and dZ boxes.
This point defines the direction and distance from the anchor point to duplicate the object. The Duplicate along line dialog box appears. 4. 5. Type the total number of objects, including the original, in the Total number box. Click OK. The duplicates are placed along the vector you specified.
Duplicating Objects Around an Axis

To duplicate an object around the x-, y-, or z-axis, use the Edit>Duplicate>Around Axis command. 1. 2. 3. 4. Select the object you want to duplicate. Click Edit>Duplicate>Around Axis. The Duplicate Around Axis dialog box appears. Select the axis around which you want to duplicate the object: X, Y, or Z. Type the angle between duplicates in the Angle box. A positive angle causes the object to be pasted in the counter-clockwise direction. A negative angle causes the object to be pasted in the clockwise direction. 5. 6. Type the total number of objects, including the original, in the Total number box. Click OK.
The object is duplicated around the axis at the angle you specified.
Duplicating and Mirroring Objects

To duplicate and mirror an object about a plane, use the Edit>Duplicate>Mirror command. The plane is selected by defining a point on the plane and a normal point. This command allows you to duplicate an object and specify the duplicate's position. Note The distance between the point on the mirror plane and the point along the normal does not matter only the vector direction matters.
This command is similar to Edit>Arrange>Mirror, except that this command duplicates an object, rather than moves it. 1. 2. 3. 4. Select the object you want to mirror. Click Edit>Duplicate>Mirror. Select a point on the plane on which you want to mirror the object. A line drawn from this point to the mirror plane is perpendicular to the plane. Select a normal point on the plane in one of the following ways:

Note
Click the point. Type the coordinates of a point relative to the first point in the dX, dY, and dZ boxes. For 2D designs, movement is restricted to the XY or RZ plane.
A duplicate of the object is mirrored. Related Topics Mirroring Objects
Scaling Objects
Scale an object's dimensions in one or more directions using the Edit>Scale command. The scale of an object is determined by the distance of each of its vertices from the origin of the model coordinate system. When an object is scaled, the distance of each vertex from the origin is multiplied by the scaling factor, causing the object to be resized and/or moved. For example, if you specify a scaling factor of 2 in the x direction, each vertex in the model is moved so that the distance to its origin is doubled. A vertex located at the origin cannot not move. You can alter an object's proportions by scaling it in one direction. To scale an object's dimensions in one or more directions: 1. 2. 3. 4. If necessary, set a different working coordinate system to achieve the desired scaling. Select the object to scale. Click Edit>Scale. The Scale dialog box appears. Type the scale factor for each axis.
5.
Click OK. The object is scaled about the working coordinate system's origin.
Sweeping Objects
You can sweep a 2D object around an axis, along a vector, or along a path to create a 3D solid object. Objects that can be swept include circles, arcs, rectangles, polylines, or any 2D object created in the Modeler window. The 2D object need not be orthogonal to the sweep path. You can also sweep open 1D objects, such as polylines. This results in open 2D sheet objects. Related Topics Sweeping Around an Axis Sweeping Along a Vector Sweep Along a Path Sweep Faces Along Normal Thicken Sheet
Sweeping Around an Axis

Sweep a 1D or 2D object around the x-, y-, or z-axis using the Draw>Sweep>Around Axis command. Sweeping circles around an axis is a convenient way to create an open coil loop. Before using this command, keep the following guidelines in mind:

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
The object and the axis you are sweeping around must lie in the same plane. For example, if you are sweeping an object around the z-axis, the object must lie in a plane that includes the zaxis, such as xz or yz. The normal of the object's plane faces must be perpendicular to the axis around which you are sweeping. The object may not cross the axis around which it is being swept. Select the object you want to sweep. Click Draw>Sweep>Around Axis. The Sweep Around Axis dialog box appears. Select X, Y, or Z as the Sweep axis. Type an angle in the Angle of sweep text box, and select the unit of measurement. The value must be between -360 and 360 degrees. Type an angle in the Draft angle text box, and select the unit of measurement. This is the angle to which the object's profile, or shape, is expanded or contracted as it is swept.
To sweep an object around an axis:
6.
Select a draft type from the Draft type pull-down list. The following choices are available: Extended The edges of the new profile are extended with straight tangent lines until they intersect. The facetting of the faces is displayed. Round Natural The edges of the new profile are rounded. The edges of the new profile are extended along their natural curves until they intersect. For example, if the original object had sharp edges, the new profile would have sharp edges.
7.
Type the number of segments in the Number of segments text box. The default number of segments is zero, which creates a true path. A positive value results in a segmented sweep, while a negative value results in an error. If the sweep angle is 360 degrees, the number of segments is equal to the value specified. If the sweep angle is less than 360 degrees, half segments appear at the ends. Projects and scripts from previous software versions are treated as if the number of segments were zero.
Note
8.
Click OK. The object is swept around the axis. The new object has the properties of the original object.
Sweeping Along a Vector

Sweep a 1D or 2D object along a vector using the Draw>Sweep>Along Vector command. 1. 2. 3. Select the object you want to sweep. Click Draw>Sweep>Along Vector. Draw the vector you want to sweep the object along: a. b. Select the start point by clicking the point or typing its coordinates in the X, Y, and Z boxes. Select the endpoint in one of the following ways:

4. 5.
Click the point. Type the coordinates of a point relative to the start point in the dX, dY, and dZ boxes.
The Sweep Along Vector dialog box appears. Type the draft angle. This is the angle to which the profile is expanded or contracted as it is swept. Select one of the following draft types from the pull-down list box: Extended Round Natural The new object has sharp edges like the original object. The facetting of the faces is displayed. The new object has rounded edges. The new object has sharp edges like the original object
6.
Click OK. The object is swept along the vector. The new object has the name and color of the original profile.
Sweeping Along a Path

Sweep a 1D or 2D object along a path that is defined by an open or closed polyline using the Draw>Sweep>Along Path command. Note If the path curve is tangential to the sweep profile, then the sweep will fail.
To sweep an object along a path: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Create the polyline you want to use as a path. Select the object you want to sweep, and then select the new polyline. Click Draw>Sweep>Along Path. The Sweep Along Path dialog box appears. Type the angle of the twist in the path. This is the number of degrees the profile will rotate as it is swept through the complete path. Type the draft angle. This is the angle to which the profile is expanded or contracted as it is swept. Select one of the following draft types from the pull-down list box: Extended The new object has sharp edges like the original object. The facetting of the faces is displayed. Round Natural The new object has rounded edges. The new object has sharp edges like the original object
The object is swept along the path. The polyline object used as the path is deleted. The new object has the properties of the original object.
Sweeping Faces Along Normal

To create a new object by sweeping select 3D objects face a specified distance in a direction normal to its original plane, use the Modeler>Surface>Sweep Faces Along Normal command. Note that the adjoining faces will not be sheared or bent. This command is useful for extruding faces, resizing holes, and removing rounded corners. To sweep selected object faces in a normal direction: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Click Select Faces on the shortcut menu. Select the faces of the object you want to sweep. Click Modeler>Surface>Sweep Faces Along Normal. The Sweep Faces Along Normal dialog box appears. Type the distance you want to sweep the object face from its origin.
6.
Click OK. The face is swept the distance you specified to create a new object.
Related Topics Moving Faces Along the Normal
Thicken Sheet
To thicken a sheet object to make a 3D object: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Select the sheet. Click Modeler>Surface>Thicken Sheet. The Thicken Sheet dialog appears. Specify the thickness by typing in the field. Specify the units by selecting from the drop down menu. If you want to thicken both sides, use the checkbox. Click OK. The dialog closes and the sheet is changed into a 3D object of the desired thickeness.
Covering Lines
To cover a closed 1D polyline object with a face, use the Modeler>Surface>Cover Lines command. The polyline object becomes a 2D sheet object. To convert a polyline object to a sheet object: 1. 2. Select the closed polyline object you want to cover. Click Modeler>Surface>Cover Lines. The object is now covered. It is now a 2D sheet object that can be swept to form a 3D solid object. Note If you want Maxwell to automatically cover all closed polyline objects you draw, including circles, ellipses, rectangles, and regular polygons, select the Automatically cover closed polylines option in the Modeler Options dialog box.
Covering Faces
To cover object faces, the faces must be united into a 3D sheet object. To cover the face of a 2D or 3D object, use the Modeler>Surface>Cover Faces command. Covering the face of an open 2D sheet object that had previously been uncovered results in a 3D solid object. For example, for a box, when you select and uncover a face, the solid box becomes a sheet with five faces. When you then select that sheet body box and use the Cover Faces command, the box becomes a solid again with six faces.
To cover the faces of objects: 1. 2. Select the faces of the objects you want to cover. Click Modeler>Surface>Cover Faces. The object faces are now covered.
Uncovering Faces
Uncover a surface of a 3D object using the Modeler>Surface>Uncover Faces command. Uncovering the surface of a 3D solid object results in an open 2D sheet object. To uncover the face of a 3D object: 1. 2. 3. Switch to face selection mode: Click Edit>Select>Faces. Select a face of the object you want to uncover. Click Modeler>Surface>Uncover Faces. The selected face is uncovered, leaving an open face on the object. Note Multiple faces can be uncovered at the same time.
Detaching Faces
The Modeler>Surface>Detach Faces command enables you to remove the face of a 3D object, resulting in two separate objects. To detach the face of an object: 1. 2. 3. Switch to face selection mode: Click Edit>Select>Faces. Select the face of the object you want to detach. You can select multiple faces to detach. Click Modeler>Surface>Detach Faces. The selected face is now detached, resulting in multiple sheet objects.
Detaching Edges
The Modeler>Edge>Detach Edges command enables you to remove an edge of a wire object, resulting in two separate wire objects. To detach an edge of an object: 1. 2. 3. Switch to edge selection mode: Click Edit>Select>Edges. Select the edge of the object you want to detach. You can select multiple edges to detach. Click Modeler>Edge>Detach Edges. The selected edge is now detached, resulting in multiple wire objects.
Creating a Cross-Section
You can take a cross-section of a 3D object to create a new 2D object. This is done using the Modeler>Surface>Section command.
Use this command to create cross-sections of 3D objects on the xy, yz, or xz plane. The cross-sections are created as 2D closed polyline objects. To create a cross-section of an object: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Make sure the working coordinate system you want to use for the cross-sectioning plane is set. Select the object from which you want to create a cross-section. Click Modeler>Surface>Section. Select the section plane you plan to use to divide the object: XY, YZ, or ZX. Click OK. A closed polyline object is created from the object that was sliced by the selected plane. The original, sectioned object is unmodified. Related Topics Setting the Working Coordinate System
Connecting Objects
Use the Modeler>Surface>Connect command to perform the following operations:
Connect two or more 1D polyline objects. Maxwell 3D will modify the first polyline you select to be a 2D sheet object that connects to the second and any subsequently selected polylines. The second and subsequent polylines selected are deleted. Connect two or more 2D sheet objects. Maxwell 3D will modify the first 2D object you select to be a 3D solid object that connects to the second and any subsequently selected objects. The second and subsequent objects selected are deleted. Select the objects you want to connect. Click Modeler>Surface>Connect. A new object is created that connects the objects you selected. The first object you selected was modified to create the new object and all subsequently selected objects were deleted.
To connect objects: 1. 2.
Moving Faces
You can move the faces of a 3D object in a normal direction using the Modeler>Surface>Move Faces commands. Moving object faces enables you to resize, reshape, or relocate an object. Related Topics Moving Faces Along the Normal Moving Faces Along a Vector Offsetting Objects
Moving Faces Along the Normal

To move a 3D object's face a specified distance in a direction normal to its original plane, use the Modeler>Surface>Move Faces>Along Normal command. The faces that adjoin the original face
are extended or shortened along their own planes to meet the new face. The adjoining faces are not sheared or bent. This command is useful for extruding faces, resizing holes, and removing rounded corners, as shown below. To move an object face in a normal direction: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Click Select Faces on the shortcut menu. Select the face of the object you want to move. Click Modeler>Surface>Move Faces>Along Normal. The Move faces along normal dialog box appears. Type the distance you want to move the object face from its origin. Click OK. The face is moved the distance you specified.
Extruding Faces
Resizing Holes
Removing Rounded Corners
To move every face of an object normal to its surface, use the Edit>Arrange>Offset command.
Moving Faces Along a Vector

To move the faces of a 3D object a specified distance along a vector, use the Modeler>Surface>Move Faces>Along Vector command. Each selected face is moved along the vector, normal to its original plane. The faces that adjoin the original face are extended or shortened along their own planes to meet the new face. The adjoining faces are not be sheared or bent. This command is useful for relocating holes in an object, as shown below. To move an object face along a vector: 1. 2. 3. 4. Click Select Faces on the shortcut menu. Select the face of the object you want to move. Click Modeler>Surface>Move Faces>Along Vector. Specify the vector along which the face is to be moved: a. Select an arbitrary anchor point in one of the following ways:

Any point in the drawing region can be selected; however, selecting an anchor point on the object's edge or within the object makes it easier to select the vector. b. Select a second point in one of the following ways:
Click the point. Type the coordinates of a point relative to the anchor point in the dX, dY, and dZ boxes.
This point defines the direction and distance from the anchor point to move the face. The face is moved along the vector you specified.
Relocating Holes
Uniting Objects
To join two or more objects into one object, use the Modeler>Boolean>Unite command. The new object has the name, color, and material assignment of the first object selected. The objects are united at the point of intersection. You can unite objects that do not touch. To unite two or more objects: 1. 2. Select the objects you want to join. Click Modeler>Boolean>Unite. The objects are united. Note By default, the objects being joined to the first object selected are not preserved for later use. If you want to keep a copy of the objects being joined to the first object selected, select Clone tool objects before uniting in the Modeler Options dialog box. This option instructs Maxwell to always keep a copy of the original objects being joined.
Subtracting Objects
1. 2. 3. Select the object from which you want to subtract other objects. Hold down the Ctrl key and select the objects you want to subtract. Click Modeler>Boolean>Subtract.
The Subtract dialog box appears. Objects listed in the Tool Parts list are subtracted from the object or objects listed in the Blank Parts list. 4. Optionally, select an object name in either list, and use the left and right arrow buttons to move the object name to the opposite list.
5. 6.
Alternatively, type the name of object you want to subtract in the empty box below the Tool Parts list, and then type the name of the object from which you want to subtract it in the empty box below the Blank Parts list.
Optionally, select Clone tool objects before subtract. This instructs Maxwell to always keep a copy of the original objects being subtracted. Click OK. The new object retains the name, color, and material of the first object selected.
An intersecting box and cylinder.
A box subtracted from a cylinder. The cylinder was selected first.
Note
By default, the objects being subtracted from the first object selected are not preserved for later use. If you want to keep a copy of the objects being subtracted from the first object selected, select Clone tool objects before subtracting in the Modeler Options dialog box. This option instructs Maxwell to always keep a copy of the original objects being subtracted.
Creating New Objects By Intersecting Objects

To create a new object from the intersection of two or more objects, use the Modeler>Boolean>Intersect command.
To create an object from an intersection: 1. Select the objects from which you want to take the intersection. If the objects you selected do not overlap, the result is a null object, and all objects vanish.
Warning 2.
Click Modeler>Boolean>Intersect. The original objects vanish, leaving only the new object that was formed from their intersection.
Note
By default, the original objects are not preserved for later use. If you want to keep a copy of the objects that intersect the first object selected, select Clone tool objects before intersecting in the Modeler Options dialog box. This option instructs Maxwell to always keep a copy of the original objects that intersect the first object selected.
An intersecting box and cylinder.
Object formed from the intersection of the box and cylinder.
Creating an Object from a Face

The Modeler>Surface>Create Object From Face command copies a selected face, resulting in a new 2D sheet object. To create a new object from a face: 1. 2. Right-click in the modeler window, and select Select Faces on the shortcut menu. Select the object face you want to copy. If you select multiple faces, each becomes a new
object. 3. Click Modeler>Surface>Create Object From Face. The face is copied, resulting in a new 2D sheet object. Hint This command is useful for assigning a boundary to the intersection of two faces. To do this, first select the faces, and then create an object from them using the procedure above. Next, make sure the Clone before intersect option is clear in the Modeler Options window, and then use the Modeler>Boolean>Intersect command to modify the object so that it includes only the intersection of the two faces. Then assign the boundary to the new object.
Creating an Object from an Edge

The Modeler>Create Object From Edge command copies a selected edge, resulting in a new 2D sheet object. To create a new object from an edge: 1. 2. 3. Right-click in the modeler window, and select Select Edges on the shortcut menu. Select the object edge you want to copy. If you select multiple edges, each becomes a new object. Click Modeler>Create Object From Edge.
The edge is copied.
Splitting Objects
To delete parts of an object that lie on the xy, yz, or xz plane, use the Modeler>Boolean>Split command. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Select the object you want to split. You can select more than one. Click Modeler>Boolean>Split. The Split dialog box appears. Select the Split plane that you plan to use to split the object. Select XY, YZ, or XZ as the Split plane. Select one of the following Keep fragments options to specify which object fragments you want to keep (those on the positive side of the selected plane, those on the negative side of the plane, or all pieces on both sides of the plane):

6.
Positive side Negative side Both Split entire selection Select this option if you do not want to preserve objects that are not crossing the split
Select one of the following Split objects options:
plane and still part of the selection.
Split objects crossing split plane Select this option so that objects of the selection that do not cross the split plane are preserved after the split operation is performed. Note In previous versions of Maxwell, the split operation only affected the selected objects that crossed the selected split plane. Other objects were ignored during the operation. In complex geometries, you may want to select everything and perform a split. In some cases, operations are still performed on selected objects that do not cross the split plane (i.e., both parts are retained, yielding the original object and an invalid object). Also, depending on the options specified, some objects not crossing the split may be deleted. The Split objects crossing split plane option allows you to identify selected objects that do not cross the split plane and ignore them for the operation. For a multiple selection, only those objects that cross the split plane are split; others are kept intact. By design, splits in existing designs from previous versions are not changed.
7.
Click OK. The objects are divided along the split plane.
A cylinder split along the positive side of the xy plane.
Separating Bodies
To separate an object with multiple lumps into individual bodies: 1. 2. Select the object you want to separate. Click Modeler>Boolean>Separate Bodies. The object is separated.
This figure shows two separate bodies, each with one lump, that were created from one object.
Converting Polyline Segments

A polyline is a single object that includes any combination of straight line, arc line, or spline segments. You can convert a polyline segment from one type to another. The following conversions are supported:

1. 2.
Straight line segments to arc line or spline segments. Arc line segments to straight line or spline segments. Spline segments to straight line segments. In the history tree, locate the polyline that contains the segment you want to convert. Expand this part of the history tree. In the history tree, right-click the polyline segment operation you want to change, and then click Properties. The Properties dialog appears. In the Properties dialog box, click in the Value box of the Segment Type row. Select the desired polyline segment type from the pull-down list.
To convert polyline segments:
3. 4.
The polyline segment you selected is changed to the new type. Note Converting an arc line or spline segment to a straight line segment results in two straight line segments; one segment is created between the start point and midpoint, and one segment is created between the midpoint and endpoint.
5. 6.
By default, curved surfaces are treated as smooth (True) surfaces. If segmented surfaces are desired, enter an integer number in the Number of Segments parameter. Click OK to dismiss the properties panel and implement the changes. If the changes are not what was expected, undo the change using the Edit>Undo command or press CTRL-Z.
Related Topics Creating Segmented Geometry Surface Approximation
Rounding the Edge of an Object (Fillet Command)

Note The Fillet command may only be applied to edges of 3D solid objects. Therefore, the command is only available when working on a 3D Project.
The fillet command rounds the object at the original edges and vertices. This means that the edges and vertices are going to be replaced by new rounded surfaces, so that the original faces of the object reconnect in a smooth manner. Vertices are only going to be replaced by new rounded surfaces if all the edges connecting to the original vertex are selected; otherwise, the vertex is preserved but moved (if necessary). The edges are replaced by quarter-cylindrical surfaces, of which the radius can be customized (see the Fillet Radius property). Vertices are replaced by more complicated new faces. You can control the setback distance. The fillet command is disabled if an edge is not selected. To switch to edge selection mode:
1. 2.
Right-click the desktop, and select Select Edges from the shortcut menu. Select the edge you want to change. The edge is highlighted, and the Fillet command is enabled. Click Model>Fillet, or click the Fillet the selected edges icon Blending toolbar. The Fillet Properties dialog box appears. on the 3D Modeler
To round an object's edge:
3. 4.
Type a value in the Fillet Radius text box, and select the units from the pull-down list. Type a value in the Setback distance text box, and select the units from the pull-down list. The setback distance controls the shape of the vertex. It is the distance of the cross curve from the vertex at the end of the edge. If it is less than the fillet radius, the setback distance has no
effect. If the setback distance is greater then the length of the edge, an error occurs. 5. Click OK to apply the change to the edge. The Fillet Properties dialog box closes, and the object is rounded by the radius value relative to the edge you selected.
Flattening the Edge of an Object (Chamfer Command)

Note The Chamfer command may only be applied to edges of 3D solid objects. Therefore, the command is only available when working on a 3D Project.
The chamfer command flattens the edges and vertices of the object. This means that the edges and vertices are going to be replaced by new flat surfaces, so that the original faces of the object reconnect through the newly introduced flat surfaces. Vertices are only going to be replaced by new flat surfaces if all the edges connecting to the original vertex are selected; otherwise, the vertex is preserved but moved (if necessary). You can control the chamfer value. The chamfer command is disabled if an edge is not selected. To switch to edge selection mode:
1. 2.
Right-click the desktop, and select Select Edges from the shortcut menu. Select the edge you want to change. The edge is highlighted, and the Chamfer command is enabled. Click Modeler>Chamfer or click the Chamfer the selected edges icon Modeler Blending toolbar. The Chamfer Properties dialog box appears. on the 3D
To flatten an object's edge.
3. 4.
Type a value in the Chamfer value text box, and select the units from the pull-down list. Click OK to apply the change to the edge. The Chamfer Properties dialog box closes, and the object is flattened by the radius value relative to the edge you selected.
Purging the History

Each object is a sequence of modeler-based operations. The history for each object is shown under its name in the model tree. You can use the Purge History command to remove the history of operations while not affecting the geometry itself. This is useful when you want to perform healing operations on the object. To purge the history: 1. 2. Select the object. Select Modeler>Purge History.
The history for the model is purged, and the context for the Undo and Redo commands is updated.
Related Topics Working with the History Tree Generating History to Reproduce Portions of a Model
Deleting the Last Operation

To delete the last operation:
Click Modeler>Delete Last Operation.
Generating History to Reproduce Portions of a Model

If a polyline object (line, spline, or arc), circle, or ellipse is imported or history was previously purged, you can reproduce the individual line segments used to create the object in the model history tree: To reproduce the line segments in the model history tree: 1. 2. Select the polyline object. Click Modeler>Generate History.
Related Topics Purging the History Draw Polyline
Modifying the Model View

You can modify the view of contents in the Modeler window without changing their actual dimensions or positions. What do you want to do?
Rotate the view. Pan the view. Spin the view. Zoom in or out. Viewing 3D User Interface Options Fit contents in the view window. Show or hide objects. Render objects as wireframes, flat-shaded, or smooth-shaded solids. Modify the view orientation. Modify the lighting. Set the projection view. Set the background color. Modify the appearance of the coordinate system axes. Modify the appearance of the grid. Set the Surface Visualization Setting a symmetry multiplier
Related Topics Assigning Color to an Object Assigning Transparency to an Object
Rotating the View

1. 2. Click View>Rotate. A shortcut menu appears. Select one of the following from the shortcut menu:

3.
Rotate Model Center Rotate Screen Center Rotate Current Axis
Click-and-drag the mouse in the direction you want to rotate the view. The view rotates until you release the mouse button.
4.
To exit Rotate mode, press Esc. Hint Alternatively, rotate the view using one of the following methods:
Hold down the ALT key as you drag the mouse. Right-click in the view window, and then click View>Rotate Model Center from the shortcut menu.
Panning the View

To move (pan) the view: 1. 2. 3. Click View>Pan. Click-and-drag the mouse in the direction you want to pan the view. The view pans until you release the mouse button. To exit Pan mode, click View>Pan again, or press Esc. Hint Alternatively, pan the view using one of the following methods:

1. 2. 3. 4.
Hold down the SHIFT key as you drag the mouse. Right-click in the view window, and then click View>Pan from the shortcut menu.
Spinning the View

Click View>Spin. Click-and-drag the mouse in the direction and at the speed you want to spin the view. The view spins continually in the direction and at the speed you dragged the mouse. To stop spinning the view, click in the view window. To end Spin mode, click View>Spin again, or press Esc. Hint Alternatively, right-click in the view window, and then click View>Spin on the shortcut menu.
Zooming In and Out

You can magnify (zoom in) or shrink (zoom out) the contents in the view window using hot keys or mouse zoom mode. To zoom in using hotkeys:
Press the plus sign (+) or (=) keys or press Ctrl-E keys. The view zooms in 5 percent.
To zoom out using hotkeys:
Press the minus sign (-) key or press the Ctrl-F keys. The view zooms out 5 percent.
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To zoom using the mouse. 1. 2. Click View>Zoom. To zoom in, drag the mouse towards the top of the view window. The contents of the view expand as you drag. To zoom out, drag the mouse towards the bottom of the view window. The contents of the view decrease in size as you drag. When zooming on a view of model objects, the absolute size of the model does not change. When zooming on a 2D report, axis labels and ticks will adjust automatically during the zoom operation and will rescale to their final value after the zoom operation is complete. 3. To end Zoom mode, click View>Zoom again, or press Esc. Hint Alternatively, zoom in or out on the view using one of the following methods:
Hold down the ALT+SHIFT keys as you drag the mouse. Right-click in the view window, and then click View>Zoom on the shortcut menu.
Related Topics Zooming In or Out on a Rectangular Area Fitting Objects in the View Window
Zooming In or Out on a Rectangular Area

To magnify or shrink a specific rectangular area in the view window: 1. On the View menu, click Zoom In or Zoom Out.
2.
Alternatively, right-click in the view window, and then click View>Zoom In or View>Zoom Out on the shortcut menu.
Use the mouse to draw a rectangle (or square) by selecting two diagonally opposite corners. This is the area of magnification to be increased or decreased. The rectangular area is magnified or decreases in size. When zooming on a view of model objects, the absolute size of the model does not change. When zooming on a 2D report, axis labels and ticks will adjust after the zoom operation is complete.
3.
To end Zoom mode, click Zoom In or Zoom Out on the View menu again, or press Esc.
Related Topics Zooming In and Out Fitting Objects in the View Window
Viewing 3D User Interface Options

To view and set interface options: Click View>Options. The 3D UI Options dialog box appears, with the Options tab active. The dialog allows you to set defaults for the following options:
Stereo mode. (Default is disabled) This mode is designed for stereo shutter glasses. It should remain disabled when not in use as it causes blurring of the screen. This mode requires special graphics hardware and drivers for OpenGL page flipping. If you hardware does not support this mode, you will receive an error.
Drag Optimization. (Default is disabled) Show Ansoft logo in prints. (Default is disabled) Default Color Key height. (Default is 16) Under When there is a selection, you may set the following:
Selection always visible. (Default is enabled) Set transparency of selected objects. Set transparency of non-selected objects. Screen Center (Default) Current Axis Model Center.
Under Default Rotation About, you may select one of the following:
Fitting Objects in the View Window

What do you want to do?
Fit all objects or traces in a view window. Fit selected objects in a view window.
Fitting All Objects in a View Window

To fit all the views: click View>Fit All>All Views. All view windows displaying the active design change to include all model objects. To fit only the active view: click View>Fit All>Active View. The view in the active Modeler window changes to include all model objects. Hint Alternatively, fit all objects in the active view window using one of the following methods:
Press CTRL+D. Right-click in the view window, and then click View>Fit All on the shortcut menu.
When Fit All is used in a report view, the window is automatically rescaled to fit all traces in the window and the axis label and ticks are rescaled. Related Topics Fitting a Selection in a View Window
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Fitting a Selection in a View Window

1. 2. 3. When working in a model view, select the objects you want to fit in the view. When working with a report view, select the traces you want to fit. To fit the selection in the active view window: Click View>Fit Selection>Active View. To fit the selection in every open view window of the active design: Click View>Fit Selection>All Views. Hint Alternatively, fit the selection in the active view window by clicking View>Fit Selection on the shortcut menu.
Related Topics Fitting All Objects in a View Window
Hiding Objects from View

There are two common methods for hiding selected objects: Using the Hide Selection option: 1. 2. 3. Select the object you want to hide from view. To hide the selected object in every open view window, click View>Hide Selection>All Views. To hide the selected object in the active view window, click View>Hide Selection>Active View. The objects you selected are hidden. Using the Visibility option: 1. 2. 3. Click View>Active View Visibility. The Active View Visibility dialog box appears. Under the 3D Modeler tab, clear the Visibility option for the objects you want to hide in the active view window. Click Done. The objects are hidden.
Showing Objects
To show one or more objects that are currently hidden: 1. 2. 3. Click View>Active View Visibility. The Active View Visibility dialog box appears. Under the 3D Modeler tab, select the Visibility option for the objects you want to show in the active view window. Click Done. The objects you selected reappear. To show all objects that are currently hidden:
To show all objects in every open view window, click View>Show All>All Views. To show all objects in the active view window, click View>Show All>Active Views. The objects reappear. To show the selected objects in every open view window, click View>Show Selection>All Views. To show all objects in the active view window, click View>Show Selection>Active View.
To show selected objects:
Active View Visibility Settings

The Active View Visibility dialog can be used to set the visibility status of a variety of elements within the design. The following items may be available in the dialog depending upon there presence in the currently selected design: 3D Modeler Objects ColorKeys MotionSetup Indicators Boundary Indicators Excitations Indicators Parameter Indicators FieldsReporter
Rendering Objects as Wire Frames or Solids

To render (display) all objects in the view window as wireframe outlines or smooth-shaded solids: 1. 2. Click View>Render. On the Render menu, click one of the following:
Wire Frame. The objects in the view window are displayed as skeletal structures, enabling you to see all sides of the objects at one time. Smooth Shaded. The objects in the view window are displayed as shaded objects with smooth edges.
To render a single object in the view window as a wireframe outline: 1. 2. Select the object you want to render as a wireframe: In the Properties dialog box, under the Attribute tab, select the check box for the Display Wireframe property. Hint You can also press F6 (Wire Frame) and F7 (Smooth Shaded) to toggle between these two views.
Related Topics Setting the Default Rendering Mode
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Setting the Default Rendering Mode

To set a default rendering mode for all objects created in the active design and in future designs: 1. 2. 3. Click Tools>Options>Modeler Options. The Modeler Options dialog box appears. Click the Display tab. Select one of the following from the Default render mode pull-down list.

4.
Wire Frame. The objects in the view window are displayed as skeletal structures, enabling you to see all sides of the objects at one time. Smooth Shaded. The objects in the view window are displayed as shaded objects with smooth edges.
Click OK. The rendering mode is applied to all new objects you create.
Setting the Surface Visualization

Maxwell allows you to specify the faceting for rendering true curves by using the View>Visualization Settings command. There are two options for control--maximum surface deviation and maximum normal deviation. This resembles the Mesh surface approximation settings. Reduce either or both of the allowed deviations to improve the image quality. Improved image quality comes at the cost of increased cpu consumption. Changes apply to the current model until they are changed again. Any changes be reset to default, which are to ignore surface deviation and use a 15 degree normal deviation. To set the Surface Visualization Settings for the active modeler window: 1. Click View>Visualization Settings. This command displays the Visualization Settings dialog for the active modeler window. The dialog contains areas for setting the Maximum Surface deviation, and the Maximum Normal deviation. 2. Set the Surface deviation by first selecting from the radio buttons for Ignore, set as Relative Deviation or set as Absolute Deviation. Selecting the later two radio buttons enables the value field. When set as Relative Deviation, the actual surface deviation depends on the model size. For example, a sphere with a radius of 10 has same number of facets as a sphere with a radius of 1. This means that CPU cost does not increase based on the model dimension. When set as Absolute Deviation, the maximum surface deviation for both the spheres will be approximately same since a bigger sphere has more facets than a smaller one. This means that the most CPU cost applies to the larger objects. 3. If you selected the radio buttons for Relative or Absolute Deviation for Maximum Surface deviation, enter a value in the field.
4.
To change the Maximum Normal Deviation, enter a value in the text field. Units are degrees. Wire bodies cannot be rendered with a Maximum Normal Deviation value less than 1 degree. When using a setting less than 1 degree, all wire bodies will be rendered with a setting of 1 degree and all closed bodies will be rendered with the dialog box setting.
Note
5. 6.
The Save As Default button lets you Save any values you change to the drop down menus for the fields. The Restore Defaults button lets you return to the original values. Any values you provided through Save As Default remain on the drop down menus for the fields for surface and normal deviations Click Apply to apply the current values to the active modeler window, and Close or Cancel to close the dialog without changing settings.
7.
Related Topics Rendering Objects as Wireframes or Solids
Modifying the View Orientation

To change the orientation of the view (the viewing direction) in the view window: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Click View>Modify Attributes>Orientation. The Select Viewing Direction from the List dialog box appears with the orientation settings. Apply a default orientation to the view, or create and apply a new orientation. Click Apply for the selected view to appear in the view window. Click Make Default if you want the selected viewing direction to be the initial viewing direction when a Modeler window is opened, either in the current project or future projects. Click Close. The orientation you set is saved with the design. New orientations assigned to other designs after this point do not affect this orientation. Related Topics Applying a Default View Orientation Applying a New Orientation
Applying a Default View Orientation

To apply a default viewing direction to the active view window: 1. 2. 3. Click View>Modify Attributes>Orientation. The Select Viewing Direction from the List dialog box appears with the orientation settings. Click one of the orientation names listed in the viewing directions list. To view the associated vector components for the orientation you clicked, select Input vector
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components under Add Orientation to List. The Vx, Vy, and Vz components are displayed in the boxes to the right. 4. To view the associated input angles for the orientation you clicked, select Input angles under Add Orientation to List. The phi and theta components of the selected orientation are listed in the boxes to the right. 5. 6. Click Apply. Click Close. The viewing direction is applied to the active view window.
Applying a New View Orientation

To apply a new viewing direction to the active view window: 1. 2. Click View>Modify Attributes>Orientation. The Select Viewing Direction from the List dialog box appears with orientation settings. To create a viewing direction that is based on a default viewing direction, click the existing orientation name in the viewing directions list. To create a viewing direction based on the current view in the Modeler window, click Get Current View Direction. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. To modify the selected orientation's vector components, select Input vector components under Add Orientation to List, and then modify the values in the Vx, Vy, and Vz boxes. To modify the selected orientation's input angles, select Input angles under Add Orientation to List, and then modify the values in the phi and theta boxes. Type a name for the new orientation in the Name box. Click Add/Edit. The new orientation is added to the list of viewing directions. Click Make Default if you want the new viewing direction to be the initial viewing direction when a Modeler window is opened in the current project or future projects. Click Close.
Removing an Orientation
To remove a viewing direction from the list in the orientation settings dialog box: 1. 2. 3. 4. Click View>Modify Attributes>Orientation. The Select Viewing Direction from the List dialog box appears with orientation settings. Click the viewing direction you want to delete from the list of names. Click Remove. Click Close. The viewing direction is removed from the list. This operation cannot be undone.
Modifying the Lighting

You have the option to emit the following types of light on a design:
Ambient lighting surrounds the model evenly with light. All objects are lit evenly in every direction by a color of light that you specify. Distant lighting directs a ray of light at the model in a direction you specify. By default, two distant light vectors are in effect for every new view window. Click View>Modify Attributes>Lighting. The Lighting Properties dialog box appears. Select Do not use lighting to turn off ambient and distant lighting. Clear this option to activate ambient and distant lighting. To surround the model with light, click the Ambient Light Properties color button, and then select a color for the surrounding light from the Color palette. To modify the distant light on a model, do one of the following: a. b. c. Add a new distant light by clicking Add. Copy an existing distant light that you intend to modify by first selecting it from the Distant Light Vectors table, and then clicking Clone. Select a default distant light to modify by selecting it in the Distant Light Vectors table. To modify the direction by specifying Cartesian coordinates, do one of the following:
To modify the lighting: 1. 2. 3. 4.
5.
For the selected distant light vector, specify the vector direction: a.

b.
Enter the new Cartesian coordinates in the X, Y, and Z boxes. Use the Vx, Vy, and Vz sliders to specify the Cartesian coordinates dynamically. Enter the new spherical coordinates in the and boxes. Use the and sliders to specify the spherical coordinates dynamically.
To modify the direction by specifying the spherical coordinates, do one of the following:

6. 7.
Click Save as default if you want the new lighting settings to be the defaults for all Modeler windows, either in the current project or future projects. Click OK.
The lighting settings are saved with the design. New lighting applied to other designs after this point, including new default settings, do not affect these lighting settings.
Setting the Projection View

To modify the projection of model objects (the camera angle) in the view window: 1. 2. Click View>Modify Attributes>Projection. The Select Projection Type window appears. Select Perspective to change the camera angle of the view.
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Move the slider to the right to increase the proximity, or widen, the view. Move the slider
to the left to decrease the proximity, or flatten, the view. Objects that are closer appear larger relative to objects that are farther away. 3. 4. 5. Select Orthographic to view the model without distortion. The slider is disabled because a distortion scale no longer applies. Click Reset to return the model to its original view. Click Close to accept the projection setting and dismiss the window. The Select Projection Type window closes. The last view you specified in the projection window remains visible in the view window. The projection view you set are saved with the design. New projection views assigned to other designs after this point do not affect this projection setting.
Setting the Background Color

To set the color of the background in the view window: 1. 2. Click View>Modify Attributes>Background color. The Select Background Color window appears. To assign a solid background color, do the following: a. b. Select Plain Background. Modify the background color in one of the following ways:

3.
Click the Background Color button, and then select a color from the Color palette. Click OK. Use the RGB sliders under Change View Color Dynamically to specify the color's red, green, and blue values.
To assign a background color that gradually changes from one color to another, do the following: a. b. Select Gradient Background. Specify the background color at the top and bottom of the view window in one of the following ways:

4. 5. 6.
Under Select Background Type, click the Top Color button, and select a color from the Color palette. Click OK. Then click the Bottom Color button, and select a color from the Color palette. Then click OK. Under Change View Color Dynamically, click Top Color or Bottom Color, and use the RGB sliders to specify the color's red, green, and blue values.
Click Reset to revert to the default background colors. Click Save As Default if you want the new background color to be the background color for all Modeler windows in either the current project or future project. Click OK.
The background color you set is saved with the design. New background color settings assigned to other designs after this point, including new default settings, do not affect this design.
Modifying the Coordinate System Axes View


1. 2.
Show or hide the coordinate system axes. Show the coordinate system axes for selected objects. Enlarge or shrink the size of the coordinate system axes. On the View menu, point to Coordinate System. On the Coordinate System menu, click one of the following:
Showing or Hiding the Axes

1. 2. 1. 2.
Hide to hide the x-, y-, and z-axes in the active view window. Show to display the x-, y-, and z-axes in the active view window.
Show the Axes for Selected Objects

On the Tools menu, point to Options, and then click 3D Modeler Options >Display. Select Show orientation of selected objects. On the View menu, point to Coordinate System. On the Coordinate System menu, click one of the following:
Enlarging or Shrinking the Axes
Large to display the x-, y-, and z-axes as extending to the edges of the active view window. Small to display the x-, y-, and z-axes in a smaller size in relative to the edges of the active view window.
Showing or Hiding the Triad Axes

The triad is a secondary depiction of the coordinate system that appears at the lower right of the Modeler window. It shows the orientation of the currently selected working coordinate system. It can be shown or hidden separately from the selected coordinate system. To show the triad: 1. 2. On the View menu, point to Coordinate System>Triad. On the Coordinate System>Triad menu, click one of the following:
Hide to hide the triad x-, y-, and z-axes at the lower right of the active view window. Show to display the triad x-, y-, and z-axes in the lower right active view window. Auto to generally hide the triad axes.
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Choosing Grid Settings

The grid displayed in the Modeler window is a drawing aid that helps to visualize the location of objects. For Cartesian grids, the location of points on the grid are defined by intersections of planes that are perpendicular to and along the x-, y-, and z-axes. The division (the distance between neighboring parallel planes perpendicular to the same axis) can be set. For polar grids, the location of points on the grid are defined by intersections of planes that are perpendicular to the local radius and angle coordinates. The division (the distance between neighboring parallel planes perpendicular to the same radius and angle) can be set. Grid spacing is set according to the current project's drawing units. You can control the following aspects of the grid:

1. 2.
Type (rectangular or circular) Style (dots or lines) Density Spacing Visibility Snap settings Grid plane Click View>Grid Settings. The Grid Spacing window appears. Select a Grid type for the active view window: Cartesian for a rectangular grid or Polar for a circular grid. The grid in the active view window is centered at the origin of the working coordinate system.
Setting the Grid Type
Setting the Grid Style

1. 2. Click View>Grid Settings. The Grid Spacing window appears. Select one of the following Grid styles for the active view window: Dot Line 3. 1. 2. Displays each grid point as a dot. Displays lines between grid points.
Click OK. Click View>Grid Settings. The Grid Spacing window appears. If you want to change the density of the grid in the active view window as you zoom in or out
Setting the Grid Density and Spacing
on objects, do the following: a. b. 3. Select Auto adjust density to. Specify a distance between grid points by typing a value in the pixels box. The default is set to 30 pixels, which is generally the best setting for displaying objects. If you do not want the grid density to change when you zoom in or out, but instead want to specify a constant grid spacing, do the following: a. b. Clear the Auto adjust density to option. Specify the grid's spacing in the active design's units. If you selected a Cartesian grid type, type the values of dX, dY, and dZ. These values represent the difference between one grid point and the next in the x, y, and z directions, respectively. If you selected a polar grid type, type the values for dR and dTheta. dR represents the difference between each radius. dTheta is the difference between angles. 4. Click OK. To hide the grid, click the Grid toolbar icon. Click it again to show the grid. Click View>Grid Settings. The Grid Spacing window appears. 2. 3. Select Grid Visible to make the grid visible in the active Modeler window. Clear the selection to make the grid invisible. Click OK. Related Topics Setting the Grid Plane
Setting the Grid's Visibility
1.
Alternatively:
Setting the Grid Plane

To specify the plane on which you want to display the grid in the active view window, do one of the following:
Click Modeler>Grid Plane, and then select a grid plane: XY, YZ, or XZ. Select XY from the Drawing plane pull-down list on the 3D Modeler Draw toolbar.
Setting the Color Key Visibility

To set the visibility of color keys: 1. 2. 3. Click View>Active View Visibility. The Active View Visibility dialog box appears. Click the Color Keys tab. Select or clear the Visibility check box for each key listed.
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4.
Click Done.
Setting a Plot's Visibility

To show or hide a plot: 1. 2. 3. 4. Click View>Active View Visibility. The Active View Visibility dialog box appears. Click the FieldsReporter tab. Select or clear the Visibility check box for each plot listed. Click Done.
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Selecting Items in the Modeler Window

To modify or learn more about an item's properties, you must first select it. All commands you choose while an item is selected are performed on or in reference to the selected item. What selection mode do you want to use?
Select Objects. Select Faces. Select Edges. Select Vertices. Select Multi (a mode for selecting objects, faces, edges or vertices) Coordinates in the drawing space.
Selecting Objects
By default, Maxwell is in object selection mode. Click an object in the view window or an object name in the history tree to select it. All other objects become relatively transparent. When the mouse hovers over an object in the view window, the object is highlighted. This indicates that it will be selected when you click it. Selected objects become the color specified under the Display tab of the Modeler Options dialog box. Tooltips, as you hover the cursor over an entity, indicate the type/ID of entity (object name in the case of objects, Face_id in the case of faces, and so on). This feature helps you distinguish between face-of-sheet-object pick versus sheet-object pick. If Maxwell is not currently in object selection mode, you can switch to it using one of the following methods:
Click Edit>Select>Objects. Select Object from the pull-down list on the Modeler Selection Mode toolbar. Right-click in the view window, and then click Select Objects. Press the shortcut key O.
Related Topics Selecting Multiple Objects Selecting Objects by Name Selecting All Faces of an Object Creating an Object List Selecting the Face, Edge, Vertex, or Object Behind Select Edges. Select Vertices. Select Multi (a mode for selecting objects, faces, edges or vertices)
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Selecting Multiple Objects

To select objects: 1. 2. Make sure Maxwell is in object selection mode by pressing the shortcut key O. Select multiple objects in one of the following ways:
Hold down Ctrl, and click the objects in the view window that you want to select. Hold down Ctrl, and click the object names in the history tree that you want to select. In the History tree, select a range of objects by first clicking one object to select it, and then Shift-click to extend the selection of visible items. In the History tree, under Lists, select AllObjects. This is an automatically created list that lets you selects all object. Click Edit>Select All to select all objects that were drawn in the active view window (visible or hidden). Click Edit>Select All Visible (or press Ctrl+A) to select all objects that are visible in the active view window.
Selected objects become the color that is specified for selected objects under the Display tab of the Modeler Options dialog box. Use Tools>Options>Modeler Options to display the dialog and set the default color. By default, the selected objects are opaque and all other objects become relatively transparent.The settings for the relative opacity and transparency of selected and non-selected objects also appear in the 3D UI Options dialog box. Use View>Options to display the 3D UI Options dialog. To deselect all objects, do one of the following:

1. 2. 3.
Click Edit>Deselect All. Press Ctrl+Shift+A. Make sure that Maxwell is in object selection mode by pressing the shortcut key O. Click Edit>Select>By Name. The Select Object dialog box appears. In the Name list, click the name of the object you want to select. Use the Ctrl key to select more than one.
Selecting Objects by Name
4.
Alternatively, type the name of an object you want to select in the empty text box, click the right-arrow button, and select either Select or Deselect.
Click OK. The selection is completed.
Setting the Default Color and Transparency of Selected Objects

To set the color of objects when they are selected: 1. Click Tools>Options>Modeler Options. The Modeler Options dialog box appears.
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2. 3. 4. 5.
Click the Display tab. Click Select on the Default color pull-down list. Click the color button beside the Default color pull-down list. The Color palette appears. Select a color from the Color palette, and then click OK. Any objects you select after this point will temporarily become the default color you selected.
By default, Maxwell shows selected objects as nearly opaque and shows non-selected objects as nearly transparent. This features helps you distinguish between selected and non-selected objects. To set the transparency of selected and non-selected objects: 1. On the View menu, select Options. The 3D UI Options dialog appears. The When there is a selection region contains checkboxes for setting the transparency for selected and non-selected objects. Click the checkbox for the value you want to change. This enables the value field. The default transparency for selected objects is 0.1, which makes them almost opaque. The default transparency for non-selected objects is 0.9, which makes them highly transparent. 2. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Enter a new value, and click OK to apply the new transparency values. Click Tools>Options>Modeler Options. The Modeler Options dialog box appears. Click the Display tab. Click Highlight on the Default color pull-down list. Click the color button beside the Default color pull-down list. The Color palette appears. Select a color from the Color palette, and then click OK to return to the Modeler Options dialog box. Click OK. Outlines of all object you hover over temporarily become the default color you specified above.
Setting the Default Color of Highlighted Objects
Creating an Object List

Create an object list when you want to define a list of objects. Creating an object list is a convenient way to identify and select a group of objects for a field plot or calculation. Objects in a list can still be treated as separate objects. The same object can be included in several different lists. To create an object list: 1. 2. 3. Make sure that Maxwell is in object selection mode by pressing the shortcut key O. Select the objects you want to include in the list. Click Modeler>List>Create>Object List.
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The object list is created. It is listed in the history tree under Lists. Selecting an object list displays the properties of that list in the Properties window. One of the properties is a list of objects contained in the list. The object list is treated as one volume when you are plotting and performing fields calculations. It is listed in the Geometry window of the Fields Calculator when you select Volume. There is an automatically created list called AllObjects. Selecting it selects all objects. Example: To plot the E-field on a surface formed by the intersection of the xy-plane and several objects, first define a list of these objects. Then, when plotting fields, select the object list name from the Geometry window of the Fields Calculator. Fields are plotted only at the intersection of the plane and the objects in the list. Related Topics Reassigning Objects to Another Object List
Reassigning Objects to Another Object List

You can assign objects after you have created object lists. Creating an object list is a convenient way to identify and select a group of objects for a field plot or calculation. Objects in a list can still be treated as separate objects. The same object can be included in several different lists. To reassign objects in an object list: 1. 2. 3. Make sure that Maxwell is in object selection mode by pressing the shortcut key O. Select the objects you want to reassign. Click Modeler>List>Reassign A dialog with the existing object lists is displayed. (They appear in the history tree under Lists.) One of the Properties in for the List shows the objects contained in the list. 4. Select the list to which you want to assign the select object and click OK. The object is reassigned to the selected list. The object list will be treated as one volume when you are plotting and performing fields calculations. It will be listed in the Geometry window of the Fields Calculator, when you select Volume. Related Topics Creating an Object List
Using or Viewing List Objects

To view the objects included in the list: 1. 2. In the model tree, expand the Lists tree. Right-click the list you want to select, and click Select Assignment. The objects that are included in that list are highlighted in the modeler, and the properties appear in the desktop. In the model history tree, expand the Lists tree. Under Lists, right-click the list object you want to view, and click Properties.
To view the properties of the object list (including a list of the objects included): 1. 2.
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The Properties window appears for that object list. The objects included are listed in the Objects row. 3. 1. 2. Click OK or Cancel to close the Properties window. In the model tree, expand the Lists tree. Right-click the list you want to select, and click Select Assignment. The objects that are included in that list are highlighted in the modeler, and the properties appear in the desktop. Select any other objects you want to use in the operation. Complete the operation. To use an object from a list in another operation:
3. 4.
For example, you could select an object list and another object, and then specify one of the boolean commands (such as unite or subtract).
Selecting Faces
If Maxwell is in face selection mode, simply click an object face in the view window to select it. To select multiple faces, hold the Ctrl key as you click the faces. You also have the option to create face lists, which define a list of object faces, or you can make face selections from a Face ID list in the By Face dialog. When the mouse hovers over a face in the view window, that face is becomes selectable meaning it is highlighted and will be selected when you click. Selected faces become the color specified under the Display tab of the Modeler Options dialog box. All other objects and faces become relatively transparent. Switch to face selection mode using one of the following methods:
Click Edit>Select>Faces. Select Face from the pull-down list in the Modeler Selection Mode toolbar. Right-click in the view window, and then click Select Faces. (Not available when working on a 2D Design) Press the shortcut key F. (Not available when working on a 2D Design)
You can also select faces in the Select Multi mode. To select faces touching the current selection:
Click Edit>Select>Select Connected Faces. Click Edit>Select>Select Face Chain. This option allows faces that are part of a "protrusion" to be selected. To use the dialog, no objects should be selected to start. On the Edit menu, point to Select, and then click By Name or in the toolbar, select Face or Multi from the drop-down menu to the right of the icon, and click the icon. This displays the Select Face dialog. This contains a list of the available objects.
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To select faces that touch each other:
You can also use the By Face dialog to select from a list of faces associated with an object: 1. 2.
3. 4.
Select an object in the Object Name list. The Face ID list is then populated with the faces in that object. Selecting a face ID from the list highlights the face in the 3D window. Use Ctrl-click to select additional faces, or shift-click to select a range of faces.
Related Topics Selecting All Faces of an Object Selecting the Face, Edge, Vertex, or Object Behind Selecting Faces by Name Selecting Faces by Plane Creating a Face List Face Selection Toolbar Icons Select Edges. Select Vertices. Select Multi (a mode for selecting objects, faces, edges or vertices)
Selecting All Faces of an Object

This option allows you to select all faces of an object after first selecting the object or a single face. Note 1. 2. 3. 4. This options is not available when working on a 2D Design.
Optionally, select the object with the faces you want to select. Switch to face selection mode by pressing the shortcut key F. If an object is not selected, click a face on the object of interest. Click Edit>Select>All Object Faces.
Alternatively, right-click in the view window, and then click All Object Faces on the shortcut menu.
All the faces of the object are selected. If you selected multiple objects, all faces of those objects are selected. Related Topics Selecting Faces Selecting the Face or Object Behind Creating a Face List Face Selection Toolbar Icons
Selecting Faces by Name

1. 2. Make sure that Maxwell is in face selection mode by pressing the shortcut key F. On the Edit menu, point to Select, and then click By Name or in the toolbar, select Face from the dropdown menu to the right of the object selection icon and click the icon.
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The Select Face dialog box appears. 3. 4. 5. In the Object name list, click the name of the object with the face you want to select. The objects faces are listed in the Face ID column. Click the face you want to select in the Face ID column. You can select more than one. The face is selected in the view window. Click OK. Related Topics Selecting Faces Creating a Face List
Selecting Faces by Plane

To select a face that is aligned with a global plane, use one of the following two methods. 1. 2. 3. Make sure that Maxwell is in face selection mode by pressing the shortcut key F. In the History Tree, expand the Planes icon. Left-click on a plane (Global:XY, Global:YZ, or Global:XZ) to display the selected global plane. On the Edit menu, point to Select, and then click Faces on Plane. The selected faces are highlighted. Alternative method: 1. 2. 3. In the History Tree, expand the Planes icon. Right-click on a plane (Global:XY, Global:YZ, or Global:XZ) to select the global plane and display a pull-down menu. On the pulldown menu, click Faces on Plane. The selected faces are highlighted. Related Topics Selecting Faces Creating a Face List Select Multi (a mode for selecting objects, faces, edges or vertices)
Face Selection Toolbar Icons

While working on analyzing complex objects, it is sometimes useful to examine faces, edges and vertices. In particular it is useful to find the connected faces for a face or edge or vertex, connected edges for a face/edge/vertex and connected vertices for a face/edge/vertex. The additional selection modes are available under Edit->Select and via the toolbar icons. Selecting an object face enables the face selection icons in the toolbar.
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Select face chain Select connected faces Select connected edges Select connected vertices You can use these icons to modify the selection:
Select face chain selects faces that touch each other. It allows faces that are part of a "protrusion" to be selected. Select connected faces selects faces connected to the current selection. Select connected edges selects the edges of the selected face or faces. Select vertices selects the vertices of the selected face or faces.
Related Topics Selecting All Faces of an Object Selecting the Face or Object Behind Selecting Faces by Name Selecting Faces by Plane Creating a Face List Select Edges. Select Vertices. Select Multi (a mode for selecting objects, faces, edges or vertices)
Creating a Face List

Create a face list when you want to define a list of object faces. Creating a face list is a convenient way to identify and select a specific set of surfaces for a field plot or calculation. The same face can be included in several different lists. To create a face list: 1. 2. 3. Make sure that Maxwell is in face selection mode by pressing the shortcut key F. Select the object faces you want to include in the face list. Click Modeler>List>Create>Face List. The Properties window appears, with the list name and type displayed. The face list is created. It is listed in the history tree under Lists. The face list is treated as one selection of surfaces when you are plotting and performing fields calculations. The face list will be listed in the Geometry window of the Fields Calculator when you select Surface.
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Selecting Edges
If Maxwell is in edge selection mode, simply click an object's edge in the view window to select it. To select multiple edges, hold the CTRL key as you click the edges. When the mouse hovers over an edge in the view window, that edge is highlighted, indicating it is click-able. Selected edges become the color specified under the Display tab of the Modeler Options dialog box. All other objects become relatively transparent. Switch to edge selection mode using one of the following methods:
Click Edit>Select>Edges. Select Edge from the pull-down list in the Modeler Selection Mode toolbar. Right-click in the modeler window, and then click Select Edges. Press the shortcut key E.
Selecting an edge enables the following toolbar icons.
Select edge chain Select connected faces Select connected edges Select connected vertices You can use these icons to modify the current selection.
Select edge chain selects the edges that touch the selected edge. Select connected faces selects faces touching to the current selection. Select connected edges selects the edges that touch the current selection. Select vertices selects the vertices of the selected edge or edges.
Related Topics Selecting All Faces of an Object Selecting the Face or Object Behind Selecting Faces by Name Selecting Faces by Plane Creating a Face List Select Edges Selecting All Edges of an Object Select Vertices Select Multi (a mode for selecting objects, faces, edges or vertices)
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Selecting All Edges of an Object or Face

This option allows you to select all edges of an object or face after first selecting the object or face. 1. 2. Select the object or face with the edges you want to select. You may also select a single edge of the object or face. Click Edit>Select>All Object Edges or Edit>Select>All Face Edges.
Alternatively, right-click in the view window, and then click All Object Edges or All Face Edges on the shortcut menu.
All the edges of the object or face are selected. If you selected multiple objects, all edges of those objects are selected. Related Topics Selecting Faces Selecting the Face or Object Behind Creating a Face List Face Selection Toolbar Icons
Selecting Vertices
If Maxwell is in vertex selection mode, simply click an object's vertex in the view window to select it. To select multiple vertices, hold the Ctrl key as you click the vertices. When the mouse hovers over a vertex in the view window, that vertex is highlighted, which indicates that it will be selected when you click. Selected vertices become the color specified under the Display tab of the Modeler Options dialog box. All other objects become relatively transparent. Switch to vertex selection mode using one of the following methods:
Click Edit>Select>Vertices. Select Vertex from the pull-down list in the Modeler Selection toolbar. Press the shortcut key V.
Selecting a vertex enables the following selection icons.
Select connected faces Select connected edges Select connected vertices You can use these icons to modify the current selection.
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Select connected faces selects faces touching to the current selection.
Select connected edges selects the edges that touch the current selection. Select vertices selects the vertices of edges that touch the current selection.
Related Topics Selecting All Faces of an Object Selecting the Face or Object Behind Selecting Faces by Name Selecting Faces by Plane Creating a Face List Select Edges Select Vertices Select Multi (a mode for selecting objects, faces, edges or vertices)
Selecting Multi (a Mode for Selecting Objects, Faces, Vertices or Edges)

The Select Multi mode permits you to select objects, faces, vertices, or edges, depending on where you click. This very useful in conjunction with Measure Mode, for measing the distances between different entities. Enter Select Multi mode by one of the following methods:
Press the shortcut key M. Right-click in the view window, and then click Select Multi. On the Edit menu, point to Select, and then click Multi. Select Multi from the pull-down list in the 3D Modeler Selection toolbar. To select a vertex, click near a vertex, within 10 pixel radius. To select an edge, click near an edge (and 10 pixels away from vertex). To select an object, click little farther from edge, between 10 and 20 pixels. To select a face, click anywhere else on the interior of face.
With Multi mode active:
Tooltips, as you hover the cursor over an entity, indicate the type/ID of entity (object name in the case of objects, Face_id in the case of faces, and so on). This feature helps you distinguish between face-of-sheet-object pick versus sheet-object pick. By holding down the Ctrl key, you can make multiple selections. Related Topics Controlling the Selection in Multi Mode
Controlling the Selection in Multi Mode

You can control the behavior of this mode by clicking Edit>Select Multi Mode Settings. This displays a dialog with check boxes for Object, Face, Edge, and Vertex. Unchecking a box cancels the selection behavior for that category.
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You can also control the behavior of this mode by clicking the icons for Object, Face, Edge, and Vertex to the right of the Multi mode selection menu. To add the Mult Mode selection menu and icons to the toolbar: 1. 2. Select Tools>Customize. This displays the Customize dialog with the Toolbars tab selected. Select 3D Modeler Selection mode from the toolbars list by checking it. This adds the Mode selection menu and icons to the toolbar.
You can also add the Mode selection menus from the Commands tab by selecting 3D Modeler Selection from the Category list, and dragging the icons to the toolbar. 3. When Mult is selected as the mode, you can enable or disable Object, Face, Edge, or Vertex selection by clicking the associated icon.
Related Topics Selecting All Faces of an Object Selecting the Face or Object Behind Selecting Faces by Name Selecting Faces by Plane Creating a Face List Select Edges Select Vertices Selecting the Face or Object Behind Clearing a Selection Measure Modes
Clearing a Selection
To clear an object, face, edge, or vertex selection, do one of the following:
Click the view window at a location where no objects exist. To clear an object selection, click a point away from the object name in the history tree. Click Edit>Deselect All. Press Ctrl+Shift+A. The items are no longer selected.
Selecting the Face, Edge, Vertex, or Object Behind

To select the face, edge, vertex, or object behind another selected face, edge, vertex, or object, do one of the following:
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Click Edit>Select>Next Behind.
Right-click in the view window and click Next Behind. Press Ctrl+B.
This option is useful when you are trying to select a face, edge, vertex, or object that is in the interior of a model, or when you do not want to change the model view to select an item.
Selecting the Edges of the Problem Region

If you have excluded the background object from your model, do not assign boundary conditions or sources to it.
Selecting Objects and Surfaces That Lie Inside Other Objects

To select objects and surfaces that lie inside other objects (such as an object that lies within an air box, a conductive shield, or the background object), do one of the following:
Make the objects on the outside of the model invisible using the View>Visibility commands. This is useful when you want to select objects using the mouse. Since the mouse cannot select invisible objects, you can select the interior surfaces or objects by clicking on them. Use the Edit>Select>By Name command to select objects or surfaces inside the model. Use the Next Behind command on the shortcut menu. This selects the object that lies behind the one you initially selected. This command does nothing if no objects have previously been selected.
Selecting Based on Assignment

The Select Assignment command allows you to select all objects involved in an assigment , typically a boundary or excitation assignment, field plot, mesh plot, etc. Generally, any function that first requires you to select one or more objects on which to perform a task will have the Select Assignment option to allow you to highlight the objects in the modeler window involved in the assignment.
Using the Mouse to Select Objects

To select objects or surfaces, do one of the following:
Click the object directly. Right-click an object or surface, and use one of the Select commands on the shortcut menu. The following commands appear on the shortcut menu:
Select Objects Select Faces Next Behind: Use this command to select the object or face that lies behind the currently selected object or face. This command chooses objects or faces depending on the graphical pick mode. Next Behind does nothing if no object has previously been selected or if the object you select has nothing behind it. You can also use the keyboard shortcut B. All Object Faces Faces on Plane
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The snap mode defines how items are selected by the mouse. By default, Grid and Vertex snaps are enabled.
Selecting Cartesian Coordinates

To select a point using Cartesian coordinates, type the points distance from the origin in the x, y, and z directions in the X, Y, and Z text boxes, respectively. When selecting a second point, specify its distance from the previously selected point in the x, y, and z directions in the dX, dY, and dZ text boxes, respectively. 1. 2. After clicking the desired drawing command, select Cartesian from the pull-down list in the status bar. Type the points x-, y-, and z-coordinates in the X, Y, and Z text boxes. Hint Press Tab to move from one coordinate text box to the next. Press Ctrl+Tab to move to the previous coordinate text box. Alternatively, click the point in the view window.
3.
When drawing objects other than polylines and helices, the second point you select is relative to the first point. Type the second points distance from the previously selected point in the x, y, and z directions in the dX, dY, and dZ text boxes, respectively.
Related Topics Selecting Cylindrical Coordinates Selecting Spherical Coordinates
Selecting Cylindrical Coordinates

To select a point using cylindrical coordinates, specify the points radius, measured from the origin, in the R text box, the angle from the x-axis in the Theta text box, and the distance from the origin in the z direction in the Z text box. When selecting a second point, specify its distance from the previously selected point in the in dR, dTheta, and dZ text boxes. 1. 2. After clicking the desired drawing command, select Cylindrical from the pull-down list in the status bar. Type the points r-, theta-, and z-coordinates in the R, Theta, and Z boxes. Hint Press Tab to move from one coordinate text box to the next. Press Ctrl+Tab to move to the previous coordinate text box. Alternatively, click the point in the view window.
3.
When drawing objects other than polylines and helices, the second point you select is relative to the first point. Type the second points distance from the previously selected point in the dR, dTheta, and dZ text boxes.
Related Topics Selecting Cartesian Coordinates

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Selecting Spherical Coordinates
Selecting Spherical Coordinates

To select a point in spherical coordinates, specify the points radius, measured from the origin, in the Rho text box, the angle from the x-axis in the Theta text box, and the angle from the origin in the z direction in the Phi text box. When selecting a second point, specify its distance from the previously selected point in the in dRho, dTheta, and dPhi text boxes. 1. 2. After clicking the desired drawing command, select Spherical from the pull-down list in the status bar. Type the points r-, theta-, and phi-coordinates in the Rho, Theta, and Phi text boxes in the status bar. Hint Press Tab to move from one coordinate text box to the next. Press Ctrl+Tab to move to the previous coordinate text box. Alternatively, click the point in the view window.
3.
When drawing objects other than polylines and helices, the second point you select is relative to the first point. Type the second points distance from the previously selected point in the dRho, dTheta, and dPhi text boxes.
Related Topics Selecting Cartesian Coordinates Selecting Cylindrical Coordinates Selecting Relative Coordinates Selecting Absolute Coordinates
Selecting Absolute Coordinates

When entering a points coordinates, you can specify them in absolute or relative coordinates. Absolute coordinates are relative to the working coordinate systems origin (0, 0, 0). This is the default setting for the first point you select after clicking a drawing command. Relative coordinates are relative to the reference point, or the previously selected point. To enter a points absolute coordinates: 1. 2. 3. Click the desired drawing command. Select Absolute from the Absolute/Relative pull-down list in the status bar. Specify the points coordinates in one of the following ways:
Click the point.
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Note
Type the points coordinates in the appropriate text boxes in the status bar. When drawing objects other than polylines and helices, by default, the second point you select is relative to the first point; Relative is automatically selected in the Absolute/ Relative pull-down list in the status bar. Be sure to select Absolute from the Absolute/ Relative pull-down list in the status bar if you want the second point to be relative to the working coordinate system.
Related Topics Selecting Relative Coordinates
Selecting Relative Coordinates

When entering a points coordinates, you can specify them in absolute or relative coordinates. Relative coordinates are relative to the reference point, or the previously selected point. Absolute coordinates are relative to the working coordinate systems origin (0, 0, 0). To enter a points relative coordinates: 1. 2. 3. Click the desired drawing command. Select Relative from the Absolute/Relative pull-down list in the status bar. Specify the points coordinates in one of the following ways:
Click the point. Type the points coordinates in the appropriate text boxes in the status bar.
Related Topics Selecting Absolute Coordinates
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Setting Coordinate Systems

Maxwell has three types of coordinate systems (CS) that enable you to easily orient new objects:
A global coordinate system. A relative coordinate system. A face coordinate system.
Every coordinate system has an x-axis that lies at a right angle to a y-axis, and a z-axis that is perpendicular to the xy plane. The global coordinate system (CS) is the fixed, default CS for each new project. It cannot be edited or deleted. A relative CS is user-defined. Its origin and orientation can be set relative to an existing CS. Relative CSs enable you to easily draw objects that are located relative to the reference CS of the new coordinate system. If you modify a relative CS, all objects drawn on that CS are affected and change position accordingly. You can define a relative CS to be offset and/or rotated from an existing CS. A face CS is also user-defined. Its origin is specified on a planar object face. A face CS cannot be edited because it is bound to the face. Face CSs enable you to easily draw objects that are located relative to an object's face. Objects created in a face CS are listed under this CS in the history tree. Switch between global, relative, and face CSs by changing the working CS. Simply click the CS you want to use in the history tree. The working CS is indicated by a red W that appears at the lower-left corner of the CS name in the history tree. The Properties dialog box lists the properties of the selected CS. User-defined CSs are saved with the active project. Related Topics Creating a Relative Coordinate System Creating a Face Coordinate System Setting the Working Coordinate System Modifying the Coordinate System Axes View
Setting the Working Coordinate System

The working coordinate system is the current CS with which objects being drawn are associated. The working CS can be the global CS or a user-defined relative CS or face CS. Select the working CS by clicking its name in the history tree, or do the following: 1. 2. 3. Click Modeler>Coordinate System>Set Working CS. The Select Coordinate System dialog box appears. Click a CS in the list. Click Select. A red W appears at the lower-left corner of the CS name in the history tree, indicating that it is the working CS.
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Objects that you draw from now on are drawn in and associated with the CS you selected. Related Topics Setting Coordinate Systems
Creating a Relative Coordinate System

When creating a relative CS, do one of the following:
Create an offset relative CS, that is, a relative CS whose origin lies a specified distance from another CS's origin. By moving a CS's origin, you can enter coordinates relative to an existing object without having to add or subtract the existing object's coordinates. Create a rotated relative CS, that is, a relative CS whose axes are rotated away from another CS's axes. By rotating the axes of a CS, you can easily add an object that is turned at an angle relative to another object. Create a relative CS that is both offset and rotated.
Creating an Offset Relative CS

To create a relative CS with an origin that lies a specified distance from another CS's origin: 1. 2. 3. In the history tree, click the CS upon which you want to base the new relative CS, making it the working CS. Click Modeler>Coordinate System>Create>Relative CS>Offset. Select the origin in one of the following ways:
Click the point. Type the point's coordinates in the X, Y, and Z boxes on the status bar. You can use either relative or absolute coordinates.
To select a point that does not lie in the current plane, use the Movement Mode commands on the shortcut menu. The new relative CS is created. Its origin has moved from the previous working CS, but the orientation of the new axes remains the same. It is listed in the history tree under Coordinate Systems. It automatically becomes the working CS; objects that you draw from now on are be based on the coordinates of this relative CS. Default planes are created on its xy, yz, and xz planes. Related Topics Creating a Relative Coordinate System Creating an Offset and Rotated Relative CS
Creating a Rotated Relative CS

To create a new relative CS with its axes rotated away from another CS's axes: 1. 2. 3.
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In the history tree, select the CS upon which you want to base the new relative CS, making it the working CS. Click Modeler>Coordinate System>Create>Relative CS>Rotated. Specify the x-axis by selecting a point in one of the following ways:
To select a point that does not lie in the current plane, use the Movement Mode commands on the shortcut menu. 4. Specify the xy plane by selecting any point on it in one of the following ways:
Click the point. Type the coordinates of a point that is relative to the origin of the working CS in the dX, dY, and dZ boxes.
You do not need to specify the z-axis. It is automatically calculated so that the axes form a right-handed Cartesian coordinate system. The new relative CS is created. It has the same origin as the previous working CS, but its axes are rotated. It is listed in the history tree under Coordinate Systems. It automatically becomes the working CS; objects that you draw hereafter are based on the coordinates of this relative CS. Default planes are created on its xy, yz, and xz planes. Related Topics Creating a Relative Coordinate System Creating an Offset and Rotated Relative CS
Creating an Offset and Rotated Relative CS

To create a new relative CS that is both offset and rotated from an existing CS: 1. 2. 3. In the history tree, select the CS upon which you want to base the new relative CS, making it the working CS. Click Modeler>Coordinate System>Create>Relative CS>Both. Select the origin in one of the following ways:
To select a point that does not lie in the current plane, use the Movement Mode commands on the shortcut menu. 4. Specify the x-axis by selecting a point on the axis in one of the following ways:

5.
Click the point. Type the coordinates of a point that is relative to the origin in the dX, dY, and dZ boxes. Click the point. Type the coordinates of a point that is relative to the origin of the new CS in the dX, dY, and dZ boxes.
Specify the xy plane by selecting any point on it in one of the following ways:
You do not need to specify the z-axis. It is automatically calculated so that it is at a right angle
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to the y-axis. The new relative CS is created. It is listed in the history tree under Coordinate Systems. It automatically becomes the working CS; objects that you draw hereafter are based on the coordinates of this relative CS. Default planes are created on its xy, yz, and xz planes. Related Topics Creating a Relative Coordinate System
Creating a Face Coordinate System

1. 2. 3. Select the object face upon which you want to create the face CS. Click Modeler>Coordinate System>Create>Face CS. Select the origin in one of the following ways:

4.
Click the point on the face. Type the point's coordinates in the X, Y, and Z boxes. Click the point. Type the coordinates of a point that is relative to the previously selected point in the dX, dY, and dZ boxes.
Specify the x-axis by selecting a point on the object face in one of the following ways:
You do not need to specify the y- or z-axes. Maxwell assumes that the z-axis is normal to the object face, and the y-axis is automatically calculated so that the axes form a right-handed Cartesian coordinate system. The new face CS is listed in the history tree under Coordinate Systems. It automatically becomes the working CS; objects that you draw hereafter are referenced to the coordinates of this face CS. Default planes are created on its xy, yz, and xz planes. Only operations listed in the history tree before the face CS's creation affect the face CS, and in turn, affect objects dependent upon that face CS. A face CS, or objects created on it, are not affected by operations that occur after it is created. For example, suppose you create a box, then a face CS on a face of the box, and then a cylinder in the face CS. If you then edit the box's dimensions in the Properties dialog box, the cylinder moves accordingly. But if you rotate the box using the Edit>Arrange>Rotate command, the box moves, but the cylinder does not because the operation occurs later in the history tree. Related Topics Automatically Creating Face Coordinate Systems Setting the Working Coordinate System Modifying Coordinate Systems Setting Coordinate Systems
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Automatically Creating Face Coordinate Systems

You can instruct Maxwell to automatically create a new face CS every time you draw on an object's face. 1. 2. 3. Click Tools>Options>Modeler Options. The Modeler Options dialog box appears. In the Operation tab, select Automatically switch to face coordinate system. Click OK.
Now, when you select a face, and then click any drawing command, a new face CS is created. Maxwell automatically sets the new face CS as the working CS. The object you draw is oriented according to the new face CS. Note Maxwell does not automatically create a new face CS if a face CS has already been assigned to the selected face.
Related Topics Creating a Face Coordinate System
Modifying Coordinate Systems

Keep in mind that when you edit a CS, the following are also affected:

1. 2. 3. 4.
All objects drawn in the CS. All CSs that were defined relative to that CS. All objects drawn on a CS that was defined relative to that CS. Click Modeler>Coordinate System>Edit. The Select Coordinate System dialog box appears. Click the CS you want to modify. Click Select. If you selected a relative CS, follow the directions for creating a relative CS. If you selected a face CS, follow the directions for creating a face CS.
To modify coordinate systems:
Related Topics Setting Coordinate Systems Creating a Relative Coordinate System Creating a Face Coordinate System Modifying the Coordinate System Axes View
Deleting Coordinate Systems

1. 2. Click the name of the CS you want to delete in the history tree. Click Edit>Delete.
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Alternatively, press Delete.
The CS is deleted and all objects drawn on it are deleted. Further, any CS that depended on the deleted CS is deleted and any objects that were drawn in the dependent CS are also be deleted. Related Topics Setting Coordinate Systems Creating a Relative Coordinate System Creating a Face Coordinate System Modifying the Coordinate System Axes View
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Assigning Coordinates to New Objects

When you insert and draw new 3D, 2D, or 1D objects in the geometry model, you need to define coordinate systems and locations of points, distances between objects, and other geometry items.
Defining Cartesian Coordinates

When drawing an object, define a point using Cartesian coordinates by typing its distance from the origin in the X, Y, and Z boxes, respectively. When defining a second point, specify its distance from the previously defined point in the x, y, and z directions in the dX, dY, and dZ boxes, respectively. 1. 2. 3. Select the desired drawing command. Select Cartesian from the pull-down list on the status bar. Type the point's x-, y-, and z-coordinates in the X, Y, and Z text boxes. Hint Press Tab to move from one coordinate text box to the next. Press Shift+Tab to move to the previous coordinate text box. Alternatively, click the point in the view window.
4.
When drawing objects other than polylines, the second point you select is relative to the first point. Type the second point's distance from the previously selected point in the dX, dY, and dZ boxes.
Related Topics Selecting Cylindrical Coordinates Selecting Spherical Coordinates
Defining Cylindrical Coordinates

To define a point using cylindrical coordinates, specify the point's radius, measured from the origin, in the R box, the angle from the x-axis in the Theta box, and the distance from the origin in the z direction in the Z box. When defining a second point, specify its distance from the previously defined point in the in dR, dTheta, and dZ boxes. 1. 2. After clicking the desired drawing command, select Cylindrical from the pull-down list on the status bar. Type the point's r-, theta-, and z-coordinates in the R, Theta, and Z boxes. Hint Press Tab to move from one coordinate box to the next. Press Shift+Tab to move to the previous coordinate box. Alternatively, click the point in the view window.
3.
When drawing objects other than polylines and helices, the second point you select is relative to the first point. Type the second point's distance from the previously selected point in the dR, dTheta, and dZ boxes.
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Related Topics Selecting Cartesian Coordinates Selecting Spherical Coordinates
Defining Spherical Coordinates

To define a point in spherical coordinates, specify the point's radius, measured from the origin, in the R box, the angle from the z-axis in the Theta box, and the angle rotated counter-clockwise (CCW) from the x-axis in the Phi box. When defining a second point, specify its distance from the previously-defined point in the in dR, dTheta, and dPhi boxes.
Note
Even though you are inputting spherical coordinates, all data is internally stored in Cartesian coordinates.
To define a point in spherical coordinates: 1. 2. After clicking the desired drawing command, select Spherical from the pull-down list on the status bar. Type the point's r-, theta-, and phi-coordinates in the R, Theta, and Phi boxes. Hint Press Tab to move from one coordinate box to the next. Press Shift+Tab to move to the previous coordinate box. Alternatively, click the point in the view window.
3.
When drawing objects other than polylines and helices, the second point you select is relative to the first point. Type the second point's distance from the previously selected point in the dR, dTheta, and dPhi boxes.
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Related Topics Selecting Cartesian Coordinates Selecting Cylindrical Coordinates
Using Absolute Coordinates

When entering a point's coordinates, you can specify them in absolute or relative coordinates. Absolute coordinates are relative to the working coordinate system's origin. This is the default setting for the first point you select after clicking a drawing command. Relative coordinates are relative to the reference point, or the previously selected point, represented by a small coordinate system on the user interface. To enter a point's absolute coordinates: 1. 2. 3. Click the desired drawing command. Select Absolute from the Absolute/Relative pull-down list on the status bar. Specify the point's coordinates in one of the following ways:

Note
Click the point. Type the point's coordinates in the appropriate boxes on the status bar. When drawing objects other than polylines and helices, by default, the second point you select is relative to the first point; Relative is automatically selected in the Absolute/ Relative pull-down list in the status bar. Be sure to select Absolute from the Absolute/ Relative pull-down list in the status bar if you want the second point to be relative to the working coordinate system.
Related Topics Selecting Relative Coordinates
Using Relative Coordinates

When entering a point's coordinates, you can specify them in absolute or relative coordinates. Relative coordinates are relative to the reference point, or the previously selected point. Absolute coordinates are relative to the working coordinate system's origin. To enter a point's relative coordinates: 1. 2. 3. Click the desired drawing command. Select Relative from the Absolute/Relative pull-down list on the status bar. Specify the point's coordinates in one of the following ways:
Click the point. Type the point's coordinates in the appropriate boxes in the status bar.
Related Topics Selecting Absolute Coordinates
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Choosing the Movement Mode

When drawing objects, the cursor's location is always relative to a reference point. The reference point is displayed with a mini xyz-axis:
To change the reference point, move the cursor to the desired point and press Ctrl+Enter. You can move the cursor to one of the following points:
In the same plane as the reference point (in-plane movement mode). Perpendicular to the reference point (out-of-plane movement mode). If an object is present to snap to a point in 3D space (3D movement mode). Along the x-axis Along the y-axis Along the z-axis Select 3D from the Movement mode pull-down list on the Modeler Draw toolbar.
To set the movement mode:
Moving the Cursor In Plane

To move the cursor to a point on the same plane as the reference point: 1. 2. Click the desired drawing command. Do one of the following:
On the 3D Model menu, point to Movement Mode, and then click In Plane. Click In Plane in the movement mode pull-down list in the 3D Modeler Draw toolbar.
The next point you select will be on the same plane as the reference point.
The cursor's location, displayed with a black diamond that indicates it has snapped to the grid, is on the same plane as the reference point.
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Moving the Cursor Out of Plane

To move the cursor to a point on a line that is perpendicular to the drawing plane and that intersects the reference point:
After clicking the desired drawing command, click Modeler>Movement Mode>Out of Plane. A dashed line is displayed between the reference point and the cursor's location, which is now on a line that is perpendicular to the drawing plane and that intersects the reference point.
The cursor's location, displayed with a black diamond that indicates it has snapped to a grid, is on a line that is perpendicular to the drawing plane and that intersects the reference point.
Moving the Cursor in 3D Space

To move the cursor to a point in 3D space relative to the reference point: 1. 2. Click the desired drawing command. Do one of the following:
Click Modeler>Movement Mode>3D. Click 3D in the movement mode pull-down list in the 3D Modeler Draw toolbar.
If one of an object's snapping centers is within snapping range, the cursor snaps to the nearest point in 3D space occupied by the object. If any of the objects has a snapping center not within snapping range, the 3D movement mode
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is identical to the in-plane movement mode.
The cursor's location, displayed by a circle that indicates it has snapped to a face center, is (0.5, 0.5, 1.0), a point in 3D space.
Moving the Cursor Along the X-Axis

To move the cursor to a point away from the reference point in the x direction: 1. 2. Click the desired drawing command. Do one of the following:
Click Modeler>Movement Mode>Along X Axis. Press and hold down the shortcut key X. Select Along X Axis from the Movement mode pull-down list on the Modeler Draw toolbar.
The next point you select will be on the same plane as the reference point in the positive or negative x direction.
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Moving the Cursor Along the Y-Axis

To move the cursor to a point away from the reference point in the y direction: 1. 2. Click the desired drawing command. Do one of the following:
Click Modeler>Movement Mode>Along Y Axis. Press and hold down the shortcut key Y. Select Along Y Axis from the Movement mode pull-down list on the Modeler Draw toolbar.
The next point you select will be on the same plane as the reference point in the positive or negative y direction.
Moving the Cursor Along the Z-Axis

To move the cursor to a point away from the reference point in the z direction: 1. 2. Click the desired drawing command. Do one of the following:
Click Modeler>Movement Mode>Along Z Axis. Hold the shortcut key Z. Select Along Z Axis from the Movement mode pull-down list on the Modeler Draw toolbar:
The next point you select will be on the same plane as the reference point in the positive or negative z direction.
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Choosing Snap Settings

By default, the selection point and graphical objects are set to "snap to", or adhere to, a point on the grid when the cursor hovers over it. The coordinates of this point are used, rather than the exact location of the mouse. The cursor changes to the shape of the snap mode when it is being snapped. To change the snap settings for the active design: 1. 2. Click Modeler>Snap Mode. The Snap Mode dialog box appears. Specify the snap mode settings you want. If you want the cursor to snap to a point on the grid, select Grid or the icon To snap to a vertex, select Vertex or the icon . . The center point . . To snap to the center point of an edge, select Edge Center or the icon may be on a 1D, 2D, or 3D object edge. To snap to the center of an object face, select Face Center or the icon To snap to the nearest quarter point on an edge, select Quadrant or the icon To snap to the center of an arc, select Arc Center or the icon Grid Vertex Edge Center Face Center Quadrant Arc Center . .
When the cursor snaps to a point, it changes to one of the following snap mode shapes:
Note
By default, the mouse is set to snap to the grid, a vertex, an edge center, a face center, and the nearest quadrant. To modify the default snap settings for the active design and all new designs, modify the selections under the Drawing tab in the Modeler Options dialog box.
Related Topics Snap Setting Guidelines
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Snap Setting Guidelines

For each object (3D, 2D, or 1D), you can define snapping points. Then, when moving in the Modeler window, if the cursor approaches a snap point (gets closer in terms of screen coordinates, not 3D coordinates), the snap point is highlighted. If you then click it, it becomes selected, even if that point is out of the plane you are working in (for example, even if the point has 3D coordinates when you are working in a 2D plane). In general, select at least one of the snap options in the Snap Mode dialog box. If none of these options are selected, the software is in "free mode" and selects whatever point you click, regardless of its coordinates. This can cause problems when you are trying to create closed objects. Although the point you select may appear to be the vertex point of an open object, you may not have actually clicked the exact coordinates of the point.
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Measure Modes for Objects

The Measure modes lets you measure the position, length, area, and volume of objects. With two faces selected, with two edges selected, or with an edge and a face selected, the Measure Mode displays the angle and distance between them. The Measure Position mode dynamically measures the distance between a reference point and the cursor location. 1. To access the Measure mode, either:

2.
Select Modeler>Measure. Right-click and select Measure from the short-cut menu.
After you select Measure, a cascading menu appears for Position, Edge, Face and Object. Select Position to obtain location and distance formation between a specified reference point and the cursor location. The Measure Information dialog box appears. With Measure>Position selected, the information displayed includes:

Note
The location of the reference point. (Position1) The current cursor location. (Position2) The distance between the Reference and Current location. The X distance. The Y distance. The Z distance. As you move the cursor, the Measure Information dialog displays the current cursor location and measurement information from the reference. Clicking on a new vertex updates the reference to the new location.
With Measure>Edge, Face, or Object selected, the information displayed for each selected object is the name and:
The area and volume of a 3D object. The area of a face. The length of an edge. The location of a vertex.
For more information on cursor and reference point behavior in this mode, see Measuring Position and Distance 3. To use Measure>Edge, Face, or Object to measure the distance and angle between two selected items:
Select two points. Click the first and Ctrl-click to select the second. The Measure Information dialog displays the coordinates of each point, the distance between the pointsm and the angle between Origin-P1, Origin-P2 line.
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4.
Select two faces, the Measure Information dialog displays the angle/distance between them. The function is similar when you select two edges and when you select an edge and a face. You can also measure distance between vertex/face, vertex/edge. In these cases, use the Select Multi mode.
To exit the Measure mode, click Close on the Measure Information dialog.
Related Topics Measuring Position and Distance Setting Coordinate Systems Modifying the Coordinate System Axes View Choosing Snap Settings Choosing Movement Mode (3D, in plane, X, Y, or Z) Select Multi (a mode for selecting objects, faces, edges or vertices)
Measuring Position and Distance

To measure the distance between any cursor location relative to a designated reference point:
Select Modeler>Measure>Position. This enables the Measure Position mode opens the Measure Data dialog. The dialog lists the coordinates of the current reference point (Position1)and the cursor location (Position2). It also lists the distance between those points, and the X, Y, and Z distances. The shortcut menu displays the Hints item. When Hints are on (the default), a text display in the lower right of the 3D Modeler window, explaining how to set the reference point, and ways to control the movement mode.
The reference point is displayed as a mini x-y-z-axis:
Use Ctrl-Click to set the reference point at a new location.
The cursor leads a diamond-shape selection marker that snaps from grid point to grid point. The Measure Data dialog also provides a text identification of the current grid points. If you drag the cursor off design objects, by default, it moves in the xy-plane. You can restrict movement to in a specific plane, out of plane, or z,x, or y. Besides the context menu for movement, you can also use the X, Y, and Z keys to restrict movement. See Choosing a Movement Mode. for further details. If you drag the selection marker over an object, it follows the 3D surfaces of the object, dropping a dashed reference line to a point on the current plane. The cursor changes shape to provide information about the object at the corresponding coordinate. :
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Grid point Vertex Edge Center Face Center Quadrant To measure the distance between two points: 1. 2. Select Modeler>Measure>Position to enter Measure Position mode. Ctrl-click to set the reference point. The reference point display moves to the selected point. This becomes the coordinate for Position1 in the Measure Data dialog. 3. Drag the cursor to the second point. The value of the Position2 dynamically changes as you drag the cursor. You do not need to click. The values shown include:

4.
Distance. X distance Y Distance. Z Distance.
To close the dialog box and exit Measure mode, click the Close button.
Related Topics Measure Modes for Objects Setting Coordinate Systems Modifying the Coordinate System Axes View Choosing Snap Settings Choosing Movement Mode (3D, in plane, X, Y, or Z) Select Multi (a mode for selecting objects, faces, edges or vertices)
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Setting the Drawing Plane

The Drawing plane pull-down list is available on the Modeler Draw toolbar, next to the Movement mode pull-down list.
To set the drawing plane, do one of the following:
Select XY from the Drawing plane pull-down list on the Modeler Draw toolbar. Click Modeler>Grid Plane, and then select a grid plane: XY, YZ, or XZ.
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Group Objects by Material

In the history tree, you may choose to view the objects by name or grouped based upon the material assigned to them as shown.
Objects Grouped by Name
Objects Grouped by Material
To change the grouping do one of the following:
Select or unselect Modeler>Group Objects by Material to change the current setting. Use the Group Objects by Material checkbox on the display tab of the Tools>Options>Modeler Options dialog box to set the default behavior.
Related Topics Modeler Options: Display Tab
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8
Assigning Materials
You can add, remove, and edit materials in two main ways:
Using the Tools>Edit Configured Libraries>Materials menu command. Right-clicking Materials in the project tree and selecting Edit All Libraries.
Editing definitions from the project window does not modify the configured libraries for any particular design. To consider the current design, use the Tools>Edit Configured Libraries option. Doing so ensures that new libraries are added to the configured list for the current design. If you edit materials from this command for the current and then export them, they will also be available to assign to objects in other designs. To assign a material to an object, follow the general procedure: 1. 2. Select the object to which you want to assign a material. Click Modeler>Assign Material. The Select Definition dialog box appears. By default, it lists all of the materials in Ansoft's global material library as well as the project's local material library. You can also open the Select Definition window in one of the following ways:

3.
In the Properties dialog box for the object, click the material name under the Attributes tab. Right-click Model in the project tree, and then click Assign Material on the shortcut menu. Right-click the object in the history tree, and then click Assign Material on the shortcut menu.
Select a material from the list. You can search the listed materials by name or property value.
Note
If the material you want to assign is not listed, add a new material to the global or local mateAssigning Materials 8-1
rial library, and then select it. 4. Click OK. The material you chose is assigned to the object. Related Topics Adding New Materials Removing Materials Validating Materials Sorting Materials Viewing and Modifying Material Attributes Copying Materials Exporting Materials to a Library Calculating Properties for Core Loss (BP Curve) Defining Variable Material Properties Importing and Converting Materials Searching for Materials Permanent Magnets Nonlinear Materials Working with Material Libraries Working with Materials in RMxprt
8-2 Assigning Materials
Searching for Materials

If there is a specific material or material property value that you want to assign to an object, you can search the materials in the Select Definition window by name or by material property.
Searching by Material Name

1. 2. In the Search Criteria area of the Select Definition dialog box, select by Name. In the Search Parameters area, type a material name in the Search by Name box. The row containing the material name most similar to the one you typed is selected. If the selected material is not the one you are searching for, do one of the following:

1. 2. 3.
Use the keyboard's arrow keys to scroll up or down the list of materials. Type a new material name in the Search by Name box. In the Search Criteria area of the Select Definition dialog box, select by Property. Select a material property from the pull-down list. In the Search Parameters area, type a value for the property in the Search by Property box, and then click Search. The materials are sorted according to the value you entered. The material with the property value closest to the one you typed is selected.
Searching by Material Property
If the selected material is not the one you are searching for, do one of the following:
Use the keyboard's arrow keys to scroll up or down the list of materials. Type a new value in the Search by Property box.
Assigning Materials 8-3
Adding New Materials

You can add a new material to a project or to the global user-defined material library. To make the new project material available to all projects, you must export the material to a global user-defined material library. Materials are added using the View/Edit Material dialog box, which can be opened from either the Select Definition dialog box or the Edit Libraries dialog box. To open the Select Definition dialog box:
Click Modeler>Assign Material. The Select Definition dialog box appears. Click Tools>Edit Configured Libraries>Materials. (In the project tree, you can also rightclick Materials, and select Edit All Libraries.) The Edit Libraries dialog box appears. From either the Select Definition dialog box or the Edit Libraries dialog box, click Add Material. The View/Edit Material dialog box appears. Type a name for the material in the Material Name text box, or accept the default. Select one of the following from the Material Coordinate System Type pull-down list:
To open the Edit Libraries dialog box:
To add a new material: 1.
2. 3.

4.
Cartesian (default) Cylindrical Spherical Active Design This Product All Products
In the View/Edit Material for section, select one of the following:

5. Note Note
In the Properties of the Material list, enter or select values for the material properties. You may enter a variable name or mathematical expression in the Value box. When you select certain Type or Value options, additional parameters appear beneath some properties in the same way that Magnitude appears beneath Magnetic Coercivity. As necessary, specify values for any additional parameters that appear.
6.
Below the list, in the Calculate Properties for pull-down list, do the following if your project contains a permanent magnet: a. Select Permanent Magnet. The Properties for Permanent Magnet dialog box appears.
b. c. d. 7. 8. 9.
Select which parameters you want to define (Mu, Hc, Br, Mp). Type values in the text boxes, and select the units. Click OK.
For transient projects, you may also be able to set the core loss from the Calculate Properties for pull-down list Click Validate Material. Click OK. The new material is added to the local material library.
Related Topics Defining Variable Material Properties Importing and Converting Materials Working with Material Libraries Copying Materials Removing Materials Searching for Materials
Defining Variable Material Properties

When defining or modifying a material's properties, each material property value in the View/Edit Material window can be assigned a project variable. Simply type the project variable's name in the appropriate Value box. Project variables are used for material properties because materials are stored at the project level. For example, define a project variable with the name MyPermittivity and define its value as 4. To assign this property value to a material, type $MyPermittivity in the Value box for the material. Be sure to include the prefix $ before the project variable name, which notifies Maxwell that the variable is a project variable.
Defining Material Properties as Expressions

When defining or modifying a material's properties, each material property value in the View/Edit Material window can be assigned a mathematical expression. Simply type the expression in the appropriate Value box. Expressions typically contain intrinsic functions, such as sin(x), and arithmetic operators, such as +, -, *, and /, but do not include project variables.
Defining Functional Material Properties

Any material property that can be specified by entering a constant can also be specified using a mathematical function. This is useful when you are defining a material property whose value is given by a mathematical relationship for instance, one relating it to frequency or another property's value. When defining or modifying a material's properties, simply type the name of the function in the appropriate Value box. Related Topics Defining Mathematical Functions
Material Coordinate Systems

Maxwell supports the following three types of coordinate systems, which can be used to define some vector or anisotropic material properties:
Cartesian (defined by the X, Y, and Z axes) Cylindrical (defined by the R, Phi, and Z axes) Spherical (defined by the Rho, Theta, and Phi axes)
To get the fields for the vector magnetic coercivity vector, a non-zero value must first be specified for the magnitude of the vector. The magnitude can also be functional. The magnitude of the magnetic coercivity is expected to be < 0. If you use a positive value, the direction used will be the opposite of the unit vector specified.
Anisotropic Dielectric Permittivity

Eddy or frequency domain solutions only.
The relative dielectric permittivity of dielectrics is assumed to be a complex quantity, expressed as the following:
= j
where stant),
The relationship above can also be written as the following:
is the real part of the complex permittivity (the same as the usual relative dielectric con is the imaginary part of the complex permittivity, and j is the imaginary unit. = 1 j ---- = ( 1 j tan )
where
For anisotropic dielectrics, a tensor material property needs to be used. The anisotropic relative permittivity tensor has the following expression:
tan
is the dielectric loss tangent.
1 ( 1 j tan 1 ) = 0 0
0 2 ( 1 j tan 2 ) 0
0 0 3 ( 1 j tan 3 )
The respective diagonal factors need to be entered for both permittivity and the dielectric loss tangent if both these quantities are anisotropic. The permittivity and the dielectric loss tangent are both
allowed to be anisotropic, either simple together or separately. Cartesian, cylindrical, or spherical coordinate systems can be used.
Anisotropic Magnetic Permeability

Eddy or frequency domain solutions only. The relative permeability of materials is assumed to be a complex quantity expressed as the following:
= j u
where is the real part of the complex permeability (same as the usual relative permeability), u is the imaginary part of the complex permeability, and j is the imaginary unit.
The relationship above can also be written as the following:
= 1 j ----- = ( 1 j tan )
where For anisotropic magnetic materials, a tensor material property needs to be used. The anisotropic relative permeability tensor has the following expression:
tan
is the magnetic loss tangent.
1 ( 1 j tan 1 ) = 0 0
0 2 ( 1 j tan 2 ) 0
0 0 3 ( 1 j tan 3 )
The respective diagonal factors need to be entered for both permeability and the magnetic loss tangent if both these quantities are anisotropic. The permeability and the magnetic loss tangent and the dielectric loss tangent are both allowed to be anisotropic, either simple together or separately.
Cartesian, cylindrical, or spherical coordinate systems can be used. Magnetostatic and transient solutions only. Maxwell allows the anisotropic magnetic material to exhibit nonlinear characteristics (magnetostatic and transient solutions only) on all three principle axes of the chosen coordinate system, in which case the respective nonlinear characteristics must be specified.
For example, for laminations with anisotropic behavior in the plane of the lamination, the Anisotropic type of material should be specified for the Relative Permeability property, and the two respective B-H curves should be entered. For the third direction (lamination stacking direction), one of the specified two B-H curves should also be applicable. The composition field should be set to lamination, and the stacking factor and stacking direction should be specified (see also lamination model).
Anisotropic Electric Conductivity

Electric conductivity can be simple or anisotropic. In either case, the corresponding values are entered in S/m (Siemens per meter). For anisotropic electric conductivity, the corresponding tensor must be specified. Cartesian, cylindrical, or spherical coordinate systems can be used.
Anisotropic Admittivity
Eddy Current solutions only. Admittivity is the material tensor (sigma + j omega epsilon) with a solution type of eddy current for anisotropic materials. Admittivity allows the electric field computation in post-processing to work for the general anisotropic case and enables the display of the total energy that contains the sum of the magnetic and electric energies. Without the admittivity material property, the computation works correctly only for isotropic materials.
Lamination Modeling
Lamination modeling allows you to specify a stacking factor and stacking direction, which represents the direction perpendicular to the plane of the lamination. Cartesian, cylindrical, or spherical coordinate systems can be used to specify the stacking direction.
This lamination model is an alternative way of specifying anisotropic behavior when using laminations (which is a special case that is frequently done). For the frequently encountered case of isotropic laminations (where the global model is anisotropic due to the existence of laminations but the laminations themselves are isotropic), the above picture shows a possible setup. Choose a nonlinear behavior for the material of the lamination with a user specified B-H curve, while the global anisotropy is modeled by specifying a stacking factor and the stacking direction, which is perpendicular to the plane of laminations. In this way, Maxwell can consider a global anisotropy with two orientations one in the plane of the lamination, and the other in the corresponding orthogonal direction. Related Topics Stacking Direction
Stacking Direction
When defining a lamination model, the stacking direction must be specified. The direction depend upon the Material Coordinate System Type chosen as follows: Cartesian Coordinates Cylindrical Coordinates Spherical Coordinates
V(1) V(2) V(3)
X Y Z
r Z
Core Loss Type for a Maxwell Material

Specify the following settings and units for core loss type: Name None Electrical Steel Value No core loss is to be calculated for this material. The following parameters appear:
Kh Kc Ke Kdc
Selecting Electrical Steel also enables the Calculate Properties for Core Loss Coefficient pull-down list at the bottom of the dialog box. Selecting Core Loss Coefficient opens the BP Curve window. Power Ferrite The following parameters appear:

Related Topics:
Cm X Y Kdc
Calculating Properties for Core Loss (BP Curve) Core Loss Coefficients for Electrical Steel Core Loss Coefficient Extraction
Dielectric Loss Tangent

To represent a dielectric that dissipates the power of a high-frequency electric field, enter a dielectric loss tangent, , property value for the material. The smaller the loss tangent, the less lossy the material. The dielectric loss tangent may vary with frequency. To simulate the variances, define a function for the dielectric loss tangent.
Magnetic Loss Tangent

To represent a dielectric that dissipates the power of a high-frequency magnetic field, enter a mag netic loss tangent, , property value for the material. The smaller the loss tangent, the less lossy the material. Note If you plan to do a frequency sweep for a design that includes dielectrics, make sure that the dielectric or magnetic loss tangent does not vary significantly over the requested frequency range. If they do, the results may not be what you expect. In cases where the loss tangent does vary significantly over the frequency range in which you are interested, copy and solve the design several times, adjusting the loss tangent and associated frequency range for the copied design so that the loss tangent is relatively stable over the design's requested frequency range.
Calculating Properties for Core Loss (BP Curve)

To be able to extract parameters from the loss characteristics (B-P Curve), you first set the Core Loss Type of the material to Electrical Steel or Power Ferrite as a material property in the View / Edit Material dialog box. To calculate core loss properties for an electrical steel material: 1. Click Tools>Edit Configured Libraries>Materials.
Alternatively, in the project tree, you can right-click Materials, under Definitions, and select Edit All Libraries.
The Edit Libraries dialog box appears. 2. 3. Click Add Material. The View / Edit Material dialog box appears. In the Core Loss Type row, select Electrical Steel or Power Ferrite from the Value pulldown list. Additional parameters appear in the table below Core Loss Type (Kh, Kc, Ke, and Kdc for electrical steel, and Cm, X, Y, and Kdc for power ferrite). For Electrical Steel, the Core Loss Coefficient selection in the Calculate Properties for pull-down list at the bottom of the dialog box is also enabled. This allows the coefficients Kh, Kc, Ke, and Kdc to be derived from a manufacturer-provided core loss curve. 4. If you selected Electrical Steel, do the following: a. Select Core Loss Coefficient from the Calculate Properties for pull-down list at the bottom of the dialog box. The BP Curve dialog box appears. Do one of the following to specify a BP curve:
b.

Note
Import the curve from a saved file. Enter the coordinates manually.
The accuracy in inputting the data for B-P Curve for the electrical steel material has significant effect on the correctness of the analyses to the electromagnetic devices. You should input the data for B-P Curve according to accurate data provided by material manufacturers. Select the units in which the B-P curve is measured from the Core Loss Unit pull-down list. Type values and select units for the following:
c. d.
Mass Density Frequency Thickness Conductivity

As the input data changes, the following parameters are dynamically updated with both the specified unit and the standard unit (w/m^3):

e.
Kh - Hysteresis Coefficient Kc - Classical Eddy Coefficient Ke - Excess Coefficient Kdc - Coefficient Considering DC Bias Effects
Click OK. The View / Edit Material dialog box reappears. The property values for Kh, Kc, Ke, and Kdc are updated as new default values. Select a type for Cm, X, Y, and Kdc from the Type column. Type vAlues for the coefficients Cm, X, Y, and Kdc in the Value column.
5.
If you selected Power Ferrite, do the following: a. b.
6. 7.
Click OK to close the View / Edit Material dialog box. Click OK to close the Edit Libraries dialog box.
Related Topics: Core Loss Type for a Maxwell Material Core Loss Coefficients for Electrical Steel Core Loss Coefficient Extraction
Core Loss Coefficients for Electrical Steel

Under sinusoidal flux conditions, core loss is computed in the frequency domain as the following:
2 2 1.5 P v = P h + P c + P e = K h f ( B m ) + K c ( fB m ) + K e ( fB m )
When a DC component exists in the flux density, the core loss is modified to the following:
2 2 1.5 P v = C dc K f ( B m ) + K c ( fB m ) + K e ( fB m ) h
where
Bm is the amplitude of the AC flux component, f is the frequency, Kh is the hysteresis core loss coefficient, Kc is the eddy-current core loss coefficient, and Ke is the excess core loss coefficient.
Cdc is computed from the following equation:
C dc =
where
K dc B dc B m + 1
Bdc is the DC flux component, and Kdc is the coefficient considering the DC flux bias effects.
Related Topics: Core Loss Coefficient Extraction
Core Loss Coefficient Extraction

The principles of the computation algorithm for Kh, Kc, and Ke are summarized as below. Note Since the manufacturer-provided loss curve is obtained under sinusoidal flux conditions at a given frequency, these coefficients can be derived in the frequency domain.
The iron-core loss without DC flux bias is expressed as the following:
2 2 1.5 2 1.5 P v = P h + P c + P e = K h f ( B m ) + K c ( fB m ) + K e ( fB m ) = K1 Bm + K2 Bm
where
K1 = Kh f + Kc f K2 = K2 f 2 1.5
The classical eddy-current loss coefficient is calculated directly as
2 d K c = ----6
where is the conductivity and d is the thickness of one lamination sheets.
Minimize the quadratic form to obtain K1 and K2.
2 1.5 f ( K 1, K 2 ) = P vi K 1 B mi + K 2 B mi
= min
where Pvi,Bmi the i-th point of the data on the measured loss characteristics curve. The other two loss coefficients are obtained as
2 Kh = K1 Kc f0 f0 Ke = K2 f0
Related Topics: Core Loss Coefficients for Electrical Steel
1.5
where f0 is the testing frequency for Loss Curve.
Importing a BP Curve From a File

For the loss characteristics (B-P Curve), you first set the Core Loss Type of the material to Electrical Steel (rather than None or Power Ferrite) as a material property in the View Edit window. When you do so, this enables the Calculate Properties selection for drop down at the bottom of the window. Select "Core Loss Coefficient" from the drop down menu to open the B-P Curve window. Do the following in the BP Curve dialog box: 1. 2. 3. 4. Click Import from file. The Import data dialog box appears. Find and select the tab separated points file containing the BP curve data points. Click Open. Optionally, click Swap X-Y Data to switch the B values and P values if they are in the wrong columns.
Manually Specifying BP Curve Coordinates

For the loss characteristics (B-P curve), you first open the View / Edit window and set the Core Loss Type of the material to Electrical Steel (rather than None or Power Ferrite) as a material property. Doing so enables the Core Loss Coefficient selection in the Calculate Properties for pull-down list at the bottom of the dialog box.
Select Core Loss Coefficient from the Calculate Properties for pull-down list to open the BP Curve dialog box. Do the following in the BP Curve dialog box:
Enter B and P values in each row of the Coordinates table. Note The value of B must increase along the curve. Placing the cursor in the field in the Coordinates table enables the Add Row and Delete Row buttons. As you enter values, the graph is updated.
To add or edit rows, click the following buttons:
Add Row Above Add Row Below Append Rows (In the dialog box that appears, specify the number of rows to append to the table, and click OK.) Delete Rows
Viewing and Modifying Material Attributes

1. 2. In the Select Definition dialog box or the Edit Libraries dialog box, select the material you want to view or modify. Click View/Edit Materials. The View/Edit Material dialog box appears as shown below. The material name and its property values are listed. 3. You can modify the material as follows: a. b. Note 4. Type a new name for the material in the Material Name text box. Modify the material Type or Value. Materials stored in Ansoft's global material library cannot be modified.
Click OK to save the changes and return to the Select Definition or Edit Libraries dialog box. If you modify a material that is assigned in the active project after generating a solution, the solution becomes invalid.
Warning
Setting the Material Threshold

The material thresholds tell the Maxwell 2D and Maxwell 3D solvers how to deal with conductors and insulators. Materials with conductivities above the Perfect Conductor threshold are treated as having infinite conductivity and surface current only. Materials with conductivity values below the Insulator/Conductor threshold are treated as insulators with no conductivity and no current carrying capability. Materials that fall between the two thresholds are treated as normal conductors that can carry current throughout the volume of the material. 1. 2. 3. 4. Click Maxwell>Design Settings. The Design Settings dialog box appears. The material thresholds are set in the Set Material Thresholds tab. Type a value in the Perfect Conductor text box. Type a value in the Insulator/Conductor text box. Click OK.
Validating Materials
Maxwell and RMxprt can validate a material's property parameters for an Ansoft software product. For example, it checks if the range of values specified for each material property is reasonable. To validate the material attributes listed in the View/Edit Material dialog box:
In the View/Edit Material dialog box, select a product from the Select Ansoft Product area, and then click Validate Now. If a material's property parameters are invalid, an error message appears in the lower-right corner of the View/Edit Material dialog box. If the parameters are valid, a green check mark appears.
Copying Materials
1. 2. 3. 4. In the Select Definition dialog box or the Edit Libraries dialog box, select the material you want to copy. Click Clone Material(s). The View/Edit Material dialog box appears. To modify the material's attributes, follow the directions for modifying materials. Click OK to save the copy in the active project's material library.
Removing Materials
1. 2. 3. In the Select Definition dialog box or the Edit Libraries dialog box, select a material you want to remove from the active project's material library. Click Remove Material(s). A message appears asking if you want to continue. Click Yes. The material is deleted from the project material library. The following materials cannot be deleted:
Note
Materials stored in Ansoft's global material library. Materials that have been assigned to objects in the active project.
Exporting Materials to a Library

1. 2. 3. In the Select Definition dialog box or the Edit Libraries dialog box, select the material you want to export. Click Export to Library. The Save As file browser appears. Do one of the following to specify the location:

4. 5.
Click PersonalLib to export the material to a local project directory, accessible only to the user that created it. Click UserLib to export the material to a library that is shared by more than one user, usually in a central location.
Type the library's file name. Click Save.
Sorting Materials
You can change the order of the materials listed in the Select Definition dialog box or the Edit Libraries dialog box. You can sort the list of materials by name, library location, or material property value. To change the order of the listed materials:
Click the column heading by which you want to order the materials. If the arrow in the column heading points up, the material data are listed in ascending order (1 to 9, A to Z) based on the values in the column you chose. If you want the material data to be listed in descending order (9 to 1, Z to A), click the column heading again. The arrow then points down.
The Material Filters tab of the Edit Libraries dialog box allows you to specify the default for whether to filter for This Product or All Products.
Working with Material Libraries

Working with Ansoft's System Material Library Maxwell provides you with a global, or system library of predefined materials. Global materials in the Ansoft system library are available in every Maxwell project and cannot be modified. You can create a global system library that is stored in a common location and available to multiple users. Working with User Material Libraries You can create your own personalized global material library, or user library, that can be used in any Maxwell project only by the user that created it. User-defined global materials can be modified at any time. You can also create a personalized local user library that is used only in the active Maxwell project. Related Topics Adding New Materials Configuring Design LIbraries Editing Material Definitions Exporting Materials to a Library Permanent Magnets Nonlinear Materials
Configuring Design Libraries

To configure system, user, and personal libraries: 1. Click Tools>Configure Libraries.
The Configure Design Libraries dialog box appears.
2.
Select one of the following radio buttons:
System Libraries User Libraries Personal Libraries
The libraries update in the Available Libraries list. Depending on which library type you selected, you can configure the following types of libraries: Materials, RMxprt, Maxwell Circuit Elements, and User Defined Primitives. 3. In the Available Libraries list, select a library you want to configure, and click the >> button. The library appears in the Configured Libraries list.

4. 5.
Alternatively, you can double-click the item in the Available Libraries list, to move it to the Configured Libraries list. To un-configure a library, move it back from the Configured Libraries list to the Available Libraries list (by selecting the item and then double-clicking or clicking the << button).
If you want the newly added library to be loaded for each new project and design, select the Save as default check box. When you are finished configuring libraries, click OK to close the Configure Design Libraries dialog box.
Editing Material Definitions

When editing material definitions or adding a material to the user/personal library, use the menu command (Tools>Edit Configured Libraries>Materials) rather than the project tree. Editing or defining definitions by right-clicking in the project tree window does not modify the configured libraries for any particular design it only edits the material in general. When you use the menu command, the current design is considered, and any new libraries are added to the configured list for the current design and made available to assign in the current project. To edit a material's definition: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Click Tools>Edit Configured Libraries>Materials. The Edit Libraries dialog appears. In the Search Parameters section, select the library database. By default the Material System Library is selected. Select the material you want to edit, and click View/Edit Materials. The View/Edit Material dialog appears. Make the desired changes to the Material Name, the Material Coordinate System Type, and the properties listed in the Properties of the Material section. From the View/Edit Material for section, select whether the changes shall apply to the active design only, to the open product only, or to all products using this material (Active Design, This Product, or All Products). For 3D Designs Only: You may optionally set a Thermal Modifier to specify that certain material properties have characteristics that vary with temperature. Click Validate Material to make sure your changes are valid. If the material properties are valid, a green check mark appears below the Validate Material button. Optionally, use the Calculate Properties for... drop down list to calculate properties for a permanent magnet or a Non-Linear Permanent Magnet. Optionally, to calculate properties for core loss, select Core Loss Coefficient from the Calculate Properties for... drop down list.
6. 7.
8. 9.
10. When you are done making changes to the material properties, click OK. The Edit Libraries dialog reappears. 11. If you are finished in the View/Edit Material dialog, click OK to close it.
Setting a Thermal Modifier

Materials used in 3D Designs may have a Thermal Modifier assigned to change specific material properties with temperature, primarily for use when coupling to ePhysics. To set a thermal modifier for a material: 1. Click Tools>Edit Configured Libraries>Materials.
The Edit Libraries dialog appears. 2. 3. 4. 5. In the Search Parameters section, select the library database. By default the Material System Library is selected. Select the material you want to edit, and click View/Edit Materials. The View/Edit Material dialog appears. Select the Thermal Modifier checkbox. A new column titled Thermal Modifier is added to the material properties table. Select the entry in the Thermal Modifier column for the material property of interest and choose Edit... from the pulldown menu. The Specify Thermal Quadratic Parameters dialog is displayed. Specify the coefficients describing the quadratic temperature dependence and click OK to dismiss the dialog. The Thermal Modifier equation appears in the properties table and will be used in in conjunction with the Ambient Temperature setting to determine the actual property value used during the simulation process.
6.
Related Topics Set Ambient Temperature
Specify Thermal Quadratic Parameters

Maxwell3D allows for quadratic variation of material properties for modeling physical materials that have a dependence on temperature. To specify the temperature dependence of a material:
Enter the quadratic coefficients in the Basic Coefficient Set tab. Specify temperature and value limits in the Advanced Coefficient Set tab.
Basic Coefficient Set

The dependence of a material on temperature can be modeled using a simple quadratic equation as shown in the dialog. The reference value is obtained from the View/Edit Material dialog setting for Value. To set the quadratic coefficients: 1. 2. 3. 4. Enter the reference temperature, TempRef, for which the reference value is valid. Enter the coefficient C1 for the linear term in the apporximation. Enter the coefficient C2 for the quadratic term in the approximation. Select the Advanced Coefficient Set tab to specify the limits of the approximation.
Advanced Coefficient Set

The quadratic approximation on temperature may have limits over which it is valid. These limits, as well as the values to use outside the limits are set in the Advanced Coefficients Set tab. To set the limits of the quadratic approximation: 1. 2. Enter the upper (TU) and lower (TL) temperature limits for the approximation. Select the Auto calculate TML, TMU checkbox to allow the software to calculate the values at the upper and lower temperature limits based upon the coefficients entered in the Basic Coefficients Set tab. This setting is recommended as it will prevent a discontinuous function from being defined at the upper and lower temperature limits. To manually enter limits for the value of the thermal modifier, de-select the Auto calculate checkbox and enter values for the upper (TMU) and lower (TML) limits directly into the fields. Click OK to complete the entry and return to the View/Edit Materials dialog.
3.
4.
Related Topics Set Ambient Temperature
Permanent Magnets
A permanent magnet is defined as a material that generates a magnetic flux due to permanent magnetic dipoles in that material. Related Topics Non-Linear vs. Linear Permanent Magnets Characteristics and Main Parameters of Permanent-magnetic Materials Calculating the Properties for a Permanent Magnet Calculating the Properties for a Non-Linear Permanent Magnet
Nonlinear vs. Linear Permanent Magnets

In general, permanent magnets are nonlinear and should be modeled via a B-H curve as shown below. The magnetic coercivity, Hc, is defined as the B-H curve's H-axis intercept, and the magnetic remanence, Br, as its B-axis intercept.
B
Linear Permanent Magnet
Nonlinear Permanent Magnet
Br
Hc
In many applications, however, the permanent magnet's behavior can be approximated using a linear relationship between B and H. In these cases, there is no need to create a nonlinear material. Simply enter the appropriate values of Br or Hc for the material when defining its properties. Related Topics Characteristics and Main Parameters of Permanent-magnetic Materials Calculating the Properties for a Permanent Magnet Calculating the Properties for a Non-Linear Permanent Magnet
Characteristics and Main Parameters of Permanent-magnetic Materials

The permanent-magnetic material belongs to hard-magnetic material. It is characterized with "fat" hysteresis loop, which encloses large area as shown in the figure. When magnetized, it keeps high
magnetic property with the external magnetic field removed, therefore is used in the permanentmagnet electric machine to produce magnetic field. The characteristics of the permanent-magnetic material are represented with its main parameters: residual flux density Br, coercive field force Hc and maximum magnetic energy product (BH)max.
"Fat" Hysteresis Loop Related Topics Demagnetization Curve Calculating the Properties for a Permanent Magnet Calculating the Properties for a Non-Linear Permanent Magnet
Demagnetization Curve
The part of the maximum hysteresis loop of the permanent-magnetic material in the second quadrant is called the demagnetization curve as shown in the next figure. It is the basic characteristics curve of the permanent-magnetic material. On the demagnetization curve, the magnetic flux density has positive values, but the magnetic field intensity has negative values. It means that the permanent-magnetic material is applied with demagnetization magnetic field intensity. Since Hm and Bm are in opposite directions, when the magnetic flux goes through the permanent-magnetic material, the magnetic potential difference along the direction of the magnetic flux does not drop, but
rises. Therefore, the permanent-magnetic material is a magnetic source, similar to the electric source in the electric circuit.
Demagnetization Curve The two extreme positions on the demagnetization curve are the two significant parameters to represent the magnetic characteristics of the permanent-magnetic material. On the demagnetization curve, the value of the magnetic flux density corresponding to zero magnetic field intensity H is termed residual flux density Br, on the other hand, the value of the magnetic field intensity corresponding to zero magnetic flux density B is termed coercive field force Hc. The produce of the magnetic flux density and the magnetic field intensity at any point on the demagnetization curve is termed magnetic energy product (BH), which is proportional to the magnetic energy density possessed by the permanent magnet at the given operating situation. At the two extreme positions (B = Br, H = 0) and (B = 0, H = Hc), the magnetic energy product is equal to zero. Somewhere at an intermediate position, the magnetic energy reaches its maximum value and is termed maximum magnetic energy product (BH)max, which is another significant parameter to represent the magnetic characteristics of the permanent-magnetic material. To some permanent-magnetic materials with linear demagnetization curve, it is obvious that at (B = Br / 2, H = Hc / 2), the magnetic energy product reaches its maximum value, i.e. (BH)max = Br Hc / 4. Related Topics Recoil Lines Calculating the Properties for a Permanent Magnet Calculating the Properties for a Non-Linear Permanent Magnet
Recoil Lines
The relationship between the magnetic flux density and the magnetic field intensity represented by the demagnetization curve only exists when the magnetic field intensity varies in the same direction. In fact, when the permanent magnet electric machine is working, the demagnetization field intensity varies repeatedly in both directions. When demagnetization field is applied to the magne8-34 Assigning Materials
tized permanent magnet, the magnetic flux density decreases along the curly segment BrP on the demagnetization curve as shown in the next figure. If the external demagnetization field intensity Hp is removed when the magnetic flux density reaches the point P, the magnetic flux density will increase not along the original demagnetization curve, but along another curve PBR. If the external demagnetization field intensity is reapplied, the magnetic flux density will decrease along the new curve RB'P. By repeatedly applying the demagnetization field intensity, a localized loop is formed and is termed local hysteresis loop. On the local hysteresis loop, the rising segment and the dropping segment are quite close to each other, therefore can be approximated by the straight line PR, which is termed recoil line with P as the starting point. If demagnetization field with intensity HQ not exceeding the original value Hp is applied thereafter, the magnetic flux density will vary reversibly along the recoil line PR. If HQ > Hp, the magnetic flux density drops to a new starting point Q. It will vary along the new recoil line QS, but not the previous one PR. This sort of irreversible variation in magnetic flux density causes instability in the characteristics of electric machines and complicates the design computation of permanent magnet electric machines, therefore should be avoided as possible.
Demagnetization Curve The ratio of the average slope of the recoil line to the magnetic permeability in vacuum 0 . (0= 4 x 10-7 H/m) is termed relative recoil magnetic permeability or recoil magnetic permeability for short r:
r =
1 B 0 H
If the demagnetization curve is curly, the value of r depends on the location of the starting point and is a variable, but typically varies within a small range. Therefore, it is approximated as a constant and is taken as the slop of the tangent to the point (Br, 0) on the demagnetization curve. In other words, the recoil lines at different starting points are approximated as a family of parallel lines, which are all parallel to the tangent to the point (Br, 0) on the demagnetization curve.
Some permanent-magnetic materials, such as some ferrite permanent-magnetic materials, show straight upper segment on the demagnetization curve. When the demagnetization field intensity drops to a given value, the demagnetization curve turns to decrease rapidly. The turning point is termed inflection point. If the demagnetization field intensity does not exceed the inflection point k, the recoil line coincides with the straight segment on the demagnetization curve. If the demagnetization field intensity exceeds the inflection point k, the new recoil line RP no longer coincides with the straight segment on the demagnetization curve.
Some permanent-magnetic materials, such as most of the rare-earth permanent-magnetic materials, show straight demagnetization curve in the whole range. In those cases, the recoil line coincides with the demagnetization curve. This makes the magnetic property keep stable while the permanent-magnet electric machine is working. This is the best ideal demagnetization curve for electric machine applications. . Note The accuracy in inputting the characteristic parameters for the permanent-magnetic material has significant effect on the correctness of the analyses to the electromagnetic characteristics of the electric machine. It is suggested that users should input the characteristic parameters of the permanent-magnetic material according to the accurate data provided by the manufacturers of materials. RMxprt provides a few characteristic parameters of permanent-magnetic materials for reference.
Related Topics Calculating the Properties for a Permanent Magnet Calculating the Properties for a Non-Linear Permanent Magnet
Calculating the Properties for a Permanent Magnet

From the View/Edit Materials window: 1. 2. Set the Relative Permeability to Simple. This enables the Calculate Properties for... drop down menu at the bottom of the window. Click Permanent Magnet from the drop down menu. This displays the Properties for Permanent Magnet dialog. This contains the following fields. Mu (enabled by default) Hc (enabled by default) Provide a value for relative permeability. Coercive field force Hc in the units specified. Provide a value and select units from the drop down menu.
Br/Mp (disabled by default) Checking this enables the radio buttons that let you specify either Br or Mp. Br Residual flux density Br, in Tesla. If enabled, provide a value and select units from the drop down menu. Mp Permanent Magnetization Mp, in A/m. If enabled, provide a value and select units form the drop down menu. 3. Click OK to close the dialogue and return to the View/Edit Materials window. The values for Relative Permeability and Magnitude under Magnetic Coercivity are updated as new default values. Related Topics Non-Linear vs. Linear Permanent Magnets Characteristics and Main Parameters of Permanent-magnetic Materials Calculating the Properties for a Non-Linear Permanent Magnet
Calculating the Properties for a Non-Linear Permanent Magnet

From the View/Edit Materials window: 1. 2. Set the Relative Permeability to Nonlinear. This enables the Calculate Properties for... drop down menu at the bottom of the window. Click Non-Linear Permanent Magnet from the drop down menu. This displays the Properties for Non-Linear Permanent Magnet dialog. This contains the
following fields. Mur Hc Br Provide a value for relative permeability. Coercive field force Hc in the units specified. Provide a value and select units from the drop down menu. Residual flux density Br, in Tesla. If enabled, provide a value and select units from the drop down menu. BHmax Maximum magnetic energy product (BH)max If enabled, provide a value and select units form the drop down menu. 3. Click OK to close the dialogue and return to the View/Edit Materials window. The values for Relative Permeability and Magnitude under Magnetic Coercivity are updated as new default values. Related Topics Non-Linear vs. Linear Permanent Magnets Characteristics and Main Parameters of Permanent-magnetic Materials Calculating the Properties for a Permanent Magnet
Nonlinear Materials
Magnetostatic If a material has a permeability that varies with the flux density, a B vs. H curve (B-H curve) such as the one below is needed to describe the material's nonlinear behavior.
In nonlinear materials, the B-field (magnetic flux density) is a function of itself:
B = r ( B ) o H
where r(B), the relative permeability, depends on the magnitude of the B-field at each point in the material. Therefore, to model the magnetic behavior of the material, a curve relating the B-field directly to the H-field is used to describe the nonlinear relationship. See also Advanced Nonlinear Options for Magnetostatic Solutions or Magnetization for Transient Solutions for more information about permeability and magnetization settings.
Perfect Conductors
Perfect conductors are used in Maxwell to approximate the following:
Magnetic field effects at a conductor surface when current flow is restricted to the conductor surface. This condition can exist in conductors with very high conductivity. The magnetic field at the surface of a conductor carrying high frequency current, modeled in the eddy current solver when the frequency is very high. Perfect conductors are used in conjunction with Impedance Boundaries in the Eddy Current solvers to handle the following conditions: a. The skin depth in the conductor is less than two orders of magnitude smaller than the dimensions of the structure. In models like this, the meshmaker may not be able to create a fine enough mesh in the conductor to compute eddy currents. The magnetic field decays much more rapidly inside the conductor in the direction thats normal to the surface than it does in directions that are tangential to the surface. The AC current source is relatively far away from the surface where eddy currents occur, compared to the size of the skin depth.
b. c.
Conductors in the Electrostatic solver where the voltage is constant in the conductor and there is no electric field penetration in the conductor. In the DC Conduction solver where a material contains a high conductivity. In conjunction with boundaries requiring the material on one side of the boundary to be the background region such as impedance or resistance boundaries.
Because of the special treatment of perfect conductors, no field solution is performed in these objects, saving time and computer resources when the approximation does not significantly change the field solution outside the conductor. In order to define an object as a perfect conductor, do one of the following:
Assign the Perfect Conductor material to the object in the Material Manager. Set the object to have a material with a conductivity greater than the conductivity defined in the Material Threshold section of the Design Settings dialog. In the Properties Window for the object, clear the Solve Inside checkbox.
9
Assigning Boundaries and Excitations for 3D Designs
For every project, you need to assign boundaries and excitations. For 3D designs, you can use the Maxwell3D menu or the project tree to do the following:
Define boundary conditions that control how the electric or magnetic field behaves at object faces, planes of symmetry and periodicity, and edges of the problem region. Define excitations of voltage, charge, coil, and current. Identify conductors in which eddy currents are induced. For magnetic transient projects, set up a winding and an external circuit connection.
Each field solver requires you to specify excitations of electric or magnetic fields and references for computing these fields. Magnetostatic Boundaries and Excitations Electrostatic Boundaries and Excitations DC Conduction Boundaries and Excitations Eddy Current Boundaries and Excitations Transient Boundaries and Excitations
You must specify at least one of the boundary conditions or excitations listed in these sections, so that the simulator can compute accurate values for fields and parameters. Related Topics Specifying the Solver Type
Selecting Objects and Faces in the Geometry

Before creating a boundary or excitation, you must specify its location by selecting the object or surface on which to assign the boundary condition or source excitation.
Assigning Boundaries and Excitations for 3D
Defining Boundary Conditions

The specific boundary types you can define depend on the solver you have chosen for your project.
Magnetostatic Boundary Conditions Electrostatic Boundary Conditions DC Conduction (Electric) Boundary Conditions Eddy Current Boundary Conditions 3D Transient Boundary Conditions
Make sure you include the required references for the specified solver type. To assign a boundary condition: 1. 2. Select the section of the geometry on which you want to apply the boundary condition. Click Maxwell>Boundaries>Assign, or right-click Boundaries in the project tree and click Assign. A submenu appears. 3. Select one of the following boundary types from the submenu:

4. 5. 6. 7.
Zero Tangential H Field Tangential H Field Insulating Symmetry Master Slave
Enter the name for the boundary or accept the default. Optionally, you may need to define the local coordinates, depending on the boundary type. Enter the value of the boundary in the Value box. Click OK to create the new boundary.
The new boundary is added to the boundary list in the project tree. Related Topics Setting a Symmetry Multiplier
Defining Excitations
The specific excitations you can define depend on the solver you have chosen for your project.
Magnetostatic Excitations Electrostatic (Electric) Excitations DC Conduction (Electric) Excitations Eddy Current Excitations 3D Transient Excitations
9-2 Assigning Boundaries and Excitations for 3D De-
To assign an excitation: 1. 2. Select the section of the geometry on which you want to apply the excitation. Click Maxwell>Excitations>Assign, or right-click Excitations in the project tree and click Assign. A submenu appears. 3. Select one of the following excitation types from the submenu:

4. 5. 6.
Voltage Voltage Drop Current Density Current Density Terminal Current
Enter the name for the excitation type or accept the default. Select the units for the excitation. Enter the value of the excitation in the Value box. You can also enter a mathematical function to determine the value of the potential, current density, charge density, and other parameters. When entering current, current density terminals, or coil terminals, the arrow associated with current in the selected object shows the direction as if a positive value is entered for the current. If a negative value is entered the actual current flow direction is opposite to what the arrow shows. Click Swap Direction if you want to reverse the direction of the arrow.
Note
7.
Click OK to create the new excitation.
The new excitation is added to the excitation list in the project tree.
Viewing Boundaries and Excitations

To view a list of all boundaries or excitations set for the project: 1. 2. In the project tree, right-click Boundaries or Excitations. A shortcut menu appears. Select List from the shortcut menu. The Design List window appears, with the tab page visible for the item you selected. This window contains tabs for Model, Boundaries, Excitations, Parameters, Mesh Operations, and Analysis Setup. To view the properties for an item in the list, select the item, and click Properties. To delete an item from the list, select the item, and click Delete. When you are finished in the Design List window, click Done to close it.
3. 4. 5.
Setting the Visibility for Boundaries and Excitations

To show or hide a boundary: 1. 2. 3. 4. 1. 2. 3. 4. Click View>Active View Visibility. The Active View Visibility dialog box appears. Click the Boundaries tab. Select or clear the Visibility check box for each boundary listed. Click Done. Click View>Active View Visibility. The Active View Visibility dialog box appears. Click the Excitations tab. Select or clear the Visibility check box for each excitation listed. Click Done.
To show or hide a excitation:
Functional Boundaries and Excitations

Functional boundaries and excitations can be used to do the following:
Define the value of a boundary or excitation quantity (such as the voltage, magnetic field, or current density) using a mathematical relationship such as one relating its value to that of another quantity. Define the value of a boundary or excitation as a function of position.
Current Density Excitation (Magnetostatic or Eddy Current solver type) Voltage Excitation (Electric solver types) Volume Charge Density Excitation (Electrostatic or Electrostatic + DC solver types)
If the parametric analysis capability was purchased, identify which boundary or excitation quantities are to be varied during a parametric sweep. These variables are always set to constant values in the parametric analysis.
Setting Eddy Effects and Displacement Current

(Eddy Current and/or Transient Solvers) For both eddy current and transient solvers, you may need to specify the following additional setting:
The behavior of eddy currents and the AC magnetic field in conductors. When you activate the Eddy Effect setting, the solver computes the induced eddy currents. The Displacement Current on the objects in the model.
For eddy current solvers only, you may need to specify the following additional setting: Typically, background objects are excluded from eddy and displacement current settings. To set eddy effects: 1. 2. 3. Select the elements of the geometry on which you want to apply the excitation. Click Maxwell3D>Excitations>Set Eddy Effects. The Set Eddy Effect dialog box appears. For each object in the list, select or clear the check boxes for Eddy Effect and Displacement Current. When selecting multiple entries, the changes are synchronized for all selected rows. Multi-select is supported by holding the CTRL or Shift key while clicking.
Note 4. 5. 6.
Click the Select Object By Name button to enter the name of a specific object for selection. Optionally, click the Use suggested values button to set the Eddy Effects for all elements recommended by Maxwell3D. Click OK.
The Deselect All button will deselect all selected objects in the list. Related Topics Technical Notes: Frequency Domain (Eddy Current) Solver Technical Notes: 3D Transient Excitations (Sources)
Setting Core Loss for Transient Solvers

(Transient Solvers) For a transient solver, you may include core loss in the simulation on any object that has a corresponding core loss definition (with core loss coefficient settings) in the material library. The Defined in Material column indicates whether the material assigned to each object contains a core loss definition. To set core loss, in the General tab of the dialog box: 1. 2. Click Maxwell3D>Excitations>Set Core Loss. The Set Core Loss dialog box appears. For each object in the list, select or clear the check box for Core Loss Setting (if a corresponding core loss definition has been set). When selecting multiple entries, the changes are synMulti-select is supported by holding the CTRL or Shift key while clicking.
Note
chronized for all selected rows. 3. 4. Click the Select Object By Name button to enter the name of a specific object for selection. Click OK.
The Deselect All button will deselect all selected objects in the list. On the Advanced tab of the dialog box, you may select the option to Consider core loss effect on field. When selected, this option will estimate the core loss and subsequently modify the field solution, causing the resulting fields to be affected by the presence of the core loss. This option provides improved solution accuracy for materials exhibiting high core loss at the expense of increased solution time. The default is to not include this effect. In this case, the field calculation is performed without the core loss and the loss calculation is performed after the field solution is complete. Related Topics Core Loss Coefficient Extraction Technical Notes: 3D Transient Excitations (Sources)
Showing and Verifying Conduction Paths

To show the conduction paths in the geometry: 1. 2. 3. Click Maxwell>Excitations>Conduction Paths>Show Conduction Paths. The Conduction Path Visualization window appears. Click a path in the list. The path is highlighted in the model. Click Close when you are done viewing conduction paths. Click Maxwell>Excitations>Conduction Paths>Verify Conduction Paths. The paths are traced in the model diagram.
To verify conduction paths:
Related Topics Recalculating Conduction Paths
Recalculating Conduction Paths

Conduction paths are not recalculated unless a design changes results in a different outcome. You can force a recalculation by using the Maxwell>Excitations>Conduction Paths>Recalculate Conduction Paths command. The Recalculate Conduction Paths command is similar to the Verify Conduction Paths command. The only difference is that the Recalculate command recalculates every time, even if there are no changes that influence the conduction paths. Note The Recalculate Conduction Paths command does not apply for electrostatic solution types.
To recalculate conduction paths for the active project:
Click Maxwell>Excitations>Conduction Paths>Recalculate Conduction Paths.
Related Topics Showing and Verifying Conduction Paths
Modifying Boundary Conditions and Excitations

Save your project before modifying boundary conditions and excitations. You can modify boundary conditions and excitations after a solution has been generated, but you may lose some solution data.
Duplicating Boundaries and Excitations

To duplicate a boundary or excitation when its geometry is pasted or duplicated: 1. Click Tools>Options>Maxwell Options. The Maxwell Options dialog box appears.
2. 3. 4.
Click the General Options tab. Select Duplicate boundaries with geometry. Click OK. All boundaries and excitations are duplicated with their associated geometries until you clear this option. Hint Use this option to copy and paste boundaries. For example, do the following to use the same boundary on multiple objects: 1. 2. 3. 4. Select the face to which you want to assign the boundary. Click Modeler>Surface>Create Object From Face to create a new object from the existing face. Assign the boundary to the new face object. Copy and paste the new face object to copy and paste the boundary.
Related Topics Copying and Pasting Objects
Showing and Hiding Boundaries and Excitations

You can choose to show or hide a boundary or excitation's geometry, name, or vectors, in the active view window or in all view windows.
Showing and Hiding Boundaries and Excitations in Every View Window

1. 2. Click Maxwell>Boundaries>Visualization or Maxwell>Excitations>Visualization. The Visualization Options window appears. Select one of the following from the Select pull-down menu:

3. 4. 5.
All All Boundaries All Excitations All Ports By Name
If you select By Name, enter a name in the Select By Name window, and click OK. To clear the selection of all boundaries and excitations, click Deselect All. Click Close to close the Visualization Options window.
Setting Default Values for Boundaries and Excitations

When assigning a boundary or excitation, many of the fields in the boundary and excitation dialog boxes have default values associated with them. These default values are initially set by Maxwell, but can be overridden.
To modify the default values associated with a specific boundary or excitation type: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Assign a boundary or excitation. Modify any default values. Close the boundary or excitation's dialog box. Re-open the new boundary or excitation's dialog box. It now includes a Defaults tab. Under the Defaults tab, click Save Defaults. The values assigned to this boundary are saved as the default values and are assigned when new boundaries of this type are created. 6. Optionally, click Revert to Standard Defaults. The default values you set for this boundary type are cleared and will revert to the default values set by Maxwell 3D.
Reassigning Boundaries
You can reassign a boundary to another surface. This is useful when you modify objects with assigned boundaries, invalidating the boundaries. For example, if you unite two objects with assigned boundaries, the second object's boundary becomes invalid because united objects maintain the characteristics of the first object selected. In this case, you would need to reassign the boundary or delete it. To reassign a boundary: 1. 2. Select the object or object face to which you want to assign an existing boundary. Click Maxwell>Boundaries>Reassign. The Reassign Boundary window appears. Hint Alternatively, select the object or object face to which you want to assign an existing boundary. Right-click the existing boundary in the project tree, and then click Reassign on the shortcut menu.
3.
Select the boundary you want to reassign, and click OK. When reassigning a boundary that includes vectors in its definition, Maxwell attempts to preserve the vectors with the new assignment, but this is not always possible.
Note
Reassigning Excitations
To reassign an excitation: 1. 2. Select the object or object face to which you want to assign an existing excitation. Click Maxwell>Excitations>Reassign.
9-10 Assigning Boundaries and Excitations for 3D
The Reassign Excitation window appears. Hint Alternatively, select the object or object face to which you want to assign an existing excitation. Right-click the existing excitation in the project tree, and then click Reassign on the shortcut menu.
3.
Select the excitation you want to reassign, and click OK. When reassigning an excitation that includes vectors in its definition, Maxwell attempts to preserve the vectors with the new assignment, but this is not always possible.
Note
Deleting All Boundaries and/or Excitations

To delete all boundaries or excitations:
Click Maxwell>Boundaries>Delete All or Maxwell>Excitations>Delete All.
Reprioritizing Boundaries
Each boundary you assign overwrites any existing boundary with which it overlaps. You can change the priority of a previously assigned boundary to be greater than a more recently assigned boundary. The order of boundaries and excitations is important because, for any given triangle of the mesh, only one boundary or excitation can be visible to the solvers. The highest priority boundary condition applied on a certain surface overwrites the lower priority one(s) applied on the same surface. If any surfaces with boundary conditions have a partial overlap, then in the overlap region, the precedence rule applies. The highest priority boundary condition takes precedence over the lower one(s) such that for all mesh nodes on any surface carrying a boundary condition, only one boundary condition is actually enforced and visible to the solver.. Excitations cannot be reprioritized. Only boundaries can be reprioritized. To reprioritize boundaries: 1. Click Maxwell>Boundaries>Reprioritize. The Reprioritize Boundaries window appears. The order the boundaries initially appear in the Reprioritize dialog box list indicates the order in which they were defined. The lowest priority assignment always appears at the top of the list.
Note
2.
Drag the boundary you want to change to the desired order of priority (to select the entity, click in the left-most column). The order of boundaries and excitations in the project tree is alphabetical. The order does not correspond to the order in which boundaries and excitations are visible to the solvers.
Note 3.
Click OK.
Viewing and Editing Boundary or Excitation Properties

To open the Properties window for a boundary or excitation that is already assigned: 1. In the project tree, under either Boundaries or Excitations, right-click a specific boundary or excitation, and select Properties. The Properties window for that boundary/excitation appears. Make the desired changes, and click OK.
2.
Set Default Boundary/Excitation Base Name

When setting boundaries and excitations on multiple selected surfaces, separate boundary or excitation definitions may be made automatically. Individual entries in the Project Tree will be identified with a Base Name and assigned a sequential numerical value appended to the base name. The Set Default Boundary/Excitation Base Name dialog allows the base names for all boundary and excitation type to be specified for the current project. To set the base name for a boundary or excitation type: 1. 2. 3. Scroll the table to the boundary or excitation of interest. Select the value in the Default Name column in the row of interest and enter the new base name. Click OK to accept the changes and dismiss the dialog box.
All base names may be reset to the factory default list by clicking Revert All, or individuals may be reset by first selecting the Default Name to be reset and clicking the Revert Selected button.
Magnetostatic Boundaries and Excitations

Define at least one of the following as a source of static magnetic fields:
The current in a conduction path, which can be either stranded or solid. The current density in a conductor. The voltage differential across a conduction path. The magnetic field on an outside surface. A permanent magnet.
If currents or current densities are the only sources of static magnetic fields in your model, set at least one of the following as the outer boundary: The default boundary conditions. An odd symmetry (flux tangential) boundary. An even symmetry (flux normal) boundary.
Related Topics Technical Notes: Magnetostatic Field Calculation Specifying the Solver Type
Magnetostatic Boundaries
The magnetostatic field solver allows you to define the following types of boundaries: Boundary Type H-Field Behavior Used to model... Ordinary field behavior. Initially, object interfaces are natural boundaries; outer boundaries, and excluded objects are Neumann boundaries. External magnetic fields.
Default Boundary Field behaves as follows: Conditions Natural boundaries H is continuous (Natural and across the boundary. Neumann) Neumann boundaries H is tangential to the boundary and flux cannot cross it. Magnetic Field (H-Field) The tangential components of H are set to pre-defined values. Flux is perpendicular if tangent components are zero or if a zero tangential H-field boundary was applied.
Insulating
Same as Neumann, except that current cannot Thin, perfectly insulating cross the boundary. sheets between touching conductors. Field behaves as follows: Planes of geometric and Odd Symmetry (Flux Tangential) H is magnetic symmetry. tangential to the boundary; its normal components are zero. Even Symmetry (Flux Normal) H is normal to the boundary; its tangential components are zero.
Symmetry
Matching The H-field on the slave boundary is forced to Planes of symmetry in periodic structures where H is oblique (Master and Slave) match the magnitude and direction (or the negative of the direction) of the H-field on the to the boundary. master boundary.
Default Boundary Conditions for a Magnetostatic Solver

These boundary conditions are automatically defined for a magnetostatic model:
Natural boundaries are assigned to the surfaces between objects. Neumann boundaries are assigned to the outside edges of the problem region.
To leave a surface set to its default boundary condition, do nothing. Deleted boundary conditions and excitations automatically reset to the default boundary conditions.
Assigning a Magnetic H Field for a Magnetostatic Solver

This type of boundary defines external magnetic fields in a model. Assign it only to the outer surfaces of the problem region. Warning When using tangential magnetic field boundary conditions, always double-check that Ampere's law is not violated.
Note
The specific boundary types you can define depend on the solver you have chosen for your project.

1.
Electrostatic Boundary Conditions DC Conduction Boundary Conditions Magnetostatic Boundary Conditions Eddy Current Boundary Conditions
To define a zero tangential H field boundary: Select the section of the geometry on which you want to apply the boundary condition (typi-
cally a face). 2. 3. 4. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Click Maxwell>Boundaries>Assign>Zero Tangential H Field. The Zero Tangential H Field window appears. Enter a name for the boundary in the Name box, or accept the default. Click OK to assign the boundary to the selected object. Select the section of the geometry on which you want to apply the boundary condition. Click Maxwell>Boundaries>Assign>Tangential H Field. The Tangential H Field window appears. Enter a name for the boundary in the Name box, or accept the default. In the Parameters section, enter the value of the field component in the x-direction in the U(X) box and the value of the field component in the y-direction in the V(Y) box. In the Coordinate System section, do the following to define the vectors: a. Select New Vector from the U Vector pull-down list. The Create Line message appears asking you to draw the U vector of the coordinate system in the plane of the selected face. Click two points to specify the vector. The vector is set, and the Tangential H Field window reappears, with Defined listed for U Vector. To reverse the direction of the vector, click the Reverse Direction check box.
To define a tangential H field boundary:
b.
c. 6. 7.
Optionally, click Use Defaults to revert to the default values in the window. Click OK to assign the boundary to the selected object.
The new boundary is added to the boundary list in the project tree.
Assigning an Insulating Boundary for a Magnetostatic Solver

This boundary condition is used to model very thin sheets of perfectly Insulating material between touching conductors. Current cannot cross an insulating boundary. To set an insulating boundary: 1. 2. 3. 4. Select the section of the geometry on which you want to apply the boundary condition (typically a face). Click Maxwell>Boundaries>Assign>Insulating. The Insulating Boundary window appears. Enter a name for the boundary in the Name box, or accept the default. Click OK to assign the boundary to the selected object.
Assigning a Symmetry Boundary Condition for a Magnetostatic Solver

This boundary condition defines a plane of geometric or magnetic symmetry in a structure. Assign it only to the outer surfaces of the problem region.
To set a symmetry boundary: 1. 2. 3. 4. Select the section of the geometry on which you want to apply the boundary condition (typically a face). Click Maxwell>Boundaries>Assign>Symmetry. The Symmetry Boundary window appears. Enter a name for the boundary in the Name box, or accept the default. Select one of the following as the type of symmetry: Odd H is tangential to the boundary; its normal components are zero. (Flux Tangential) Even (Flux Normal) 5. 6. H is normal to the boundary; its tangential components are zero.
Optionally, click Use Defaults to revert to the default values in the window. Click OK to assign the boundary to the selected object. When using even symmetry boundaries, double-check that Ampere's law is not violated.
Warning
Assigning a Master Boundary for a Magnetostatic Solver

Master and slave boundaries enable you to model planes of periodicity where the H-field at every point on the slave boundary surface is forced to match the H-field of every corresponding point on the master boundary surface. The transformation used to map the H-field from the master to the slave is determined by specifying a coordinate system on both the master and slave boundaries. To set a master boundary: 1. 2. 3. 4. Select the face to which you want to assign the master boundary. Click Maxwell>Boundaries>Assign>Master. The Master Boundary window appears. Enter a name for the boundary in the Name box, or accept the default. In the Coordinate System section, do the following to define the coordinate system: You must specify the coordinate system in the plane on which the boundary exists. First draw the U vector of the coordinate system. Maxwell uses the U vector you draw and the normal vector of the boundary face to calculate the v-axis. Then specify the direction of the V vector. Select New Vector from the U Vector pull-down list. The Create Line message appears, asking you to draw the U vector of the coordinate system in the plane of the selected face, and the Master Boundary dialog box disappears while you draw the U vector. Select the U vector's origin, which must be on the boundary's surface, in one of the following ways:
Note
a.
b.

c. 5. 6. 7.
Select a point on the u-axis. The Master Boundary dialog box reappears
To reverse the direction of the vector, select the Reverse Direction check box. Optionally, click Use Defaults to revert to the default values in the window. Click OK.
Maxwell computes the H-field on this boundary and maps it to the slave boundary using the transformation defined by the master and slave coordinate systems.
Assigning a Slave Boundary for a Magnetostatic Solver

Assigning a slave boundary is the second step in creating matching boundaries. The field on the master boundary is mapped to the slave boundary. Note You must define a master boundary before creating the slave boundaries that are associated with it. Assign slave boundaries only to the outer surfaces of the problem region.
To set a slave boundary: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Select the section of the geometry on which you want to apply the boundary condition (typically a face). Click Maxwell>Boundaries>Assign>Slave. The Slave Boundary window appears. Enter a name for the boundary in the Name box, or accept the default. Select the master boundary to which the slave is to be assigned from the Master Boundary pull-down list. To specify the coordinate system, do the following in the Coordinate System section: You must specify the coordinate system in the plane on which the boundary exists. First draw the U vector of the coordinate system. Maxwell uses the U vector you draw and the normal vector of the boundary face to calculate the v-axis. Then specify the direction of the V vector. Select New Vector from the U Vector pull-down list. The Create Line message appears asking you to draw the U vector of the coordinate system in the plane of the selected face, and the Slave Boundary dialog box disappears while you draw the U vector. Select the U vector's origin in one of the following ways:
Note
a.
b.
Click the point.
Note c.
Type the point's coordinates in the in the X, Y, and Z boxes.
The U vector's origin must be on the boundary's surface. Select a point on the u-axis in the same way. When the second point is identified, the vector is set, and the Slave Boundary window reappears, with Defined listed in the U Vector pull-down list. To specify the direction of the V vector, select or clear the Reverse Direction check box.
d. 6.
In the Relation section, select one of the following to specify the field behavior on the boundary: Hs = Hm Click this radio button if the slave and master boundaries have the same magnitude and direction. Hs = -Hm Click this radio button if the slave boundary field has the same magnitude as but the opposite direction from the master boundary field.
7. 8.
Optionally, click Use Defaults to revert to the default values in the window. Click OK to assign the boundary to the selected object. The origin must be a vertex point of one of the objects.
Note
Magnetostatic Excitations
The following excitations of magnetic fields are available for magnetostatic problems: Excitation Voltage Voltage Drop Current Density Current Type of Excitation The DC voltage on a surface or a sheet object. The voltage drop across a sheet object. The known current density distribution in a conductor. In this case, the current density terminal must also be defined. The total current in a conductor.
In addition, permanent magnets serve as sources of magnetic fields. Warning If voltage sources are used as excitations, for current to flow, you must define a minimum of two voltage excitations or a voltage drop per conduction path. Each excitation must be set to a different voltage. Current flows from surfaces at higher voltages to surfaces at lower voltages.
Assigning a Voltage Excitation for a Magnetostatic Solver

This type of excitation sets the voltage on a surface to a specific value. Use it to set up a voltage drop across a conduction path to cause current to flow.
To set a voltage excitation: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Select the section of the geometry on which you want to apply the excitation (typically a 2D object). Click Maxwell>Excitations>Assign>Voltage. The Voltage Excitation window appears. Enter a name for the excitation in the Name box, or accept the default. In the Parameters section, enter a value for the voltage in the Value box, and select the units from the pull-down list. Optionally, click Use Defaults to revert to the default values in the window. Click OK to assign the excitation to the selected object. For current to flow, you must define a minimum of two voltage excitations or a voltage drop. Each excitation must be set to a different voltage. Current flows from surfaces at higher voltages to surfaces at lower voltages.
Warning
Assigning a Voltage Drop Excitation for a Magnetostatic Solver

This type of excitation sets the voltage drop across a sheet object to a specific value. The voltage drop applies only to sheet objects: To set a voltage drop: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Select the section of the geometry on which you want to apply the excitation (typically a 2D object). Click Maxwell>Excitations>Assign>Voltage Drop. The Voltage Drop Excitation window appears. Enter a name for the excitation in the Name box, or accept the default. In the Parameters section, enter the voltage drop on the surface in the Value box, and select the units from the pull-down list. To change the direction of the voltage drop, click Swap Direction. Optionally, click Use Defaults to revert to the default values in the window. Click OK to assign the excitation to the selected object.
Assigning a Current Density Excitation for a Magnetostatic Solver

This command specifies the x-, y-, and z-components of the current density in a conduction path. If the current density is a function of position, the value is entered in ampere/m2, even if you change the units in the problem. To define the current density: 1. 2. 3. Select the section of the geometry (i.e., the conductor) on which you want to apply the excitation (typically a 3D object). Click Maxwell>Excitations>Assign>Current Density. The Current Density Excitation window appears. Enter a name for the excitation in the Name box, or accept the default.
4.
In the Parameters section, specify the following options: a. b. Enter the X Component, Y Component, and Z Component values to define the respective components of the current density vector. Do the following in the two Coordinate System pull-down lists:

5. 6.
From the first pull-down list, select either Global or RelativeCSx (where x = 1,2,3 if any relative coordinate systems have been defined). From the second pull-down list, select Cartesian, Cylindrical, or Spherical.
Optionally, click Use Defaults to revert to the default values in the window. Click OK to assign the excitation to the selected object.
To complete the current density definition, you also need to specify any related current density terminals, which must be assigned to a 2D object or face of the respective conduction path. To define a current density terminal: 1. 2. 3. 4. Select the 2D object or face to which to assign the terminal. Click Maxwell>Excitations>Assign>Current Density Terminal. The Current Density Terminal Excitation window appears. Enter a name for the excitation in the Name box, or accept the default. Click OK to assign the excitation to the selected object.
Assigning a Current Excitation for a Magnetostatic Solver

Specifies the total current in a conduction path. The conduction path may be contained completely within the problem region (for example, a coil), or may touch the edges of the problem region. To set a current excitation: 1. 2. 3. 4. Select the section of the geometry (i.e., the conductor) on which you want to apply the excitation (typically a face or other 2D planar object). Click Maxwell>Excitations>Assign>Current. The Current Excitation window appears. Enter a name for the excitation in the Name box, or accept the default. In the Parameters section, specify the following options: a. b. c. 5. 6. Enter a value for the current in the Value box, and select the units from the pull-down list. Select Solid or Stranded as the Type of conductor. For a stranded conductor, a uniformly distributed current density is assumed. Click Swap Direction to change the direction of the current flow.
Electrostatic Boundaries and Excitations

Specify at least one of the following excitations as a source of electric fields:
The charge on a surface or object. The volume charge density inside an object. The voltage difference between conducting surfaces and objects. Define the electric potential on each surface and object using a voltage excitation.
Include at least one of the following as a reference for computing the electric potential:
A voltage excitation. An odd symmetry (flux normal) boundary.
Related Topics Technical Notes: Electric Field Calculation Specifying the Solver Type
Electrostatic Boundaries
The following boundary conditions are available for electrostatic problems: Boundary Type E-Field Behavior Used to model...
Default Boundary Field behaves as follows: Conditions Natural boundaries The normal (Natural and component of D changes by the amount Neumann) of surface charge density. No special conditions are imposed. Neumann boundaries E is tangential to the boundary. Flux cannot cross a Neumann boundary. Symmetry
Ordinary E-field behavior on boundaries. Object interfaces are initially set to natural boundaries; outer boundaries are initially set to Neumann boundaries.
Field behaves as follows: Planes of geometric and Even Symmetry (Flux Tangential) E electrical symmetry. is tangential to the boundary; its normal components are zero. Odd Symmetry (Flux Normal) E is normal to the boundary; its tangential components are zero.
Matching The E-field on the slave boundary is forced to Planes of symmetry in periodic structures where E is oblique to (Master and Slave) match the magnitude and direction (or the negative of the direction) of the E-field on the the boundary. master boundary.
Default Boundary Conditions for an Electrostatic Solver

These boundary conditions are automatically defined for an electrostatic model:
Natural boundaries are assigned to the surfaces between dielectrics. Neumann boundaries are assigned to the outside edges of the problem region.
To leave a surface set to its default boundary condition, do nothing. Deleted boundary conditions and excitations automatically revert to the default boundary conditions.
Assigning a Symmetry Boundary Condition for an Electrostatic Solver

This boundary condition defines a plane of geometric or electric symmetry in a structure. Assign it only to the outer surfaces of the problem region. To set a symmetry boundary: 1. 2. 3. Select the section of the geometry on which you want to apply the boundary condition (typically a face). Click Maxwell>Boundaries>Assign>Symmetry. The Symmetry Boundary window appears. Enter a name for the boundary in the Name box, or accept the default.
4.
Select one of the following as the type of symmetry: Odd (Flux Normal) E is normal to the boundary; its tangential components are zero.
Even E is tangential to the boundary; its normal components are zero. (Flux Tangential) 5. 6. Optionally, click Use Defaults to revert to the default values in the window. Click OK to assign the boundary to the selected object.
Assigning a Master Boundary for an Electrostatic Solver

Master and slave boundaries enable you to model planes of periodicity where the E-field at every point on the slave boundary surface is forced to match the E-field of every corresponding point on the master boundary surface. The transformation used to map the E-field from the master to the slave is determined by specifying a coordinate system on both the master and slave boundaries. To set a master boundary: 1. 2. 3. 4. Select the face to which you want to assign the master boundary. Click Maxwell>Boundaries>Assign>Master. The Master Boundary window appears. Enter a name for the boundary in the Name box, or accept the default. In the Coordinate System section, do the following to define the coordinate system: You must specify the coordinate system in the plane on which the boundary exists. First draw the U vector of the coordinate system. Maxwell uses the U vector you draw and the normal vector of the boundary face to calculate the v-axis. Then specify the direction of the V vector. Select New Vector from the U Vector pull-down list. The Create Line message appears, asking you to draw the U vector of the coordinate system in the plane of the selected face, and the Master Boundary dialog box disappears while you draw the U vector. Select the U vector's origin, which must be on the boundary's surface, in one of the following ways:
Note
a.
b.

c. 5. 6. 7.
Assigning a Slave Boundary for an Electrostatic Solver

Note
a.
b.

Note c.
d. 6.
In the Relation section, select one of the following to specify the field behavior on the boundAssigning Boundaries and Excitations for 3D
ary: Es = Em Es = -Em 7. 8. Click this radio button if the slave and master boundaries have the same magnitude and direction. Click this radio button if the slave boundary field has the same magnitude as but the opposite direction from the master boundary field.
Note
Electrostatic Excitations
The following excitations are available for electrostatic problems: Excitation Voltage Charge Floating Volume Charge Density Type of Excitation The DC voltage on a surface or object. This excitation type is available for both electrostatic and DC conduction Electric solvers. The total charge on a surface or object (dielectric). This excitation type is available for electrostatic solvers only. Used to model conductors at unknown potentials. This excitation type is available for electrostatic solvers only. The volume charge density in an object. This excitation type is available for electrostatic solvers only.
Assigning a Voltage Excitation for an Electrostatic Solver

Voltage excitations are identical to voltage boundaries in previous versions of Maxwell. Maxwell no longer has voltage boundaries in the electric solvers. Instead, a voltage excitation can be assigned to any surfaces, 2D objects, or solids. These assignments could include spatial functions. This type of excitation sets the electric potential (voltage) on a surface to a specific value. To set a voltage excitation: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Select the section of the geometry on which you want to apply the excitation. Click Maxwell>Excitations>Assign>Voltage. The Voltage Excitation window appears. Enter a name for the excitation in the Name box, or accept the default. In the Parameters section, enter the electric potential in the Value box, and select the units from the pull-down list. You can enter a numerical value or a spatial function. For a spatial function, select a coordinate system from the Coordinate System pull-down list. Optionally, click Use Defaults to revert to the default values in the window.
7.
Click OK to assign the excitation to the selected object.
Assigning a Charge Excitation for an Electrostatic Solver

This type of excitation defines the total charge on a surface or object. The potential on the charge is computed during the solution. To define a charge excitation: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Select the section of the geometry on which you want to apply the excitation. Click Maxwell>Excitations>Assign>Charge. The Charge Excitation window appears. Enter a name for the excitation in the Name box, or accept the default. In the Parameters section, enter the charge in the Value box. Optionally, click Use Defaults to revert to the default values in the window. Click OK to assign the excitation to the selected object.
Assigning a Floating Excitation for an Electrostatic Solver

This type of excitation models conductors at unknown potentials and specifies the total charge on the conductor. To define a floating conductor: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Select the section of the geometry on which you want to apply the excitation. This can be a 2D surface or a 3D solid. Click Maxwell>Excitations>Assign>Floating. The Floating Excitation window appears. Click the General tab. Enter a name for the excitation in the Name box, or accept the default. In the Parameters section, enter the charge on the boundary in the Value box. Optionally, click Use Defaults to revert to the default values in the window. You can also click the Defaults tab to save new default settings or to revert to the standard default values. Click OK to assign the excitation to the selected object.
Assigning a Volume Charge Density Excitation for an Electrostatic Solver

This type of excitation defines the volume charge density on an object. To define the charge density on a 3D object: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Select the 3D section of the geometry on which you want to apply the excitation. Click Maxwell>Excitations>Assign>Volume Charge Density. The Volume Charge Density Excitation window appears. Enter a name for the excitation in the Name box, or accept the default. In the Parameters section, enter the charge density in the Value box. In the Parameters section, select the type of coordinate system from the Coordinate System pull-down list.
6. 7.
DC Conduction Boundaries and Excitations

The following excitations can be specified as the source of electric fields:
The voltage difference between surfaces and objects. Define the electric potential on each surface and object using a voltage excitation. Using the current excitation, define the total current flowing through a surface or a 2D object. Using the sink excitation, define a collection of surfaces or 2D objects as a sink. We apply sink excitations when only current excitations are defined in a conduction path and there is no voltage excitation. In fact, in this case, a sink excitation has to be defined and it ensures that the total current flowing through the outside surface of a conduction path is exactly zero. A voltage excitation. A sink excitation. An odd symmetry (flux normal) boundary.
Related Topics Technical Notes: Electric Field Calculation Specifying the Solver Type
DC Conduction Boundaries
The following boundary conditions are available for DC conduction electric problems: Boundary Type E-Field Behavior Used to model... Ordinary E-field behavior on boundaries. Object interfaces are initially set to natural boundaries; outer boundaries are initially set to Neumann boundaries.
Default Boundary Field behaves as follows: Conditions Natural boundaries The normal (Natural and component of D changes by the amount Neumann) of surface charge density. No special conditions are imposed. Neumann boundaries E is tangential to the boundary. Flux cannot cross a Neumann boundary.
Insulating
Same as Neumann, except that current cannot Thin, perfectly insulating cross the boundary. An insulating boundary is sheets between touching only available for electrostatic solutions that conductors. include a DC conduction analysis. Field behaves as follows: Planes of geometric and Even Symmetry (Flux Tangential) E electrical symmetry. is tangential to the boundary; its normal components are zero. Odd Symmetry (Flux Normal) E is normal to the boundary; its tangential components are zero.
Symmetry
Matching The E-field on the slave boundary is forced to Planes of symmetry in periodic structures where E is oblique to (Master and Slave) match the magnitude and direction (or the negative of the direction) of the E-field on the the boundary. master boundary.
Default Boundary Conditions for a DC Conduction Solver

These boundary conditions are automatically defined for a DC conduction model:
Assigning an Insulating Boundary for a DC Conduction Solver

This boundary condition is used to model very thin sheets of perfectly insulating material between touching conductors. Current cannot cross an insulating boundary. An insulating boundary is only available for electrostatic solutions that include a DC conduction analysis. To set an insulating boundary: 1. 2. 3. 4. Select the section of the geometry on which you want to apply the boundary condition (typically a face). Click Maxwell>Boundaries>Assign>Insulating. The Insulating Boundary window appears. Enter a name for the boundary in the Name box, or accept the default. Click OK to assign the boundary to the selected object.
Assigning a Symmetry Boundary Condition for a DC Conduction Solver

This boundary condition defines a plane of geometric or electric symmetry in a structure. Assign it only to the outer surfaces of the problem region.
To set a symmetry boundary: 1. 2. 3. 4. Select the section of the geometry on which you want to apply the boundary condition (typically a face). Click Maxwell>Boundaries>Assign>Symmetry. The Symmetry Boundary window appears. Enter a name for the boundary in the Name box, or accept the default. Select one of the following as the type of symmetry: Odd (Flux Normal) Current flows in opposite directions on either side of the symmetry plane.
Even Current flows in the same direction on both sides of the symmetry plane. (Flux Tangential) 5. 6. Optionally, click Use Defaults to revert to the default values in the window. Click OK to assign the boundary to the selected object. When using even symmetry boundaries, double-check the following two points:
Warning
Do not violate Ampere's law! All magnetic field boundaries must be connected to each other. Defining disconnected magnetic field boundaries and even symmetry boundaries can produce unexpected results, as there is no unique solution to such problems.
Assigning a Master Boundary for a DC Conduction Solver

Master and slave boundaries enable you to model planes of periodicity where the H-field at every point on the slave boundary surface is forced to match the H-field of every corresponding point on the master boundary surface. The transformation used to map the H-field from the master to the slave is determined by specifying a coordinate system on both the master and slave boundaries. To set a master boundary: 1. 2. 3. 4. Select the face to which you want to assign the master boundary. Click Maxwell>Boundaries>Assign>Master. The Master Boundary window appears. Enter a name for the boundary in the Name box, or accept the default. In the Coordinate System section, do the following to define the coordinate system: You must specify the coordinate system in the plane on which the boundary exists. First draw the U vector of the coordinate system. Maxwell uses the U vector you draw and the normal vector of the boundary face to calculate the v-axis. Then specify the direction of the V vector. Select New Vector from the U Vector pull-down list. The Create Line message appears, asking you to draw the U vector of the coordinate sysAssigning Boundaries and Excitations for 3D
Note
a.
tem in the plane of the selected face, and the Master Boundary dialog box disappears while you draw the U vector. b. Select the U vector's origin, which must be on the boundary's surface, in one of the following ways:

c. 5. 6. 7.
Maxwell computes the E-field on this boundary and maps it to the slave boundary using the transformation defined by the master and slave coordinate systems.
Assigning a Slave Boundary for a DC Conduction Solver

To set a slave boundary: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Select the section of the geometry on which you want to apply the boundary condition (typically a face). Click Maxwell>Boundaries>Assign>Slave. The Slave Boundary window appears. Enter a name for the boundary in the Name box, or accept the default. Select the master boundary to which the slave is to be assigned from the Master Boundary pull-down list. To specify the coordinate system, do the following in the Coordinate System section: You must specify the coordinate system in the plane on which the boundary exists. First draw the U vector of the coordinate system. Maxwell uses the U vector you draw and the normal vector of the boundary face to calculate the v-axis. Then specify the direction of the V vector. Select New Vector from the U Vector pull-down list. The Create Line message appears asking you to draw the U vector of the coordinate system in the plane of the selected face, and the Slave Boundary dialog box disappears while
Note
a.
you draw the U vector. b. Select the U vector's origin in one of the following ways:

Note c.
The U vector's origin must be on the boundary's surface. Select a point on the u-axis in the same way. When the second point is identified, the vector is set, and the Slave Boundary window reappears, with Defined listed in the U Vector pull-down list. To specify the direction of the V vector, select or clear the Reverse Direction check box. When entering current, current density terminals, or coil terminals, the arrow associated with current in the selected object shows the direction as if a positive value is entered for the current. If a negative value is entered the actual current flow direction is opposite to what the arrow shows. Click Reverse Direction if you want to reverse the direction of the arrow.
d. Note
6.
In the Relation section, select one of the following to specify the field behavior on the boundary: Es = Em Es = -Em Click this radio button if the slave and master boundaries have the same magnitude and direction. Click this radio button if the slave boundary field has the same magnitude as but the opposite direction from the master boundary field.
7. 8.
Note
DC Conduction Excitations
The following excitations are available for electric DC conduction problems: Excitation Voltage Current Type of Excitation The DC voltage on a surface or object. This excitation type is available for both electrostatic and DC conduction solvers. The current across a 2D object. This excitation type is available for DC conduction solvers only. A current excitation must be applied across a 2D surface. This excitation type is available for DC conduction solvers only.
Sink
For a DC conduction solution, if a current excitation is assigned, at least one sink or voltage excitation must also be defined. However, you cannot define both a voltage excitation and a sink excitation at the same time.
Assigning a Voltage Excitation for a DC Conduction Solver

This type of excitation sets the electric potential (voltage) on a surface or object to a specific value. To set a voltage excitation: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Select the section of the geometry on which you want to apply the excitation. Click Maxwell>Excitations>Assign>Voltage. The Voltage Excitation window appears. Enter a name for the excitation in the Name box, or accept the default. In the Parameters section, enter the electric potential in the Value box, and select the units from the pull-down list. You can enter a numerical value or a spatial function. For a spatial function, select a coordinate system from the Coordinate System pull-down list. Optionally, click Use Defaults to revert to the default values in the window. Click OK to assign the excitation to the selected object.
Assigning a Current Excitation for a DC Conduction Solver

To define a current across a surface: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Select the 2D section of the geometry on which you want to apply the excitation. Click Maxwell>Excitations>Assign>Current. The Current Excitation window appears. Enter a name for the excitation in the Name box, or accept the default. In the Parameters section, enter the current strength in the Value box. Optionally, to change the direction of the current flow, click Swap Direction. Optionally, click Use Defaults to revert to the default values in the window. Click OK to assign the excitation to the selected object.
Assigning a Sink Excitation for a DC Conduction Solver

To define a sink excitation on a surface: 1. 2. 3. 4. Select the section of the geometry on which you want to apply the excitation (typically a 2D object). Click Maxwell>Excitations>Assign>Sink. The Sink Excitation window appears. Enter a name for the excitation in the Name box, or accept the default. Click OK to assign the excitation to the selected object.
DC Conduction + Electrostatic Boundaries and Excitations

In the case of a problem when you are interested in the electric solution in both the conductors and the insulators, you can define a DC Conduction + Electrostatic solution type. The Insulator/Conductor threshold defines which objects are conductors or insulators. The solver first solves the conduction problem in all conduction paths and then, using the calculated voltage on the conductors as a voltage excitation, computes the electrostatic field in the insulators. As a consequence, you can define the DC-conduction excitations and boundary conditions in the conducting regions and the electrostatic excitations and boundary conditions in the insulators. Related Topics Technical Notes: Electric Field Calculation Specifying the Solver Type
Eddy Current Boundaries and Excitations

Specify at least one of the following as a source of AC magnetic fields in your model:
The current in a conduction path, which can be either stranded or solid. The current density in a conductor. The magnetic field on an outside surface.
If currents or current densities are the only sources of AC magnetic fields in your model, set at least one outer boundary to the following: The default boundary conditions. An odd symmetry (flux tangential) boundary. An even symmetry (flux normal) boundary.
Related Topics Technical Notes: Frequency Domain (Eddy Current) Solver Specifying the Solver Type
Eddy Current Boundaries

The eddy current field solver allows you to define the following types of boundaries: Boundary Type H-Field Behavior Used to model Ordinary field behavior. Initially, object interfaces are natural boundaries; outer boundaries and excluded objects are Neumann boundaries.
Default Boundary Field behaves as follows: Conditions Natural boundaries H is continuous (Natural and across the boundary. Neumann) Neumann boundaries H is tangential to the boundary and flux cannot cross it.
Zero Tangential H Flux is perpendicular if tangent External AC magnetic fields. Field components are zero or if a zero tangential H-field boundary condition was applied. Tangential H Field The tangential components of H are set to pre-defined values. Insulating Same as Neumann, except that current cannot cross the boundary. Perfectly insulating sheets between conductors.
Boundary Type Symmetry
H-Field Behavior Field behaves as follows:
Used to model Planes of geometric and magnetic symmetry.
Odd Symmetry (Flux Tangential) H is tangential to the boundary; its normal components are zero. Even Symmetry (Flux Normal) H is normal to the boundary; its tangential components are zero.
Planes of symmetry in periodic Matching The H-field on the slave boundary is structures where H is oblique to (Master and Slave) forced to match the magnitude and direction (or the negative of the direction) the boundary. of the H-field on the master boundary. Radiation Impedance No restrictions on the field behavior. Includes the effect of induced currents beyond the boundary surface. Unbounded eddy currents. Conductors with very small skin depths.
Default Boundary Conditions for the Eddy Current Solver

These boundary conditions are automatically defined for an eddy current model:
Assigning a Magnetic H Field for the Eddy Current Solver

This type of boundary defines external magnetic fields in a model. Assign it only to the outer surfaces of the problem region. Regardless of the model's drawing units, magnetic field values are entered in s/m. Warning When using tangential magnetic field boundary conditions, always double-check that Ampere's law is not violated!
To define a zero tangential H field boundary: 1. 2. 3. 4. Select the section of the geometry on which you want to apply the boundary condition (typically a face). Click Maxwell>Boundaries>Assign>Zero Tangential H Field. The Zero Tangential H Field window appears. Enter a name for the boundary in the Name box, or accept the default. Click OK to assign the boundary to the selected object.
To define a tangential H field boundary: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Select the section of the geometry on which you want to apply the boundary condition. Click Maxwell>Boundaries>Assign>Tangential H Field. The Tangential H Field window appears. Enter a name for the boundary in the Name box, or accept the default. In the Parameters section, enter the value of the field component in the x-direction in the U(X) box and the value of the field component in the y-direction in the V(Y) box. In the Coordinate System section, do the following define the vectors: a. Select New Vector from the U Vector pull-down list. The Create Line message appears asking you to draw the U vector of the coordinate system in the plane of the selected face. Click two points to specify the vector. The vector is set, and the Tangential H Field window reappears, with Defined listed for U Vector. To reverse the direction of the vector, click the Reverse Direction check box.
b.
c. 6. 7.
Optionally, click Use Defaults to revert to the default values in the window. Click OK to assign the boundary to the selected object.
Assigning an Insulating Boundary for the Eddy Current Solver

This boundary condition is generally used to model very thin sheets of perfectly insulating material between touching conductors, as well as infinitely thin cracks inside conductors. Current cannot cross an insulating boundary. To set an insulating boundary: 1. 2. 3. 4. Select the section of the geometry on which you want to apply the boundary condition (typically a face). Click Maxwell>Boundaries>Assign>Insulating. The Insulating Boundary window appears. Enter a name for the boundary in the Name box, or accept the default. Click OK to assign the boundary to the selected object. An insulating boundary condition can be used to control the flow of induced eddy currents inside conductors that contain sheet objects with an applied insulating boundary condition. In case you apply the insulating boundary condition on sheet objects (inside conductors), always make sure that the respective entities are selected as faces and not as objects before attempting to assign the insulating boundary condition to them.
Note
Assigning a Symmetry Boundary for the Eddy Current Solver

This boundary condition defines a plane of geometric or magnetic symmetry in a structure. Assign it only to the outer surfaces of the problem region.
To set a symmetry boundary: 1. 2. 3. 4. Select the section of the geometry on which you want to apply the boundary condition (typically a face). Click Maxwell>Boundaries>Assign>Symmetry. The Symmetry Boundary window appears. Enter a name for the boundary in the Name box, or accept the default. Select one of the following as the type of symmetry: Odd H is tangential to the boundary; its normal components are zero. (Flux Tangential) Even (Flux Normal) 5. 6. H is normal to the boundary; its tangential components are zero.
Optionally, click Use Defaults to revert to the default values in the window. Click OK to assign the boundary to the selected object. When using even symmetry boundaries, always double-check that Ampere's law is not violated!
Warning
Assigning a Master Boundary for the Eddy Current Solver

Master and slave boundaries enable you to model planes of periodicity where the H-field at every point on the slave boundary surface is forced to match the H-field of every corresponding point on the master boundary surface. The transformation used to map the H-field from the master to the slave is determined by specifying a coordinate system on both the master and slave boundaries. To set a master boundary: 1. 2. 3. 4. Select the face to which you want to assign the master boundary. Click Maxwell>Boundaries>Assign>Master. The Master Boundary window appears. Enter a name for the boundary in the Name box, or accept the default. In the Coordinate System section, do the following to define the coordinate system: You must specify the coordinate system in the plane on which the boundary exists. First draw the U vector of the coordinate system. Maxwell uses the U vector you draw and the normal vector of the boundary face to calculate the v-axis. Then specify the direction of the V vector. Select New Vector from the U Vector pull-down list. The Create Line message appears, asking you to draw the U vector of the coordinate system in the plane of the selected face, and the Master Boundary dialog box disappears while you draw the U vector.
Note
a.
b.
Select the U vector's origin, which must be on the boundary's surface, in one of the following ways:

c. 5. 6. 7.
Assigning a Slave Boundary for the Eddy Current Solver

Note
a.
b.

Note c.
The U vector's origin must be on the boundary's surface. Select a point on the u-axis in the same way. When the second point is identified, the vector is set, and the Slave Boundary window reappears, with Defined listed in the U Vector pull-down list. To specify the direction of the V vector, select or clear the Reverse Direction check box. When entering current, current density terminals, or coil terminals, the arrow associated with current in the selected object shows the direction as if a positive value is entered for the current. If a negative value is entered the actual current flow direction is opposite to what the arrow shows. Click Reverse Direction if you want to reverse the direction of the arrow.
d. Note
6.
7. 8.
Note
Assigning a Radiation Boundary for the Eddy Current Solver

To simulate problems that allow fields to radiate infinitely far into space, you can define surfaces to be radiation boundaries. The system absorbs the field at the radiation boundary, essentially ballooning the boundary infinitely far away from the structure. In a far field region, field components are expressed by:
E = Zn H
where:
Z =
and Z is the component of the E-field that is tangential to the surface. Using the field impedance, the equation becomes:
n E = Zn ( n H )
which is used as a radiation boundary. The radiation boundary condition should be placed far enough from the source of radiation so that the approximation of the far field in the region of the boundary holds. The second-order radiation boundary condition is an approximation of free space. The accuracy of the approximation depends on the distance between the boundary and the object from which the radiation emanates. A radiation surface does not have to be spherical. However, it should be exposed to the background, convex with regard to the radiation source, and located at least one-quarter of a wavelength away from the radiating sources. In some cases you may want to use smaller distances. To assign a radiation boundary: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Select the section of the geometry on which you want to apply the boundary condition (typically a face). Click Maxwell>Boundaries>Assign>Radiation. The Radiation Boundary window appears. Enter a name for the boundary in the Name box, or accept the default. Optionally, click Use Defaults to revert to the default values in the window. Click OK to assign the boundary to the selected object.
Assigning an Impedance Boundary for the Eddy Current Solver

This boundary condition is used to simulate the effect of induced currents in a conductor without explicitly computing them. Since the conductor must be excluded from the model (saving time needed to mesh and solve for currents), assign the impedance boundary condition to an outside edge of the problem region or to an excluded object. To define an impedance boundary: 1. Select the section of the geometry on which you want to apply the boundary condition (typi9-42 Assigning Boundaries and Excitations for 3D
cally a face). 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Click Maxwell>Boundaries>Assign>Impedance. The Impedance Boundary window appears. Enter a name for the boundary in the Name box, or accept the default. Enter the conductivity (in inverse ohm-meters) in the Conductivity field. Enter the conductor's relative permeability in the Permeability field. Optionally, click Use Defaults to revert to the default values in the window. Click OK to assign the boundary to the selected object.
Related Topics Impedance Boundary
Impedance Boundary
Impedance boundaries allow you to simulate the effect of induced currents in a conductor without explicitly computing them. Use this boundary condition for models where:
The skin depth in the conductor is less than two orders of magnitude smaller than the dimensions of the structure. In models like this, the meshmaker may not be able to create a fine enough mesh in the conductor to compute eddy currents. The magnetic field decays much more rapidly inside the conductor in the direction thats normal to the surface than it does in directions that are tangential to the surface. The AC current source is relatively far away from the surface where eddy currents occur, compared to the size of the skin depth.
The conductor itself must be excluded from the solution region . When setting up the model, do one of the following:
For external boundaries, when drawing the model, make the surface along which eddy currents are to be computed an outer surface of the problem region. For internal boundaries, exclude the object from the problem region by making the object a perfect conductor in the Material Manager. The solver does not find solutions inside a perfect conductor.
Then, when defining boundaries, assign an impedance boundary to the individual surfaces of the problem region (for external boundaries) or to the entire object (for internal boundaries). By entering the conductivity, s, and the relative permeability, mr, of the object, you specify the skin depth of induced eddy currents. The simulator uses this skin depth value when computing the electromagnetic field solution. It assumes that the H-field falls off exponentially inside the conductor. The
ohmic loss due to induced currents can then be computed from the tangential components of the Hfield along the impedance boundary the surface of the object that you are interested in. Note An impedance boundary only approximates the effect of eddy currents acting at a shallow skin depth. It does not directly compute them. In general, the fields modeled using an impedance boundary will closely match the field patterns that would actually occur in the structure. However, at discontinuities in the surface (such as corners), the field patterns may be different.
Related Topics When to use Impedance Boundaries
When to Use Impedance Boundaries

A typical situation where impedance boundaries can be used to reduce the complexity of a model is shown below. Suppose you want to compute eddy current losses in the conductor next to the current source shown below on the left. If the source carries AC current at a frequency of 1 MHz, the skin depth in the conductor is 6.6 x 105 meters. This is several orders of magnitude smaller than the conductors thickness. Since the conductor where currents are induced is also relatively far away from the current source, an impedance boundary can be used to model the induced currents as shown on the right.
Skin Depth = 6.6x105 m
0.5 m 1 MHz Current Source
Outside edge of problem region
Thickness 1x10-3 m
Conductor: r =1 = 5.8x10 7 S/m Model without Impedance Boundary
Impedance Boundary: r =1 = 5.8x107 S/m Model with Impedance Boundary
The conductor itself must be excluded from the model. Instead, the outside boundary of the model is moved to the inside surface of the conductor. This outside surface is defined as an impedance boundary, using the conductivity and permeability specified previously. Since the simulator does not have to actually compute a solution inside the conductor, the field solution is computed more quickly and uses less memory. After solving, you can compute the ohmic loss for the surface using the solution calculator and plot the loss density on the boundary.
Eddy Current Excitations

The eddy current solver allows you to define the following sources of AC magnetic fields: Excitation Current Density Current Density Terminal Current Note Type of Excitation The current density in a conductor. In this case, you must also define the current density terminals for the conductor. Specifies the cross section of the conductor where current density is specified, to be used as a terminal object. Current Density and Current Density Terminal are required to be used in conjunction. The total current in a conductor. When entering current, the arrow associated with current in the selected object shows the direction as if a positive value is entered for the current. If a negative value is entered the actual current flow direction is opposite to what the arrow shows. Click Reverse Direction if you want to reverse the direction of the arrow.
Assigning a Current Density Excitation for the Eddy Current Solver

This command specifies the x-, y-, and z-components of the AC current density in a conduction path. If the current density is a function of position, the value is entered in ampere/m2, even if you change the units in the problem. To define the current density: 1. 2. 3. 4. Select the section of the geometry (i.e., the conductor) in which you want to apply the excitation (typically a 3D object). Click Maxwell>Excitations>Assign>Current Density. The Current Density Excitation window appears. Enter a name for the excitation in the Name box, or accept the default. In the Parameters section, specify the following options: a. b. Enter the X Component, Y Component, and Z Component values to define the respective components of the current density vector. Do the following in the two Coordinate System pull-down lists:

c. 5. 6.
From the first pull-down list, select either Global or RelativeCS1 (where x = 1,2,3 if any relative coordinate systems have been defined). From the second pull-down list, select Cartesian, Cylindrical, or Spherical.
Enter the phase angle, , of the current density in the Phase field.
To complete the current density definition, you also need to specify any related current density terminals, which must be assigned to a 2D object or face of the respective conduction path. Note Select the names of the sheet objects to serve as the current density terminals. This object must form an exact cross-section of the current density conduction path.You must create 2D objects which represent locations where current flows into and out of the problem region, or branches at any location in the conduction path. In current loops, any exact 2D cross-section may serve as a terminal.
Related Topics Assigning a Current Density Terminal
Assigning a Current Density Terminal Excitation for the Eddy Current Solver
To define the current density terminal: 1. 2. 3. 4. Select the section of the geometry (i.e., the conductor) in which you want to apply the excitation (typically a 3D object). Click Maxwell>Excitations>Assign>Current Density Terminal. The Current Density Terminal Excitation window appears. Enter a name for the excitation in the Name box, or accept the default. Click OK to assign the excitation to the selected target(s).
Related Topics Assigning a Current Density Excitation
Assigning a Current Excitation for the Eddy Current Solver

Specifies the total AC current in a conduction path. The conduction path may be contained completely within the problem region (for example, a coil), or may touch the edges of the problem region. To specify the total AC current: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. Select the 2D section of the geometry on which you want to apply the excitation. Click Maxwell>Excitations>Assign>Current. The Current Excitation window appears. Enter a name for the excitation in the Name box, or accept the default. Enter the current strength in the Value box. Enter the phase for the current in the Phase box. Select either Solid or Stranded to define the Type for the conductor. For a stranded conductor, a uniformly distributed current density is assumed without considering eddy effects. Optionally, click Swap Direction to change the direction of the current flow. Optionally, click Use Defaults to revert to the default values in the window. Click OK to assign the excitation to the selected object.
Transient Boundaries and Excitations

Define at least one of the following as a source of magnetic fields:
The stranded or solid windings, with a voltage or current supply or connected to an external circuit winding. A permanent magnet. The default boundary conditions. An odd symmetry (flux tangential) boundary. An even symmetry (flux normal) boundary.
You may need to set at least one outer boundary to the following:
Related Topics Technical Notes: 3D Transient Excitations (Sources) Specifying the Solver Type
Transient Boundaries
The transient field solver allows you to define the same types of boundary conditions as magnetostatic ones. Boundary Type H-Field Behavior Used to model... Ordinary field behavior. Initially, object interfaces are natural boundaries; outer boundaries, and excluded objects are Neumann boundaries. External magnetic fields.
Default Boundary Field behaves as follows: Conditions Natural boundaries H is continuous (Natural and across the boundary. Neumann) Neumann boundaries H is tangential to the boundary and flux cannot cross it. Zero Tangential H Field The tangential components of H are set to zero. Flux is perpendicular.
Insulating
Same as Neumann, except that current cannot Thin, perfectly insulating cross the boundary. sheets between touching conductors. Field behaves as follows: Planes of geometric and Odd Symmetry (Flux Tangential) H is magnetic symmetry. tangential to the boundary; its normal components are zero. Even Symmetry (Flux Normal) H is normal to the boundary; its tangential components are zero.
Symmetry
Matching The H-field on the slave boundary is forced to Planes of symmetry in periodic structures where H is oblique (Master and Slave) match the magnitude and direction (or the negative of the direction) of the H-field on the to the boundary. master boundary.
Default Boundary Conditions for a Transient Solver

These boundary conditions are automatically defined for a transient model:
To leave a surface set to its default boundary condition, you do not need to set any boundary conditions. Deleted boundary conditions and excitations automatically reset to the default boundary conditions.
Assigning a Zero Tangential H Field Boundary for a Transient Solver

This type of boundary defines external magnetic fields in a model. Warning When using zero tangential magnetic field boundary conditions, always doublecheck that Ampere's law is not violated!
To define a zero tangential H field boundary: 1. 2. 3. 4. Select the section of the geometry on which you want to apply the boundary condition (typically a face). Click Maxwell>Boundaries>Assign>Zero Tangential H Field. The Zero Tangential H Field window appears. Enter a name for the boundary in the Name box, or accept the default. Click OK to assign the boundary to the selected object.
Assigning an Insulating Boundary for a Transient Solver

This boundary condition is used to model very thin sheets of perfectly insulated material between touching conductors. Current cannot cross an insulating boundary. To set an insulating boundary: 1. 2. 3. 4. Select the section of the geometry on which you want to apply the boundary condition (typically a face). Click Maxwell>Boundaries>Assign>Insulating. The Insulating Boundary window appears. Enter a name for the boundary in the Name box, or accept the default. Click OK to assign the boundary to the selected object. An insulating boundary condition can operate on the source current. It can also be used to control the flow of induced eddy currents.
Note
Assigning a Symmetry Boundary for a Transient Solver

This boundary condition defines a plane of geometric or magnetic symmetry in a structure. Assign it only to the outer surfaces of the problem region. To set a symmetry boundary: 1. 2. 3. 4. Select the section of the geometry on which you want to apply the boundary condition (typically a face). Click Maxwell>Boundaries>Assign>Symmetry. The Symmetry Boundary window appears. Enter a name for the boundary in the Name box, or accept the default. Select one of the following as the type of symmetry: Odd H is tangential to the boundary; its normal components are zero. (Flux Tangential) Even (Flux Normal) 5. 6. H is normal to the boundary; its tangential components are zero.
Optionally, click Use Defaults to revert to the default values in the window. Click OK to assign the boundary to the selected object. When using even symmetry boundaries, always double-check that Ampere's law is not violated!
Warning
Assigning a Master Boundary for a Transient Solver

Master and slave boundaries enable you to model planes of periodicity where the H-field at every point on the slave boundary surface is forced to match the H-field of every corresponding point on the master boundary surface. The transformation used to map the H-field from the master to the slave is determined by specifying a coordinate system on both the master and slave boundaries.
To set a master boundary: 1. 2. 3. 4. Select the face to which you want to assign the master boundary. Click Maxwell>Boundaries>Assign>Master. The Master Boundary window appears. Enter a name for the boundary in the Name box, or accept the default. In the Coordinate System section, do the following to define the coordinate system: You must specify the coordinate system in the plane on which the boundary exists. First draw the U vector of the coordinate system. Maxwell uses the U vector you draw and the normal vector of the boundary face to calculate the v-axis. Then specify the direction of the V vector. Select New Vector from the U Vector pull-down list. The Create Line message appears, asking you to draw the U vector of the coordinate system in the plane of the selected face, and the Master Boundary dialog box disappears while you draw the U vector. Select the U vector's origin, which must be on the boundary's surface, in one of the following ways:
Note
a.
b.

c. 5. 6. 7.
Assigning a Slave Boundary for a Transient Solver

To set a slave boundary: 1. 2. Select the section of the geometry on which you want to apply the boundary condition (typically a face). Click Maxwell>Boundaries>Assign>Slave.
The Slave Boundary window appears. 3. 4. 5. Enter a name for the boundary in the Name box, or accept the default. Select the master boundary to which the slave is to be assigned from the Master Boundary pull-down list. To specify the coordinate system, do the following in the Coordinate System section: You must specify the coordinate system in the plane on which the boundary exists. First draw the U vector of the coordinate system. Maxwell uses the U vector you draw and the normal vector of the boundary face to calculate the v-axis. Then specify the direction of the V vector. Select New Vector from the U Vector pull-down list. The Create Line message appears asking you to draw the U vector of the coordinate system in the plane of the selected face, and the Slave Boundary dialog box disappears while you draw the U vector. Select the U vector's origin in one of the following ways:
Note
a.
b.

Note c.
d. 6.
7. 8.
Note
Transient Excitations
After defining the coil terminals for the model, you can use these terminals to define one or more windings using the Maxwell>Excitations>Add Winding option. Transient problems use the following sources of magnetic fields: Excitation Coil Terminal Winding With Current Winding With Voltage Winding With External Circuit Connection Note Type of Excitation Used to define one or more model windings. Current for both a stranded and solid conductor. Voltage for both a stranded and solid conductor. External circuit connection for both a stranded and solid conductor.
A winding is a flexible excitation. Six different combinations can be used: Current, Voltage, and External Circuit each with a solid or stranded conductor. The Coil Terminal type of excitation is needed to set up a winding.
In addition, permanent magnets serve as sources of magnetic fields.
Assigning a Coil Terminal for a Transient Solver

To assign a coil terminal as a transient excitation: 1. 2. Select the section of the geometry on which you want to apply the excitation (typically a 2D planar object). Click Maxwell>Excitations>Assign>Coil Terminal. (You can also right-click an existing winding in the project tree, and select Assign Coil Terminal.) The Coil Terminal Excitation dialog box appears. Enter a name for the excitation in the Name box, or accept the default. In the Parameters section, enter the number of conductors for the coil terminal in the Number of Conductors box. If you want to switch the direction for the coil terminal, click Swap Direction. The direction is shown in the model by a bold red arrow.
3. 4. 5.
Note 6.
Optionally, click Use Defaults to revert to the default values in the window.
7.
Click OK to assign the coil terminal to the selected object. To add this coil terminal to an existing winding, do the following: 1. 2. In the project tree, right-click the coil terminal, and select Add to Winding. The Add to Winding dialog box appears. Select the winding to which you ant to add the coil terminal, and click OK.
Note
Note
To remove a coil terminal from an existing winding, do the following:
In the project tree, right-click the coil terminal, and select Remove from Winding. The terminal is removed from the winding and moved up one level in the project tree (directly beneath Excitations).
Assigning a Winding Setup for a Transient Solver

You can use the pre-defined coil terminal(s) to define one or more current or voltage windings. To define a winding for your model: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Click Maxwell>Excitations>Add Winding. The Winding dialog box appears. Enter a name for the winding in the Name box, or accept the default. In the Parameters section, select Current, Voltage, or External from the Type pull-down list. Select the Solid or Stranded radio button to specify the type of conductor. Enter values in the following fields, and select the desired units:
For a current winding Current
For a voltage winding Initial Current Resistance Inductance Voltage
For an external winding Initial Current
Note 6. 7.
You can also type a function as an expression for any of these items except initial current.
Optionally, click Use Defaults to revert to the default values in the window. Click OK to assign the excitation to the selected object
A winding is now defined for your model. Note To add a coil terminal to this winding, do the following: 1. In the project tree, right-click the winding, and select Add Terminals. The Add Terminals dialog box appears, listing all coil terminals that do not already belong to that winding. Select the coil terminal (s) you want to add. To select multiple terminals, press CTRL and click each terminal. Click OK. Select the section of the geometry on which you want to apply the coil terminal excitation. In the project tree, right-click the winding, and select Assign Coil Terminal. The Coil Terminal Excitation dialog box appears. Click OK to assign the coil terminal excitation. The coil terminal excitation is assigned and is added to the winding. In the project tree, right-click the winding, and select Delete All Terminals. All coil terminal excitations are removed from the winding and deleted from the excitations.
2. 3. 1. 2. 3.
To assign a coil terminal excitation and add it to this winding, do the following:
To delete all coil terminal excitations that belong to this winding, do the following:
Setting Up an External Circuit

Note One use for an external circuit can be to supply an excitation to a coil terminal, rather than using a voltage type of excitation.
The driving circuit for the winding in this design consists of a voltage source in series with a resistor and with the winding. When complete, the circuit should look similar to the figure below.
To set up the external circuit, follow this general procedure: 1. 2. Add the circuit elements. Connect the circuit elements in series.
3. 4. 5.
Export the netlist. Save the Maxwell Circuit Editor project. Assign the external circuit.
Related Topics: Editing the External Circuit Connection
Add the Circuit Elements

To add the circuit elements in Maxwell Circuit Editor: 1. Open the Maxwell Circuit Editor: Click Start>Programs>Ansoft> Maxwell>Maxwell Circuit Editor. The Maxwell Circuit Editor program opens. Click Project>Insert Maxwell Circuit Design. The circuit sheet appears.
2.
3. 4.
Click the Components tab in the project tree. Place the winding circuit element on the sheet: a. b. c. In the project tree, under Maxwell Circuit Elements/Dedicated Elements, select the Winding element. Drag it onto the sheet. Right-click, and select Finish to place the component.
d. e. f. g. 5. a. b. c. d. 6.
To view the properties, double-click the component in the Schematic window. The Properties window appears. Change the Name to currentwinding, the same name you used when defining the winding in the Maxwell design. Click OK. Click Draw>Rotate, and position the winding vertically. In the project tree, under Passive Elements, select Resistor. Drag the resistor onto the sheet. Right-click, and select Finish to place it where desired. Double-click the symbol of the resistor, change the value of the resistor, R, to 3.09, keep the Unit value set to ohm, and click OK. The default is 100 Ohms. In the project tree, under Sources select a VPulse element (Pulse Voltage Source). Drag it to the sheet, and then right-click and select Finish to place it onto the sheet. Double-click the source element symbol on the sheet, and then specify the following source characteristics:
Place a resistor on the sheet:
Place a voltage pulse on the sheet: a. b. c.
Parameter V1 V2 Tr Tf Pw Period
d.
Value 0 5.97 0.001 0.001 1 2
Description Initial voltage Peak voltage Rise time Fall time Pulse width
Leave the other fields set to the default values, and click OK.
Connect the Circuit Elements in Series

To connect the circuit elements in series: 1. 2. 3. From within the Maxwell Circuit Editor, click Draw>Wire. Click each terminal. When done, place the Ground symbol: Click Draw>Ground (or click the Ground symbol on the toolbar), place the Ground symbol on the sheet, right-click, and select Finish to place the symbol. Connect the ground to the circuit: Click Draw>Wire, and draw the final wire.
4.
Export the Netlist

To export the netlist: 1. From within the Maxwell Circuit Editor, click Maxwell Circuit>Export Netlist. The Netlist Export dialog box appears. To view the netlist before exporting it, click Maxwell Circuit>Browse Netlist.
Note 2. 3. 4.
Select the folder where you want to save the external circuit file. Type a name for the circuit in the File name box. Click Save. The Netlist Export dialog box closes and the Maxwell Circuit Editor reappears.
Save the Maxwell Circuit Editor Project

To save the project and exit Maxwell Circuit Editor: 1. 2. Click File>Save, type a name for the project, and click Save to save the Maxwell Circuit Editor project. Click File>Exit to close the Maxwell Circuit Editor program.
Assign the External Circuit

To assign the circuit in Maxwell (which should still be open): 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Click Maxwell>Excitations>External Circuit>Edit External Circuit. The Edit External Circuit dialog box appears. Click Import Circuit. The Select File dialog box appears. Select Designer Net List Files (*.sph) from the Files of type pull-down list. Browse to the location where you saved the circuit, select it, and click Open to import it. Click OK to close the Edit External Circuit dialog box.
Editing the External Circuit Connection

To add or edit an external circuit: 1. Click Maxwell>Excitations>External Circuit>Edit External Circuit. The Edit External Circuit dialog box appears, listing the externally-connected windings set up for your model. To import a circuit: a. b. c. Click the Winding Information tab. Click Import Circuit. The Select File dialog box appears. Select the circuit you want to import, and click Open. The Edit External Circuit dialog box reappears.
2.
3. 4. 5.
To view available inductors, click the Available Inductors tab. To view the sources used in the externally connected windings, click the Source Type tab. Variables used in the circuit and their values are listed on the Parameters tab. You may create a datalink to the circuit by mapping to design or project variables within the circuit as follows: a. b. c. In the Parameters tab, click in the value column of the parameter to be mapped. Enter a new variable for use by Maxwell. The Add Variable dialog appears. Enter a Value for the variable and click OK. The new variable in Maxwell is now mapped to the variable in Maxwell Circuit Editor and can be varied directly from Maxwell or Optimetrics.
6. 7.
If the imported file is a .sph file, you can click the Circuit Path tab to view the original project and design names (which are removed after you import a non-sph file). Click OK to close the Edit External Circuit dialog box. The user-set time steps can be modified when external circuits are used to drive the windings of the transient finite element model. Following is a list of situations that will lead to a time step change:
Note
All power electronic switching instances that do not coincide with user-specified solve times request a new solution time from the transient solver. The respective switching generating a new solve time request for the transient solver can be time, position, or speed dependent. When current and/or voltage sources with a piecewise linear variation are used, a new solution time is requested from the transient solver at each (time) definition point used in the corresponding source definition table. When the change in any winding inductance value is excessive, a new time step (smaller) is calculated and a new solution generated (re-calculated) accordingly.
If a user-specified save field time is missed because of the above reasons, the next solved time step fields are saved instead. Related Topics: Setting Up an External Circuit
10
Assigning Boundaries and Excitations for 2D Designs
For every design, you need to assign boundaries and excitations. You can use the Maxwell 2D menu or the project tree to do the following:
Define boundary conditions that control how the electric or magnetic field behaves planes of symmetry, periodicity, or edges of the problem region. Define solution type specific excitations of voltage, charge, coil, and current. For magnetic transient designs, if needed, set up a winding and an external circuit connection.
Each field solver requires you to specify excitations of electric or magnetic fields and references for computing these fields. Magnetostatic Boundaries and Excitations Electrostatic Boundaries and Excitations AC Conduction Boundaries and Excitation DC Conduction Boundaries and Excitations Eddy Current Boundaries and Excitations Transient Boundaries and Excitations
You must specify at least one of the boundary conditions or excitations listed in these sections so that the simulator can compute accurate values for fields and parameters. Related Topics Specifying the Solver Type
Selecting Objects and Faces in the 2D Geometry

Before creating a boundary or excitation, you must specify its location by selecting the object or surface on which to assign the boundary condition or source excitation.
Defining Boundary Conditions in 2D

The specific boundary types you can define depend on the solver you have chosen for your design.
Magnetostatic Boundary Conditions Electrostatic Boundary Conditions AC Conduction (Electric) Boundary Conditions DC Conduction (Electric) Boundary Conditions Eddy Current Boundary Conditions 2D Transient Boundary Conditions
Make sure you include the required references for the specified solver type. To assign a boundary condition: 1. 2. Select the section of the geometry on which you want to apply the boundary condition. Click Maxwell 2D>Boundaries>Assign, or right-click Boundaries in the project tree and click Assign. A submenu appears with choices that depend upon the solver type. 3. Select one of the following boundary types from the submenu:

4. 5. 6. 7.
Impedance Resistance Vector Potential Symmetry Balloon Master Slave
Enter the name for the boundary or accept the default. Optionally, you may need to define the local coordinates, depending on the boundary type. Enter the value of the boundary in the Value box. Click OK to create the new boundary.
Defining 2D Excitations
The specific excitations you can define depend on the solver you have chosen for your design.
Magnetostatic Excitations Electrostatic (Electric) Excitations AC Conduction (Electric) Excitations DC Conduction (Electric) Excitations Eddy Current Excitations
1. 2.
2D Transient Excitations Select the section of the geometry on which you want to apply the excitation. Click Maxwell 2D>Excitations>Assign, or right-click Excitations in the project tree and click Assign. A submenu appears with choices that depend upon the solver type. Select one of the following excitation types from the submenu:
To assign an excitation:
3.

4. 5. 6.
Voltage Charge Floating Charge Density Current Density Current Coil End Connection
Enter the name for the excitation type or accept the default. Select the units for the excitation. Enter the value of the excitation in the Value box. You can also enter a mathematical function to determine the value of the potential, current density, charge density, and other parameters. When entering current, or coil terminals, the arrow associated with current in the selected object shows the direction as if a positive value is entered for the current. If a negative value is entered the actual current flow direction is opposite to what the arrow shows. Click Swap Direction if you want to reverse the direction of the arrow.
Note
7.
Click OK to create the new excitation.
The new excitation is added to the excitation list in the project tree. Related Topics Specifying the Solver Type
Viewing 2D Boundaries and Excitations

To view a list of all boundaries or excitations set for the design: 1. 2. In the project tree, right-click Boundaries or Excitations. A shortcut menu appears. Select List from the shortcut menu. The Design List dialog box appears, with the tab page visible for the item you selected. This dialog box contains tabs for Model, Boundaries, Excitations, Parameters, Mesh Operations, and Analysis Setup. To view the properties for an item in the list, select the item, and click Properties. To delete an item from the list, select the item, and click Delete. When you are finished in the Design List dialog box, click Done to close it.
3. 4. 5.
Setting the Visibility for 2D Boundaries and Excitations

To show or hide a boundary: 1. 2. 3. 4. 1. 2. 3. 4. Click View>Active View Visibility. The Active View Visibility dialog box appears. Click the Boundaries tab. Select or clear the Visibility check box for each boundary listed. Click Done. Click View>Active View Visibility. The Active View Visibility dialog box appears. Click the Excitations tab. Select or clear the Visibility check box for each excitation listed. Click Done.
To show or hide a excitation:
Functional Boundaries and Excitations in 2D

Functional boundaries and excitations can be used to do the following:
Define the value of a boundary or excitation quantity (such as the voltage, magnetic field, or current density) using a mathematical relationship such as one relating its value to that of another quantity. Define the value of a boundary or excitation as a function of position. Current Density Excitation (Magnetostatic or Eddy Current solver type) Voltage Excitation (Electric solver types) Volume Charge Density Excitation (Electrostatic or Electrostatic + DC solver types) If the parametric analysis capability is installed, identify which boundary or excitation quantities are to be varied during a parametric sweep. These variables are always set to constant values in the parametric analysis.
Setting Eddy Effects and Displacement Current in 2D

(2D Eddy Current and/or Transient Solvers) For both eddy current and transient solvers in 2D, you may need to specify the following additional setting:
The behavior of eddy currents and the AC magnetic field in conductors. When you activate the Eddy Effect setting, the solver computes the induced eddy currents.
Typically, background objects are excluded from eddy current settings. To set eddy effects: 1. 2. Select the section of the geometry on which you want to apply the excitation. Click Maxwell2D>Excitations>Set Eddy Effects. The Set Eddy Effect dialog box appears showing only objects which are valid for eddy effect calculation, specifically objects with conductivity greater than 1. For each object in the list, select or clear the check boxes for Eddy Effect. When selecting Multi-select is supported by holding the CTRL or Shift key while clicking.
3.
Note
multiple entries, the changes are synchronized for all selected rows. 4. 5. 6. Click the Select Object By Name button to enter the name of a specific object for selection. Multiple objects may be selected using the * and ? wildcards. Optionally, click the Use suggested values button to set the Eddy Effects for all elements recommended by Maxwell2D. Click OK.
The Deselect All button will deselect all selected objects in the list. Related Topics Technical Notes: Eddy Current Field SImulation Technical Notes: Transient SImulation
Setting Core Loss for 2D Transient Solvers

(Transient Solvers) For a transient solver, you may include core loss in the simulation on any object that has a corresponding core loss definition (with core loss coefficient settings) in the material library. The Defined in Material column indicates whether the material assigned to each object contains a core loss definition. To set core loss, in the General tab of the dialog box: 1. 2. Click Maxwell2D>Excitations>Set Core Loss. The Set Core Loss dialog box appears. For each object in the list, select or clear the check box for Core Loss Setting (if a corresponding core loss definition has been set). When selecting multiple entries, the changes are synMulti-select is supported by holding the CTRL or Shift key while clicking.
Note
chronized for all selected rows. 3. 4. Click the Select Object By Name button to enter the name of a specific object for selection. Click OK.
The Deselect All button will deselect all selected objects in the list. On the Advanced tab of the dialog box, you may select the option to Consider core loss effect on field. When selected, this option will estimate the core loss and subsequently modify the field solution, causing the resulting fields to be affected by the presence of the core loss. This option provides improved solution accuracy for materials exhibiting high core loss at the expense of increased solution time. The default is to not include this effect. In this case, the field calculation is performed without the core loss and the loss calculation is performed after the field solution is complete. Related Topics Core Loss Coefficient Extraction Technical Notes: 2D Sources/Excitations
Modifying 2D Boundary Conditions and Excitations

Save your project before modifying boundary conditions and excitations. You can modify boundary conditions and excitations after a solution has been generated, but you may lose some solution data.
Related Topics Duplicating 2D Boundaries and Excitations Setting Default Values for 2D Boundaries and Excitations Reassigning 2D Boundaries Reassigning 2D Excitations
Duplicating 2D Boundaries and Excitations

To duplicate a boundary or excitation when its geometry is pasted or duplicated: 1. 2. 3. 4. Click Tools>Options>Maxwell 2D Options. The Maxwell 2D Options dialog box appears. Click the General Options tab. Select Duplicate boundaries with geometry. Click OK. All boundaries and excitations are duplicated with their associated geometries until you clear this option. Hint Use this option to copy and paste boundaries. For example, do the following to use the same boundary on multiple objects: 1. 2. 3. 4. Select the face to which you want to assign the boundary. Click Modeler>Surface>Create Object From Face to create a new object from the existing face. Assign the boundary to the new face object. Copy and paste the new face object to copy and paste the boundary.
Related Topics Copying and Pasting Objects
Showing and Hiding Boundaries and Excitations in 2D

You can choose to show or hide a boundary or excitation's geometry, name, or vectors, in the active view window or in all view windows. Related Topics Showing and Hiding 2D Boundaries/Excitations in Every View Window
Showing and Hiding 2D Boundaries and Excitations in Every View Window

1. 2. Click Maxwell 2D>Boundaries>Visualization or Maxwell 2D>Excitations>Visualization. The Boundary Visualization Options dialog box appears. Select one of the following from the Select pull-down menu:

3. 4. 5.
All All Boundaries All Excitations By Name
If you select By Name, enter a name in the Select By Name dialog box, and click OK. To clear the selection of all boundaries and excitations, click Deselect All. Click Close to close the Boundary Visualization Options dialog box.
Setting Default Values for 2D Boundaries and Excitations

When assigning a boundary or excitation, many of the fields in the boundary and excitation dialog boxes have default values associated with them. These default values are initially set by Maxwell 2D, but can be overridden. To modify the default values associated with a specific boundary or excitation type: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Assign a boundary or excitation. Modify any default values. Close the boundary or excitation's dialog box. Re-open the new boundary or excitation's dialog box by right-clicking the boundary or excitation in the project manager and selecting Properties. The dialog now includes a Defaults tab. Under the Defaults tab, click Save Defaults. The values assigned to this boundary are saved as the default values and are assigned when new boundaries of this type are created. 6. Optionally, click Revert to Standard Defaults. The default values you set for this boundary type are cleared and will revert to the default values set by Maxwell 2D.
Reassigning 2D Boundaries
You can reassign a boundary to another surface. This is useful when you modify objects with assigned boundaries, invalidating the boundaries. For example, if you unite two objects with assigned boundaries, the second object's boundary becomes invalid because united objects maintain the characteristics of the first object selected. In this case, you would need to reassign the boundary or delete it. To reassign a boundary: 1. 2. Select the object or object face to which you want to assign an existing boundary. Click Maxwell 2D>Boundaries>Reassign. The Reassign Boundary dialog box appears. Hint Alternatively, select the object or object face to which you want to assign an existing boundary. Right-click the existing boundary in the project tree, and then click Reassign on the shortcut menu.
3.
Select the boundary you want to reassign, and click OK. When reassigning a boundary that includes vectors in its definition, Maxwell attempts to preserve the vectors with the new assignment, but this is not always possible.
Note
Related Topics Reassigning 2D Excitations
Reassigning 2D Excitations
To reassign an excitation: 1. 2. Select the object or object face to which you want to assign an existing excitation. Click Maxwell 2D>Excitations>Reassign. The Reassign Excitation dialog box appears. Hint Alternatively, select the object or object face to which you want to assign an existing excitation. Right-click the existing excitation in the project tree, and then click Reassign on the shortcut menu.
3.
Select the excitation you want to reassign, and click OK. When reassigning an excitation that includes vectors in its definition, Maxwell attempts to preserve the vectors with the new assignment, but this is not always possible.
Note
Related Topics Reassigning 2D Boundaries
Deleting All 2D Boundaries and/or Excitations

To delete all boundaries or excitations:
Click Maxwell 2D>Boundaries>Delete All or Maxwell 2D>Excitations>Delete All.
Viewing and Editing 2D Boundary or Excitation Properties

To open the Properties dialog box for a boundary or excitation that is already assigned: 1. In the project tree, under either Boundaries or Excitations, right-click a specific boundary or excitation, and select Properties. The Properties dialog box for that boundary/excitation appears. Make the desired changes, and click OK.
2.
Related Topics Assigning Boundaries and Excitations for 2D Designs Modifying 2D Boundary Conditions and Excitations
2D Magnetostatic Boundaries and Excitations

Define at least one of the following as a source of static magnetic fields:
The current in a conduction path, which can be either stranded or solid. The current density in a conductor. The magnetic field on an outside surface.
Related Topics 2D Magnetostatic Boundaries 2D Magnetostatic Excitations Technical Notes: Magnetostatic Field Calculation Specifying the Solver Type Permanent Magnet Excitations
2D Magnetostatic Boundaries
The magnetostatic field solver allows you to define the following types of boundaries: Boundary Type H-Field Behavior Used to model... Initially, object interfaces are natural boundaries; outer boundaries, and excluded objects are Neumann boundaries.
Default Boundary Field behaves as follows: Conditions At the interface between objects, the H (Natural and tangent and B normal are continuous. Neumann) On outer boundaries, B field is normal. As a rule, this behavior needs to be modified at least for some portions of the outer boundary to insure uniqueness of the solution. Vector Potential
Sets the magnetic vector potential A Z , or Outer boundaries at specific rA , on the boundary. The behavior of H vector potentials; externally applied magnetic fields. depends on whether A Z or rA is constant or functional.
Balloon
This boundary is considered to be far away from the other sources in the problem.
Actual behavior is context dependent. In general, if a Dirichlet BC is not applied elsewhere to insure uniqueness, the "balloon" will be assigned a Dirichlet boundary condition. Planes of geometric and magnetic symmetry.
Symmetry
Field behaves as follows:
Odd Symmetry (Flux Tangential) Magnetic Field is tangential to the boundary; its normal components are zero. Even Symmetry (Flux Normal) Magnetic Field is normal to the boundary; its tangential components are zero.
Master and Slave (Matching )
The Magnetic Field vector on the slave boundary is forced to match the magnitude and direction (or the negative of the direction) of the Magnetic Field vector on the master boundary.
Planes of symmetry in periodic structures where Magnetic Field is oblique to the boundary.
Default Boundary Conditions for a 2D Magnetostatic Solver

These boundary conditions are automatically defined for a magnetostatic model:
Natural boundaries are assigned to the surfaces between objects. At the interface between objects, the H tangent and B normal are continuous. Neumann boundaries are assigned to the outside edges of the problem region. On outer boundaries, B field is normal. As a rule, this behavior needs to be modified at least for some portions of the outer boundary to insure uniqueness of the solution.
Assigning a Vector Potential for a 2D Magnetostatic Solver

To define a vector potential boundary: 1. Select the section of the geometry on which you want to apply the boundary condition (typically an edge). Maxwell2D requires that the Vector Potential be assigned on a 1D object such as an edge or a line. Click Maxwell2D>Boundaries>Assign>Vector Potential. The Vector Potential Boundary dialog box appears. Enter a name for the boundary in the Name box, or accept the default.
2. 3.
4. 5. 6. 7.
In the Parameters section, enter the value of the potential. The value may be specified as a single numeric value or a functional value. If a functional value is specified, select a Coordinate System from the pull-down list: Optionally, click Use Defaults to revert to the default values in the dialog box. Click OK to assign the boundary to the selected object.
Assigning a Symmetry Boundary Condition for a 2D Magnetostatic Solver

This boundary condition defines a plane of geometric or magnetic symmetry in a structure. Assign it only to the outer surfaces of the problem region. To set a symmetry boundary: 1. 2. 3. 4. Select the section of the geometry on which you want to apply the boundary condition (typically an edge). Click Maxwell2D>Boundaries>Assign>Symmetry. The Symmetry Boundary dialog box appears. Enter a name for the boundary in the Name box, or accept the default. Select one of the following as the type of symmetry: Odd Magnetic Field is tangential to the boundary; its normal components are (Flux Tangential) zero. Even (Flux Normal) 5. 6. Magnetic Field is normal to the boundary; its tangential components are zero.
Optionally, click Use Defaults to revert to the default values in the dialog box. Click OK to assign the boundary to the selected object.
Assigning a Balloon Boundary Condition for a 2D Magnetostatic Solver

To set a balloon boundary: 1. 2. 3. 4. Select the section of the geometry on which you want to apply the boundary condition (typically an edge). Click Maxwell2D>Boundaries>Assign>Balloon. The Balloon Boundary dialog box appears. Enter a name for the boundary in the Name box, or accept the default. Click OK to assign the boundary to the selected object.
Assigning a Master Boundary for a 2D Magnetostatic Solver

Master and slave boundaries enable you to model planes of periodicity where the Magnetic Field at every point on the slave boundary surface is forced to match the Magnetic Field of every corresponding point on the master boundary surface.
To set a master boundary: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Select the edge to which you want to assign the master boundary. Click Maxwell2D>Boundaries>Assign>Master. The Master Boundary dialog box appears. Enter a name for the boundary in the Name box, or accept the default. To reverse the direction of the vector, select the Swap Direction check box. Click OK.
Assigning a Slave Boundary for a 2D Magnetostatic Solver

To set a slave boundary: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Select the section of the geometry on which you want to apply the boundary condition (typically an edge). Click Maxwell2D>Boundaries>Assign>Slave. The Slave Boundary dialog box appears. Enter a name for the boundary in the Name box, or accept the default. Select the master boundary to which the slave is to be assigned from the Master Boundary pull-down list. In the Relation section, select one of the following to specify the field behavior on the boundary: Bs = Bm Click this radio button if the magnetic fields on the slave and master boundaries have the same magnitude and direction.
Bs = -Bm Click this radio button if the magnetic fields on the slave boundary have the same magnitude as but the opposite direction from the master boundary. 6. 7. Optionally, click Use Defaults to revert to the default values in the dialog box. Click OK to assign the boundary to the selected object.
2D Magnetostatic Excitations
The following excitations of magnetic fields are available for magnetostatic problems: Excitation Current Density Current Type of Excitation The known current density distribution in the cross-section of a conductor. The total current in a conductor.
In addition, permanent magnets materials serve as sources of magnetic fields.
Assigning a Current Density Excitation for a 2D Magnetostatic Solver

This command (depending upon solution type, either X-Y or R-Z) specifies the applicable components of the current density in the cross-section of an object. If the current density is a function of position, the value is entered in ampere/m2, even if you change the units in the problem. To define the current density: 1. 2. 3. 4. Select the section of the geometry (i.e., the conductor) on which you want to apply the excitation (typically a 2D object). Click Maxwell2D>Excitations>Assign>Current Density. The Current Density Excitation dialog box appears. Enter a name for the excitation in the Name box, or accept the default. In the Parameters section, specify the following options: a. b. 5. 6. Enter a value for the current density in the Value box. The value may be a single numeric quantity or a functional quantity. If a functional quantity is entered in the Value box, which depends on the applicable coordinates, select a Coordinate System from the pull-down list.
Optionally, click Use Defaults to revert to the default values in the dialog box. Click OK to assign the excitation to the selected object.
Assigning a Current Excitation for a 2D Magnetostatic Solver

Specifies the total current in the cross-section of an object. To set a current excitation: 1. 2. 3. 4. Select the section of the geometry (i.e., the conductor) on which you want to apply the excitation (typically a face or other 2D planar object). Click Maxwell2D>Excitations>Assign>Current. The Current Excitation dialog box appears. Enter a name for the excitation in the Name box, or accept the default. In the Parameters section, specify the following options: a. b. 5. Enter a value for the current in the Value box, and select the units from the pull-down list. Select Positive or Negative as the Ref. Direction.
Optionally, click Use Defaults to revert to the default values in the dialog box.
6.
Click OK to assign the excitation to the selected object.
2D Electrostatic Boundaries and Excitations

Specify at least one of the following excitations as a source of electric fields:
The charge on a surface or object. The charge density inside an object. Define the electric potential on each surface and object using a voltage excitation.
A voltage excitation. An odd symmetry (flux normal) boundary.
Related Topics 2D Electrostatic Boundaries 2D Electrostatic Excitations Technical Notes: Electric Field Calculation Specifying the Solver Type
2D Electrostatic Boundaries
The following boundary conditions are available for electrostatic problems: Boundary Type E-Field Behavior Used to model... Ordinary E-field behavior on boundaries. Object interfaces are initially set to natural boundaries; outer boundaries are initially set to Neumann boundaries.
Default Boundary Field behaves as follows: Conditions Natural boundaries The normal (Natural and component of D changes by the amount Neumann) of surface charge density, tangent component of E is continuous. No special conditions are imposed. Neumann boundaries E is tangential to the boundary. Flux cannot cross a Neumann boundary.
Symmetry
Field behaves as follows: Planes of geometric and Even Symmetry (Flux Tangential) E electrical symmetry. is tangential to the boundary; its normal components are zero. Odd Symmetry (Flux Normal) E is normal to the boundary; its tangential components are zero. Two options are available: Charge The charge at infinity balances the charge in the drawing region. The net charge is zero. (Use for capacitance calculations) Voltage The voltage at infinity is zero. Electrically insulated structures (Charge option) or electrically grounded structures (Voltage option). For the voltage case, the balloon boundary will not be equipotential in general.
Balloon
Master and Slave (Matching)
The E-field vector on the slave boundary is Planes of symmetry in periodic forced to match the magnitude and direction structures where E is oblique to (or the negative of the direction) of the E-field the boundary. vector on the master boundary.
Default Boundary Conditions for a 2D Electrostatic Solver

These boundary conditions are automatically defined for an electrostatic model:
Natural boundaries are assigned to the interfaces between objects. The normal component of D changes by the amount of surface charge density, tangent component of E is continuous. Neumann boundaries are assigned to the outside edges of the problem region. E is tangential to the boundary. Flux cannot cross a Neumann boundary.
Assigning a Symmetry Boundary Condition for a 2D Electrostatic Solver

This boundary condition defines a plane of geometric or electric symmetry in a structure. Assign it only to the outer surfaces of the problem region. To set a symmetry boundary: 1. 2. 3. Select the section of the geometry on which you want to apply the boundary condition (typically an edge). Click Maxwell2D>Boundaries>Assign>Symmetry. The Symmetry Boundary dialog box appears. Enter a name for the boundary in the Name box, or accept the default.
4.
Select one of the following as the type of symmetry: Odd (Flux Normal) E is normal to the boundary; its tangential components are zero.
Even E is tangential to the boundary; its normal components are zero. (Flux Tangential) 5. 6. Optionally, click Use Defaults to revert to the default values in the dialog box. Click OK to assign the boundary to the selected object.
Assigning a Balloon Boundary Condition for a 2D Electrostatic Solver

To set a balloon boundary: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Select the section of the geometry on which you want to apply the boundary condition (typically an edge). Click Maxwell2D>Boundaries>Assign>Balloon. The Balloon Boundary dialog box appears. Enter a name for the boundary in the Name box, or accept the default. Select Voltage or Charge as the Balloon Type. Optionally, click Use Defaults to revert to the default values in the dialog box. Click OK to assign the boundary to the selected object.
Assigning a Master Boundary for a 2D Electrostatic Solver

Master and slave boundaries enable you to model planes of periodicity where the E-field vector at every point on the slave boundary surface is forced to match the E-field vector of every corresponding point on the master boundary surface. The transformation used to map the E-field from the master to the slave is determined by specifying the orientation of a local, predefined coordinate system, indicated by an arrow, on both the master and slave boundaries. To set a master boundary: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Select the edge to which you want to assign the master boundary. Click Maxwell2D>Boundaries>Assign>Master. The Master Boundary dialog box appears. Enter a name for the boundary in the Name box, or accept the default. To reverse the direction of the vector, select the Swap Direction check box. Optionally, click Use Defaults to revert to the default values in the dialog box. Click OK.
Assigning a Slave Boundary for a 2D Electrostatic Solver

To set a slave boundary: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Select the section of the geometry on which you want to apply the boundary condition (typically an edge). Click Maxwell2D>Boundaries>Assign>Slave. The Slave Boundary dialog box appears. Enter a name for the boundary in the Name box, or accept the default. Select the master boundary to which the slave is to be assigned from the Master Boundary pull-down list. In the Relation section, select one of the following to specify the field behavior on the boundary: Es = Em Es = -Em 6. 7. Click this radio button if the slave and master boundaries have the same magnitude and direction. Click this radio button if the slave boundary field has the same magnitude as but the opposite direction from the master boundary field.
2D Electrostatic Excitations
The following excitations are available for electrostatic problems: Excitation Voltage Charge Floating Charge Density Type of Excitation The DC voltage on a surface or object. The total charge on a surface or object. Used to model conductors at unknown potentials. The charge density over an object (dielectric).
Assigning a Voltage Excitation for a 2D Electrostatic Solver

Voltage excitations are identical to voltage boundaries in previous versions of Maxwell. A voltage excitation can be assigned to any surfaces or 2D objects. These assignments could include spatial functions.
This type of excitation sets the electric potential to a specific value. To set a voltage excitation: 1. 2. 3. 4. Select the section of the geometry on which you want to apply the excitation. Click Maxwell2D>Excitations>Assign>Voltage. The Voltage Excitation dialog box appears. Enter a name for the excitation in the Name box, or accept the default. In the Parameters section, enter the electric potential in the Value box, and select the units from the pull-down list. You can enter a numerical value, parameter (design or project variable) or a spatial function. For a spatial function, select a coordinate system from the Coordinate System pull-down list. Optionally, click Use Defaults to revert to the default values in the dialog box. Click OK to assign the excitation to the selected object.
5. 6. 7.
Assigning a Charge Excitation for a 2D Electrostatic Solver

This type of excitation defines the total charge on a surface or object. The potential distribution on the object with charge excitation is computed during the solution. To define a charge excitation: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Select the section of the geometry on which you want to apply the excitation. Click Maxwell2D>Excitations>Assign>Charge. The Charge Excitation dialog box appears. Enter a name for the excitation in the Name box, or accept the default. In the Parameters section, enter the numerical value, parameter (design or project variable) or a spatial function in the Value box. Optionally, click Use Defaults to revert to the default values in the dialog box. Click OK to assign the excitation to the selected object.
Assigning a Floating Excitation for a 2D Electrostatic Solver

This type of excitation models conductors at unknown potentials and specifies the total charge on the conductor. To define a floating conductor: 1. Select the section of the geometry on which you want to apply the excitation. This can be a 2D or 1D geometry entity. If it is a 2D object, it doesnt have to be a conductor (but it will behave like one when the solution becomes available). Click Maxwell2D>Excitations>Assign>Floating. The Floating Excitation dialog box appears. Click the General tab. Enter a name for the excitation in the Name box, or accept the default. In the Parameters section, enter the charge value or parameter in the Value box. Optionally, click Use Defaults to revert to the default values in the dialog box. You can also
2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
click the Defaults tab to save new default settings or to revert to the standard default values. 7. Click OK to assign the excitation to the selected object.
Assigning a Charge Density Excitation for a 2D Electrostatic Solver

This type of excitation defines the volume charge density on an object. To define the charge density on a dielectric object: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Select the object on which you want to apply the excitation. Click Maxwell2D>Excitations>Assign>Charge Density. The Charge Density Excitation dialog box appears. Enter a name for the excitation in the Name box, or accept the default. In the Parameters section, enter the charge density in the Value box. You can enter a numerical value, parameter (design or project variable) or a spatial function. For a spatial function, select the type of coordinate system from the Coordinate System pulldown list. Optionally, click Use Defaults to revert to the default values in the dialog box. Click OK to assign the excitation to the selected object.
2D AC Conduction Boundaries and Excitations

The voltage difference between surfaces and objects. Define the electric potential on each surface and object using a voltage excitation. A voltage excitation. An odd symmetry (flux normal) boundary.
Related Topics 2D AC Conduction Boundaries 2D AC Conduction Excitations Technical Notes: AC Conduction Field Calculation Specifying the Solver Type
2D AC Conduction Boundaries
The following boundary conditions are available for AC conduction electric problems: Boundary Type E-Field Behavior Used to model... Object interfaces are initially set to natural boundaries; outer boundaries are initially set to Neumann boundaries.
Default Boundary Field behaves as follows: Conditions Natural boundaries - The normal (Natural and component of J and the tangential Neumann) component of E are continuous across discontinuity surfaces. No special conditions are imposed. Neumann boundaries - E and J vectors are tangential to the boundary. Flux cannot cross a Neumann boundary.
Symmetry
Field behaves as follows: Planes of geometric and Even Symmetry (Flux Tangential) - E electrical symmetry. and J vectors are tangential to the boundary; its normal components are zero. Odd Symmetry (Flux Normal) - E and J vectors are normal to the boundary; its tangential components are zero. Balloon boundaries model the region outside the drawing space as being nearly infinitely large effectively isolating the model from other voltage sources. Electrically insulated structures, equipotential lines can cross this type of boundary. In general, they are neither tangent nor perpendicular to the balloon boundary.
Balloon
The E-field on the slave boundary is forced to Planes of symmetry in periodic structures where E is oblique to match the magnitude of the E-field on the master boundary if the "plus" sign is used. If the boundary. the "minus" sign is used, the field on the Slave boundary will oscillate with opposite phase angle (180 degrees phase shift).
Default Boundary Conditions for a 2D AC Conduction Solver

These boundary conditions are automatically defined for a AC conduction model:
Natural boundaries are assigned to the surfaces between objects. The normal component of J and the tangential component of E are continuous across discontinuity surfaces. Neumann boundaries are assigned to the outside edges of the problem region. E and J vectors are tangential to the boundary. Flux cannot cross a Neumann boundary.
Assigning a Symmetry Boundary Condition for a 2D AC Conduction Solver

This boundary condition defines a plane of geometric or electric symmetry in a structure. Assign it only to the outer surfaces of the problem region. To set a symmetry boundary: 1. 2. 3. Select the section of the geometry on which you want to apply the boundary condition (typically an edge). Click Maxwell2D>Boundaries>Assign>Symmetry. The Symmetry Boundary dialog box appears. Enter a name for the boundary in the Name box, or accept the default.
4.
Select one of the following as the type of symmetry: Odd (Flux Normal) Voltages have opposite sign on the two sides of the symmetry plane.
Even Voltages have same sign on the two sides of the symmetry plane. (Flux Tangential) 5. 6. Optionally, click Use Defaults to revert to the default values in the dialog box. Click OK to assign the boundary to the selected object.
Assigning a Balloon Boundary Condition for a 2D AC Conduction Solver

Assigning a Master Boundary for a 2D AC Conduction Solver

Master and slave boundaries enable you to model planes of periodicity where the E-field at every point on the slave boundary surface is forced to match the E-field of every corresponding point on the master boundary surface. To set a master boundary: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Select the edge to which you want to assign the master boundary. Click Maxwell2D>Boundaries>Assign>Master. The Master Boundary dialog box appears. Enter a name for the boundary in the Name box, or accept the default. To reverse the direction of the vector, select the Swap Direction check box. Click OK.
Maxwell computes the E-field on this boundary and maps it to the slave boundary.
Assigning a Slave Boundary for a 2D AC Conduction Solver

To set a slave boundary: 1. Select the section of the geometry on which you want to apply the boundary condition (typi-
cally an edge). 2. 3. 4. 5. Click Maxwell2D>Boundaries>Assign>Slave. The Slave Boundary dialog box appears. Enter a name for the boundary in the Name box, or accept the default. In the Parameters section, select the master boundary to which the slave is to be assigned from the Master Boundary pull-down list. Under Relation, select one of the following to specify the field behavior on the boundary: Es = Em Es = -Em 6. 7. 8. Click this radio button if the slave and master boundaries have the same magnitude and oscillate in phase. Click this radio button if the slave boundary field has the same magnitude as the master boundary field and oscillate 180 degrees out of phase.
To reverse the direction of the vector, select the Swap Direction check box. Optionally, click Use Defaults to revert to the default values in the dialog box. Click OK to assign the boundary to the selected object.
2D AC Conduction Excitations
The following excitations are available for electric AC conduction problems: Excitation Voltage Type of Excitation The AC voltage on a surface or object. This excitation type is available for all three of the electric solvers.
Note
All field quantities oscillate with the same frequency, equal to the frequency specified in the solution setup. The phase of quantities computed in the solution space however will be different in general.
Assigning a Voltage Excitation for a 2D AC Conduction Solver

This type of excitation sets the electric potential (voltage) on a surface or object to a specific value. To set a voltage excitation: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Select the section of the geometry on which you want to apply the excitation. Click Maxwell2D>Excitations>Assign>Voltage. The Voltage Excitation dialog box appears. Enter a name for the excitation in the Name box, or accept the default. In the Parameters section, enter the electric potential in the Value box, and select the units from the pull-down list. You can enter a numerical value or a spatial function. For a spatial function, select a coordinate system from the Coordinate System pull-down list.
6. 7. 8.
Enter a value in the Phase text box, and select a unit from the pull-down list. Optionally, click Use Defaults to revert to the default values in the dialog box. Click OK to assign the excitation to the selected object.
2D DC Conduction Boundaries and Excitations

The voltage difference between surfaces and objects. Define the electric potential on each surface and object using a voltage excitation. A voltage excitation. An odd symmetry (flux normal) boundary.
Related Topics 2D DC Conduction Boundaries 2D DC Conduction Excitations Technical Notes: DC Conduction Field Calculation Specifying the Solver Type
2D DC Conduction Boundaries
The following boundary conditions are available for DC conduction electric problems: Boundary Type E-Field Behavior Used to model... Object interfaces are initially set to natural boundaries; outer boundaries are initially set to Neumann boundaries.
Default Boundary Field behaves as follows: Conditions Natural boundaries Normal (Natural and component of J and tangential Neumann) component of E are continuous across discontinuity surfaces. No special conditions are imposed.
Neumann boundaries E and J vectors are tangential to the boundary. Flux cannot cross a Neumann boundary. Planes of geometric and electrical symmetry.
Symmetry
Even Symmetry (Flux Tangential) E and J vectors are tangential to the boundary; their normal components are zero. Odd Symmetry (Flux Normal) E and J vectors are normal to the boundary; their tangential components are zero.
Balloon
Balloon boundaries model the region outside Electrically insulated the drawing space as being nearly infinitely structures. large effectively isolating the model from other voltage sources. A resistance boundary models a very thin layer of resistive material (such as that caused by deposits, coatings or oxidation on a metallic surface) on a conductor at a known potential. Use this boundary condition when the resistive layers thickness is much smaller than the other dimensions of the model.
Resistance
The E-field on the slave boundary is forced to Planes of symmetry in periodic structures where E is oblique to match the magnitude and direction (or the negative of the direction) of the E-field on the the boundary. master boundary.
Default Boundary Conditions for a 2D DC Conduction Solver

These boundary conditions are automatically defined for a DC conduction model:
Natural boundaries are assigned to the surfaces between objects. Normal component of J and tangential component of E are continuous across discontinuity surfaces. No special conditions are imposed. Neumann boundaries are assigned to the outside edges of the problem region. E and J vectors are tangential to the boundary. Flux cannot cross a Neumann boundary.
Assigning a Symmetry Boundary Condition for a 2D DC Conduction Solver

This boundary condition defines a plane of geometric or electric symmetry in a structure. Assign it only to the outer surfaces of the problem region. To set a symmetry boundary: 1. 2. 3. 4. Select the section of the geometry on which you want to apply the boundary condition (typically an edge). Click Maxwell2D>Boundaries>Assign>Symmetry. The Symmetry Boundary dialog box appears. Enter a name for the boundary in the Name box, or accept the default. Select one of the following as the type of symmetry: Odd (Flux Normal) Voltages have opposite signs on the two sides of the symmetry plane.
Even Voltages have same signs on the two sides of the symmetry plane. (Flux Tangential)
5. 6.
Assigning a Balloon Boundary Condition for a 2D DC Conduction Solver

Assigning a Resistance Boundary Condition for a 2D DC Conduction Solver

To set a resistance boundary: 1. Select the section of the geometry on which you want to apply the boundary condition (typically a face).
2.
Click Maxwell2D>Boundaries>Assign>Resistance. The Resistance Boundary dialog box appears.

3. 4.
Enter a name for the boundary in the Name box, or accept the default. In the Parameters section, do the following: a. b. c. d. Enter the Conductivity. Enter the Thickness, and select a unit. Enter a Voltage, and select a unit. Select a Coordinate System from the pull-down list if any of the fields contain an intrinsic spatial variable such as X, Y or Z.
5. 6.
Optionally, click Use Defaults to revert to the default values in the dialog box. Click OK to assign the boundary to the selected object. The resistive boundary condition should only be applied on the outer edges of the solution space. The net effect of this condition is that of an anisotropic material with the assigned value of conductivity in direction normal to the edge carrying it and zero in the tangential direction.
Note
Assigning a Master Boundary for a 2D DC Conduction Solver

Master and slave boundaries enable you to model planes of periodicity where the E-field at every point on the slave boundary surface is forced to match the E-field of every corresponding point on the master boundary surface. To set a master boundary: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Select the edge to which you want to assign the master boundary. Click Maxwell2D>Boundaries>Assign>Master. The Master Boundary dialog box appears. Enter a name for the boundary in the Name box, or accept the default. To reverse the direction of the vector, select the Swap Direction check box. Optionally, click Use Defaults to revert to the default values in the dialog box. Click OK.
Assigning a Slave Boundary for a 2D DC Conduction Solver

To set a slave boundary: 1. Select the section of the geometry on which you want to apply the boundary condition (typi-
cally an edge). 2. 3. 4. 5. Click Maxwell2D>Boundaries>Assign>Slave. The Slave Boundary dialog box appears. Enter a name for the boundary in the Name box, or accept the default. Select the master boundary to which the slave is to be assigned from the Master Boundary pull-down list. In the Relation section, select one of the following to specify the field behavior on the boundary: Es = Em Es = -Em Click this radio button if the E field on the slave and master boundaries have the same magnitude and direction. Click this radio button if the E field on the slave boundary field has the same magnitude as but the opposite direction from the master boundary field.
6. 7.
2D DC Conduction Excitations
The following excitations are available for electric DC conduction problems: Excitation Voltage Type of Excitation The DC voltage on a surface or object.
Assigning a Voltage Excitation for a 2D DC Conduction Solver

This type of excitation sets the electric potential (voltage) on a surface or object to a specific value. To set a voltage excitation: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Select the section of the geometry on which you want to apply the excitation. Click Maxwell2D>Excitations>Assign>Voltage. The Voltage Excitation dialog box appears. Enter a name for the excitation in the Name box, or accept the default. In the Parameters section, enter the electric potential in the Value box, and select the units from the pull-down list. You can enter a numerical value or a spatial function. For a spatial function, select a coordinate system from the Coordinate System pull-down list. Optionally, click Use Defaults to revert to the default values in the dialog box. Click OK to assign the excitation to the selected object.
2D Eddy Current Boundaries and Excitations

Specify at least one of the following as a source of AC magnetic fields in your model:
The current in the cross-section (object), which can be either stranded or solid. The current to be divided among several parallel conductors. The current density in an object. The external magnetic field.
If currents or current densities are the only sources of AC magnetic fields in your model, set at least one outer boundary to the following: The default boundary conditions. An odd symmetry (flux tangential) boundary. An even symmetry (flux normal) boundary.
Related Topics 2D Eddy Current Boundaries 2D Eddy Current Excitations Technical Notes: Eddy Current Field Simulation Specifying the Solver Type
2D Eddy Current Boundaries

The eddy current field solver allows you to define the following types of boundaries: Boundary Type H-Field Behavior Used to model Initially, object interfaces are natural boundaries; outer boundaries and excluded objects are Neumann boundaries.
Default Boundary Field behaves as follows: Conditions Natural boundaries Tangential H and (Natural and normal B are continuous across surfaces Neumann) without current density distribution; tangential H has a jump if the surface has current density distribution.
Vector Potential
Neumann boundaries Magnetic Field is tangential to the boundary and flux cannot cross it.
Sets the magnetic vector potential A Z ( t ) , or Magnetically isolated rA ( t ) , on the boundary. The behavior of H structures. depends on whether A Z ( t ) or rA ( t ) is constant or functional. Includes the effect of induced currents beyond Conductors with very small skin depths. the boundary surface based on tangent component of H along the impedance boundary. Field behaves as follows:
Impedance
Symmetry
Planes of geometric and magnetic symmetry.
Balloon
Models the case where the structure is infinitely far away from other magnetic fields or current sources. The Magnetic Field on the slave boundary is forced to match the magnitude and direction of the Magnetic Field on the master boundary. If a 'plus" sign is used, the fields oscillate in phase, if a minus sign is used the fields will oscillate 180 degrees out of phase.
Magnetically isolated structures. Planes of symmetry in periodic structures where Magnetic Field is oblique to the boundary.
Default Boundary Conditions for the 2D Eddy Current Solver

These boundary conditions are automatically defined for an eddy current model:
Natural boundaries are assigned to the surfaces between objects. Tangential H and normal B are continuous across surfaces without current density distribution; tangential H has a jump if the surface has current density distribution. Neumann boundaries are assigned to the outside edges of the problem region. Magnetic Field is tangential to the boundary and flux cannot cross it.
Assigning a Vector Potential for the 2D Eddy Current Solver

To define a vector potential boundary: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Select the section of the geometry on which you want to apply the boundary condition (typically an edge). Click Maxwell2D>Boundaries>Assign>Vector Potential. The Vector Potential Boundary dialog box appears. Enter a name for the boundary in the Name box, or accept the default. In the Parameters section, enter the value of the potential. The value may be specified as a single numeric value or as a spatial function. If a functional value is specified, select a Coordinate System from the pull-down list: Enter a value in the Phase text box, and select a unit from the pull-down list. Optionally, click Use Defaults to revert to the default values in the dialog box. Click OK to assign the boundary to the selected object.
Assigning an Impedance Boundary for the 2D Eddy Current Solver

This boundary condition is used to simulate the effect of induced currents in a conductor without explicitly computing them. Since the conductor must be excluded in the model (saving time needed to mesh and solve for currents), assign the impedance boundary condition to an outside edge of the problem region or to an excluded object. Exclude the object from the problem region by making the object a perfect conductor in the Material Manager. To define an impedance boundary: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Select the section of the geometry on which you want to apply the boundary condition (typically an edge). Click Maxwell2D>Boundaries>Assign>Impedance. The Impedance Boundary dialog box appears. Enter a name for the boundary in the Name box, or accept the default. Enter the conductivity (in inverse ohm-meters) in the Conductivity field. Enter the conductor's relative permeability in the Permeability field.
6. 7.
Related Topics Impedance Boundary
2D Impedance Boundary
Impedance boundaries allow you to simulate the effect of induced currents in a conductor without explicitly computing them. Use this boundary condition for models where:
The skin depth in the conductor is less than two orders of magnitude smaller than the dimensions of the structure. In models like this, the meshmaker may not be able to create a fine enough mesh in the conductor to compute eddy currents. The magnetic field decays much more rapidly inside the conductor in the direction thats normal to the surface than it does in directions that are tangential to the surface. The AC current source is relatively far away from the surface where eddy currents occur, compared to the size of the skin depth.
The conductor itself must be excluded from the solution region. When setting up the model, do one of the following:
For external boundaries, when drawing the model, make the surface along which eddy currents are to be computed an outer surface of the problem region. For internal boundaries, exclude the object from the problem region by making the object a perfect conductor in the Material Manager. The solver does not find solutions inside a perfect conductor.
Then, when defining boundaries, assign an impedance boundary to the individual surfaces of the problem region (for external boundaries) or to the entire object (for internal boundaries). By entering the conductivity, s, and the relative permeability, r, of the object, you specify the skin depth of induced eddy currents. The simulator uses this skin depth value when computing the electromagnetic field solution. It assumes that the Magnetic Field falls off exponentially inside the conductor. The ohmic loss due to induced currents can then be computed from the tangential components of the Magnetic Field along the impedance boundary the surface of the object that you are interested in. You may also use EdgeLossDensity to plot the loss along an edge containing an impedance boundary. Note An impedance boundary only approximates the effect of eddy currents acting at a shallow skin depth. It does not directly compute them. In general, the fields modeled using an impedance boundary will closely match the field patterns that would actually occur in the structure. However, at discontinuities in the surface (such as corners), the field patterns may be different.
Related Topics When to Use Impedance Boundaries Assigning an Impedance Boundary for the 2D Eddy Current Solver
When to Use Impedance Boundaries in 2D

A typical situation where impedance boundaries can be used to reduce the complexity of a model is shown below. . Suppose you want to compute eddy current losses in the conductor next to the cur-
Skin Depth = 6.6x105 m
Thickness 1x10-3 m
Conductor: r =1 = 5.8x10 7 S/m Model without Impedance Boundary
Impedance Boundary: r =1 = 5.8x107 S/m Model with Impedance Boundary
rent source shown below on the left. If the source carries AC current at a frequency of 1 MHz, the skin depth in the conductor is 6.6 x 105 meters. This is several orders of magnitude smaller than the conductors thickness. Since the conductor where currents are induced is also relatively far away from the current source, an impedance boundary can be used to model the induced currents as shown on the right The conductor must be excluded from the model by making it a perfect conductor. The outside boundary of the model is moved to the inside surface of the conductor. This outside surface is defined as an impedance boundary, using the conductivity and permeability specified previously. Since the simulator does not have to actually compute a solution inside the conductor, the field solution is computed more quickly and uses less memory. After solving, you can compute the ohmic loss for the surface using the solution calculator and plot the loss density on the boundary. Related Topics Assigning an Impedance Boundary for the 2D Eddy Current Solver
Assigning a Symmetry Boundary for the 2D Eddy Current Solver

This boundary condition defines a plane of geometric or magnetic symmetry in a structure. Assign it only to the outer surfaces of the problem region. To set a symmetry boundary: 1. 2. Select the section of the geometry on which you want to apply the boundary condition (typically an edge). Click Maxwell2D>Boundaries>Assign>Symmetry.
The Symmetry Boundary dialog box appears. 3. 4. Enter a name for the boundary in the Name box, or accept the default. Select one of the following as the type of symmetry: Odd Magnetic field is tangential to the boundary; its normal components are (Flux Tangential) zero. Even (Flux Normal) 5. 6. Magnetic field is normal to the boundary; its tangential components are zero.
Assigning a Balloon Boundary Condition for the 2D Eddy Current Solver

Assigning a Master Boundary for the 2D Eddy Current Solver

Master and slave boundaries enable you to model planes of periodicity where the Magnetic Field at every point on the slave boundary surface is forced to match the Magnetic Field of every corresponding point on the master boundary surface. The transformation used to map the Magnetic Field from the master to the slave is determined by specifying a coordinate system on both the master and slave boundaries. To set a master boundary: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Select the edge to which you want to assign the master boundary. Click Maxwell2D>Boundaries>Assign>Master. The Master Boundary dialog box appears. Enter a name for the boundary in the Name box, or accept the default. To reverse the direction of the vector, select the Swap Direction check box. Optionally, click Use Defaults to revert to the default values in the dialog box. Click OK.
Assigning a Slave Boundary for the 2D Eddy Current Solver

To set a slave boundary: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Select the section of the geometry on which you want to apply the boundary condition (typically an edge). Click Maxwell2D>Boundaries>Assign>Slave. The Slave Boundary dialog box appears. Enter a name for the boundary in the Name box, or accept the default. Select the master boundary to which the slave is to be assigned from the Master Boundary pull-down list. In the Relation section, select one of the following to specify the field behavior on the boundary: Bs = Bm Click this radio button if the magnetic fields on the slave and master boundaries have the same magnitude and the fields oscillate in phase.
Bs = -Bm Click this radio button if the magnetic fields on the slave boundary have the same magnitude as the master boundary field but the fields oscillate 180 degrees out of phase. 6. 7. Optionally, click Use Defaults to revert to the default values in the dialog box. Click OK to assign the boundary to the selected object.
2D Eddy Current Excitations

The eddy current solver allows you to define the following sources of AC magnetic fields: Excitation Current Parallel Current Current Density Type of Excitation The total current in a conductor. The total current to be divided among several conductors in parallel. The method of dividing the current depends upon the choice of solid of stranded. The current density in a conductor. In this case, you must also define the current density terminals for the conductor.
Note
When entering current, the arrow associated with current in the selected object shows the direction as if a positive value is entered for the current. If a negative value is entered the actual current flow direction is opposite to what the arrow shows. Select the Positive or Negative radio button under Ref. Direction to switch the direction of current flow.
Assigning a Current Excitation for the 2D Eddy Current Solver

Specifies the total AC current in a conduction path. The conduction path may be contained completely within the problem region (for example, a coil), or may touch the edges of the problem region. To specify the total AC current: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. Select the 2D section of the geometry on which you want to apply the excitation. Click Maxwell2D>Excitations>Assign>Current. The Current Excitation dialog box appears. Enter a name for the excitation in the Name box, or accept the default. Enter the current strength in the Value box. Enter the phase for the current in the Phase box. Select the Solid or Stranded radio button to specify the type of conductor. Select either Positive or Negative as the Ref. Direction for the conductor. Optionally, click Use Defaults to revert to the default values in the dialog box. Click OK to assign the excitation to the selected object.
Assigning a Parallel Current Excitation for the 2D Eddy Current Solver

Specifies the total AC current in a parallel conduction path consisting of at least two conductors. To specify the total AC current: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Select the 2D sections of the geometry on which you want to apply the excitation. At least two section must be specified Click Maxwell2D>Excitations>Assign>Parallel Current. The Parallel Current Excitation dialog box appears. Enter a name for the excitation in the Name box, or accept the default. Enter the current strength in the Value box. Enter the phase for the current in the Phase box. Select the Solid or Stranded radio button to specify the type of conductor. For parallel solid conductors, the current split will be based upon the overall field solution including eddy effects (the currents in individual parallel conductors will have complex values, which are proportional with the respective admittances, and in general will have different phase angles between them). If stranded conductors are specified, the current is split based upon the relative areas of the selected conductors.
Note
7. 8. 9.
Select either Positive or Negative as the Ref. Direction for the conductor. Optionally, click Use Defaults to revert to the default values in the dialog box. Click OK to assign the excitation to the selected object.
Assigning a Current Density Excitation for the 2D Eddy Current Solver

This command specifies the applicable component (depending on XY or RZ solution type) of the AC current density. If the current density is a function of position, the value is entered in ampere/ m2, even if you change the units in the problem. To define the current density: 1. 2. 3. 4. Select the section of the geometry (i.e., the conductor) in which you want to apply the excitation (typically a 2D object). Click Maxwell2D>Excitations>Assign>Current Density. The Current Density Excitation dialog box appears. Enter a name for the excitation in the Name box, or accept the default. In the Parameters section, specify the following options: a. b. c. 5. 6. Enter the current strength in the Value box. The value may be a single numeric value or a spatial function. If the value is specified as a spatial function, select the Coordinate System from the pulldown list. Enter the phase angle, , of the current density in the Phase field, and select a unit from the pull-down list.
2D Transient Boundaries and Excitations

Define at least one of the following as a source of magnetic fields:
The stranded or solid windings, with a voltage or current supply or connected to an external circuit. Permanent magnet(s). Value (vector potential) boundary conditions. An odd symmetry (flux tangential) boundary. An even symmetry (flux normal) boundary.
You will need to set at least one outer boundary to the following:
Related Topics 2D Transient Boundaries 2D Transient Excitations Technical Notes: Transient Simulation Specifying the Solver Type Permanent Magnet Excitations
2D Transient Boundaries
The transient field solver allows you to define the same types of boundary conditions as magnetostatic ones. Boundary Type H-Field Behavior Used to model... Initially, object interfaces have natural boundaries; outer boundaries, and excluded objects have Neumann boundaries.
Default Boundary Field behaves as follows: Conditions Natural boundaries Tangential H and (Natural and normal B are continuous across surfaces Neumann) without current density distribution. Tangential H has a jump if the surface has current density distribution. Neumann boundaries Magnetic field is normal to the boundary. Vector Potential
Sets the magnetic vector potential A Z , or Outer boundaries at specific rA , on the boundary. The behavior of H vector potentials; externally applied magnetic fields. depends on whether A Z or rA is constant or functional.
Symmetry
Planes of geometric and magnetic symmetry.
Balloon
Models the case where the structure is Magnetically isolated infinitely far away from other magnetic structures. fields, permanent magnets, or current sources. The Magnetic Field on the slave boundary is forced to match the magnitude and direction (or the negative of the direction) of the Magnetic Field on the master boundary. Planes of symmetry in periodic structures where Magnetic Field is oblique to the boundary.
Default Boundary Conditions for a 2D Transient Solver

These boundary conditions are automatically defined for a transient model:
Natural boundaries are assigned to the surfaces between objects. Tangential H and normal B are continuous across surfaces without current density distribution. Tangential H has a jump if the surface has current density distribution. Neumann boundaries are assigned to the outside edges of the problem region. Magnetic field is normal to the boundary.
To leave a surface set to its default boundary condition, you do not need to set any boundary conditions. Deleted boundary conditions and excitations automatically reset to the default boundary conditions.
Assigning a Vector Potential for a 2D Transient Solver

To define a vector potential boundary: 1. Select the section of the geometry on which you want to apply the boundary condition (typically an edge). Maxwell 2D requires that the Vector Potential be assigned on a 1D object such as an edge or a line. Click Maxwell2D>Boundaries>Assign>Vector Potential. The Vector Potential Boundary dialog box appears. Enter a name for the boundary in the Name box, or accept the default. In the Parameters section, enter the value of the potential. The value may be specified as a single numeric value or a spatial function. If a functional value is specified, select a Coordinate System from the pull-down list:
2. 3. 4. 5.
6. 7.
Assigning a Symmetry Boundary for a 2D Transient Solver

This boundary condition defines a plane of geometric or magnetic symmetry in a structure. Assign it only to the outer surfaces of the problem region. To set a symmetry boundary: 1. 2. 3. 4. Select the section of the geometry on which you want to apply the boundary condition (typically an edge). Click Maxwell2D>Boundaries>Assign>Symmetry. The Symmetry Boundary dialog box appears. Enter a name for the boundary in the Name box, or accept the default. Select one of the following as the type of symmetry: Odd Magnetic Field is tangential to the boundary; its normal components are (Flux Tangential) zero. Even (Flux Normal) 5. 6. Magnetic Field is normal to the boundary; its tangential components are zero.
Assigning a Balloon Boundary Condition for a 2D Transient Solver

Assigning a Master Boundary for a 2D Transient Solver

Master and slave boundaries enable you to model planes of periodicity where the Magnetic Field at every point on the slave boundary surface is forced to match the Magnetic Field of every corresponding point on the master boundary surface. To set a master boundary: 1. 2. 3. Select the edge to which you want to assign the master boundary. Click Maxwell2D>Boundaries>Assign>Master. The Master Boundary dialog box appears. Enter a name for the boundary in the Name box, or accept the default.
4. 5. 6.
To reverse the direction of the vector, select the Swap Direction check box. Optionally, click Use Defaults to revert to the default values in the dialog box. Click OK.
Maxwell computes the Magnetic Field on this boundary and maps it to the slave boundary using the transformation defined by the master and slave coordinate systems.
Assigning a Slave Boundary for a 2D Transient Solver

To set a slave boundary: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Select the section of the geometry on which you want to apply the boundary condition (typically an edge). Click Maxwell2D>Boundaries>Assign>Slave. The Slave Boundary dialog box appears. Enter a name for the boundary in the Name box, or accept the default. Select the master boundary to which the slave is to be assigned from the Master Boundary pull-down list. In the Relation section, select one of the following to specify the field behavior on the boundary: Bs = Bm Click this radio button if the magnetic field on the slave and master boundaries have the same magnitude and direction.
Bs = -Bm Click this radio button if the magnetic field on the slave boundary has the same magnitude as but the opposite direction from the master boundary field. 6. 7. Optionally, click Use Defaults to revert to the default values in the dialog box. Click OK to assign the boundary to the selected object.
2D Transient Excitations
Transient problems use the following types of excitations: Excitation Current Current Density Coil Type of Excitation The total current in a conductor The known current density distribution in a conductor. Used to define one or more model windings.
End Connection End connection is used to model details of the "squirrel cage" winding of induction machines, dampers in synchronous machines, etc. Winding With Current Winding With Voltage Winding With External Circuit Connection Note Current for both a stranded and solid conductor. Voltage for both a stranded and solid conductor. External circuit connection for both a stranded and solid conductor.
A winding is a versatile type of excitation. Six different combinations can be used: Current, Voltage, and External Circuit each with a solid or stranded conductor. The Coil Terminal type of excitation needs to be defined prior to setting up a winding.
In addition, permanent magnet materials serve as sources of magnetic fields.
Assigning a Current Excitation for a 2D Transient Solver

Specifies the total transient current in an object. To specify the total transient current: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Select the 2D section of the geometry on which you want to apply the excitation. Click Maxwell2D>Excitations>Assign>Current. The Current Excitation dialog box appears. Enter a name for the excitation in the Name box, or accept the default. Enter the current magnitude, time dependent, in the Value box, and select a unit from the pulldown list. Select the Solid or Stranded radio button to specify the type of conductor. Select either Positive or Negative as the Ref. Direction for the conductor. Optionally, click Use Defaults to revert to the default values in the dialog box. Click OK to assign the excitation to the selected object.
Assigning a Current Density Excitation for a 2D Transient Solver

This command specifies the applicable component (depending on the XY or RZ type of application) of the transient current density in an object. If the current density is a function of position, the value is entered in ampere/m2, even if you change the units in the problem. To define the current density: 1. 2. Select the section of the geometry (i.e., the conductor) in which you want to apply the excitation (typically a 2D object). Click Maxwell2D>Excitations>Assign>Current Density. The Current Density Excitation dialog box appears.
3. 4.
Enter a name for the excitation in the Name box, or accept the default. In the Parameters section, specify the following options: a. b. Enter the current strength in the Value box. The value may be a single numeric value or a spatial function. If a spatial function is entered for the Value, select the Coordinate System from the pulldown list.
5. 6.
Assigning a Coil for a 2D Transient Solver

To assign a coil as a transient excitation: 1. 2. Select the section of the geometry on which you want to apply the excitation (typically a 2D object). Click Maxwell2D>Excitations>Assign>Coil. (You can also right-click an existing winding in the project tree, and select Assign Coil.) The Coil Excitation dialog box appears. Enter a name for the excitation in the Name box, or accept the default. In the Parameters section, enter the number of conductors for the coil in the Number of Conductors box. Select one of the following for the Polarity:
3. 4. 5.

6. 7. 8.
Positive Negative Function
If you selected Function as the Polarity, enter a function in the text box. Optionally, click Use Defaults to revert to the default values in the dialog box. Click OK to assign the coil to the selected object. To add this coil to an existing winding, do the following: 1. 2. In the project tree, right-click the coil terminal, and select Add to Winding. The Add to Winding dialog box appears. Select the winding to which you ant to add the coil terminal, and click OK.
Note
Note
To remove a coil terminal from an existing winding, do the following:
In the project tree, right-click the coil terminal, and select Remove from Winding. The terminal is removed from the winding and moved up one level in the project tree (directly beneath Excitations). Alternatively, all coils assigned to a winding may be deleted by right-clicking the winding in the project tree and selecting Delete All Coils.
Assigning an End Connection for a 2D Transient Solver

To define an end connection: 1. 2. 3. 4. Select the section of the geometry (i.e., the conductor) across which you want to apply the excitation. Click Maxwell 2D>Excitations>Assign>End Connection. The End Connection Excitation dialog box appears. Enter a name for the excitation in the Name box, or accept the default. In the Parameters section, specify the following options: a. a. 5. 6. Enter the End resistance between adjacent conductors, and select a unit of measurement from the pull-down list. Enter the End inductance between adjacent conductors, and select a unit of measurement from the pull-down list.
Related Topics Technical Notes: End Connections in 2D Transient
Assigning a Winding Setup for a 2D Transient Solver

You can use the pre-defined coil terminal(s) to define one or more current or voltage windings. To define a winding for your model: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Click Maxwell 2D>Excitations>Add Winding. The Winding dialog box appears. Enter a name for the winding in the Name box, or accept the default. In the Parameters section, select Current, Voltage, or External from the Type pull-down list. Select the Solid or Stranded radio button to specify the type of conductor. Enter values in the following fields, and select the desired units:
For a current winding Current
For a voltage winding Initial Current Resistance Inductance Voltage
For an external winding Initial Current
Note 6.
You can also type a function as an expression for any of these items except initial current.
Enter a value in the Number of parallel branches text box.

7. 8.
Optionally, click Use Defaults to revert to the default values in the dialog box. Click OK to assign the excitation to the selected object
The definition of a winding is final only after specifying the coils which belong to it. Note To add a coil terminal to this winding, do the following: 1. In the project tree, right-click the winding, and select Add Coils. The Add Terminals dialog box appears, listing all coil terminals that do not already belong to that winding. Select the coil terminal (s) you want to add. To select multiple terminals, press CTRL and click each terminal. Click OK. Select the section of the geometry on which you want to apply the coil terminal excitation. In the project tree, right-click the winding, and select Assign Coil. The Coil Excitation dialog box appears. Enter a name for the excitation in the Name box, or accept the default. In the Parameters section, enter the number of conductors for the coil in the Number of Conductors box. Select one of the following for the Polarity:
2. 3. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
To assign a coil terminal excitation and add it to this winding, do the following:

6. 7. 8.
Positive Negative Function
If you selected Function as the Polarity, enter a function in the text box. Optionally, click Use Defaults to revert to the default values in the dialog box. Click OK to assign the coil terminal excitation. The coil terminal excitation is assigned and is added to the winding. In the project tree, right-click the winding, and select Delete All Coils. All coil terminal excitations are removed from the winding and deleted from the excitations.
To delete all coil terminal excitations that belong to this winding, do the following:
Related Topics Setting up a Y Connection
Setting up a Y Connection in 2D
The Y Connection function available in 2D Transient solution types allows multiple windings to be connected in a classical Y (sometimes referred to as wye) configuration with the negative terminals connected to a common node as illustrated below.
Setup Y Connection requires voltage winding definitions be set and the negative voltage terminal for each winding will be connected to form the common node of the circuit. Each voltage source specified in the winding description drives the positive side of the coil. Y Connections are commonly used in motor and transformer applications driven by 3-phase voltage; however, any number of windings may be connected to a common node in Maxwell2D. To define a Y-connection: 1. 2. 3. 4. Click Maxwell2D>Excitations>Setup Y Connection. The Setup Y Connection dialog appears. In the Winding list on the left, select the windings to be grouped into a Y connection. Click the Group button to create a Y Connection group with the selected windings. Click OK when all required grouping have been created.
Related Topics Assigning a Winding Setup for the Transient Solver
Setting Up an External Circuit in 2D

Note Usage of external circuits is indicated by the existence of more complex excitation circuits such as rectifiers, inverters, etc. as they contain diodes, transistors, complex sources, etc. There is no need to use an external circuit for simple current or voltage sources supplying the windings.
External circuit netlist can be complex as shown in the example below. In order to demonstrate the creation of an external circuit, the topic Creating a Simple External Circuit Example walks you through the creation of a simple circuit.
Creating a Simple External Circuit Example for 2D Transient

The driving circuit for the winding in this example design consists of a voltage source in series with a resistor and with the winding. When complete, the circuit should look similar to the figure below.
To set up the external circuit, follow this general procedure: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Add the circuit elements. Connect the circuit elements. Export the netlist. Save the Maxwell Circuit Editor project. Assign the external circuit.
Add the Circuit Elements for 2D Transient

To add the circuit elements in Maxwell Circuit Editor: 1. Open the Maxwell Circuit Editor: Click Start>Programs>Ansoft> Maxwell2D>Maxwell Circuit Editor. The Maxwell Circuit Editor program opens. Click Project>Insert Maxwell Circuit Design.
2.
The circuit sheet appears.
3. 4.
Click the Components tab in the project tree. Place the winding circuit element on the sheet: a. b. c. d. e. f. g. In the project tree, under Maxwell Circuit Elements/Dedicated Elements, select the Winding element. Drag it onto the sheet. Right-click, and select Finish to place the component. To view the properties, double-click the component in the Schematic window. The Properties dialog box appears. Change the Name to currentwinding, the same name you used when defining the winding in the Maxwell design. Click OK. Click Draw>Rotate, and position the winding vertically. In the project tree, under Passive Elements, select Resistor. Drag the resistor onto the sheet. Right-click, and select Finish to place it where desired. Double-click the symbol of the resistor, change the value of the resistor, R, to 3.09, keep the Unit value set to ohm, and click OK. The default is 100 Ohms.
5.
Place a resistor on the sheet: a. b. c. d.
6.
Place a voltage pulse on the sheet:
a. b. c.
In the project tree, under Sources select a VPulse element (Pulse Voltage Source). Drag it to the sheet, and then right-click and select Finish to place it onto the sheet. Double-click the source element symbol on the sheet, and then specify the following source characteristics:
Parameter V1 V2 Tr Tf Pw Period
d.
Value 0 5.97 0.001 0.001 1 2
Description Initial voltage Peak voltage Rise time Fall time Pulse width
Leave the other fields set to the default values, and click OK.
Related Topics: Connect the Circuit Elements
Connect the Circuit Elements for 2D Transient

To connect the circuit elements in series: 1. 2. 3. From within the Maxwell Circuit Editor, click Draw>Wire. Click each terminal. When done, place the Ground symbol: Click Draw>Ground (or click the Ground symbol on the toolbar), place the Ground symbol on the sheet, right-click, and select Finish to place the symbol. Connect the ground to the circuit: Click Draw>Wire, and draw the final wire.
4.
Related Topics: Export the Netlist
Export the Netlist for 2D Transient

To export the netlist: 1. From within the Maxwell Circuit Editor, click Maxwell Circuit>Export Netlist. The Netlist Export dialog box appears. To view the netlist before exporting it, click Maxwell Circuit>Browse Netlist.
Note 2. 3.
Select the folder where you want to save the external circuit file. Type a name for the circuit in the File name box.
4.
Click Save. The Netlist Export dialog box closes and the Maxwell Circuit Editor reappears.
Related Topics: Save the Maxwell Circuit Editor Project
Save the Maxwell Circuit Editor Project for 2D Transient

To save the project and exit Maxwell Circuit Editor: 1. 2. Click File>Save, type a name for the project, and click Save to save the Maxwell Circuit Editor project. Click File>Exit to close the Maxwell Circuit Editor program.
Related Topics: Assign the External Circuit
Assign the External Circuit for 2D Transient

To assign the circuit in Maxwell (which should still be open): 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Click Maxwell2D>Excitations>External Circuit>Edit External Circuit. The Edit External Circuit dialog box appears. Click the Winding Information tab. Click Import Circuit. The Select File dialog box appears. Select Designer Net List Files (*.sph) from the Files of type pull-down list. Browse to the location where you saved the circuit, select it, and click Open to import it. Click OK to close the Edit External Circuit dialog box.
Editing the External Circuit Connection for 2D Transient

To add or edit an external circuit: 1. Click Maxwell2D>Excitations>External Circuit>Edit External Circuit. The Edit External Circuit dialog box appears, listing the externally-connected windings set up for your model. To import a circuit: a. b. c. 3. Click the Winding Information tab. Click Import Circuit. The Select File dialog box appears. Select the circuit you want to import, and click Open. The Edit External Circuit dialog box reappears.
2.
To view available inductors, click the Available Inductors tab.
4. 5. 6.
To view the sources used in the externally connected windings, click the Source Type tab. If the imported file is an .sph file, you can click the Circuit Path tab to view the original project and design names (which are removed after you import a non-sph file). Click OK to close the Edit External Circuit dialog box. The user-set time steps can be modified when external circuits are used to drive the windings of the transient finite element model. Following is a list of situations that will lead to a time step change:
Note
All power electronic switching instances that do not coincide with user-specified solve times request a new solution time from the transient solver. The respective switching generating a new solve time request for the transient solver can be time, position, or speed dependent. When current and/or voltage sources with a piecewise linear variation are used, a new solution time is requested from the transient solver at each (time) definition point used in the corresponding source definition table. When the change in any winding inductance value is excessive, a new time step (smaller) is calculated and a new solution generated (re-calculated) accordingly.
If a user-specified save field time is missed because of the above reasons, the next solved time step fields are saved instead. Related Topics: Setting Up an External Circuit
11
Setting Up Motion for Transient Projects
For transient projects (where you selected transient as the solution type), you need to define how the model components move in relation to one another. This is accomplished by assigning a MotionSetup to a Band object. For Maxwell2D designs, two bands may be assigned with independent motion characteristics. Multiple motion bands are primarily for certain types of motors where multiple rotors may rotate about a common central axis; however, other applications are possible. For example, the project shown below is comprised of two rectangular magnets, each surrounded by a band object with a Motion-
Setting Up Motion for Transient Projects 11-1
Setup assigned to it. When one magnet moves, the other magnet realigns itself. Also note that the solution context display shows the position and speed for both motion setups.
Related Topics: Assigning a Band of Motion Showing and Hiding Motion Objects Technical Notes: 3D Transient Technical Notes: Meshing Aspects for 3D Transient Applications With Motion
Assigning a Band of Motion

In Maxwell v12, in both rotational and translational problems, the band object must always enclose all of the moving objects. For rotational problems, this means the band object should be a solid cylinder or a solid wedge not a hollow shell or segment of a shell. (Maxwell v10 allowed you to subtract the moving objects from the band objects and leave a hollow shell for the band.) If the band object encloses all moving aspects, it is easier to identify the moving objects and reduces errors related to mis-identifying them. To assign the band of motion: 1. 2. Select the band object. Click Maxwell>Model>Motion Setup>Assign Band. The Motion Setup window appears.
11-2 Setting Up Motion for Transient Projects
3. 4. 5.
Click the Type tab. Select either Translation or Rotation as the Motion Type.
a. b. Note 6. 7. 8.
For Rotation about a fixed point you may select the Non-Cylindrical checkbox. For Translation, from the Moving Vector pull-down list, select a moving direction. Select either Positive or Negative direction. For Rotation, from the Moving Axis pull-down list, select an axis of rotation. Select either Positive or Negative rotation. If the expected moving vector does not exist, click 3D Modeler>Coordinate System>Create>Relative CS to create a new coordinate system.
Set the motion direction:
Click the Data tab. Type a value in the Initial Position box, and select the units from the pull-down list. To set the motion limits, do the following in the Translate Limit or Rotate Limit section: a. b. c. For rotational motion, click the Rotate Limit check box. Type a value in the Negative box, and select the units from the pull-down list. Type a value in the Positive box, and select the units from the pull-down list.
9.
Click the Mechanical tab.
10. Do one of the following to specify the object velocity (dynamic or constant): Note When you select Consider Mechanical Transient, you are telling the solver to use the calculated force and user-specified mass, damping, and other parameters to dynamically determine how the object moves, rather than giving it a constant velocity. To dynamically change how the object moves, click the Consider Mechanical Transient check box, complete the following fields, and select any corresponding units:

Note
Initial Velocity (translational) or Initial Angular Velocity (rotational) Mass (translational) or Moment of Inertia (rotational) Damping Load Force (translational) or Load Torque (rotational)
For translational motion, the load force is positive if it is applied in the same direction as the moving vector and negative if applied in the opposite direction. For rotational motion, the load torque sign is determined based on the moving vector, using the right-hand rule. Point your thumb in the direction of the moving vector. If the load torque is applied in the same direction as your fingers, then the load torque is positive. If it is applied in the opposite direction, then the load torque is negative.
To set a constant velocity (and disable the mechanical transient), clear the Consider
Mechanical Transient check box, type a value in the Velocity or Angular Velocity box, and select the units from the pull-down list. 11. For translational motion, a Post-Processing tab is available to set the coordinate system for post processing calculation. 12. Click OK. Related Topics: Non-Cylindrical Rotational Motion Showing and Hiding Motion Objects Reassigning a Band of Motion
Non-Cylindrical Rotational Motion

With cylindrical rotation, the moving objects are free to rotate completely, and the mesh remains fixed as the moving objects rotate. With non-cylindrical motion, the geometry shape of the band region changes as the moving objects rotate, and the mesh is recreated. A motor is an example of cylindrical motion.
A relay is an example of non-cylindrical motion.
Close
Reassigning a Band of Motion

When a MotionSetup has been created, the object that the setup is assigned to is changed using the Reassign command, allowing you to identify the motion setup parameters with a new object without losing the motion setup parameters themselves. To reassign a MotionSetup: 1. 2. Select the object that the MotionSetup will be reassigned to in the modeler window or in the history tree. Right-click on MotionSetupx in the Project Manager window and select Reassign.
Related Topics: Assigning a Band of Motion

Adding and Deleting Objects from a Band of Motion

To add objects to, or delete objects from a motion setup without changing the parameters of the MotionSetup do the following: 1. 2. 3. Select the object to be added or deleted from the MotionSetup in the modeler window or in the history tree. Right-click Model>MotionSetupx>Movingx in the Project Manager window and choose Add Selected Objects or Remove Selected Objects from the shortcut menu. To verify the addition or deletion of the object from the MotionSetup definition, use Select Assignment from the shortcut menu to view the objects assigned to the band.
Related Topics: Assigning a Band of Motion
Showing and Hiding Motion Objects

1. 2. 3. 4. Click Maxwell>Model>Motion Setup>Visualization. The Motion Setup Visualization Options window appears. Select All, Band, or Moving from the Select pull-down list. Click Deselect All to hide all motion objects. Click Close to close the window.
Related Topics: Setting the Visibility for Motion Objects
Setting the Visibility for Motion Objects

To show or hide a parameter: 1. 2. 3. 4. Click View>Active View Visibility. The Active View Visibility dialog box appears. Click the Motion tab. Select or clear the Visibility check box for each motion object listed. Click Done.
12
Adding Solution Parameters
When you assign a solution parameter, the solver calculates the parameter value as part of the solution process. The table shows the solution parameters that may be calculated based upon the solver type. Parameter 3D Solvers Magnetostatic Force/Torque Electrostatic Eddy Current Transient Magnetostatic Matrix Electrostatic Eddy Current 2D Solvers Magnetostatic Electrostatic Eddy Current Transient Magnetostatic Electrostatic Eddy Current AC Conduction
Assigning a Force Parameter

To solve for a force parameter: 1. 2. 3. 4. Select the object on which you want to apply the parameter. Click Maxwell3D or Maxwell2D, and then select Parameters>Assign>Force. The Force window appears. Type a name for the force in the Name box. For Maxwell3D projects only, select Virtual or Lorentz as the Type for the force. Choice of Virtual or Lorentz Force does not apply to the 3D Transient solver.
Note
Adding Solution Parameters 12-1
5. 6. 7.
Select the Post-Processing tab to specify the coordinate system reference for calculating the force parameter. Select the appropriate coordinate system from the ReferenceCS pull-down list. Click OK. Force parameters are available for calculation in the 2D and 3D Magnetostatic, Electrostatic, Eddy Current and Transient solvers only.
Note
Assigning a Torque Parameter

To solve for a torque parameter: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Select the object on which you want to apply the parameter. Click Maxwell3D or Maxwell2D, and then select Parameters>Assign>Torque. The Torque window appears. Type a name for the torque in the Name box. Select Virtual or Lorentz as the Type for the torque. To assign an axis: a. b. 6. Select the axis from the Axis pull-down list. Select either the Positive or Negative radio button.
Click OK. Torque parameters are available for calculation in the 2D and 3D Magnetostatic, Electrostatic, Eddy Current and Transient solvers only.
Note
Assigning a Matrix
To solve for a capacitance, inductance, or impedance matrix: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Click Maxwell3D or Maxwell2D, and then select Parameters>Assign>Matrix. The Matrix dialog box appears. Click the Setup tab. Type a name for the matrix in the Name box. To specify the sources to be included in the matrix, select or clear the Include check box for any sources listed. For Maxwell2D designs, the return path for each source may be specified. By default, the return path is at infinity; however, any conductor with a source specified can act as the return path. Click the Post Processing tab. If more than one source is listed on the left side, you can click the Post Processing tab and Group them to organize multiple sources into a single group. The calculations defined in the Post Processing tab do not impact the field solution and can be set up or changed after the solu-
6. 7.
12-2 Adding Solution Parameters
tion has been completed. To Group multiple sources together: a. b. c. d. e. 8. Select the sources to group in the list Entry list. Multiple source can be selected by holding the CTRL key and clicking each source line. If desired, set the number of Turns for each source. With all sources selected, click Group to combine the sources into one series winding. Set the number of parallel Branches the winding should be divided into and click OK. The results of the post processing calculation on the matrix can be seen by selecting Post Processed on the Matrix tab of the solutions dialog box.
Click OK. For a matrix setup, the elements are defined based on excitations, not solids. Only excitations will be available in the Matrix dialog, regardless of the current geometry selection. Also, changes made to the excitations after matrix setup will not be flagged until the setup validation performed prior to the solution process.
Note
In a matrix calculation:
For coil terminals, all terminals are listed and can be selected. For outer terminals, the solver can only handle a conduction path with two terminals, and only one terminal is listed for each conduction path:
If they are current terminals, the listed terminal is in the "in" direction. If they are current density terminals, the first terminal is listed and can be selected.
When setting up an inductance matrix, the source must be a current excitation. Voltage sources cannot be used in this case. In 2D matrix calculations the solver calculates loop currents; therefore, the direction of return path current is always opposite of the source current. If a conductor with excitation is specified as the return path, the polarity setting of the excitation in the nominal problem setup is not respected.
Related Topics: Viewing Matrix Data Capacitance Matrix for an Electric Field Solution Inductance Matrix for a Magnetostatic Field Solution Grouping Inductance Matrix Elements Impedance Matrix for an Eddy Current Solution Post-Processed Quantities
Reassigning Parameters
To reassign the geometry a parameter applies to: 1. 2. 3. 4. Select the new object to which you want to assign an existing parameter. Click Maxwell3D or Maxwell2D, and then select Parameters>Reassign. The Reassign Parameter window appears. Select the force or torque you want to reassign from the Reassign Geometry for list. Click OK. The parameter is reassigned to the new object.
Viewing Parameter List

To view a list of all parameters in the design: 1. 2. Click Maxwell3D or Maxwell2D, and then select Parameters>List. The Design List window appears, with the Parameters tab visible. To view other design choices, click one of the following tabs:
Model Boundaries Excitations Mesh Operations Analysis Setup
Deleting All Parameters

To delete all parameters assigned in the model:
Click Maxwell3D or Maxwell2D, and then select Parameters>Delete All. All parameters are deleted. Warning Maxwell provides no warning or option to stop deletion. If you accidentally delete all parameters, click Edit>Undo Delete All Parameters before you take any other action.
Showing and Hiding Solution Parameters

1. 2. Click Maxwell3D or Maxwell2D, and then select Parameters>Visualization. The Parameter Visualization Options window appears. Select the type of parameter you want to view from the Select pull-down list, or click the row in the table. Choices include All, All Forces, All Torques, All Matrices, and By Name. The object is highlighted in the geometry. Select or clear the check boxes for each parameter to show or hide geometry, name, and vec-
3.
tors for each force or torque parameter. 4. 5. Click Deselect All to hide all parameters. Click Close to close the window.
Setting the Visibility for Parameters

To show or hide a parameter: 1. 2. 3. 4. Click View>Active View Visibility. The Active View Visibility dialog box appears. Click the Parameters tab. Select or clear the Visibility check box for each parameter listed. Click Done.
Changing the Parameter Setup

To change a parameter's setup: 1. 2. 3. 4. In the project tree, open the Parameters section. Right-click the parameter you want to change. A shortcut menu appears. Select Properties from the shortcut menu. Make the desired changes, and then click Close.
13
Defining Mesh Operations
In Maxwell, mesh operations are optional mesh refinement settings that provide Maxwell with mesh construction guidance. The technique of guiding Maxwell's mesh construction is referred to as "seeding" the mesh. Seeding is performed using the Mesh Operations commands on the Maxwell3D or Maxwell2D menu. When defining a mesh, you typically assign the mesh operations first (using the Maxwell3D>Mesh Operations or Maxwell2D>Mesh Operations commands) and then create the mesh (using the Maxwell3D or Maxwell2D menu and selecting Analysis Setup>Apply Mesh Operations command). However, you can also refine the mesh after the initial mesh has been created. You can instruct Maxwell to refine the length of tetrahedral elements on a surface or within a volume until they are below a certain value (length-based mesh refinement) or you can instruct Maxwell to refine the surface triangle length of all tetrahedral elements on a surface or volume to within a specified value (skin depth-based mesh refinement). In some circumstances, you may also want to create a mesh operation that modifies Maxwell's surface approximation settings for one or more faces. Surface approximation settings are only applied to the initial mesh (the mesh that is generated the first time a design variation is solved). The other types of mesh operations (refining the mesh) can be performed on either the initial mesh or on the most recently generated mesh (the current mesh) if you are updating a previously-created mesh. Note Mesh operations at the target design of a mu (permeability) link are ignored.
Perform length-based mesh refinement on object faces. Perform length-based mesh refinement inside objects. Perform skin depth-based mesh refinement on object faces. Modify surface approximation settings for one or more faces.
Defining Mesh Operations 13-1
Modifying the Model Resolution (Maxwell3D only) Apply mesh operations.
Related Topics Applying Mesh Operations Without Solving Monitoring the Solution Process Viewing Mesh Statistics Plotting the Mesh Technical Notes: Meshing Aspects for 3D Transient Applications With Motion
13-2 Defining Mesh Operations
Assigning Length-Based Mesh Refinement on Object Faces

1. 2. 3. 4. Select the faces you want Maxwell to refine. Alternatively, select an object if you want Maxwell to refine every face on the object. Click Maxwell>Mesh Operations>Assign>On Selection>Length Based. The Element Length Based Refinement dialog box appears. Type a name for the mesh operation in the Name box, or accept the default name. To restrict the length of tetrahedra edges touching the faces: a. b. Note Select Restrict Length of Elements. Type the maximum length of the tetrahedral edges touching the faces in the Maximum Length of Elements box, and select the units. Maxwell refines the element edges touching the selected faces until their lengths are equal to or less than this value. The default value is set to 20% of the maximum edge lengths of the bounding boxes of each selected face.
5.
To restrict the number of elements added during refinement of the faces: a. b. Select Restrict the Number of Elements. Enter the Maximum Number of Elements to be added.
6.
Click OK.
When the mesh is generated, the refinement criteria you specified are used. When the maximum number of elements is reached, some elements may exceed the requested maximum element length. Related Topics Assigning Length-Based Mesh Refinement Inside Objects Applying Mesh Operations without Solving
Assigning Length-Based Mesh Refinement Inside Objects

Length-based mesh operations inside volumes can be applied to non-model box primitives. If an error occurs, you may be trying to assign a mesh to a non-model box that is not a box primitive (such as boxes with chamfers or non-model cylinders). To instruct Maxwell to refine every face of an object and its interior: 1. 2. 3. 4. Select the object you want Maxwell to refine. Click Maxwell>Mesh Operations>Assign>Inside Selection>Length Based. The Element Length Based Refinement dialog box appears. Type a name for the mesh operation in the Name box, or accept the default name. To restrict the length of the tetrahedral element edges inside the object: a. b. Note Select Restrict Length of Elements. Type the maximum length of the edges inside the object in the Maximum Length of Elements box, and select the units. Maxwell refines the element edges inside the object until they are equal to or less than this value. The default value is set to 20% of the maximum edge lengths of the bounding boxes of each selected object's faces.
5.
To restrict the number of elements added during the refinement inside the object: a. b. Select Restrict the Number of Elements. Enter the Maximum Number of Elements to be added.
6.
Click OK.
When the mesh is generated, the refinement criteria you specified are used. When the maximum number of elements is reached, some elements may exceed the requested maximum element length. Related Topics Assigning Length-Based Mesh Refinement on Object Faces Applying Mesh Operations without Solving
Assigning Skin Depth-Based Mesh Refinement on Object Faces

1. 2. 3. 4. Select the faces you want to be refined. Alternatively, select an object if you want Maxwell to refine every face on the object. Click Maxwell>Mesh Operations>Assign>On Selection>Skin Depth Based. The Skin Depth Based Refinement dialog box appears. Type a name for the mesh operation in the Name box, or accept the default name. Type the skin depth within which to refine the mesh in the Skin Depth box. Alternatively, do the following to calculate the skin depth based on the object's material permeability and conductivity and the frequency at which the mesh is to be refined: a. b. c. d. Click Calculate Skin Depth. The Calculate Skin Depth dialog box appears. Type the material's Relative Permeability and Conductivity. Type the Frequency at which to refine the mesh, and select the frequency units. Click OK. Maxwell calculates the skin depth and enters its value in the Skin Depth box of the Skin Depth Based Refinement dialog box. 5. In the Number of Layers of Elements box, type the number of layers to add perpendicular to the object's surface. Maxwell adds an equivalent number of mesh points to each layer. For example, if 10 points were added to satisfy the Surface Triangle Length, then Maxwell adds 10 points to each layer. Type the maximum edge length of the surface mesh in the Surface Triangle Length box, and select the units. Maxwell refines the surface triangle mesh (the faces of the tetrahedra touching the surface) until their edge lengths are equal to or greater than the specified value. The default value is set to 20% of the maximum edge lengths of the bounding boxes of each selected face. 7. To restrict the number of elements added during refinement on the faces: a. b. 8. Select Restrict the Number of Surface Elements. Enter the Maximum Number of Surface Elements to be added.
6.
Note
Click OK.
When the mesh is generated, the refinement criteria you specified are used. Related Topics Applying Mesh Operations without Solving
Modifying Surface Approximation Settings

Maxwell applies surface approximation settings when it generates the initial mesh. If you modify Maxwell's default settings after the initial mesh has been generated, they do not affect the mesh for that design variation. 1. Select the faces for which you want to modify the surface approximation settings.
2. 3. 4.
Alternatively, select an object if you want to modify the surface approximation settings of every face on the object.
Click Maxwell>Mesh Operations>Assign>Surface Approximation. The Surface Approximation dialog box appears. Type a name for the group of settings in the Name box, or accept the default name. Under Surface Deviation, do one of the following:

5.
Select Ignore if you do not want to use surface deviation settings for the selected faces. Select Set maximum surface deviation (length), type the distance between the true surfaces of the selected faces and the meshed faces, and select the units. Select Use defaults if you want to use Maxwell's default normal deviation setting for the selected faces, which is 15 degrees. Select Set maximum normal deviation (angle), type the angular distance between the normal of the true surface and the corresponding mesh surface, and select the units. Select Use defaults if you want to use Maxwell's default aspect ratio settings for the selected faces, which is 10 for curved surfaces and 200 for planar surfaces. Select Set aspect ratio, and then type a value in the box. This value determines the shape of the triangles. The higher the value, the thinner the triangles. Values close to 1 result in well-formed, wide triangles.
Under Normal Deviation, do one of the following:

6.
Under Aspect Ratio, do one of the following:

7.
Click OK. The settings are applied to the initial mesh generated on the selected surface. The group of settings is listed in the project tree under Mesh Operations.
Surface Approximation
Object surfaces in Maxwell may be planar, cylindrical or conical, toroidal, spherical, or splines. The original model surfaces are called true surfaces. To create a finite element mesh, Maxwell first divides all true surfaces into triangles. These triangulated surfaces are called faceted surfaces because a series of straight line segments represents each curved or planar surface. For planar surfaces, the triangles lie exactly on the model faces; there is no difference in the location or the normal of the true surface and the meshed surface. When an object's surface is non-planar, the faceted triangle faces lie a small distance from the object's true surface. This distance is
called the surface deviation, and it is measured in the model's units. The surface deviation is greater near the triangle centers and less near the triangle vertices. The normal of a curved surface is different depending on its location, but it is constant for each triangle. (In this context, "normal" is defined as a line perpendicular to the surface.) The angular difference between the normal of the curved surface and the corresponding mesh surface is called the normal deviation and is measured in degrees. The aspect ratio of triangles used in planar surfaces is based on the ratio of circumscribed radius to the in-radius of the triangle. It is unity for an equilateral triangle and approaches infinity as the triangle becomes thinner. You can modify the surface deviation, the maximum permitted normal deviation, and the maximum aspect ratio of triangles settings on one or more faces at a time in the Surface Approximation dialog box. (Click Maxwell>Mesh Operations>Assign>Surface Approximation.) The surface approximation settings are applied to the initial mesh. Note During adaptive meshing, new vertices are added to the true surface (the surface approximation improves during adaptive refinement).
Guidelines for Modifying Surface Approximation Settings

If you intend to modify the surface approximation settings for an object face or faces, keep the following guidelines in mind:
When necessary, override the default surface approximation settings to represent curved surfaces more accurately. More accurate representation will increase the mesh size and consume more CPU time and memory. The default settings are adequate for most circumstances. If you want to obtain a faster solution by using a cruder representation of curved surfaces, set the coarser setting for the whole object, not just a single face. It is difficult for Maxwell to satisfy aspect ratio demands if the aspect ratio value is set close to 1 because an arbitrary shape cannot be filled with only equilateral triangles. Therefore, setting the aspect ratio to 1 can lead to unreasonably large meshes. Maxwell limits the aspect ratio to 4 for planar objects and 1.2 for curved objects.
Modifying the Model Resolution

(Setting Model Resolution applies to Maxwell3D Designs only) The model resolution parameter is used by the meshmaker to distinguish large features from small features in the model. This setting controls how large a feature must be to be resolved by the meshmaker. For example, if you set the model resolution length to 20 mm, any model features smaller than 20 mm are not represented in the mesh. Neither the model nor the model files are changed. The resolution only controls how the mesh for the model is represented. While removing small details, if the meshmaker finds that the representation of the model is not accurate enough, it returns an error condition. The meshmaker then starts with the most accurate representation and prunes away the details smaller than the model resolution length. It returns an error if the specified model resolution length forces the final representation to deviate too greatly from the model. You can set Model Resolution on one or more objects to remove unnecessary details from the mesh representation. This can be used to reduce the mesh complexity of the selected objects. To modify the model resolution: 1. 2. Select the object or objects on which to specify a Model Resolution operation. Click Maxwell>Mesh Operations>Assign>Model Resolution. The Model Resolution Mesh Operation dialog box appears. Alternatively, you can display the same dialog if you: a. b. Right-click on either Mesh Operations in the Project Tree, or right-click in the Modeler window to display the respective shortcut menu. Click on Assign>Model Resolution in the Project Tree menu or click on Assign Mesh Operation>Model Resolution on the shortcut menu.
The Model Resolution Mesh Operation dialog contains text fields for the mesh operation Name and and radio buttons with choices for the following
Auto Simplify Using Effective Thickness The mesher calculates the resolution length based on each objects effective thickness. One mesh operation can be assigned to many objects, and each will be simplified based on its own dimensions. Use the Auto Simplify selection:
To remove many details while retaining an objects overall shape and size For objects of generally uniform thickness To assign one mesh operation to many objects
Use Model Resolution length This enables fields for you to specify the resolution value and units. Use this selection for:
Tighter control of mesh accuracy. Objects of non-uniform thickness. For example, the thin section of the object shown
below might be lost with Auto Simplify.
3.
After defining the operation, click OK. This adds the named Model Resolution operation under the Mesh Operations icon in the Project Tree.
Note
Setting Model Resolution will invalidate any existing solutions. When two objects in contact have different model resolution lengths, the smaller length will apply for the common regions.
Related Topics Plotting the Mesh Technical Notes: Model Resolution
Applying Mesh Operations Without Solving

The mesh is automatically created when you run a solution analysis. If you want to refine the mesh on a face or volume but do not want to generate a solution at the time, you can apply the mesh operations you have assigned without running the full analysis. Applying mesh operations without solving enables you to experiment with mesh refinement in specific problem regions without losing design solutions. You cannot undo the applied mesh operations, but you can discard them by closing the project without saving it. To refine the mesh without solving, do one of the following after defining mesh operations:
Click Maxwell>Analysis Setup>Apply Mesh Operations. In the project tree, under Analysis, right-click the desired solution setup, and select Apply Mesh Operations.
If a current mesh has been generated, Maxwell refines it using the defined mesh operations. If a current mesh has not been generated, Maxwell applies the mesh operations to the initial mesh. If an initial mesh has not been generated, Maxwell generates it and applies the mesh operations to the initial mesh. If the defined mesh operations have been applied to the selected face or object, the current mesh is not altered. Hint Define a new mesh operation rather than modify an existing mesh operation. Maxwell does not re-apply a modified mesh operation. Mesh operations at the target design of a mu (permeability) link are ignored.
Note
Reverting to the Initial Mesh

The initial mesh is the mesh that is generated the first time a design variation is solved. It includes surface approximation settings but does not include defined mesh operations. If you have modified the design setup and do not want to use the existing current mesh, revert to the initial mesh before solving. To revert to the initial mesh before solving:
Click Maxwell>Analysis Setup>Revert to Initial Mesh.
Reverting to the initial mesh is useful when you want to evaluate how a different solution frequency affects the mesh generated during an adaptive analysis.
Deleting All Previously-Assigned Mesh Refinements

To delete previously-assigned mesh refinement data:
Click Maxwell>Mesh Operations>Delete All.
Viewing List of Mesh Operations

To list all mesh operations for the project, do the following from the project tree: 1. 2. 3. Right-click Mesh Operations. A shortcut menu appears. Select List from the shortcut menu. The Design List dialog box appears, with the Mesh Operations tab displayed. Click Done to close this dialog box.
Reassigning a Mesh Operation

To reassign a previously-assigned mesh setup, do the following in the project tree: 1. 2. 3. Under Mesh Operations, right-click the mesh refinement you had previously completed. A shortcut menu appears. Select from the shortcut menu. The Design List dialog box appears, with the Mesh Operations tab displayed. Click Done to close this dialog box.
Viewing Mesh Properties

To view mesh properties, do the following in the project tree: 1. 2. Under Mesh Operations, right-click the mesh refinement you had previously completed. A shortcut menu appears. Select Properties from the shortcut menu.
14
Specifying Solution Settings
Specify how Maxwell computes a solution by adding a solution setup to the design. You can define more than one solution setup per design. Each solution setup includes:
General data about the solution's generation. Adaptive mesh refinement parameters if you want the mesh to be refined iteratively in areas of highest error. Select a design in the project tree. Click Maxwell3D>Analysis Setup>Add Solution Setup or Maxwell2D>Analysis Setup>Add Solution Setup
To add a solution setup to a design: 1. 2.
Alternatively, right click Analysis in the project tree, and then click Add Solution Setup on the shortcut menu.
The Solve Setup dialog box appears. It is divided among the following four tabs for non-transient solutions: General Solver Frequency Sweep Defaults Includes general solution settings. Includes settings for nonlinear residual and matrix solver type. Includes setting for varying the frequency of an Eddy solution. Enables you to save the current settings as the defaults for future solution setups or to revert the current settings to Maxwell's standard settings.
Convergence Includes settings for convergence.
Specifying Solution Settings 14-1
It is divided among the following six tabs for transient solutions: General Save Fields Advanced Solver Output Variables Defaults 3. 4. 5. Includes general solution settings. Enables you to create a time point list for saving field solutions. Supports user control program and magnetization options. Includes settings for nonlinear residual and matrix solver type. Enables you to specify output variables as a function of time. Enables you to save the current settings as the defaults for future solution setups or to revert the current settings to Maxwell's standard settings.
Specify the desired settings on the tabs. If you want to use the default values, click Use Default. Click OK.
Related Topics: Analysis Parameters Setting Analysis Parameters for Non-Transient Solutions Setting Analysis Parameters for Transient Solutions Resetting Analysis to Time Zero Changing Memory Settings Specifying the Solver Type Technical Notes: Meshing Aspects for 3D Transient Applications With Motion Defining Mesh Operations Copying a Solution Setup
14-2 Specifying Solution Settings
Analysis Parameters
During adaptive analysis the system iteratively refines the starting mesh in order to reduce the size of individual elements in areas of high error thus improving the accuracy of the solution.
When an adaptive analysis is performed:
Maxwell generates a field solution using the specified mesh. It then analyzes the accuracy of the solution by calculating an energy value based on the error in the solution. The exact mechanism for evaluating the error varies by solution type. For example, in magnetostatic it can use Curl H to find the current density and then subtract all input currents and other sources. For a perfect solution the result would be zero, for a real, finite mesh the result is some amount of residual current density. An energy value calculated from this residual current density is called the error energy. The Energy Error % is the error energy as a percentage of the total energy (calculated with the original sources). If more than 1 pass has been completed, the software also calculates the change in total energy from the previous pass. The percentage difference is the Delta Energy (%). Adaptive refinement continues until both the Energy Error % and the Delta Energy (%) are below the target Percent Error specified by the user (or until it reaches the Maximum Number of Passes requested).
When the error targets are not satisfied the mesh is refined. This is generally done by subdividing the elements with the highest error energy into smaller elements. The user can optionally request to Use Output Variable Convergence. This is an additional stopping criterion. The Energy Error % and the Delta Energy must still be below the target Percent Error, but the software will also compute the specified Output Variable for each adaptive pass and will calculate the percentage change in that value for each pass after the first (this is the Output Var. Delta (%)). The solution will continue until the energy error criteria are met and the Output Var. Delta is below the target Max. Delta Per Pass specified by the user for output variable convergence (or until Maximum Number of Passes).
Related Topics: Setting Analysis Parameters for Non-Transient Solutions Setting Analysis Parameters for Transient Solutions
Setting Analysis Parameters for Non-Transient Solutions

When you set up an analysis, define the parameters on the following tabs of the Solve Setup dialog box (which appears when you click Maxwell>Analysis Setup>Add Solution Setup):
General (Name, Adaptive Setup, Parameters) Convergence Solver Frequency Sweep Defaults
Defining Settings on the General Tab for Non-Transient Solutions

The following settings can be defined on the General tab of the Solve Setup dialog box for nontransient solutions:
Setup Name Adaptive Setup Parameters
Setup Name (Non-Transient)

By default, Setup1 appears as the name of the first analysis you set up. To change the name of the setup, type the new name in the Name text box on the General tab of the Solve Setup dialog box.
Adaptive Setup
To specify adaptive settings, click the General tab in the Solve Setup dialog box and use the options in the Adaptive Setup section. Adaptive settings include the following:
Maximum Number of Passes. The Maximum Number of Passes is the maximum number of mesh refinement cycles you would like Maxwell to perform. This value is a stopping criterion for the adaptive solution; if the maximum number of passes has been completed, the adaptive analysis stops. If the maximum number of passes has not been completed, the adaptive analysis continues unless the convergence criteria are reached. Note The size of the finite element mesh and the amount of memory required to generate a solution increases with each adaptive refinement of the mesh. Setting the maximum number of passes too high can result in Maxwell requesting more memory than is available or taking excessive time to compute solutions.
Percent Error. The Percent Error allows you to control the desired solution accuracy. Smaller values produce more accurate (but slower) solutions; larger values produce less accurate (but faster) solutions. At each step in the adaptive process, the energy and error energy are computed, and you can view the most recent solutions as soon as they are completed. After the mesh is refined, the matrix is calculated on the refined mesh. The relative change between the previous matrix and the current matrix is then computed and reported as the matrix delta; the
target matrix delta is the Percent Error. A small delta indicates that further mesh refinement will probably not change the solution.
Parameter Settings
On the General tab of the Solve Setup dialog box, if you want to solve for fields only and no other parameters, then click the Solve Fields Only check box. When this check box is cleared, the following options are available:
Solve Matrix. Select After last pass or Only after converging.
Defining Settings on the Convergence Tab for Non-Transient Solutions

To set the convergence data, click the Convergence tab in the Solve Setup dialog box. Convergence settings can be standard or optional. Standard convergence settings include the following:
Refinement Per Pass. The percent you set for Refinement Per Pass determines how many tetrahedra are added at each iteration of the adaptive refinement process. The tetrahedra with the highest error are refined. Minimum Number of Passes. The minimum number of adaptive passes even if the convergence criteria are reaches. Minimum Converged Passes. The minimum number of adaptive passes to continue after the convergence criteria are reached.
Optionally, convergence criteria can also be based on the value of an output variable. This condition is in addition to the normal stopping criteria. To base the convergence criteria on an output variable value, select the Use Output Variable Convergence check box, and specify the following information:
Output Variable Parameter Max Delta Per Pass
For 2D Eddy Current solutions only, improved accuracy may be obtained by including loss in the convergence criteria. To include the loss calculation in convergence, select the Use Loss Convergence checkbox. Note Maxwell 2D versions prior to version 12 did not use loss in the convergence calculation.
Related Topics Specifying Output Variable Convergence
Specifying Output Variable Convergence

You can specify additional convergence criteria through the use of output variables. The Max Delta Per Pass defined for output variable convergence represents the difference in values of the output variable between consecutive adaptive passes. If the difference in the value of the output variable between consecutive passes is less than the Max Delta Per Pass this part of the convergence criteria is satisfied.
To set the Output Variable Convergence criteria: 1. 2. Ensure that the desired output variable to use for convergence exists. See Specifying Output Variables. Under the Convergence tab of the Solution Setup dialog box, select the Use Output Variable Convergence checkbox. If no output variables have been defined in the design then this option is disabled. Select the desired output variable from the drop down list and specify the Max Delta Per Pass (an absolute change in value between passes) criteria.
3.
Related Topics Viewing Convergence Data Viewing the Output Variable Convergence
Defining Settings on the Solver Tab for Non-Transient Solutions

The settings on the Solver tab of the Solve Setup dialog box depend on the solution type selected for that project.
Magnetostatic Solver Settings Eddy Current Solver Settings Import Mesh Setup Link
Magnetostatic Solver Settings

For a magnetostatic solution, the following settings can be defined on the Solver tab of the Solve Setup dialog box:
Nonlinear Residual Permeability Options Magnetization Options
Advanced Nonlinear Options for Magnetostatic Solutions

For the magnetostatic solution type, the advanced options allow you to perform more sophisticated simulations of the magnetostatic field. The available setup options refer to permeability (for general soft magnetic materials) and magnetization vector (for permanent magnets). Permeability Nonlinear B-H curve To use a nonlinear BH curve (this is the default) Magnetization Nonlinear B-H curve To use a nonlinear BH curve (this is the default)
Permeability From Link To use a previously solved mu (permeability) distribution
Magnetization Compute demagnetized operating points To specify whether or not to compute demagnetized operating points when using a nonlinear BH curve (enabled only when is Nonlinear B-H curve selected) From Link To use a previously solved mu (permeability) distribution
Including magnets To specify whether or not the distribution includes magnets (enabled only when From Link is selected) Note
The data link used to link source and target designs uses data caching technology. Therefore, after the design changes, to make sure the new data (from the source design) is used in the target design, right-click the Analysis field of the target design in the project tree, and select Clear Linked Data. This flushes existing data.
See also Nonlinear Materials.
Permeability Options for Magnetostatic Solutions

To set permeability options in the Solve Setup dialog box: 1. 2. 3. Click Maxwell>Analysis Setup>Add Solution Setup. The Solve Setup dialog box appears. Click the Solver tab. In the Permeability Option section, under Advanced, select one of the following two radio buttons in the:
Nonlinear B-H Curve. Using B-H curves is the default. Select this option when a normal nonlinear computation is used with the normal adaptive mesh refinement capability. From Link. You can use the permeability that has been frozen from a previously solved design. To do so, use the data link for subsequent field computations with a permanent magnet included or excluded. When the From Link radio button is selected, the Setup Link command becomes active, allowing you to specify the project, design, and solution
containing the desired information. The mesh between the two linked designs is the same
4. 5.
If you selected From Link, select or clear the Including magnets check box. If you selected From Link, do the following to specify the project, design, and solution containing the information you want to use: a. Click Setup Link (located at the bottom of the Solve Setup dialog box, below the entire Advanced section).
The Setup Link dialog box appears.
b. c. d. e. f. g. h. 6.
Click the General tab. Select the project from the Project File pull-down list. Select the saved design from the Design pull-down list. Select the specific solution setup you want to link to from the Solution pull-down list. Click the Parameters tab. Optionally, edit the Value and Unit columns for any of the parameters listed Click OK to close the Setup Link dialog box and return to the Solve Setup dialog box.
When you are finished specifying solution settings, click OK to close the Solve Setup dialog
box and finalize the solution setup. Note The usual way to create the linked designs is by copying and pasting an existing design from the project of your choice once the design is complete. Occasionally an existing design (possibly from a different project) can be used as a source. The data link automatically attempts to solve the linked (source) design if necessary (if no solution exists), then automatically copies the mesh and necessary data (calculated distribution of permeability), and finally performs the requested calculation in the target design. This data link allows you to calculate the magnetic field to be performed in a design with, for example, modified sources while keeping the permeability in a "frozen" state calculated in a different design (the same geometry and mesh but with different sources).
Magnetization Options for Magnetostatic Solutions

To set magnetization options in the Solve Setup dialog box: 1. 2. 3. Click Maxwell>Analysis Setup>Add Solution Setup. The Solve Setup dialog box appears. Click the Solver tab. In the Magnetization Option section, under Advanced, select one of the following two radio buttons in the:
Nonlinear B-H Curve. Using B-H curves is the default. Select this option when a normal computation is used with the normal adaptive mesh refinement capability. From Link. You can use the magnetization that has been frozen from a previously solved design. To do so, use the data link for subsequent field computations with a permanent magnet included or excluded. When the From Link radio button is selected, the Setup Link command becomes active, allowing you to specify the project, design, and solution
containing the desired information. The mesh between the two linked designs is the same
4.
If you selected From Link, select or clear the Compute demagnetized operating points check box. When demagnetization effects need to be taken into account (meaning nonlinear permanent magnets are used in the model), you should select Compute demagnetized operating points in the linked (source) design and select the From Link radio button in the target design.
Note
5.
If you selected From Link, do the following to specify the project, design, and solution containing the information you want to use: a. Click Setup Link (located at the bottom of the Solve Setup dialog box, below the entire Advanced section).
b. c. d. e. f. g. h. 6.
Click the General tab. Select the project from the Project File pull-down list. Select the saved design from the Design pull-down list. Select the specific solution you want to link to from the Solution pull-down list. Click the Parameters tab. Optionally, edit the Value and Unit columns for any of the parameters listed Click OK to close the Setup Link dialog box and return to the Solve Setup dialog box.
When you are finished specifying solution settings, click OK to close the Solve Setup dialog
box and finalize the solution setup. Note The data link automatically attempts to solve the linked (source) design if necessary (if no solution exists), then automatically copies the mesh and necessary data (new values for the magnetization vector) in the target design, and finally perform the requested calculation in the target design. This data link allows you to calculate the magnetic field to be performed in a design with, for example, modified sources while keeping the magnetization in a "frozen" state calculated in a different design (the same geometry and mesh but with different sources). For advanced nonlinear options for magnetization, the two meshes in the source and target models do not have to be identical. If the two meshes are identical, an element by element new magnetization vector is calculated (based on the respective calculated demagnetized operation points) and used in subsequent calculations. If the two meshes are different, Maxwell calculates in the target model an object-wise average magnetization vector and applies it globally to the respective object(s). Therefore, when the From Link radio button is checked, the Setup Link command becomes active, allowing you to specify the project design and solution containing the desired information. Unlike the case of pre-solved permeability, the mesh between the two linked designs does not have to be the same (as explained above).
Eddy Current Solver Settings

For an eddy current solution: 1. 2. For 2D designs, enter a value in the Nonlinear Residual text box. Enter a frequency value in the Adaptive Frequency text box, and select the desired units.
Related Topics: Import Mesh
Import Mesh for Non-Transient Solutions

The Import mesh check box can be selected in the "target" design if the mesh for the same geometry is to be used in the analysis. This setup is designed to be generally applicable to all solutions. If the Import mesh feature is selected, the Setup Link button becomes active, the Setup Link dialog box automatically appears, and the mesh will be imported from the source design to the target design. Note The usual way to create geometrically equivalent designs is by copying all geometry objects from one design and then using Import From Clipboard in the other design.
Setup Link for Non-Transient Solutions

If you selected Use dynamic magnetization/permeability data or Import mesh, do the following to specify the project, design, and solution containing the mesh information you want to use: 1. Click Setup Link (located at the bottom of the Solve Setup dialog box).
2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.
Defining Settings on the Frequency Sweep Tab for Eddy Current
Solutions
To add one or more frequency sweeps, do the following on the Frequency Sweep tab of the Solve Setup dialog box: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Select a sweep type (Linear Step, Linear Count or Log Scale) from the Type pull-down list in the Sweep Setup section. Enter a start and stop time in the Start and Stop fields and select the units. For a linear step sweep, enter the Step Size and select the units. For a linear count sweep, enter the Count. For a log scale sweep, enter the number of Samples. Select or clear the Save Fields (All Frequencies) check box. To add the single time step only, click the Add Single Point button. The new frequency step appears in the Frequency list. To append a range of time steps to an existing list of time steps, click the Add to List button. The new added frequency steps appear in the Frequency list. Duplicated frequency points are automatically eliminated. To replace an existing Frequency list with a new Frequency list, click Replace List.
9.
10. To delete selected frequency points, click Delete Selection. 11. To clear the entire Frequency list, click Clear All. 12. Click Undo Last Change to undo the last operation (can only be done once).
Defining Settings on the Defaults Tab for Non-Transient Solutions

Default analysis parameters are used to initialize the data for new setups. To set up the default analysis parameters, define the following parameters under the Defaults tab of the Solve Setup dialog box: 1. 2. 3. Click Save Defaults if you want to save the defaults based on the data for the current setup. Click Revert to Standard Defaults to clear the existing values. Click OK.
Setting Analysis Parameters for Transient Solutions

When you set up an analysis, define the parameters on the following tabs of the Solve Setup dialog box (which appears when you click Maxwell>Analysis Setup>Add Solution Setup):
General (Name, Transient Setup) Save Fields (Sweep, Time Steps) Advanced (Control Program, Magnetization) Solver Output Variables Defaults
Defining Settings on the General Tab for Transient Solutions

The following settings can be defined on the General tab of the Solve Setup dialog box for transient solutions:
Setup Name Transient Setup
Setup Name
By default, Setup1 appears as the name of the first analysis you set up. To change the name of the setup, type the new name in the Name text box on the General tab of the Solve Setup dialog box.
Transient Setup
To set up a transient analysis, define the following parameters on the General tab of the Solve Setup dialog box: 1. Determine whether you want the software to adaptively alter the time step during the simulation to optimize the solution for speed and accuracy. If so, check the Adaptive Time Step checkbox. Enter the Stop Time, which is the value at which the solution will stop, and select the units. For non-adaptive solutions enter the Time Step for the analysis, which defines the time increments, and select the units. The time step can also be defined as the function of time, speed, and position. If Adaptive Time Step is selected, enter the Initial Time Step. This will be the time step used to start the simulation and begin the adaptive process. Also enter the Maximum Time Step and Minimum Time Step to set the allowable range the adaptive process use to alter the time step. Enter a value for the Error Tolerance. Generally this value should be smaller than the minimum time step specified by at least an order of magnitude.
2. 3.
4. 5. 6.
Defining Settings on the Save Fields Tab for Transient Solutions

To add one or more time sweeps, do the following on the Save Fields tab of the Solve Setup dialog box: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Select a sweep type (Linear Step or Linear Count or Log Scale) from the Type pull-down list in the Sweep Setup section. Enter a start and stop time in the Start and Stop fields and select the units. For a linear step sweep, enter the Step Size and select the units. For a linear count sweep, enter the Count. For a log scale sweep, enter the number of Samples. To add the single time step only, click the Add Single Point button. The new time step appears in the Time list. To append a range of time steps to an existing list of time steps, click the Add to List button. The new added time steps appear in the Time list. Duplicated time points are automatically eliminated. To replace an existing Time list with a new Time list, click Replace List. To delete selected time points, click Delete Selection.
8. 9.
10. To clear the entire Time list, click Clear All. 11. Click Undo Last Change to undo the last operation (can only be done once).
Defining Settings on the Advanced Tab for Transient Solutions

The following settings can be defined on the Advanced tab of the Solve Setup dialog box:
Control Program Get Data From Link - Magnetization Option Import mesh Compute Data For Link
Related Topics Nonlinear Materials
Using a Control Program in Transient Solutions

User control programs are externally created executables that are called after each time step and allow you to control the source input, circuit elements, mechanical quantities, time step, and stopping criteria, based on the updated solutions. The output variable values are output to a file with a fixed name of outputvar.ctl. The file contents use the following format: <output variable name> <output variable name> ... <output variable value> <output variable value>
The solver maintains a copy of the previous solution in a file called previous.ctl because you may need first derivative information for its control purpose. The user control program uses the file with fixed name user.ctl to output control parameters to control the execution of the transient solver. Each file must use a predefined syntax which is flexible enough to cover a wide range of items. The process can be summarized as: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. The transient solver reads control parameters from user.ctl. The transient solver solves the current time step. The transient solver copies the previous solution to previous.ctl and writes out solution information to solution.ctl. The transient solver calls the user control program; The user-control program writes control information to file user.ctl. Return to the transient solver if the control program succeeds with exit status 0 or fails with exit status non-zero. Return to step 1 for the next time step.
Activating a Control Program

Use the following steps to access and invoke a user-control program to use with the transient solver. To specify a control program to use to generate the solution: 1. Select the Use Control Program check box. The control program field becomes active, allowing you to enter the name of the user control program. Click the ... button to select the user control program you want to use during the solution generation process. The Open window appears. Select the control program, and click Open to return to the Advanced tab of the Solve Setup dialog box. Enter the arguments to pass to the control program in the Arguments text box. The solver calls the program in the following format: program_name specified_arguments 5. Click Configure. This option can be used to initialize data before the solver is called. The control program is called, with the -configure flag prepended to any arguments specified in the Arguments box. Select or clear the Call after last time step for post processing check box. This option instructs the software to invoke the specified user control program after the solution has completed the final time step. This option prepends the -post flag to the list of arguments. The solver calls the program in the following format: program_name -post specified_arguments The control program is called if the solve finishes normally without any errors or if you choose Stop during the solution process. It is not called if you choose Abort during solution generaSpecifying Solution Settings 14-19
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3. 4.
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tion. 7. Click OK to accept the configuration or Cancel to ignore the settings. You return to the Solve Setup window.
Control Program File Format

The user control programs have their own file formats, which should be followed when creating control program files.
Solution and Previous Control File Formats

The solution.ctl and previous.ctl files are created by the transient solver and uses the following format: begin_data time <current_time> forceT <tangential force> forceN <normal force> torque <torque> speed <speed> position <position> windingI <winding_name> <current_value> windingV <winding_name> <voltage_value> windingEMF <winding_name> <back_emf_value> windingFlx <winding_name> <flux_linkage_value> ... ... barI <current_value> barV <voltage_value> solidI <object_name> <current_value_for_an_active_solid_conductor> ... ... condPwrLoss <total_power_loss_in_solid_conductor> end_data
User Control File Format

The user.ctl file is created by the user control program and uses the following format: begin_data windingSrc <winding_name> <source_value> windingC <winding_name> <capacitance_value> windingR <winding_name> <resistance_value> windingL <winding_name> <inductance_value> ... ... objectP <object_name> <polarity_value> objectSrc <object_name> <source_value_for_solid_conductor>
... ... loadTorque <value> loadForce <value> speed <value> damping <value> stop <0 or 1> timeStep <value> loadInertia <value> CallPost2d <macro_file_name> end_data
Get Data From Link

If the current design is to be used as a "target" design, you must provide information for the datalink to the "source" design. 1. In the Magnetization Option section, select one of the following two radio buttons:
Nonlinear B-H curve. Using B-H curves is the default. Select this option when setting up a normal transient nonlinear application with or without motion. Use dynamic magnetization data. Select this option in the target design if there is a corresponding "source" design with the Compute dynamic magnetization distribution check box selected. The mesh between the two linked designs is the same. However, the source and target designs can have different time step settings. If the source design is not solved, the data link functionality used here tries to automatically solve the source design and then use the "worst case" dynamic magnetization data of the entire transient solution in the target design. Thus, once the two projects have been set up properly, it is not absolutely necessary to solve the source design first. In this case, starting the target design solution process initiates the transient solution process of the source design and then solves the transient solution of the target design automatically. If you select Use dynamic magnetization data, the Import mesh check box is automatically selected, and the Setup Link button becomes active. After completing the Setup Link dialog, you may unselect the Import Mesh if desired without affecting the link status.
Note
2.
If you selected Nonlinear B-H Curve and Compute dynamic magnetization distribution, the solver finds the worst dynamic demagnetization operation point element by element during the entire transient solution, then uses the data for the target design. Make any other desired changes. When you are finished specifying solution settings, click OK to close the Solve Setup dialog
3. 4.
box and finalize the solution setup. Note The data link automatically attempts to solve the linked (source) design if necessary (if no solution exists), then automatically copies the mesh and necessary data (new values for the magnetization vector) in the target design, and finally perform the requested calculation in the target design. This data link allows you to calculate the magnetic field to be performed in a design with, for example, modified sources while keeping the magnetization in a "frozen" state calculated in a different design (the same geometry and mesh but with different sources). The data link used to link source and target designs uses data caching technology. Therefore, after the design changes, to make sure the new data (from the source design) is used in the target design, right-click the Analysis field of the target design in the project tree, and select Clear Linked Data. This flushes existing data.
Note
Related Topics Import Mesh for Transient Solutions Setup Link for Transient Solutions
Import Mesh for Transient Solutions

The Import mesh check box can be selected in the "target" design if the mesh for the same geometry is to be used in the analysis. This setup is designed to be generally applicable to all transient solutions. This feature is not necessarily related to the dynamic magnetization distribution capability. If the Import mesh feature is selected, the Setup Link button becomes active, the Setup Link dialog box automatically appears, and the mesh will be imported from the source design to the target design. Note The usual way to create geometrically equivalent designs is by copying all geometry objects from one design and then using Import From Clipboard in the other design.
Setup Link for Transient Solutions

If you selected Use dynamic magnetization data or Import mesh, do the following to specify the project, design, and solution containing the mesh information you want to use: 1. Click Setup Link (located at the bottom of the Solve Setup dialog box).
2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.
Related Topics Computing Data to Link with ePhysics
Computing Data to Link With ePhysics

To prepare an EM transient solution to be linked with ePhysics, select or clear the following check boxes in the Compute Data For Link section:
Dynamic magnetization distribution Power loss (at each save field time step): For a thermal link. Force density distribution (at each save field time step): For a stress link.
Compute Data For Link

If the current design is to be used as a "source" design for calculating the operating point of a recoil line, the Compute dynamic magnetization distribution option should be enabled. In the "source" design the recoil curve data will be computed for all nonlinear permanent magnet objects. This information is stored element by element in searching for a "worst case" demagnetization during the entire transient analysis and can be used in the "target" design in a subsequent transient solution. Related Topics Recoil Lines
Defining Settings on the Solver Tab for Transient Solutions

To define solver settings on the Solver tab of the Solve Setup dialog box for transient solutions: 1. 2. Enter a residual value in the Nonlinear Residual text box. Select or clear the Output error check box. When this check box is selected, the transient solver generates the output error data, which is then sent back to the desktop. The data can be viewed or used in the post processor, just as other transient solution data (such as power loss or winding). Computing output error uses significant computation time.
Note 3.
Select the algorithm for the Time Integration Method using the pull-down list. Backward Euler - Default Runge-Kutta - third order algorithm for greater accuracy
Defining Settings on the Output Variables Tab for Transient Solutions

Any output quantity or expression within either the Transient Report or Field Report type can be defined as an output variable in the Output Variables dialog box, accessed via Results in the project tree. To add an output variable to output with time:
Click Add to select the output variables to be added to the list for output with time. The newly defined variable is added to the list. Note The Add button will not be enabled if there are no variables defined in the project.
To delete an output variable:

Select the variable from the list, and click Delete.
Do one of the following in the Evaluation Time Step section on the Output Variables tab of the Solve Setup dialog box: Select Using Constant, type a value, and select the units. Select this option if you want to use a constant value for when you calculate output variable values. Select Evaluate every Nth time step, and type a value. Select this option if you want to evaluate the output variable after a certain number of solution time steps (i.e., instead of calculating the output variable every fixed time interval, you want to calculate it every certain number of time steps). For example, if you want to evaluate the output variable every third time step, type 3 in this text box.
Defining Settings on the Defaults Tab for Transient Solutions

Default analysis parameters are used to initialize the data for new setups. To set up the default analysis parameters, define the following parameters under the Defaults tab of the Solve Setup dialog box: 1. 2. 3. Click Save Defaults if you want to save the defaults based on the data for the current setup. Click Revert to Standard Defaults to clear the existing values. Click OK.
Resetting Analysis to Time Zero

Resetting the analysis to time zero invalidates the current solution and causes you to start over from the beginning the next time you analyze the simulation. To reset the analysis, do one of the following:
Click Maxwell>Analysis Setup>Reset to Time Zero from the Maxwell menus. In the project tree, right-click Setup under Analysis, and select Reset to Time Zero from the shortcut menu.
Changing Memory Settings

The Maxwell solver has to make trade-offs between the solution time and the amount of memory used in the solution process. The software automatically determines the amount of RAM installed on the computer, assuming that it can use up to 75% of this during the solution process. You can override this choice by changing the following two memory settings:
Desired RAM Limit Maximum RAM Limit
Generally, set the RAM value as high as possible to obtain the fastest solutions. These settings are not an absolute limit on the amount of RAM to be used. When solving small problems, Maxwell tries to respect this limit by choosing to run more slowly with a smaller amount of RAM. When solving a large problem, Maxwell may be unable to use less RAM than the specified limit. In this case, the amount of memory used exceeds the specified limit but tries to minimize how far it goes beyond.
Specifying the Desired RAM Limit

The Desired RAM Limit setting requests a restriction on the amount of physical random access memory (RAM) the MPS solver used in Maxwell may use before it must stop solving on-core solving processes entirely in RAMand start solving off-core. In off-core mode, Maxwell creates temporary solution files to which it spills, or shifts, data from RAM, instead of forcing the operating system to start disk swapping. Unlike off-core mode, disk swapping halts some processes and temporarily writes them to disk files to free up physical memory to run other processes. The MPS solver is much more efficient at handling its own memory, although if the process grows large enough, the operating system may be forced into disk swapping. The MPS solver used in Maxwell automatically detects the amount of installed physical RAM. If the Desired RAM Limit setting is active, and its value is less than the amount of installed physical RAM, the solver automatically switches to off-core mode once the Desired RAM Limit value is reached. The solver ignores the setting if the amount of physical RAM specified is greater than the amount of installed physical RAM, or if the amount of physical RAM required by the solver is greater than the amount specified by the Desired RAM Limit setting. Note Regardless of the Desired RAM Limit setting, if no more physical RAM is free, the Maxwell solver automatically switches to off-core mode.
To specify the Desired RAM Limit of the machine on which Maxwell is installed: 1. 2. 3. 4. Click Tools>Options>Maxwell Options. The Maxwell Options dialog box appears. Click the Solver tab. Select the Desired RAM Limit (MB) check box. Type a value for the amount of available memory, in megabytes, in the text box. This setting
affects all Maxwell projects for the current user and machine. 5. Click OK. Allocating greater than 2 GB of RAM on 32-bit hardware platforms is only possible with the appropriate operating system and boot settings, even if more than 2 GB are physically installed. To use more than 2 GB, you need to increase the RAM for your PC.
Note
Specifying the Hard Memory Limit

The Maximum RAM Limit setting specifies the absolute limit on the amount of physical memory that the solver can use. If the solver attempts to allocate more memory than this setting, the solution process terminates abnormally, and incorrect error messages may appear. To specify the Maximum RAM Limit for the current user and machine: 1. 2. 3. 4. Click Tools>Options>Maxwell Options. The Maxwell Options dialog box appears. Click the Solver tab. Select the Maximum RAM Limit (MB) check box. Type a value for the maximum amount of memory, in megabytes, in the text box. The solver only uses the amount of memory specified and no more. This setting affects all Maxwell projects for the current user and machine Click OK. Ansoft recommends that you use the Desired RAM Limit setting if you want to limit the RAM the solver may allocate. Allocating greater than 2 GB of RAM on 32-bit hardware platforms is only possible with the appropriate operating system and boot settings, even if more than 2 GB are physically installed. To use more than 2 GB, you need to increase the RAM for your PC.
5.
Note
Note
Setting View Context for Transient Solutions

To set the view context: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Click View>Set Solution Context. The Set View Context dialog box appears. Select a solution from the Solution Name pull-down list. Select a time instance from the Time pull-down list. In the View area of the dialog, you can choose the location to display the Solution Context within the modeler window. The position and speed values may be displayed in the Solution Context by selecting the Display Speed and Position values checkbox. Click OK. You can also change the view context by double-clicking the solution context text label in the bottom left of the model window. Example of text label showing solution view context: Time='0s'
Note
Speed and Position Display Settings

To set the display setting for speed and position in the view context: 1. 2. 3. Click View>Set Solution Context. The Set View Context dialog box appears. Select the Motion View Format tab. In the Format Speed Unit section: a. b. c. 4. a. b. c. 5. Specify the Unit Type from the pull-down list. Specify the Field Width for the display and the number of digits of Precision to display. If you prefer Scientific Notation, select the checkbox. Specify the Unit Type from the pull-down list. Specify the Field Width for the display and the number of digits of Precision to display. If you prefer Scientific Notation, select the checkbox.
In the Format Position Unit section:
Click OK. You can also change the view context by double-clicking the solution context text label in the bottom left of the model window. Example of text label showing solution view context: Time='0s'
Note
Renaming a Solution Setup

Do the following to rename a solution setup: 1. 2. 3. In the project tree, under Analysis, right-click the setup you want to rename. A shortcut menu appears. Select Rename from the shortcut menu. The setup name text is highlighted in the project tree. Type the new name for the setup, and press Enter.
You can also rename the solution setup by changing the text in the Name text box of the Solve Setup dialog box. Related Topics: Copying a Solution Setup
Copying a Solution Setup

Solution setups may be copied and pasted within a design or across designs of the same type. This is beneficial for setups having a large number of parameters to specify such as an RMxprt design, or where minor changes to a setup are being evaluated. Note Setups cannot be pasted across solution types, across geometry modes such as from 3D to 2D, or across machine types in RMxprt.
Do the following to copy a solution setup: 1. 2. 3. 4. In the project tree, under Analysis, right-click the setup you want to copy. A shortcut menu appears. Select Copy from the shortcut menu. The setup parameters are copied to the clipboard. In the project tree, right-click on the Analysis folder to receive the copied setup. A shortcut menu appears. Select Paste from the shortcut menu. The setup parameters are copied to the Analysis folder as a new setup. Related Topics: Renaming a Solution Setup
Clearing Linked Data

If you have previously setup links, the Maxwell>Analysis Setup menu contains an option to Clear Linked Data. This removes the linked data for all links in a target design, therefore invalidating the solutions. Clearing linked data for some link types requires Maxwell to revert to the initial mesh. Thus, in some cases, this command removes the current mesh of the target design.
Setting the Report Updating During Analysis Options

Updating numerous reports may take a significant amount of time. Updating reports during the analysis process can impact the overall time to solution. You may want to vary the times when your reports get updated relative to the impact on overall solve time. Four options exist for updating reports during solutions:
Automatically - the default. It means update most things immediately. For "AdaptivePass" plot context, plots are updated at the end of each solution pass. For "LastAdaptive" or "Transient" the plot is updated at the end of the transient or adaptive solution. This option balances report and field plot updating with solution time. For example, reports may be updated after each adaptive pass but field plots will not be updated until the solution is complete. Immediately - update reports and plots as soon as data comes from the solver. This option will have the greatest impact on the overall solution time but will have the most rapid updating of reports and field plots. Caution should be used in selecting this option. Some types of reports and field plots may take a long time to update, especially as the mesh size increases. Never - only manual intervention updates reports. This option will prevent updates from impacting the solution time. On Completion - as with Never, but a single update is done when the solve completes. This option should be considered when using dynamic links to other products to provide best solution time with the final data available for the link.
To change the setting for the current project, see General Options: Miscellaneous Options Tab.
15
Maxwell Coupling with ePhysics, HFSS, and Simplorer
When coupling ePhysics with Maxwell 3D, typical applications include analyzing electric machines, power-generation systems, transformers, micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS), and solenoids. Because the thermal and/or stress solutions are derived from the distributed power loss and force density, they are likely to be more accurate than analyses based on average losses/force. There are two possible coupling mechanisms between HFSS and Maxwell:
the near field coupling magnetic bias source coupling.
While they serve different application objectives, they're similar in a significant respect: they both do not require the geometry in the coupled designs to be identical. Coupling between Maxwell V12 and Simplorer 8 can take the following forms (initiated through Simplorer user interface):
Export a parametric matrix from Maxwell to an ECE model file for placement in Simplorer. Dynamically link a Maxwell capacitance or inductance project to a component in Simplorer. Dynamically link a Maxwell Transient design to Simplorer to perform Transient-Transient cosimulation. Dynamically link to RMxprt through Dynamic SML.
Related Topics: Creating Coupled Designs Between Maxwell and ePhysics Using Multiple Links in Designs Using Variables in Coupled Designs
Maxwell Coupling with ePhysics, HFSS, and
Maxwell Online Help
External Load Check Box Near Field Coupling Between Maxwell and HFSS Magnetic bias source coupling between Maxwell and HFSS Coupling Maxwell to a Simplorer Component
15-2 Maxwell Coupling with ePhysics, HFSS, and
Maxwell Online Help
Creating Coupled Designs Between Maxwell and ePhysics

Creating datalink coupling with Maxwell is easy. In general, this is a two step process when the link involves one Maxwell solver and one ePhysics solver. Linking from ePhysics to an Existing Maxwell Project Normally, you create a link in ePhysics after the Maxwell project has been created and solved. In this situation, do the following: 1. Create the ePhysics design: a. Select all objects in the Maxwell design to be coupled to ePhysics. For example you could make all objects visible and select Ctrl-A followed by Ctrl-C to copy the respective objects to the clipboard. b. Start ePhysics, select the desired type of solution for the design, and select Modeler>Import From Clipboard from the menus. Do not use the Paste command for datalink purposes. 2. Finalize the ePhysics design by adding appropriate boundary conditions, sources other than those of an electromagnetic nature that are to come from Maxwell, and add a setup. Then, do the following: a. b. c. Notes: Under the Solver tab, select the External Load check box The Setup Link dialog box appears. Under the General tab, browse to the location of the Maxwell project, and select the project design and solution to be datalinked to ePhysics. Click OK to validate and close the open dialog boxes.
Make sure to save the Maxwell project before attempting to couple it with other designs. Check the geometry units and make sure the settings are the same in coupled designs. In the process of copying the objects in the source design to the clipboard, the selection mode must be set to Object. Using the Import From Clipboard command brings into the ePhysics design (also called here the "target design") not only the geometry but also the assignment of material properties. If the material used in the Maxwell design (also called here the "source design") was created in Maxwell, remember to edit the thermal properties before you attempt the coupled analysis. In this case the material created in the Maxwell design may contain only electromagnetic properties; thermal properties are needed as well. When selecting the objects in the Maxwell design, make sure that 2D (sheet) objects are selected as well. While 2D objects do not have material properties, they are used in the meshing process and for correct geometry mapping of the coupled designs. They are needed in both coupled models. An arbitrary number of non-model objects may exist in both source and target designs coupled
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with datalink; these are not considered during the check of the consistency of geometries in coupled designs. Except for the non-model objects, all other 2D and 3D geometry objects must coincide in the coupled designs.
The datalink feature uses data caching technology; be sure to flush the coupling data whenever needed by using the Clear Linked Data command (right-click the respective Analysis>Setup in the project tree for the target design). If UDPs were used to create the geometry model in Maxwell, make sure that the same UDPs are present in the syslib folder in the ePhysics installation, and make sure they are using the same path (relative to syslib) as in the Maxwell installation.
Linking from ePhysics to an Automatically Created Maxwell Design

Usually the source design is set up first and then the target design is created as explained above. However, you can create the datalink between Maxwell and ePhysics from the target towards the source. Thus, if the ePhysics design is created first, when you attempt to create a link, if the source project does not exist, a new one is automatically created. To do this: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Create and finalize the ePhysics design. Right-click the setup in the project tree, and select Properties. Under the Solver tab, select the External Load check box. Click the Setup Link button. The Setup Link dialog box appears. Under the General tab, type the full path where the Maxwell project is to be created; include a Design name and leave the Solution to Default for now. Remember to specify the extension for the project so that ePhysics knows to create a Maxwell or HFSS project depending on the extension of the respective file. Proceeding as above, the "source design" is created automatically and includes the material property assignment. 6. 7. Verify the material properties in the source design, and make sure that all electromagnetic properties are set as needed. Edit properties if necessary. Click OK to validate and start the process of creating the link.
Once the source design is finalized, you need to re-visit the datalink in the ePhysics design and specify the desired data in the Solution field of the Setup Link dialog box (for example, it could be Setup1: LastAdaptive).
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Multiple Links in Designs

As a rule, there is one datalink per solution setup. However, there may be situations where multiple links are allowed to be used in the same solution setup. For example, in a thermal transient design, apart from selecting the power loss distribution calculated in the "source design", there are two additional links that can be created and used in the solution process: a mesh link to indicate the source of mesh to be used (from a design with identical geometry), and a link to a thermal static design that allows the usage of an existing static solution as the (distributed) initial condition (temperature distribution in the model at Time = 0).
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Using Variables in Coupled Designs

Design or project variables can be used in coupled projects. If a variable has been defined in the source design, it can be controlled in the target design. For example, it can be used to set up a parametric sweep. To control in the target design a variable defined in the source design, do the following: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Right-click the setup used for the datalink coupling, and select Properties. Under the Solver tab, select the External Load check box. Click the Setup Link button. The Setup Link dialog box appears. Select the Parameters tab. This tab provides access to variables defined in the linked design/project Edit the data field in the Value column, and enter the desired name for the parameter. For example, you could use the same name as the one already used in the source design and listed in the Parameter column. After this variable mapping, the respective parameter can be used and controlled in the target design. Note
You can use any name in the data field in the Value column above; however, to avoid later confusion, you may want to continue to use the original name of the respective variable from the source design. In daisy chain linked designs, variables can be communicated between any two adjacent designs and used wherever needed along the chained linked designs.
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External Load Check Box

When the source data comes into the ePhysics design from external sources totally or in part, the External Load check box must be selected in the respective Solve Setup dialog box. When you select this check box for the first time, the Setup Link dialog box appears automatically and allows you to specify the location of the linked project, design, and solution, all available under the General tab. Clicking the Parameters tab allows you to specify additional parameter values and parameter mapping between coupled designs. Note See Using Variables in Coupled Designs for details.
The above is applicable for couplings with ePhysics thermal static or stress static designs. If the coupling is created from a thermal transient solution, there are additional data fields available when you click the Solver tab. The exact configuration of that dialog box depends on the type of solution you link to. For example, if the link is to an HFSS design, a timetable of the variation of HFSS power as a function of time can be edited. You need to specify the time interval (Start and Stop) in which the power from HFSS varies and how many steps/counts are needed (at least one entry to this table is needed). Once those times are added to the list, the appropriate scaling can be edited directly in the time table. (By default, the initial scaling coefficient is set to 1 for all times in the table). Note This scaling is applied on top of the scaling used in HFSS when editing the sources.
The type of variation that results from using this timetable is step wise, and the times in the table correspond to the moment of change of the scaling coefficient to the prescribed value for the next interval; no linear interpolation occurs. Also in the same dialog box, you may select the Turn off excitations check box. The time entered there must be larger than the Stop time in the timetable. After the time specified in that field, all HFSS excitations are turned off and, if the thermal transient analysis has been set up for a longer period of time, the temperatures computed by ePhysics should evolve to lower values. When linking from transient thermal to Maxwell steady-state solvers, one possibility is exactly the same as coupling to HFSS. In this case, the Use Scaling check box must be checked. The other option -- when Use Scaling is unchecked -- provides more flexibility. In the no scaling case, each design variable that sets an excitation in the Maxwell solver that the transient thermal links to can be controlled in the Excitation Sequence list. (See the full list of Maxwell design variables on the Parameters tab in the Setup Link dialog box.) In the case of transient thermal to transient EM coupling, the Excitation Sequence list in the Setup Link/Solver tab is replaced by a Time Step Setup list. In this list, you have to define a series of time instants at which the transient EM solver provides the time-integral of EM losses between the previous and the current instants. That means that the transient thermal solver considers the time-average of the loss distribution in each time interval of two consecutive time instances. Thus, from the thermal transient solver point of view, the imported EM loss sequence is very similar to the Use Scaling case in the previous paragraph. The transient thermal solver considers the
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average losses in the last interval to be valid until and beyond the Stop time unless the Turn off excitations check box is checked and the Turn off excitation time is smaller than the Stop time. If this check box is checked, the thermal solver switches off all the EM losses at this instant. Note When completing the Setup Link dialog, the Import Mesh checkbox may be checked automatically. Importing the mesh for linked projects is recommended whenever possible and is set up automatically from the information provided for the External Load. The auto mesh link is disabled under the following conditions:
User has manually disabled Import Mesh Project is imported from previous version of ePhysics "Do Initial Field Condition" function is selected for Transient Thermal solutions Subsequent changes to External Load setup, Import Mesh setup points to original project information and must be manually reconfigured if desired.
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Mesh Import for Coupled Designs

When the source data comes into the ePhysics design from external sources totally or in part, the Import Mesh check box may be selected in the respective Solve Setup dialog box. When you Note A mesh can only be imported from a geometrically equivalent design. The usual way to create geometrically equivalent designs is by copying all geometry objects from one design and then using Import From Clipboard in the other design. select this check box for the first time, the Setup Link dialog box appears automatically and allows you to specify the location of the linked project, design, and solution, all available under the General tab. Clicking the Parameters tab allows you to specify additional parameter values and parameter mapping between coupled designs. Note Importing the mesh from the external source is the default and is recommended, however, it is not required. ePhysics will start from an initial mesh or a mesh created with Mesh Operations if the Import Mesh checkbox remains unchecked.
When importing a mesh, it is very important to map parameters from the source design. All geometric variable should be mapped to make sure that the mesh that is requested from the source design is appropriate for the ePhysics simulation being performed. The Setup Link:Parameters Tab has additional information regarding variable mapping. Related Topics: Using Variables in Coupled Designs
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Setup Links in Coupled Designs

If you selected External Load, or Import mesh, do the following to specify the project, design, and solution containing the mesh information you want to use:

1.
Set up the information referring to the source project on the General tab. Specify the value of, or map parameters from the source design in the Parameters tab. For Transient Thermal simulations, specify the Excitation Sequence in the Solver tab. Click Setup Link (located at the bottom of the Stress Solve Setup dialog box). The Setup Link dialog box appears.
Setup Link:General Tab
2. 3.
Click the General tab. Select the Product type from the Pull-down list.
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4.
You have the option to save the path to the source project by the full absolute path of the selected project or by saving the path relative to the current ePhysics project. The later is useful when sending projects to other users where the absolute path may change. Select the source project by clicking the ellipsis[...] button and browsing to the project. If the selected project has multiple designs, select the desired design from the Source Design pull-down list. Select the specific solution you want to link to from the Source Solution pull-down list. If checked, the Force Source Design... checkbox may be used to force the Source project to be solved to get whatever source data is required. The Preserve source design solution checkbox forces the Source project data to be saved after a solution and before exiting.
5. 6. 7. 8. 9.
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Setup Link:Parameters Tab

Variables defined in the source project appear on the Parameters tab of the Setup Link dialog.
Design and Project variables appear in the table and may be changed or mapped to a new ePhysics variable. To modify the Parameters, do one of the following: 1. To change the value of a parameter, select the Value field of the parameter of interest and enter a numeric value. You may also change the units by selecting a new value from the pull-down list. Optionally, to map the parameter to a variable, enter a variable name in the Value field. The Add Variable dialog will appear and allow you to specify the default value of the variable. Enter the numeric value for the variable and click OK to return to the Parameters tab.
2.
The variable may now be changed in ePhysics as part od a parametric sweep, or optimization analysis, etc. The modified variable values will be mapped back to the Source Project and the project
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will be re-solved to obtain data at the new variable value. The source data will be imported into ePhysics for use in the thermal or stress analysis. Related Topics: Using Variables in Coupled Designs
Setup Link:Solver Tab (Thermal Transient Only)

For Transient Thermal problems, the Solver tab is available in the Setup Link dialog. The table holds the sequence to be used in turning excitations on and off during the transient simulation. The headings in the table vary based upon the excitations read from the Source Project specified in the General tab. In the Excitation Sequence section, the time sequence of the excitation is specified as follows:
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1. 2. 3. 4.
Select the initial sequence Type with the pull-down list, either Linear Count or Linear Step. Enter the Start and Stop times for the sequence with the units. Enter the Count, as shown above, or the Step Size. Click Add to List or Replace List to transfer the sequence to the table.
The entries in the table list the sequence that the excitation will take during the simulation. In the figure shown above, the excitation will be turned on with a scaling of one at the start of the simulation and will change to a scaling of zero at 100s, essentially turning the excitation off. In order to modify the table you may: 1. 2. Select an field in the table and manually input a time, scaling value, or other parameter by entering a numeric value with a unit as appropriate. You may add a single time point in the table by clicking Add Single Point. Entries can be added randomly, the list will be sorted in order of time when the OK button is selected and all settings are stored.
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3. 4. 5.
One or several entries may be deleted using the Delete Selection button. The entire table may be cleared using the Clear All button. Click the Undo Last Time Step Edit to revert to the previous state after an edit has been made.
The Turn off Excitations checkbox can be used to turns off all excitation simultaneously at s specified time. Click OK to accept the time sequence and return.
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Near Field Coupling Between Maxwell and HFSS

The purpose of this coupling is to allow Maxwell3D frequency domain solution magnetic fields to be used as a near field source in the coupled HFSS design at exactly matched frequency. Note There is no Far Field Wave coupling datalink between HFSS and Maxwell.
The suggested sequence of steps to create the link between Maxwell and HFSS is as follows. 1. 2. 3. 4. Create and solve the Maxwell3D frequency domain application at the chosen frequency. Create the HFSS model. Add "mapping" object to HFSS model. Select all faces of the mapping object and apply a radiation boundary:

5.
check the Advanced Options check box. select the Enforced field radio button.
Click HFSS>Excitations>Assign>Incident Wave>Near Field Wave. The Incident Wave wizard appears. In the wizard::
Enter a name for the source or accept the default name and click Next; In the Incident Wave Source : Near Field Wave Options dialog: a. Leave the translation and rotation data fields at their default zeros if the objects in the coupled designs have the desired location / orientation or change the values as needed;.
Note
You can change the location of the source design origin and orientation (rotation) to perform different HFSS simulations without re-solving the Maxwell design. b. Click the Setup Link button to specify the location of the source, Maxwell design.
Select OK to exit the Setup Link dialog.
Select Finish to finalize the Near Field link setup.
Related Topics: Setup Links in Coupled Designs
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Magnetic bias source coupling between Maxwell and HFSS

HFSS designs featuring ferrite materials can take advantage of non-uniform, static magnetic biasing fields to provide accurate design and simulation results. To achieve this goal it is possible to set up a coupling datalink between HFSS (target design) and a Maxwell3D magnetostatic design (source). The suggested sequence of steps to create the link between the HFSS and Maxwell3D designs is as follows: 1. 2. Create and solve the Maxwell3D design which contains the ferrite object and the corresponding non-uniform biasing fields. Create the HFSS design which can have entirely different geometry but which contains the ferrite object(s) present in the linked Maxwell3D design; Make sure that in the coupled designs (HFSS and Maxwell) the ferrite objects have the same position and orientation in the global coordinate system.
Note 3. 4.
In HFSS design, assign appropriate ferrite material property to object. In HFSS design set the magnetic bias source (only one allowed per HFSS design):
Select the object(s) to be assign the non-uniform magnetic bias. Click HFSS>Excitation>Assign>Magnetic Bias in the menu. The Magnetic Bias Source dialog appears: a. b. c. Enter a Name for the source. Select the Non-Uniform radio button. Click the Setup Link button to specify the applicable Maxwell3D project, design and solution for the link. Select OK when done. d. Select Finish to finalize the Magnetic Bias link setup.
Hint
It is possible to have the datalink create the Maxwell project automatically if it doesnt exist. When selecting the Setup Link button above, entering non-existent Maxwell project and design names will result in the creation of the needed Maxwell entities with the entire HFSS geometry included. All unneeded HFSS objects can be removed and the rest of the Maxwell model can be built around the ferrite object(s).
Related Topics: Setup Links in Coupled Designs
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Coupling Maxwell to a Simplorer Component

Maxwell designs may be dynamically coupled to Simplorer components through the Simplorer user interface. The Simplorer interface allows 2D, 3D, and RMxprt designs to be linked as dynamic components. Source windings set to External are available as conservative pins in Simplorer. Dynamically linked components provide the ability to have Simplorer vary a variable in a Maxwell design and have Maxwell solve the design at the new design point and provide the solution data back to Simplorer for use in the circuit simulation. For more information, refer to the Online Help for Simplorer V8 and later. Related Topics: Advanced Product Coupling Tab (for Transient-Transient coupling only.)
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16
Exporting Equivalent Circuit Data
You can export lumped R, L, C data from a Maxwell solution to Ansoft SIMPLORER or Saber format. Importing the new data file to SIMPLORER or Saber enables you to include wave effects in the circuit simulations. An equivalent circuit can be exported from a parametric solution or from an imported table. Note You can only export an equivalent circuit from a parametric solution when the following two criteria are met:
The solution type is Magnetostatic or Electric. A parametric setup exists.
Exporting Equivalent Circuit Data 16-1
Exporting a Circuit From a Parametric Solution

To create a circuit from parametric solutions, you first need to set up and solve a problem that contains a parametric sweep. Any force, torque, and matrix solutions are automatically available to use in the equivalent circuit. Other solutions can be treated as extra inputs/outputs if they have been added as calculations in the parametric setup that is, extra inputs/outputs come from the parametric table. Note In Maxwell, global variable names begin with the $ character. However, when you are creating an ECE .sml model, this character causes the circuit to fail when importing it to SIMPLORER. To resolve this, when the circuit is exported, the $ character is replaced by the _ character. For example, the project variable $MyVar is converted to _MyVar.
To export a circuit from a parametric solution: 1. Click Maxwell3D>Export Equivalent Circuit>From Parametric Solutions or Maxwell2D>Export Equivalent Circuit>From Parametric Solutions. The General window appears, allowing you to specify basic information about the circuit model. This command is enabled only when the following two criteria are met:
Note

2.
The solution type is Magnetostatic or Electric. A parametric setup exists.
Select one of the following from the Model Type pull-down list depending upon the Design Type(2D or 3D):

3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.
Linear Motion Transformer Matrix Lookup Table
Select a Parametric Setup from the pull-down list. Select a Solution Setup from the pull-down list. Select a Matrix Setup from the pull-down list. Select a Force Setup or a Torque Setup from the pull-down list, depending on which parameter you have set up for your design. For the force or torque setup, select X, Y, or Z as the Component. Select either Ampere-Turns or Amperes as the Current Source Variables option. Click Next. The Table window appears, allowing you to set up the inputs and outputs for the circuit equivalent. Most of the values have been automatically filled in, based on your design. You can keep the defaults or change the selections and values for the various parameters.
16-2 Exporting Equivalent Circuit Data
10. To export the data to a table that you can edit and use to export an equivalent circuit at a later time, do the following: a. b. c. Click Export Table. The Save As dialog box appears. Select a location, and type a name in the File name box. Click Save. The Table window reappears. The file that is created contains header rows with information such as name, i/o, and type, plus all of the actual data. You may export the table to view or use in external programs. You can also modify the exported table file and then reimport it to create an equivalent circuit. On import, the information in the header rows is used as default settings in the circuit export dialog box.
11. To apply deep spline interpolation to all inputs in the circuit PWL model, select the Use Bezier Interpolation check box. 12. For model types Linear Motion, Transformer and Matrix, click Next. Note The Table window is the last step for the Lookup Table model type. For all other model types, there is one more step: the Terminals window.
The Terminals window appears, allowing you to set up terminals, which are nodes with "through" and "across" data. Most of the values have been automatically filled in, based on your design. You can keep the defaults or change the selections and values for the various parameters. 1. 2. 3. Enter a Scaling Factor in the text box. The scaling factor is applied to all output quantities and can be used, for example, to scale data from partial models that take advantage of symmetry. Optionally, specify the Model Depth for 2D XY models for scaling. Specify the Terminals:
To specify a coil terminal: a. b. c. d. Select a Source for the Flux or Charge, depending on whether your design is mechanical or electrical. Enter a Resistance. Enter the number of Turns in the coil winding. Enter the number of Branches. Select the Force or Torque variable from the pull-down list. Select the Position or Rotation variable from the pull-down list.
To specify a mechanical terminal: a. b.
4.
Click Finish to export the equivalent circuit.
Types of Equivalent Circuit Models

Currently, you can generate the following model types:
Linear Motion - Models inductance (or capacitance) and force as functions of current (or
Exporting Equivalent Circuit Data16-3
voltage) and position. The parametric solution should cover the range of motion and conductor current (or voltage).
Transformer - Models nonlinear mutual inductance with a leakage inductance branch for each coil. The parametric solution should cover the range of current for one coil in an open-circuit test. Matrix - Models an inductance or capacitance matrix for one or more conductors, as a function of current or voltage. The parametric solution should cover the range of each conductors current or voltage. Lookup Table - This option creates a lookup table model in either Simplorer or Saber formats.
Exporting a Circuit From an Imported Table

To create a circuit from an imported table, you need to have a table file containing tabular data. The first row in the file must contain the column names. The table export feature writes other useful information into subsequent rows, but the import succeeds whether or not this information is present. The rows of tabular data come next. Note In Maxwell, global variable names begin with the $ character. However, when you are creating an ECE .sml model, this character causes the circuit to fail when importing it to SIMPLORER. To resolve this, when the circuit is exported, the $ character is replaced by the _ character. For example, the project variable $MyVar is converted to _MyVar.
To export a circuit from an imported table: 1. Click Maxwell3D>Export Equivalent Circuit>From Imported Table or Maxwell2D>Export Equivalent Circuit>From Imported Table. The Select File dialog box appears. Find and select the file containing the table you want to use. Click Open. The General window appears, allowing you to specify basic information about the circuit model. Select one of the following from the Model Type pull-down list:
2. 3.
4.

5. 6. 7.
Linear Motion Matrix Lookup Table
Enter a Scaling Factor in the text box. The scaling factor is applied to all output quantities and can be used, for example, to scale data from partial models that take advantage of symmetry. Select either Ampere-Turns or Amperes as the Current Source Variables option. Click Next. The Table window appears, allowing you to set up the inputs and outputs for the circuit equivalent. Most of the values have been automatically filled in, based on your design. You can keep the defaults or change the selections and values for the various parameters. To export the data to a table that you can edit and use to export an equivalent circuit at a later time, do the following: a. b. c. Click Export Table. The Save As dialog box appears. Select a location, and type a name in the File name box. Click Save. The Table window reappears. The file that is created contains header rows with information such as name, i/o, and type, plus all of the actual data. You may export the table to view or use in external programs. You can also modify the exported table file and then reExporting Equivalent Circuit Data16-5
8.
import it to create an equivalent circuit. On import, the information in the header rows is used as default settings in the circuit export dialog box. 9. To apply deep spline interpolation to all inputs in the circuit PWL model, select the Use Bezier Interpolation check box.
10. For model types Linear Motion, Rotational Motion, and Matrix, click Next. Note The Table window is the last step for the Lookup Table model type. For all other model types, there is one more step: the Terminals window.
The Terminals window appears, allowing you to set up terminals, which are nodes with "through" and "across" data. Most of the values have been automatically filled in, based on your design. You can keep the defaults or change the selections and values for the various parameters.
To specify a coil terminal: a. b. c. d. Select a Source for the Flux or Charge, depending on whether your design is mechanical or electrical. Enter a Resistance. Enter the number of Turns in the coil winding. Enter the number of Branches. Select the Force or Torque variable from the pull-down list. Select the Position or Rotation variable from the pull-down list.
To specify a mechanical terminal: a. b.
11. Click Finish to export the equivalent circuit.
Setting Up Current Variables

For problems with current, the Current Variables Represent setting allows you to specify one of the following two options:
Ampere-Turns Amperes
This setting provides flexibility in setting up current sources with different numbers of turns and branches. In Maxwell, current source values are specified in Ampere-turns, meaning that if a given source is driven with 2 Amps through 100 turns, then the source value must be set to 200. Inductance is calculated per-turn; therefore, to calculate EMF, the flux must be scaled by the number of turns to give the total flux. You can create two kinds of circuit models:
A model format where the data table is based on current in Amp-turns and flux per turn. This model internally converts currents and fluxes using the specified turn ratio. This model format was the only one available in versions of Maxwell before Maxwell 11. A model format where the data table is based on current in Amps and total flux. This model does no internal scaling of values, since the data is already in a form the outside circuit expects. This model format is available in Maxwell 11 and later versions.
For either model type, you can view the inductance setup to obtain information about the specified groups, turns, and branches.
Current Variables Represent Ampere-Turns

How to use this format:
Apply variables directly to sources. Source1 value = Current1. Sweep variable values in Ampere-turns. Current1 sweeps from 100 to 200. In an inductance setup, specify the number of turns consistent with the source setup. Make sure all sources in a group have the same number of turns. If all sources in a group have the same number of turns. If you want to be able to modify the number of turns in the exported circuit. If you are more comfortable thinking of variables in Ampere-turns.
When to use this format:
When using this format, the grouping is taken from the inductance setup. The number of turns and branches per group from the inductance setup are used as a default but can be modified either before exporting the circuit or in the exported circuit.
Current Variables Represent Amperes

How to use this format:
Define sources as the current variable times turns. Source1 value = 100*Current1.
Sweep variable values in Amperes. Current1 sweeps from 1 to 2. In an inductance setup, specify the number of turns consistent with the source setup. In cases where one current is applied through sources with different numbers of turns. If you do NOT need to modify the number of turns in the exported circuit. If you are more comfortable thinking of variables in Amperes.
When to use this format:
When using this format, the groups, turns, and branches are taken from the inductance setup and are used as is. You will not be able to modify them during circuit export or in the exported circuit.
Setting Inputs and Outputs in the Table Window

The table includes rows for all of the following that are appropriate to the model type:
Swept variables from the parametric setup. Components of flux or charge from the selected matrix. Force or torque. Calculations from the parametric setup.
Where possible, the columns are set with reasonable defaults based on the information from the design. In many cases, you should not have to change anything. Additional information about the columns:
Under I/O, the choices are Input, Output, or Unused. Unused means that the quantity will not be included in the circuit. Under Type, the choices are Position, Rotation, Current, Voltage, Flux, Charge, Force, Torque, and Other. These choices affect the terminal setup in the next window. Other is typically used for extra inputs/outputs. Under Extrapolate, the choices are all standard extrapolations plus None. For inputs, the
Extrapolate column is automatically set to None and is disabled. Linear This option takes the last two points of the data and generates a straight line extending beyond the range of the parametric sweep.
Periodic
repeat the data outside the range of the parametric sweep.
HalfPeriod
mirror then repeat the waveform outside the range of parameter sweep.
Constant
extrapolate a constant value from the last point in the interpolation.
Even
repeat the wave outside the range of parametric sweep.
Odd
repeat a reflection of the waveform outside the range of the parametric sweep.
Setting Coil and Mechanical Terminals

There are currently two types of terminals:
Coil Terminals Mechanical Terminals
For models with motion, the mechanical terminal setup determines which force (or torque) causes the motion and which position (or rotation) is affected. When setting up coil terminals, flux and current are used for magnetic models, and charge and voltage are used for electric models. In the coil terminal setup, there is one row for each flux (or charge) group. In the Current (or Voltage) column, each cell is a selection box where you can choose the current (or voltage) that applies to that flux (or charge) group. Usually the software can choose the correct current by default, based on the source setup in the design. The Resistance column is set to 0 by default; you can enter any value here. The Turns and Branches columns only appear for magnetic models where current variables represent Ampere-turns. These columns are initialized with the turns and branches specified in the inductance matrix setup. In the Current column, in addition to each current, there is another choice, <Dependent>. This feature allows you to solve some problems using fewer parametric rows. This is explained using the following example: Suppose you are working on a three phase machine. You create three sources, CurrentA, CurrentB, and CurrentC. In previous versions of Maxwell (before version 11), you would have to create three current variables, iA, iB, and iC, and sweep all three of these variables even though for this type of machine iC is always equal to -(iA + iB). This means that if you want to sweep through 10 values of current, the parametric table would have 1000 rows. In Maxwell 11 and beyond, you can create only variables iA and iB and then set the value of CurrentC to -(iA + iB). The parametric table will have 10 values each for iA and iB, so it will only have 100 rows. When exporting the circuit, you would set the current for Flux[CurrentA] to iA, Flux[CurrentB] to iB, and Flux[CurrentC] to <Dependent>. In the circuit model, the PWL table will contain two input currents (iA and iB), but it will contain all three fluxes. So it will look up all three flux values based on only the two current values. As long as you always connect a current of -(iA + iB) to CurrentC, this model will be valid. Note A dependent source can have a different number of turns from the sources that it depends on (in the example above, CurrentA, CurrentB, and CurrentC can all have different numbers of turns). But, in this case, you would have set up the current variables as Amperes instead of Ampere-turns otherwise there would be no way to obtain the correct scaling of currents iA and iB for both their own current sources and for CurrentC. Therefore, this is another case where specifying current variables in Amperes (rather than in Ampere-turns) is useful.
17
Scripting in Maxwell
Maxwell uses the Microsoft Visual Basic Scripting Edition (VBScript) scripting language to record macros. VBScript is based on the Microsoft Visual Basic programming language. Using scripts is a fast, effective way to accomplish tasks you want to repeat. You can write a script using any text editor, or you can record a script from within the Maxwell interface. After recording the script from within Maxwell, you can then modify it using a text editor. For information on how to create, edit, and use scripts in Maxwell, see the Scripting online help, which you can access from Maxwell via the following menu commands:
Help >Scripting Contents Help >Scripting Index Help >Search Scripting In HTML Format: In PDF Format:
You can open the Maxwell Scripting online help in one of the following two formats:
Scripting in Maxwell 17-1
Recording a Script
Once you start to record a script, your subsequent actions are added to the script. Each interface command has one or more associated script commands that are recorded to the script. The script is recorded to a text file in .vbs (VBScript) file format. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Click Tools>Record Script. The Save As dialog box appears. Use the file browser to locate the folder in which you want to save the script (such as C:\Program Files\Ansoft\Maxwell11\Scripts), and then double-click the folder's name. Type the name of the script in the File name text box, and then click Save. The script is saved in the folder you selected with a .vbs extension. Perform the steps that you want to record. When you have finished recording the script, click Tools>Stop Script Recording.
17-2 Scripting in Maxwell
Stopping Script Recording

To stop recording a script:
Click Tools>Stop Script Recording. Maxwell stops recording to the script.
Scripting in Maxwell17-3
Running a Script
To run a script from Maxwell: 1. 2. 3. Click Tools>Run Script. The Open dialog box appears. Use the file browser to locate the folder in which you saved the script, and then double-click the folder's name. Type the name of the script in the File name text box, or click its name, and then click Open. Maxwell executes the script. To supply script arguments when running from Tools>Run Script, use the edit field at the bottom of the file selection dialog. You can access the script arguments using the AnsoftScriptHost.arguments collection from vbscript. This is a standard COM collection.
Note
To run a script form a command line: 1. 2. Type one of the following command line options at the command line: -runscriptandexit or -runscript Press Enter. You can also pass the -scriptargs parameter to the script and specify arguments. Note If you run the script from DOS prompt as a .vbs file (that is, you do not launch Maxwell, but simply launch vbs directly, or use wscript.exe or cscript.exe), the arguments will be in the WSH.arguments collection, not the AnsoftScriptHost.arguments collection. To handle this, write the following: on error resume next dim args Set args = AnsoftScript.arguments if(IsEmpty(args)) then Set args = WSH.arguments End if on error goto 0 'At this point, args has the arguments no matter if you are running 'under windows script host or Ansoft script host msgbox "Count is " & args.Count for i = 0 to args.Count - 1 msgbox args(i) next
Pausing and Resuming a Script

To pause a script during its execution:
Click Tools>Pause Script. Click Tools>Resume Script.
To resume a script after pausing it:
Scripting in Maxwell17-5
Stopping a Script
To stop a script:
Click Tools>Stop Script.
Maxwell stops executing the script that has been paused.
18
Running Simulations
After you specify how Maxwell is to compute the solution, you need to begin the solution process. To run a simulation: 1. 2. Select a solution setup in the project tree. Click Maxwell3D >Analyze All or Maxwell2D >Analyze All. Maxwell computes the requested field solution inside the structure. Each solution setup is solved in the order it appears in the project tree. To run more than one analysis at a time, follow the same procedure while a simulation is running. The next solution setup will be solved when the previous solution is complete. Note Note You can also simulate all designs by clicking Project>Analyze All. If a linked dependency in the setup is already simulating (for example, due to setup links to the same external source for a near or far field wave, or a magnetic bias), Maxwell will not allow another dependent simulation to start until the first use of the source has completed.
Related Topics Technical Notes: The Solution Process Solving a Single Setup Running More Than One Simulation Specifying the Analysis Options Remote Analysis Monitoring the Solution Process Aborting Analysis Running an RMxprt Simulation
Running Simulations 18-1
Solving a Single Setup

To solve a single sweep under a specific solution setup: 1. 2. In the project tree, under the design you want to solve, right-click Analysis>Setupn. Click Maxwell3D>Analyze or Maxwell2D>Analyze.
To solve two or more sweeps or two or more parametric analyses under a setup: Configure two or more machines for a distributed analysis. See Solving Remotely for configuration issues, and Distributed Analysis for license issues, and Configuring Distributed Analysis for setting up the Maxwell General Options. 1. 2. In the project tree, under the design you want to solve, right-click Analysis>Setupn. Click Analyze. Each solution setup is solved in the order it appears in the project tree, using the available machines.
Running More Than One Simulation

To run more than one analysis at a time, follow the same procedure while a simulation is running. The next solution setup will be solved when the previous solution is complete. To solve every enabled solution setup in a design: 1. 2. In the project tree, under the design you want to solve, select Analysis. Click Maxwell3D>Analyze All or Maxwell2D>Analyze All.
Each enabled solution setup is solved in the order it appears in the project tree.
18-2 Running Simulations
Specifying the Analysis Options

You can specify the machine on which you want the simulation to run. If you do not want projects to run concurrently, you may specify the option to queue projects. 1. 2. 3. 4. Click Tools>Options>General Options. The General Options window appears. Click the Analysis Options tab. Select the Prompt for analysis machine when launching analysis check box. Under Analysis Machine Options, select whether the default analysis machine should be the local machine (Local), a remote machine (Remote), or whether analysis should be distributed across multiple machines (Distributed). a. b. If you selected Remote, enter the default analysis machine information either as an IP address, a DNS name, or a UNC name. See Remote Analysis. If you selected Distributed, you can add machines to a list, or edit an existing list of machines. Select the Edit button to display the Distributed Analysis Machines dialogue. Here you specify an IP address, a DNS name, or a UNC name for each machien to add to the list. Control buttons let you Add Machine to List or Remove machines from the list. For more information, see distributed analysis. When the distributed option is set, we will use machines from the distributed list even for non-distributed solves. In that case, for multiple non-distributed solves, it uses machines one at a time from the Machines for Distributed Analysis list, starting from the first machine and moving down. To control the list order, select one or more machines, and use the Move up or Move down buttons. Click OK to accept the changes and close the Distributed Analysis Machines dialog. The machines are listed in the Analysis Machines Options field in alphabetical order, rather than the distributed list order. You can also control these selections via toolbar icons for:

5.
Local Remote Distributed
, , and
Select the Send analysis request as: radio button to specify either the Current User (the default) or the Specified User. If any machines are Unix-based, Current User must be selected. You can only have one remote analysis user configuration on Unix.
Note 6. 7.
Enter details for the user who would be running the simulations. You need to specify the User Name, Password, and Domain/Workgroup information. Select the Queue all simulations check box to allow subsequent simulations to wait in a queue until the currently running simulation solves completely.
Running Simulations18-3
8.
Click OK. The Maxwell Server Setup window does not appear when the Queue all simulations check box is selected, even if you select the Prompt for analysis machine when launching analysis check box. This happens because Maxwell does not queue simulations that will be running on different machines, since they can run concurrently.
Note
Remote Analysis
It is possible to solve a project on a different machine from the one on which you set up your designs. This is particularly useful when you want to take advantage of a more powerful machine but it is not convenient to access that machine. This process involves configuring the machine that is to perform the solving (the remote machine), as well as the machine from which the simulation is to be launched (the local machine). This can also be extended into distributed analysis, where a specified analysis, if supported, is concurrently solved on multiple remote machines.
Local Machine Remote Machine
Note
Communication between machines in remote analysis and distributed analysis can drastically affect performance. Use of a high-speed network system, like Gigabit or Infiniband, is recommended for optimal performance.
Remote Analysis Procedure
Determine the Desired Configuration Configure the Remote Machine Configure the Local Machine Troubleshooting
Related Topics: General Options: Analysis Options Tab Distributed Analysis
Determining the Desired Configuration

Before setting up remote analysis, you must decide the type of configuration you want to use. Remote Analysis Type Windows->Windows only Unix->Unix only All other configuration types 1, 2, or 3 Unix Configuration Windows machines: Common Windows configurations 2 or 3 Unix machines: Unix Configuration Available Configuration Options Common Windows configurations
Common Windows Configurations (including advantages and disadvantages) Unix Configuration Determining User Accounts to Use with the Selected Configuration Using Groups for Security Permissions (Windows Only)
Common Windows Configurations (Advantages and Disadvantages)

Configuration Configuration 1: (Ansoft recommends this option if remote machines will also be used as local machines.) Advantages Disadvantages a) Only the remote process user a) The license log file will show that the remote process user must be configured on the checked out the license, remote machine. b) Local analyses on the remote regardless of the local machine user. machine continue to work as
All local machine users should they did previously. solve as a common user on the remote machine (hereafter known as the remote process user). The user name and password for the remote process user must be provided to each local machine user. Note: If any local or remote machines are Unix-based, this configuration cannot be used.
a) The remote process user must (Ansoft recommends this option if only be specified on the remote machine. remote machines are not used as local machines; e.g. compute farm.) b) The password information for the remote process user can be All local machine users should restricted. solve as a common user on the Configuration 2: remote machine (hereafter known as the remote process user). The user name and password for the remote process user need not be provided to each local machine user; it will be stored on the remote machine only. Configuration 3: Any local machine user should be able to solve as him/herself on the remote machine.
a) Local analyses on the remote machine can only be performed if the machine is treated as a remote machine at runtime. b) The license log file will show that the remote process user checked out the license, regardless of the local machine user.
a) There are no user restrictions a) Each local machine user must run the software one time on anyone can solve on the each remote machine to remote machine. configure the settings used when b) License checkouts are solving. performed as the user who requested the analysis. c) Each local machine user's individual configuration (e.g., number of processors) is used only by that local machine user.
Related Topics:
Determining User Accounts to Use with the Selected Configuration
Unix Configuration
Configuration All local machine users should solve as him/herself with settings common to the machine. Related Topics: Unix User Configuration Determining User Accounts to Use with the Selected Configuration Advantages a) There are no user restrictions--anyone can send solve requests to the remote machine. b) License check is performed as the user who requested the analysis.
Determining User Accounts to Use with the Selected Configuration

Configuring remote analysis requires you to identify three users who each will play a unique role in remote analysis. These three users will be referenced when configuring the remote and local machines.
Local Machine Local Machine Remote Machine
Local User
Launching User
Remote Process User
1. 2. 3.
Local User: The user who starts the software on the Local Machine. Launching User: The user who sends analysis requests from the Local Machine to the remote machines. Remote Process User: The user who owns the analysis processes on the remote machines.
Note
The Local User and Launching User must be known accounts on the Local Machine. The Local User, Launching User, and Remote Process User must be known accounts on the Remote Machine.
Common Windows Configuration 1 Common Windows Configuration 2 Common Windows Configuration 3 Unix User Configuration
Common Windows Configuration 1

All local machine users should solve as a common user on the remote machine (known as the remote process user). The user name and password for the remote process user must be provided to each local machine user. Note 1. 2. For security reasons, the remote process user account should not be associated with any person.
Local User: Any user(s) or group(s) you choose. Launching User: Same as the remote process user. In the Analysis Options dialog box of the product being configured on the Local Machine, the Specified User option is selected, and the remote process user name/password information is entered. Remote Process User: Set to The launching user on the Identity tab of the remote machine DCOM configuration. If any local or remote machines are Unix-based, this configuration cannot be used.
3.
Note
Example:
Local User = judy
Specified User (common-user)
Remote Process User set to The launching user = common-user
Next Step: Common Windows Configuration 2

All local machine users should solve as a common user on the remote machine (known as the remote process user). The user name and password for the remote process user need not be provided to each local machine user; it will only be stored on the remote machine. Note 1. 2. 3. For security reasons, the remote process user account should not be associated with any person.
Local User: Any user(s) or group(s) you choose. Launching User: Same as the Local User. In the Analysis Options dialog box of the product being configured on the Local Machine, the Current User option is selected. Remote Process User: Set to This User on the Identity tab of the remote machine DCOM configuration.
Example:
Local User = judy
Current User (judy)
Remote Process User set to This user = common-user
Next Step: Common Windows Configuration 3

Any local machine user should be able to solve as him/herself on the remote machine. 1. 2. 3. Local User: Any user(s) or group(s) you choose. Launching User: Same as the Local User. In the Analysis Options dialog box of the product being configured on the Local Machine, the Current User option is selected. Remote Process User: Set to The launching user on the Identity tab of the remote machine DCOM configuration.
Example:
Local User = judy
Current User (judy)
Remote Process User set to The launching user = judy
Next Step: Unix User Configuration
Unix User Configuration

Any local machine user should be able to solve as him/herself on the remote machine. 1. 2. 3. Local User: Any user(s) you choose. Launching User: Same as the Local User. In the Analysis Options dialog box of the product being configured on the Local Machine, the Current User option is selected. Remote Process User: Automatically set The launching user on the remote machine. The software settings are configured in remote analysis mode on the remote machines.
Example:
Local User = judy
Current User (judy)
Remote Process User set to The launching user = judy
Next Section: Using Groups for Security Permissions (Windows Only)
Using Groups for Security Permissions on Windows

When configuring remote analysis, you need to add permissions for certain users. To make configuration and management easier, you may want to reference one of the Windows Built-In Local Groups, include a pre-defined Windows system identity, or manually add a group of users. The remote analysis configuration lists a minimal configuration; you may choose to include permissions for more users/groups than the minimum listed.
Windows Built-In Local Groups Pre-Defined Windows System Identities Manually Adding a Windows Local Group
Windows Built-In Local Groups

Windows allows administrators to define groups to which user accounts should belong. There are several built-in local groups that are available by default:
Administrators: Administrators have complete and unrestricted access to the computer. Guests: Guests have the same access as members of the Users group by default. Guests, however, cannot make permanent changes to their environment. Power Users: Power Users possess the most administrative powers with some restrictions. They can create and modify accounts, and they can share resources. Users: Users perform tasks for which they have rights granted and access resources to which they have permissions.
Next Step: Pre-Defined Windows System Identities
Pre-Defined Windows System Identities

Windows defines several identities that represent dynamic user groups. These are particularly useful when configuring remote analysis. Following are several common system identities that can be used:
Anonymous Logon:Represents all users who cannot be identified. Everyone: Represents all current identified users, including guests and users from other domains. When a user logs on to the machine, he is automatically added to the Everyone group. This does not include unidentified users, which are included in the Anonymous Logon system identity. Interactive: Represents all users currently logged on to a particular computer and accessing a given resource located on that computer (as opposed to the users who access the resource over the network). When a user accesses a given resource on the computer to which he is currently logged on, he is automatically added to the Interactive group. Network: Represents all users currently accessing a given resource over the network (as opposed to users who access a resource by logging on locally at the computer where the resource is located). When a user accesses a given resource over the network, he is automatically added to the Network group.
Next Step: Manually Adding a Windows Local Group
Manually Adding a Windows Local Group

Refer to the Windows Help for the operating system you are configuring for instructions to manually add a local group of users. Next Section: Configure the Remote Machine
Configuring the Remote Machine A. Windows XP Professional (32-bit and 64-bit) and Windows Server 2003 (32-bit and 64-bit) B. Unix
A. Configuring the Remote Machine for Windows XP Professional (32-bit and 64-bit) and Windows Server 2003 (32-bit and 64-bit)
This section describes how to set up the remote machine. You should follow these steps in order. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Remote Machine Configuration Prerequisites Configure Distributed COM for the Remote Machine Configure Policy Settings for Remote Machine Enable Firewall Access for the Remote Machine Configure Software Settings on Remote Machine Set Up Security Permissions on Remote Machine Analyze a Test Design as a Remote User on the Remote Machine
A(1) Remote Machine Configuration Prerequisites

Windows XP Professional (32-bit and 64-bit) and Windows Server 2003 (32-bit and 64-bit). Before configuring the remote machine, do the following: 1. 2. Log in as an administrator to the machine on which you want to analyze the remote machine. Install the version-specific software that you will use to analyze designs.
Next Step: A(2) Configure Distributed COM for the Remote Machine
A(2) Configuring Distributed COM for the Remote Machine

Windows XP Professional (32-bit and 64-bit) and Windows Server 2003 (32-bit and 64-bit). To configure distributed COM for a remote machine: 1. 2. 3. 4. Log in as an administrator to the machine on which you want to analyze the remote machine. Click Start>Run. The Run dialog box appears. Type dcomcnfg in the Open text box, and click OK. The DCOM Configuration panel appears. Set the My Computer properties: a. Under Console Root>Component Services>Computers, right-click My Computer, and then click Properties. The My Computer Properties dialog box appears.
Note
If you receive a message about unblocking this application from the Windows Firewall, click OK to unblock the Microsoft Management Console and proceed with the configuration. b. c. Under the Default Properties tab, make sure the Enable Distributed COM on this computer check box is checked. Under the COM Security tab, verify that the following minimum permissions are included if you do not wish to restrict security permissions: You need not remove any pre-existing permissions.
For Edit Limits for Access Permissions:
Everyone: Local Access and Remote Access
Anonymous Logon: Remote Access Note The minimum security permissions for these settings are the following:
Local User: Remote Access Launching User: Local Access and Remote Access Remote Process User: Local Access Interactive: Local Access Self: Local Access
For Edit Limits for Launch and Activation Permissions: Anonymous Logon: Remote Launch and Remote Activation Everyone: Remote Launch and Remote Activation Interactive: Local Launch and Local Activation Note The minimum security permissions for this setting are the following:

Note
Launching User: Remote Launch and Remote Activation Interactive: Local Launch and Local Activation
If a given user or group is not listed: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Click Add to add a new user or group. Click Locations, and select the domain/workgroup in which the user you want to add is located. Type the name of the user or group. Click Check Names to verify that the name is correct. Click OK to close the Add Users dialog box. The user or group should now appear in the corresponding permissions dialog box.
d. 5.
Click OK to accept the changes and close the My Computer Properties dialog box. Under Console Root>Component Services>Computers>My Computer>DCOM Config, verify that the version-specific COM engine that will be used to analyze remotely is listed. (For instance, if you are configuring Maxwell 12, look for MaxwellEngineV12 Class.) If the desired Maxwell Engine class is not listed, you need to re-register the corresponding MaxwellComEngine. Once the correct class is listed, right-click it, and select Properties. The MaxwellEngineV12 Class Properties dialog box appears.
Set the COM engine properties: a.
b. c. d.
Under the General tab, make note of the Local Path to the COM engine you are configuring for remote analysis. Under the Location tab, verify that the Run application on this computer check box is checked. Under the Identity tab, select the user who will serve as the Remote Process User:
Note
The user specified as the Remote Process User must exist on the remote machine and can not be a guest. (If you have specified The launching user, then any users acting as the launching user must exist.) This is necessary because the Remote Process Users registry settings may be deleted when he/she logs off the computer. To check if a user exists on the remote machine: 1. 2. 3. Choose Start>Settings>Control Panel (or Start>Control Panel, depending on your display settings). Choose Users and Passwords or User Accounts (depending on the operating system). Make sure that the user specified as the Remote Process User is listed. If not, you will need to add him/her as a user, and grant access other than Guest access. Verify that the Remote Process User has access other than Guest access. If the group is Guests, you need to change it to another group.
4.

e.
If you would like the Launching User to serve also as the Remote Process User (e.g. Common Configurations 1 and 3), select The launching user. If you have chosen a particular user, select the This User option (e.g. Common Configuration 2), and enter the name of the user and the password.
Under the Security tab, verify that the following minimum permissions are included if you do not wish to restrict security permissions: You need not remove any pre-existing permissions.
For Launch and Activation Permissions:
Anonymous Logon: Remote Launch and Remote Activation. Everyone: Remote Launch and Remote Activation Interactive: Local Launch and Local Activation Note The minimum security permissions for this setting are the following:

Launching User: Remote Launch and Remote Activation Interactive: Local Launch and Local Activation
For Configuration Permissions:
Machine administrators group (<machine name>\Administrators): Full Control Other users or groups you choose to allow to configure the COM engine settings: Full Control Note To view the currently-included users and groups: 1. 2. 3. Select the Customize radio button for the permissions option you are verifying. Click the Edit... button that corresponds to the Customize radio button you selected. If a given user or group is not listed:
Click Add to add a new user or group. Click Locations, and select the domain/workgroup in which the user you want to add is located. Type the name of the user or group. Click Check Names to verify that the name is correct. Click OK to close the Add Users dialog box. The user or group should now appear in the corresponding permissions dialog box.
f. 6.
Click OK to apply all of the changes to the product and version-specific Distributed COM configuration.
Click OK to apply all of the changes to the product and version-specific Distributed COM configuration.
Next Step: A(3) Configure Policy Settings for Remote Machine
A(3) Configuring Policy Settings for the Remote Machine

Windows XP Professional (32-bit and 64-bit) and Windows Server 2003 (32-bit and 64-bit). To configure policy settings for a remote machine: 1. 2. 3. 4. Log in as an administrator to the machine on which you want to analyze the remote machine. Click Start>Run. The Run dialog box appears. Type secpol.msc, and click OK. The Local Security Settings dialog box appears. Under Security Settings>Local Policies>User Rights Assignment, right-click Restore files and directories policy, and select Properties. The Restore files and directories dialog box appears.
5.
Verify that Everyone is listed among those users who are allowed to restore files and directories. Note Note The minimum required policy setting is Remote Process User. If a given user or group is not listed: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Click Add User or Group to add a new user or group. Click Locations, and select the domain/machine on which the user you want to add is located. Type the name of the user or group. Click Check Names to verify that the name is correct. Click OK to close the Add Users dialog box. The user or group should now appear in the corresponding dialog box.
6. 7. 8.
Click OK to close the Restore files and directories dialog box. Close the Local Security Policy dialog box. If you made any changes to the Restore files and directories setting, you need to reboot the machine.
Next Step: A(4) Enable Firewall Access for the Remote Machine
A(4) Enabling Firewall Access on the Remote Machine

Windows XP Professional (32-bit and 64-bit) and Windows Server 2003 (32-bit and 64-bit). If you have a firewall installed on the remote machine, you will need access to TCP port 135, which is used for Windows Remote Procedure Call (RPC) End Point Mapping. You will also need access to the product- and version-specific COM Engine. The path to the COM engine was determined during the Configure Distributed COM for Remote Machine step above. If the remote machine is using Windows XP Service Pack 2 or higher, Windows XP Professional x64 Edition Service Pack 1 or higher, or Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1 or higher, Windows Firewall will have been automatically installed and enabled. You will need to add the COM engine and TCP port 135 to the list of exceptions. To add the COM engine and TCP port 135 to the list of exceptions: 1. 2. Log in as an administrator to the machine on which you want to analyze the remote machine. Click Start>Settings>Control Panel (or Start>Control Panel, depending on your Windows display settings). The Control Panel window appears. Double-click Security Center. The Windows Security Center window appears. Click the Windows Firewall option.
3. 4.
The Windows Firewall dialog box appears. 5. 6. Click the Exceptions tab. To add the COM engine: a. b. c. Click the Add Program button. Click the Browse button. Browse to or type the path to the COM engine. Choose Change Scope..., and select which machines should be able to contact this program on this machine.
If you wish to restrict the machines that can run this program, choose either My network (subnet) only (should work with most networks) or Custom list. If you do not wish to restrict the machines that can run this program, choose Any computer (including those on the Internet). Be aware that this will allow any machine, even those outside of your subnet, to communicate with this program on this machine.
d. 7. a. b. c. d. e.
Click OK to confirm the program as an exception. Click the Add Port button. For the Name, enter descriptive text to identify this exception (e.g. RPC End Point Mapping). For the Port number, enter 135. Select TCP. Choose Change Scope..., and select which machines should be able to contact this machine via this port.
To add TCP port 135:
If you wish to restrict the machines for which this port is unblocked, choose either My network (subnet) only (should work with most networks) or Custom list. If you do not wish to restrict the machines for which this port is unblocked, choose Any computer (including those on the Internet). Be aware that this will allow any machine, even those outside of your subnet, to communicate with this machine via this port.
f. 8. 9.
Click OK to confirm the port as an exception.
Click OK to close the Windows Firewall dialog box. Exit the Windows Security Center and Control Panel windows.
Next Step: A(5) Configure Software Settings on Remote Machine
A(5) Configuring Software Settings on the Remote Machine

Windows XP Professional (32-bit and 64-bit) and Windows Server 2003 (32-bit and 64-bit). The software settings used by the COM engine configured above are specific to the user and machine running the COM engine. This includes settings like the temporary directory or the number of processors (if available) used when analyzing. Therefore, each Remote Process
User must have the product- and version-specific settings configured for remote analysis to work successfully as a given Remote Process User. Note For Common Configuration 3, each user must log in locally to each machine and set the temporary directory before solving remotely.
To configure the software settings as a specific Remote Process User: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Start the product- and version-specific software configured as the Remote Process User. Click Tools >Options >General Options. The General Options dialog box appears. Click the Project Options tab. In the field corresponding to the Temp Directory, select a path to the Temporary File Directory you want to use. Click OK to close the General Options dialog box. Configure any other settings you want to use when analyzing on the remote machine as this Remote Process User (e.g. the number of processors).
Next Step: A(6) Set Up Security Permissions on Remote Machine
A(6) Setting Up Security Permissions on the Remote Machine

Windows XP Professional (32-bit and 64-bit) and Windows Server 2003 (32-bit and 64-bit). Once you have installed Maxwell on the remote machine and configured Distributed COM, you need to configure the security permissions for the temporary file directory and all of the program files (by default, file permissions are inherited from the directory in which the file exists). To configure security permissions on the remote machine: 1. 2. Log in as an administrator to the machine on which you want to analyze the remote machine. Edit the permissions for both the Temporary File Directory (configured above) and the directory in which the COM engine is located. The path to the COM engine was determined during the Configure Distributed COM for Remote Machine step above. To edit the permissions of a particular directory, do the following: a. b. c. In Windows Explorer, right-click the directory you are configuring, and click Properties. Click the Security tab. If it is not shown, then you may not be using the NTFS file system. You may be able to skip the following steps for this directory. If the Everyone system identity is not listed among the users, click Add, and enter the name of the user you want to add. Note The minimum permission required for this setting is Remote Process User.
d. e.
If the Remote Process User is not listed among the users, click Add, and enter the name of the user you want to add. Add the necessary permissions to the directory. The Temporary File Directory requires read, write, and delete permissions, and the directory in which the COM engine is located requires read and execute permissions.
Next Step: A(7) Analyze a Test Design as a Remote User on the Remote Machine
A(7) Analyzing a Test Design as a Remote User on the Remote Machine

Windows XP Professional (32-bit and 64-bit) and Windows Server 2003 (32-bit and 64-bit). Finally, you should log into the remote machine as the Remote Process User and analyze a test design on the remote machine. If you have any problems solving the test design, resolve these issues before configuring the local machine. Next Section: Configure the Local Machine
B. Configuring the Remote Machine for Unix

This section describes how to set up the remote machine. You should follow these steps in order. Please note that the first five steps are the same as with the Local Machine Configuration for Unix machines. If you have already completed these steps, you may skip to the sixth step. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. (Linux Only) Ensure loopback adapter not associated with machine name Install Visual MainWin Remote Security Authority Install MainWin Core Services on Remote Machine Configure MainWin Core Services for Remote Machine Configure Port Access for Remote Machine Install and Configure Ansoft products in Incoming Request mode Automating the Remote Machine Configuration
B(1) (Linux Only) Ensure loopback adapter not associated with remote machine name
Unix On some machines, the machine may find its loopback adapter as the first IP address associated with it. If this is the case, then the machine may not communicate properly across the network. Determine whether the loopback adapter is associated with the machine name 1. 2. Ping both your machine name and "localhost", and get the IP address associated with each. If the IP addresses returned from both functions are the same, then you will be unable to connect to remote machines. You must correct this before proceeding.
Remove the loopback adapter association with the machine name Directions to properly associate your network IP address with the machine name depend on the type of network configured.
Determine network configuration types 1. 2. Open the /etc/nsswitch.conf file. Look at the first uncommented line that starts with "hosts:". If any of the entries in this line read "files", then you may be using the /etc/hosts file for network identification and should proceed with the below steps. Otherwise, you will need to look into the network configurations you are using. Open the /etc/hosts file. Look at the first uncommented line that includes the word "localhost". This is the loopback adapter entry. If the loopback adapter line also includes your machine name, then it is possible that this entry is causing the machine to associate itself with the loopback adapter. If the machine name is included in the loopback adapter line: 4. 5. Remove the machine name from the loopback adapter line. Re-run the "Determine whether the loopback adapter is associated with the machine name" section above. f. g. Note If the IP addresses are now different, then you have corrected the problem. If the IP addresses are still the same, then this problem is being caused by a different network methodology. You will need to determine the source of the issue. If the ping command no longer knows the IP address associated with the machine, then you must add this information to the /etc/hosts file. You can determine the IP address by running /sbin/ifconfig.
Inspect /etc/hosts file for loopback adapter association 1. 2. 3.
Next Step: B(2) Install Visual MainWin Remote Security Authority
B(2) Install Visual MainWin Remote Security Authority

Note This step is only necessary if you plan to use a mixed environment (both Windows and Unix machines) with remote analysis. It must be installed whether or not the Windows machines will be used as local machines and/or a remote machines.
Unix
Visual MainWin Remote Security Authority (remotesa) is a Windows service that allows authentication between Windows and Unix machines. It must be installed on the primary domain controller for the domain where authentication is used. Note Requirements for installing remotesa: 1. 2. It must be installed on a Windows machine that the Unix machines can see. Every user who will solve cross-platform to or from a Windows machine will be authenticated by name through remotesa. The names of these users must be defined locally on the machine running remotesa. If these users are defined on the domain, then you should install remotesa on a domain controller. If you do not wish to install remotesa on the domain controller, or you do not have a domain controller, then you will need to add these users as local users on the machine running remotesa.
To install Visual MainWin Remote Security Authority: 1. 2. 3. 4. Log in as an administrator to the primary domain controller. Using one of the Ansoft software CDs for a Unix operating system, browse to the remotesa subdirectory. Run setup.exe to begin installation of the Visual MainWin Remote Security Authority. Follow the prompts for installation, making note of the remotesa security password entered. You will need this password for the configuration of all Unix clients.
Next Step: B(3) Install MainWin Core Services on Remote Machine
B(3) Install MainWin Core Services on Remote Machine

Unix MainWin Core Services is a Unix service that allows for incoming and outgoing analysis requests on Unix machines. It must be installed and configured on each Unix machine that will be involved with remote analysis. For each Unix machine that requires MainWin Core Services, to install MainWin Core Services: 1. 2. 3. 4. Using one of the Ansoft software CDs for a Unix operating system, launch the installation shell as root. Choose Install MainWin Core Services. A new window appears. If MainWin Core Services are already installed, you will be prompted to uninstall and reinstall them. If you choose to uninstall and reinstall MainWin Core Services, enter Yes. Enter the directory to which MainWin Core Services should be installed. If the directory does not exist, you will need to confirm that you wish to create this directory. If the directory already exists and contains files or directories, you will need to confirm removal of those files and directories. MainWin Core Services also creates a data directory in which machine-related information is stored. The MainWin Core Services administrator (determined later in this process) must have write access to this directory. By default, the MainWin Core Services data directory is set to
5.
the mwcoredata subdirectory of the installation directory. If you wish to change the data directory to something other than the default, enter Yes. Otherwise, enter No. 6. If you choose to use a data directory other than the default, enter the directory to which the MainWin Core Services data should be written. If the directory does not exist, you will need to confirm that you wish to create this directory. If the directory already exists and contains files or directories, you will need to confirm removal of those files and directories. Once the installation is complete, the MainWin Core Services configuration is automatically launched.
7.
Next Step: B(4) Configure MainWin Core Services for Remote Machine
B(4) Configure MainWin Core Services for Remote Machine

Unix MainWin Core Services is a Unix service that allows for incoming and outgoing analysis requests on Unix machines. It must be installed and configured on each Unix machine that will be involved with remote analysis. For each Unix machine that requires MainWin Core Services, the MainWin Core Services configuration script is launched once the installation is complete. You can also launch the MainWin Core Services configuration script at another time. To launch the script manually, run the mwcore_config script, a link to which is located in /usr/bin. Once the MainWin Core Services configuration script is launched, you will be asked a series of questions to configure MainWin Core Services: 1. Enter the name of the user who will be permitted to change the configuration settings for MainWin Core Services, the MainWin Core Services Administrator. The administrator may be root or any other user that exists on this machine. This value can only be changed by root.
Note 2.
Indicate whether you will be using Windows machines for incoming and/or outgoing analysis requests.
If you enter No, you are indicating that Windows machines will not be used for incoming and/or outgoing analysis requests. If you enter Yes, you are indicating that Windows machines will be used for incoming and/or outgoing analysis requests.
If you entered No to question 2, indicating you will not be using any Windows machines: a. Enter a port number greater than 1024 for communication with other machines (known as the RPC port). This port must be available on all local and remote machines that will be involved in remote analysis.
If you entered Yes to question 2, you will be using Windows machines. The RPC port, used for communication with other machines, will automatically be set to 135. a. If you have never completed the MainWin Core Services configuration for mixed environ-
ments, you will be asked to verify whether Visual MainWin Remote Security Authority (remotesa) is installed on an appropriate Windows machine. If you have not installed it, you will need to install remotesa before completing the MainWin Core Services configuration. If you have already verified that Visual MainWin Remote Security Authority is installed, the script will indicate this and proceed to the next step. b. c. Enter the name of the machine on which the remotesa was installed, either as a machine name or IP address. Enter the remotesa security password used when Visual MainWin Remote Security Authority was installed on the domain controller. The password entered must be the same as the one entered on the domain controller, or authentication services with this machine will not function. If the password has already been entered, you will be asked whether you wish to change the password. If you enter Yes, then you will be prompted for the password as mentioned above. Press Enter to accept the default remotesa security authentication (RSA) port of 667. If you changed the remotesa security authentication port, enter that value and press Enter. Enter the value of the environment variable USERDOMAIN when logged into the machine specified in (b) as one of the users who will solve cross platform.
Note
d. e.
If the users are domain users, then the value should be the domain name. If the users are machine users, then the value should be the machine name.
Once the above steps are complete, MainWin Core Services will be configured, and a summary will displayed showing the MainWin Core Services configuration. The Configuration File listed in the summary can be used to automate installations on other machines. To check the status of MainWin Core Services in the future, run mwcore_config summary. Next Step: B(5) Configure Port Access for Remote Machine
B(5) Configure Port Access for Remote Machine

Unix During the configuration of MainWin Core Services, the RPC port was configured as well as remotesa security authentication (RSA) port if a heterogeneous (Windows and Unix) environment was specified. The ports must be accessible within the domain on which the machines are configured. Next Step: B(6) Install and Configure Ansoft products in Incoming Request mode
B(6) Install and Configure Ansoft products in Incoming Request mode

Unix You must also configure each Ansoft product that will be receiving analysis requests.
For each product, you will need to install the product and then configure the product settings in incoming request mode so that any users who wish to use this machine have proper product settings.
Note
Outgoing request mode is automatically configured when you configure incoming request mode.
To configure a product in incoming request mode: 1. 2. Go to the product-specific subdirectory of the installation directory. Run <product_name>.remote remote_config as either the MCS Administrator or root. For instance, to configure Maxwell in incoming request mode, you would run maxwell.remote remote_config. Enter Yes to indicate that this product should include support for analysis requests sent to this machine. A configuration summary will now be displayed that indicates the software is about to be launched in incoming request mode. Review the information and, when complete, press Enter to start the software in incoming request mode.
3. 4.
Note 5.
If the software detects that the initial settings have not yet been configured, it will do so before starting the software.
Once the software is launched, the software will start and open a test example. You need to configure the settings that will be used when a solve request is sent to this machine. Important settings include the Temp Directory (found under Tools > Options > General Options), which is the directory to which the software will write temporary information. All users who will send analysis requests, including the nobody user, will need access to this directory, so it is best to give full read/write/execute permissions in this directory.
6.
Once the software has been configured, solve a test example to verify the settings are proper.
Next Step: B(7) Automating the Remote Machine Configuration
B(7) Automating the Remote Machine Configuration

Unix It is possible to automate the MainWin Core Services installation and configuration. This is particularly useful when you need to install and configure MainWin Core Services on a number of different machines. Automation Method 1: MainWin Core Services configuration file When MainWin Core Services is installed, a configuration file is created that contains the settings entered during installation and configuration. An example file is shown below: $begin MCSInstall
MCSInstallDir="/opt/mainsoft/mwcore" MCSDataDir="/opt/mwcoredata" MCSOverwriteInstall="No" $end MCSInstall $begin MCS MSCAdmin="root" MSecType="win" RPCportnum=135 MSecDomain="WINDOMAIN" MSecDomainSvr="192.168.51.100" MSecPort=667 MSecPasswd="<Configured>" RemoteSAInstalled="Yes" $end MCS The first section, MCSInstall, contains the settings used to install MainWin Core Services: MCSInstallDir: Installation directory for MainWin Core Services. MCSDataDir: Data directory for MainWin Core Services. If not specified, the data directory is set to the mwcoredata subdirectory of the installation directory. MCSOverwriteInstall: If the software is already installed, this specifies whether or not to overwrite the installation. The second section, MCS, contains the settings used to configure MainWin Core Services: MSCAdmin: MainWin Core Services administrator (the user who can configure MainWin Core Services). MSecType: Core Services configuration type. If Windows machines are to be used for incoming and/or outgoing requests, this value should be win. Otherwise, it should be unix. RPCportnum: The port used to send data while solving. If MSecType is set to win, then this value must be 135. Otherwise, it can be any value greater than 1024. If MSecType is set to win, then there are additional entries required in the MCS section of the configuration file: RemoteSAInstalled: Indicates whether Remote Security Authority is installed. Must be set to yes to proceed. MSecDomainSvr: Machine on which Remote Security Authority (remotesa) is installed. MSecPasswd: Remotesa security password used when installing remotesa. Note that this value is not retained in the configuration file that is created at the end of the installation. MSecPort: Value of the remotesa security authentication port. If this was not configured when installing remotesa, the value is 667.
MSecDomain: Value of the USERDOMAIN environment variable on the machine on which remotesa is installed. To use the configuration file to install and configure MainWin Core Services, browse to the <CDROM>/<OS>/MCS directory, and run: ./install -import <configuration file> Automation Method 2: Copying MainWin Core Services configuration files and settings If you are using a machine cluster or compute nodes, you may be using a configuration where you install all programs on one machine and then mirror all files to each compute node. If this is the case, then you will need to configure the machine on which the software is installed, and then copy those settings to other machines. Note 1. The following only works when the products and MainWin Core Services are installed to the same path on the source machine and the destination machines.
Run through the installation and configuration of MainWin Core Services per the instructions in sections B(2) through B(5). You should be able to keep the default settings for the core data directory when installing MainWin Core Services. Also, make sure the user specified as the MainWin Core Services administrator exists on the compute nodes. Install any Ansoft products you wish to use, and configure them per the instructions listed in B(6). Mirror the following files and directories to the compute nodes:
2. 3.
Files: /etc/mainwin.conf /usr/bin/mwcore_config Startup files:
Solaris: /etc.init.d/mwcore_services /etc/rc#.d/s##mwcore_services
Red Hat: /etc/rc.d/init.d/mwcore_services /etc/rc.d/rc#.d/s##mwcore_services
HP-UX: /sbin/init.d/mwcore_services /sbin/rc#.d/s##mwcore_services
Directories: MainWin Core Services installation directory (all files and subdirectories). MainWin Core Services data directory (all files and subdirectories).
All Ansoft product directories. Note If the default directory was chosen for the MainWin Core Services data directory, then the data directory will be a subdirectory of the installation directory.
Next Section: Configure the Local Machine
Configuring the Local Machine A. Windows XP Professional (32-bit and 64-bit) and Windows Server 2003 (32-bit and 64-bit) B. Unix
A. Configuring the Local Machine for Windows XP Professional (32-bit and 64-bit) and Windows Server 2003 (32-bit and 64-bit)
This section describes how to set up the local machine. You should follow these steps in order.
Local Machine Configuration Prerequisites Configure Distributed COM for the Local Machine Enable Firewall Access for Local Machine Configure the Software on the Local Machine
A(1) Local Machine Configuration Prerequisites

Windows XP Professional (32-bit and 64-bit) and Windows Server 2003 (32-bit and 64-bit). Before configuring the local machine, do the following: 1. 2. Log in as an administrator on the machine on which you want to set up project the local machine. Install the version-specific software that you installed on the remote machine.
Next Step: A(2) Configure Distributed COM for the Local Machine
A(2) Configuring Distributed COM on Local Machine

Windows XP Professional (32-bit and 64-bit) and Windows Server 2003 (32-bit and 64-bit). To configure distributed COM for a local machine: 1. 2. 3. 4. Log in as an administrator to the machine on which you want to set up projects the local machine. Click Start>Run, and type dcomcnfg. Click OK to start the DCOM Configuration window. Set the My Computer properties: a. Under Console Root>Component Services>Computers, right-click My Computer, and select Properties. The My Computer Properties dialog box appears. Under the Default Properties tab, make sure the Enable Distributed COM on this
b.
computer check box is checked. c. d. Under the Default Properties tab, make sure the Default Authentication Level is set to None. Under the COM Security tab, verify that the following permissions are included if you do not wish to restrict security permissions: Note You need not remove any pre-existing permissions.
For Access Permissions, the Edit Default button:
Everyone: Remote Access Anonymous Logon: Remote Access Note The minimum security permissions for this setting are the following:
Remote Process User: Remote Access If the Remote Process User is set to The launching user on any remote machine (e.g. Common Configurations 1 and 3), or if the remote process user is a non-domain machine account, grant Remote Access to the Anonymous Logon.
For Access Permissions, the Edit Limits button:
Everyone: Local Access and Remote Access Anonymous Logon: Remote Access. Note The minimum security permissions for this setting are the following:
Local User: Local Access If the Remote Process User is set to The launching user on any remote machine (e.g. Common Configurations 1 and 3), or if the remote process user is a non-domain machine account, grant Remote Access to the Anonymous Logon.
For Launch and Activation Permissions, the Edit Limits button:
Everyone: Local Activation Note The minimum security permissions for this setting are the following:
Local User: Local Activation
Note
If a given user or group is not listed: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Click Add to add a new user or group. Click Locations, and select the domain/workgroup in which the user you want to add is located. Type the name of the user or group. Click Check Names to verify that the name is correct. Click OK to close the Add Users dialog box. The user or group should now appear in the corresponding permissions dialog box.
5. 6. 7.
If any changes were made, click OK to apply all of the changes. Exit the Component Services window. Reboot the machine if any changes were made during this process.
Next Step: A(3) Enable Firewall Access for Local Machine
A(3) Enabling Firewall Access for the Local Machine

Windows XP Professional (32-bit and 64-bit) and Windows Server 2003 (32-bit and 64-bit). If you have a firewall installed on the remote machine, the runtime application needs access through it. You also need access to TCP port 135, which is used for Windows Remote Procedure Call (RPC) End Point Mapping. If the local machine is using Windows XP Service Pack 2, a firewall was automatically installed and enabled when the service pack was installed. You will need to add the runtime application and TCP port 135 to the list of exceptions in the Windows Firewall settings: If the remote machine is using Windows XP Service Pack 2 or higher, Windows XP Professional x64 Edition Service Pack 1 or higher, or Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1 or higher, Windows Firewall was automatically installed and enabled. You will need to add the runtime application and TCP port 135 to the list of exceptions. To add the runtime application and TCP port 135 to the list of exceptions: 1. Click Start>Settings>Control Panel (or Start>Control Panel, depending on your Windows display settings). The Control Panel window appears. Double-click Security Center. The Windows Security Center window appears. Click the Windows Firewall option. The Windows Firewall dialog box appears. Click the Exceptions tab. To add the installed application: a. b. Click the Add Program button. If the installed application is listed (e.g., Maxwell 12), select the program from the
2. 3. 4. 5.
list. Otherwise, click the Browse button, and browse to the location of the application. c. Choose Change Scope..., and select which machines should be able to contact this program on this machine.
If you wish to restrict the machines that can run this program, choose either My network (subnet) only (should work with most networks) or Custom list. If you do not wish to restrict the machines that can run this program, choose Any computer (including those on the Internet). Be aware that this will allow any machine, even those outside of your subnet, to communicate with this program on this machine.
d. 6. a. b. c. d. e.
Click OK to confirm the program as an exception. Click the Add Port button. For the Name, enter descriptive text to identify this exception (e.g. RPC End Point Mapping). For the Port number, enter 135. Select TCP. Choose Change Scope..., and select which machines should be able to contact this machine via this port.
To add TCP port 135:
If you wish to restrict the machines for which this port is unblocked, choose either My network (subnet) only (should work with most networks) or Custom list. If you do not wish to restrict the machines for which this port is unblocked, choose Any computer (including those on the Internet). Be aware that this will allow any machine, even those outside of your subnet, to communicate with this machine via this port.
f. 7. 8.
Click OK to confirm the port as an exception.
Click OK to close the Windows Firewall dialog box. Exit the Windows Security Center and Control Panel windows.
Next Step: A(4) Configure the Software on the Local Machine
A(4) Configuring the Software on the Local Machine

Windows XP Professional (32-bit and 64-bit) and Windows Server 2003 (32-bit and 64-bit). Finally, the software that will be used as the local machine for remote analysis must be configured. The software settings are specific to the Local User starting Maxwell on the local machine. Therefore, each Local User must have the product- and version-specific settings configured for remote analysis in order to use remote analysis. To configure the software on the local machine: 1. 2. Start Maxwell on the local machine as a Local User. Once the software has started, click Tools>Options>General Options.
The General Options dialog box appears. 3. 4. Click the Analysis Options tab. Under Design Analysis Options, do one or more of the following to configure the remote analysis settings on a per-design basis: a. b. c. 5. If you would like to select the machine to which to send the analysis immediately before analyzing, select Prompt for analysis machine when launching analysis. Under Analysis Machine Options, select whether the default analysis machine should be the local machine (Local) or a remote machine (Remote). If you selected Remote, enter the machine information either as an IP address, a DNS name, or a UNC name.
Under Remote Analysis Options, select the user who should be the Launching User from Send analysis request as: a. b. If the Local User will also be the Launching User, select Current User. If you want to specify a particular Launching User, select Specified User, and enter the user name, password, and domain/workgroup credentials for the Launching User. These are verified only when analyzing. Note The settings in the Remote Analysis Options section are only used when the analysis machine is a remote machine (IP Address, DNS Name, or UNC Name).
6. 7. 8. 9.
Click OK to close the General Options dialog box. Set up a project to test the remote solution capability. Once the project setup is complete, choose Maxwell>Analyze. If the Server Setup dialog appears, select the machine on which you want to run the analysis, and click OK. If it runs successfully, this configuration is complete. Otherwise, review the Troubleshooting section to resolve the problem.
B. Configuring the Local Machine for Unix

This section describes how to set up the local machine (the machine that sends out analysis requests). You should follow these steps in order. Please note that the first five steps are the same as with the Remote Machine Configuration for Unix machines. If you have already completed these steps, you may skip to the sixth step. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. (Linux Only) Ensure loopback adapter not associated with machine name Install Visual MainWin Remote Security Authority Install MainWin Core Services on Local Machine Configure MainWin Core Services for Local Machine Configure Port Access for Local Machine Install and Configure Ansoft products in Outgoing Request mode
7.
Starting Ansoft products in Outgoing Request mode
B(1) (Linux Only) Ensure loopback adapter not associated with local machine name
Unix On some machines, the machine may find its loopback adapter as the first IP address associated with it. If this is the case, then the machine may not communicate properly across the network. Determine whether the loopback adapter is associated with the machine name 1. 2. Ping both your machine name and "localhost", and get the IP address associated with each. If the IP addresses returned from both functions are the same, then you will be unable to connect to remote machines. You must correct this before proceeding.
Remove the loopback adapter association with the machine name Directions to properly associate your network IP address with the machine name depend on the type of network configured. Determine network configuration types 1. 2. Open the /etc/nsswitch.conf file. Look at the first uncommented line that starts with "hosts:". If any of the entries in this line read "files", then you may be using the /etc/hosts file for network identification and should proceed with the below steps. Otherwise, you will need to look into the network configurations you are using. Open the /etc/hosts file. Look at the first uncommented line that includes the word "localhost". This is the loopback adapter entry. If the loopback adapter line also includes your machine name, then it is possible that this entry is causing the machine to associate itself with the loopback adapter. If the machine name is included in the loopback adapter line: 4. 5. Remove the machine name from the loopback adapter line. Re-run the "Determine whether the loopback adapter is associated with the machine name" section above. a. b. If the IP addresses are now different, then you have corrected the problem. If the IP addresses are still the same, then this problem is being caused by a different network methodology. You will need to determine the source of the issue.
Inspect /etc/hosts file for loopback adapter association 1. 2. 3.
Note
If the ping command no longer knows the IP address associated with the machine, then you must add this information to the /etc/hosts file. You can determine the IP address by running /sbin/ifconfig.
Next Step: B(2) Install Visual MainWin Remote Security Authority

B(2) Install Visual MainWin Remote Security Authority (VMRSA)

Note This step is only necessary if you plan to use a mixed environment (both Windows and Unix machines) with remote analysis. It must be installed whether or not the Windows machines will be used as local machines and/or remote machines.
Unix Visual MainWin Remote Security Authority (remotesa) is a Windows service that allows authentication between Windows and Unix machines. It must be installed on the primary domain controller for the domain where authentication is used. Note Requirements for installing remotesa: 1. 2. It must be installed on a Windows machine that the Unix machines can see. Every user who will solve cross-platform to or from a Windows machine will be authenticated by name through remotesa. The names of these users must be defined locally on the machine running remotesa. If these users are defined on the domain, then you should install remotesa on a domain controller. If you do not wish to install remotesa on the domain controller, or you do not have a domain controller, then you need to add these users as local users on the machine running remotesa.
To install Visual MainWin Remote Security Authority: 1. 2. 3. 4. Log in as an administrator to the primary domain controller. Using one of the Ansoft software CDs for a Unix operating system, browse to the remotesa subdirectory. Run setup.exe to begin installation of the Visual MainWin Remote Security Authority. Follow the prompts for installation, making note of the remotesa security password entered. You will need this password for the configuration of all Unix clients.
Next Step: B(3) Install MainWin Core Services on the Local Machine
B(3) Install MainWin Core Services on Local Machine

Unix MainWin Core Services is a Unix service that allows for incoming and outgoing analysis requests on Unix machines. It must be installed and configured on each Unix machine that will be involved with remote analysis. For each Unix machine that requires MainWin Core Services, to install MainWin Core Services: 1. 2. Using one of the Ansoft software CDs for a Unix operating system, launch the installation shell as root. Choose Install MainWin Core Services. A new window appears.
3. 4.
If MainWin Core Services are already installed, you will be prompted to uninstall and reinstall them. If you choose to uninstall and reinstall MainWin Core Services, enter Yes. Enter the directory to which MainWin Core Services should be installed. If the directory does not exist, you will need to confirm that you wish to create this directory. If the directory already exists and contains files or directories, you will need to confirm removal of those files and directories. MainWin Core Services also creates a data directory in which machine-related information is stored. The MainWin Core Services administrator (determined later in this process) must have write access to this directory. By default, the MainWin Core Services data directory is set to the mwcoredata subdirectory of the installation directory. If you wish to change the data directory to something other than the default, enter Yes. Otherwise, enter No. If you choose to use a data directory other than the default, enter the directory to which the MainWin Core Services data should be written. If the directory does not exist, you will need to confirm that you wish to create this directory. If the directory already exists and contains files or directories, you will need to confirm removal of those files and directories. Once the installation is complete, the MainWin Core Services configuration is automatically launched.
5.
6.
7.
Next Step: B(4) Configure MainWin Core Services for the Local Machine
B(4) Configure MainWin Core Services for the Local Machine

Unix MainWin Core Services is a Unix service that allows for incoming and outgoing analysis requests on Unix machines. It must be installed and configured on each Unix machine that will be involved with remote analysis. For each Unix machine that requires MainWin Core Services, the MainWin Core Services configuration script is launched once the installation is complete. You can also launch the MainWin Core Services configuration script at another time. To launch the script manually, run the mwcore_config script, a link to which is located in /usr/bin. Once the MainWin Core Services configuration script is launched, you will be asked a series of questions to configure MainWin Core Services: 1. Enter the name of the user who will be permitted to change the configuration settings for MainWin Core Services, the MainWin Core Services Administrator. The administrator may be root or any other user that exists on this machine. This value can only be changed by root.
Note 2.
Indicate whether you will be using Windows machines for incoming and/or outgoing analysis requests.

If you enter No, you are indicating that Windows machines will not be used for incoming and/or outgoing analysis requests. If you enter Yes, you are indicating that Windows machines will be used for incoming and/or outgoing analysis requests.
If you entered No to question 2, indicating you will not be using any Windows machines: a. Enter a port number greater than 1024 for communication with other machines (known as the RPC port). This port must be available on all local and remote machines that will be involved in remote analysis.
If you entered Yes to question 2, you will be using Windows machines. The RPC port, used for communication with other machines, will automatically be set to 135. a. If you have never completed the MainWin Core Services configuration for mixed environments, you will be asked to verify whether Visual MainWin Remote Security Authority (remotesa) is installed on an appropriate Windows machine. If you have not installed it, you will need to install remotesa before completing the MainWin Core Services configuration. If you have already verified that Visual MainWin Remote Security Authority is installed, the script will indicate this and proceed to the next step. b. c. Enter the name of the machine on which remotesa was installed, either as a machine name or IP address. Enter the remotesa security password used when Visual MainWin Remote Security Authority was installed on the domain controller. The password entered must be the same as the one entered on the domain controller, or authentication services with this machine will not function.
Note
If the password has already been entered, you will be asked whether you wish to change the password. If you enter Yes, then you will be prompted for the password as mentioned above. Press Enter to accept the default remotesa security authentication (RSA) port of 667. If you changed the remotesa security authentication port, enter that value and press Enter. Enter the value of the environment variable USERDOMAIN when logged into the machine specified in (b) as one of the users who will solve cross platform.
d. e.
If the users are domain users, then this value should be the domain name. If the users are machine users, then the value should be the machine name.
Once the above steps are complete, MainWin Core Services will be configured, and a summary will be displayed showing the MainWin Core Services configuration. The Configuration File listed in the summary can be used to automate installations on other machines. To check the status of MainWin Core Services in the future, run mwcore_config summary. Next Step: B(5) Configure Port Access for Local Machine
B(5) Configure Port Access for Local Machine

Unix During the configuration of MainWin Core Services, the RPC port was configured as well as remotesa security authentication (RSA) port if a heterogeneous (Windows and Unix) environment
was specified. The ports must be accessible within the domain on which the machines are configured. Next Step: B(6) Install and Configure Ansoft products in Outgoing Request mode
B(6) Install and Configure Ansoft products in Outgoing Request mode

Unix Outgoing Request mode allows a user to send analysis requests to machines other than the local machine. You must also configure each Ansoft product that will be sending analysis requests. For each product, you will need to install the product and then configure the product settings in outgoing request mode so that any users who wish to use this machine have proper product settings.
Note
Outgoing request mode is automatically configured when you configure incoming request mode.
To configure a product in outgoing request mode: 1. 2. Go to the product-specific subdirectory of the installation directory. Run <product_name>.remote remote_config as either the MCS Administrator or root. For instance, to configure Maxwell in outgoing request mode, you would run maxwell.remote remote_config. If this product should not include support for analysis requests, enter No. Otherwise, follow the steps for the remote machine configuration for Unix machines. A message will appear that indicates the software is about to be launched in outgoing request mode. Review the information and, when complete, press Enter to start the software in outgoing request mode. If the software detects that the initial settings have not yet been configured, it will do so before starting the software.
3. 4.
Note 5.
Once the software has been configured, the software will start and open a test example. You should solve this example to verify the settings. If it runs successfully, this configuration is complete. Otherwise, review the Troubleshooting section to resolve the problem.
Next Step: B(7) Starting Ansoft products in Outgoing Request mode
B(7) Starting products in Outgoing Request mode

Unix After the software has been installed and configured, to launch the software in outgoing request mode, you should run <product_name>.remote. For instance, to launch Maxwell in outgoing request mode, you would run maxwell.remote.
Troubleshooting
Issue The following error appears when I try to analyze my design after a long hang: Unable to locate or start COM engine on machine_name. Error: The RPC server is unavailable. The following error appears immediately when I try to analyze my design: Unable to locate or start COM engine on machine_name. Error: The RPC server is unavailable.
Solution
Verify that machine_name refers to the machine you were trying to use and does not contain any typos. Verify that the remote machine is turned on. You may want to try ping machine_name to test connectivity to that machine. Verify that the RPC port is open, i.e. that no firewall is blocking it. If this simulation is on Windows, the RPC port is 135. If this simulation is only on Unix, then run mwcore_config summary to determine the port number. To verify that this port is available, run telnet machine_name RPC_port_number.
If the port is not open, telnet shows an error such as: Connecting to machine_name...Could not open connection to the host, on port RPC_port_number: Connect failed If the port is open, telnet appears to hang.
Verify that the COM engine that was configured is allowed to communicate through any firewalls configured on the remote machine. Also, terminate any hanging COM engine processes on the remote machine.
Issue
Solution
The following error appears when I try Check the following on the remote machine: to analyze my design: If the OS on the remote machine is Windows XP Unable to locate or start COM engine Service Pack 2 or higher, Windows XP x64 on machine_name. Error: Access is Professional, or Windows Server 2003 Service Pack denied. 1 or higher:
If the COM engine on the remote machine is running, terminate the process, and verify that the machine-level Local Access Limit permission is enabled for the Launching User. Verify that the machine-level Remote Access Limit permission is enabled for the Launching User. Verify that the machine-level Remote Launch Limit and Remote Activation Limit permissions are enabled for the Launching User. Verify that the COM engine-specific Remote Launch and Remote Activation permissions are enabled for the Launching User.
If the OS on the remote machine is not one of the aforementioned:
Verify that the COM engine-specific Allow Launch or Launch Permission permission is enabled for the Launching User. Verify that Enable Distributed COM on this computer is checked on the remote machine.
See below to check the local machine.
Issue (continued)
Solution Check the following on the local machine:
If the OS on the Local Machine is Windows XP Service Pack 2 or higher, Windows XP x64 Professional, or Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1 or higher:
Verify that the machine-level Local Access Limit permission is enabled for the Local User. Verify that the machine-level Local Activation Limit permission is enabled for the Local User. Verify that Enable Distributed COM on this computer is checked on the remote machine.
If the OS on the Local Machine is a Unix OS (e.g. Solaris, Linux):
Run mwcore_config summary on the Unix machine. Verify that the remotesa server specified in the summary matches the machine on which Visual MainWin Remote Security Authority (remotesa) is installed. Verify that the remotesa authentication port specified in the summary matches the port on which Visual MainWin Remote Security Authority (remotesa) is installed. Unless this value was specifically changed in the remotesa installation, the value should be 667. Verify that the USERDOMAIN value as specified in the summary matches the users who will be solving cross-platform. Run mwcore_config, and, when prompted whether or not you wish to change the password, enter Yes. Type the same password entered on the remotesa server.
If the above has all been verified, reboot the local and remote machines to refresh cached settings.
Issue
Solution
The following error appears when I try This message appears if the COM engine is missing on the remote machine, or if the user does not have execute to analyze my design: Unable to locate or start COM engine permissions on the COM engine. on machine_name. Error: Class not registered.
Verify that the software is installed on the remote machine. Verify that the COM engine is properly registered on the remote machine.
The following error appears when I try If the OS on the remote machine is Windows XP Service Pack 2 or higher, Windows XP x64 Professional, or to analyze my design: Unable to locate or start COM engine Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1 or higher: Verify that the machine-level Local Access Limit permission is enabled for the Remote Process User. The user listed as the "this user" on the remote machines The following error appears when I try DCOM configuration has the wrong password entered. to analyze my design: To correct the problem, enter the correct password for the Unable to locate or start COM engine user listed as "this user". on machine_name. Error: The server process could not be started because the configured identity is incorrect. Check the user name and password. The Self user has no Local Access limit permissions on The following errors appear immediately when I try to analyze my the remote machine. Add Local Access permissions for the Self user on the remote machine, and reattempt design: analysis. Failed to check out license maxwell_solve. Bad encryption handshake with vendor daemon (FLEXlm Error -33). The following error appears immediately when I try to analyze my design: The Remote Process user listed in username has never run the software on or has never logged onto the remote machine listed in machine_name. on machine_name. Error: Server execution failed.
Unable to load into the registry the You must add the user to the remote machine, log into the remote machine as that user, and run the software one profile for the user username. Simulation completed with execution time to configure the runtime settings for that user. error on server: machine_name.
Issue The following error appears immediately when I try to analyze my design:
Solution The remote process user listed in username has either never been added as a user on the remote machine or has never logged into the remote machine listed in machine_name.
Unable to locate the profile for the user username. Simulation completed You must add the user to the remote machine, log into the remote machine as that user, and run the software one with execution error on server: time to configure the runtime settings for that user. machine_name. The following error appears immediately when I try to analyze my design: The Remote Process user either has not been added as a user on the remote machine or has never run the software on the remote machine.
Unable to create simulation working You must add the user on to the remote machine, log into directory within temp dir: temporary the remote machine as that user, and run the software one time to configure the runtime settings for that user. directory - simulating on machine_name. Simulation completed with execution error on sever machine_name.
Issue The following errors appear immediately when I try to analyze my design:
Solution The temporary file directory has insufficient permissions for the remote user to write temporary files.
Check the permissions by setting up security permissions Unable to create simulation working on the remote machine. directory within temp dir: temporary_directory. Error decoding model data or writing it to disk. The following error appears when I try If there were any additional messages displayed, check the Troubleshooting guide for those specific messages. to analyze my design: Simulation completed with execution Check the following on the remote machine: error on machine_name. If the OS on the remote machine is Windows XP Service Pack 2 or higher, Windows XP x64 Professional, or Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1 or higher:
If the COM engine on the remote machine is running, terminate the process, and verify that the machine-level Remote Access Limit permission is enabled for Anonymous Logon. Verify that the machine-level Local Launch Limit and Local Activation Limit permissions are enabled for the Interactive User. Verify that the COM engine-specific Local Launch and Local Activation permissions are enabled for the Interactive User.
If the OS on the remote machine is not one of the aforementioned:
Verify that the COM engine-specific Allow Launch or Launch Permission permission is enabled for the Interactive User.
(See below to check the local machine.)
Issue (Continued from above.)
Solution Check the following on the local machine:
If the OS on the local machine is Windows XP Service Pack 2 or higher, Windows XP x64 Professional, or Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1 or higher:
If the Remote Process User is set to The launching user on any remote machine, verify that the Remote Access Limit permission is enabled for Anonymous Logon. If the Remote Process User is set to The launching user on any remote machine, verify that the Remote Access Default permission is enabled for Anonymous Logon. If the Remote Process User is set to This user on any remote machine, verify that the Remote Access Default permission is enabled for the user listed in This user (or you may add the Remote Access Default permission for Everyone to include all users).
Verify that the machine Default Authentication Level is set to None. Verify that the product used to launch remote analysis is allowed to communicate through any firewalls configured on the local machine.
If the above has all been verified, reboot the local and remote machines to refresh cached settings.
Distributed Analysis
Distributed analysis allows users to split certain types of analyses and solve each portion of an analysis simultaneously on multiple machines. Simulation times can be greatly decreased by using this feature. Maxwell supports distributed analysis for parametric solutions. Related Topics: Configuring Distributed Analysis Licensing for Distributed Analysis Selecting and Optimal Configuration for Distributed Analysis
Configuring Distributed Analysis

To configure distributed analysis: 1. Follow the steps to configure remote analysis. The remote machines are the machines to which the analysis is distributed, and the local machine is the machine that launches the distributed analysis. Once the remote analysis configuration is complete, you must add the remote machines you wish to use for distributed analysis to the Local Machine's list of distributed analysis machines. a. b. c. Start the product on the Local Machine. Click Tools >Options >General Options. Choose the Analysis Machines tab and in the Analysis Machines pane, select the Edit button.
2.
d.
The following dialog appears..
e. f.
Add the remote machines you wish to use for distributed analysis. You can reference them by IP address, DNS name (typically machine_name), or UNC name (\\machine name). Once you have finished adding machines, press OK to close this dialog. The added machines will be listed in the General Options >Analysis tab dialog when the Distributed radio button is selected. You must have at least two machines listed to run a distributed analysis.
3.
Open and solve a project that you wish to run using distributed analysis. You can distribute a parametric table or multiple frequency sweeps of a single analysis setup. a. b. Open the project you want to run using distributed analysis. Expand the project tree so you can see the parametric table or multiple frequency sweeps
that you wish to distribute. If the desired parametric table or multiple discrete frequency sweeps that you wish to distribute are not listed, you will need to add them. c. Note Right-click the parametric table or analysis setup that owns the multiple frequency sweeps, and select Distribute Analysis. This option is only active if there are multiple rows listed in the parametric table, there are multiple frequency sweeps listed under a given analysis setup, and the number of distributed analysis machines is two or greater.
Licensing for Distributed Analysis

If you do a distributed analysis, Maxwell launches solver engines on multiple machines, assuming you have configured your machines appropriately. The number of maxwell_solve licenses controls how many analyses (non-distributed or distributed) can be done at a time. The number of ansoft_distrib licenses controls how many distributed analyses can be done at a time (in other words, how many users can click Distribute Analysis at the same time). The number of ansoft_distrib_engine licenses controls how many simultaneous variations can be run during a single distributed analysis. Each ansoft_distrib license comes with 10 distributed engine licenses (ansoft_distrib_engine). If an installation has more than one distributed analysis license, the owners of those licenses can each access up to the total number of available licensed engines. For example, with two distributed analysis licenses, all 20 licensed engines are available to divide between those two license owners. Maxwell allows you to split the engines 10:10 or 5:15 or 2:18; even if one person uses all 20 engines, you can leave the second ansoft_distrib license unused. However, you cannot divide the 20 machines among more than two distributed analysis, since they only have two ansoft_distrib licenses available.
Selecting an Optimal Configuration for Distributed Analysis

The combination of Distributed Analysis and Multiprocessing for Distributed Analysis allow for efficient use of your compute resources. Selecting an optimal configuration to maximize throughput is dependent not only on the number of Distributed Analysis and Multiprocessing for Distributed Analysis license bundles you own, it is also dependent on the problem you are attempting to solve. Each machine you specify in the distributed analysis machine list will use one ansoft_distrib_engine license. If you specify the same machine twice in the distributed analysis machine list, Maxwell uses two ansoft_distrib_engine licenses on that machine and concurrently solves two parametric variations or frequency points on that machine. This can be a considerable advantage if you have several powerful machines and want to use the full computing power for each machine. For example, take the situation where you have access to two powerful machines, each with 8 cores on and 64 GB RAM, to be used for distributed analysis. You could specify each machine eight times in the distributed analysis machine list and concurrently solve 16 variations on the two machines, which will use 16 ansoft_distrib_engine licenses. This works well so long as the amount of RAM required to solve each variation or frequency point does not exceed 8 GB RAM (64 GB
RAM / 8 cores = 8 GB RAM/core). If the problem requires, say, 16 GB RAM, then it is best to run only 4 variations on a 64 GB machine. In this case, if you send 4 variations to each of your 8-core machine, you will have a total of 8 cores that are not being used while solving. With the Multiprocessing for Distributed Analysis license bundle, you can use the remaining 8 cores while solving the solution matrix. To do this, set the number of processors to 2 (Maxwell3D Options: Solver Tab). Since you have 8 variations running concurrently, you would use 8 ansoft_distrib_engine licenses and 8 ansoft_distrib_engine_mp licenses. If the number of processors is set to any number higher than 1, then the number of ansoft_distrib_engine_mp licenses used while solving will be equal to the number of ansoft_distrib_engine licenses used. That means that, in the above example, if your problem requires more than 16 GB RAM but less than 32 GB RAM, we would recommend running 2 variations concurrently on each machine and setting the number of processors to 4. From a license perspective, you would use 4 ansoft_distrib_engine licenses and 4 ansoft_distrib_engine_mp licenses.
Monitoring the Solution Process

While a simulation is running, you can monitor the solution's progress in the Progress window. Above the red progress bar, messages describe the setup and step. The progress bar shows the relative progress of each step. Under the bar, messages note the part of the design being solved, and give memory estimates during the factoring process. You can also view the following solution data at any time during or after the solution:

1. 2.
The convergence data: The matrices computed for the S-parameters, impedances, and propagation constants. A profile of status of the adaptive analysis, including the number of valid passes completed. Right-click the solution Setup in the project tree. A shortcut menu appears. Select Convergence, Solution, Matrix Data, Profile, or Mesh Statistics from the shortcut menu. The Solutions window appears with the corresponding tab selected and the current data displayed.
To view the Solutions window:
For "out of core" problems, quite different amounts of memory may be used for factorization and for solution. So if the amount for factorization is displayed under the progress bar and the amount used is calculated for the profile at the end of the solution, they may be quite different numbers. To view the status of the adaptive analysis:
Click Maxwell >Results >Browse Solutions. The Solutions dialog box appears displaying data about the number of valid passes completed. Note If Maxwell loses its license, it waits for the license to be regained, checking every 2 minutes or until you abort.
Monitoring Queued Simulations

If you have multiple setups for a design, and have selected Analyze All, the simulations are queued until there is a machine available. Setups are solved in the order that they appear in the project tree. You can prioritize setups by changing the order in the queue. 1. To view the solution queue, click Tools >Show Queued Simulations or click the Show Queue icon on the toolbar. This displays a dialog that displays each simulation and its current status. You select and remove any simulation from the queue. You can also select any setup and use the Move up and Move down buttons to prioritize them. 2. To remove a simulation from the queue, select the simulation, and click Remove from Queue. This removes the selected simulation from the queue.
Changing a Solutions Priority

You can reduce the priority of Maxwell simulations so that system resources are allocated to other computer processes before the solver. If you reduce the priority of Maxwell simulations, your other software tools will respond as they normally would, but Maxwell simulations may take longer. Note The Windows Task Manager does not indicate a reduced priority for the Maxwell solver. It only lists the priority of the engine manager, which appears normal, not the actual engine. The actual engine is in a separate thread, whose priority is not visible in the Windows Task Manager.
To change the priority of simulations for the systems resources: 1. While a solution is running, right-click the Progress window, and click Change Priority on the shortcut menu.
2.
Alternatively, click the Tools >Options >Maxwell Options to open the Maxwell Options dialog box, and click the Solver tab.
From the Change Priority menu (or the Default Process Priority pull-down menu), select one of the following priorities: Lowest Priority Below Normal Normal Above Normal Highest The default.
3.
Click OK.
Related Topics Monitoring Queued Simulations
Aborting Analyses
To end the solution process before it is complete:
In the Progress window, click Abort. Maxwell ends the analysis immediately.
If you aborted the solution in the middle of an adaptive pass, the data for that pass or current frequency point is deleted. Any solutions that were completed prior to the one that was aborted are still available. The solutions that are available depend on when you aborted. For example, if you stopped the solution while a post-processing macro was executing, the field solution computed for that setup is still available. To abort the solution process after the current adaptive pass or solved frequency point is complete:
Right-click the Progress window, and click Clean Stop on the shortcut menu. Maxwell ends the analysis after the next solved pass or frequency point.
If you request a clean stop between the third and fourth adaptive pass, the solutions for the third and fourth pass will be available.
Re-solving a Problem
If you modify a design after generating a solution, the solution in memory will no longer match the design. To generate a new solution after modifying a design, follow the procedure for running a simulation: 1. 2. Select a solution setup in the project tree. Click Maxwell>Analyze All.
19
Post Processing and Generating Reports
When Maxwell has completed a solution, you can display and analyze the results in the following ways:
View solution data including the following: convergence information, computing resources that were used during the solution process, and matrices during each adaptive, non-adaptive, or sweep solution. Create 2D or 3D reports of RLC matrices and basic and derived field quantities. Specify output variables. Use the Fields Calculator to perform computations using basic field quantities. Plot field overlays - representations of basic or derived field quantities on surfaces or objects. Plot the finite element mesh on surfaces or within 3D objects. Create animations of field quantities, the finite element mesh, and defined project variables.
Related Topics Viewing Analysis Results for Optimetrics Solutions
Post Processing and Generating Reports 19-1
Viewing Solution Data

While Maxwell is generating a solution, or when it is complete, you can view the following information about the solution:
Convergence information. Computing resources, or profile information, that were used during the solution process. Output Variables computed during each adaptive, non-adaptive, or sweep solution. Output Parameters and Matrix Data computed during each adaptive, non-adaptive, or sweep solution. Mesh data. Note Since adaptive mesh refinement is not performed for transient solutions, convergence data is not available for Transient analysis.
To access the Solutions dialog box, in which the information above can be accessed, do one of the following:
Click Maxwell3D, Maxwell2D, or RMxprt and then select Results>Solution Data. Right-click Results in the project tree, and then click Solution Data on the shortcut menu.
Related Topics Viewing Solution Data for an Optimetrics Design Variation Monitoring the Solution Process
Viewing Convergence Data

To view an adaptive solution's convergence information, either during or after the solution process: 1. In the project tree, right-click the solution setup of interest, and then click Convergence on the shortcut menu. The Solutions dialog box appears with the Convergence tab selected. 2. From the Simulation pull-down list, select the solution setup for which you want to view convergence data. By default, the most recently solved solution is selected. 3. Under the Convergence tab, depending on your design setup, you can review the following convergence data:

4.
Number of adaptive passes completed and remaining. The number of tetrahedra or triangles created at each adaptive pass. Solution type dependent parameters such as Loss, Total Loss, Loss Error. Output Variable between two passes.
Select Table to display the convergence data in table format or Plot to plot the convergence data on a rectangular (XY) plot.
19-2 Post Processing and Generating Reports
Related Topics Viewing Solution Data for an Optimetrics Design Variation Plotting a Quantity versus Adaptive Pass
Viewing the Number of Completed Passes

At any time during the solution process, you can view the number of adaptive passes (solve error analysis refine cycles) that have been completed and that have yet to be completed. When the solution is complete, you can view the number of adaptive passes that were performed. If the solution converged within the specified stopping criteria, fewer passes than requested may have been performed. To view the number of passes:
In the project tree, right-click the solution setup of interest, and then click Convergence on the shortcut menu. The Solutions dialog box appears with the Convergence tab selected. The number of completed and remaining passes is listed in the Number of Passes area.
Viewing Output Variable Convergence

At any time during or after the solution process, you can view the values of the output variable. To view the output variable convergence:
In the project tree, right-click the solution setup of interest, and then click Convergence on the shortcut menu. The Solution Data window appears. The Convergence tab is selected. The Output Var column lists the value of the output variable for each pass. The Output Var. Delta (%) column lists the delta change between the current and previous passes as a percentage of the previous pass value. If output variable convergence is not used, the columns are not used in the table.
Related Topics Specifying Output Variable Convergence
Plotting Convergence Data

To display convergence data vs. pass on a rectangular (x - y) plot: 1. In the project tree, right-click the solution setup of interest, and then click Convergence on the shortcut menu. The Solutions dialog box appears with the Convergence tab selected. 2. 3. 4. 5. In the lower-left corner of the window, select Plot as the View type. Select the data you want to plot on the x-axis from the X pull-down list. Select the data type you want to plot on the y-axis from the Y pull-down list. Click Close. The xy plot appears in the view window.
Viewing a Solution's Profile

At any time during or after the solution process, you can examine the computing resources or profile data that was used during the analysis. The profile data comprises a log of the tasks performed by Maxwell during the solution. The log indicates how long each task took and how much RAM/ disk memory was required.
In the project tree, right-click the solution setup of interest, and then click Profile on the shortcut menu. The Solutions dialog box appears with the Profile tab selected. The displayed data depends on the type of problem and solution setup. In general, it includes the following information: Task Lists the software module that performed a task during the solution process and the type of task that was performed. For example, for the task mesh3d_adapt, Mesh3d is the software module that adaptively refined the mesh. Real Time CPU Time Memory The amount of real time (clock time) required to perform the task. The amount of CPU time required to perform the task. The peak amount of memory used by your machine while performing the task. This value includes the applications running at the time; it is not limited to Maxwell. Memory is freed for other uses after each task is complete. Information General information about the solution, including the number of tetrahedra used in the mesh, the elapsed time, and the memory used by the MaxwellComEngine. The elapsed time is the difference between the time in the Start line and the time in the Total line how long the task actually took between when Analyze was clicked and when the simulation finished. The elapsed time is a little greater than the Real Time given in the Total line. This is because the Total line contains the sum of all of the real times reported by the individual processes and does not include the typically small amount of time the Maxwell ComEngine uses before, after, and in between calling the other executables.
Related Topics Viewing an Optimetrics Solution's Profile Data
Viewing Matrix Data

To view matrix parameter data: 1. In the project tree, right-click the solution setup of interest in the Parameters folder, and then
click Solution on the shortcut menu. The Solutions dialog box appears. Select the Matrix tab. 2. The Design Variation box shows the current design. Optionally, click the ... button, and choose a design variation solved during an optimization or parametric analysis from the Set Design Variation dialog box. 3. In the Simulation pull-down lists:

4. 5.
Select the solution setup from the first pull-down list. Select the solved pass data you wish to view from the second pull-down list, either the last adaptive pass or one of the intermediate passes.
Select a Parameter and optionally an adaptive Pass to view. Select one of the following from the Type pull-down list:

6. 7.
Re(Z), Im(Z) R, L, C Flux Linkage Inductive coupling coefficient (for magnetostatic solutions) Capacitive coupling coefficient (for electrostatic solutions)
Options available in the Type list depend upon the designs solution type setting. Depending on the solution type you selected, you may have to specify the Units in which to display the information. The available units depend on the matrix type being displayed. (Optional) To export the matrix data (as specified by the Type list): a. b. c. d. 8. Click Export Solution. The Export Solution dialog box appears. Select a location for the solution data. Type a filename in which to store the data in the File name text box. Click Save. The solution is saved as a data table in the specified file.
You may optionally export a circuit based on the matrix parameters by clicking Export Circuit.
Exporting a Circuit Model

To export the circuit: a. b. c. d. e. Click Export Circuit. The Export Circuit dialog box appears. In the Equivalent Circuit Settings section, select the matrix you want to export from the Matrix pull-down list. (Optional) Type a scaling factor in the Scaling Factor text box. You may want to provide a scaling factor if you are using symmetry to analyze a portion of the model. For an induction matrix, type a Resistance for each source listed in the table. (Optional) If desired, drag table rows to re-order the circuit pins.
f. g. h. i.
In the Circuit Export section, select a setup from the Solution Setup pull-down list. (Optional) Type a Variation. Type the path and file name in the File name text box, or click the ... button to find and select the desired location. (Optional To view the netlist:

j. k. 9.
Click Preview. The Circuit Model Preview dialog box appears. You can also click Export Circuit from within this dialog box. Click Close to close the netlist.
To export the circuit to the specified file, click Export Circuit. Click OK to close the Export Circuit dialog box.
Click Close to close the Solutions dialog box.
by the following equation:
Coupling Coefficient Matrix For a matrix with entries Mij, i, j = 1,..., N, the coupling coefficient for row i and column j is given
M ij k = --------------------------M ij M ji
This coefficient indicates how much flux in one coil is linked with the other coil. If all the flux in one coil reaches the other coil, k = 1 (and coupling is 100%). Inductors with k > 0.5 are tightly coupled. Inductors with k < 0.5 are loosely coupled. The mutual inductance (M) falls between 0 and tances). Related Topics Assigning a Matrix
M ij M ji
(the geometric mean of the induc-
Viewing Parameter Data

To view parameter solution data such as force and torque: 1. In the project tree, right-click the solution setup of interest in the Parameters folder, and then click View Solution on the shortcut menu. The Solutions dialog box appears. 2. The Design Variation box shows the current design. Optionally, click the ... button, and choose a design variation solved during an optimization or parametric analysis from the Set Design Variation dialog box. 3. In the Simulation pull-down lists:

4. 5. 6.
Select the solution setup from the first pull-down list. Select the solved pass data you wish to view from the second pull-down list, either the last adaptive pass or one of the intermediate passes.
Select a Parameter and optionally an adaptive Pass to view. Depending on the solution type you selected, you may have to specify the Units in which to display the information. The available units depend on the matrix type being displayed. (Optional) To export the matrix data (and other solution data): a. b. c. d. Click Export Solution. The Export Solution dialog box appears. Select a location for the solution data. Type a filename in which to store the data in the File name text box. Click Save.
7.
Click Close to close the Solutions dialog box.
Related Topics Adding solution Parameters
Viewing Mesh Statistics

To view an adaptive solution's mesh information, either during or after the solution process: 1. In the project tree, right-click the solution setup of interest, and then click Mesh Statistics on the shortcut menu. The Solutions dialog box appears with the Mesh Statistics tab selected. The table lists the design elements and depending upon the solution type may include: Num Elements, Min edge length, Max edge length, RMS edge length, min tet vol., max tet vol., mean tet vol. and standard deviation (min elem area, max elem area, mean elem area and standard deviation for 2D designs). If mesh repairs have been performed, two additional columns appear in the table; Recovered % and Reparied %. These columns indicate the fraction of an object that was successfully recovered and the fraction that needed some repair. Related topics Technical Notes: Finite Element Analysis Technical Notes:The Mesh Generation Process
Creating Animations
An animated plot is a series of frames that displays a field, mesh, or geometry at varying variable values. To create an animated plot, specify the variable values of the plot that you want to include. Each plot associated with a variable value is a frame in the animation. You specify how many frames to include in the animation. Note Each animation frame requires memory for storage which depends upon the mesh size and type of plot. Memory usage may become very large during plot animations. To reduce memory usage, specify the minimum number of frames possible. See General Options for more information.
You can export the animation to animated Graphics Interchange Format (GIF) or to Audio Video Interleave (AVI) format. Related Topics General Options: Miscellaneous Options Tab Creating Geometry Animations Creating Field Plot Animations Controlling the Animations Display Exporting Animations
Creating Geometry Animations

Geometry animations may be created to evaluate the effect of varying geometry variables on the model. You must define at least one variable associated with the geometry prior to creating a geometry animation. Following is the general procedure for creating an animation that varies a part of the model geometry: 1. Right-click in the view window, then click View>Animate. If multiple geometries can be varied in the design, the Select Drawing dialog box appears, proceed to step 2. If only one geometry is variable, proceed to step 3. The Setup Animation dialog box appears. 2. In the Select Drawing dialog box: a. b. Note Select the geometry variable to vary in the animation. Select the object you want to animate. If previous animations have been created for this project, the Select Animation dialog will appear. You may choose an animation setup from the list if one is associated with the geometry variable of interest and the animation will start. If no existing animation setup is acceptable, select New and continue at Step 3 below.
3.
In the Setup Animation dialog box: a. Type a name for the animation in the Name text box or accept the default name.
b. c.
Optionally, type a description of the animation in the Description text box. Under the Swept Variable tab, the Swept Variable list includes all of the defined geometric project and design variables. Select the geometry variable that you want to animate from the Swept Variable list. Specify the values of the variable that you want to include in the animation: 1. 2. 3. Type the starting value of the variable in the Start text box. Type the stopping value of the variable in the Stop text box. Type the number of Steps to include in the animation. For example, if the Start value is 0.15in, the Stop value is 0.45in, and the number of steps is 15, the animation will display the geometry at 15 values between 0.15 inches and 0.45 inches. The animation will also include the start value, which will be the first frame displayed, resulting in a total of 16 frames in the animation.
d.
e.
If the design has multiple project or intrinsic variables, click the Design Point tab to set the values of the non-animated variables. 1. 2. 3. Click the Design Point tab. Deselect the Use defaults checkbox. In the table, select the row corresponding to the variable setting of interest.
4.
Click OK. The animation begins in the view window, displaying one frame for each variable value. The play panel appears in the upper-left corner of the desktop, enabling you to stop, restart, and control the speed and sequence of the frames.
Related Topics Controlling the Animation's Display
Creating Field Plot Animations

To animate an existing field plot: 1. Right-click on the plot name in the Project Tree, and then select Animate. The Setup Animation dialog box appears. If previous animations have been created for this project, the Select Animation dialog will appear. You may choose an animation setup from the list if one is associated with the geometry variable of interest and the animation will start. Otherwise select New and continue at Step 2 below.
Note
2. 3. 4.
Type a name for the animation in the Name box, or accept the default name. Optionally, type a description of the animation in the Description box. Under the Swept Variable tab, the Swept Variable list includes all of the defined project and design variables. Select the variable that you want to animate from the Swept Variable pulldown list. The Select Values table lists all solved values for the variable selected in Swept Variable.
5.
Select the values to include in the animation. By default, all solved values will be included. 6. (For Electric Transient Solver plots only) a. b. c. Type the starting value of the variable in the Start box. Type the stopping value of the variable in the Stop box. Type the number of steps to include in the animation in the Steps box. For example, if the Start value is 0.15in, the Stop value is 0.45in, and the step size is 15, the animation displays the geometry at 15 values between 0.15 inches and 0.45 inches. The animation also includes the start value, which is the first frame displayed, resulting in a total of 16 frames in the animation.
7.
If the design has multiple project or intrinsic variables, click the Design Point tab to set the values of the non-animated variables. a. b. c. Deselect the Use defaults checkbox. In the table, select the row corresponding to the variable setting of interest. If intrinsic variables are available, select the value of interest in the Intrinsic variables section of the dialog.
8.
Click OK. The animation begins in the view window, displaying one frame for each variable value. The play panel appears in the upper-left corner of the desktop, enabling you to stop, restart, and control the speed and sequence of the frames.
Related Topics Controlling the Animation's Display
Controlling the Animation's Display

When an animation is displayed in the view window, the Animation window, also called the play panel, appears in the upper-left corner of the desktop. It has buttons that enable you to control the speed and sequence of the frames, start and stop the animation, and export the animation.
Click an area of the window below to learn its function.
Animation slider
Each dot on the slider represents a frame in the animation. Drag the slider to the right to display the next frame in the animated plot. Drag the slider to the left to display the previous frame. Plays the plot's animation sequence backwards. Steps backward through the animated plot one frame at a time. Stops the animation. Steps forward through the animated plot one frame at a time. Plays the plot's animation sequence forwards.
Drag the Speed slider to the top to increase the speed of the animation. Drag the Speed slider to the bottom to decrease its speed.
Frame The current frame and phase at which the plot is being displayed is listed information below the control buttons. Enables you to export the animation to an animated Graphics Interchange Format (GIF) or to Audio Video Interleave (AVI) format. Closes the animation window.
Exporting Animations
1. 2. 3. Create the animation you want to export. In the Animation play panel, click Export. The Export File dialog box appears. Follow the procedure for saving a new file. Select Animated GIF File (.gif) or AVI File (.avi) as the file type. The Animation Options dialog box appears. 4. 5. 6. 7. To replace colors in the file with 256 shades of gray, select Grayscale. Grayscale animations use less memory than full color animations. For AVI files, specify the Compression factor and the Compression types. For GIF files, specify the Number of loops. Click OK. The animation is exported to the file format you specified.
Creating Reports
After Maxwell has generated a solution, all of the results for that solution are available for analysis. One of the ways you can analyze your solution data is to create a 2D or 3D report, or graphical representation, that displays the relationship between a designs values and the corresponding analysis results. You create reports using either the Create <type> Report commands or the Quick Report command for solution types. The Quick Report feature lets you select from a list of predefined categories from which to create a rectangular plot. For each solution type (Electrostatic, Magnetostatic, AC Conduction(2D only), DC Conduction, Eddy Current, Transient , or Electric Transient(3D only), the Results menus present a list of Create <type> Report commands based on the solution data of direct interest for the design. For example, for the Magnetostatic solution type, the Results menu contains templates for Magnetostatic Parameters and for Fields.These appear on the menus as Create Magnetostatic Report and Create Fields Report. Each of these Create <type> Report menu items includes a further cascading menu that lists the Display Types available for that report. When you select Create <type> Report, the Report dialog appears. From the Report dialog, you select the following: Context section
Solution field with a drop down selection list. This lists the available setups and sweeps. As a minimum, the LastAdaptive solution and AdaptivePass solution is available to choose. The AdaptivePass solution context can be selected to allow any value or parameter to be plotted versus the adaptive pass. This function is usually used to evaluate the convergence of the solution.
For Transient projects only. Domain field with a pull down selection list containing options for plotting vs time (Sweep Domain) or plotting vs frequency (Spectral Domain). For Eddy projects only. Domain field with a pull down selection list containing options for plotting vs frequency (Sweep Domain) or plotting vs time (Time Domain). Parameters field with a pull-down selection list containing the available solution parameters set up for this design. Optionally, Geometry field with a drop down selection list. For field reports, this applies the quantity to a specific geometry. X (Primary Sweep) section
Trace tab
This contains a dropdown menu for selecting the value(s) and a browse button for selecting from a list if sweeps (if available). Categories - these depend on the Solution type and the design. This lets you specify the category of information for the Y component. Quantities for Y Functions to apply to the Y quantities.
Y Component section
Value field displays the currently specified Quantity and Function. Range Function button -- opens the Set Range Function dialog. This applies currently specified Quantity and Function.
Families section Each member of a family defines one point on a curve. Lists the number of families available. Variable display or Table display radio buttons. Variables allows you to edit sweeps. Table allows you to select individual combinations of values. The Edit button lets you select variable values. Nominals field (disabled if none exist in the design) and a browse button. Real Time checked -- enable real time updates for all reports while the reports are being edited. Real Time unchecked -- enables drop down menu to Update All Reports or Update This Report. Reports will only be updated with one of these user selectable update options or upon exiting the report dialog. Add Trace - this is enabled when you have created or selected a report. You can add further traces. The new trace is displays in the Project window under the report. Update Trace - updates the selected traces in a report based on further processing or changes.when you edit a trace, this button applies the current values to that trace. New Report. Adds a report to the Project tree under the Results icon. The new Report is displayed in the Project window. Output Variables - opens the Output Variables dialog. Options - opens the Report Setup Options dialog. This contains a checkbox for using the advanced mode for editing and viewing trace components. This mode is automatic if the trace requires it. It also contains a field for setting the maximum number of significant digits to display for numerical quantities. Close - closes the Report dialog.
Update Report
Report dialog command buttons
Note
Remember the evaluated value of an expression is always interpreted as in SI units. However, when a quantity is plotted in a report, you have the option to plot values in units other than SI.
Related Topics: Selecting the Report Type Selecting the Display Type Selecting a Field Quantity to Plot
Working with Traces Modifying Reports Selecting a Function Sweeping a Variable in a Report Selecting a Parameter to Plot Plotting Field Overlays Using the Fields Calculator Plotting a Quantity versus Adaptive Pass
Creating a New Report

Following is the general procedure for creating a new report: 1. On the Maxwell3D or Maxwell2D menu or the Project tree, point to Results, and then select Create <type> Report and from the menu select the Display Type for that template. When you have selected the <type> and display type from the Results menu, the Report dialog appears. 2. In the Context section make selections from the following field or fields, depending on the design and solution type. a. Solution field with a drop down selection list. This lists the available setups and sweeps. As a minimum, the LastAdaptive solution and AdaptivePass solution is available to choose. The AdaptivePass solution context can be selected to allow any value or parameter to be plotted versus the adaptive pass. This function is usually used to evaluate the convergence of the solution. b. c. d. e. 3. For Transient projects only. Domain field with a pull down selection list containing options for plotting vs time (Sweep Domain) or plotting vs frequency (Spectral Domain). For Eddy projects only. Domain field with a pull down selection list containing options for plotting vs frequency (Sweep Domain) or plotting vs time (Time Domain). Parameter field with a drop down selection list. Whether this field appears, and the Parameters listed depend on the Solution type and the <type> selected. Geometry field with a drop down selection list. For field reports, this applies the quantity to a specific geometry. Select the value(s) from the drop down menu. If sweeps are available, you can select the browse button to display a dialog that lets you select particular sweep or sweeps, or all sweeps. Categories - those depend on the Solution type and the design. For example, Magnetostatic quantities include , Torque, Inductance, and other user selectable solution parameters.
In the X (Primary Sweep) section, make selections for the following: a. b.
4.
In the Y Component section of the dialog make selections for the following: a.
b. Note c. d. Note e. 5.
Quantities for Y are relative to the selected category. The Quantity text field can be used to filter the Quantity list by typing in text. This is useful if the Category selected produces a lengthy Quantities list. Function list to apply to the Y quantities. The Y value field displays the currently specified Quantity and Function. You can edit this field directly. Color shows valid expression. Range Function button -- opens the Set Range Function dialog. This applies currently specified Quantity and Function. Variable display or Table display radio buttons. If you have defined variables for the design, selecting the Variable radio button displays a list of variables. Selecting Table uses a table format.An Edit button lets you edit variables. Nominals field (disabled if none exist in the design) and a browse button.
In the Families section, if families are available, make selections for the following: a.
b. 6.
The Report dialog command buttons permit you create a new report with the settings you provide, or to modify an existing report.
Add Trace - this is enabled when you have created or selected a report. Add one or more traces to include in the report. Update Trace - updates the selected traces in a report based on further processing or changes. New Report. Adds a report to the Project tree under the Results icon. The new Report is displayed in the Project window. Output Variables - opens the Output Variables dialog. Options - opens the Report Setup Options dialog. This contains a checkbox for using the advanced mode for editing and viewing trace components. This mode is automatic if the trace requires it. It also contains a field for setting the maximum number of significant digits to display for numerical quantities. Close - closes the Report dialog.
7.
Click New Report to create a new report in the Project tree. The report appears in the view window. It will be listed in the project tree under Reports. Traces within the report also appear in the project tree. Some plots may take time to complete. Performing a File>Save in such cases after the plot has been created will permit you to review the plot later without having to repeat the calculation time when you reopen the project later.
8.
To speed redraw times for changed plots, perform a Save. This saves the data that comprises expressions. If you do not do a save of a changed plot, the changed version is not stored.
Related Topics Creating Reports Modifying Reports Creating a Quick Report Plotting a Quantity versus Adaptive Pass
Modifying Reports
To modify the data that is plotted in a report: 1. 2. 3. In the project tree, click the report you want to modify. Right-click Modify Report. The Report dialog appears. The Report dialog command buttons permit you create a new report with the settings you provide, or to modify an existing report.
Add Trace - this is enabled when you have created or selected a report. Add one or more traces to include in the report. Update Trace - updates the selected traces in a report based on further processing or changes. New Report. Adds a report to the Project tree under the Results icon. The new Report is displayed in the Maxwell window. Output Variables - opens the Output Variables dialog. Options - opens the Report Setup Options dialog. This contains a checkbox for using the advanced mode for editing and viewing trace components. This mode is automatic if the trace requires it. It also contains a field for setting the maximum number of significant digits to display for numerical quantities. Close - closes the Report dialog.
The updated report appears in the view window. You can also view and edit the properties of Reports and their traces via their Properties windows. Related Topics Modifying Background Properties of a Report Modifying the Legend in a Report Working with Traces Editing the Display Properties of Traces
Modifying the Background Properties of a Report

To modify the appearance of a report, or the display properties an object in a report. 1. 2. Select the report you want to modify, either in the Project tree, or as an open report. You must select an editable object in the report to be able to edit its properties. Click on an object to select it and to view its Properties in the docked properties window. To open a floating Properties window, either double click on the selected object, or click Edit>Properties on the toolbar. The selectable objects in reports are as follows:
Header -- this lets you edit the Properties for the text displayed at the top of the report, including the Title font, Company Name, Show Design Name, Subtitle Font. The plot title is tied to the report's name and is not a Header property. If you change the report name in the Project tree, plot title synchronizes. The Company Name and the Show Design Name checkbox are grouped in the Properties dialog as Subtitle. Edits to the Subtitle Font Property affects both of them. General -- this dialog (or General tab for other Report properties windows) lets you edit the background color (the perimeter around the trace display) for the plot, the contrast color (the trace display background), the Field width, the Precision, and whether to use scientific notation for marker and delta marker displays. (X and Y notation display is set separately, in the Axis property tabs.) Legend -- this lets you edit the Properties for whether to Show Trace Name, Solution Name, and Variation Key. At least one of these three must be selected. You can also edit the Font, the background color of the Legend box, the Border Color, the Border Width, Grid Color (for the lines between Trace descriptions), and the Grid line width. Also see Modifying the Legend in a Report Traces -- you can select traces either in the Legend or on the plot. The properties for traces include: Color, Line Style, Line Width, Trace Type, whether to Show a symbol, Symbol Frequency, Symbol style, whether to Fill symbol, symbol color, and whether to Show arrows. See Editing the Display Properties of Traces. Axis -- Both the X and Y axis properties can be selected and edited. The editable options are as follows: 1. X or Y Axis Tab-- the defaults for most of these values are set in the Report 2D Options Axis tab.
Specify name -- checkbox for specifying the Axis name. Name -- this describes the axis to which the following properties/options refer. These are selected in the Report dialog. Axis Color -- set the color by double clicking to display the Set color dialog. Select a default or custom color and click OK. Text Font -- click the cell to display the Edit Text Font dialog. The dialog lets you select from a list of available fonts, styles, sizes, effects, colors, and script. The dialog also contains a preview field. OK the selections to apply the font edits and to close the dialog.

2.
Manual Format (section) Number format -- select from the drop down menu, Auto, Decimal, or Scientific notation. Field Width -- enter a real value. Field Precision -- enter a real value. Axis Scaling -- use the drop down menu to select scaling as Linear or Log. For the Y axis, all zero or negative values are discarded before log scaling is applied. Specify Min -- check box Min -- text entry in same units as axis units. Saved as SI internally. Specify Max -- check box Max -- text entry in same units as axis units. Saved as SI internally. Specify Spacing -- check box Spacing -- text entry in same units as axis units. Saved as SI internally Manual Units (section) Auto Units -- use the check box compute the correct units for the axis. Units -- click on the cell to select from a menu of available units if you have not checked Auto Units. Infinity Visualization (section) Map Infinity Mode -- checkbox. Each axis now can be set to treat infinity values in a user defined way. When you check the Map Infinity Mode, any infinity values in the input data get the infinityMap value (negative infinity get the value*-1 and positive infinity the positive value specified). This can be useful if there are zeros, or very small values that can be treated as zero, in the data, for example, dB Gain. Map Infinity To -- enter a real value for the Map Infinity Mode.
X or Y Scaling Tab -- These properties provide control over scaling.
3. Related Topics
Edit the properties, and click OK to apply the changes.
Modifying Reports Working with Traces
Modifying the Legend in a Report

The legend in a report is a list of the curves being plotted. For each curve, the legend gives the name, shows the line color, and lists the setup and the adaptive pass used to generate the curve. To show or hide a legend in a report: 1. 2. Make the report the active view. Use View>Active View Visibility or the Show/Hide icons on the toolbar to display or hide the
report. Either command displays the Active View dialog. 3. 4. Select the Legends tab. This lists the legend (or legends) in the report. Check the visibility checkbox, and OK the dialog to close it and apply the change.
To edit the display properties of a legend: 1. Select the legend in a report by clicking on the Curve Info panel to display a docked properties window, or right-click on the legend and select Edit>Properties to display the floating properties window. This lets you edit the Properties for whether to Show Trace Name, Solution Name, and Variation Key. At least one of these three must be selected. You can also edit the Font by clicking the Font cell to display the Edit Text Font dialog. The dialog lets you select from a list of available fonts, styles, sizes, effects, colors, and script. The dialog also contains a preview field. OK the selections to apply the font edits and to close the dialog You can also edit the background color of the Legend box, the Border Color, the Border Width, Grid Color (for the lines between Trace descriptions), and the Grid line width. 2. Click OK to close the Properties window and apply the selections. To change the display name for traces, see Editing Trace Properties. To move a legend in a report: 1. 2. Click and hold and the legend. The cursor changes to crossed lines with arrow tips. Still holding, drag the legend to a new location and release. The legend is released and the crossed lines change back to a mouse pointer. To resize a legend in a report: 1. 2. 3. Position the mouse tip over the edge you want to resize. The mouse pointer changes to a horizontal or vertical line with arrow tips. Click and drag the horizontal or vertical edge to the desire size. Release.
Related Topics Showing Objects Hiding Objects from View Modifying Reports
Selecting the Report Type

The Report Types available for creating a report depends on the simulation setup. Depending on the setup, you can make a selection from the following report types. Select from the following report types: Magnetostatic Project variables, user specified Output Variables and Design data are available to plot. Depending upon the solution parameters requested, and Torque data may be available to plot, as well as Inductance, and magnetic flux. Quantities such as Lnom, and MagFluxNom may also be available for plotting. See Post processed Quantities for more details. Project variables, user specified Output Variables and Design data are available to plot. Depending upon the solution parameters requested, and torque data may be available to plot, as well as Capacitance. Project variables, user specified Output Variables and Design data are available to plot. Depending upon the solution parameters requested, and torque data may be available to plot, as well as Inductance, Resistance, Impedance, and Lnom. Project variables, Output Variables, and Design data are available for plotting, as well as, Resistance matrix data. Project variables, Output Variables, and Design data are available for plotting, as well as , Torque, Winding, Loss, and solution process data. Project variables, Output Variables, and Design data are available for plotting, as well as , Force, Torque, Loss, and solution process data.
Electrostatic
Eddy Current
DC Conduction AC Conduction (2D Only) Transient Electric Transient (3D Only)
Selecting the Display Type

The information in a report can be displayed in several formats. Select from the following Display Type formats in the Create Report dialog box: Rectangular Plot Data Table A 2D rectangular (x-y) graph. A spreadsheet with rows and columns that displays, in numeric form, selected quantities against a swept variable or another quantity.
3D Rectangular Plot A 3D rectangular (x-y-z) graph.
Creating 2D Rectangular Plots

A rectangular plot is a 2D, x-y graph of results. 1. On the Results menu (Maxwell menu or right-click on Results on the Project tree), click Create <type> Report, and select Rectangular Plot. The Report window appears.
2.
In the Context section make selections from the following field or fields, depending on the design and solution type. a. b. c. d. Solution field with a drop down selection list. This lists the available solutions, whether sweeps or adaptive passes. For Transient projects only. Domain field with a pull down selection list containing options for plotting vs time (Sweep Domain) or plotting vs frequency (Spectral Domain). Parameter field with a drop down selection list. Whether this field appears, and the Parameters listed depend on the Solution type and the <type> selected. Geometry field with a drop down selection list. For field reports, this applies the quantity to a geometry. In the Category list, click the type of information to plot. In the Quantity list, click the value to plot. In the Function list, click the mathematical function of the quantity to plot. Value field displays the currently specified Quantity and Function. You can edit this field directly. Color shows valid expression. Range Function button -- opens the Set Range Function dialog. This applies currently specified Quantity and Function.
3.
Under the Trace tab, Y component section, specify the information to plot along the y-axis: a. b. c. d.
Note e. 4.
On the Trace tab, X (Primary sweep) line, specify the quantity to plot along the x-axis in one of the following ways:.

5. 6.
Select the sweep variable to use from the drop down list. If sweeps are available, you can select the browse button to display a dialog that lets you select particular sweep or sweeps, or all sweeps. The quantity will be plotted against the primary sweep variable listed.
On the Families tab, confirm or modify the sweep variables that will be plotted. Click New Report. This creates a new report in Project tree, displays the report with the defined trace, and enables the Add Trace button on the Report dialog. The function of the selected quantity will be plotted against the swept variable values or quantities you specified on an x-y graph. The plot is listed under Results in the project tree and the traces are listed under the plot. When you select the traces or plots, their properties are displayed in the Properties window. These properties can be edited directly to modify the plot.
7.
Optionally, add another trace to the plot by following the procedure above, using Add Trace rather than New Report.
Related Topics Sweeping a Variable

Working with Traces Delta Markers in 2DPlots Modifying Background Properties of a Report Plotting a Quantity versus Adaptive Pass
Plotting a Quantity Versus Adaptive Pass

Any quantity that can be plotted in the reporter may be plotted versus the adaptive solution pass, primarily to evaluate the convergence of the quantity versus the mesh. 1. On the Results menu (Maxwell menu or right-click on Results on the Project tree), click Create <type> Report, and select 3D Rectangular plot from the report type menu. The Report dialog appears. 2. 3. In the Context section, select the AdaptivePass context for the Setup of interest. The Trace tab X value drop down list will contain an option to plot against Pass. Under the Trace tab, Y component section, specify the information to plot along the y-axis: a. b. c. d. Note e. 4. 5. In the Category list, click the type of information to plot. In the Quantity list, click the value to plot. In the Function list, click the mathematical function of the quantity to plot. Value field displays the currently specified Quantity and Function. You can edit this field directly. Color shows valid expression. Range Function button -- opens the Set Range Function dialog. This applies currently specified Quantity and Function.
On the Families tab, confirm or modify the sweep variables that will be plotted. Click New Report. This creates a new report in Project tree, displays the report with the defined trace, and enables the Add Trace button on the Report dialog. The function of the selected quantity will be plotted against the swept variable values or quantities you specified on an x-y graph. The plot is listed under Results in the project tree and the traces are listed under the plot. When you select the traces or plots, their properties are displayed in the Properties window. These properties can be edited directly to modify the plot.
6.
Optionally, add another trace to the plot by following the procedure above, using Add Trace rather than New Report.
Related Topics Sweeping a Variable Working with Traces
Creating 3D Rectangular Plots

A rectangular plot is a 3D, x-y-z graph of results. 1. On the Results menu (Maxwell menu or right-click on Results on the Project tree), click Create <type> Report, and select 3D Rectangular plot from the report type menu. The Report dialog appears. 2. In the Context section make selections from the following field or fields, depending on the design and solution type. a. b. 3. Solution field with a drop down selection list. This lists the available solutions, whether sweeps or adaptive passes. Geometry field with a drop down selection list. For field and radiated field reports, this applies the quantity to a geometry or radiated field setup. In the Category list, click the type of information to plot. In the Quantity list, click the value to plot. In the Function list, click the mathematical function of the quantity to plot. The Value field displays the currently specified Quantity and Function. You can edit this field directly. Color shows valid expression. Range Function button -- opens the Set Range Function dialog. This applies currently specified Quantity and Function.
Under the Trace tab, Z Component area, specify the information to plot along the z-axis: a. b. c. d.
Note e. 4.
On the Trace tab, Y (Secondary sweep) lines, specify the information to plot along the y-axis in one of the following ways:

5.
Select the sweep variable to use from the drop down list. If sweeps are available, you can select the browse button to display a dialog that lets you select particular values. The quantity will be plotted against the primary sweep variable listed.
On the Trace tab, X (Primary sweep) lines, specify the information to plot along the x-axis in one of the following ways:

6.
Select the sweep variable to use from the drop down list. If sweeps are available, you can select the browse button to display a dialog that lets you select particular values. The quantity will be plotted against the primary sweep variable listed.
Click New Report. This creates a new report in Project tree, displays the report with the defined trace, and enables the Add Trace button on the Report dialog. The function of the selected quantity or quantities will be plotted against the values you specified on an x-y-z graph. The plot is listed under Results in the project tree.When you select the
traces or plots, their properties are displayed in the Properties window. These properties can be edited directly to modify the plot. 7. Optionally, add another trace to the plot by following the procedure above, using Add Trace rather than New Report.
Creating Data Tables

A data table is a grid with rows and columns that displays, in numeric form, selected quantities against a swept variable or other quantities. 1. 2. 3. On the Maxwell3D or Maxwell2D menu, point to Results, and then click Create <type> Report, or right click on the Results icon in the Project tree and click Create <type> Report. In the display type menu, click Data Table. The Report dialog box appears. In the Context section make selections from the following field or fields, depending on the design and solution type. a. b. c. 4. Solution field with a drop down selection list. This lists the available solutions, whether sweeps or adaptive passes. Domain field with a drop down selection list. Whether this field appears, and the domains listed depend on the Solution type and the <type> selected. Geometry field with a drop down selection list. For field reports, this applies the quantity to a geometry.
Under the Trace tab, Y component section, select the quantity you are interested in and its associated function: a. b. c. d. On the Category drop down list, click the type of information to plot. On the Quantity list, click the values to plot. Use CTRL-click to make multiple selections. In the Function list, click the mathematical function to apply to the quantity for the plot. The Value field displays the currently specified Quantity and Function. You can edit this field directly. Color shows valid expression. Range Function button -- opens the Set Range Function dialog. This applies currently specified Quantity and Function.
Note e. 5. 6.
On the Trace tab, X (Primary sweep) line, select the sweep variable from the drop down list, and specify all values or select values. Click New Report.
This creates a new report in Project tree, displays the report with the defined trace, and enables the Add Trace button on the Report dialog. The Y quantity will be listed at each variable value or additional quantity value you specified. The data table is listed under Results in the project tree. The plot is listed under Results in the project tree and the traces are listed under the plot. When you select the traces or plots, their properties are displayed in the Properties window. These properties can be edited directly to modify the plot. 7. Optionally, add another trace to the plot by following the procedure above, using Add Trace rather than New Report.
Delta Markers in 2D Reports

To view the difference between any two marker points in a report: 1. 2. Set the first marker by left-clicking and holding the mouse button. Move the mouse; without releasing the left button, to another position, and then release the left button to create the second marker.
In the marker text window, the difference between the two markers is displayed instead of the X, Y value of the each marker.
Working with Traces

A trace in a 2D or 3D report defines one or more curves on a graph. A trace in a data table defines part of the displayed matrix of text values. The values used for a plot's axes, which may be X, Y, Z, phi, theta, or R depending on the display type, can be variables in the design, such as frequency, or functions and expressions based on the design's solutions. If you have solved one or more variables at several values, you can "sweep" over some or all of those values, resulting in a curve in 2D or 3D space. A report can include any number of traces and, for rectangular graphs, up to four independent yaxes.Traces appear in the Project tree under their report. They can be selected, copied and pasted. When you move a cursor over a trace in a report, the cursor changes to show that you can make a selection:
For PC systems, the cursor changes to the color of the selectable trace. For Unix systems, the cursor changes to a solid black arrow, rather than the default black outline. Select a report in the Project window and right-click and select Modify Report. In the Report dialog specify the Y component information. a. Specify the Category of information you want to plot from the drop down menu. The Category drop down menu lists the available categories for the Solution type and the
In general, to add a trace to a report: 1. 2.
current design. Selecting a category changes the Quantity and Function lists to represent what is available for that category. b. c. d. Specify the Quantity you want to plot by selecting from the Quantity list. The selected quantity appears in the Value field, operated on any selected function. Select the Function to apply to the specified quantity. The Value field shows the trace being readied for plotting on the Y-axis. This field is editable when the text cursor is present. You can modify the information to be plotted by typing the name of the quantity or sweep variable to plot along an axis directly in the text boxes. Color shows valid expression.
Note 3. 4.
In the Report dialog specify the X axis information (for example Primary Sweep). Click Add Trace. A trace is added to the traces list under its report icon in the Project tree. The trace represents the function of the quantity you selected and will be plotted against other quantities or swept variable values. Selecting a Trace in the Project tree displays the Properties window for that Trace. Trace icons can be selected, copied, and pasted for their definitions or their data. They can be selected and deleted from the Project tree. By default, the Trace name is the definition (the category, quantity and function). The trace will be visible in the report when you click Add Trace. Trace properties can be edited directly in the Properties window or edited in the Report dialog. To change the name of definition of a trace, see Editing Trace Properties. To edit other display properties of a trace, see Editing the Display Properties of Traces.
Related Topics Removing Traces Editing the Display Properties of Traces
Editing Trace Properties

Editing Trace Properties To edit trace properties such as the name, the component definition, or the context, or the variables select the trace in the Project tree. To edit a trace name: 1. 2. Select the trace in the Project tree. This displays a docked Properties window for the Trace. Check the Specify Name box. This enables editing of either the Name field in the docked properties dialog, or the Trace label text in the Project tree. Editing this name changes the display in the Legend and in the Project
tree, but not the underlying Y-component definition. To edit a trace component definition: 1. 2. Select the trace in the Project tree. In the docked Properties window for the trace, select the component field of interest, and select Edit... form the drop down menu. This displays the an edit Component field window.form which you can edit the category, quantity and function. 3. Click OK to apply the changes and close the dialog.
To edit a trace Context: 1. 2. Select the trace in the Project tree to display the docked properties window. In properties window, click the Solution field or the Domain field. If other selections are possible, they can be selected from the drop down menu.
To edit a variable for a trace: 1. 2. 1. Select the trace in the Project tree to display the docked properties window. 2. Under the -Variables category, on the Families line, click the Edit button to display the Edit families dialog. From this dialog, you can select the Sweeps or Variations radio buttons. If other nominal values are available you can click the ellipsis button to select from a list.
Editing the Display Properties of Traces

To edit the display properties of a trace: 1. 2. Select a trace in an open Report window. Click once on the trace to view a Docked Properties window, or double click to open Properties window. The display properties window for a trace includes a General tab and an Attributes tab. The General tab properties apply to the general appearance of the plot. They include the Background color, Contrast color, Field width, and Whether to use Scientific notation for marker and delta marker displays. (X and Y notation display is set separately, in the Axis property tabs.) The Attributes Tab properties apply specifically to the trace. The defaults are set in the Report2D options. They include:
Name -- not editable by selecting the trace from the Report. It shows the characteristics of the trace as defined in the Report dialog. To edit a trace name, see Editing Trace Properties Color -- shows the Trace color. Double click to open a Color dialog. You can select from
Basic colors, or custom colors. You can define up to 16 custom colors by selecting or by editing the Hue, Saturation, Luminescence, and the Red, Green, and Blue values.

Note 3.
Line style -- a drop down menu lets you select Solid, Dot, Dash, or Dot-dash. Line width -- a text field lets you edit the numeric value. Trace type -- the drop down menu contains entries for Continuous, Discrete, Bar-Zero, Bar Infinity, Stick Zero, Stick Infinity, Histogram, Step, and Stair. Show Symbol -- whether to show a symbol at the data points on the line. Symbol Frequency -- how often to show symbols on the trace. Symbol Style -- use a drop down menu to select from box, circle, vertical ellipse, horizontal ellipse, vertical up triangle, vertical down triangle, horizontal left triangle, horizontal right triangle Fill Symbol -- use the check box to set the symbol display as a solid or as hollow. Symbol Arrows -- use the check box to use arrows on the curve ends. So that curves with single points always appear, Box is the default symbol. For Maxwell 12, None cannot be selected.
Edit the properties of interest and click OK to apply the changes and close the window.
Related Topics Working with Traces Removing Traces
Adding Data Markers to Traces

The Reporter includes Report 2D>Marker> menu commands and toolbar icons
that let you add markers to traces. A marker appears as mN at the marked point, where N increments from 1 as you place additional markers. Each marker can be selected and has editable properties including name, font, and color. As you place markers, one or more marker legends may be displayed, depending on the View>Active View Visibility settings for the legends. The main marker legend appears in the upper left of the plot, and lists the marker names and their X and Y values in a table. You can control the nunber format for the table values via the properties window, general tab. Under Marker/Other Number format, you can specify field width, precision, and whether to use scientific notation. This value is independent of the Axis tab number properties. A separate marker legend appears for Delta Markers, as described for the Delta Marker command. When you enter Marker mode, the cursor arrow is accompanied by an m while a circle on the selected trace shows the current position for a potential marker. To end Marker mode, right-click to display the shortcut menu, and select End Marker Mode. The available Marker mode commands and associated icons are the following:
Marker
-- this command lets you place a marker at an arbitrary point on a selected trace.
X Marker -- this command adds a movable marker at the origin of the plot with a vertical line rising from the X axis. To move an X marker, click on the X label and drag it to the desired location. The label at the bottom of the line gives the X coordinate, and flag on the vertical line identifies the Y coordinate on the trace. A trace property lets you lock the drag feature to leave the marker in place. This marker is not cleared by the Clear All command, and must be deleted by selecting it and using the Edit Delete command. Maximum Minimum -- places a marker at the Maximum value on the selected trace. -- places a marker at the Minimum value on the selected trace.
Delta Marker enters delta marker mode, placing a circle on the selected trace. Clicking on the trace sets an initial point and subsequent clicks on arbitrary points on the trace place additional markers until you leave marker mode. These markers have their own legend, which includes the following information for each pair of markers specified.:
Next Peak -- moves a selected marker on the next peak on a trace. You must exit marker mode and select a marker to enable this command. Next Minimum -- moves a selected marker to the next minimum on a selected trace. You must exit marker mode and select a marker to enable this command. Previous Peak -- moves a selected marker on the previous peak on a selected trace. You must exit marker mode and select a marker to enable this command. Previous Minimum -- places a marker on the previous minimum on a selected trace. You must exit marker mode and select a marker to enable this command. Next Data Point (Right) -- moves a selected X marker to the next data point. Previous Data Point (Left) -- moves a selected X marker to the previous data point. Next Curve -- selects the next curve in the report, based on the order in the trace legend. Previous Curve -- selects the previous curve in the report, based on the order in the trace legend. Clear All -- clears all markers on a report except X Markers.
Related Topics Setting Report2D options Working with Traces Add Trace Characteristics Removing Traces Discarding Report Values Below a Specified Threshold Modifying the Legend in a Report Editing the Display Properties of Traces
Zooming in or out. Fitting Objects in the view window. Showing Objects Hiding Objects from View Delta Markers in 2D Reports
Discarding Report Values Below a Specified Threshold

To prevent real small numbers from skewing a plot, you can discard small values (below a specifiable threshold). 1. 2. 3. 4. Double-click on the X or Y axis of interest on an open plot display. This opens the Properties window for the Axis Under the Axis tab, use the scroll bar to find the Specify Discard Values property. Click the checkbox to enable the property. Enter a value in the Discard Below field. Units specified elsewhere in the Axis property are applied to this value. The Discard Below text box is inactive if the Specify Discard Values checkbox is not enabled. Click OK to apply the Discard Values to the report.
5.
Related Topics Working with Traces Removing Traces Editing the Display Properties of Traces Modifying Background Properties of a Report Modifying Reports Add Trace Characteristics
Add Trace Characteristics

You can add or clear additional characteristics to a selected trace. To add additional characteristics to a selected trace: 1. 2. 3. 4. Select a trace in a report plot or legend. Click Report 2D>Trace Characteristics, or right-click on the selected trace to display the short cut menu. Select Trace Characteristics>Add.... This displays the Add Trace Characteristics dialog. Select the Category, and then an associated Function to apply. The available categories
depend on the plot, and Category enables the display of associated functions. Category Math PulseWidth Functions for the Category max, min, pk2pk, rms, avg, integ, integabs, avgabs, rmsAC, ripple, pkavg, XatYMin, XatYMax, XatYVal, YatXMin, YatXMax, YatXVal pulsefall9010, pulsefront1090, pulsefront3090, pulsemax, pulsemaxtime, pulsemin, pulsemintime, pulsetail50, pulsewidth5050, pw_plus, pw_plus_max, pw_plus_min, pw_plus_avg, pw_plus_rms, pw_minus, pw_minus_max, pw_minus_min, pw_minus_avg, pw_minus_rms overshoot, undershoot. crestfactor, formfactor, distortion, fundamentalmag, delaytime, risetime, deadtime, settlingtime, iae, ise, itae, itse per, pmax, pmin, prms xdb10beamwidth, xdb20beamwidth, lSidelobeX, lSidelobeY, rSidelobeX, rSidelobeY
Overshoot, Undershoot TR & DC Error Period Radiation
Given a selected Function, and Category, the Add Trace dialog displays a text field that explains the Purpose of the function. For a full list of functions and their definitions, see Selecting a Function. 5. 6. Some categories and functions call for you to specify one or two additional values in a table. You can save these values using the Default button. Click the Add button to add the specified characteristics to the Trace.
To remove existing trace characteristics: 1. 2. 3. Select a trace in a report plot or legend. Click Report 2D>Trace Characteristics, or right-click on the selected trace to display the short cut menu. Select Trace Characteristics>Clear All Trace characteristics are clear from the selected trace. Related Topics Working with Traces Selecting a Function Adding Data Markers to Traces
Removing Traces
You can remove traces from the traces list in the following ways: To remove one trace from the report:
Select the trace you want to remove from the Project tree, and then click Delete. Select all the traces and click Delete.
To remove all traces from the report: Related Topics Working with Traces Editing the Display Properties of Traces
Copy and Paste of Report and Trace Definitions

You can copy and paste report and individual trace definitions within a single design or across designs. The report or trace definition will be evaluated within the context of the target design or report. Note If the report or trace definition contains properties that do not exist in the target design (for example, a port name) an error will be posted that indicates a solution does not exist for this trace
Note
You must copy and paste trace definitions between the same report types.
To copy a Report Definition: Right click on the report name in the project tree and select Copy Definition from the shortcut menu. To paste the Report Definition: Right click on Results in the project tree of the target design and select Paste. A new report is created and it contains the copied definitions. To copy an individual Trace Definition(s): Right click on the trace or traces under a report name in the project tree and select Copy Definition. To paste the Trace Definition(s): Right click on the report in the target design to which you would like to copy the trace or traces and select Paste. A new trace(s) is added to the report and it contains the copied trace definition(s). Note If you copy and paste a report or trace definition to a design which contains a definition with the same name, then an incremented number is appended to the pasted report or trace name.
Related Topics Copying to the Clipboard as Images Copy and Paste of Report and Trace Data
Copy and Paste of Report and Trace Data

You can copy and paste report and individual trace data within a single design or across designs. The report and trace definitions and all underlying data within the report or trace are copied and pasted to the target design or report. To copy all data from a report: Right click on the report name in the project tree and select Copy Data, or use the menu bar Edit>Copy Data, or right click within a plot to display a shortcut menu with Copy Data. To paste copied report data: Right click on Results in the project tree of the target design and select Paste. To copy data from an individual trace(s) in a report: Right click on the trace or traces under a report name in the project tree and select Copy Data. To paste copied trace data: Right click on the report in the target design to which you would like to copy the trace data and select Paste. Note If you copy and paste report or trace data which contains the same name definition as a report or trace in the target design then an incremented number will be appended to the pasted name
Related Topics Copying to the Clipboard as Images Copy and Paste of Report and Trace Definitions
Sweeping a Variable in a Report

In Maxwell, a swept variable is an intrinsic, project, or design variable that typically has more than one value. You can plot any calculated or derived quantity against one or more of the swept variable's values.
To specify the swept variable values to plot a selected quantity against: 1. 2. In the Report dialog, select the variable from the X (Primary Sweep) pulldown menu. To modify the values that will be plotted for a variable: a. b. Click the ellipsis [...] button on the X (Primary Sweep) line of the Report dialog to displays a popup list of the possible values. Select All Values or click the Edited button to display a dialog that lets you specify the sweeps to use. All of the selected variables values will be plotted.
Sweeping Values Across a Distance

1. 2. 3. 4. If you are plotting a field quantity along a line, define a polyline object in the problem region. In the Report dialog box, click the line geometry of interest in the Geometry list. Specify the quantities you want to plot along the axes. For the X (Primary Sweep), select the Distance variable. The values at which the selected quantity or quantities will be plotted are listed to the right. By default, a post-processing polyline object is divided into 100 equally spaced points. Related Topics Sweeping a Variable in a Report
Selecting a Function
The value of a quantity being plotted depends upon its mathematical function, which you select from the Function list in the Report dialog box. The available, valid functions depend on the type of quantity (real or complex) that is being plotted. The function is applied to the quantity which is implicitly defined by all the swept and current variables. These functions can also be applied to previously specified Quantities and Functions as Range Functions when using the Set Range Function dialog. Some of these functions can operate along an entire curve. These are: deriv, min, max, integ, avg, rms, pk2pk, cang_deg and cang_rad. These functions have syntax as follows:
deriv(quantity) implicitly implies derivative over the primary sweep deriv(quantity, SweepVariable) explicitly means derivative over the sweep variable specified in the second argument (such as "Freq"). Absolute value Arc cosine Hyperbolic arc cosine Angle (phase) of a complex number, cut at +/-180 Angle in radians
You can select from the following functions in the Function list: abs acos acosh ang_deg ang_rad
asin asinh atan atanh avg avgabs cang_deg
Arc sine Hyperbolic arc sine Arc tangent Hyperbolic arc tangent Average of first parameter over the second parameter Absolute value of average. Cumulative angle (phase) of the first parameter (a complex number) in degrees, along the second parameter (typically sweep variable). Returns a double precision value cut at +/-180. Cumulative angle of the first parameter in radians along a second parameter (typically a sweep variable) Returns a double precision value. Conjugate of the complex number. Cosine Hyperbolic cosine Peak/RMS (root mean square) for the selected simulation quantity 20*log10(|x|) 10*log10(|x|) +30 10*log10(|x|) Derivative of first parameter over second parameter. Returns 1 if integer part of the number is even; returns 0 otherwise Exponential function (the natural anti-logarithm) Returns root mean square RMS/Mean Absolute Value for the selected simulation quantity. Returns the integral of the absolute deviation of the selected quantity from a target value that is entered via the additional argument. To use this function, you need to open the Add Trace Characteristics dialog and select the
Error category.
cang_rad conjg cos cosh crestfactor dB(x) dBm(x) dBW(x) deriv even exp formfactor iae
im int integ integabs
Imaginary part of the complex number Truncated integer function Integral of the selected quantity. Uses trapezoidal area.. Absolute value of integral.
ise
Returns the integral of the squared deviation of the selected quantity from a target value that is entered via an additional argument. To use this function, you need to open the Add Trace Characteristics dialog and select the
Error category.
itae
Returns the time-weighted absolute deviation of the selected quantity from a target value that is entered via an additional argument.To use this function, you need to open the Add Trace Characteristics dialog and select the
Error category.
itse
Returns the time-weighted squared deviation of the selected qty from a target value that is entered via an additional argument.To use this function, you need to open the Add Trace Characteristics dialog and select the Error
category.
j0 j1 ln log10 lsidelobex lsidelobey mag max max_swp min min_swp nint normalize odd overshoot per pk2pk
Bessel function of the first kind (0th order) Bessel function of the first kind (1st order) Natural logarithm Logarithm base 10 The x value for the left side lobe: the next highest value to the left of the max value. The y value for the left side lobe: the next highest value to the left of the max value. Magnitude of the complex number Maximum of magnitudes. Maximum value of a sweep. Minimum magnititude. Minimum value of a sweep. Nearest integer Divides each value within a trace by the maximum value of the trace. ex. normalize(mag(x)) Returns 1 if integer part of the number is odd; returns 0 otherwise Obtains the peak overshoot over a point (double argument) Calculates period. Peak to peak. Difference between max and min of the first parameter over the second parameter. Returns the peak-to-peak value for the selected simulation quantity. Returns the ratio of the peak to peak-to-average for the selected quantity.
pkavg
pmax pmin prms pulsefall9010
Period max. Period minimum Period Root Mean Square. Pulse fall time of the selected simulation quantity according to the 90%10% estimate.
pulsefront1090 Pulse front time of the selected simulation quantity according to the 10%90% estimate. pulsefront3090 Pulse front time of the selected simulation quantity according to the 30%90% estimate. pulsemax pulsemaxtime pulsemin pulsemintime pulsetail50 Pulse maximum from the front and tail estimates for the selected simulation quantity. Time at which the maximum pulse value of the selected simulation quantity is reached. Pulse minimum from the front and tail estimates for the selected simulation quantity. Tiime at which the minimum pulse value of the selected simulation quantity is reached. Pulse tail time of the selected simulation quantity from the virtual peak to 50%.
pulsewidth5050 Pulse width of the selected simulation quantity as measured from the 50% points on the pulse front and pulse tail. PulseWidth Functions pw_plus pw_minus pw_plus_max pw_plus_min pw_plus_avg pw_plus_rms Pulse width of first positive pulse Pulse width of first negative pulse Max. Pulse width of input stream Min. Pulse width of input stream Average of the positive pulse width input stream RMS of the positive pulse width input stream
pw_minus_max Max. Pulse width of input stream pw_minus_min Min. Pulse width of input stream pw_minus_avg Average of the negative pulse width input stream pw_minus_rms RMS of the negative pulse width input stream polar Converts the complex number in rectangular to polar
re rect rem ripple rms rmsAC rsidelobex rsidelobey sgn sin sinh sqrt tan tanh Undershoot XAtYMax XAtYMin XAtYVal
Real part of the complex number Converts the complex number in polar to rectangular Fractional part Returns the ripple factor (AC RMS/Mean) for the selected quantity. Returns total root mean square of the selected quantity. Returns the AC RMS for the selected quantity. The x value for the right side lobe: the next highest value to the right of the max value. The y value for the right side lobe: the next highest value to the right of the max value. Sign extraction Sine Hyperbolic sine Square root Tangent Hyperbolic tangent Obtains the peak undershoot over a point (double argument). Threshold crossing time: report first time (x value) at which an output quantity crosses YMax. Threshold crossing time: report first time (x value) at which an output quantity crosses a user definable threshold (YMin). Returns the X value at the first occurance of Y value.
xdb10beamdwi Width between left and right occurrences of values x db10 from max. Takes 'x' dth as argument (3.0 default). To use this function, you need to open the Add Trace Characteristics dialog and select the Radiation category. xdb20beamwidt Width between left and right occurrences of values x db20 from max. Takes 'x' as argument (3.0 default) To use this function, you need to open the Add Trace h Characteristics dialog and select the Radiation category. y0 y1 Bessel function of the second kind (0th order) Bessel function of the second kind (1st order)
YAtXMax YAtXMin YatXVal
Threshold crossing time: report first time (y value) at which an output quantity crosses XMax. Threshold crossing time: report first time (y value) at which an output quantity crosses a user definable threshold (XMin). Returns the Y value at the first occurance of X value.
Selecting Solution Quantities to Plot

Each trace in a report includes a quantity that is plotted along an axis. The quantity being plotted can be a value that was calculated by Maxwell, such as L11, or a value from a calculated expression. To select a parameter to plot: 1. In the Report dialog box, select one of the solution type dependent categories. Some of the available categories are listed below. The actual list you see will depend upon the solution type and solution setup for your design. Variables Intrinsic variables, such as frequency or theta, or user-defined project variables, such as the length of a quarter-wave transformer. Capacitance or Inductance matrix entries when the matrix parameter is defined Force or Torque values when the parameter is defined. Various loss parameters such as core loss, stranded loss, or hysteresis loss. Userxpressions defined in the fields calculator.
Output Variables Derived quantities from the original field solution. L or C Force or Torque Loss Calculator Expression 2.
Select a quantity to plot from the Quantity list. The available quantities depend on the selected category and the setup of the design. Some field quantities that may appear include the following:
H B J E D Energy CoEnergy AppEnergy OhmicLoss
For a complete list of the available quantities and the solution types where they are available, see Plotting Standard Field Quantities.
Selecting a Field Quantity to Plot

When plotting field quantities in the Report dialog box, the quantity can be a value that was calculated by Maxwell, such as a value from a calculated expression. When you select Fields as the Report Type and select a line geometry from the Solutions pulldown list, three options are available for plotting versus length:
Plot vs. actual distance along the line (in the units you specified). Plot vs. normalized distance. Plot vs. actual coordinate values of the line.
Post-Processed Quantities
Both pre-processing and post-processing quantities are available when creating reports. For example, when you create a report with the Report Type of Magnetostatic Solver, the following are four of the quantities that appear in the Category list in the Report dialog box:
L The post-processed value of inductance (for example, the inductance of a 1-turn coil). Lnom The inductance quantity that is solved with no post processing. MagFlux The post-processed value of magnetic flux. MagFluxNom The magnetic flux quantity that is solved with no post processing.
The post-processed values include grouping, number of turns, and other settings from the Matrix dialog box.
Setting a Range Function

To apply a range function to the Y, Z, or Mag component of a trace: Note All range functions are available in the list regardless of solution context. You must select a function that is appropriate for the solution context and data type you are working with.
1.
Click the Range Function button in the Reports dialog. This opens the Set Range Function dialog. The functions available are the same as described in the Selecting a Function section.
2. 3.
Click the Specified radio button on the Range function line. This enables the Range Function fields. Select the Category, and then an associated Function to apply. The available categories
depend on the plot, and Category enables the display of associated functions. Category Math PulseWidth Functions for the Category max, min, pk2pk, rms, avg, integ, integabs, avgabs, rmsAC, ripple, pkavg, XatYMin, XatYMax, XatYVal pulsefall9010, pulsefront9010, pulsefront3090, pulsemax, pulsemaxtime, pulsemin, pulsemintime, pulsetail50, pulsewidth5050, pw_plus, pw_plus_max, pw_plus_min, pw_plus_avg, pw_plus_rms, pw_minus_max, pw_minus_min, pw_minus_avg, pw_minus_rms overshoot, undershoot. crestfactor, formfactor, distortion, fundamentalmag, delaytime, risetime, deadtime, settlingtime, iae, ise, itae, itse per, pmax, pmin, prms xdb10bandwidth, xdb20bandwidth, lSidelobeX, lSidelobeY, rSidelobeX, rSidelobeY
Overshoot, Undershoot TR & DC Error Period Radiation
Given a selected Function, and Category, the Set Range Function dialog displays a text field that explains the Purpose of the function. For a full list of functions and their definitions, see Selecting a Function. Selecting a function causes the display of a description in the Purpose field. If the function requires a value (such as the XatYVal Math function or the pw_minus_max Pulse Width function), the table below the function field displays the name, editable value field, unit, and description. 4. 5. Use the Over Sweep drop down menu to select from available sweeps. To select from available Sweeps, or to edit them, use the ellipsis [...] button and uncheck Use All Sweeps. This enables a list of the sweeps. The sweep(s) you select is displayed on the Over Sweep line. You can use the buttons to Clear All Selections or Select All sweeps. 6. 7. Select the Sweeps Default or Edited radio buttons to specify whether to accept the default or edited sweeps. To edit the sweeps further, select the ellipsis button to display an Edit Sweep dialog. For frequency variables, this lets you specify a single value, linear step, linear count, decade count, octave count, or exponential count. You can Add legal values to the list of sweep values, Update the list for changes, or Delete selected entries. 8. Click OK to apply the range function. Related Topics Selecting a Function
Spectral Domain Plots in Transient (FFT)

When plotting in the spectral domain, you must specify the parameters for the Fast Fourier Transform (FFT). The FFT function used by Maxwell uses windowing; therefore, the user must enter a start and stop time within which the data is periodic. To enter the FFT parameters: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. In the Report window, be sure the Domain is set to Time. In the Context section of the reporter dialog, click FFT Options. The FFT Options dialog appears. Enter the Start time for the window using the pull-down menu. Enter the Stop time using the pull-down menu. Enter the Window Type for the pull-down menu.
The Samples and number of points are calculated based on the chosen start and stop values. The signal must be periodic during the time interval chosen or an error will result. Related Topics Time Domain Plots in Eddy (IFFT) Online Technical Library:FFT/IFFT Notes
Time Domain Plots in Eddy (IFFT)

When creating time domain plots from frequency domain data, you must specify the parameters for the Inverse Fast Fourier Transform (IFFT): 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. In the Report window, be sure the Domain is set to Time. In the Context section of the reporter dialog, click IFFT Options. The IFFT Options dialog appears. In the Input Signal section of the dialog select either Impulse or Step signal to use in performing the IFFT. For Step signal, input the rise time for the pulse. The rise time should chosen so that the frequency content is within the bandwidth of the available frequency sweep data. Select the Window Type from the pull-down menu. Enter the window Width in percent.
The Maximum Plot Time and the Delta Time are calculated based on the solution data available. Related Topics Spectral Domain Plots in Transient (FFT) Online Technical Library:FFT/IFFT Notes
Specifying Output Variables

The Output Variables window contains four sections:
Context section, where you specify the Report type, the Solution, and for appropriate report types, the Domain. Changing the Report type affects whether the Domain menu appears, and may affect the functions listed in the Calculation section. Output Variables section, where you can specify the name and expression for a new output variable. Calculation section, where you can insert quantities into the Expression area of the Output Variables section. Function section, where you can insert completed expressions into the Expression area of the Output Variables section.
Adding a New Output Variable

To add an output variable: 1. Click Maxwell3D, Maxwell2D, or RMxprt and then select Results>Output Variables or, in the Project tree, right-click on Results and select Output Variables from the short-cut menu, or on the Modify Report dialog, click the Output Variables button. The Output Variables window appears. Variables defined using the Results>Output Variables command appear in the list at the top of the window. 2. 3. In the Output Variables section, enter a name for the new variable in the Name box. To enter an expression, do one or both of the following: a. b. 4. 5. 6. Type part or all of the expression directly in the Expression area. Valid funtions appear in blue. Invalid functions appear in red. Insert part or all of the expression using the options in the Calculation and Function sections.
Click Add to add the new variable to the list. Repeat steps 2 through 5 to add additional variables. When you are finished adding output variables, click Done to close the Output Variables window.
Building an Expression Using Existing Quantities

When you are entering an expression for a new output variable, you can insert part or all of the expression using the options in the Calculation and Function sections of the Output Variables window. To add an input variable by inserting part or all of the expression: 1. Click Maxwell3D, Maxwell2D, or RMxprt and then select Results>Output Variables or, in the Project Tree, right-click on Results and select Output Variables from the short-cut menu, or on the Modify Report dialog, click the Output Variables button. The Output Variables window appears.
2. 3.
In the Output Variables section, enter a name for the new variable in the Name box. To insert a quantity: a. b. c. d. e. f. g. From the Report Type pull-down list, select the type of report from which you want to select the quantity. From the Solution pull-down list, select the solution from which you want to select the quantity. From the Category list, select the type of quantity you want to enter. From the Quantity list, select the quantity or the geometry. From the Function list, select a ready-made function (this option is the same as inserting the function from the Function section). If applicable, from the Domain list, select the solution domain. Click Insert Into Expression. The selected quantity is entered into the Expression area of the Output Variables section.
4.
To insert a function: a. b. In the Function section, select a ready-made function from the pull-down list. Click Insert Function into Expression.. The function appears in the Expression area of the Output Variables section.
5. 6. 7.
When you are finished defining the variable in the Expression area, click Add to add the new variable to the list. Repeat steps 2 through 6 to add additional variables. When you are finished adding output variables, click Done to close the Output Variables window.
Note
Remember the evaluated value of an expression is always interpreted as in SI units. However, when a quantity is plotted in a report, you have the option to plot values in units other than SI.
Deleting Output Variables

To delete output variables: 1. 2. 3. Remove all references to the output variable in the project. Save the project to erase the command history. Click Maxwell3D or Maxwell2D and then select Results>Output Variables or, in the Project Tree, right-click on Results and select Output Variables from the short-cut menu, or on the Modify Report dialog, click the Output Variables button. This opens the Output Variables dialog. 4. Select the variable and click the Delete button.
5.
Click OK to close the dialog.
Creating a Quick Report

Following is the procedure for creating a quick report. 1. 2. 3. On the Project tree, select a setup or sweep icon of interest. Right-click to display the shortcut menu and select Quick Report. The Quick Report dialog appears. Select the one or more categories for the report from the list and click OK. A rectangular plot for each selected category displays. The new plot or plots appear in the Project tree under the Results icon. Related Topics Creating Reports Modifying Reports Quick Report Categories Creating Quick Reports in RMxprt
Quick Report Categories

When using the Quick Reports function for Solutions, the following report categories may be available depending upon the solution parameters requested, solution type, etc:
Category Design Force Torque L, Lnom C R Z Loss Misc Solution
Description Reports values of design variables. Reports values of Force parameters such as Force Magnitude and Components, Load Force. Reports values of Torque parameters such as Torque Magnitude and Components Reports values of Inductance Matrix calculations. Reports values of Capacitance Matrix calculations. Reports values of Resistance Matrix calculations. Reports values of Impedance Matrix calculations. Reports values of Loss parameters such as core loss, stranded loss, and solid loss. See Loss Quantities. Reports values for the solution process such as DeltaT, Energy Error, and Temporal Error
Position Speed Winding
Reports Position of moving objects. Reports Speed of moving objects. Reports Flux Linkages, currents and voltages in coils.
Updating All Reports

The Maxwell desktop updates reports based upon the availability of data and the user settings defined in the Report Update Options for Design Type area of the General Options dialog. You may force the software to do an immediate update of all reports with the currently available solution data by selecting Maxwell3D>Results>Update All Reports or Maxwell2D>Results>Update All Reports. Alternatively, right-click on results in the Project Manager window and select Update All Reports on the shortcut menu.
Opening All Reports

Use the Open All Reports command to cause all of the reports in the current design to update and display in the desktop. Select Maxwell3D>Results>Open All Reports or Maxwell2D>Results>Open All Reports. Alternatively, right-click on results in the Project Manager window and select Open All Reports on the shortcut menu.
Deleting All Reports

Depending upon the project type, click Maxwell3D, Maxwell2D, or RMxprt and then select Results>Delete All Reports. All items under the Results folder in the Project tree are removed. Warning Deletions occur as soon as you click this button and cannot be undone. If you change your mind while in this window, click Cancel BEFORE clicking Do Deletions.
You can also right click on the Results folder in the Project tree to display the shortcut menu, and click Delete All reports.
Cleaning Up Solutions
To clean up solutions: 1. Depending upon the project type, click Maxwell3D, Maxwell2D, or RMxprt and then select Results>Clean Up Solutions. The Clean Up Solutions window appears. Select one of the following in the Data Deletion Options section:
2.

Note
Linked Data Only Fields Only Fields and Meshes All Solution Data (selected by default) Include Linked Data Selecting the Include Linked Data checkbox along with one of the options listed will delete the solution data for the option as well as any linked data. Leaving this unchecked will leave the linked data in place and available once a new solution is generated.
3.
Select one of the following in the Variations section:

4.
All Variations Except Current Variation All Variations (selected by default) Select Variations (and click the Variations button to specify a variation)
Click Do Deletions. Deletions occur as soon as you click this button and cannot be undone. If you change your mind while in this window, click Cancel BEFORE clicking Do Deletions.
Warning
Plotting Field Overlays

Field overlays are representations of basic or derived field quantities on surfaces or objects for the current design variation. You can set the design variation via the Set Design Variation dialog. This dialog box is accessible from the Solution Data window via by clicking the ellipsis button on the right of the Design Variation field, and via the Results>Apply Solved Variation command. To plot a basic field quantity: 1. Select a point, line, surface, or object to create the plot on or within. You may also select a plane or object list in the History Tree. For 2D Designs, a plane selection must be consistent with the drawing plane or an error will result.
Note
If it does not exist, create it. 2. 3. Click Maxwell3D or Maxwell2D and then select Fields>Fields. A submenu appears. On the Fields submenu, click the field quantity you want to plot. If you select a scalar field quantity, a scalar surface or volume plot is created. If you select a vector field quantity, a vector surface or volume plot is created. If the quantity you want to plot is not listed, see Calculating a Derived Field Quantity. The Create Field Plot dialog box appears. 4. 5. To specify a name for the plot other than the default, select Specify Name, and then type a new name in the Name box. To specify a folder other than the default in which to store the plot, select Specify Folder, and then click a folder in the pull-down list. Plot folders are listed under Field Overlays in the project tree. All plots (field overlays) in the same folder have the same scale settings. To plot the same field with a different scale, you can create or move the new plot to a separate folder. By default, current density plots are stored in a folder called J, but you can specify a different or new folder. Plots in different folders have a different plot keys.
Note
6. 7. 8.
Select the solution to plot from the Solution pull-down list. Select the field quantity to plot from the Quantity list. Select the volume or surface (region) in which to plot the field from the In Volume list. This selection enables you to limit plots to a volume or the intersection of a volume and the selected object. You may select multiple volumes in the list by holding down the Ctrl key while clicking.
Note
The In Volume list should be used when plotting on a surface which has a discontinuous field solution across the boundary to select the object on one side of the surface.
9.
Optionally, you may select the Plot on edge only checkbox to obtain a plot around the outside edge of selected objects. The field quantity is plotted on the surfaces or within the objects you selected. The new plot appears in the view window. It is listed in the specified plot folder in the project tree. If you have created a field plot on a simulation in progress, the field plot is updated after the last adaptive solution. If you want to update the field overlay before then, to view progress in the solution, select the Field icon in the Project tree that contains the field plot of interest, right-click to display the short cut menu, and select Update Plots.
10. Click Done.
Related Topics Plotting Standard Field Quantities Plotting Derived Field Quantities Creating 2D Reports From Named Expressions Calculating a Derived Field Quantity Named Expressions Creating Reports Using the Fields Calculator
Plotting Standard Field Quantities

Maxwell makes numerous quantities available for field plotting derived directly from the field solution. The quantities available depend upon the solution type (magnetostatic, eddy current, etc), on the design type (3D or 2D) and other parameters such as the use of lossy materials. The chart below lists the possible solution quantities available when using Maxwell3D>Fields>Fields, or Maxwell2D>Fields>Fields. Description Vector Potential Magnetic Field Intensity Magnetic Flux Density Quantity Flux_Lines, A_Vector 2D Magnetostatic, Eddy Current, Transient Magnetostatic, Eddy Current, Transient Magnetostatic, Eddy Current, Transient 3D
Mag_H, Magnetostatic, Eddy ComplexMag_H, Current, Transient H_Vector Mag_B, Magnetostatic, Eddy ComplexMag_B, Current, Transient B_Vector
Current
JatPhase, Mag_J, Magnetostatic, Eddy ComplexMag_J, Current, Transient, J_Vector, Jphi, Jz ACConduction, DCConduction Eddy Current, DatPhase, Electrostatic, Mag_D, ComplexMag_D, ACConduction D_Vector Mag_E, Electrostatic, ComplexMag_E, ACConduction, E_Vector DCConduction QSurf
Magnetostatic, Eddy Current, Transient, DCConduction, Electric Transient Eddy Current, Electrostatic, DCConduction, Electric Transient Eddy Current, Electrostatic, DCConduction, Electric Transient Electrostatic, DCConduction, Electric Transient
Electric Flux Density
Electric Field Intensity
Surface Charge Density Voltage
Voltage
Electrostatic, ACConduction, DCConduction Magnetostatic, Eddy Current, Transient, Electrostatic
Electrostatic, DCConduction, Electric Transient Magnetostatic, Eddy Current, Transient, Electrostatic, DCConduction, Electric Transient Magnetostatic, Transient Magnetostatic, Transient Magnetostatic, Eddy Current, Transient, DCConduction, Electric Transient Eddy Current Eddy Current
Energy in the Field Electric Magnetic Magnetic CoEnergy
energy
coEnergy appEnergy
Magnetostatic, Eddy Current, Transient Magnetostatic, Eddy Current, Transient Magnetostatic, Eddy Current, Transient, Electrostatic, ACConduction, DCConduction Eddy Current Eddy Current Eddy Current
Ohmic Loss
Ohmic_Loss
Hysteresis Loss Dielectric Loss Sum of Ohmic, Hysteresis, and Dielectric Loss
Hysteresis_Loss Dielectric_Loss emloss
edgeLossDensity Loss on Impedance boundary applied to a conductor Combined eddy current and hysteresis loss Resistive loss calculated for excitation with stranded conductor Resistive loss calculated for excitation with solid conductor coreLoss
Eddy Current
Transient
Transient
StrandedLoss
Transient
Transient
SolidLoss
Transient
Transient
Related Topics Plotting Derived Field Quantities Creating 2D Reports From Named Expressions Calculating a Derived Field Quantity Named Expressions Creating Reports Using the Fields Calculator
Loss Quantities
Ohmic loss is always associated with conduction current distribution in conductors which are not perfect. Thus the resistivity of conductors is responsible for the ohmic power loss when current flows in such conductors. It is also called the Joule-Lenz effect. There is always a heating effect due to the ohmic loss, often called Joule heating. Hysteresis loss is short for magnetic hysteresis loss and represents power loss in some magnetic materials (electric steels or ferrites) in alternating (sinusoidal) magnetic fields. This loss is due to a phenomenon called "magnetic viscosity" which causes the B and H fields to have a phase shift between them. In the B-H plane, for linear materials, the relationship between these two fields describes an ellipse. The hysteresis loss is proportional to the area of the ellipse. Dielectric loss or electric hysteresis loss represents power loss in ferroelectric materials (such as barium titanate, lead zirconate titanate ) in alternating (sinusoidal) electric fields. This loss is due to a phenomenon called "electric viscosity" which causes the D and E fields to have a phase shift between them. In the D-E plane, for linear materials, the relationship between these two fields describes an ellipse. The dielectric loss is proportional to the area of the ellipse. In 2D eddy emloss combines the ohmic loss, dielectric loss and hysteresis loss. Edge loss density represents losses associated with impedance boundary applied on conductive surfaces on the boundary of the solution domain or on surface of excluded objects. It assumes an exponential spatial decay (towards the interior of the respective material) of induced current magnitudes and of associated losses. Integrating the loss along the edge produces the entire loss associated with the "edge".
Ohmic loss
Hysteresis loss
Dielectric loss
Emloss (2D Eddy)
Edgeloss density
Core loss
The core loss combines eddy current losses and hysteresis losses for a transient solution type. It is a post-processing calculation, based on already calculated transient magnetic field quantities. It is applicable for the evaluation of core losses in steel laminations (frequently used in applications such as electric machines, transformers) or in power ferrites. The solid loss represents the resistive loss in a 2D or 3D volume and is calculated by:
Solid Loss
1 SolidLoss = -
vol
For 2DXY designs, the length is given by Set Model Depth, while for RZ designs the volume is based upon the rotation of the cross section around the symmetry axis. Stranded loss is calculated for Transient solution types. Stranded loss will be calculated for the following three cases:
Stranded Loss
Winding with voltage excitation and non-zero resistance S_Loss = I2R Stranded current excitation with conductivity S_Loss = I2/A External circuit, voltage source and non-zero resistence, S_Loss= I2R(dc); thus here the dc resistence (calculated with the conductivity of the material of the respective cross section A) is used to calculate the stranded loss but not used in the circuit equation where it doesn't impact the current calculation(current is calculated taking R into account but not R(dc)).
Named Expressions
Named expressions can contain any combination of scalar, vector, or geometry functions. When you plot a field overlay or create a report based on a named expression, only corresponding quantities are available. For example, if you select a point for the Geometry and a Category that is a named expression based on the point (or other scalar, non-3D value), then the Quantity list only lists expressions that returns a single scalar value. If you have added named expressions that take the magnitude of the ScalarX(), ScalarY(), or ScalarZ() of a vector point value, then you can create output variables for those expressions only in this case. Named expressions can be plotted in the following three ways: To create a field overlay of a named expression, the expression must be a real value (scalar or vector) that has values everywhere in space (or at least on every point in the geometry you plan to use for the field overlay). To create a 2D report from a named expression that evaluates in the Fields Calculator as a single scalar value, the expression must result in a single-valued, real, scalar value. A single-valued item
could be the value on a single point in space or the result of a function that returns a single value (such as an integration, max/value, min/value, or other function). To create a 2D report from a named expression that is evaluated (in the Fields Calculator) along a polyline, the expression must be a real scalar that has values everywhere in space (or at least everywhere on the line object you want to use to sample the values). Named expressions can be created in the Fields Calculator.
Plotting Derived Field Quantities

Derived field quantities are field quantity representations that have been deduced from the original field solution using the Fields Calculator. 1. Select a point, line, surface, or object to create the plot on or within. You may also select a plane or object list in the History Tree. For 2D Designs, a plane selection must be consistent with the drawing plane or an error will result.
Note
If it does not exist, create it. 2. 3. 4. 5. Click Maxwell3D or Maxwell2D and select Fields>Fields>Named Expression. The Selecting calculated expression dialog box appears. Select the derived quantity you want to plot, and then click OK. The Create Field Plot dialog box appears. To specify a name for the plot other than the default, select Specify Name, and then type a new name in the Name box. To specify a folder other than the default in which to store the plot, select Specify Folder, and then click a folder in the pull-down list. Plot folders are listed under Field Overlays in the project tree. Select the solution to plot from the Solution pull-down list. Select the derived field quantity to plot from the Quantity list. If you select a point for the Geometry and a Category that is a named expression based on the point (or other scalar, non-3D value), then the Quantity list only lists expressions that returns a single scalar value. If you have added named expressions that take the magnitude of the ScalarX(), ScalarY(), or ScalarZ() of a vector point value, then you can create output variables for those expressions only in this case. If you select a polyline for the Geometry and a Category that is a named expression based on the line, then the Quantity list only lists corresponding expressions (i.e., will not list scalar values when a line is selected as the geometry).
6. 7.
Note
Note
8.
Select the volume or surface (region) in which to plot the field from the In Volume list.
This selection enables you to limit plots to the intersection of a volume and the selected object. 9. Click Done. The derived field quantity you created in the Fields Calculator is plotted on the surfaces or objects you selected. The new plot is listed in the project tree under Field Overlays.
Creating 2D Reports From Named Expressions

You can create a 2D report from named expressions that evaluate as a single scalar value or that evaluate along polylines. To create a report from a named expression evaluating as a single scalar value: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Click Maxwell3D or Maxwell3D>Results>Create Report. The Create Report dialog box appears. In the Target Design pull-down list, click the design containing the solution data you want to plot. Select Fields from the Report Type pull-down list. In the Display Type pull-down list, select the type of report you want to create. Click OK. The Traces dialog box appears. In the Solution pull-down list, click the solution containing the data you want to plot. Add one or more traces to include in the report. If you select a point for the Geometry and a Category that is a named expression based on the point (or other scalar, non-3D value), then the Quantity list only lists expressions that returns a single scalar value. If you have added named expressions that take the magnitude of the ScalarX(), ScalarY(), or ScalarZ() of a vector point value, then you can create output variables for those expressions only in this case.
Note
8.
Click Done. The report appears in the view window and is listed in the project tree. Once you have created a report, additional options become available on the Results submenu.
To create a report from a named expression evaluating along a polyline: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Click Maxwell3D, Maxwell2D or RMxprt and select Results>Create Report. The Create Report dialog box appears. In the Target Design pull-down list, click the design containing the solution data you want to plot. Select Fields from the Report Type pull-down list. In the Display Type pull-down list, select the type of report you want to create. Click OK. The Traces dialog box appears. In the Solution pull-down list, click the solution containing the data you want to plot.
7. 8.
Select the geometry you want to plot from the Geometry pull-down list. Add one or more traces to include in the report. If you select a polyline for the Geometry and a Category that is a named expression based on the line, then the Quantity list only lists corresponding expressions (i.e., will not list scalar values when a line is selected as the geometry).
Note
9.
Click Done. The report appears in the view window and is listed in the project tree. Once you have created a report, additional options become available on the Results submenu.
Creating Scalar Field Plots

A scalar plot uses shaded colors or contoured lines to illustrate the magnitude of field quantities on surfaces or volumes. 1. Do one of the following: a. b. 2. 3. 4. To create a scalar surface plot, select the faces on which you want to plot the fields. To create a scalar volume plot, select the objects within which you want to plot the fields.
Click Maxwell3D or Maxwell2D and then select Fields>Fields. On the Fields submenu, click the scalar field quantity you want to plot. The Create Field Plot dialog box appears. Follow the procedure for plotting field overlays.
The new plot is listed in the specified plot folder in the project tree. Related Topics Modifying Field Plot Attributes
Creating Vector Field Plots

A vector plot uses arrows to illustrate the magnitudes of the x-, y-, and z-components of field quantities. Vector plots can be created on surfaces or volumes. 1. Do one of the following: a. b. 2. 3. 4. To create a vector surface plot, select the faces on which you want to plot the fields. To create a vector volume plot, select the objects within which you want to plot the fields.
Click Maxwell3D or Maxwell2D and then select Fields>Fields. On the Fields submenu, click the vector field quantity you want to plot. Follow the procedure for plotting field overlays.
Modifying Field Plots

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Click Maxwell3D or Maxwell2D and then select Fields>Modify Plot. The Select Field Plot(s) dialog box appears. Select the plot you want to modify from the Select column, and then click OK. The Modify Field Plot dialog box appears. Optionally, click a different solution to plot from the Solution pull-down list. Optionally, specify a different folder in which to store the plot. Optionally, select a different field quantity to plot from the Quantity list.

6. 7.
To choose a calculated expression, select Calculator from the Category pull-down list. To choose a default field quantity, select Standard from the Category pull-down list.
Select the volume, or region, in which the field is to be plotted from the In Volume list. This selection enables you to limit plots to the intersection of a volume and the selected object. Click Apply, and then click Done. The field quantity is plotted on the surfaces or within the objects you selected. The new plot is listed in the specified plot folder in the project tree.
Setting Field Plot Attributes

After creating a vector or scalar field overlay on a surface or volume, you can modify its appearance by changing the settings in the Plot Attributes dialog box. When you modify the settings for a plot folder, all plots in that folder take the same attributes. Note 1. 2. 3. All plots in the selected folder are modified.
Click Maxwell3D or Maxwell2D and select Fields>Modify Plot Attributes. The Select Plot Folder window appears. Select the plot folder you want to modify, and then click OK. A dialog box with attribute settings for the selected folder appears. Change the desired plot attributes. Under the following tabs in the dialog box, you can control the following attributes: Color map The number of colors used and how they are displayed.
Scale Marker/ Arrow Plots
The scale of field quantities.
The appearance of points (for scalar point plots). The appearance of arrows (for vector plots). The spacing of arrows (for vector plots). To display or hide the mesh on the plot's surface or volume. The type of isovalue display (for scalar plots.) The transparency based on solution value. Whether to add a grid (that is, a mesh overlay), and to set the grid color. Specify the plot resolution as Coarse, Normal, Fine, or Very Fine. This affects the use of memory for animating plots. For large plots with more frames to animate, use Coarse or Normal to reduce memory requirements and improve performance. For smaller plots with few frames, if higher resolution is required, use Fine or Very Fine.
4. 5. 6. 1. 2.
The spacing of arrows (for vector plots). Optionally, click Save as default if you want the tab's settings to apply to field overlay plots created after this point. Select Real time mode if you want the changes to take effect immediately in the view window. If this option is cleared, click Apply when you want to see the changes. Click Apply, and then click Close. Click Maxwell3D or Maxwell2D and select Fields>Modify Plot Attributes. The Select Plot Folder window appears. Select the plot folder you want to modify, and then click OK. All plots in the selected folder are modified.
Modifying Field Plot Colors
Note
A dialog box with attribute settings for the selected folder appears. 3. Click the Color map tab.
4.
Select one of the following color types: Uniform Ramp Field quantities are plotted in a single color. Select the plot color from the Color palette. Field quantities are plotted in shades of a single color. Select the plot color from the Color palette. The shade of the color corresponds to its field value.
Spectrum Field quantities are plotted in multiple colors. Select a color spectrum from the pull-down list. Each field value is assigned a color from the selected spectrum. 5. 6. 7. Enter the Number of colors to use in the plot. Select Real time mode if you want the changes to take effect immediately in the view window. If this option is cleared, click Apply when you want to see the changes. Click Apply, and then click Close.
Related Topics Setting the Color Key Visibility Moving the Color Key
Setting the Color Key Visibility

The color key (shown below) displays the range of plotted field values for a field overlay plot. It displays the colors that correspond to the range of field values on the plot. 1. 2. 3. 4. On the View menu, click Visibility. The Visibility dialog box appears. Click the Color Keys tab. In the Visibility column, select the field overlay or mesh plots in which you want to display the color key. Clear the plots for which you want to hide the color key from view. Click Done to close the dialog box.
Alternatively, to hide the color key, right-click on the color key in the view window, and then click Hide from the shortcut menu.
Only the color keys in the selected plots are visible. Plot Title
Color Map Range of Plotted Field Values
Related Topics Modifying Field Plot Colors Moving the Color Key
Moving the Color Key

Click on the active field overlay plot's color key and drag it to a new location. Related Topics Setting the Color Key Visibility
Modifying the Field Plot Scale

To change how field quantities are scaled on the field overlay plot: 1. 2. Click Maxwell3D or Maxwell2D and select Fields>Modify Plot Attributes. The Select Plot Folder window appears. Select the plot folder you want to modify, and then click OK. All plots in the selected folder are modified.
Note
A dialog box with attribute settings for the selected folder appears. 3. Click the Scale tab.
4.
Select one of the following scale options: Auto The full range of field values will be plotted on the selected surface or volume. Selecting Auto enables the Auto Scale Options and disables the Min and Max fields. By default, precision is not limited and automin is the actual computed min on the plotted geometry.
Use Limits Only the field values between the minimum and maximum values will be plotted. Field values below or above these values will be plotted in the colors assigned to the minimum or maximum limits, respectively. Selecting Use Limits enables the Min and Max fields and disables the Auto Scale Options. Field values have a precision of at most 6 decimal places (field solution files are saved in floating precision), so Min/Max numbers are displayed to this precision. 5. If you selected Use Limits, enter the lowest field value to be plotted in the Min. box and the highest field value to be plotted in the Max. box. If you selected Auto, the Auto Scale Options are enabled. You should only changed for cases where auto-min is a small number. Use the 'Limits Max/Min precision to' checkbox to enable setting the drop down menu for the precision limit. The auto-min is the greater of the following:

6.
Actual computed Min Max/pow(10, num digits of field precision) Field values are plotted on a linear scale. Field values are plotted on a logarithmic scale. If field plots have negative and positive values and when auto-scale is selected, the log-scale choice automatically sets the Min value as the Max/Min Ratio. (If field plots have negative values, Log is not allowed.)
Select one of the following options: Linear Log
7. 8.
Select Real time mode if you want the changes to take effect immediately in the view window. If this option is cleared, click Apply when you want to see the changes. Optionally, you can use the Save As Default button to save the following to registry:
Whether to limit field precision, The number of digits of field precision, Whether to use log/linear scale.
Auto scale is always be default for new plots. For scalar-in-volume plots, iso-surface (rather than cloud) is the default display 9. Click Apply, and then click Close.
Modifying Vector Field Plot Arrows

To change the appearance of a vector field plot's arrows: 1. 2. Click Maxwell3D or Maxwell2D and select Fields>Modify Plot Attributes. The Select Plot Folder window appears. Select the plot folder you want to modify, and then click OK. All plots in the selected folder are modified.
Note
A dialog box with attribute settings for the selected folder appears. 3. 4. Click the Marker/Arrow tab. Under Arrow options, select one of the following arrow types from the Type pull-down list: Line Cylinder Umbrella 5. 6. 7. 8. The arrows are displayed as 2D/flat. The arrow tails are displayed as cylinders. The arrowheads are displayed as 3D/round. The arrow tails are displayed as 1D lines. The arrowheads are displayed as 3D/round.
Use the Size slider to increase (move to the right) or decrease (move to the left) the length and dimensions of the arrows. The arrows are resized relative to the size of the model geometry. Select Map size to scale the size of the arrows to the magnitude of the field quantity being plotted. Select Arrow tail to include tails on all arrows. Click the Plots tab. Maxwell plots arrows on a grid that is superimposed on the surface or object you selected for the plot.
Note 9.
Under Vector plot, use the Spacing slider to increase (move to the right) or decrease (move to the left) the distance between arrows (grid points.)
10. If you want the arrows to be spaced equally, select Uniform, and enter values in the Min and Max boxes. 11. Select Real time mode if you want the changes to take effect immediately in the view window. If this option is cleared, click Apply when you want to see the changes. 12. Click Apply, and then click Close.
Setting the Mesh Visibility on Field Plots

To display or hide the mesh on field plots or to change the mesh's color: 1. Click Maxwell3D or Maxwell2D and select Fields>Modify Plot Attributes. The Select Plot Folder window appears.
2.
Select the plot folder you want to modify, and then click OK. All plots in the selected folder are modified.
Note
A dialog box with attribute settings for the selected folder appears. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Click the Plots tab. Select Add grid to display the mesh. Optionally, select a color for the mesh from the Color palette. Select Real time mode if you want the changes to take effect immediately in the view window. If this option is cleared, click Apply when you want to see the changes. Click Apply, and then click Close.
Related Topics Plotting the Mesh
Modifying Scalar Field Plot Isovalues

1. 2. Click Maxwell3D or Maxwell2D and select Fields>Modify Plot Attributes. The Select Plot Folder window appears. Select the plot folder you want to modify, and then click OK. All plots in the selected folder are modified.
Note
A dialog box with attribute settings for the selected folder appears. 3. 4. Click the Plots tab. If the plot is a scalar surface plot, do the following: a. Select one of the following isosurface display types from the IsoValType pull-down list: Line Fringe Tone Gourard b. 5. Lines are drawn along the isovalues. Color is constant between isovalues. Color varies continuously between isovalues. Color varies continuously across the plot.
Optionally, if you selected Fringe or Tone, select Outline to add a border line between isovalues.
Use the Map transp. slider to increase (move to the right) or decrease (move to the left) the transparency of the plot.
6.
If you select Map transp., the transparency of field values increases as the solution values decrease.
If the plot is a scalar volume plot, do the following:
a.
Select one of the following display types: IsoValSurface Color is drawn on the isovalues. Cloud Field values are represented by points that illustrate the spatial distribution of the solution. The higher the solution value, the greater the cloud density.
b. c. 7.
Optionally, if you selected Cloud, use the Cloud density slider to increase or decrease the number of points that represent the density on the volume. Optionally, if you selected Cloud, enter a point size for the clouds in the Point size box.
Use the Map transp. slider to increase (move to the right) or decrease (move to the left) the transparency of the plot.
8. 9. 1. 2.
Select Real time mode if you want the changes to take effect immediately in the view window. If this option is cleared, click Apply when you want to see the changes. Click Apply, and then click Close. Click Maxwell3D or Maxwell2D and select Fields>Modify Plot Attributes. The Select Plot Folder window appears. Select the plot folder you want to modify, and then click OK. All plots in the selected folder are modified.
Mapping Scalar Field Plot Transparency to Field Values
Note
A dialog box with attribute settings for the selected folder appears. 3. 4. Click the Plots tab. Use the Map transp. slider to increase (move to the right) or decrease (move to the left) the transparency of the plot.
5.
Select Real time mode if you want the changes to take effect immediately in the view window. If this option is cleared, click Apply when you want to see the changes. Click Apply, and then click Close.
6.
Modifying Markers on Point Plots

For scalar point plots, a marker is used to represent a field quantity at a selected point. (For vector point plots, arrows are used.) Modify the shape and size of markers in the plot attributes window. 1. Click Maxwell3D or Maxwell2D and select Fields>Modify Plot Attributes. The Select Plot Folder window appears.
2.
Select the plot folder you want to modify, and then click OK. All plots in the selected folder are modified.
Note
A dialog box with attribute settings for the selected folder appears. 3. 4. Click the Marker/Arrow tab in the plot attributes window. Under Marker options, select one of the following marker types to represent the field quantity at the point:

5. 6. 7. 8.
Sphere Box Tetrahedron Octahedron
Use the Size slider to increase (move to the right) or decrease (move to the left) the size of the marker. Select Map size to scale the size of the marker to the magnitude of the quantity being plotted. Select Real time mode if you want the changes to take effect immediately in the view window. If this option is cleared, click Apply when you want to see the changes. Click Apply, and then click Close.
Related Topics Drawing a Point
Viewing Data Markers

The difference between two markers can be viewed on a plot. 1. 2. 3. Click Report 2D>Data Marker. Click the first point on the graph. Hold-and-drag the mouse and release at the second point.
Under the XY plot, you can see the difference between the two marker points.
Modifying Line Plots

Field quantities can be plotted directly on a line object. Scalar quantities are plotted as 3D colorshaded lines. Vector quantities are plotted as arrows that are based on the line. To modify the appearance of line plots: 1. 2. Click Maxwell3D or Maxwell2D and select Fields>Modify Plot Attributes. The Select Plot Folder window appears. Select the plot folder you want to modify, and then click OK. All plots in the selected folder are modified.
Note
A dialog box with attribute settings for the selected folder appears. 3. 4. Click the Plots tab. Select one of the following isosurface display types from the IsoValType pull-down list: Fringe Tone Gourard 5. Color is constant between isovalues. Color varies continuously between isovalues. Color varies continuously across the plot.
Select one of the following styles for the line object from the Line style pull-down list: Cylinder Solid Dash-Dash Dot-Dot Dash-Dot The line object is shaped like a cylinder. The line object is a 3D solid. The line object is represented by dashed black line segments. The line object is represented by a series of dots. The line object is represented by a a series of alternating dashed black line segments and dots.
6. 7. 8. 9.
Use the Line width slider to increase (move to the right) or decrease (move to the left) the thickness of the line. By default, a polyline object is divided into 100 equally spaced points for post processing. To modify the number of points on the line, type a new value in the Number of points box. Select Real time mode if you want the changes to take effect immediately in the view window. If this option is cleared, click Apply when you want to see the changes. Click Apply, and then click Close.
Related Topics Drawing a Polyline
Setting a Plot's Visibility

To display or hide a field overlay or mesh plot from view in the 3D Modeler window: 1. 2. 3. 4. Click View>Visibility. The Visibility dialog box appears. Click the FieldsReporter tab. In the Visibility column, select the field overlay or mesh plots you want to display. Clear the plots you want to hide from view. Click Done. Only the selected plots are visible.
Saving a Field Overlay Plot

Field overlay and mesh plots are saved in the project file (.adsn); however, you can save a plot to a Maxwell Field Plot File format (.dsp) and then open it in Maxwell. To save field overlay or mesh plot data to a .dsp file: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. In the project tree, click the plot you want to export. Click Maxwell3D or Maxwell2D and select Fields>Save as. The Select Field Plot(s) dialog box appears. Select the plots you want to export by checking the Select box, and then click OK. A file browser appears. Make sure that Field Plot Files (.dsp) is the selected file type. Specify the name of the .dsp file and the location in which to save it. Click Save. The plot is exported to the specified .dsp file. The file you created can be opened in Maxwell version 9 and later. Simply click Maxwell3D or Maxwell2D and select Fields>Open.
Opening a Field Overlay Plot

To open a field overlay or mesh plot that you have saved to Maxwell Field Plot File format (.dsp) in Maxwell version 9 and later: 1. 2. 3. 4. Click Maxwell3D or Maxwell2D and select Fields>Open. The Open dialog box appears. Make sure that Field Plot Files (.dsp) is the selected file type in the Files of type pull-down list. Browse to the location of the .dsp file you want to open, and then click the file name. Click Open. The plot appears in the view window and is listed under Field Overlays in the project tree.
Deleting a Field Overlay Plot

1. 2. 3. Click Maxwell3D or Maxwell2D and select Fields>Delete Plot. The Delete Plots dialog box appears. Select the plot(s) you want to delete by checking the Delete check box in the appropriate row. Click OK. The selected plots are deleted. Alternatively, click the plot in the project tree that you want to delete, and then press Delete.
Setting Field Plot Defaults

Each new field plot uses the default plot settings specified in the Set Plot Defaults dialog box.
To modify the default plot settings: 1. 2. 3. 4. If a plot folder has not been created, click Field Overlays in the project tree. Click Maxwell3D or Maxwell2D and select Fields>Set Plot Defaults. The Set Plot Defaults dialog box appears. Select the solution to plot from the Solution pull-down list. Select the plot folder in which new plots will be stored from the Plot Folder pull-down list. Select from one of the following options: New Folder Automatic Each new plot is stored in a separate folder in the project tree. Each new plot is stored in a folder determined by Maxwell as the most appropriate based on the plotted field quantity. For example, all surface magnitude E plots are stored in the same folder.
An existing folder Select the existing folder in which you want to store new plots. Note 5. Plots stored in the same folder use the same color key. The Auto scale setting is based on the maximum field solution value present in a plot.
Click OK.
Renaming a Plot
To rename a plot, do the following in the project tree: 1. Under Field Overlays, expand the field type, and right-click the specific plot you want to rename. A shortcut menu appears. Select Rename. The text becomes editable in the project tree. Type the new name, and press Enter.
2. 3.
Using the Fields Calculator

The Fields calculator enables you to perform computations using basic field quantities. The calculator computes derived quantities from the general electromagnetic field solution; writes field quantities to files, locates maximum and minimum field values, and performs other operations on the field solution. The calculator allows you to define a series of calculations to be performed on the field solution but does not actually perform the computations until data is required, for a field plot as an example. This makes it more efficient, saving computing resources and time.
Note
In Maxwell2D, the Fields Calculator accounts for the difference between XY and RZ models when handling data and results. For example, the integral command will perform an XY integral on the model assuming a 1 meter depth, while for an RZ model it will perform an integral on the 360 degree equivalent volume.
Related Topics Opening the Fields Calculator Context Area Calculator Stack Registers The Stack Commands Input Commands General Commands Scalar Commands Vector Commands Output Commands Calculating Derived Output Quantities Named Expression Library
Opening the Fields Calculator

Do one of the following to open the Fields Calculator:
Click Maxwell3D>Fields>Calculator or Maxwell2D>Fields>Calculator. Right-click Field Overlays in the project tree, and click Calculator on the shortcut menu.
The Fields Calculator dialog box appears.
Context Area
The panel at the upper right of the window identifies the context to be used for the calculations. The top line identifies the design. Depending on the design, text entry boxes allow you to select a Solution, Field Type, or Time.
Registers
Calculator registers hold field quantities, numbers, vectors, and geometries. No registers are created until you load something into the calculator; therefore, this part of the window is initially blank. As items are loaded into the calculator, it creates new registers to hold them. Each register is labeled with its contents as follows: Vec Scl CVc CSc Pnt Lin Srf Vol SclLin VecLine SclSrf VecSrf Vector quantities, which have both direction and magnitude at each point in space. The x-, y-, and z-components of these quantities are stored in the register. Scalar quantities, which have a magnitude only. Complex vector quantities. Complex scalar quantities. Points. Lines. Surfaces. Volumes. Scalar value on a line. Vector value on a line. Scalar value on a surface. Vector value on a surface.
When examining calculator registers, keep the following in mind:
To move or delete calculator registers, use the stack commands. To save a register to a disk file, use the Write command.
Enlarging the Register Display Area

If there are too many registers to fit into the display area, do one of the following:
Use the scroll bars to view the hidden registers. Enlarge the calculator window using the window's borders.
Units of Measure
Unless you are prompted specifically for the unit of measure, all measurements should be assumed to be in SI base units, not model units.
The Calculator Stack

The calculator is made up of a stack of registers, each of which can hold:
Field quantities. Functional or constant scalars and vectors. Geometries points, lines, surfaces, or volumes on which a field quantity is to be evaluated.
To perform a computation on the field solution, you must first load a basic field quantity into a register on the stack. Once a quantity is loaded into a register, it can be:
Manipulated using mathematical operations such as curls, gradients, cross products, divergences, and dot products. Integrated over lines, surfaces, or subvolumes of the solution region either predefined surfaces, volumes, and lists, or lines, surfaces, and volumes that were defined using the Draw commands. Plotted on a point, line, surface, or volume. Exported to a file, allowing you to superimpose saved solutions.
Stack Commands
Use these commands to manipulate the registers in the calculator stack. Push Reloads the quantity in the top register onto the top of the stack, creating a new register. The contents of the top two registers are identical. Pop Deletes the top register from the stack. RlUp Rolls the top register to the bottom of the stack, moving the other registers up the stack. RlDn Rolls the bottom register to the top of the stack, moving the other registers down the stack. Exch Exchanges the top two registers in the stack. Clear Clears the contents of the stack. Undo Use this command to undo the effect of the last operation you performed on the contents of the top register. Successive Undo commands act on any previous operations. Note You cannot undo a simple operation such as loading a field quantity, constant, function, or geometry into the calculator. Instead, use the Pop or Clear commands to delete these items from the calculator stack.
Input Commands
Use the following commands to load data onto the top of the calculator stack: Quantity Geometry Constant Number Function Read Basic quantities, such as current, magnetic field, etc. Geometries such as planes, points, polylines, and volumes. Predefined constants such as , 0, and conversion factors between various units of measurement. Vector and scalar constants, including complex numbers. Previously saved calculator registers containing field quantities. Reads an input saved externally.
Geom Settings Vector and scalar math functions.
These quantities can be manipulated using the Stack commands, General commands, Scalar commands, and Vector commands. The results of these calculations can then be examined using the Output commands.
Quantity Command
The Quantity command loads a field quantity into the top register of the calculator. The quantities available depend upon the solution and design type. These are the same field quantities available for plotting from the Maxwell3D>Fields and Maxwell2D>Fields menu. Related Topics Plotting Standard Field Quantities
Geometry Command
The Geometry command loads a geometry into the top register of the calculator. Do this to:
Find the value of derived field quantities on any point, line, surface, or volume. Plot quantities directly from the calculator. Display a previously defined isosurface, maximum or minimum field point using the Draw command.
The following types of geometries are available: Point, Line, Surface, Volume, and Coord. Note Sheet objects are listed under surface. Due to the ambiguity of the normal vector of a sheet, the
result may require a multiplication by ( 1 ) or ( -1 ).
To load a geometry into the calculator: 1. 2. In the Fields Calculator, click Geometry. The Geometry dialog box appears. Select a geometry type.
A list of all available geometries appears. 3. 4. Click the geometry. Click OK to load the geometry. Consider a box (Box2) that is completely enclosed in a bigger box (Box1), so that no faces of Box2 are touching any faces of Box1. If you explicitly subtract Box2 from Box1, any calculation on the surface (faces) of Box1 will use the 6 exterior faces and the 6 interior faces. Any calculation on the volume of Box1 will use the difference in volume between Box1 and Box2. If you do not explicitly subtract Box2 from Box1, the inner box is only implicitly subtracted. Any calculation on the surface of Box1 in this case will use only the 6 exterior faces of Box1. Any calculation on the volume of Box1 will use the entire volume without subtracting the volume of Box2.
Note
Constant Command
The Constant command loads one of these predefined constants or a conversion constant into the top register of the calculator: Pi Epsi0 Mu0 C = 3.14159265358979 The permittivity of free space, 0 = 8.85418782 x 1012 F/m. The permeability of free space, 0 = 4 x 107 H/m. The speed of light in vacuum, c = 2.99792458 x 108 m/s.
conversion Displays the Enter Units Conversion Factor dialog box. This dialog box lists a constant range of Quantities (such as frequency, resistance, and others) along with a list of Units (Hz to Thz, and rps) to convert From and To. The ratio of the Units from to the Units to is displayed for the selected values as the Conversion Factor.
Number Command
The Number command enters one of the following into the top register of the calculator: Scalar A scalar constant. To enter a constant scalar number: 1. 2. 3. 4. Vector Click Number. The Input Number dialog box appears. Select Scalar. Type the scalar value in the Value box. Click OK to load the number into the top register.
A vector constant. To enter a constant vector: 1. 2. 3. 4. Click Number. The Input Number dialog box appears. Select Vector. Enter the x-, y-, and z-components of the vector. Click OK to load the vector into the top register.
Complex A complex constant. Complex constants are entered in the form C=A+jB, where A represents the real part of the constant and B represents the imaginary part. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Click Number. The Input Number dialog box appears. Select Scalar or Vector. Select Complex. Enter the real and imaginary components of the number. Click OK to load the number into the top register.
Function Command
Any functions you use must be defined before using this operation.
Enters one of the following into the top register of the calculator: Scalar A scalar function. To enter a function: 1. 2. 3. 4. Vector Click Function. The Function dialog box appears. Select Scalar. Select the function from the list. Click OK to load the functional scalar into the top register.
A vector function, in which the values of the vector's x-, y-, and zcomponents are given by functions. To enter a functional vector: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Click Function. The Function dialog box appears. Select Vector. Select the function from the list. For each component of the vector, click SetX, SetY, and SetZ. Click OK to load the functional vector into the top register.
Note
The predefined variables X, Y, Z, RHO, THETA, R, and PHI and any functions that you created can be used to define functional scalar and vector quantities.
Geometry Settings
To set the line spacing for geometry settings: 1. 2. In the Fields Calculator, click Geom Settings. The Geometry Settings dialog box appears. Enter a value in the Line Discretization box., and click OK.
Reading an External Input

To read an external input into the register: 1. 2. In the Fields Calculator, click Read. The Open dialog box appears. Select the external input, and click Open.
General Commands
Use these commands to perform operations on both vector and scalar quantities. + (Add) Adds the quantities in the top two registers of the calculator.
(Subtract) Subtracts the quantity in the top register from the quantity in the second register. The two registers must hold the same type of quantity (both scalar or both vector). You cannot subtract a scalar from a vector (or vice versa). * (Multiply) Multiplies the quantity in the top register by the quantity in the second register. One of the two registers must contain a scalar value; the other register can be either a scalar or a vector. / (Divide) Divides the quantity in the second register by the quantity in the top register. The second register must contain a scalar value; the top register can be either a scalar or a vector. Neg Changes the sign of the quantity in the top register. Abs Takes the absolute value of the quantity in the top register. Smooth Smooths the quantity in the top register. Because of the numerical solution technique used, field values are not always continuous across the boundaries of the individual elements that make up the finite-element mesh. Smoothing makes the values continuous. In general, use smoothing before plotting a quantity. Complex These commands perform operations on a complex quantity in the top register. Complex quantities are indicated by a C at the beginning of the register label. They can be represented in terms of real and imaginary components, or in terms of magnitude and phase:
C = A + jB = Me
where:
A is the real part of the complex number. B is the imaginary part of the complex number. M is its magnitude, which is equal to sqrt(A2 + B2). is its phase, which is equal to atan(B/A). Takes the real part of the complex quantity (A). Takes the imaginary part of the complex quantity (B). Takes the magnitude of the complex quantity (M).
The Complex commands let you do the following: Real Imag CmplxMag
CmplxPhase Takes the phase of the complex quantity (). Conj AtPhase Takes the complex conjugate of the quantity in the top register. If a complex number is given by C = A + jB, its complex conjugate is given by C* = A jB. Specify the phase angle, t, at which a field quantity is evaluated. These quantities can be represented in the form:
A ( x ,y ,z ,t ) = A ( x ,y ,z ) cos ( t + ( x ,y ,z ) )
where
is the angular frequency at which the quantities are oscillating, specified during the solution. (x,y,z) is the phase angle (the offset from a cosine wave that peaks at t=0).
Entering the phase angle lets you compute the real part of the field's magnitude at different points in its cycle. CmplxReal Converts the real scalar of the top register to the real part of a complex number.
CmplxImag Converts the real scalar of the top register to the imaginary part of a complex number. ComplxPeak Calculates the peak value of a given complex vector. Intuitively, this calculates the maximum magnitude of the equivalent real vector in a waveform. Domain This command limits a calculation to the volume you specify. This operation requires the top two entries of the stack to be a volume geometry and a numeric field quantity. To do this: 1. 2. 3. Load the field quantity into the top register, and perform any necessary operations on it. Load the volume using the Geometry command. Click Domain.
The Domain command is often used to limit a calculation or plot to the intersection of a surface and an object or group of objects.
Scalar Commands
Use these commands to perform operations on scalar quantities. Vec? 1/x Pow Makes the scalar quantity in the top register a vector component. Takes the inverse of the scalar quantity in the top register. Raises a scalar quantity to the power you specify.
Square Root Trig d/d? Integral Min Max Gradient Ln Log
Takes the square root of the quantity in the top register. Takes a trigonometric value of the value in the top register of the calculator stack. Takes the partial derivative of the quantity in the top register with respect to x, y, or z as shosen in the pull-down menu. Takes the integral of a scalar quantity over a volume, surface, or line. Computes the minimum of a scalar field quantity on a line, surface, or volume. Computes the maximum of a scalar field quantity on a line, surface, or volume. Computes the minimum of a scalar field quantity on a line, surface, or volume. Calculates the log (base e) value. Calculates the logarithmic value(base 10).
Vec? Command
Makes the scalar quantity in the top register a vector component. Choose from the following: VecX VecY VecZ The x-component of a vector. The y-component of a vector. The z-component of a vector.
1/x (Inverse) Command

Takes the inverse of the scalar quantity in the top register.
Pow Command
Raises a scalar quantity to the power you specify. To raise a scalar quantity to a power: 1. 2. 3. Enter the quantity into the calculator. Enter the exponent to which it is to be raised into the calculator. Click Pow. The results are displayed in the top register.
(Square Root) Command

Takes the square root of the quantity in the top register.
Trig
Takes one of the following trigonometric values of the value in the top register of the calculator stack: Sin Cos Tan ASin ACos ATan ATan2 Sine. Cosine. Tangent. Arcsine. Arccosine. Arctangent. Arctangent squared.
d/d? (Partial Derivative) Command Takes the partial derivative of the quantity in the top register: d/dx d/dy d/dz Takes the partial derivative of the quantity with respect to x. Takes the partial derivative of the quantity with respect to y. Takes the partial derivative of the quantity with respect to z.
(Integral) Command
Takes the integral of a scalar quantity over a volume, surface, or line. The top register must contain a geometry, and the second register must contain the scalar quantity to be integrated. To perform an integration: 1. 2. Load a quantity into the top register of the calculator, and perform any required operations on it. Use one of the Geometry commands to load the line, surface, or volume over which the quantity is to be integrated. If you computed the tangent or normal of the quantity to be integrated, you do not have to load a geometry onto the calculator stack. Maxwell integrates the tangential or normal component of the quantity over the line on which you computed its tangent, or the surface on which you computed its normal.
Note
3.
Click the Integral command to integrate the scalar quantity over the geometry. In 2D designs, you must further select either XY or RZ.
To find the numerical results of an integration, use the Eval command.
Note
In Maxwell2D, the Fields Calculator accounts for the difference between XY and RZ models when handling data and results. The integral command will perform an XY integral on the model assuming a 1 meter depth, while for an RZ model it will perform an integral on the 360 degree equivalent volume.
Max Command
Computes the maximum of a scalar field quantity on a line, surface, or volume. Two options are available: Value Position Finds the magnitude of the maximum value of the field. Finds the point where the maximum field value occurs. You can then plot the maximum field value at the point or plot the field quantities at the point. You can also load the point into the calculator, or change the point's location. To compute the maximum field value: 1. Load a field quantity into the calculator, and perform any necessary operations on it. Keep the following in mind:

2. 3.
You cannot find the maximum value of a vector quantity. Therefore, make sure that the result is a scalar. Before computing the maximum value of a complex quantity, you must convert it to a scalar quantity using the Cmplex/Real or Cmplex/AtPhase commands.
Load a point, line, or volume into the calculator using one of the Geometry commands. Do one of the following:
Click Max/Value to compute the maximum field value on the geometry. Click Max/Position to identify the point at which this value occurs.
Use the Eval command to display the actual maximum field value or the coordinates of the point where it occurs.
Min Command
Computes the minimum of a scalar field quantity on a line, surface, or volume. Two options are available: Value Position Finds the magnitude of the minimum value of the field. Finds the point where the minimum field value occurs. You can then plot the minimum field value at the point or plot the basic field quantities at the point. You can also load the point into the calculator, or change the point's location. These commands operate in the same way as the Max commands. Use the Eval command to display the actual minimum field value or the coordinates of the point where it occurs.
(Gradient) Command
Computes the gradient of the scalar quantity in the top register.
Ln Command
Takes the natural logarithm (base e) of the scalar quantity in the top register.
Log Command
Takes the logarithm (base 10) of the scalar quantity in the top register.
Vector Commands
Use these commands to perform operations on vector quantities. Scal? Matl Mag Replaces the vector in the top register with a scalar quantity that is a component of the vector. Multiplies or divides the vector field quantity in the top register by a material property. Takes the magnitude of the vector quantity in the top register. The magnitude of a complex vector is defined to be the length of the real vector resulting from taking the modulus of each component of the original complex vector. Takes the dot product of the vector quantities in the top two registers Takes the cross product of the vector quantities in the top two registers. Takes the divergence of the vector quantity in the top register. Takes the curl of the vector quantity in the top register. Computes the tangential component of a vector quantity along a line. Computes the normal component of a vector quantity on a surface. Computes the normal or tangent unit vectors.
Dot Cross Divg Curl Tangent Normal Unit Vec
Scal? Command
Replaces the vector in the top register with a scalar quantity whose value is a component of the vector. Choose from the following: ScalarX ScalarY ScalarZ Returns the x-component of the vector. Returns the y-component of the vector. Returns the z-component of the vector.
Matl Command
Multiplies or divides the vector field quantity in the top register by a material property. At each tetrahedron, the field quantity is multiplied or divided by the value of the selected material property taking the different material attributes of each object into account.
To multiply or divide a vector quantity by a material property: 1. 2. Click Matl. The Material Operation dialog box appears. Select a property from the Material Properties list. Options include the following, depending on what solution type is assigned: Permeability (mu), Conductivity (cond), Permittivity (epsi), and Admittivity. Select an operation Multiply or Divide, and click OK.
3.
Mag Command
Takes the magnitude of the vector quantity in the top register. The magnitude of a complex vector is defined to be the length of the real vector resulting from taking the modulus of each component of the original complex vector. With a complex vector on the calculator stack, the Mag button returns a nonnegative scalar. In previous software versions, this command returned a complex scalar.
Dot Command
Takes the dot product of the vector quantities in the top two registers.
Cross Command
Takes the cross product of the vector quantities in the top two registers.
Divg Command
Takes the divergence of the vector quantity in the top register.
Curl Command
Takes the curl of the vector quantity in the top register.
Tangent Command
Computes the tangential component of a vector quantity along a line.
Vector quantity Line Magnitude
Tangential Component
To take the tangent of a vector: 1. 2. 3. Load a vector quantity into the top register. Load a line into the top register using the Geometry/Line command. Click Tangent.
Normal Command
Computes the normal component of a vector quantity on a surface such as a cutplane or object surface. This is the equivalent of taking the dot product of the quantity with the surface's unit normal
Normal = A ( x, y, z ) n
vector:
Vector quantity A(x,y,z)
Normal Component
Magnitude
Surface
To take the normal of a vector: 1. 2. 3. Load a vector quantity into the top register. Load a surface into the top register using the Geometry/Surface command. Click Normal.
Unit Vec Command

Computes the normal or tangent unit vector. The unit vector is a "wild card" entry. The context is specified at the time of plotting, integrating, or report generation. Select from the following: Tangent Normal Computes the unit vector tangent to the line in the top register of the calculator stack. Computes the unit vector normal to the surface in the top register of the calculator stack.
CoordSys(X)
Computes the unit vector in the X-dimension of the relative coordinate system in the top register of the calculator stack. Add the relative CS as a geometric object using the Geometry/Coord command. Computes the unit vector in the Y-dimension of the relative coordinate system in the top register of the calculator stack. Add the relative CS as a geometric object using the Geometry/Coord command. Computes the unit vector in the Z-dimension of the relative coordinate system in the top register of the calculator stack. Add the relative CS as a geometric object using the Geometry/Coord command.
CoordSys(Y)
CoordSys(Z)
Output Commands
Use these commands to output the data in the calculator. Value Eval Write Export Computes the value of a field quantity at a point. Numerically evaluates and displays the results of calculator operations. Saves the contents of the top register to a file. Saves field quantities in a format that can be read by other modeling or post-processing software packages.
Value Command
This computes the value of a field quantity at a point. Use it to find:

1. 2. 3.
The magnitude of a scalar field quantity at that point. The x-, y-, and z-components of a vector field quantity at that point. Load the field quantity into the top register, and perform any needed operations on it. Load the appropriate point into the calculator using the Geometry/Point command. Click Value.
To find the value of a field quantity at a point:
To view the numerical results of this operation, use the Eval command.
Eval Command
This command numerically evaluates and displays the results of calculator operations such as integrations, maximum or minimum field computations, field values at points, and so forth. The quantity to be evaluated must be in the top register. The Eval command computes the numerical results of the operation, which replace the contents of the register. For instance, to find the current around a loop, you must numerically evaluate the following integral for that loop: I = H dl .
Since H and I are complex quantities, you first need to evaluate the real part of H to obtain the real part of I, then evaluate the imaginary part of H to obtain the imaginary part of I. To do this: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Load H into the calculator using the Qty command. Take the real part of H using the Cmplex/Real command. Load the rectangular loop using the Geom/Line command. Create the loop, a closed polyline, to integrate over. Click Tangent to get the component of H along the line. Take the integral around the loop using the Click Eval to evaluate the integral. The real part of I appears in the top register. Repeat this process using the imaginary part of H (found with the Complex/Imag command) to obtain the imaginary part of I.
command.
Write Command
This command saves the contents of the top register to a disk file. Use this command to:

1. 2.
Save registers for use during a later post-processing session. Save a field quantity for use when post processing a different model. Click Write. If the register includes numeric with a constrained quantity (such as jsurf), you see a dialog that gives a choice of constraining geometries. For example:
To save a register:
3. 4.
Select the geometry of interest, and select OK. This displays a file browser. Use the file browser to specify the register's file name and directory path. A .reg extension is
automatically assigned to register files. 5. Click OK. The contents of the file are saved to the file you specified.
Export Command
This command opens the Export Solution dialog, from which you can export the field quantity in the top register to a file, mapping it to a grid of points. Use this command to save field quantities in a format that can be read by other modeling or post-processing software packages. Two options are available for defining the grid points on which to export: Input grid points from file Calculate grid points Maps the field quantity to a customized grid of points. Before using this command, you must create a file containing the points and units. Maps the field quantity to a three-dimensional cartesian grid. You specify the dimensions and spacing of the grid in the x, y, and z directions, with units that you specify. The initial units are taken from the model.
To export a field quantity to a customized grid: 1. 2. 3. Load the quantity into the top register for the fields calculator, and perform any operations on it. Click the Export button in the Fields Calculator. This opens the Export Solution dialog. Type or select the name of the file in which the field quantity is to be saved in the Output File Name text box. You can use the file icon to open the file browser to specify the file name and directory path. A .reg extension is automatically assigned to this file. Click either the Input grid points from file button if you have a created a .pts file containing the grid points, or click the Calculate grid points button. For each grid dimension (X, Y, and Z), enter the following: Minimum Maximum Spacing The minimum x-, y-, or z-coordinate of the grid, and unit of measure. The maximum x-, y-, or z-coordinate of the grid, and unit of measure. The distance between grid points, and unit of measure.
4.
If you select Input grid points from file, either type the name and directory of the file containing the points on which the field is to be mapped, or, click on the file icon and use
the file browser to locate the point file (.pts extension). Note By default, the field calculator uses SI units. Optionally, you can also specify the units that you want while exporting. Add a line in the beginning of the .pts file to specify the units. For example, if you want to use mm, a sample file would like this: Unit=mm -5.5 -5.5 -5.21475 -5.5 -5.5 -5.14425 -5.5 -5.5 -5.07375 -5.5 -5.5 -5.021
If you select Calculate grid points button. For each grid dimension (X, Y, and Z), enter the following: Minimum Maximum Spacing The minimum x-, y-, or z-coordinate of the grid, and unit of measure. The maximum x-, y-, or z-coordinate of the grid, and unit of measure. The distance between grid points, and unit of measure.
5.
Click OK to export the file. The field quantity is mapped to the grid and saved to the file you specified (.reg extension.).
Calculating Derived Field Quantities

The Named Expressions panel displays expressions that can be included in register definitions by name. When a Maxwell design is open and a Solution Setup has been performed, numerous predefined named expressions may be available depending upon the solution type. Generally, predefined expressions related to electric or magnetic field magnitude, current magnitude, vector field values, energy, and losses are available Click on a named expression to select it. When a named expression has been selected, the Copy to Stack button is activated. Click Copy to Stack to push the expression on the top of the stack. Related Topics Named Expressions Named Expression Library
Named Expression Library

To add a named expression of your own to the Fields Calculator list: 1. 2. 3. In the register display area, create the expression you want to plot. When you are finished creating the expression, click Add in the Named Expressions panel. The Named Expression dialog box appears. Type a name for the expression in the Name text box. The new expression is added to the list of named expressions. When the Named Expression list contains one or more user-defined expressions, the Delete and Clear All buttons are active (you cannot delete or clear the predefined named expressions.) Click Delete to delete the selected user-defined named expression. Click Clear All to delete all userdefined named expressions. To save one or more named expressions for the Fields Calculator to a personal Library: 1. 2. 3. 1. 2. Click the Save To button on the Fields Calculator. The Select Expressions for Saving dialog displays. If any new named expressions exist, you can select one or more to save to a file. Give a file name, and click OK to save the file. From the Fields Calculator, click Load From. This displays a file browser that you can use to search for existing .clc files. Select the library to load and click OK. This loads the expression file you have selected. Related Topics Calculating Derived Field Quantities
To load named expressions for the Fields Calculator from a personal library:
Exiting the Fields Calculator

Click Done to exit the Fields Calculator.
Plotting the Mesh

Before or after the solution is complete, you can plot the finite element mesh on surfaces or within 3D objects. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Select a surface or object to create the mesh plot on or within. If it does not exist, create it. Click Maxwell3D>Fields>Plot Mesh or Maxwell2D>Fields>Plot Mesh. The Create Mesh Plot dialog box appears. Enter a name, or accept the default name. Select the solution to plot from the Solution pull-down list. Select the field quantity to plot from the Field Type pull-down list. Click Done. The mesh appears on the surface or object you selected. An icon for the mesh also appears in the Project tree under Field Overlays -- Mesh Plots. If a solution is ongoing, you can select the Mesh Plots icon in the in the Project tree, right-click to display the shortcut menu, and click Update Plots. This updates the mesh plot to latest data available. After the last adaptive pass, the Mesh plot is automatically updated. You can modify an existing plot by selecting the plot and changing the properties. Related Topics Setting Mesh Plot Attributes
Setting Mesh Plot Attributes

1. 2. Click Maxwell3D or Maxwell2D and select Fields>Modify Plot Attributes. The Select Plot Folder window appears. Select the folder containing the mesh plot you want to modify, and then click OK. All plots in the selected folder are modified.
Note
A dialog box with mesh plot attribute settings appears. 3. 4. Click the mesh plot you want to modify from the Plot pull-down list. Use the Scale factor slider to increase (move to the right) or decrease (move to the left) the percentage of the tetrahedra size. For example, a scale factor of 80% draws the tetrahedra at 80% of their original size. 5. Use the Transparency slider to increase (move to the right) or decrease (move to the left) the transparency of the plot. This is useful for viewing objects or plots behind the current plot.
6.
Select one of the following display options: Wire frame Shaded Add Grid Draws wire frame outlines of the tetrahedra. Draws shaded tetrahedra. Displays the mesh.
7. 8. 9.
Under Mesh color, click the Line color box, and then select a color for the outline of the tetrahedra from the Color palette. Under Mesh color, click the Filled color box, and then select a color to fill the tetrahedra with from the Color palette. Select Surface only to only display the faces of tetrahedra that lie on object surfaces. Clear this option to draw all tetrahedra inside selected objects.
10. Click Save as default if you want the tab's settings to apply to mesh plots created after this point. 11. Select Real time mode if you want the changes to take effect immediately in the view window. If this option is cleared, click Apply when you want to see the changes. 12. Click Apply, and then click Close. Related Topics Plotting the Mesh
20
Optimetrics
Optimetrics enables you to determine the best design variation among a model's possible variations. You create the original model, the nominal design, and then define the design parameters that vary, which can be nearly any design parameter assigned a numeric value in Maxwell. For example, you can parameterize the model geometry or material properties. You can then perform the following types of analyses on your nominal Maxwell design: Parametric In a parametric analysis, you define one or more variable sweep definitions, each specifying a series of variable values within a range. For example, you can parameterize component values. (See Variables in Maxwell for more information.) Optimetrics solves the design at each variation. You can then compare the results to determine how each design variation affects the performance of the design. Parametric analyses are often used as precursors to optimization solutions because they help to determine a reasonable range of variable values for the optimization analysis.
Optimization For an optimization analysis, you identify the cost function and the optimization goal. Optimetrics changes the design parameter values to meet that goal. The cost function can be based on any solution quantity that Maxwell can compute. Sensitivity In a sensitivity analysis, you use Optimetrics to explore the vicinity of the design point to determine the sensitivity of the design to small changes in variables. Tuning allows you to change variable values interactively while monitoring the performance of the design. In a statistical analysis, you use Optimetrics to determine the distribution of a design's performance, which is caused by a statistical distribution of variable values.
Optimetrics 20-1
Tuning Statistical
Note
Sweeping or using a complex variable is not allowed in any optimetrics setup, including optimization, statistical, sensitivity, and tuning setups.
Related Topics Setting up a Parametric Analysis Setting up an Optimization Analysis Setting up a Sensitivity Analysis Tuning a Variable Setting up a Statistical Analysis Parametric Overview Optimization Overview Sensitivity Analysis Overview Statistical Analysis Overview Tuning Overview Using Distributed Analysis
20-2 Optimetrics
Parametric Overview
Running a parametric analysis enables you to simulate several design variations using a single model. You define a series of variable values within a range, or a variable sweep definition, and Maxwell generates a solution for each design variation. You can then compare the results to determine how each design variation affects the performance of the design. You can vary design parameters that are assigned a quantity, such as geometry dimensions, material properties, and boundary and excitation properties. (See the online help topic for the specific parameter you want to vary.) The number of variations that can be defined in a parametric sweep setup is limited only by your computing resources. To perform a parametric analysis, you first create a nominal design. A nominal design is created like any other design, except that variables are assigned to those aspects of the model you want to change. All variables must be defined before you start the parametric analysis. Although you are not required to solve the nominal design before performing a parametric analysis, doing so helps ensure that the model is set up and operates as intended. Alternatively, you can perform a validation check on the nominal design before performing a parametric analysis. Parametric analyses are often used as precursors to optimization analyses because they enable you to determine a reasonable range of variable values for an optimization analysis. Related Topics Setting up a Parametric Analysis
Optimetrics 20-3
Setting Up a Parametric Analysis

A parametric setup specifies all of the design variations that Optimetrics drives Maxwell to solve. A parametric setup is made up of one or more variable sweep definitions, which are a set of variable values within a range that you want Maxwell to solve when you run the parametric setup. You can define more than one parametric setup per design. Note Once you have created a parametric setup, you can copy and paste it, and then make changes to the copy, rather than redoing the whole process for minor changes.
To add a parametric setup to a design: 1. On the Maxwell3D or Maxwell2D menu, point to Optimetrics Analysis, and then click Add Parametric .
Alternatively, right-click Optimetrics in the project tree, and then click Add>Parametric on the shortcut menu.
The Setup Sweep Analysis dialog box appears. 2. Add a variable sweep definition. After you define a parametric sweep, a shortcut menu becomes available when you right-click the setup name. Note Sweeping or using a complex variable is not allowed in any optimetrics setup, including optimization, statistical, sensitivity, and tuning setups.
Related Topics Adding a Variable Sweep Definition Specifying a Solution Setup for a Parametric Setup Using Distributed Analysis Parametric Overview
Adding a Variable Sweep Definition

A parametric setup is made up of one or more variable sweep definitions. A variable sweep definition is a set of variable values within a range that Optimetrics drives Maxwell to solve when the parametric setup is analyzed. You can add one or more sweep definitions to a parametric setup. Note 1. Sweeping a complex variable is not allowed in any optimetrics setup, including optimization, statistical, sensitivity, and tuning setups.
On the Maxwell3D or Maxwell2D menu, point to Optimetrics Analysis, and then click Add Parametric .
Alternatively, right-click Optimetrics in the project tree, and then click Add>Parametric on the shortcut menu.
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The Setup Sweep Analysis dialog box appears. 2. Under the Sweep Definitions tab, click Add. The Add/Edit Sweep dialog box appears. All the independent variables associated with the design are listed in the Variable pull-down list. 3. Click the variable for which you are defining the sweep definition from the Variable pulldown list. If you do not define a sweep definition for a variable in the list, the variable's current value in the nominal design is used in the parametric analysis. 4. 5. Specify the variable values to be included in the sweep. Click Add, and then click OK. You return to the Setup Sweep Analysis dialog box. The variable sweep is listed in the top half of the window. 6. View the design variations that are to be solved in table format under the Table tab. Viewing the sweep definition in table format enables you to visualize the design variations that are to be solved and manually adjust sweep points if necessary. Click OK.
7.
Related Topics Specifying Variable Values for a Sweep Definitions Synchronizing Variable Sweep Definitions Modifying a Variable Sweep Definition Manually Overriding a Variables Current Value in a Parametric Setup
Specifying Variable Values for a Sweep Definition

To specify the variable values to include in a sweep definition: 1. Select one of the following in the Add/Edit Sweep dialog box: Single value Linear step Linear count Decade count Octave count Specify a single value for the sweep definition. Specify a linear range of values with a constant step size. Specify a linear range of values and the number, or count of points within this range. Specify a logarithmic (base 10) series of values, and the number of values to calculate in each decade. Specify a logarithmic (base 2) series of values, and the number of values to calculate in each octave.
Exponential count Specify an exponential (base e) series of values, and the number of values to calculate. 2. If you selected Single value, type the value of the sweep definition in the Value box.
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If you selected another sweep type, do the following: a. b. Type the starting value of the variable range in the Start text box. Type the final value of the variable range in the Stop text box. Variable values must be single real numbers, or expressions that evaluate to single real numbers. Complex numbers cannot be used as the values of variables in any optimetric analysis.
Warning
3.
If you selected Linear step as the sweep type, type the step size in the Step box. The step size is the difference between variable values in the sweep definition. The step size determines the number of design variations between the start and stop values. Maxwell will solve the model at each step in the specified range, including the start and stop values. The step size can be negative, when the Stop value is less than the Start value If you selected another sweep type, type the number of points, or variable values, in the sweep definition in the Count text box. For Decade count and Octave count, the Count value specifies the number of points to calculate in every decade or octave. For Exponential count, the Count value is the total number of points. The total number of points includes the start and stop values.
Related Topics Synchronizing Variable Sweep Definitions
Synchronizing Variable Sweep Definitions

By default, variable sweep definitions are nested. Alternatively, you can synchronize the variable sweep definitions if they have the same number of sweep points. For example, if you synchronize a sweep definition that includes values of 1, 2, and 3 inches with a second sweep definition that includes values of 4, 5, and 6 inches, Maxwell will solve 3 design variations. The first variation is solved at the variable values of 1 and 4; the second variation is solved at the variable values 2 and 5; and the third variation is solved at the final variable values 3 and 6. To synchronize variable sweep definitions: 1. 2. Under the Sweep Definitions tab of the Setup Sweep Analysis dialog box, select the rows containing the sweep definitions you want to synchronize. Click Sync. The synchronized sweeps are given a group number, which is listed in the Sync # column. Optionally, view the design variations that are to be solved in table format under the Table tab. Related Topics Specifying Variable Values for a Sweep Definitions
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Modifying a Variable Sweep Definition Manually

You can manually modify the variable values that are solved for a parametric setup by explicitly changing, adding, or deleting existing points in a variable sweep definition under the Table tab of the Setup Sweep Analysis dialog box. To manually modify a variable sweep definition: 1. 2. Click the Table tab of the Setup Sweep Analysis dialog box. The design variations Maxwell solves for the parametric setup listed in table format. Do one of the following:
To modify a variable value, click a value text box in the table and type a new value. To delete a variable value from the sweep definition, click the row you want to delete, and then click Delete. To add a new variable value to the sweep definition, click Add. Then click in the value text box and type a new value. Variable values must be single real numbers, or expressions that evaluate to single real numbers. Complex numbers cannot be used as the values of variables in any optimetric analysis.
Warning
Your modifications are tracked and available for viewing at the bottom of the Setup Sweep Analysis dialog box under the Sweep Definitions tab. The operations you performed are listed with descriptions. Warning If you modify an original sweep definition using the Add/Edit Sweep dialog box after you have manually modified its table of design variations, your manual modifications become invalid and are removed. A warning is displayed to inform you that your manual values are about to become invalid, so you can decide whether or not to proceed.
Related Topics Adding a Variable Sweep Definition Overriding a Variables Current Value in a Parametric Setup
Overriding a Variable's Current Value in a Parametric Setup

If you choose not to sweep a variable, Maxwell uses the variable's current value set for the nominal design when it solves the parametric setup. To override the current variable value for a parametric setup: 1. 2. 3. In the Setup Sweep Analysis dialog box, click the General tab. Under Starting Point, all of the current independent design variable values are listed. Click the Value box of the variable with the value you want to override for the parametric setup. Type a new value in the Value box, and then press Enter.
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The Override option is now selected. This indicates that the value you entered will be used for the parametric setup. For this parametric setup, the new value will override the current value in the nominal design. Note 4. Alternatively, you can select the Override option first, and then type a new variable value in the Value box.
Optionally, click a new unit in the Units box.
To revert to the current variable value, clear the Override option. Warning Variable values must be single real numbers, or expressions that evaluate to single real numbers. Complex numbers cannot be used as the values of variables in any optimetric analysis.
Related Topics Adding a Variable Sweep Definition Modifying a Variable Sweep Definition Manually
Specifying a Solution Setup for a Parametric Setup

To specify the solution setup that Maxwell analyzes when it solves a parametric setup: 1. 2. In the Setup Sweep Analysis dialog box, click the General tab. Select the solution setup you want Maxwell to use when it solves the parametric setup. Maxwell solves the parametric setup using the solution setup you select. If you select more than one, results are generated for all selected solution setups. Related Topics Specifying the Solution Quantity to Evaluate for Parametric Analysis Specifying a Solution Quantitys Calculation Range
Specifying the Solution Quantity to Evaluate for Parametric Analysis

When you add a parametric setup, you can identify one or more solution quantities to be presented in the Post Analysis Display dialog box. The solution quantities are specified by mathematical expressions that are composed of basic quantities, such as output variables. When you view the results, Maxwell extracts the solution quantities and lists them in the results table. 1. In the Setup Sweep Analysis dialog box, click the Calculations tab. This displays a table that will show Solutions and associated Calculations. Below the table, are control buttons to Setup Calculations... and Delete. 2. Click Setup Calculations. This displays the Add/Edit Calculation dialog. The dialog contains panes to set the Context, the Trace tab for the Calculation Expression, and the Calculation Range tab for the Calculation Range. Follow the procedure to Setup Calculations for Optimetrics.
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3. 4.
Click Add Calculation to add the expression in the Add/Edit Calculation dialog Calculation Expression field to the Calculations tab of the Setup Sweep Analysis dialog. Click Done to close the Add/Edit Calculation dialog.
Related Topics Specifying a Solution Quantitys Calculation Range Specifying Output Variables Setup Calculations for Optimetrics.
Setup Calculations for Optimetrics

The Setup dialogs for each of the Optimetrics types include a Setup Calculations button. Clicking this displays the Add/Edit Calculation dialog box. The dialog box contains distinct panes and tabs to set the Context, the Calculation Expression, and the Calculation Range. The Context pane contains fields for the Report Type to use, the Solution, and depending on the Report Type selection, the Geometry. The Trace tab contains fields for the Calculation expression, and, to build the expression, a Category list, a Quantity list with a Text Filter field, and a list of Functions available for the selected Category. The Range function button opens a dialog in which you can define a range function to apply a function to the expression. The Category list for the Trace tab includes Variables and Output Variables. An Output Variables... button lets you open a dialog box to define and edit the Output Variables. To setup an Optimetrics calculation: 1. 2. Click the Setup Calculations button to open the Add/Edit/Calculation dialog. In the Report Type text field in the Context pane, select from the drop down list of available types. Selecting Fields as the Report type causes the Geometry field to display. 3. 4. 5. In the Solution text box, select from the drop down list of available solutions. If the Geometry field is available, select from the drop down list. In the Trace tab, specify the solution Category, a Quantity, and Functions. The resulting expression will be displayed in the Calculation Expression field. a. Select the Category from the list. The selection appears in the Calculation Expression field, and the Quantity and Function fields list what is available for the corresponding selection. b. Select the Quantity from the list. The selected quantity appears in the Calculation Expression field. If the Quantity list is long, you can filter it for easier selection by typing in the text filter field. Only quantities that contain those alphanumeric characters anywhere in their name will remain visible in the list. If you want to create an output variable that represents the solution quantity, do the following:
Optimetrics 20-9

Note
Click the Output Variables button. The Output Variables dialog box appears. Add the expression you want to evaluate, and then click Done. The recently created output variable appears in the Quantity list. Click a new output variable in the Quantity pull-down list.
The calculation you specify must be able to be evaluated into a single, real number. The selected Quantity appears in the Calculation Expression field.
c. 6. 7. 8.
Select the Function from the list. The selected function is applied to the Quantity in the Calculation Expression field.
To apply a Range function to the Calculation Expression, see Setting a Range function. Click Add Calculation to add the expression in the Add/Edit Calculation dialog Calculation Expression field to the Calculations tab of the Setup Sweep Analysis dialog. Click Done to close the Add/Edit Calculation dialog box.
Related Topics Specifying a Solution Quantity to Evaluate Setting a Range function
Specifying a Solution Quantity's Calculation Range

The calculation range of a solution quantity determines the value of intrinsic variables such as frequency (F) at which the solution quantity will be extracted. For a parametric setup, the calculation range must be a single value. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 1. In the Setup Sweep Analysis dialog box, click the Calculations tab. Click the Setup Calculations button. The Add/Edit/Calculation dialog box appears. Select the Calculation Range tab. In the Variable list, click an intrinsic variable. Single Value is selected by default. In the Value box, click a value at which the solution quantity will be extracted. Click Update, and then click Edit. In the project tree, right-click the parametric setup for which you want to view the results calculated for the solution quantities, and then click View Analysis Result on the shortcut menu. The Post Analysis Display dialog box appears. 2.
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Viewing Results for Parametric Solution Quantities
Select the parametric setup with the results you want to view from the pull-down list at the top of the dialog box.
3. 4.
Make sure the Result tab is selected on the dialog. To view the results in tabular form, select Table as the view type. The results for the selected solution quantities are listed in table format for each solved design variation.
5.
Optionally, select Show complete output name. The complete name of the solution for which the results are being displayed will be listed in the column headings.
6.
Optionally, click a design variation in the table, and then click Apply (at the far right side of the dialog box). Maxwell now points to the selected design variation as the nominal solution and as a result, the design displayed in the Modeler window is changed to represent the selected design variation. Click Revert to return the design in the view window to the original value.
7. 8. 9.
To view the results in graphic form, select Plot as the view type. Select the variable with the swept values you want to plot on the x-axis from the X pull-down list. Only one sweep variable at a time can be plotted against solution quantity results. Any other variables that were swept during the parametric analysis remain constant. Optionally, to modify the constant values of other swept variables, do the following: a. b. Click Set Other Sweep Variables Value. The Setup Plot dialog box appears. All of the other solved variable values are listed. Click the row with the variable value you want to use as the constant value in the plot, and then click OK.
10. Select the solution quantity results you want to plot on the y-axis from the Y pull-down list. The x -y plot appears in the view window. You can modify the display by right-clicking in the graph area. See Creating Reports for details on these operations. 11. To view profile information about the analysis, click the Profile tab on the Post Analysis Display dialog. 12. When more than one parametric analysis has been run, use the left and right arrows to select a profile. 13. Click Close to close the Post Analysis Display dialog. Related Topics Plotting Solution Quantity Results vs. a Swept Variable Viewing Solution Data for an Optimetrics Design Variation
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Using Distributed Analysis

If you have purchased the appropriate license, Maxwell supports distributed solve, which involves distributing rows of a parametric table during Optimetrics solve. If you do a distributed solve, Maxwell launches solver engines on multiple machines, assuming that you have configured your machines appropriately. To run a distributed analysis: 1. 2. Under Optimetrics in the project tree, right-click the specific parametric setup. A shortcut menu appears. Select Distribute Analysis from the shortcut menu. After you define a parametric sweep, a shortcut menu becomes available when you right-click the setup name.
Note
While the analysis is running, you can access parent and child progress bars. By default, only the main progress bar is displayed, while the child progress bars (or subtasks) remain hidden. You can toggle between showing and hiding the child progress bars. To show the child progress bars:
Right-click the progress window, and select Show Subtask Progress Bars. Right-click the progress window, and select Hide Subtask Progress Bars.
To hide the child progress bars: Related Topics: General Options: Analysis Options Tab Solving Remotely (Windows Only) Setting Up Distributed Analysis with Licensing Viewing Distributed Analysis Subtasks
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Optimization Overview
Optimetrics interfaces with Ansofts products to enable the optimization of a wide variety of design parameters based on variable geometry, materials, excitations, component values, etc. Optimization is the process of locating the minimum of a user-defined cost function. Optimetrics modifies the variable values until the minimum is reached with acceptable accuracy. Related Topics Setting Up an Optimization Analysis Choosing an Optimizer
Choosing an Optimizer
Conducting an optimization analysis allows you to determine an optimum solution for your problem. In Maxwell optimization analyses, you have five choices of optimizer, though in most cases, the Sequential Nonlinear Programming optimizer is recommended.
Sequential Nonlinear Programming (SNLP) Sequential Mixed Integer NonLinear Programming (SMINLP) Quasi Newton Pattern Search Genetic Algorithm
All five optimizers assume that the nominal problem you are analyzing is close to the optimal solution; therefore, you must specify a domain that contains the region in which you expect to reach the optimum value. All five optimizers allow you to define a maximum limit to the number of iterations to be executed. This prevents you from consuming your remaining computing resources and allows you to analyze the obtained solutions. From this reduced range, you can further narrow the domain of the problem and regenerate the solutions. All optimizers also allow you to enter a coefficient in the Add Constraints window to define the linear relationship between the selected variables and the entered constraint value. For the SNLP and NMINLP optimizers, the relationship can be linear or nonlinear. For the Quasi Newton and Pattern Search optimizers, the relationship must be linear.
Quasi Newton
If the Sequential Non Linear Programming Optimizer has difficulty, and if the numerical noise is insignificant during the solution process, use the Quasi Newton optimizer to obtain the results. The Quasi Newton optimizer works on the basis of finding a minimum or maximum of a cost function which relates variables in the model or circuit to overall simulation goals. The user defines one or more variables in the problem definition and a cost function in the optimization setup. The cost function relates the variable values to field quantities, design parameters like force or torque, power loss, etc. The optimizer can then maximize or minimize the value of the design parameter by varying the problem variables. Sir Isaac Newton first showed that the maximum or minimum of any function can be deterSetting up an Optimetrics Analysis 15-13
mined by setting the derivative of a function with respect to a variable (x) to zero and solving for the variable. This approach leads to the exact solution for quadratic functions. However, for higher order functions or numerical analysis, an iterative approach is commonly taken. The function is approximately locally by a quadratic and the approximation is solved for the value of x. This value is placed back into the original function and used to calculate a gradient which provides a step direction and size for determining the next best value of x in the iteration process. In the Quasi-Newton optimization procedure, the gradients (Hessian) are not well behaved functions and are calculated numerically. Essentially, the change in the estimate of x and the change in the gradient are used to estimate the Hessian for the next iteration. The ratio of the change in the gradients to the change in the values of x provides the Hessian for the next step and is know as the quasi-Newton condition. In order to perform the Quasi-Newton optimization, at least three solutions are required for each parameter being varied. This can have a significant computational cost depending upon the type of analysis being performed. There are numerous methods described in the literature for solving for the Hessian and the details of the method used by Optimetrics are beyond the scope of this document. However, as the Quasi-Newton method is, at its heart, a gradient method, it suffers from two fundamental problems common to optimization. The first is the possible presence of local minima. The fig-
15-14 Setting up an Optimetrics Analysis
ure below illustrates the problem of local minima. In this scenario, you can see that in order to
find the minimum of the function over the domain, a number of factors will determine the overall success including the initial starting point, the initial set of gradients calculated, the allowable step size, etc. Once the optimizer has located a minimum, the Quasi-Newton approach will locate the bottom and will not search further for other possible minima. In the example shown, when the optimizer begins at the point labeled "Starting Point 1" the minima it finds is a local minima and not a good global solution to the problem. The second basic issue with Quasi-Newton optimization is numerical noise. In gradient optimization, the derivatives are assumed to be smooth, well behaved functions. However, when the gradients are calculated numerically, the calculation involves taking the differences of numbers that get progressively smaller. At some point, the numerical imprecision in the parameter calculations becomes greater than the differences calculated in the gradients and the solution will oscillate and may never reach convergence. To illustrate this, consider the figure
Setting up an Optimetrics Analysis 15-15
shown below. In this scenario, the optimizer is looking for the point labeled "minimum". Three
possible solutions are labeled A, B and C, with each arrow indicating the direction of the derivative of the function at that point. If points A and B represent the last two solution points for the parameter, then it is easy to see that the changes in the magnitude and the consistent direction of the derivatives will serve to push the solution closer to the desired minimum. If, however, points A and C are the last two solution points respectively, the the magnitude indicates the proper direction of movement, but the derivatives are opposite, possibly causing the solution to move away from the minimum, back in the direction of point A. In order to use the Quasi-Newton optimizer effectively, the cost function should be based on parameters that exhibit a smooth characteristic (little numerical noise) and a starting point of the optimization should be chosen somewhat close to the expected minimum based on an understanding of the physical problem being optimized. This becomes increasingly difficult, however, when multiple parameters are being varied or when multiple parameters are to be optimized. In addition, the computational burden of multivariate optimization with QuasiNewton increases geometrically with the number of variables being optimized. As a result, this method should only be attempted when 1 or 2 variables are being optimized as a time. For more information regarding Quasi-Newton optimization methods, see the following reference:
Schoenberg, Ronald. Optimizaion with the Quasi-Newton Method. Aptech Systems, Inc. 2001. Related Topics Optimization Setup for Quasi Newton Optimizer
Pattern Search
If the noise is significant in the nominal project, use the Pattern Search optimizer to obtain the results. It performs a grid-based simplex search, which makes use of simplices: triangles in 2D space or tetrahedra in 3D space. A simplex is a Euclidean geometric spatial element having the minimum number of boundary points, such as a line segment in one-dimensional space, a triangle in two-dimensional space, or a tetrahedron in three-dimensional space. The cost value is calculated at the vertices of the simplex. The optimizer mirrors the simplex across one of its faces based on mathematical guidelines and determines if the new simplex provides better results. If it does not produce a better result, the next face is used for mirroring and the pattern continues. If no improvement occurs, the grid is refined. If improvement occurs, the step is accepted and the new simplex is generated to replace the original one. The figures below illustrates a triangular simplex mirrored several times to demonstrate the pattern search approach in two variables and the simplices superimposed on a 2D cost function to demonstrate the convergence toward a minimum in the cost function.
The Pattern Search algorithms are extensible to three variable optimization by using tetrahedral simplices, however, they are not easily represented in graphical form. Generally, Pattern Search algorithms are not used when more than three variables are used in the optimization. When there is not improvement in the cost function regardless of the direction the simplex is mirrored, then the simplex is subdivided into smaller simplices and the process restarted. Pattern Search algorithms have several advantages over Quasi-Newton algorithms. First, they are less sensitive to noise because the cost function is evaluated at all node points on the simplex and the numerical noise averages out over the simplex. The second advantage is that the number of initial solutions is generally smaller as shown in the table. However, since the pattern search does not use gradient information to locate the minimum the process converges more slowly toward the true minimum, taking more steps to successively divide the simplices as the minimum is approached. Related Topics Optimization Setup for Pattern Search Optimizer
Sequential Non-linear Programming(SNLP)

The main advantage of SNLP over Quasi Newton is that it handles the optimization problem in more depth. This optimizer assumes that the optimization variables span a continuous space.
As a result, there is no Minimum Step Size specified in this optimizer and the variables may take any value within the allowable constraints and within the numerical precision limits of the simulator. Like Quasi Newton, the SNLP optimizer assumes that the noise is not significant. It does reduce the effect of the noise, but the noise filtering is not strong. The SNLP optimizer approximates the FEA characterization with Response Surfaces (RS). With the FEA-approximation and with light evaluation of the cost function, SNLP has a good approximation of the cost function in terms of the optimization variables. This approximation allows the SNLP optimizer to estimate the location of improving points. The overall cost approximations are more accurate. This allows the SNLP optimizer a faster practical convergence speed than that of quasi Newton. The SNLP Optimizer creates the response surface using a Taylor Series approximation from the FEA simulation results available from past solutions. The response surface is most accurate in the local vicinity. The response surface is used in the optimization loop to determine the gradients and calculate the next step direction and distance. The response surface acts as a surrogate for the FEA simulation, reducing the number of FEA simulations required and greatly speeding the problem. Convergence improves as more FEA solutions are created and the response surface approximation improves. The SNLP method is similar to the Sequential Quadratic Programming (SQP) method in two ways: Both are sequential, updating the optimizer state to the current optimal values and iterating. Sequential optimization can be thought of a walking a path, step by step, toward an optimal goal. SNLP and SQP optimizers are also similar in that both use local and inexpensive surrogates. However, in the SNLP case, the surrogate can be of a higher order and is more generally constrained. The goal is to achieve a surrogate model that is accurate enough on a wider scale, so that the search procedures are well lead by the surrogate, even for relatively large steps. All functions calculated by the supporting finite element product (for example, Maxwell 3D or HFSS) is assumed to be expensive, while the rest of the cost calculation (for example, an extra user-defined expression) which is implemented in Optimetrics is assumed to be inexpensive. For this reason, it makes sense to remove inexpensive evaluations from the finite element problem and, instead, implement them in Optimetrics. This optimizer holds several advantages over the Quasi Newton and Pattern Search optimizers. Most importantly, due to the separation of expensive and inexpensive evaluations in the cost calculation, the SNLP optimizer is more tightly integrated with the supporting FEA tools. This tight integration provides more insight into the optimization problem, resulting in a significantly faster optimization process. A second advantage is that the SNLP optimizer does not require cost-derivatives to be approximated, protecting against uncertainties (noise) in cost evaluations. In addition to derivative-free state of the RS-based SNLP, the RS technique also proves to have noise suppression properties. Finally, this optimizer allows you to use nonlinear constraints, making this approach much more general than either of the other two optimizers. Related Topics Optimization Setup for SNLP Optimizer
Sequential Mixed Integer NonLinear Programming

The Sequential Mixed Integer Nonlinear Programming (SMINLP) optimizer is equivalent to the SNLP optimizer with only one difference. Many problems require variables take only discrete values. One example might to to optimize on the number of turns in a coil. To be able to optimize on number of turns or quarter turns, the optimizer must handle discrete optimization variables. The SMINLP optimizer can mix continuous variables among the integers, or can have only integers, and works if all variables are continuous. The setup resembles the setup for SNLP, except that you must flag the integer variables.supporting integer variables. You can set up internal variables based on the integer optimization variable. For example, consider N to be an integer optimization variable. By definition it can only assume integer values. You can establish another variable, which further depends on this one: K = 2.345 * N, or K = sin(30 * N ). This way K has a discrete value, but is not necessarily integer. Or, one can use N directly as a design parameter. Related Topics Optimization Setup for SMINLP Optimizer
Genetic Algorithm
Genetic Algorithm(GA) optimizers are part of a class of optimization techniques called stochastic optimizers. They do not use the information from the experiment or the cost function to determine where to further explore the design space. Instead, they use a type of random selection and apply it in a structured manner. The random selection of evaluations to proceed to the next generation has the advantage of allowing the optimizer to jump out of a local minima at the expense of many random solutions which do not provide improvement toward the optimization goal. As a result, the GA optimizer will run many more iterations and may be prohibitively slow. The Genetic Algorithm search is an iterative process that goes through a number of generations (see picture below). In each generation some new individuals (Children / Number of Individuals) are created and the so grown population participates in a selection (natural-selection) process that in turn reduces the size of the population to a desired level (Next Generation /
Number of Individuals).
When a smaller set of individuals must be created from a bigger set, the GA selects individuals from the original set. During this process, better fit (in relation to the cost function) individuals are preferred. In the elitist selection, simply the best so many individuals are selected, but if you turn on the roulette selection, then the selection process gets relaxed. An iterative process starts selecting the individuals and fill up the resulting set, but instead of selecting the best so many, we use a roulette wheel that has for each selection-candidate divisions made proportional to the fitness level (relative to the cost function) of the candidate. This means that the fitter the individual is, the larger the probability of his survival will be. Related Topics Optimization Setup for Genetic Algorithm Optimizer Optimization Variables in Design Space Cost Function Advanced Genetic Algorithm Optimizer Options
Optimization Variables and the Design Space

Once the optimization variables are specified, the optimizer handles each of them as an n-dimensional vector x. Any point in the design space corresponds to a particular x-vector and to a design instance. Each design instance may be evaluated via FEA and assigned a cost value; therefore, the n cost function is defined over the design space (cost(x): R R , where n is the number of optimization variables. In practice, a solution of the minimization problem is sought only on a bounded subset of the Rn space. This subset is called the feasible domain and is defined via linear constraints.
Setting Up an Optimization Analysis

Optimization allows you to vary predefined variables in the nominal design to search for the solution that best satisfies a set of user defined goals or cost functions. Optimetrics modifies the variable values until the minimum is reached with acceptable accuracy. Note
You can define more than one optimization analysis setup per design. Once you have created an optimization analysis setup, you can copy and paste it, and then make changes to the copy, rather than redoing the whole process for minor changes.
To provide a broad range of capability, Optimetrics incorporates the following types of numerical optimizers:
Sequential Nonlinear Programming (SNLP) Sequential Mixed Integer Nonlinear Programming (SMINLP) Quasi Newton Pattern Search Genetic Algorithm
Click on the links above to view the setup procedure for each optimizer. Options for the analysis are listed in the table. The following optional optimization solution setup options can also be used:

Note
Modify the starting variable value. Modify the minimum and maximum values of variables that will be optimized. Exclude variables from optimization. Modify the values of fixed variables that are not being optimized. Set the minimum and maximum step size between solved design variations(For the Quasi Newton and Patterns Search optimizers, Variables tab). Set the minimum and maximum focus size. (For the SNLP and SMINLP optimizers, Variables tab). Set Linear constraints. Request that Optimetrics solve a parametric sweep before an optimization analysis. Request that Optimetrics solve a parametric sweep during an optimization analysis. Automatically update optimized variables to the optimal values during an optimization or after an optimization analysis is completed. Change the norm used for the cost function calculation (Advanced Option)
Related Topics Optimization Overview Choosing an Optimizer
Optimization Setup for the Quasi Newton Optimizer

Following is the procedure for setting up an optimization analysis using the Quasi Newton Optimizer. Once you have created a setup, you can Copy and Paste it, and then make changes to the copy, rather than redoing the whole process for minor changes. 1. 2. Set up the variables you want to optimize in the Design Properties dialog box. On the Maxwell3D or Maxwell2D menu, point to Optimetrics Analysis, and then click Add Optimization . The Setup Optimization dialog box appears. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Under the Goals tab, select the optimizer by selecting Quasi Newton from the Optimizer pull-down list. Selecting Quasi Newton enables the Acceptable Cost and Noise fields. Type the maximum number of iterations you want Optimetrics to perform during the optimization analysis in the Max. No. of Iterations text box. Under Cost Function, add a cost function by selecting the Setup Calculations button to open the Add/Edit Calculation dialog. Type the value of the cost function at which the optimization process should stop in the Acceptable Cost text box. Type the cost function noise in the Noise text box. If you want to select a Cost Function Norm Type:
Check the Show Advanced Option check box. The Cost Function Norm Type pull-down list appears. Select L1, L2, or Maximum. A norm is a function that assigns a positive value to the cost function. For L1 norm the actual cost function uses the sum of absolute weighted values of the individual goal errors. For L2 norm (the default) the actual cost function uses the weighted sum of squared values of the individual goal error. For the Maximum norm the cost function uses the maximum among all the weighted goal errors. (For further details, see Explanation of the L1, L2, and Max Norms in Optimization.) The norm type doesnt impact goal setting that use as condition the minimize or maximize scenarios.
9.
In the Variables tab, specify the Min/Max values for variables included in the optimization, and the Min/Max Step Size for the analysis. You may also override the variable starting values by clicking the Override checkbox and entering the desired value in the Starting Value field.
10. In the General tab, specify whether Optimetrics should use the results of a previous Parametric analysis or perform one as part of the optimization process.
Enabling the Update design parameters value after optimization checkbox will cause Optimetrics to modify the variable values in the nominal design to match the final values from the optimization analysis. 11. Under the Options tab, if you want to save the field solution data for every solved design variations in the optimization analysis, select Save Fields And Mesh. Note Do not select this option when requesting a large number of iterations as the data generated will be very large and the system may become slow due to the large I/O requirements.
You may also select Copy geometrically equivalent meshes to reuse the mesh when geometry changes are not required, for example when optimizing on a material property or source excitation.This will provide some speed improvement in the overall optimization process.
Optimization Setup for the Pattern Search Optimizer

Following is the procedure for setting up an optimization analysis using the Pattern Search Optimizer. Once you have created a setup, you can Copy and Paste it, and then make changes to the copy, rather than redoing the whole process for minor changes. 1. 2. Set up the variables you want to optimize in the Design Properties dialog box. On the Maxwell3D or Maxwell2D menu, point to Optimetrics Analysis, and then click Add Optimization . The Setup Optimization dialog box appears. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Under the Goals tab, select the optimizer by selecting Pattern Search from the Optimizer pull-down list. Selecting Pattern Search enables the Acceptable Cost and Noise fields. Type the maximum number of iterations you want Optimetrics to perform during the optimization analysis in the Max. No. of Iterations text box. Under Cost Function, add a cost function by selecting the Setup Calculations button to open the Add/Edit Calculation dialog. Type the value of the cost function at which the optimization process should stop in the Acceptable Cost text box. Type the cost function noise in the Noise text box. If you want to select a Cost Function Norm Type:
Check the Show Advanced Option check box. The Cost Function Norm Type pull-down list appears. Select L1, L2, or Maximum. A norm is a function that assigns a positive value to the cost function. For L1 norm the actual cost function uses the sum of absolute weighted values of the individual goal errors. For L2 norm (the default) the actual cost function uses the weighted sum of squared values of the individual goal error. For the Maximum norm the cost function uses the maximum among all the weighted goal errors. (For further details, see Explanation of the L1, L2, and Max Norms in Optimization.)
The norm type doesnt impact goal setting that use as condition the minimize or maximize scenarios. 9. In the Variables tab, specify the Min/Max values for variables included in the optimization, and the Min/Max Step Size for the analysis. You may also override the variable starting values by clicking the Override checkbox and entering the desired value in the Starting Value field. 10. In the General tab, specify whether Optimetrics should use the results of a previous Parametric analysis or perform one as part of the optimization process. Enabling the Update design parameters value after optimization checkbox will cause Optimetrics to modify the variable values in the nominal design to match the final values from the optimization analysis. 11. Under the Options tab, if you want to save the field solution data for every solved design variations in the optimization analysis, select Save Fields And Mesh. Note Do not select this option when requesting a large number of iterations as the data generated will be very large and the system may become slow due to the large I/O requirements.
Optimization Setup for the SNLP Optimizer

Following is the procedure for setting up an optimization analysis using the Sequential Nonlinear Programming (SNLP) Optimizer. Once you have created a setup, you can Copy and Paste it, and then make changes to the copy, rather than redoing the whole process for minor changes. 1. 2. Set up the variables you want to optimize in the Design Properties dialog box. On the Maxwell3D or Maxwell2D menu, point to Optimetrics Analysis, and then click Add Optimization . The Setup Optimization dialog box appears. 3. 4. 5. 6. Under the Goals tab, select the optimizer by selecting Sequential Nonlinear Programming from the Optimizer pull-down list. Type the maximum number of iterations you want Optimetrics to perform during the optimization analysis in the Max. No. of Iterations text box. Under Cost Function, add a cost function by selecting the Setup Calculations button to open the Add/Edit Calculation dialog. If you want to select a Cost Function Norm Type:
Check the Show Advanced Option check box. The Cost Function Norm Type pull-down list appears. Select L1, L2, or Maximum.
A norm is a function that assigns a positive value to the cost function. For L1 norm the actual cost function uses the sum of absolute weighted values of the individual goal errors. For L2 norm (the default) the actual cost function uses the weighted sum of squared values of the individual goal error. For the Maximum norm the cost function uses the maximum among all the weighted goal errors. (For further details, see Explanation of the L1, L2, and Max Norms in Optimization.) The norm type doesnt impact goal setting that use as condition the minimize or maximize scenarios. 7. In the Variables tab, specify the Min/Max values for variables included in the optimization, and the Min/Max Focus for the analysis. You may also override the variable starting values by clicking the Override checkbox and entering the desired value in the Starting Value field. 8. In the General tab, specify whether Optimetrics should use the results of a previous Parametric analysis or perform one as part of the optimization process. Enabling the Update design parameters value after optimization checkbox will cause Optimetrics to modify the variable values in the nominal design to match the final values from the optimization analysis. 9. Under the Options tab, if you want to save the field solution data for every solved design variations in the optimization analysis, select Save Fields And Mesh. Do not select this option when requesting a large number of iterations as the data generated will be very large and the system may become slow due to the large I/O requirements.
Note
Optimization Setup for the SMINLP Optimizer

Following is the procedure for setting up an optimization analysis using the Sequential Mixed Integer Nonlinear Programming (SMINLP) Optimizer. Once you have created a setup, you can Copy and Paste it, and then make changes to the copy, rather than redoing the whole process for minor changes. 1. 2. Set up the variables you want to optimize in the Design Properties dialog box. On the Maxwell3D or Maxwell2D menu, point to Optimetrics Analysis, and then click Add Optimization . The Setup Optimization dialog box appears. 3. 4. Under the Goals tab, select the optimizer by selecting Sequential Mixed Integer Nonlinear Programming from the Optimizer pull-down list. Type the maximum number of iterations you want Optimetrics to perform during the optimization analysis in the Max. No. of Iterations text box.
5. 6.
Under Cost Function, add a cost function by selecting the Setup Calculations button to open the Add/Edit Calculation dialog. If you want to select a Cost Function Norm Type:
7.
In the Variables tab, specify the Min/Max values for variables included in the optimization, and the Min/Max Focus for the analysis. You may also override the variable starting values by clicking the Override checkbox and entering the desired value in the Starting Value field.
8.
In the General tab, specify whether Optimetrics should use the results of a previous Parametric analysis or perform one as part of the optimization process. Enabling the Update design parameters value after optimization checkbox will cause Optimetrics to modify the variable values in the nominal design to match the final values from the optimization analysis.
9.
Under the Options tab, if you want to save the field solution data for every solved design variations in the optimization analysis, select Save Fields And Mesh. Do not select this option when requesting a large number of iterations as the data generated will be very large and the system may become slow due to the large I/O requirements.
Note
Optimization Setup for the Genetic Algorithm Optimizer

Following is the procedure for setting up an optimization analysis using the Genetic Algorithm Optimizer. Once you have created a setup, you can Copy and Paste it, and then make changes to the copy, rather than redoing the whole process for minor changes. 1. 2. Set up the variables you want to optimize in the Design Properties dialog box. On the Maxwell3D or Maxwell2D menu, point to Optimetrics Analysis, and then click Add Optimization .
The Setup Optimization dialog box appears. 3. 4. 5. 6. Under the Goals tab, select the optimizer by selecting Genetic Algorithm from the Optimizer pull-down list. Click the Setup... button to modify the Advanced Genetic Algorithm Optimizer Options. Under Cost Function, add a cost function by selecting the Setup Calculations button to open the Add/Edit Calculation dialog. If you want to select a Cost Function Norm Type:
7.
In the Variables tab, specify the Min/Max values for variables included in the optimization, and the Min/Max Focus for the analysis. You may also override the variable starting values by clicking the Override checkbox and entering the desired value in the Starting Value field.
8.
In the General tab, specify whether Optimetrics should use the results of a previous Parametric analysis or perform one as part of the optimization process. Enabling the Update design parameters value after optimization checkbox will cause Optimetrics to modify the variable values in the nominal design to match the final values from the optimization analysis.
9.
Under the Options tab, if you want to save the field solution data for every solved design variations in the optimization analysis, select Save Fields And Mesh. Do not select this option when requesting a large number of iterations as the data generated will be very large and the system may become slow due to the large I/O requirements.
Note
Setting the Maximum Iterations for an Optimization Analysis

The Max. No. of Iterations value is the maximum number of design variations that you want Optimetrics to solve during an optimization when using the SNLP, SMINLP, Quasi Newton, or Pattern Search Optimizer. This value is a stopping criterion; if the maximum number of iterations has been completed, the optimization analysis stops. If the maximum number of iterations has not been completed, the optimization continues by performing another iteration, that is, by solving another design variation. If the maximum number of iterations has not been reached, the optimizer performs iterations until the acceptable cost function is reached or until the optimizer cannot proceed as a result of other optimization setup constraints, such as when it searches for a variable value with a step size smaller than the minimum step size. Note The Genetic Algorithm optimizer does not use the Max. No. of Iterations criteria.
To set the maximum number of iterations for an optimization analysis:
Under the Goals tab of the Setup Optimization dialog box, type a value in the Max. No. of Iterations text box.
Related Topics Adding a Cost Function
Cost Function
Optimetrics manipulates the model's design variable values to find the minimum location of the cost function; therefore, you should define the cost function so that a minimum location is also the optimum location. When using the Quasi Newton optimizer, which is appropriate for designs that are not sensitive to noise, the best cost function is a smooth, second-order function that can be approximated well by quadratics in the vicinity of the minimum; the slope of the cost function should decrease as Optimetrics approaches the optimum value. The preferred cost function takes values between 0 and 1. In practice, most functions that are smooth around the minimum are acceptable as cost functions. Most importantly, the cost function should not have a sharp dip or pole at the minimum. A well designed cost function can significantly reduce the optimization process time. The cost function is defined in the Setup Optimization dialog box when you set up an optimization analysis. If you know the exact syntax of the solution quantity on which you want to base the cost function, you can type it directly in the Calculation text box. You can also use Setup Calculations to add a solution quantity via the Add/Edit Calculation dialog box, or to create an output variable that represents the solution quantity in the Output Variables dialog box. Related Topics Adding a Cost Function Acceptable Cost Cost Function Noise Linear Constraints
Goal Weight Step Size Explanation of L1, L1, Norm Costs in Optimization
Acceptable Cost
The acceptable cost is the value of the cost function at which the optimization process should stop; otherwise known as the stopping criterion.The cost function value must be equal to or below the acceptable cost value for the optimization analysis to stop. The acceptable cost may be a negative value. Related Topics Cost Function Adding a Cost Function
Cost Function Noise

The numerical calculation of the electromagnetic field introduces various sources of noise to the cost function, particularly because of changes in the finite element mesh. You must provide the optimizer with an estimate of the noise. The noise indicates whether a change during the solution process is significant enough to support achievement of the cost function. For example, if the cost function, c, is
c = 10000 L 11
where |L11| is the magnitude of the inductance, at the minimum, |L11| is expected to be very small, L 11 0 . From the solution setup, the error in |L11| is expected to be E L11 tion is therefore
0.01. The perturbed cost func-
c perturbed = 10000 ( L 11 + E L11 ) min

Near the minimum, the error in the cost function Ec is given by
2 E c = c perturbed c min = 10000 ( 0.0 + 0.01 ) ( 10000 0.0 ) = 1.0

Therefore, the cost function noise would be 1.0. Related Topics Cost Function
Adding a Cost Function

A cost function can include one or more goals for an optimization analysis. Optimetrics manipulates the model's design variable values to fulfill the cost function.The optimization will stop when the solution quantity meets the acceptable cost criterion. Following is the general procedure for adding a cost function with a single goal: 1. 2. Under the Goals tab of the Setup Optimization dialog box, click Setup Calculations... The Add/Edit Calculation dialog box is displayed. In the Add/Edit Calculation dialog box, follow these general steps to set up a cost function. a. b. c. d. e. f. 3. 4. 5. Set the Context for the calculation. Choose the Category of available data type depending upon the Solution type of the design being optimized. Select the Quantity to add to the Calculated Expression field. Available quantities depend upon the Category selection. You may optionally make a selection from the function list to apply to the calculated expression. When the Calculation Expression has the desired equation, click Add Calculation to add the expression to the cost function table. Repeat to add additional calculations to the cost function or click Done to exit the Add/ Edit Calculation dialog box and return to Setup Optimization.
To modify the Solution on which the calculation is based, click in the Solution column and select the solution from which the cost function is to be extracted from the pull-down list. To edit the calculation on which to base the cost function goal, select Edit from the pull-down list. In the Condition text box, click one of the following conditions from the pull-down list: <= = >= Less than or equal to Equal to Greater than or equal to
Minimize Reduce the cost function to a minimum value Maximize Identify a maximized condition 6. In the Goal text box, type the value of the solution quantity that you want to be achieved during the optimization analysis. If the solution quantity is a complex calculation, the goal value must be complex; two goal values must be specified. The Minimize and Maximize options do not require you to specify a Goal value. Optionally, if you have multiple goals and want to assign higher or lower priority to a goal, type a different value for the goal's weight in the Weight text box. The goal with the greater weight is given more importance. If the goal is a complex value, the weight value must be
7.
complex; two weight values must be specified. The weight value cannot be variable dependent. Note Click the Edit Goal/Weight button to open the Edit Goal Value/Weight dialog box where you can modify weights for all goals simultaneously; as well as, set the Goal Values to expressions.
8.
Specify other options (such as acceptable cost, noise, and number of passes), and then click OK.
The optimization stops when the solution quantity meets the acceptable cost criterion. Related Topics Setting a Goal Value Cost Function Acceptable Cost Goal Weight
Adding/Editing a Cost Function Calculation

The Add/Edit Calculation dialog box allows you to define the mathematical equation for one or multiple cost functions. It represents the calculation to be performed on the optimization variables to compare to the goal values. To set up a calculation for a cost function: 1. In the Context section of the dialog:

2. 3.
Select the Report Type with a pull-down selection list containing the available types for this design. Select the Solution from the drop down selection list. This lists the available setups and sweeps. As a minimum, the LastAdaptive solution is available. Select the Geometry from the drop down selection list or select none (the default). This modifies the list of quantities available to the ones that apply to the specific geometry.
The Output Variables button opens the Output Variables dialog box allowing you to create special output variables to be used in the cost function. The Calculated Expression field in the Trace tab is used to enter the equation to be used for the cost function. To enter an expression, you may type it directly into the field or use the Category, Quantity, and Function lists as follows:

4.
Select the Category, these depend on the Solution type and the design. This lets you specify the category of information to be used in the cost function. Select a Quantity from the list. Available quantities depend upon the Solution type, as well as the Geometry and Category selection. Selecting a Quantity automatically enters it into the Calculated Expression field. Select a Function to apply to the value in the calculated expression. For swept variables, the Range Function button opens the Set Range Function dialog to apply functions to the expression that apply over the sweep range.
The Calculation Range tab applies to swept variables and allows you to specify the range of
the sweep over which to apply the calculation. 5. When the desired Calculated Expression has been obtained, click the Add Calculation button to add the entry to the cost function table. You may add multiple entries to the table simply by changing the Calculated Expression and using the Add Calculation button. To update or edit a selected cost function, enter the desired Calculated Expression and click the Update Calculation button. Click Done to return to the Setup Calculations dialog box.
6. 7.
Specifying a Solution Quantity for a Cost Function Goal

When setting up a cost function, you must identify the solution quantity on which to base each goal. Solution quantities are specified by mathematical expressions that are composed of basic quantities, such as matrix parameters, and output variables. 1. Add a row (a goal) to the cost function table: a. b. 2. 3. Under the Goals tab of the Setup Optimization dialog box, click Add. A new row is added to the Cost Function table. In the Solution column, click the solution from which the cost function is to be extracted. In the Solution text box, click the solution from which the solution quantity is to be extracted. In the Calculation text box, specify the solution quantity in one of the following ways:
If you know the syntax of the mathematical expression or the output variable's name, type it in the Calculation text box. If you want to create an output variable that represents the solution quantity, do the following: a. b. c. Click Edit Calculation. The Output Variables dialog box appears. Add the expression you want to evaluate, click Done. Click Done to close the Output Variables dialog box. In the Setup Optimization dialog box, the most recently created output variable appears in the Calculation text box. d. To specify a different defined output variable, click the Calculation text box. It becomes a pull-down list that displays all of the defined output variables. Click an output variable from the pull-down list.
Setting the Calculation Range of a Cost Function Goal

The calculation range is the range within which you want a cost function goal to be calculated. It can be a single value or a range of values, depending on the solution or solution quantity selected for the goal. 1. 2. Under the Goals tab in the Setup Optimization dialog box, click Edit Cal. Range. In the Variable pull-down list, click a variable. If you chose to solve a parametric setup during the optimization analysis, the variables swept
in that parametric setup are available in the Variable pull-down list. If you sweep a variable in the parametric setup that is also being optimized, that variable is excluded from the optimization. Other examples of available variables include frequency, if the solution quantity is an Sparameter quantity, and phi or theta, if the solution quantity is a radiated field quantity. 3. After you select a variable from the Variable pull-down list, you can select a range of values for the calculation range as follows: a. b. c. 4. a. b. 5. Select Range. In the Start text box, type the starting value of the range. In the Stop text box, type the final value of the range. Select Single Value. In the Value text box, type the value of the variable at which the cost function goal is to be extracted.
To select a single value for the calculation range:
Click Update, and then click OK.
Setting a Goal Value

A goal is the value you want a solution quantity to reach during an optimization analysis. It can be a real value or a complex value. If the solution quantity is a complex calculation, the goal value must be complex. You can type the goal value in the Goal text box. Alternatively, you can use the Edit Goal/Value Weight dialog box to specify the goal value as a single value, a mathematical expression, or a value dependent on a variable such as frequency. Related Topics Specify a single goal value. Specify an expression as the goal value. Specify a variable-dependent goal value.
Specifying a Single Goal Value

1. 2. 3. Under the Goals tab in the Setup Optimization dialog box, click Edit Goal/Weight. The Edit Goal/Weight dialog box appears. Under the Goal Value tab, click Simple Numeric Value from the Type list. If the goal value is complex, click real/imag in the pull-down list to the right if you want to specify the real and imaginary parts of the goal value. Alternatively, click mag/ang if you want to specify the magnitude and angle of the goal value. 4. Type the goal value in the Goal Value table. If the goal value is complex, type both parts of the goal value in the text box below the Goal Value heading. For example, type 1, 1 to specify the real part of the goal value as 1 and the imaginary part as 1.
If the goal value is real, type a real goal value in the text box below the Goal Value heading. 5. Click OK. The goal value you specified appears in the Goal text box.
Specifying an Expression as a Goal Value

1. 2. 3. Under the Goals tab in the Setup Optimization dialog box, click Edit Goal/Weight. The Edit Goal/Weight dialog box appears. Under the Goal Value tab, click Expression from the Type list. If you know the syntax of the mathematical expression or the existing output variable's name, type it in the text box below the Goal Value heading. Alternatively, if you want to create an output variable that represents the goal value, do the following: a. b. Click Edit Expression. The Output Variables dialog box appears. Add the expression you want to be the goal value, and then click Done. Maxwell enters the most recently created output variable in the text box below the Goal Value heading. 4. Click OK. The goal value you specified appears in the Goal text box.
Specifying a Variable-Dependent Goal Value

1. 2. 3. 4. Under the Goals tab in the Setup Optimization dialog box, click Edit Goal/Weight. The Edit Goal/Weight dialog box appears. Under the Goal Value tab, click Variable Dependent from the Type list. Click a variable from the pull-down list to the left of the table. Type the value of that variable in the first column of the table. Variable values must be single real numbers, or expressions that evaluate to single real numbers. Complex numbers cannot be used as the values of variables in any optimetric analysis.
Warning
5. 6. 7. 8.
Type a corresponding goal value for that variable value in the text box below the Goal Value heading. Click Add to add another row to the reference curve. Repeat steps 4, 5, and 6 until you have specified the reference curve. Click OK. The goal value is listed as being variable dependent in the Goal text box.
Goal Weight
If an optimization setup has a cost function made up of multiple goals, you can assign a different weight to each goal. The goal with the greater weight is given more importance during the cost calculation. The error function value is a weighted sum of the sub-goal errors. Each sub-goal, at each frequency at which it is evaluated, gives rise to a (positive) error value that represents the discrepancy between the simulated response and the goal value limit. If the response satisfies the goal value limit, then the error value is 0. Otherwise, the error value depends on the differences between the simulated response and the respective goal limit. The error function may be defined as follows:
ei
j
where
Wj -----Nj
Nj
value. The choices for band characteristics are <=, =, and >=. Band Characteristics (Condition) <=
G is the number of sub-goals. Wj is the weight factor associated with the jth sub-goal. Nj is the number of frequencies for the jth sub-goal. ei is the error contribution from the jth sub-goal at the ith frequency. The value of ei is determined by the band characteristics, target value, and the simulated response

ei evaluation where si is the simulated response and gi is the desired limit.
0 ei = si gi ei = si gi 0 ei = gi si
si gi si > gi
>=
si gi si < gi
If the total error value is within the acceptable cost, the optimization stops. Related Topics Adding a Cost Function
Cost Function
Modifying the Starting Variable Value for Optimization

A variable's starting value is the first value to be solved during the optimization analysis. Optimetrics automatically sets the starting value of a variable to be the current value set for the nominal design. You can modify this value for each optimization setup. Note If you choose to solve a parametric setup before an optimization analysis, a variable's starting value is ignored if a more appropriate starting value is calculated for it during the parametric analysis.
1. 2.
In the Setup Optimization dialog box, click the Variables tab. All of the variables that were selected for the optimization analysis are listed. Type a new value in the Starting Value text box for the value you want to override, and then press Enter. The Override option is now selected. This indicates that the value you entered is used for this optimization analysis, and the current value set for the nominal model is ignored.
3.
Alternatively, you can select the Override option first, and then type a new variable value in the Starting Value text box.
Optionally, click a new unit system in one of the Units text boxes. To revert to the default starting value, clear the Override checkbox.
Note
Related Topics Setting the Min. and Max. Variable Values for Optimization Step Size Setting the Min and Max Focus
Setting the Min. and Max. Variable Values for Optimization

For every optimization setup, Optimetrics automatically sets the minimum and maximum values it will consider for a variable being optimized. Optimetrics sets a variable's minimum value equal to approximately 50% of its starting value. (The starting value is the variable's current value set for the nominal design.) Optimetrics sets the variable's maximum value equal to approximately 150% of the starting value. During the optimization analysis, variable values that lie outside of this range are not considered. Warning Variable values must be single real numbers, or expressions that evaluate to single real numbers. Complex numbers cannot be used as the values of variables in any optimetric analysis.
Related Topics Override the default min and max variable values for a single optimization setup.
Change the default min and max variable values for every optimization setup.
Overriding the Min. and Max. Variable Values for a Single Optimization Setup
1. 2. In the Setup Optimization dialog box, click the Variables tab. All of the variables that were selected for optimization analysis are listed. Type a new value in the Min or Max text box for the value you want to override, and then press Enter. The Override option is now selected. This indicates that the value you entered is used for this optimization analysis; the variable's current Min or Max value in the nominal design is ignored.
3.
Alternatively, you can select the Override option first, and then type a new value in the Min or Max text box.
Optionally, click a new unit system in one of the Units text boxes.
To revert to the default minimum and maximum values, clear the Override option.
Changing the Min. and Max. Variable Values for Every Optimization Setup
1. 2. Make sure that the variable's minimum and maximum values are not being overridden in any single optimization setup. If the variable is a design variable, do the following: Click Maxwell3D or Maxwell2D>Design Properties. If the variable is a project variable, do the following: Click Project>Project Variables. The Properties dialog box appears. 3. 4. 5. Select Optimization. Type a new value in the Min or Max text box for the value you want to override, and then press Enter. Click OK. When Optimetrics solves an optimization setup, it does not consider variable values that lie outside of this range.
Step Size
To make the search for the minimum cost value reasonable, the search algorithm is limited in two ways. First, you do not want the optimizer to continue the search if the step size becomes irrelevant or small. This limitation impacts the accuracy of the final optimum. Second, in some cases you do not want the optimizer to take large steps either. In case the cost function is suspected to possess large variations in a relatively small vicinity of the design space, large steps may result in too many trial steps, which do not improve the cost value. In these cases, it is safer to proceed with limited size steps and have more frequent improvements. For these two limitations, the optimizer uses two independent distance measures. Both are based on user-defined quantities: the minimum and maximum step limits for individual optimization vari15-38 Setting up an Optimetrics Analysis
ables. Since the particular step is in a general direction, these measures are combined together in order to derive the limitation for that particular direction. The step vector between the ith and (i+1)th iterate is as follows: .
si = xi + 1 xi
The natural distance measure is ,
si =
which is the Euclidean norm.
si si
A more general distance measure incorporates some "stretching" of the design space:,
si
s i D Ds i
T T
where the matrix D incorporates the linear operation of the stretching of design space. The simplest case is when the D matrix is diagonal, meaning that the design space is stretched along the orthogonal direction of the base vectors. The optimizer stops the search if ,
si
D min
<1
where Dmin consists of diagonal elements equal to the inverse of the Min. Step value assigned to the corresponding optimization variable. Similarly the optimizer truncates steps for which
si
D max
>1
where Dmax has diagonal elements equal to the inverse of Max. Step values of the corresponding optimization variables. Related Topics Setting the Min. and Max. Step Sizes
Cost Function Adding a Cost Function
Setting the Min. and Max. Step Sizes

For the Quasi Newton and Pattern Search optimizers, the step size is the difference in a variable's value between one solved design variation and the next. The step size is determined when Optimetrics locates the next design variation that should be solved in an effort to meet the cost function. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. In the Setup Optimization dialog box, click the Variables tab. Optimetrics displays Min Step and Max Step columns, with default values for each variable to be optimized. In the Min Step text box, type the minimum step size value. Optionally, modify the unit system in the Units text box. In the Max Step text box, type the maximum step size value. Optionally, modify the unit system in the Units text box. Click OK. Hint A value of zero is recommended for the minimum step size.
Related Topics Step Size
Setting the Min and Max Focus

For the SNLP, SMINLP and Genetic Algorithm optimizers, the min focus and max focus criteria allow you to specify a sub-range of parameter values where the optimizer should look when performing the optimization. This focus box is where you suspect the optimal solution will be, so it is a hint for the optimizer.
The domain limits the search. The domain = physical limits. The focus box does not limit the search. Rather, the Focus box = an initial guess of optimum search domain. The starting point is the center of the focus box, but the search does extend beyond the box.
This focus must be inside the domain limits. Consequently, it has to be equal or smaller size. An error message is generated if you specify a focus outside the domain. The focus box must be at least one hundredth of the domain size. Otherwise, an error message is sent.
Equalizing the influence of different optimization variables.

The optimizer seeks optimal values for the optimization variables. These variables are usually quantities with specified units. The change in one variable could be measured in [mm] and the change in other variable could be measured in [mA]. Instead of those units, the optimizer uses internal abstract units, so that a change in one variable changes the design behavior about as much as the same change in another variable, where changes are measured in the respective internal abstract units. When you define the focus box, the unit of the abstract internal unit is defined as the difference of the upper and lower focus limits. This way you can use the focus box to equalize the influence of different optimization variables on the design behavior.
To set the Min and Max Focus values:

1. 2. In the Setup Optimization dialog box, click the Variables tab. Optimetrics displays Min. Focus and Max. Focus columns, with default values for each variable to be optimized. If you do not have an initial guess based on your knowledge of the problem, make the focus box equal to the domain; that is, the physical limits. This tells SNLP to search the entire decision space.
In the Min. Focus text box, type the minimum value of the focus range. Optionally, modify the unit system in the Units text box. In the Max. Focus text box, type the maximum value of the focus range. Optionally, modify the unit system in the Units text box. Click OK.
Solving a Parametric Setup Before an Optimization

Solving a parametric setup before an optimization setup is useful for guiding Optimetrics during an optimization. To solve a parametric setup before an optimization setup: 1. 2. In the Setup Optimization dialog box, click the General tab. In the Parametric Analysis pull-down list, click the parametric setup you want Optimetrics to solve before optimization. The parametric setup must include sweep definitions for the variables you are optimizing.
Note 3.
Select Solve the parametric sweep before optimization.
If the parametric setup has not yet been solved, Optimetrics solves it. Optimetrics uses the cost value evaluated at each parametric design variation to determine the next step in the optimization
analysis. This enables you to guide the direction in which the optimizer searches for the optimal design variation.
Solving a Parametric Setup During an Optimization

Solving a parametric setup during an optimization analysis is useful when you want Optimetrics to solve every design variation specified in the parametric setup at each optimization iteration. A cost function goal could then depend on the value of the variable swept in the parametric setup. To solve a parametric setup during an optimization analysis: 1. 2. 3. 4. In the Setup Optimization dialog box, click the General tab. In the Parametric Analysis pull-down list, click the parametric setup you want Optimetrics to solve during an optimization. Select Solve the parametric sweep during optimization. Optionally, you can adjust the sweep values to be used during the optimization. a. b. c. d. e. Click on the Goal tab, click Setup Calculations to specify a calculation. The Add/Edit Calculation dialog box is displayed. Click the Calculation Range tab. Click the Edit button for the sweep to be modified. In the pop-up dialog box, select the sweep values to use. Close the pup-up dialog box. Click Done to close the Add/Edit Calculation dialog.
Automatically Updating a Variable's Value After Optimization

When Optimetrics finds an optimal variable value by solving an optimization setup, it can automatically update that variable's current value set for the nominal model to the optimal value. 1. 2. In the Setup Optimization dialog box, click the General tab. Select Update design parameters' values after optimization. When optimization is complete, the current variable value for each optimized variable is changed to the optimal value.
Changing the Cost Function Norm

You can select the norm to be used in the calculation of the cost goal. 1. 2. 3. In the Setup Optimization dialog box, click the Goals tab. Select Show Advanced Options. Select a norm from the pull-down in the Cost Function Norm Type field. The options are L1, L2, and Maximum. L2 is the default.
Related Topics Explanation of L1, L2 and Max Norms in Optimization Cost Function
Explanation of L1, L2 and Max norms in Optimization

When you set multiple goals for an optimization, the question arises as to what is actually going to drive the optimizer which is not a multi-objective one. The cost function will have a lot to do with it. The following discussion explains how the cost function is put together when there are multiple goals. The general goal setting structure in Optimetrics is a logical sentence with the format: Calculation(i) Condition(i) Goal(i) Weight(i) The cost function that the optimizer uses is built based on the norm setting as long as there are multiple goals and none of those use the minimize or maximize conditions. Thus, in this case the error associated with each individual goal (weighted) is combined in a way that is specific for each norm type chosen. For L1 norm the actual cost function uses the sum of absolute weighted values of the individual goal errors:
Cost =
wi i
1
For L2 norm the actual cost function uses the weighted sum of absolute values of the individual
Cost =
2 wi i
For the Maximum norm the cost function uses the maximum among all the weighted goal errors:
Cost =
N Max W i i 1
For all the above situations N is the number of individual goals wi i are individual weighting factors and residual error respectively. A minimization of the cost function is performed during optimization since it makes sense to minimize the error in the sense of the chosen norm type.
The graphical representation of the error is possible and depends upon the actual condition being used. If a < condition is used, the error can be represented as below:
If a > condition is used, the error can be represented as below:
If a = condition is used, the error is double-sided and can be represented as below:
The norm type doesnt impact goal setting that use as condition the minimize or maximize scenarios. Note that when using minimize or maximize settings for the condition there should be a single goal setting which in this case coincides with the cost function. Related Topics Cost Function
Advanced Genetic Algorithm Optimizer Options

The Genetic Algorithm (GA) search for Optimization analysis is an iterative process that goes through a number of generations. In each generation some new individuals (Children / Number of Individuals) are created and the so grown population participates in a selection (natural-selection) process that in turn reduces the size of the population to a desired level (Next Generation / Number of Individuals). If you select the Genetic Algorithm for an Optimization analysis, a Setup button is enabled on the Setup Optimization page. 1. 2. Click the Setup button to open the Advanced Genetic Algorithm Optimizer Options dialog. Select the Stopping Criteria. Any of the three following, or any combination of these can be selected.

3.
Maximum number of generations. If checked, this enables a value field. Elapsed time. If checked, this enables a drop down menu with times ranging from five minutes to two weeks. Slow convergence.
Specify the Parents. The first step towards mating is a selection process that determines the participating individuals. Potential parents are selected from the Current Generation. This is a set of individuals that is always a subset of the current generation.
Number of individuals value field -- specify the number of parents for the optimizer to use. You can set the Number of Individuals to less than or equal to the size of the "Current Generation". One reason to consider fewer parents than the possible maximum is to steer the GA towards improvement by selecting the better portion of the current generation to be able to mate. Roulette selection checkbox -- if checked, this enables the Selection pressure value field. This number defines how many times more probable is the selection of the best individual over the worst individual in an elementary spin of the roulette wheel.
4.
Specify the Mating pool. The Mating pool is created by selecting randomly from the parents, but with each selection, the parent gets "cloned" so it can be selected again and again.
Number of individuals field -- specify the number individuals to include in the mating pool. Reproduction setup-- this button opens the Genetic Algorithm Optimizer ReproducSetting up an Optimetrics Analysis 15-45
tion Setup dialog. 5. Click the Reproduction setup button for the dialog to specify the Crossover setup, and the Mutation setup. The crossover and mutation operator have different roles: Crossover mixes "features" of the parents in a new combination, while mutation slightly alters the "features" of the individuals. Both need to be present in a GA. The crossover is a way to discover new combinations while the mutation acts as a local search or fine-tuning step. Mutation also keeps diversity in a population, which is a must for GA. The crossover operator has two steps. It first alters the variable values of the parents according to a distribution. This tends to produce one child that looks a lot like one parent, and one child that looks a lot like the other parent. Next, some of the variable values of the two children can be exchanged in order to achieve more variation. For crossover there are four possible parameters. a. Individual Crossover Probability determines, for each pair in the mating pool, the probability that their features will be mixed. Usually, this probability should be close or equal to one. If you set it set less than one, some parents will produce two children which are exact clones of the parents. This means that some children inherit all the features of their parents unchanged. Parents often have multiple variables. If the parent is a candidate for mixing, the Variable Crossover Probability determines, for each variable, the probability of mixing. This is usually set high to ensure that most or all variables mix. Variable Exchange Probability: After the slight change in the variable values has been made, the crossover operation is also able to exchange the values of the variables between the two children that are being constructed. The Variable Exchange Probability governs the likelihood of exchange of any variable. Mu is a general parameter defining the sharpness of the distribution that might be used for the Variable Crossover Probability. Mu should be greater than one. There is no theoretical upper limit, but we recommend not exceeding 30.
b.
c.
d.
6.
Select one of the four Crossover types from the dropdown menu. The crossover type selected affects the options available. . Uniform One point Two point Simulated binary crossover Individual crossover probablility Variable crossover probability Individual crossover probability Individual crossover probability Individual crossover probablility Variable crossover probability Variable exchange probability Mu
7.
Select the Mutation type--this can be one of three types, which you select from a dropdown menu.

8.
Uniform Distribution Gaussian Distribution Polynomial Mutation. Uniform Mutation Probability: If this is more than zero (recommendation is to have still a small probability here), then there will be some children whose features are simply a completely random design (design variables randomly selected over the domain). Individual Mutation Probability controls, for each child, the likelihood of a mild mutation. Variable Mutation Probability. If the child will be mutated, this probability controls at the variable level the likelihood of a mutation of the variables. Standard Deviation is the standard deviation of the selected distribution that is being used for the mutation and it is measured relatively to the optimization-domain.
For the selected mutation type, set the following parameters:

9.
When you have completed the Reproduction setup in the Genetic Algorithm Optimizer Reproduction Setup dialog, click OK to close it and return to the Advanced Genetic Algorithm Optimizer Options dialog.
10. In the the Advanced Genetic Algorithm Optimizer Options dialog, specify the children as a Number of Individuals. 11. Set the Pareto Front value. This the number of the very best individuals (identified relative to the cost function) to keep for future generations. 12. Set the Next Generation parameters. The Next Generation is selected from the Parents, the children, and the Pareto front.
Number of individuals value field -- specify the number of individuals to survive to form the next generation for the optimizer to use. Roulette selection checkbox -- if checked, this enables the Selection pressure value field. This number defines how many times more probable is the selection of the best individual over the worst individual in an elementary spin of the roulette wheel.
13. Click OK to accept the settings for the Genetic Algorithm and to close the dialog. Related Topics Setting up an Optimization Analysis Adding a cost function Optimization Overview Acceptable Cost Explanation of L1, L2, and Max Norms in Optimization
Choosing an Optimizer
Sensitivity Analysis Overview

During a sensitivity analysis, Optimetrics explores the vicinity of the design point to determine the sensitivity of the design to small changes in variables. The variables and their attributes define the design point, the problem around which the sensitivity analysis is performed. When Optimetrics performs a sensitivity analysis, its goal is to calculate the second-order regression polynomials for all of the design's output parameters. The algorithm first determines an appropriate interval for each variable. The intervals are further sub-divided according to the available number of iterations and variables. If the master output is not used, the specified initial displacement values define those intervals. When all of the design calculations are complete, the second-order polynomials are fitted for all the output parameters. Optimetrics then reports the following quantities:
Regression value at the current variable value. First derivative of the regression. Second derivative of the regression.
Related Topics Setting Up a Sensitivity Analysis
Selecting a Master Output

During a sensitivity analysis, the design variations that Optimetrics selects to solve are close to the design point, but not so close that numerical noise (from the finite element mesh) affects the analysis. The algorithm that Optimetrics uses to determine the design variations to solve must be based on only one output parameter and that output parameter's numerical noise. Therefore, if you have defined more than one output parameter, be sure to select Master Output for the output variable on which you want the selection of design variations to be based. Related Topics Setting Up an Output Parameter Setting Up a Sensitivity Analysis
Setting Up a Sensitivity Analysis

Following is the general procedure for setting up a sensitivity analysis. Once you have created a setup, you can Copy and Paste it, and then make changes to the copy, rather than redoing the whole process for minor changes. 1. 2. Before a variable can be included in a sensitivity analysis, you must specify that you intend for it to be used during a sensitivity analysis in the Properties dialog box. On the Maxwell3D or Maxwell2D menu, point to Optimetrics Analysis, and then click Add Sensitivity . The Setup Sensitivity Analysis dialog box appears. 3. 4. 5. 6. Under the Calculations tab, type the maximum number of iterations per variable value that you want Maxwell to perform in the Max. No. of Iterations/Sensitivity Variable text box. If you want to save the field solution data for the design variations solved during analysis, select Save Fields. Under Output Parameters, set up an output parameter. Specify the value of the design point at which the sensitivity analysis should stop in the Approximate Error in Master Output text box.
The following optional sensitivity analysis setup options can also be used:

Note
Modify the starting variable value. Modify the minimum and maximum values of variables that will be solved. Exclude variables from the sensitivity analysis. Set the initial displacement. Modify the values of fixed variables that are not being modified during the sensitivity analysis. Set linear constraints. Request that Optimetrics solve a parametric sweep before a sensitivity analysis. Request that Optimetrics solve a parametric sweep during a sensitivity analysis.
Related Topics Sensitivity Analysis Overview
Setting the Maximum Iterations Per Variable

The Max. No. of Iterations/Sensitivity Variable value is the maximum number of design variations that Optimetrics solves per variable during a sensitivity analysis. This value is a stopping criterion; if the maximum number of iterations has been completed, the sensitivity analysis stops. If
the maximum number of iterations has not been completed, the sensitivity analysis continues by performing another iteration, that is, by solving another design variation. It performs iterations until the approximate error in master output value is reached or until Optimetrics cannot proceed as a result of other sensitivity setup constraints, such as when it searches for a variable value that is larger than the maximum value. To set the maximum number of iterations for a sensitivity analysis:
Under the Calculations tab of the Setup Sensitivity Analysis dialog box, type a value in the Max. No. of Iterations/Sensitivity Variable text box.
Setting Up an Output Parameter

Following is the general procedure for adding an output parameter to a sensitivity setup: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Under the Calculations tab of the Setup Sensitivity Analysis dialog box, click Add. A new row is added to the Output Parameters table. In the Solution column, click the solution from which the output parameter is to be extracted. Specify a solution quantity on which to base the output parameter. In the Calculation text box, set the value of the variable at which the output parameter is to be computed. If you have more than one output parameter, select Master Output if you want Optimetrics to use the output parameter to base its selection of solved design variations. During a sensitivity analysis, the design variations that Optimetrics selects to solve are close to the design point, but not so close that numerical noise (from the finite element mesh) affects the analysis. The algorithm that Optimetrics uses to determine the design variations to solve must be based on only one output parameter and that output parameters numerical noise. If you have defined more than one output parameter, be sure to select Master Output for the output variable on which you want the selection of design variations to be based.
Note
Related Topics Selecting a Master Output
Specifying a Solution Quantity for an Output Parameter

When setting up an output parameter, you must identify the solution quantity on which to base the output parameter. Solution quantities are specified by mathematical expressions that are composed of basic quantities, such as matrix parameters; and output variables. 1. Add a row to the output parameters table: Under the Calculations tab of the Setup Sensitivity Analysis dialog box, click Add. A new row is added to the Output Parameters table. 2. 3. In the Solution text box, click the solution from which the solution quantity is to be extracted. In the Calculation text box, specify the solution quantity in one of the following ways:
If you know the syntax of the mathematical expression or the output variable's name, type
it in the Calculation text box.
If you want to create an output variable that represents the solution quantity, do the following: a. b. Click Edit Calculation. The Output Variables dialog box appears. Add the expression you want to evaluate, and then click Done. Maxwell enters the most recently created output variable in the Calculation text box. c. To specify a different defined output variable, click the Calculation text box. It becomes a pull-down list that displays all of the defined output variables. Click a new output variable from the pull-down list.
Note
The solution quantity you specify must be able to be evaluated to a single, real number.
Setting the Calculation Range of an Output Parameter

The calculation range of a solution quantity determines the intrinsic variable value at which the solution quantity is to be extracted. For a sensitivity setup, the calculation range must be a single value. If you specified that the solution quantity be extracted from a frequency sweep solution, by default, Optimetrics uses the starting frequency in the sweep. 1. Under the Calculations tab of the Setup Sensitivity Analysis dialog box, click Edit Calc. Range. The Edit Calculation Range dialog box appears. 2. In the Variable pull-down list, click a variable. If you chose to solve a parametric setup during the sensitivity analysis, the variables swept in that parametric setup are available in the Variable pull-down list. If you sweep a variable in the parametric setup that is also a sensitivity variable, that variable is excluded from the sensitivity analysis. 3. 4. The Single value option is selected by default. In the Value text box, type the value of the variable at which the solution quantity is to be extracted. Click Update, and then click OK.
Modifying the Starting Variable Value for Sensitivity Analysis

The design point of the sensitivity analysis is the starting value of the sensitivity variable and is usually the first variation to be solved. Optimetrics automatically sets the starting value of a vari-
able to be the current value set for the nominal design. You can modify the design point for each sensitivity setup. Warning Variable values must be single real numbers, or expressions that evaluate to single real numbers. Complex numbers cannot be used as the values of variables in any optimetric analysis.
1. 2.
In the Setup Sensitivity Analysis dialog box, click the Variables tab. All of the variables that were selected for the sensitivity analysis are listed. Type a new value in the Starting Value text box for the value you want to override, and then press Enter. The Override option is now selected. This indicates that the value you entered is to be used for this sensitivity analysis; the current value set for the nominal model will be ignored.
3.
To revert to the default starting value, clear the Override option.
Setting the Min. and Max. Variable Values

For every sensitivity setup, Optimetrics automatically sets the minimum and maximum values that it will consider for a sensitivity variable. Optimetrics sets a variables minimum value equal to approximately one-half its starting value. (The starting value is the variables current value set for the nominal design.) Optimetrics sets the variables maximum value equal to approximately 1.5 times the starting value. During sensitivity analysis, variable values outside this range are not considered. Warning Variable values must be single real numbers, or expressions that evaluate to single real numbers. Complex numbers cannot be used as the values of variables in any optimetric analysis.
Related Topics Override the default minimum and maximum variable values for a single sensitivity setup. Change the default minimum and maximum variable values for every sensitivity setup.
Overriding the Min. and Max. Variable Values for a Single Sensitivity Setup
1. 2. In the Setup Sensitivity Analysis dialog box, click the Variables tab. All of the variables that were selected for sensitivity analysis are listed. Type a new value in the Min or Max text box for the value you want to override, and then press Enter. The Override option is now selected. This indicates that the value you entered is to be used for this sensitivity analysis; the variable's current Min or Max value set in the nominal design is ignored.
3.
Alternatively, you can select the Override option first, and then type a new value in the Min or Max text box.
To revert to the default minimum and maximum values, clear the Override option.
Changing the Min. and Max. Variable Values for Every Sensitivity Setup
1. 2. Make sure the variable's minimum and maximum values are not being overridden in any sensitivity setup. If the variable is a design variable, do the following: Click Maxwell3D or Maxwell2D>Design Properties. If the variable is a project variable, do the following: Click Project>Project Variables. The Properties dialog box appears. 3. 4. Select Sensitivity. Type a new value in the Min or Max text box for the value you want to override, and then press Enter. When Optimetrics solves a sensitivity setup, it does not consider variable values that lie outside of this range.
Setting the Initial Displacement

The initial displacement is the difference in a variable's starting value and the next solved design variation. During the sensitivity analysis, Optimetrics does not consider an initial variable value that is greater than this step size away from the starting variable value. 1. 2. 3. In the Setup Sensitivity Analysis dialog box, click the Variables tab. Optimetrics displays the Initial Disp. column, with default values for each sensitivity variable. In the Initial Disp. text box, type the initial displacement value. Optionally, modify the unit system in the Units text box.
Solving a Parametric Setup Before a Sensitivity Analysis

Solving a parametric setup before a sensitivity setup is useful for guiding Optimetrics in a sensitivity analysis. To solve a parametric setup before a sensitivity setup: 1. 2. In the Setup Sensitivity Analysis dialog box, click the General tab. Click the parametric setup you want Optimetrics to solve before the sensitivity setup from the Parametric Analysis pull-down list. The parametric setup must include sweep definitions for the sensitivity variables.
Note 3.
Select Solve the parametric sweep before analysis.
If the parametric setup has not yet been solved, Optimetrics solves it. Optimetrics uses the results (of the solution calculation you requested under the Goals tab of the Setup Sensitivity dialog box) to determine the next design variation to solve for the sensitivity analysis.
Solving a Parametric Setup During a Sensitivity Analysis

Solving a parametric setup during a sensitivity analysis is useful when you want Optimetrics to solve every design variation in the parametric setup at each sensitivity analysis iteration. An output parameter goal could then depend on the value of the variable swept in the parametric setup. To solve a parametric setup during a sensitivity analysis: 1. 2. 3. In the Setup Sensitivity Analysis dialog box, click the General tab. Click the parametric setup you want Optimetrics to solve during the sensitivity analysis from the Parametric Analysis pull-down list. Select Solve the parametric sweep during analysis.
Statistical Analysis Overview

Statistical analysis allows you to explore the effects of random combinations of values of selected variables on selected global or local available analysis results. Therefore, before a variable can be included in a statistical analysis, you must specify that you intend for it to be used during a statistical analysis. For each variable you must specify the type of distribution (Uniform, Gaussian, Lognormal or User Defined) and the corresponding parameters of the selected distribution. In addition to specifying the variables to be used in the statistical analysis and the parameters of the chosen distribution, the output quantities of interest also need to be specified. These quantities can be global ones such as previously defined parameters (Force/torque, inductance / capacitance, etc), other named quantities, quantities defined in the field calculator as global (such a domain integral of a certain field quantity) or local (such as field value at a certain location). The calculations to be performed during the statistical analysis are specified during setup, in a manner similar to other types of analysis in Optimetrics. Following the analysis the statistical distribution of the output quantities can be visualized in histogram format. To access available reports, after the statistical analysis is complete, right click the respective Statistical analysis setup and select View Analysis Result. Related Topics Setting Up a Statistical Analysis
Setting Up a Statistical Analysis

Following is the general procedure for setting up a statistical analysis. Once you have created a setup, you can Copy and Paste it, and then make changes to the copy, rather than redoing the whole process for minor changes. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Before a variable can be included in a statistical analysis, you must specify that you intend for it to be used during a statistical analysis in the Properties dialog box. On the Maxwell3D or Maxwell2D menu, point to Optimetrics Analysis, and then click Add Statistical . The Setup Statistical Analysis dialog box appears. Under the Calculations tab, type the maximum number of iterations you want Maxwell to perform in the Maximum Iterations text box. Specify a solution quantity to evaluate. In the Calculation text box, set the value at which the solution quantity is to be computed. Optionally, modify the distribution criteria to be used. The following optional statistical analysis setup options can also be used:

Note 9.
Modify the starting variable value. Exclude variables from the statistical analysis. Modify the values of fixed variables that are not being modified during the statistical analysis. Request that Optimetrics solve a parametric sweep during a statistical analysis. Sweeping or using a complex variable is not allowed in any optimetrics setup, including optimization, statistical, sensitivity, and tuning setups.
If you want to save the field solution data for the design variations solved during analysis, select Save Fields.
Related Topics Statistical Analysis Overview
Setting the Maximum Iterations for a Statistical Analysis

The Maximum Iterations value is the maximum number of design variations Optimetrics solves during a statistical analysis. This value is a stopping criterion; if the maximum number of iterations has been completed, the analysis stops. If the maximum number of iterations has not been completed, Optimetrics continues by performing another iteration, that is, by solving another design variation. To set the maximum number of iterations for a statistical analysis:
Under the Calculations tab of the Setup Sensitivity Analysis dialog box, type a value in the Maximum Iterations text box.
Specifying the Solution Quantity to Evaluate for Statistical Analysis

When you add a statistical setup, you can identify one or more solution quantities to evaluate in the Post Analysis Display dialog box. The solution quantities are specified by mathematical expressions that are composed of basic quantities. When you view the results, Maxwell displays the distribution of the solution quantities. 1. 2. 3. 4. In the Setup Statistical Analysis dialog box, click the Calculations tab. Click Add. In the Solution text box, click the solution from which the solution quantity is to be extracted. In the Calculation text box, specify the solution quantity in one of the following ways:
If you know the syntax of the mathematical expression or the output variable's name, type it in the Calculation text box. If you want to create an output variable that represents the solution quantity, do the following: a. b. c. Click Edit Calculation. The Output Variables dialog box appears. Add the expression you want to evaluate, click Add, and then click Done. The most recently created output variable appears in the Calculation text box. To specify a different defined output variable, click the Calculation text box. It becomes a pull-down list that displays all of the defined output variables. Click a new output variable in the pull-down list.
Note
The solution quantity you specify must be able to be evaluated into a single, real number.
Setting the Solution Quantity's Calculation Range

The calculation range of a solution quantity determines the intrinsic variable value at which the solution quantity is extracted. For a statistical setup, the calculation range must be a single value. If you specified that the solution quantity be extracted from a frequency sweep solution, Optimetrics will use the starting frequency in the sweep by default. 1. Under the Calculations tab of the Setup Statistical Analysis dialog box, click Edit Cal. Range. The Edit Calculation Range dialog box appears. 2. In the Variable pull-down list, click a variable. If you chose to solve a parametric setup during the statistical analysis, the variables swept in that parametric setup are available in the Variable pull-down list. If you sweep a variable in the parametric setup that is also a statistics variable, that variable is excluded from the statistics analysis. 3. 4. Single value is selected by default. In the Value text box, type the value of the variable at which the solution quantity is to be extracted. Click Update, and then click OK.
Setting the Distribution Criteria

For every statistical setup, Optimetrics automatically sets the distribution criteria to be uniform within a 10% tolerance of the variable's starting value. You can modify the distribution type and criteria for a single statistical setup or for every statistical setup. Related Topics Override the default distribution criteria for a single statistical setup. Change the default distribution criteria for every statistical setup.
Overriding the Distribution Criteria for a Single Statistical Setup

To override the default distribution criteria for a single statistical setup: 1. 2. In the Setup Statistical Analysis dialog box, click the Variables tab. All of the variables that were selected for statistical analysis are listed. Select Uniform, Gaussian, Lognormal, or User Defined in the Distribution column for the variable you want to override. If you changed the distribution type, the Override option is now selected. This indicates that the distribution type you selected is to be used for this optimization analysis; the current distribution type selected for the variable in the nominal design is ignored in this statistical analysis.
3.
Alternatively, you can select the Override option first, and then select a different distribution type in the Distribution text box.
Optionally, if you want to change the distribution criteria, click in Distribution Criteria column for the variable you want to override. The Edit Distribution dialog box appears. If the distribution type is Gaussian, do the following: a. b. c. Enter the standard deviation in the Std. Dev text box. Enter the lower limit of the distribution in the Low Cutoff text box. Enter the upper limit of the distribution in the High Cutoff text box. Maxwell will solve design variations using a Gaussian distribution within the low and high cutoff values.
4.
5.
If the distribution type is Uniform, do the following:
Enter a tolerance value in the text box. Maxwell will solve design variations within the tolerance range of the starting value, using an even distribution.
6.
If the distribution type is Lognormal, do the following: a. b. c. d. Enter the cutoff probability in the Cutoff Probability text box. Enter the sigma value of the distribution in the Sigma text box and select a unit from the pull-down. Enter the m value of the distribution in the M text box. Enter the theta value in the Theta text box and select a unit from the pull-down.
7.
If the distribution type is User Defined, do the following: a. b. Enter the cutoff probability in the Cutoff Probability text box. Click Edit XY Data to open the Edit Datasets dialog box in which you can select an existing dataset, or create a new one.
8.
Click OK.
To revert to the default distribution settings, clear the Override option. Related Topics Statistical Cutoffs
Changing the Distribution Criteria for Every Statistical Setup

To change the default distribution criteria for every statistical setup: 1. 2. Make sure that the variable's distribution criteria are not being overridden in any statistical setup. If the variable is a design variable, do the following: On the Maxwell3D or Maxwell2D menu, click Design Properties. If the variable is a project variable, do the following: Click Project>Project Variables. The Properties dialog box appears. 3. 4. 5. Select Statistics. Click in the Distribution column for the variable you want to change, and then select Uniform, Gaussian, Lognormal, or User Defined. Optionally, if you want to change the distribution criteria, click in the Distribution Criteria column for the variable you want to change. If the distribution type is Gaussian, the Gaussian Distribution dialog box appears. If the distribution type is Uniform, the Uniform Distribution dialog box appears. 6. If the distribution type is Gaussian, do the following: a. b. c. Type a cutoff probability value in the Cutoff Probability text box. Type the standard deviation in the Std. Dev text box. Type the mean value of the distribution in the Mean text box. Maxwell will solve design variations using a Gaussian distribution within the low and high cutoff values. 7. If the distribution type is Uniform, do the following: a. b. Type a cutoff probability value in the Cutoff Probability text box. Type mean and tolerance values in the corresponding text boxes. Maxwell will solve design variations within the tolerance range of the starting value, using an even distribution. 8. If the distribution type is Lognormal, do the following: a. Type a cutoff probability value in the Cutoff Probability text box.
b. 9. a. b. c.
Type values for Sigma, M, and Theta in the corresponding text boxes. Type a cutoff probability value in the Cutoff Probability text box. Click Edit XY Data to open the Edit Dataset dialog. Either type or import the X and Y data values for the distribution in the Edit Dataset dialog.
If the distribution type is User Defined, do the following:
10. Click OK. Related Topic Statistical Cutoffs
Statistical Cutoffs
The low and high cutoff values multiply the Gaussian Standard Deviation value. The variable lc, below uses a Gaussian distribution that extends three standard deviations below 10nH and two standard deviations above 10nH. Outside these values, the Gaussian distribution is truncated, effectively giving a Gaussian distribution on a pedestal.
Uniform distributions such as variable cl above use only the Tolerance value, and do not have cutoffs.
Edit Distribution
When setting the distribution type for a variable, you have the option of changing the distribution parameters from the default values. 1. If the distribution type is Gaussian, do the following: a. b. c. Type the lower limit of the distribution in the Cutoff Probability text box. Type the mean value of the distribution in the Mean text box. Type the standard deviation of the distribution in the Std Dev text box. Maxwell solves design variations using a Gaussian distribution within the specified mean and standard deviation values.
2.
If the distribution type is Uniform, do the following:

a. b. c.
Type the lower limit of the distribution in the Cutoff Probability text box. Type the mean value of the distribution in the Mean text box. Enter the tolerance in the Tolerance text box. Maxwell solves design variations within the tolerance range of the starting value, using an even distribution.
3.
If the distribution type is Lognormal, do the following: a. b. c. d. Type the lower limit of the distribution in the Cutoff Probability text box. Enter the shape parameter of the distribution in the Sigma text box. Enter the scale parameter in the M text box. The scale parameter should be set to 1 for the standard lognormal distribution. Enter the location parameter value for Theta in the text box. The value for a standard lognormal distribution is 0. .Maxwell solves design variations with a logarithmic distribution using the shape, scale
and location parameters provided. 4. If the distribution type is User Defined, do the following: a. b. Type the lower limit of the distribution in the Cutoff Probability text box. Select the Edit XY Data button to manually define the data distribution using datasets.
Related Topics Adding Datasets Changing the Distribution Criteria for Every Statistical Setup Overriding the Distribution Criteria for a Single Statistical Setup
Modifying the Starting Variable Value for Statistical Analysis

A variable's starting value is the first value that is solved during the statistical analysis. Optimetrics automatically sets the starting value of a variable to be the current value set for the nominal design. You can modify this value for each statistical setup. Warning Variable values must be single real numbers, or expressions that evaluate to single real numbers. Complex numbers cannot be used as the values of variables in any optimetric analysis.
1. 2.
In the Setup Statistical Analysis dialog box, click the Variables tab. All of the variables selected for the statistical analysis are listed. Type a new value in the Starting Value text box for the value you want to override, and then press Enter. The Override option is now selected. This indicates that the value you entered is to be used for this statistical analysis; the current value set for the nominal model will be ignored.
3.
To revert to the default starting value, clear the Override option.
Solving a Parametric Setup During a Statistical Analysis

Solving a parametric setup during a statistical analysis is useful when you want Optimetrics to solve every design variation in the parametric setup at each statistical analysis iteration. To solve a parametric setup during a statistical analysis: 1. 2. 3. In the Setup Statistical Analysis dialog box, click the General tab. Click the parametric setup you want Optimetrics to solve during the statistical analysis from the Parametric Analysis pull-down list. Select Solve the parametric sweep during analysis.
Tuning Overview
Tuning a variable is useful when you want to manually modify its value and immediately perform an analysis of the design. For example, it is useful after performing an optimization analysis, in which Optimetrics has determined an optimal variable value, and you want to fine tune the value to see how the design results are affected. A design can be updated after a tuning analysis to reflect a design variation solved during a tuning analysis and the results, including field solutions if Save Fields was selected, of each solved design variation are saved for post processing. Related Topics Tuning a Variable
Tuning a Variable
1. 2. 3. 4. Before a variable can be tuned, you must specify that you intend for it to be used during a tuning analysis in the Properties dialog box. On the Maxwell3D or Maxwell2D menu, click Tune The Tune dialog box appears. Clear the Real Time option. If this option is selected, a simulation begins immediately after you move the slider. In the Sim. Setups column, select the solution setup you want Maxwell to use when it solves the specified design variation. Maxwell solves the analysis using the solution setup you select. If you select more than one, results are generated for all selected solution setups. 5. In the Nominal text box for the variable you want to tune, type the value of the variable you want Maxwell to solve, or drag the slider to increase or decrease its value. Variable values must be single real numbers, or expressions that evaluate to single real numbers. Complex numbers cannot be used as the values of variables in any optimetric analysis. .
Warning
Alternatively, if you want Maxwell to solve a range of values, specify a linear range of values with a constant step size: a. b. c. Select the Sweep check box. In the text box below the Step value, type the starting value in the variable range. Type the step size, or difference between variable values in the sweep definition, in the Step text box. The step size determines the number of design variations between the start and stop values. Maxwell solves the model at each step in the specified range, including the start and stop values. In the text box just below the variable name, type a stopping value in the variable range.
d. 6.
Click Tune. Sweeping or using a complex variable is not allowed in any optimetrics setup, including optimization, statistical, sensitivity, and tuning setups.
Note 7.
If you want to save the field solution data for the design variations solved during a tuning analysis, select Save Fields.
Related Topics Applying a Tuned State to a Design Tuning Overview Resetting Variable Values after Tuning
Applying a Tuned State to a Design

You can apply the variable values solved during a tuning analysis to the nominal design in one of the following three ways:
When closing the Tune dialog box: 1. 2. Click Close to exit the Tune dialog box. The Apply Tuned Variation dialog box appears. Click the design variation you want to apply, and then click OK. The variable values from the solved design variation become the current variable values for the nominal design.
When saving a tuned state. When reverting to a tuned state.
Saving a Tuned State

You can save the settings in the Tune dialog box, including the variable values you specified for a tuning analysis. Saved states are only available during the current session of the Tune dialog box; they are not stored for the next session. 1. 2. 3. 4. After tuning a variable, click Save in the Tune dialog box. A Save As dialog box appears. Type a name for the tuned state in the text box. Select Apply tuned values to design if you want to update the model to the new variable values. Click OK to return to the Tune dialog box.
Related Topics Reverting to a Saved Tuned State
Reverting to a Saved Tuned State

You can revert to a group of saved settings in the Tune dialog box, including the variable values you specified for a specific tuning analysis. Saved states are only available during the current session of the Tune dialog box; they are not stored for the next session. 1. 2. 3. 4. In the Tune dialog box, click Revert. The Revert dialog box appears. Type the name of the tuned state you want to apply or click a name in the pull-down list. Select Apply tuned values to design if you want to update the model to the selected tuned state's variable values. Click OK to return to the Tune dialog box.
Related Topics Saving a Tuned State
Resetting Variable Values after Tuning

If you want to reset variable values to the values they were set to when you started the current session of the Tune dialog box:
After tuning a variable, click Reset in the Tune dialog box. Solutions for the design variations solved during tuning analyses remain available for post processing.
Saving Field Solutions for Optimetrics Analyses

In order to preserve disk space, by default Maxwell does not save field solution data for every solved design variation in an optimization analysis. It only saves the field solutions for the nominal design when an adaptive analysis is specified in the solution setup or when you request that fields be saved for each solved point in a frequency sweep. If the nominal design is not included in the optimization analysis, all field solutions are deleted. To save the fields for all design variations, change the default setting for all projects: 1. 2. Select Tools>Options, and then select either Maxwell3D Options or Maxwell2DOptions. The appropriate Options dialog box appears. Under the General tab, select Save Optimetrics field solutions. Save Fields is selected by default when you create a new Optimetrics setup. Related Topics Saving Field Solutions for a Parametric Setup Saving Field Solutions for an Optimization Setup Saving Field Solutions for a Sensitivity Setup Saving Field Solutions for a Tuning Analysis Saving Field Solutions for a Statistical Setup Copy Geometrically Equivalent Meshes
Saving Field Solutions for a Parametric Setup

In order to preserve disk space, by default Maxwell does not save field solution data for every solved design variation in a parametric setup. It only saves the field solutions for the nominal design. If the nominal design is not included in the parametric setup, by default field solutions will not be available. To save the fields for all design variations solved during a parametric analysis: 1. 2. 3. Either Add Sweep or right click on an existing sweep to open the Setup Sweep Analysis dialog box. Select the Options tab. Click the Save Fields And Mesh check box. Optionally, select Copy geometrically equivalent meshes. Maxwell will save the field solution data for every solved design variation in the parametric setup. Related Topics Saving Field Solutions for Optimetrics Analyses
Saving Field Solutions for an Optimization Setup

In order to preserve disk space, by default Maxwell does not save field solution data for every solved design variation in an optimization analysis. It only saves the field solutions for the nominal
design when an adaptive analysis is specified in the solution setup or when you request that fields be saved for each solved point in a frequency sweep. If the nominal design is not included in the optimization analysis, all field solutions are deleted. To save the fields for all design variations solved during an optimization analysis: 1. 2. 3. Open an Edit Sweep dialog by either adding a sweep or right-click on a an existing sweep to view the short cut menu and selecting Properties. Select the Options tab. Click the Save Fields And Mesh check box. Optionally, select Copy geometrically equivalent mashes. Maxwell will save the field solution data for every solved design variation in the optimization setup. Related Topics Saving Field Solutions for Optimetrics Analyses
Saving Field Solutions for a Sensitivity Setup

In order to preserve disk space, by default Maxwell does not save field solution data for every solved design variation in a sensitivity analysis. It only saves the field solutions for the nominal design when an adaptive analysis is specified in the solution setup or when you request that fields be saved for each solved point in a frequency sweep. If the nominal design is not included in the sensitivity analysis, all field solutions are deleted. To save the fields for all design variations solved during a sensitivity analysis: 1. 2. 3. Open the Setup Sensitivity Analysis dialog box. Select the Options tab. Click the Save Fields And Mesh check box. Optionally, select Copy geometrically equivalent mashes. Maxwell will save the field solution data for every solved design variation in the sensitivity analysis. Related Topics Saving Field Solutions for Optimetrics Analyses
Saving Field Solutions for a Tuning Analysis

In order to preserve disk space, by default Maxwell does not save field solution data for every design variation solved in a tuning analysis. It only saves the field solutions for the nominal design when an adaptive analysis is specified in the solution setup or when you request that fields be saved for each solved point in a frequency sweep. If the nominal design is not included in the tuning analysis, all field solutions are deleted. To save the fields for all design variations solved during a tuning analysis:
In the Tuning dialog box, select Save Fields. Maxwell will save the field solution data for every solved design variation in a tuning analysis.
Related Topics Saving Field Solutions for Optimetrics Analyses
Saving Field Solutions for a Statistical Setup

In order to preserve disk space, by default Maxwell does not save field solution data for every design variation solved in a statistical analysis. It only saves the field solutions for the nominal design when an adaptive analysis is specified in the solution setup or when you request that fields be saved for each solved point in a frequency sweep. If the nominal design is not included in the statistical analysis, all field solutions are deleted. To save the fields for all design variations solved during a statistical analysis: 1. 2. 3. Open the Setup Statistical Analysis dialog box. Select the Options tab. Click the Save Fields And Mesh check box. Optionally, select Copy geometrically equivalent mashes. Maxwell will save the field solution data for every solved design variation in the statistical setup. Related Topics Saving Field Solutions for Optimetrics Analyses
Copying Meshes in Optimetrics Sweeps

An option in the Optimetrics Analysis setups allows you to request Maxwell to copy a mesh that was calculated for one sweep variation for reuse on a geometrically-equivalent sweep variation. For example, with this option selected a sweep on a scan angle would not need to generate meshes for each solution. The option is available on the setups for sweeps on parametrics, optimization, sensitivity, and statistics. To copy and reuse meshes on geometrically-equivalent parametric variations: 1. 2. 3. 4. Define a variable for the kind of Optimetrics sweep you intent to setup. Select Maxwell3D or Maxwell2D and then select the appropriate Optimetrics>Add command to display a Setup dialog box. Click the Options tab in the Setup dialog box. Select Copy geometrically equivalent meshes. Maxwell will copy the mesh solution calculated for a particular parametric sweep for reuse on each geometrically-equivalent sweep variation. Note This option is available with all Optimetrics setups, and is applied when these analyses generate geometrically-equivalent values. However, it is most relevant to parametric sweep, where such equivalences are more likely to occur.
The Copy geometrically equivalent mesh option is not recommended for use when the frequency is varying, since meshing is frequency-dependent. You may wish to turn this option off when the first geometrically equivalent variation requires numerous passes after the initial mesh, but the other geometrically-equivalent variations require fewer additional passes, so that it is cheaper to start with the initial mesh each time.
Adding an Expression in the Output Variables Window

When you are in the Output Variables window (after clicking Edit Calculation from the one of the setup analysis windows), do the following to specify an expression: 1. 2. Type a name for the expression in the Name text box. Do the following in the Calculation section of the window to insert a quantity into the expression: a. b. c. 3. Select the Report Type and Solution from the pull-down lists. Select a Category, Quantity, and Function from the lists, and click Insert Quantity Into Expression. If you want to insert a specific pre-defined function, select one from the Function pulldown list, and click Insert Function.
You can also type numbers or expression by hand directly into the Expression area.
Excluding a Variable from an Optimetrics Analysis

To exclude a variable from being optimized or included in a sensitivity or statistical analysis: 1. Do one of the following:

2.
In the Setup Optimization dialog box, click the Variables tab. In the Setup Sensitivity Analysis dialog box, click the Variables tab. In the Setup Statistical Analysis dialog box, click the Variables tab.
All of the independent variables that were selected for the optimization analysis are listed. Clear the Include option for the variable you want to exclude from the analysis. The Override option is now selected. This indicates that, for this optimization analysis, the variable is not included. Note 3. Alternatively, you can select the Override option first, and then clear the Include option for the variable you want to exclude.
Click OK.
Modifying the Value of a Fixed Variable

If you are not including a variable in an optimization, sensitivity, or statistical analysis, Optimetrics uses that variable's current value during the analysis. To override the current value of a fixed variable for an Optimetrics setup: 1. Do one of the following:

2.
In the Setup Optimization dialog box, click the Variables tab. In the Setup Sensitivity Analysis dialog box, click the Variables tab. In the Setup Statistical Analysis dialog box, click the Variables tab.
Click Set Fixed Variables. The Setup Fixed Variables dialog box appears. Under Fixed Variables, all of the current independent variable values are listed.
3. 4.
Click the Value text box of the variable with the value you want to override. Type a new value in the Value text box, and then press Enter. The Override option is now selected. This indicates that the value you entered is used for this Optimetrics setup; the current variable value set for the nominal design is ignored.
Note 5. 6.
Alternatively, you can select the Override option first, and then type a new value in the Value text box.
Optionally, click a new unit system in the Units text box. Click OK.
To revert to a default variable value, clear the Override option.
Linear Constraints
Once the optimization variables are specified, the optimizer handles each of them as an n-dimensional vector x. Any point in the design space corresponds to a particular x-vector and to a design instance. Each design instance may be evaluated via Finite Element Analysis and assigned a cost value; therefore, the cost function is defined over the design space (cost(x): RnR), where n is the number of optimization variables. In practice, a solution of the minimization problem is sought only on a bounded subset of the Rn space. This subset is called the feasible domain and is defined via linear constraints. You may constrain the feasible domain of a design variable by defining linear constraints for the optimization process. The feasible domain is defined as the domain of all design variables that satisfy all upper and lower bounds and constraints. Linear constraints are defined by the following inequalities:
ij x i < cj j
i
where
ij are coefficients.
cj is a comparison value for the jth linear constraint. xi is the ith designer parameter.
Related Topics Setting a Linear Constraint
Setting a Linear Constraint

A linear constraint defines the linear relationship between variables. Setting linear constraints in Optimetrics is useful for establishing limitations involving linear combinations of variable values. 1. Do one of the following:

2. 3.
If you are setting up an optimization analysis: In the Setup Optimization dialog box, click the Variables tab. If you are setting up a sensitivity analysis: In the Setup Sensitivity Analysis dialog box, click the Variables tab.
Click Linear Constraint. The Linear Constraint dialog box appears. Click Add. The Edit Linear Constraint dialog box appears.
4. 5. 6. 7.
Click a Coeff text box and type a positive or negative coefficient value. Click a condition, < (less than) or > (greater than), from the pull-down list. Type the inequality value, which should be a constant value, in the text box to the right of the condition. Click OK. You return to the Linear Constraint dialog box. The left-hand side of the constraint appears in the LHS (left-hand side) column. The condition is listed in the Condition column, and the inequality value is listed in the RHS (right-hand side) column.
Related Topics Modifying a Linear Constraint Deleting a Linear Constraint Linear Constraints
Modifying a Linear Constraint

1. Do one of the following:

2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
Click Linear Constraint. The Linear Constraint dialog box appears. Click the row listing the constraint you want to modify, and then click Edit. The Edit Linear Constraint dialog box appears. Optionally, click a Coeff text box and type a new coefficient value. Optionally, click a different condition, < (less than) or > (greater than), in the pull-down list. Optionally, type a different inequality value in the text box to the right of the condition, and then click OK. You return to the Linear Constraint dialog box. The new coefficient value, the condition, and the inequality value appear in the LHS (left-hand side), Condition, and RHS (right-hand side) columns, respectively.
Deleting a Linear Constraint

1. Do one of the following:

2.
Click Linear Constraint.
The Linear Constraint dialog box appears. 3. Click the row listing the constraint you want to delete, and then click Delete. The constraint is deleted.
Viewing Analysis Results for Optimetrics Solutions

To view data specific to an Optimetrics solution, in general, do the following:
In the project tree, right-click the Optimetrics setup for which you want to view the results, and then click View Analysis Result on the shortcut menu. The Post Analysis Display dialog box appears.
See the help topics in this section for more details about viewing optimization analysis results.
Viewing Solution Data for an Optimetrics Design Variation

To view the convergence information, computing resources used, or matrices computed for any design variation solved during an optimization analysis, you must first select the design variation in the Set Design Variation dialog box. This dialog box is accessible from the Solutions Data window and via the Results>Apply Solved Variation command in the Maxwell3D or Maxwell2D or RMxprtHFSSQ3D Extractor or 2D Extractor menu. 1. Click Maxwell3D or Maxwell2D or RMxprtHFSSQ3D Extractor or 2D Extractor and then select Results>Solution Data. The Solutions dialog box appears. 2. 3. 4. Click the browsing dots beside the Design Variation box. The Set Design Variation dialog box appears. Clear the Use nominal design option. Click the design variation for which you want to view the solution data, and then click OK. The solution data is displayed in the table. Related Topics Viewing an Optimetrics Solution's Profile Data
Viewing an Optimetrics Solution's Profile Data

At any time during or after the Optimetrics solution process, you can see an overview of the computing resources or profile data that was used by Maxwell as it solved each design variation. The profile data indicates the how long each design variation took to solve. 1. In the project tree, right-click the Optimetrics solution setup of interest, and then click View Analysis Result on the shortcut menu. The Post Analysis Display dialog box appears. 2. 3. 4. Click the Profile tab. Select the Optimetrics setup with the results you want to view from the pull-down list at the top of the dialog box. Optionally, to examine more detailed profile data for a specific design variation, do the following: a. b. Click a design variation in the table. Click Solver Profile.
The Solutions dialog box appears with the profile data for the selected design variation. The profile line for the matrix solver is in the following format: Solver 123 where:
1 is the precision type: M (mixed) or D (double) 2 is the matrix data type: R (real) or C (complex) 3 is the symmetry type: S (symmetric), A (asymmetric), H (hermitian)
Related Topics Viewing a Solution's Profile Viewing Solution Data for an Optimetrics Design Variation
Plotting Solution Quantity Results vs. a Swept Variable

To plot solution quantity results versus a swept variable's values on a rectangular (x - y) plot: 1. In the project tree, right-click the parametric setup for which you want to view the results, and then click View Analysis Result on the shortcut menu. The Post Analysis Display dialog box appears. 2. 3. 4. If it is not already selected, select Plot as the view type. Select the variable with the swept values you want to plot on the x-axis from the X pull-down list. Only one sweep variable at a time can be plotted against solution quantity results. Any other variables that were swept during the parametric analysis remain constant. Optionally, to modify the constant values of other swept variables, do the following: a. b. 5. 6. Click Set Other Sweep Variables Value. The Setup Plot dialog box appears. All of the other solved variable values are listed. Click the row with the variable value you want to use as the constant value in the plot, and then click OK.
Select the solution quantity results you want to plot on the y-axis from the Y pull-down list. The xy plot appears in the view window. Right-click in the plot area to get the shortcut menu where you can set modify the plots display properties, print, copy to the clipboard, or export the data to a file.
Viewing Cost Results for an Optimization Analysis

To view cost values versus completed iterations in data table format: 1. In the project tree, right-click the optimization setup for which you want to view the cost results, and then click View Analysis Result on the shortcut menu. The Post Analysis Display dialog box appears. 2. Under the Result tab, select Table as the view type, if it is not already selected. The cost value at each solved design variation is listed in table format.
3.
Optionally, click a design variation in the table, and then click Apply. Maxwell now points to the selected design variation as the nominal solution and as a result, the design displayed in the Modeler window is changed to represent the selected design variation. Click Revert to return the design in the view window to the original value.
Related Topics Plotting Cost Data for an Optimization Analysis Viewing Solution Data for an Optimetrics Design Variation
Plotting Cost Results for an Optimization Analysis

To view cost values versus completed iterations in rectangular (x-y) plot format: 1. In the project tree, right-click the optimization setup for which you want to view the cost results, and then click View Analysis Result on the shortcut menu. The Post Analysis Display dialog box appears. 2. Under the Result tab, select Plot as the view type. A plot of the cost value at each iteration appears.
Viewing Output Parameter Results for a Sensitivity Analysis

To view actual output parameter values versus design point in data table format: 1. In the project tree, right-click the sensitivity setup for which you want to view the parameter results, and then click View Analysis Result on the shortcut menu. The Post Analysis Display dialog box appears. 2. Under the Result tab, select Table as the view type, if it is not already selected. The following values are listed in table format:

3.
The regression value of the output parameter at the design point is listed in the Func. Value column. The first derivative of the regression is listed in the 1st D column. The second derivative of the regression is listed in the 2nd D column.
Click Apply. Maxwell now points to the selected design variation as the nominal solution and as a result, the design displayed in the Modeler window is changed to represent the selected design variation. Click Revert to return the design in the view window to the original value.
Related Topics Plotting OutputParameter Results for a Sensitivity Analysis Viewing Solution Data for an Optimetrics Design Variation
Plotting Output Parameter Results for a Sensitivity Analysis

To plot output parameter results versus sensitivity variable values on a rectangular (xy) plot: 1. In the project tree, right-click the sensitivity setup for which you want to view the output
parameter results, and then click View Analysis Result on the shortcut menu. The Post Analysis Display dialog box appears. 2. 3. 4. Under the Result tab, select Plot as the view type. Select the sensitivity variable with the sweep values you want to plot on the x-axis from the X pull-down list. Select the output parameter results you want to plot on the y-axis from the Y pull-down list. The xy plot appears in the Post Analysis Display dialog box. The plot displays actual output parameter results for each solved design variation. It also displays a parabola that best fits these results. The parabola is a more accurate representation of sensitivity around the design point than any individual solved design variation.
Viewing Distribution Results for a Statistical Analysis

1. In the project tree, right-click the statistical setup for which you want to view the distribution results calculated for the solution quantities, and then click View Analysis Result on the shortcut menu. The Post Analysis Display dialog box appears. 2. 3. Select the statistical setup with the results you want to view from the pull-down list at the top of the dialog box. To view the results in tabular form, select Table as the view type. The distribution results for the selected solution quantities are listed in table format for each solved design variation. 4. Optionally, click a design variation in the table, and then click Apply (at the far right side of the dialog box). The design displayed in the 3D Modeler window is changed to represent the selected design variation. 5. 6. 7. To view the results in graphic format, select Plot as the view type. Type the number of bins you want to plot on the x-axis. Select the solution quantity for which you want to plot distribution results on the y-axis from the Y pull-down list. A histogram plot appears in the Post Analysis Display dialog box. It displays the distribution of the selected solution quantity. 8. Optionally, click a design variation in the table, and then click Apply (at the far right side of the dialog box). Maxwell now points to the selected design variation as the nominal solution and as a result, the design displayed in the Modeler window is changed to represent the selected design variation. Click Revert to return the design in the view window to the original value. Related Topics Plotting Distribution Results for a Statistical Analysis
Viewing Solution Data for an Optimetrics Design Variation
Plotting Distribution Results for a Statistical Analysis

1. In the project tree, right-click the statistical setup for which you want to view the distribution results calculated for the solution quantities, and then click View Analysis Result on the shortcut menu. The Post Analysis Display dialog box appears. 2. 3. 4. 5. Select the statistical setup with the results you want to view from the pull-down list at the top of the dialog box. If it is not already selected, select Plot as the view type. Type the number of bins you want to plot on the x-axis. Select the solution quantity for which you want to plot distribution results on the y-axis from the Y pull-down list. A histogram plot appears in the Post Analysis Display dialog box. It displays the distribution of the selected solution quantity.
21
Maxwell 2D Technical Notes
Maxwell 2D is an interactive software package that uses the finite element method (FEM) analysis to simulate and solve two-dimensional electromagnetic field problems. Maxwell integrates with other Ansoft software to perform complex tasks while remaining easy to use. Maxwell 2D is used for analyzing electric and magnetic fields in structures with uniform cross-sections or full rotational symmetry where the field patterns in the entire device can be analyzed by modeling the field patterns in its cross-section. In general, 2D modeling of electromagnetic fields solves for the fields in a 2D cross section of a device which is considered to be placed far away from the extremities of the devices, thus ignoring end effects. While it can provide excellent accuracy for all applicable modeling tasks, 2D solution sequences cannot be always used to accurately model electromagnetic devices. Devices where end effects are significant or that may not exhibit complete rotational symmetry must be modeled in 3D for greatest accuracy.
Maxwell 2D Technical Notes 21-1
Technical Notes
These technical notes contain background information on the theory behind the Maxwell 2D, including:
A list of all Maxwell 2D software modules. Discussion of: background theory; capacitance, inductance, impedance, conductance, and admittance matrices; virtual force and torque; flux linkage; and current flow for the following field solvers:
Electrostatic Magnetostatic Eddy current DC conduction AC conduction Transient
The differences between field solutions in cartesian (XY) and axisymmetric (RZ) models. An overview of the phasor notation used in this guide to represent complex field quantities.
Related Topics Optimization Overview
21-2 Maxwell 2D Technical Notes
Solvers
Maxwell 2D consists of the following solver modules: Electrostatic Field Solver Computes the static electric field that exists in a structure given a distribution of DC voltages and static charges. A capacitance matrix, force, torque, and flux linkage may also be computed from the electric field. Computes the static magnetic field that exists in a structure given a distribution of DC currents and permanent magnets. The magnetic field may be computed in structures with both nonlinear and linear materials. An inductance matrix, force, torque, and flux linkage may also be computed from the energy stored in the magnetic field. Computes the AC voltages and current density distribution in a material having both conductive and dielectric properties given a distribution of AC voltages. An admittance matrix and current flow may also be computed from the calculated fields.
Magnetostatic Field Solver
AC Conduction Field Solver
Computes the DC currents that flow in a lossy dielectric given a DC Conduction Field distribution of DC voltages. A conductance matrix and current flow may Solver also be computed from the computed electric field solution. Computes the oscillating magnetic field that exists in a structure given a distribution of AC currents. Also computes current densities, taking into Eddy Current Field account all eddy current effects (including skin effects). An impedance Solver matrix, force, torque, core loss, and current flow may also be computed from the computed field solution. Computes transient (Time Domain) magnetic fields caused by permanent magnets, conductors, and windings supplied by voltage and/or current Transient Magnetic sources with arbitrary variation as functions of time, position and speed. Solver It can also be coupled with external circuits. Rotational or translational motion effects can be included in the simulation.
Electrostatic Field Simulation

The electrostatic field simulator computes static electric fields arising from potential differences and charge distributions.
Electrostatic Theory
The electrostatic field simulator solves for the electric potential, (x,y), in this field equation:
( r 0 ( x, y ) ) =
where:
(x,y) is the electric potential. r is the relative permittivity. It can be different for each material. o is the permittivity of free space, 8.854 x 1012 F/m. (x,y) is the charge density.
This equation is derived from Gausss Law and from Faradays law of induction. Gausss Law indicates that the net electric flux passing through any closed surface is equal to the net positive charge enclosed by that surface. In differential form, Gausss Law is:
D =
where D(x,y) is the electric flux density. Since D=roE, then:
( r 0 E ( x, y ) ) =
In a static field, as a consequence of Faradays law, E = . Therefore,
( r 0 ( x, y ) ) =
which is the equation that the electrostatic field simulator solves using the finite element method. After the solution for the potential is generated, the system automatically computes the E-field and D-field using the relations E = and D=roE.
An contour plot of electric potential generated by the electrostatic field simulator is shown below:
Capacitance
At the simplest level, capacitance relates to the amount of energy stored in the electric field in and surrounding a structure. In a single circuit, the capacitance represents the amount of energy stored in the electric field that arises due to a voltage differential across a dielectric.
1 2 W e = -- Cv 2
where We is the energy stored in the electric field, C is the capacitance, and v is the voltage across the dielectric. Maxwell 2D computes the capacitance between two conductors by simulating the electric field that arises when a voltage differential is applied. By computing the energy stored in the field, the corresponding capacitance can be computed. To compute capacitances using this method, the E-field and D-field associated with a given distribution of voltages must first be computed. The electrostatic field simulator, which computes the electric potential at all points in the problem region, does this.
2W e C = ---------2 v
Capacitance in Terms of Charges and Voltages
A capacitance matrix represents the charge coupling within a group of conductors that is, the relationship between charges and voltages for the conductors. Given the three conductors shown below, with the outside boundary taken as a reference, the net charge on each object will be:
Q1 = C10 V1 + C12(V1 - V2) + C13(V1 - V3) Q2 = C20 V2 + C12(V2 - V1) + C23(V2 - V3) Q3 = C30 V3 + C13(V3 - V1) + C23(V3 - V2)
C10 Conductor 1
C12
C20 Conductor 2
C13 Conductor 3 C30
C23
This can be expressed in matrix form as: The capacitance matrix above gives the relationship between Q and V for the three conductors and ground. In a device with n conductors, this relationship would be expressed by an n x n capacitance matrix. Capacitance matrix values are specified in farads (coulombs/volt).
Q1 Q2 = Q3
C 10 + C 12 + C 13 C 12 C 13
C 12 C 20 + C 12 + C 23 C 23
C 13 C 23
V1 V2
C 30 + C 13 + C 23 V 3
If one volt is applied to Conductor 1 and zero volts is applied to the other two conductors, the capacitance matrix becomes:
Q1
1 Q2 = C 0 = 0 Q3
C 10 + C 12 + C 13 C 12 C 13
The diagonal elements in the matrix (such as C(1,1)) are the sum of all capacitances from one conductor to all other conductors. These terms represent the self-capacitance of the conductors. Each is numerically equal to the charge on a conductor when one volt is applied to that conductor and the other conductors (including ground) are set to zero volts. For instance,
C(1,1) = C10 + C12 + C13

The off-diagonal terms in each column (such as C(1,2), C(1,3)) are numerically equal to the charges induced on other conductors in the system when one volt is applied to that conductor. For instance, in column one of the example capacitance matrix, C(1,2) is equal to -C12. This is equal to the charge induced on Conductor 2 when one volt is applied to Conductor 1 and zero volts are applied to Conductor 2. The off-diagonal terms are simply the negative values of the capacitances between the corresponding conductors (the mutual capacitances). In column one of the example capacitance matrix, the off-diagonal terms represent the capacitances between Conductor 1 and the other two conductors; in column two, the terms represent the capacitance between Conductor 2 and the other conductors; and so forth. Note that the capacitance matrix is symmetric about the diagonal. This indicates that the mutual effects between any two objects are identical. For instance, C(1,3), the capacitance between Conductor 1 and Conductor 3 (-C13), is equal to C(3,1), the capacitance between Conductor 3 and Conductor 1.
Capacitance in Terms of Currents and Time Varying Voltages

A capacitance matrix can also represent the relationship between currents and time varying voltages in a system of conductors.
Given the three transmission lines shown here,
Line 1
dV 1 dt dV 2 dt dV 3 dt
i1 RL
Line 2 Line 3
i2 RL i3 RL
the currents caused by the time varying voltage source on each line are given by the following relationship:
i1 i2 = i3
C 10 + C 12 + C 13 C 12 C 13
C 12 C 20 + C 12 + C 23 C 23
C 13 C 23
dV 1 ( dt ) dV 2 ( dt )
C 30 + C 13 + C 23 dV 3 ( dt )
If dV2 /dt and dV3 /dt are set to zero, this relationship becomes:
i1 i2 = C i3
dV 1 ( dt ) 0 0
C 10 + C 12 + C 13 = C 12 C 13 ( dV 1 ( dt ) )
This gives the currents that are induced on Line 2 and Line 3 when a time varying voltage source is applied to Line 1 that is, the capacitive coupling between the three lines, or the short circuit capacitance.
Computing Capacitance
To compute a capacitance matrix for a structure, the Maxwell 2D performs a sequence of electrostatic field simulations. In each field simulation, one volt is applied to a single conductor and zero volts is applied to all other conductors. Therefore, for an n-conductor system, n field simulations are automatically performed. The energy stored in the electric field associated with the capacitance between two conductors is given by the following relation:
1 W ij = -- D i E j d 2
where:
Wij is the energy in the electric field associated with flux lines that connect charges on conductor i to those on conductor j. Di is the electric flux density associated with the case in which one volt is placed on conductor i. Ej is the electric field associated with the case in which one volt is placed on conductor j.
The capacitance between conductors i and j is therefore:
2W ij C = ----------- = D i E j d 2 v
Virtual Forces (Electrostatic)
To compute the virtual force on an object, the electrostatic field simulator uses the principle of virtual work. In the structure shown below, the force on the bottom plate (plate B) in the direction of the displacement, x, is given by the following relationship:
dW ( v, x ) F B = --------------------dx
V = Constant
where W is the stored energy of the system,
1 W ( v, x ) = -- E DdVol 2 Vol
i i = dq / dt
A
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++
D, E
FB
+q
x
-q
Unlike the classical virtual work method, the plate is not actually moved during the numerical process of the force computation. Instead, only the triangles that lie along the outside surface of the object are virtually distorted. W and its derivative, dW/dx, are calculated from a single field solution using finite element interpolation functions.
Virtual Torques (Electrostatic)

Similar to the virtual force calculation, the system uses virtual work principles to compute the torque on an object. In the structure shown below, the virtual torque on the bottom plate (plate B) about the axis of rotation is given by the following relationship:
dW ( v, ) T B = --------------------d
V = Constant
where W is the stored energy of the system,
1 W ( v, ) = -- E DdVol 2 Vol
i i = dq / dt
A
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++
D, E B
FB
Axis of rotation
TB
Unlike the classical virtual work method, the plate is not actually rotated during the numerical process of the torque computation. Instead, only the triangles that lie along the outside surface of the object are virtually distorted. W and its derivative, dW/d, are calculated from a single field solution using finite element interpolation functions.
Flux Linkage (Electrostatic)

To compute the electric flux linkage, the electrostatic field solver uses the following relationship:
= E dA
where E is the electric field and A is the area over which flux density is computed.
In cartesian (XY) models, the area is found by sweeping the flux line youve drawn in the xyplane into the z direction forming a 3D surface. The electric flux value computed is the flux per meter depth in the z direction. In axisymmetric (RZ) models, the area is found by rotating the flux line youve drawn in the rz-plane 360 degrees about the z axis. The electric flux computed is the total flux that passes through this surface.
A separate flux linkage value is computed for each line you draw.
Magnetostatic Field Simulation

The magnetostatic field simulator lets you compute static magnetic fields arising from DC currents and other sources like permanent magnets and external magnetic fields. Magnetic fields in both linear and nonlinear materials can be simulated.
Magnetostatic Theory
The magnetostatic field simulator solves for the magnetic vector potential, Az(x,y) in this field equation:
1 J z ( x, y ) = ------------ ( A z ( x, y ) ) r 0
where:
Az(x,y) is the z component of the magnetic vector potential. Jz(x,y) is the DC current density field flowing in the direction of transmission. r is the relative permeability of each material. 0 is the permeability of free space.
Given Jz(x,y) as an excitation, the magnetostatic field simulator computes the magnetic vector potential at all points in space. Note In general, both J and A are vectors. However, J is assumed to only have a zcomponent. A consequence of this is that A only has a z-component as well. Both quantities can therefore be treated as scalars.
The equation that the magnetostatic field solver computes is derived from Amperes law, which is:
H = J
B and from Maxwells equation, B = 0 . Since H = ----------- , then:
B ------------ = J r 0
Since B = A , due to B = 0 , then:
r 0
1 ------------ A = J r 0
The magnetostatic field simulator solves this equation using the finite element method.
After Az(x,y) is computed, the magnetic flux density, B, and the magnetic field, H, can then be computed using the relationships:
B = A B H = -----------r 0
and H, for linear materials, is: Both B and H lie in the xy cross-section being analyzed. An arrow plot of a B-field generated by the magnetostatic field simulator is shown below:
Inductance
At the simplest level, inductance relates to how much energy is stored in the magnetic field when current flows.
1 2 W m = -- Li 2
where:
Wm is the energy stored in the magnetic field

L is the inductance i is the current flowing in the circuit
The Maxwell 2D computes inductances associated with a structure by simulating the magnetic field that arises when various voltages and currents are applied. Then, by computing the energy stored in those fields, it can then compute the necessary inductances:
2W m L = -----------2 i
To compute inductances using this method, the B-field and H-field associated with a distribution of currents must first be computed. The magnetostatic field simulator, which computes the magnetic vector potential at all points in the problem region, performs this task.
Inductance in Terms of Flux Linkage and Currents

An inductance matrix represents the magnetic flux linkage between the current loops in a system. Given the three current loops below, the relationship between induced flux and currents is as follows:
1 = L11 i1 + L12 i2 + L13 i3 2 = L12 i1 + L22 i2 + L23 i3 3 = L13 i1 + L23 i2 + L33 i3 L12 i1 L22 i2 L33 i3
This can be expressed in matrix form as: The inductance matrix above gives the relationship between and i for the three independent current loops. In a device with n current loops, this relationship would be expressed by an nn inductance matrix. Inductance matrix values are specified in henries.
L11
V 1
L13
L23
V 2
V 3
L 11 L 12 2 = L 12 L 22 L 13 L 23 3
L 13 i 1 L 23 i 2 L 33 i 3
If one ampere is applied to Current Loop 1 and zero amperes are applied to the other two loops, the inductance matrix becomes:
L 11 1 2 = L 0 = L 12 0 L 13 3
The diagonal terms in the matrix (such as L11) represent the self-inductance of each current loop. Self-inductance is numerically equal to the flux linkage in a current loop when one ampere is flowing in it, and no current is flowing in the other loops. For example, L11 is equal to the flux in Current Loop 1 when one ampere is flowing in that current loop, and no current is flowing in the other loops. The off-diagonal terms (such as L12, L13) represent the mutual inductances between the current loops. Mutual inductance is numerically equal to the flux linkage in a current loop when one ampere is flowing through another loop, and no current is flowing anywhere else. For example, L12 is equal to the flux linkage in Loop1 when one ampere is applied to Loop 2 and no current is flowing in the other loops. Note that the inductance matrix is symmetric about the diagonal. This indicates that the mutual effects between any two loops are identical. For instance, L13, the inductance between Current Loop 1 and Current Loop 3, is equal to the inductance between Current Loop 3 and Current Loop 1.
Inductance in Terms of Voltages and Time Varying Currents

An inductance matrix can also represent the relationship between voltage and current fluctuations in a system. Given the three transmission lines shown below, the voltage changes caused by the time varying current source on each line are given by:
V 1
L 11 L 12 V 2 = L 12 L 22 L 13 L 23 V 3
Line 1
di 1 dt di 2 dt di 3 dt
L 13 ( di 1 ) ( dt ) L 23 ( di 2 ) ( dt ) L 33 ( di 3 ) ( dt )
V 1
Line 2 Line 3
RL
V 2
RL
V 3
RL
The inductance matrix above gives the relationship between V and di/dt for the three independent transmission lines. If di2/dt and di3/dt are set to zero, this relationship becomes
V 1 V 2 = L V 3
( di 1 ) ( dt ) 0 0
L 11 = L 12 ( di 1 ) ( dt ) L 13
This gives the voltage changes that are induced on Lines 2 and 3 when a time-varying current source is applied to Line 1 that is, the inductive coupling between all the loops.
Computing an Inductance Matrix

To compute an inductance matrix, the software performs a sequence of magnetostatic field simulations. In each field simulation, one ampere is allowed to flow in a single conductor. The current returns as defined under Maxwell2D>Parameters>Assign>Matrix either in the conductor you identified as the return path, or along outside balloon, value (Dirichlet) or odd symmetry boundaries. No current flows in any other conductor. For an n-conductor system, n field simulations are automatically performed. The energy stored in the magnetic field that couples two conductors is:
1 2 1 W ij = -- LI = -- B i H j d 2 2
where:
Wij is the energy stored in the magnetic field linking conductor i with conductor j. I is the current in conductor i. Bi is the magnetic flux density where one ampere is allowed to flow through conductor i. Hj is the magnetic field where one ampere is allowed to flow through conductor j.
The inductance coupling conductors i and j is therefore:
2W ij L ij = ----------- = B i H j d 2 I
For multiturn conductors, the net value of inductance is the value given by:
2 L net = N L matrix
where N is the number of turns in the coil.
Virtual Forces (Magnetostatic)

To compute the force on an object, the system uses the principle of virtual work. In the structure shown below, the force on the plate in the direction of the displacement, s, is given by the following relationship:
dW ( s, i ) F plate = ------------------ds
= i = const
H B dH dV s 0 V
where W(s,i) is the magnetic coenergy of the system. The current, i, is held constant.
i
Core
FPlate s
Plate
Unlike the classical virtual work method, the plate is not actually moved during the force computation. Instead, only the triangles that lie along the outside surface of the object are virtually distorted. Thus, the force computation only requires one field solution.
Virtual Torques (Magnetostatic)

Similar to the virtual force calculation, the system uses virtual work principles to compute the torque on an object. In the structure shown below, the torque on Object B about the axis of rotation is given by the following relationship:
dW ( , i ) T B = -------------------d
= i = const
H V 0 B dH dV
where W(, i) is the magnetic coenergy of the system. The current, i, is held constant.
Object A
Axis of rotation
Object B i
TB
Unlike the classical virtual work method, Object B is not actually rotated during the torque computation. Instead, only the triangles that lie along the outside surface of the object are virtually distorted. Thus, the change in the systems coenergy (and therefore the virtual torque) is given by the change in the coenergy of these triangles.
Flux Linkage (Magnetostatic)

To compute the magnetic flux linkage, the magnetostatic field solver uses the following relationship:
= B dA
where B is the magnetic flux density and A is the area over which flux density is computed.
In cartesian (XY) models, the area is found by sweeping the flux line youve drawn in the xyplane into the z direction forming a 3D surface. The magnetic flux value computed is the flux per meter depth in the z direction. In axisymmetric (RZ) models, the area is found by revolving the flux line youve drawn in the rz-plane 360 degrees around the z-axis forming a 3D surface. The magnetic flux value computed is the total flux that passes through this surface.
A separate flux linkage value is computed for each line you draw.
Eddy Current Field Simulation

The eddy current field simulator allows you to simulate the effects of time-varying currents in parallel-conductor structures including eddy current effects in conductors.
Eddy Current Theory

Time-varying currents flowing in a conductor produce a time-varying magnetic field in planes perpendicular to the conductor. In turn, this magnetic field induces eddy currents in the source conductor and in any other conductor parallel to it. The eddy current field solver calculates the eddy currents by solving for A and in the field equation:
1 -- ( A ) = ( + j ) ( jA )
where:
A is the magnetic vector potential. is the electric scalar potential. is the absolute magnetic permeability. is the angular frequency at which all quantities are oscillating. is the conductivity. is the absolute permittivity. Note The eddy current equation is derived from Maxwells equations. Phasor notation is used to represent complex quantities.
A plot of flux lines produced by eddy currents that were computed in a structure by the eddy current solver is shown below:
Components of Current Density

Notice that the right side of the equation:
1 -- ( A ) = ( + j ) ( jA )
consists of a complex conductivity multiplied by the complex value of E ( jA therefore equal to the complex current density, J, which has three components:
) . It is
Js, the source current density due to differences in electric potential, Jd, the displacement current density (time-varying electric fields),
Je, the induced eddy current density due to time-varying magnetic fields, - jA.
j ( jA ) .
The total current density is the sum of these three components. The j term in the eddy and displacement components indicate that they are a function of frequency and become increasingly significant as the frequency increases.
Integrating the Current Density

When setting up a problem, you specify the total current flowing in any conductor that is connected to an external source. Therefore, the eddy current module is able to make use of a second equation:
I T = ( + j ) ( jA ) d
which simply reflects the fact the total current in a conductor equals the integral of the current density over the cross-section of the conductor, .
Eddy Current Assumptions

The eddy current field solver makes the following assumptions about the field quantities for which it solves:
Time-varying electromagnetic quantities are assumed to have the periodic waveform:
F ( t ) = F m cos ( t + )

All quantities must have the same frequency (angular frequency), but can have different phase angles (). If a current is not a pure sinusoid, decompose it into sinusoidal harmonics, and solve separately at each frequency, but only for linear problems. All currents (source, eddy, and displacement) are assumed to flow perpendicular to the plane being studied (that is, in the z-direction for XY applications). Therefore, the magnetic fields associated with these currents lie within the xy-plane. As a result, A, the magnetic vector potential, has a z-component only. Because no currents flow in the xy-plane, the electric field, E, has a z-component only. It follows that is constant over the cross section of each conductor in the problem.
Deriving the Eddy Current Equation

The eddy current field solver uses the finite element method to compute A and using these two relationships:
1 -- ( A ) = ( + j ) ( jA ) I T = ( + j ) ( jA ) d
where:
A is the magnetic vector potential. is the electric scalar potential. is the magnetic permeability. is the angular frequency at which all quantities are oscillating. is the conductivity.
is the permittivity. IT is the total current flowing in conductors.
The following section shows how these equations are derived from Maxwells equations.
Maxwells Equations
The eddy current field simulator solves for time harmonic electromagnetic fields governed by Maxwells equations:
H = J +
D t
B E = -----t D = B = 0
where:
E is the electric field. D is the electric displacement, E. B is the magnetic flux density. H is the magnetic field intensity, B/. J is the conduction current density, E. is the charge density.
The eddy current solver assumes that all time-varying electromagnetic quantities in the problem have the form:
F ( t ) = F m cos ( t + )
Using Eulers formula:
e
j ( t + )
= cos + j sin
If = t+, F(t) equals the real portion of ej(t+):
F ( t ) = Fm e
= [ F m ( cos ( t + ) + j sin ( t + ) ) ] = F m cos ( t + )
Now, because each time-varying quantity has the form jD and jB.
F m e j e jt ,
D B and are equal to t t
Therefore, with this simplification and the relations H=B, D=E, and J=E, Maxwells equations reduce to:
1 -- B = ( E + jE ) E = jB E = B = 0
Relationship of Magnetic and Electric Field
The quantity that the eddy current field simulator actually solves for is A, the magnetic vector potential. It is given by:
A = B
Substituting this into the first of Maxwells equations, the result is:
1 -- ( A ) = ( E + jE )
A solution for E in terms of A is given by:
E = jA
where is the electric potential. Substituting the right side of this relationship for E into the previous equation results in:
1 -- ( A ) = ( jA ) ( + j )
This equation is one of the two used by the eddy current solver to compute A and .
Relationship of Current and Current Density

Notice that the previous equation is in the form of a complex conductivity, (+j), times the complex value of E. The result is the complex current density, J. Therefore, the integral of this expres21-24 Maxwell 2D Technical Notes
sion over the cross-section of a conductor is constrained to equal the total current that is specified as flowing in that conductor:
1 I t = J d = -- ( + j ) ( jA ) d
This is the second equation that the eddy current solver uses in computing A and . The total current, It, in this equation is the quantity you specify when setting up a problem. It is the total current flowing in a conductor, and includes:
d . Ie, the induced eddy current, jA d . Id, the displacement current, j ( jA ) d .

Is, the current from an external source,
For problems solved by the eddy current solver, B is assumed to lie in the xy plane. Therefore, A can only have a component in the z-direction. The simulator does not have to solve for the x and y components of A. Since E only has a z-component, is a constant for each cross section of a conductor. Therefore, Maxwell does not have to solve for at every node. For a more detailed discussion of eddy current and skin effect problems in multiconductor systems, see: J. Weiss, Z. Cendes. A One-Step Finite Element Method for Multiconductor Skin Effect Problems, IEEE Transactions on Power Apparatus and Systems, Vol. PAS-101, No. 10 October 1982.
Eddy Currents and Skin Depth

Induced currents allow magnetic fields to penetrate conductors only to a certain depth, which is approximated by the formula:
=
where:
2 ------------------- 0 r
(in meters)
is the angular frequency, which is equal to 2f. (f is the frequency at which source currents and voltages oscillate during the solution.) is the conductors conductivity, in siemens/meter. r is the conductors relative permeability, in amperes/meter. 0 is the permeability of free space, which is equal to 4 x 10-7 A/m.
Currents will be concentrated near the surface of the conductor, decaying rapidly past the skin depth. As the formula above indicates, the skin depth gets smaller as the frequency increases.
Impedance Matrix
An impedance matrix summarizes the relationship between AC voltages and AC currents in multiconductor systems. Given the two current loops below, the relationships between voltages and currents in each loop is as follows:
( V 1 = I 1 R 11 + I 2 R 12 + I jL 11 + I 2 jL 12 )Size 1 V 2 = I 2 R 22 + I 1 R 12 + I 2 jL 22 + I 1 jL 12
I1 Loop 1
R11 +
V 1
L11 -
R12 I2 Loop 2
L12 R22 L22

V 2
This can be expressed in matrix form as:
V 1 V 2
where:
Z 11 Z 12 I 1 Z 12 Z 22 I 2
Vi and Ii are phasors. Z11 = R11 + jL11 (the self-impedance of Loop 1). Z12 = R12 + jL12 (the mutual impedance between Loops 1 and 2). Z22 = R22 + jL22 (the self-impedance of Loop 2).
The impedance matrix above gives the relationship between V and I for the two current loops. In a device with n current loops, this relationship would be expressed by an n x n impedance matrix.
The matrix values displayed by the software are resistance and inductance (not resistance and reactance) and therefore do not include j. Note All impedances are complex numbers in the form:
Z = R + jL
where:
is equal to 2f, where f is the frequency of the AC current source. R is the AC resistance, given in ohms/meter (XY) or ohms (RZ). L is the AC inductance, given in henries/meter (XY) or henries (RZ).
Computing an Impedance Matrix

Maxwell 2D breaks down the impedance matrix computation into two parts. First, it solves for the inductance matrix (L-matrix) associated with the model. It then solves for the resistance matrix (Rmatrix). When it finishes solving for these matrices, the simulator combines them to form the impedance matrix, using the relationship Z=R+jL. To compute the inductance and resistance matrices for the impedance solution, the simulator generates an eddy-current field solution for each conductor in the matrix. In the first solution, the current in the first conductor is set to one ampere; currents in the other conductors that are included in the impedance matrix are set to zero. This is done by imposing current sources on the conductors. In the second solution, the current in the second conductor is set to one ampere, and all other conductors that are included in the impedance matrix are set to zero amperes, and so forth. Conductors that are not included in the impedance matrix are not affected.
Matrix Inductance
To compute the inductance of the current loop, the simulator calculates the average energy, WAV, of the system after a field solution is computed:
1 W AV = -- B H dV 4 V
Since the instantaneous energy of the system is equal to:
1 2 W Inst = -- Li 2
where the instantaneous value of the current is related to the peak value of the current by i = IPeakcos(t+). The average value for the energy can then be found by integrating the instantaneous energy: From this, the average energy of the system is equal to:
2 2 1 2 1 L ----- I 2 - W AV = ----- W Inst dt = -[ cos ( t + ) ] dt Peak 2 2 2 0 0
2 L 2 L 2 L I Peak W AV = -- I RMS = -- -------------- = -- I Peak 4 2 2 2

The inductance, therefore is:
4W AV L = --------------2 I Peak
The software assumes that the object for which impedance is being computed has a peak current of one ampere per coil turn flowing through it. Thus, the inductance is simply 4WAV. The eddy current simulator includes the eddy effect in conductors when it computes inductance during an impedance solution.
Matrix Resistance
To compute the resistance, the simulator calculates the ohmic loss, P, after a field solution has been computed:
1 P = ------ J J dV 2 V
The ohmic loss is related to the resistance by:
2 P = RI RMS
The resistance is therefore:
P R = ------------- = 2 I RMS
2P -------------2 I Peak
The system assumes that the object for which impedance is being computed has a peak current of one ampere per coil turn flowing through it. Therefore, the resistance is simply 2P. Note that the resistance for an eddy current problem will be higher than the equivalent DC resistance, due to the skin concentration of currents.
Inductance and Resistance in Impedance Computations

The inductances and resistances computed during an impedance matrix solution are different from those computed for the equivalent DC case. This figure shows how they differ:
DC
AC
Skin depth
R
J is uniformly distributed throughout the conductor.
R
J is concentrated near the surface and decays exponentially towards the center.
The current density, J, in the DC case (the conductor on the left) is evenly distributed throughout the cross-section of the conductor. The current density in the AC case (the conductor on the right) is distributed non-uniformly on the surface due to skin effect. Since the area through which current can flow is smaller, it follows that the resistance to the current flow is higher in the impedance matrix than in a resistance matrix computed for the equivalent DC case. In the DC example, no eddy currents occur. The magnetic field created by the current flowing through the conductor is static. In the AC example, the oscillating magnetic field induces currents in conductors in the model. These induced currents affect the computation of inductance for the impedance matrix, causing it to be different from the equivalent DC computation of inductance.
Virtual Forces (Eddy Current)

Virtual force in an eddy current problem is computed the same way as virtual force in a magnetostatic problem. The only difference is that the average value of force over time is computed not the instantaneous force at a given time. The difference between the time-averaged (or DC) force, AC force, and instantaneous force is shown below:
Force oscillates at twice the frequency of the source current and magnetic field:
1 f F = ------ = 2f S TF
where:
fF is the frequency of the force. fS is the frequency of the source current and magnetic field. TF is the period of the force.
The time-averaged (or DC) force, AC force, and instantaneous force can be determined by:
1 * F DC = -- Re J B dV 2 1 F AC = -- Re J B dV 2 F INST = F DC + F AC
The AC force, FAC must be evaluated at a particular phase (=t) in order to determine its magnitude at an instant in time. However, the peak value of the AC force is reported as the AC Magnitude in the force and torque solution panel for Maxwell 2D.
Virtual Torques (Eddy Current)

Virtual torque in an eddy current problem is computed the same way as virtual torque in a magnetostatic problem. The only difference is that the average value of the torque over time is computed, not the net torque at a given time.
Current Flow (Eddy Current)

To compute the current flow, the eddy current field solver uses the following relationship:
I = J dA
where:
I is the current. J is the current density, given by:
J = ( + j r ) ( jA )
A is the area over which the current flow is computed.
In cartesian (XY) models, the area is found by sweeping the current flow line youve drawn in the xy-plane into the z direction forming a 3D surface. The current flow computed is the current per meter depth in the z-direction. In axisymmetric (RZ) models, the area is found by revolving the flux line youve drawn in the rz-plane 360 degrees around the z-axis, forming a 3D surface. The current flow comMaxwell 2D Technical Notes 21-31
puted is the total current that passes through this surface. A separate current flow value is computed for each line you draw.
Nonlinear Eddy Current Field Simulation

The eddy current solver for problems with nonlinear materials allows you to analyze the fundamental components of B and H at a specified frequency.
Nonlinear Eddy Current Theory

Unlike linear problems in which the field solution is assumed to be based on the sinusoidal complex peak field values in a steady state, nonlinear problems are usually based on all harmonic components of the fields. That is to say for nonlinear problems, though the current is sinusoidal at its input, the resulting fields are harmonically rich. Although the B- and H-fields are not sinusoidal at output, the Maxwell 2D non-linear Eddy Current Solver uses equivalent fundamental components of B and H to approximate non-linear field behavior associated with the assigned non-linear BH characteristic.
Sinusoidal B
Assuming both that B is sinusoidal with time, t, and that the value of H is derived from the original BH-curve, introduce a new value He to represent the effective magnetic field. The derivation of the effective He is based on the equivalence of averaged energy between using original, non-sinusoidal H field and the effective sinusoidal field Hesin(t). That is:
4 4 -- 4 H sin ( t )B sin ( t ) dt = -- 4 ( H B ) dt m T 0 e T 0
with:
T --
T --
2 T = ----
the above expression becomes:
-2 H e B m sin ( t ) dt = 2 ( H B ) d 0 0
-2
Allowing =t and extracting He, simplifying yields:
He Bm
or:
-1 cos 2 2 ------------------------ -
d =
0 ( H B ) d
-2
He =
where:
-4 ----------------- 2 ( H B ) -
0 B m
Bm corresponds to the last point on the original BH characteristic (in the saturation portion) and which is made equal with /2.
The above equation is used to derive an effective (Bm, He) characteristic for the frequency domain simulation. This process is required to be performed only once for a particular BH curve. During the simulation, He is determined for a specific Bm such that an equivalent permeability can be computed as the ratio Bm / He and used in the calculations.
Sinusoidal H
Assuming both that H is sinusoidal with time, t, and that the value of B is derived from the original BH-curve, introduce a new value Be to represent the effective magnetic flux density. Using the simple energy method equation and following the previous assumptions:
0 Be sin ( t )H B sin ( t ) dt
and with =t, yields:
T -4
0 ( H B ) dt
-2
T -4
Be HB
-1 cos 2 2 ------------------------ -
d =
0 ( H B ) d
Now define the function f(i) to be represented by:
Hi Bi f ( i ) = ----------Bm
Solving for Be yields:
Be
or:
n -4 4 2 = ----------- ( H B ) d = --
H B 0
i + 1 ( H B ) ---------------- d i HB i=1 i
2 B e = ----3
i=1
i + i + 1 f ( i ) + f -------------------------- + f ( i + 1 ) 2
which represents the effective B for the BH-curve.
DC Conduction Field Simulation

The DC conduction field simulator allows you to analyze conduction currents due to static electric fields in conductors and lossy dielectrics.
DC Conduction Theory
When a material with a non-zero conductivity is subject to a potential difference, conduction current flows in the material. At all points in the problem space, the current density (J) will be proportional to the electric field (E) that is established due to the potential difference.
J ( x, y ) = E ( x, y ) = ( x, y )
where:
J(x,y) is the current density. E(x,y) is the electric field. is the conductivity of the material in MKS units (S/m). (x,y) is the electric potential.
The equation that the DC conduction field simulator solves is based on the fact that, under steady state conditions, the amount of charge, , leaving any infinitesimally small region must equal the charge flowing into that region.
J =
= 0 t
The field quantity that DC conduction actually solves for is the electric potential, , in the following equation:
( ) = 0
Note that
= J .
A plot of electric potential that was computed by the DC conduction solver is shown below:
Steady-state Conditions
The DC conduction solver assumes that current flow in the conducting material has already reached steady state conditions. The implication of this assumption becomes clear when you compare the initial and steady state conditions of a simple problem such as that shown here:
First, consider the interval before steady state is reached. Assume that the switch establishing the potential across the parallel plates in the figure above closes at t=0. Also assume that the current required to deposit charges on the parallel plates (so that the voltage difference can be supported) occurs instantaneously. However, it will take a while for current to start flowing in the dielectric. The time it takes for current to flow is determined by the time constant of the material. Therefore, at t=0, there will be an electric field in the dielectric, but no current and no free charges. Consequently, the relationship that must be satisfied at the interface of the two dielectrics is:
D =
or, equivalently:
E =
At the interface between the two dielectrics, this relationship implies that:
2 1 E n1 = 2 E n2 E n1 = ----- E n2 1
where En is the normal component of E. Therefore, at t=0, before current starts to flow in the two dielectrics, (x,y) is determined entirely by the permittivity of the dielectrics. Use the electrostatic field solver to solve for (x,y) in such a case. After current starts to flow in the dielectric and steady state is reached, free charges are able to accumulate at the boundaries of the two dielectrics. The free charge, , is no longer zero. The relationship that must be satisfied now is: or, equivalently,
J =
E = 0
= 0 t
This relationship implies that:
2 1 E n1 = 2 E n2 E n1 = ------ E n2 1
In this case, the solution depends on the conductivity () of the materials rather than on their dielectric constant (). The DC conduction solver analyzes the steady state condition. Therefore, use the DC conduction field solver when steady state conditions have been reached.
Relevant Time Constant

The time constant that determines how long it will take the current flowing in the conductive material to reach steady state is given by =/. In a good conductor such as steel (=9x10-12, =1x107), = 9x10-19 seconds. Steady state conditions are reached almost instantaneously and in such cases you should use the DC conduction solver to analyze the potential field. On the other hand, for a good dielectric such as fused quartz (=1x10-17), the time constant is on the order of 105 seconds. There will be a significant period before steady state currents start to flow and you should use the electrostatic solver to analyze the electric field. For many materials in between, a complete analysis may require an electric transient field solution. Note For a more thorough discussion on electric transient phenomena see: Online Technical Library: Charge relaxation phenomena in electric transient type of solutions
Conductance
A conductance matrix gives the relationship between currents and voltage drops. In the figure below, two conductors at voltages V1 and V2 are touching a bar with a conductance, G.
Because the bar is not a perfect insulator, current will flow between the two conductors. Given the conductors shown on the previous page, the relationship between the conduction current and the voltage drop, V, in each conductor is:
I = GV
where:
I is the conduction current. G is the conductance, measured in Siemens. V is the voltage drop given by V1-V2.
Conductance, as evident from the equation, is the inverse of resistance. Therefore, if a material has a large conductance, it will be a better conductor, and if it has a low conductance, it will be a better resistor.
Current Flow (DC Conduction)

To compute current flow, the DC conduction field solver uses the following relationship:
I = J dA A
where:
I is the current. J is the current density, given by:
J = E =
A is the area over which the current flow is computed.
In cartesian (XY) models, the area is found by sweeping the current flow line youve drawn in the xy-plane into the z direction forming a 3D surface. The current flow computed is the current per meter depth in the z direction. In axisymmetric (RZ) models, the area is found by revolving the flux line youve drawn in the rz-plane 360 degrees around the z-axis, forming a 3D surface. The current flow computed is the total current that passes through this surface.
A separate current flow value can be computed for each line you draw.
AC Conduction Field Simulation

The AC conduction field solver allows you to analyze conduction currents caused by time-varying electric fields in conductors and lossy dielectrics.
AC Conduction Theory
The AC conduction field simulator solves for in the following equation:
[ E + j ( x, y ) ] = 0
where:
(x,y) is the magnitude and phase of the electric potential at each value of x and y. is the angular frequency at which the potential is oscillating. is the conductivity. is the permittivity.
The above equation is derived from:
( J + jD ) = 0
where:
J is the current density, E. D is the electric flux density, E. E is the electric field, -.
Complex quantities are represented using phasor notation.
AC Conduction Assumptions
The AC conduction field solver assumes the following conditions about field quantities:
All time-varying electromagnetic quantities have the periodic waveform:
F ( t ) = F m cos ( t + )
where all quantities must have the same value of , but can have different phase angles ().
If a current is not a pure sinusoid, it is decomposed into sinusoidal harmonics, and solved separately at each frequency. The component of E due to time-varying magnetic fields caused by conduction currents can be neglected.
Admittance
Admittance can best be explained as the inverse of impedance, and is expressed by:
Y = G jC
where:
is equal to 2f, where f is the frequency of the AC voltage source. Y is the admittance in Siemens/meter. G is the conductance in Siemens/meter. C is the susceptance in Siemens/meter. Note The matrix values displayed by the software are conductance in ohms/meter and capacitance in farads/meter (not conductance and susceptance) and therefore do not include j.
Current Flow
To compute current flow, the AC conduction field solver uses the following relationship:
I = J dA A
where:
I is the current. J is the current density, given by J = E. A is the area over which the current flow is computed. It is found by sweeping the current flow line youve drawn in the xy-plane into the z direction, forming a surface. The current flow computed is the current per meter depth in the z direction.
A separate current flow value can be computed for each line you draw.
Axisymmetric Field Simulation

If you selected Cylindrical About Z as the geometry mode when setting the solution type, a special version of the selected field solver is used. It assumes that the 2D geometry being studied sweeps 360 around the z-axis of a cylindrical coordinate system, enabling you to model devices like soleniods and insulators that have an axis of rotational symmetry. All electric or magnetic fields in the problem must also be rotationally symmetric so that the solution in any RZ-plane is the same as any other. Note All cylindrical about Z models must be drawn in the XZ plane with X >= 0
Axisymmetric field simulation is available for the following solvers:
Electrostatic Magnetostatic Eddy Current DC Conduction AC Conduction Transient with and without motion
Any field solution involving a long plank-shaped object is different from a solution involving an annular object even though the same equation is solved for both types of geometries. Mathematically, the difference between cartesian and axisymmetric field solutions arises from the difference in how gradients, curls and divergences are expressed in the two coordinate systems.
In a cartesian (xyz) coordinate system, these operators are defined as follows (where F is a scalar quantity and F is a vector quantity):
F ( x, y, z ) =
F F F x+ y+ z x y z F x x + F y y z z Fz
F ( x, y, z ) =
F z z
x F = x Fx
y y Fy
If F has a z-component only, the curl is defined as:
F =
F z y
F z x
In a cylindrical (r, , z) coordinate system, these operators are defined as:
F ( r, , z ) =
F 1 F F r + -+ z r z r
( rF r ) F F 1 --------------- + 1 + z -F ( r, , z ) = - r r r z r F = r Fr r rF z z Fz
If F has a -component only, the curl is defined as:
( rF ) ( rF ) 1 ---------------- r + ---------------- z - F = - r z r
In the cylindrical case, an extra r shows up in places where there is no analogous x in the cartesian case, resulting in a different field solution. The calculations involving the differences in mathematics between axisymmetric and cartesian models are implicitly handled by the Maxwell 2D and are transparent to you.
Transient Simulation
Transient Solver only. The transient solver allows you to analyze the magnetic fields, energy, force/torque, power loss, core loss, speed, and flux of a model at various time steps of a solution over a specified period of time. This solver allows for non-sinusoidal current or voltage excitation, as well as rotational or translational motion.
Transient Simulation Assumptions

The transient solver assumes the following conditions about the problem:
If motion occurs in the model, no motion occurs outside the band object. Rotational motion can be cylindrical or non-cylindrical. More than one object can be assigned identical motion within the band object.
Time-Dependent Magnetic Field Simulation

For a 2D XY problem, the vectors have only one component in the z-direction. The time-dependent magnetic equation is expressed as:
A A = J s V + H c + V A t
where:
Hc is the coercivity of the permanent magnet. v is the velocity of the moving parts. A is the magnetic vector potential. V is the electric potential.
is the reluctivity.
Js is the source current density.
The transient solver applies a reference frame that is fixed with respect to the components in the model by setting the velocity, v, equal to zero. This is possible by considering the equation for the magnetic vector potential both in moving part and stationary part in their own reference frame in which velocity is always zero. Because the moving components have now been fixed to their own
coordinate system, the partial time derivative becomes the total time derivative of A. Thus, the motion equation becomes:
dA A = J s V + H c dt
which is obtainable at each time step at every node in the finite element model. In above equation the motion is contained implicitly in the total derivative of A.
Stranded Conductors
Stranded conductors lack eddy current behavior and are considered to be filaments too thin to model in a practical finite element grid. Because of this, the transient solver assumes that their contribution to the current density is averaged over the area of problem region. These filaments can be connected in parallel or series, and carry the same current based on:
A = J s
where js, the uniformly distributed current density is given by:
Nf if j s = d f ------------------Sf a p
and:
if is the total terminal current flowing into a filament coil group (or winding). Nf is the total conductor number of the filaments in the winding. A is the magnetic vector potential. a is the number of parallel branches in the winding. df is the polarity (+1 or -1) to represent forward or return paths. Sf is the total area of the cross-section of the region occupied by the winding. p is the ratio of the original full model to the field domain to be solved.
Note that the filaments in the winding may reside at several different locations as long as they are connected in series or parallel. The voltage seen from the terminal of the winding is the sum of the voltage across all the wires as well as any possible external impedance based on:
Nf l di f d f ----------- dA d + R' i f + L' = us Sf a d t dt

and:
R' = r dc + r end + r ext L' = l end + l ext

where:
rdc is the total DC resistance. rend is the end-turn resistance of the winding. rext is the external resistance connected to the winding. lend is the end turn inductance of the winding. lext is the external inductance connected to the winding. l is the thickness of the model. Note Please note that the main component of inductance is calculated by Maxwell; end effects -when they can be evaluated- can however be included in the model to increase the overall accuracy of the simulation.
Solid Conductors
Solid conductors are large enough to model with finite elements, where skin effects depend not only on the frequency of the system, but on the location of nearby conductors. Based on Amperes Law, the total current density, jt, in the system is given by:
jt =
which reduces to:
dA V dt
jt =
or:
dA + -- V b dt l
jt = je + js
where:
Vb is the voltage difference across the conductors end points. Je is the eddy current density. Js is the source current density.
Solid Conductors with Current Sources

For solid conductors with a current source, the total current is known, while the source component is unknown. The transient solver computes the current source based on the following circuit equation for the nth conductor:

where:
dA + j d = s dt
j t d = I t
c is the width cross-section of the nth conductor. It is the known total current. Js is the source component to be solved for. Jt is the total current density.
Solid Conductors with Voltage Sources

For solid conductors with a voltage source, the total voltage is known, while the total current density is unknown. The transient solver computes the unknown quantities based on the following circuit equation which is derived from the solid conductor equations. The resulting equation yields:

dA + j d = t dt
-- V d l b
where:
c is the width cross-section of the nth conductor. Vb is the known voltage source between the two conductors. Jt is the total current density to be solved for. is the conductivity. l is the thickness of the model. A is the magnetic vector potential.
Translational Motion
The transient motion simulator generates translational motion solutions based on the following motion equation:
ma + v = F em + F load
where:
m is the mass of the object, in kg. a is the acceleration of the object, in m/s2. v is the velocity, in m/s. Fem is the computed electromagnetic force, in N. Fload is the external load force, in N. is the damping, in N.s/m.
Rotational Motion
The transient motion simulator generates rotational motion solutions based on the following motion equation:
J + = T em + T load
where:
J is the moment of inertia, in kg.m2. Tem is the computed electromagnetic torque, in N.m. Tload is the external load torque, in N.m. is the angular speed, in rad/s. is the angular acceleration, in rad/s2. is the damping factor, in N.m.s.
Phasor Notation
Time varying quantities that have the form:
F ( t ) = F m cos ( t + )
can be represented as rotating phasors in the complex plane. Using Eulers formula:
e
j ( t + )
= cos + j sin
If = t+, F(t) equals the real portion of ej(t+):
F ( t ) = Fm e
Each time-varying quantity has the form F m e j e jt . The F m e j component is merely a complex constant that can be represented by a stationary phasor in the complex plane. The F m e jt component is a complex number that depends on t, and can be represented as a rotating phasor in the complex plane, as shown here.
Imaginary
Phasor rotating at an angular frequenc of
Real
Fm cos(t+)
The phasors projection on the real axis oscillates sinusoidally. It reaches a peak when parallel with the real axis, and crosses zero when parallel with the imaginary axis. Thus, a phasor with =90 represents a quantity that peaks 90 degrees after a phasor with =0.
Real and Imaginary Components

Maxwell 2D expects you to enter magnitudes and phase angles when you specify voltages, currents, and other boundary or source quantities in models where time-varying fields are to be computed (that is, eddy current, AC conduction, and eddy axial models). But when the magnitude and phase angle of a quantity are functions of position, it is easier to specify the functions in terms of real and imaginary components x+jy rather than in terms of magnitude and amplitude. Therefore, when you specify currents and boundary conditions as functions, the system expects you to describe the functions in terms of real and imaginary components. The x+jy description of a phasor indicates that the phasor is the sum of two components a sinusoid that peaks at t=0 and a sinusoid that peaks at t=90.
The x component of the phasor is called the real component and can be represented by a phasor that lies on the real axis of the complex plane. The y component is called the imaginary component and is represented by a phasor that lies on the j-axis of the complex plane.
The real and imaginary components of a three-phase system are shown below:
Imaginary
Phase B = Imcos(t+120) Imaginary component (y)
Real
Real component (x) Phase A = Imcos(t+0)
Phase C = Imcos(t+240)
The real and imaginary components are related to the magnitude and phase of a sinusoid in this way:
Im =
2 2 x +y
y = atan x
Boundary Conditions
Boundary conditions define the behavior of the electric or magnetic field at object interfaces or edges of the problem region. They are always necessary in order to insure the uniqueness of the electromagnetic field calculation. They can also be used to: 1. 2. 3. Simulate structures that are magnetically isolated, electrically insulated, or electrically isolated. Set the electric or magnetic potential at a surface to a constant value or a function of position, in order to define the behavior of the electric or magnetic field on that surface Simulate the field patterns that would exist in a structure while modeling only part of it. To do this, you can define planes of symmetry where electric or magnetic fields are either tangential to or normal to the surface. Additionally, you can define planes of symmetry where the field on one surface matches the magnitude and direction (or opposite direction) of the field on another surface. Simulate the field patterns produced by thin resistive layers on conductors (DC conduction solver) or eddy currents with very tiny skin depths in conductors (eddy current solver), without having to explicitly draw, assign materials to, or solve for fields inside the objects in question.
4.
Available boundary types in Maxwell 2D are listed in the table below. Select from the table to see more information about a specific boundary type or for information on how to apply it in a specific problem type. Boundary Condition Vector Potential Applying in Problem Type Magnetostatic Eddy Current Transient Symmetry Magnetostatic Electrostatic AC Conduction DC Conduction Eddy Current Transient Balloon Magnetostatic Electrostatic AC Conduction DC Conduction Eddy Current Transient
Boundary Condition Impedance Resistance Master/Slave
Applying in Problem Type Eddy Current DC Conduction Magnetostatic Electrostatic AC Conduction DC Conduction Eddy Current Transient
Vector Potential
The Vetor Potential boundary is available for use in Magnetostatic, Eddy Current, and Transient solver type designs. Use Vector Potential boundaries to set the magnetic vector potential, AZ, to a constant value on a boundary. The potential can also be defined as a function of position using math functions. Normally, this type of boundary condition is used to specify the potential of outer boundaries. It can also be used to set the interface between two objects to a potential, modeling the presence of a very thin conductor between the objects. They are sometimes called Dirichlet boundaries. The behavior of the magnetic field on a Vector Potential boundary depends on whether you define a constant or functional potential on the boundary. Remember that the magnetic vector potential, A, is defined to be a field that satisfies the equation:
A = B
Since the magnetostatic field solver assumes that A has a z-component only and B lies in the xyplane, the relationship of B to A is given by the following:
A z A z --------- y B = --------- x y x
If AZ is constant along a horizontal boundary, the partial derivatives of AZ with respect to x will be zero forcing B to have an x-component only, and be tangential to the boundary. Likewise, if AZ is constant along a vertical boundary, the partial of AZ with respect to y will be zero forcing B to have a y-component only and again indicating that the field will be tangential. In general, the magnetic field will be tangential to any boundary on which AZ has been set to a constant.
If the potential is a function of position, the partial derivatives of AZ with respect to x and y will not necessarily be zero. It all depends on what type of math function was used to specify the potential. Thus, B may not be tangential to the boundary and some flux will cross it. In eddy current problems, the magnetic vector potential is a time-varying quantity in the form:
A Z ( t ) = A m cos ( t + )
where Am is the magnitude of the potential and is its phase angle its offset from a pure cosine wave. Therefore, when specifying AZ on a boundary, you must enter both its magnitude and phase. The magnitude and phase of the potential can also be defined as a function of position using math functions.
Vector Potential Boundaries in Axisymmetric Models

In axisymmetric models, A is assumed to have only a -component and B is assumed to lie only in the rz-plane. The relationship between A and B is given by:
1 B = -- (rA )r + ( rA )z r z r
Because equipotential lines of rA in axisymmetric models coincide with the lines of magnetic flux, you must specify values or functions of rA (not A) when setting value boundaries.
Symmetry
The symmetry boundary is available for use in Magnetostatic, Eddy Current, Transient, Electrostatic, AC Conduction, and DC Conduction solver type designs. A symmetry boundary models a plane of symmetry in a structure. Use this type of boundary condition to take advantage of geometric symmetry and electrical symmetry in a structure. Doing so enables you to reduce the size of your model allowing you to conserve computing resources. Two types of symmetry boundaries Odd and Even are available for use.
Odd Symmetry
An odd symmetry boundary models a structure in which the signs (positive or negative) of all currents, voltages, or charges on one side of a symmetry plane are the opposite of those on the other side. In magnetic field problems, the magnetic field is tangential to this type of boundary; while in electric field problems, the field is perpendicular to the boundary and equipotential lines are tangential to the boundary. To define an odd symmetry boundary for magnetic field problems, the simulator sets the selected edge to a vector potential boundary with a magnetic vector potential of zero acting as a magnetic
mirror to the model. For electric field problems, the simulator sets the selected edge to a voltage of zero. For instance, the plane of symmetry shown below is modeled by an odd symmetry boundary, since the direction of the current flow in the conductor on the left side of the symmetry plane is the opposite of the current flow in the conductor on the right side of the plane (the side that is modeled):
Odd Symmetry Boundary
Flux Lines 6.3717e-05 5.7345e-05 5.0973e-05 4.4602e-05 3.8230e-05 3.1858e-05 2.5487e-05 1.9115e-05 1.2743e-05 6.3717e-06 0.0000e+00
y x
Even Symmetry
An even symmetry boundary models a structure in which the signs (positive or negative) of the currents, voltages, or charges on one side of a symmetry plane are the same as those on the other side. The magnetic field is perpendicular to this type of boundary; while the electric field is tangential to this type of boundary, and contours of equal potential are perpendicular to it. To define an even symmetry boundary, the simulator sets the selected edge to a Neumann boundary. For instance, the plane of symmetry shown below could be modeled by an even symmetry boundary, since the direction of the current flow in the conductor on the left side of the symmetry plane is the same as that of the current flow in the conductor on the right side of the plane (the side that is modeled):
Even Symmetry Boundary

y x 3
Balloon
The balloon boundary is available for use in Magnetostatic, Eddy Current, Transient, Electrostatic, AC Conduction, and DC Conduction solver type designs. Balloon boundaries model the region outside the drawing space as being nearly infinitely large effectively isolating the model from other sources of current or magnetic fields. Visualize the background object as extending to infinity along the edges identified as balloon boundaries. For magnetic solution types, the magnetic vector potential, AZ or A, goes to zero at infinity. The lines of magnetic flux are neither tangential to nor normal to a balloon boundary. For electric field solution types, two types of balloon boundaries are available: Charge Models the case where the charge at infinity matches the charge in the solution region, forcing the net charge to be zero. Physically, this represents an electrically insulated system. This is the default for Electrostatic solutions. Models the case where the voltage at infinity is zero. Physically, this represents an electrically grounded system. In most cases, the results will be very similar to those produced with the Charge option; however, the charge at infinity may not exactly match the charge in the drawing region.
Voltage
The E-field is neither tangential to nor normal to a balloon boundary.

Impedance
The impedance boundary is available for use in Eddy Current solutions. Impedance boundaries allow you to simulate the effect of induced currents in a conductor without explicitly computing them. The ohmic loss due to induced currents is computed from the tangential components of the H-field along the impedance boundary the surface of the object that you are interested in. Use this boundary condition for models where the following conditions occur:
The skin depth in the conductor of interest is less than two orders of magnitude smaller than the dimensions of the structure. In models like this, the Maxwell 2Ds meshmaker may not be able to create a fine enough mesh in the conductor to compute eddy currents. The magnetic field decays much more rapidly inside the conductor in the direction that is normal to the surface than it does in directions that are tangential to the surface. The AC current source is relatively far away from the surface where eddy currents occur, compared to the size of the skin depth.
The object itself must be excluded from the solution region by making the object a perfect conductor. When drawing the geometry, make the surface along which eddy currents are to be computed an outer surface of the problem region. Then, when defining boundaries, assign an impedance boundary to this surface. By entering the conductivity, , and the relative permeability, r, of the object, you specify the skin depth of induced eddy currents. The simulator uses this skin depth when computing the electromagnetic field solution. It assumes that the H-field falls off exponentially inside the conductor.
For instance, suppose you want to compute eddy current losses in the conductor next to the current source shown below.
Skin Depth = 6.6x10-5 m
.5 m
Current Source at 1 MHz
Thickness 1x10-3m Conductor r=1 =5.8x107
If AC current is passing through the current source at a frequency of 1 MHz, the skin depth in the conductor is given by the following relationship:
=
where:
2 ------------------- r 0
= 2f = 2 x 106 = 6.28 x 106 radians/second = 5.8 x 107 siemens/meter r = 1 0 = 4 x 10-7 henries/meter
Substituting these values into this equation, the skin depth is found to be 6.6x10-5 meters. Since this is much smaller than the thickness of the conductor and the surface where currents are induced is relatively far away from the current source, an impedance boundary can be used to model the induced currents in the conductor, as shown below. The conductor itself is not included in the model; instead, the outside boundary of the model is moved to the inside surface of the conductor.
This outside surface is defined as an impedance boundary, using the conductivity and permeability specified previously.
.5 m
Current Source at 1 MHz
Impedance Boundary r=1 =5.8x107
After generating a solution, you can compute the ohmic loss for the surface using the plane calculator and plot the loss density on the boundary. For impedance boundaries, ohmic loss is given by:
P =
0 r ---------------- H t H t ds (Watts) 8 Sur
where:
is the angular frequency, which is equal to 2f. is the conductors conductivity in siemens/meter. r is the conductors relative permeability. 0 is the permeability of free space, which is equal to 4 x 107 H/m. Ht is the tangential component of H on the impedance boundary. Ht* is the complex conjugate tangential component of H on the impedance boundary. Note Keep in mind that an impedance boundary approximates the effect of eddy currents acting at a shallow skin depth; it does not directly compute them. In general, the fields modeled using an impedance boundary will closely match the field patterns that would actually occur in the structure. However, the field patterns may be different at discontinuities in the surface such as corners.
Resistance
The resistance boundary is available for use in DC Conduction solutions. A resistance boundary models a very thin layer of resistive material (such as that caused by deposits or oxidation on a
metallic surface) on a conductor at a known potential. Use this boundary condition when the resistive layers thickness is much smaller than the other dimensions of the model. For instance, in the following example, the resistive layer on the conductor is 5x10-6 meters thick. Since this is four orders of magnitude smaller than the dimensions of the model, use a resistance boundary on the conductor to avoid having to create a very thin object modeling the layer which could cause problems when the Maxwell 2D generates a mesh for the model and solves for its conduction currents.
Conductor (V=10 Volts) 0.05 m 0.35 m
0.15 m Conducting Plate
Conductor with Resistive Layer (V=5 Volts, Layer Thickness=5x10-6 m)
0.1 m 0.4 m
0.15 m
0.05 m
Specify the thickness and conductivity of the resistive material, and the potential of the conductor. Apply resistance boundaries only to the boundaries of objects that have been defined as perfect conductors, or to the outside edge of the problem space.
Master/Slave
Master/Slave boundaries are available for use in Magnetostatic, Eddy Current, Transient, Electrostatic, AC Conduction, and DC Conduction solver type designs. Matching boundaries allow you to take advantage of periodicity in a structure. For example, the following figure shows the cross section of a DC motor. The field in such a motor repeats itself every 120 degrees; that is, the field pattern in one third of the motor matches the magnitude and direction (or the opposite of the direction) of the field pattern in the other two thirds.
Matching boundaries force the magnetic field at each point on one boundary (the slave boundary) to match the magnetic field at each corresponding point on the other surface (the master boundary). Modeling one third of the structure allows you to make efficient use of the available computing resources:
File Edit Reshape Arrange Object Constraint Model Window pm_match [read-only] pm_motor [read-only]
To define matching boundaries, you must define both a master matching boundary and a slave matching boundary. The condition that needs to be enforced, as illustrated in the following figure, is that the magnitude of the magnetic field at each point on the slave boundary surface must match the magnetic field at each corresponding point on the master boundary surface. The field on the slave boundary must point in either the same direction or in the exact opposite direction as the field on the master boundary:
+
S
+
Master Hm + N
S N Hm = Hs
S
+
+ +
N One-quarter of a periodic structure (DC motor) modeled S using matching boundaries.
Slave Hs
+
Note that a Vector Potential (Dirichlet), Neumann or symmetry boundary cannot be used to simulate periodicity because the magnetic field is not necessarily either perpendicular or tangential to
periodic surfaces. For example, in the quarter model shown above, the magnetic field is exactly perpendicular to the bounding surfaces only when the gap separating the permanent magnets is perfectly horizontal or vertical. For all other positions of the rotor, matching boundaries are required to take advantage of symmetry.
2D Sources/Excitations
To compute fields for a structure, you must define a source of charge, voltage, current, or electric or magnetic fields for your model. Assign at least one object or edge as either a source (such as a current, charge, or voltage) or a value boundary. Permanently polarized or magnetized materials also act as sources of charge or magnetic field (respectively). If you do not identify some type of source, the Maxwell 2D will not be able to generate a solution. The field quantities computed by each solver and the required electromagnetic sources are given in the following table: Derived Field Quantities E, D
Field Solver Electrostatic Voltages charges
Sources
Field Computed
charge density floating Magnetostatic Eddy Current DC current current density AC currents current density DC Conduction AC Conduction Transient DC voltages AC voltages Transient voltages and currents through External Circuit connection. Current; current density; coil; end connection AZ (XY models), A (RZ models) AZ(t) (XY models), A(t) (RZ models) (t) AZ (XY and RZ models) H, B JZ(t) (XY models), J(t) (RZ models), H(t), B(t), E, D, J E(t), J(t) H, B
where:
A is the magnetic vector potential. H is the magnetic field. B is the magnetic flux density. is the electric potential. E is the electric field. D is the electric flux density.
J is the current density.
These quantities are phasors in AC simulations. Related Topics Permanently Polarized Materials External Static Magnetic Fields Permanent Magnets External AC Magnetic Fields
2D Voltage Sources
Voltage sources are available for the Electrostatic, DC Conduction, AC Conduction and Transient solver types. Voltage sources specify the total DC voltage (electric potential), or the magnitude and phase of the AC voltage on a conductor. Voltages can be defined as constants or as functions; however, the voltage is assumed to be uniform over the source. Voltage sources may also be specified on a selected edge or edges. Related Topics AC Voltage Source DC Voltage Source
DC Voltage Source
This type of source specifies the total DC voltage (electric potential) on a conductor. Voltages can be defined as constants or as math functions; however, the potential on a conductor is constant over the entire conductor. Note that conductors that touch should be set to the same voltage or defined as a single voltage source, since their potentials are identical. DC voltage may also be specified on an edge or edges. Voltages can be defined as constant or as functions of position (for instance, to model a specific distribution of potential on the surface of a dielectric).
AC Voltage Source
AC voltage sources are used in AC conduction, and Transient models. All voltages in AC models are time-varying quantities in the form:
V ( t ) = V m cos ( t + )
where Vm is the magnitude of the voltage and is its phase angle the offset of the current from a pure cosine wave. Therefore, when specifying a voltage, you must enter both its magnitude and phase.
2D Current/Current Density
Current sources are available in the Magnetostatic, Eddy Current, and Transient solver types. This type of source specifies the total DC current, or the magnitude and phase of the AC current on a conductor. Currents can be defined as total current, current density, or as functions. Current sources may also be specified on a selected edge or edges. Edge currents can be defined as total surface current or a surface current density. In the case of edge currents, Eddy current effects are not modeled, since all currents are surface currents. Generally:
If the total surface current is specified, the current density is assumed to be uniform. If the current density is specified, you may define a uniform current density or one that varies as a function of position to model specific distributions of current on the surface.
Related Topics AC Current Source DC Current Source
DC Current Source
This type of source specifies the DC current flowing in a conductor. You can set either the total current or the current density flowing in the object.
If total current is specified, the current density is assumed to be uniformly distributed throughout the object. If current density is specified, you may define a uniform current density or one that varies as a function of position.
AC Current Source
Remember, all AC currents are time-varying quantities in the form:
I = I m cos ( t + )
where Im is the magnitude of the current and is its phase angle the offset of the current from a pure cosine wave. Therefore, when specifying a current or current density, you must enter both its magnitude and phase.
In a single-phase system, time t=0 is usually chosen so that the phase angle, , is zero that is, the current peaks at t=0. In multi-phase systems involving currents that are out of phase with each other, time t=0 is usually chosen so that one current has a phase angle equal to zero. For example, phase angles
in a three-phase system could be assigned as shown here:
Imaginary
Phase B= Imcos(t+120)
120 Real
Phase A = Imcos(t+0)
120
Phase C= Imcos(t+240)
Active vs Passive Conductors

In addition, the conductors in an eddy current model can be divided into two groups:
Active conductors. These conductors are connected to an external current source. Their total current is constrained to the value you specify. Passive conductors. These conductors are not connected to an external source, but current may be induced in them. Treat any conductor in which the current is constrained to zero (an open circuit) as being connected to a zero-amp current source.
Active and passive conductors are shown in the figure below. In this simple transformer model, the coil on the left is an active conductor carrying 1500 amps of current. The coil on the right is a pas-
sive conductor in which current is induced by the oscillating magnetic field. The total current is plotted.
9.8310e+06 8.8579e+06 7.8848e+06 6.9117e+06 5.9386e+06 4.9655e+06 3.9924e+06 3.0193e+06 2.0462e+06 1.0731e+06 1.0000e+05
Active
Passive
Passive Conductors
Passive conductors can have eddy and displacement currents flowing through them, but have no component of source current. Two types of passive conductors may be defined:
To define a passive conductor modeling a short circuit, simply assign a conducting material to the desired object. Do not assign source current to it. There are no constraints on the eddy and displacement currents flowing in this type of passive conductor. For cartesian models, visualize this type of conductor as being infinitely long and eventually looping back on itself. For axisymmetric models, visualize this type of conductor as a conducting ring that carries no source current. To define a passive conductor modeling an open circuit, assign a solid current source with a magnitude and phase of zero to it. Current may be induced in it, but the net current is constrained to zero amps. In cartesian models, visualize this type of conductor as an infinitely long conducting rod with no return path for current. In axisymmetric models, visualize this type of conductor as a conducting ring with a gap in it.
Current Sources for Touching Conductors

Conductors whose surfaces touch are assigned sources as follows:
If they are not assigned the same material, these conductors must be defined as a parallel source. Otherwise, they will behave as if they are separated by a thin layer of insulating material. If they are assigned the same material, these conductors may be defined either as a parallel
source or as grouped conductors assigned a solid source. This distributes current appropriately across the surfaces of the conductors.
Current Sources for Perfect Conductors

This describes the case in which all current in a perfect conductor flows only on the surface of the conductor. Magnetic fields cannot penetrate this type of conductor. You can only specify the total DC current when defining a perfect conductor as a current source. A perfect current source specifies the magnitude and phase of the AC current flowing through a perfect conductor. All currents in perfect conductors are surface currents, simulating the conductors behavior at very high frequencies. You can only specify the magnitude and phase of the total current.
Solid, Stranded, and Parallel Current Sources

These types of sources specify the magnitude and phase of the AC current flowing through a conductor. Solid current sources model eddy and displacement currents in a solid conductor. The amount of eddy current and displacement current as well as the amount of source current are included in the total current you specify.
Stranded current sources model current as being carried on strands within a conductor. They can be used to model conductors made up of many individual insulated turns, all small enough so that eddy currents can be neglected. Eddy currents and displacement currents are not computed inside the conductor. Either the total current or the current density may be specified. A uniform current density is assumed throughout the conductor, unless a functional current density is defined. Parallel current sources connect two or more conductors in parallel to an outside source. The total current flowing through all selected conductors (including eddy and displacement currents) is specified. However, the current flowing through individual conductors in the parallel group is unconstrained and its value is computed during the solution.
The differences between each type of AC current source are shown below:
Stranded
Solid
Parallel I(t)=i1(t)+i2(t) Skin Depth
R
Total current; no eddy or displacement currents. Uniform current density.
R
Total current; includes eddy and displacement currents. Models skin effect.
i1(t)
i2(t)
Total current through all selected conductors; includes eddy and displacement currents. Models skin effect.
For solid and parallel current sources, the current you specify is the total current in the conductor:
I Total = I Source + I Eddy + I Displacement

where:
ITotal is the total current flowing through the source. It satisfies Ohms law with the potential seen by the source. ISource is the current due to the potential difference generated by the external source. It is the current that the source would supply if you reduced the potential difference by the back EMF produced by the eddy and displacement currents in the conductor. IEddy is the eddy current induced in the conductor due to time-varying magnetic fields penetrating the conductor. IDisplacement is the displacement current due to time-varying electric fields in the conductor. It becomes significant only at very high frequencies.
For stranded current sources, the current you specify is the total source current (or source current density), Itotal = Isource. Eddy current and displacement current effects are neglected.
2D Charge/Charge Density
This type of source specifies the total charge or charge density on a non-conducting object.
If the total charge is specified, charge is assumed to be uniformly distributed throughout the
interior of the object.
If a constant value for the charge density is specified, charge is assumed to be uniformly distributed throughout the object. The charge density can also be specified as a function of position to model a distribution of charge that varies inside the object.
This type of source may also specify the charge on a selected edge or edges. It is used primarily to assign surface charges to non-conductors. The surfaces being referred to are those created by extending the edge in the z direction (cartesian models) or revolving it around the z-axis (axisymmetric models). Specify either the total charge or the charge density. If the total charge is specified, charge is assumed to be evenly distributed on the selected surface. If the charge density is specified, you can define either a uniform charge density or one that varies as a function of position to model specific distributions of charge on the surface. The electrostatic field simulator computes the electric potential on the edge during the solution.
2D Floating
This type of source specifies the total charge on a conductor, identifying it as a floating conductor. Charge is assumed to be evenly distributed on the objects surface. Its value can be defined as a constant or as a function of position; however, charge is distributed over a conductor so that the electric potential is constant throughout the conductor. Because of this, the E-field is equal to zero in this region and no solution is computed inside the conductor.
External Circuit Connections

You may define transient current sources and transient voltage sources using the Maxwell Circuit Editor. This allows you to define an external circuit netlist which can be connected to the 2D model to act as a source in the time domain. To define an external connection, the general procedure should be followed: 1. 2. 3. Create sheets objects to be used as terminals. Assign the Coil Terminal excitation to the sheet objects. Create a Winding, provide a unique name for the winding, and specify External Circuit as the winding type. Select either Solid or Strand as the type of conductor for the external connection. You cannot mix solid and stranded sources in the external circuit.
Note 4. 5. 6. 7.
Choose Winding, and add the Coil Terminals to the winding using the Add Terminals dialog. Launch the Maxwell Circuit Editor from the Windows Start menu. Add a Winding element to the circuit with the same name as given to the winding in the Maxwell 2D design. Add additional circuit element to the schematic to create the external source circuitry for the
winding. Note The transient solver accepts only the following subset of elements available in Schematic Capture: resistors, inductors, capacitors, diodes, switch on voltages, switch on currents, current sources, voltage sources, current meters, and voltage meters.
8. 9.
Export the circuit to a netlist, and Save and Exit the Maxwell Circuit Editor. In the Maxwell 2D design, use the Edit External Circuits command to Import the netlist.
The external circuit is now ready for use in the Maxwell 2D design.
References for Electric or Magnetic Potential

You must specify a reference for electric scalar potential or magnetic vector potential that Maxwell 2D can use when computing fields. To do so, assign one of the following boundary or source types to at least one surface in your model:
Value boundary Voltage source Odd symmetry boundary Balloon boundary
If you do not set a reference for electric or magnetic potential, the model is not uniquely defined and an error message appears when you try to generate a field solution. This problem usually occurs when you set up:
Electrostatic problems that contain only charge sources. The electrostatic field solver requires that a reference voltage be defined in order to compute the electric potential (and from it, the electric field) in the problem region. Magnetostatic and eddy current problems that contain only current sources. These solvers require that a reference value of AZ or rA reference value be set in order to compute the magnetic vector potential (Az) and from it, the magnetic field in the problem region.
End Connections in 2D Transient

Choose this command to assign an end connection to a group of solid objects. This causes all objects in the group to be connected electrically in parallel using a finite resistance and inductance between adjacent objects. End connections are primarily used in passive conductors (with no source current assigned) when modeling cylindrical squirrel cage induction motors. For evenly distributed conductors, the End Resistance, Re, and the End Inductance, Le, are assigned between the ends of each conductor pair. For unevenly distributed conductors, the user supplied resistance and inductance values are scaled such that the supplied values are used directly for the conductor pair with the smallest angle between them. All other conductor pairs are assigned values that are scaled up according to the following equations:
r eij = r e ( ij smallest ) L eij = L e ( ij smallest )

Where ij is the angle between the conductor i and conductor j.
Functional Boundaries and Sources

Functional boundaries and sources have defined by math functions, and are used:
To model distributions of charge, current or voltage that vary as a function of position. To model external fields that vary as functions of position. To define voltage, current, charge or boundary values as variables to be used in a parametric sweep.
22
Maxwell 3D Technical Notes
Maxwell 3D is an interactive software package that uses the finite element method (FEM) analysis to simulate and solve three-dimensional electromagnetic field problems. Maxwell integrates with other Ansoft software to perform complex tasks while remaining easy to use.
Introduction to Maxwell
Maxwell 3D
supports the following four types of solutions:
Electric 3D fields, which can fall in one of three categories:
Electrostatic 3D fields in dielectrics caused by a user-specified distribution of voltages and charges. Additional computed quantities you can specify include torque, force, and capacitances. Electric 3D fields in conductors, characterized by a spatial distribution of voltage, electric field, and DC current density. The main additional quantity in this case is power loss. A combination of the first two with conduction solutions being used as boundary conditions for an electrostatic problem.
Magnetostatic linear and nonlinear 3D fields caused by a user-specified distribution of DC current density, voltage, permanent magnets, or externally applied magnetic fields. Additional computed quantities you can specify include torque, force, and inductances (self and mutual). Harmonic (Eddy current) (sinusoidal variation in time) steady state 3D magnetic fields with pulsation-induced eddy currents in massive (solid) conductors caused by one of the following: by a user-specified distribution of AC currents (all with the same frequency but with possibly different initial phase angles), or by externally applied magnetic fields. The eddy solution is a full wave solution that includes electromagnetic wave radiation effects. Transient (time domain) 3D magnetic fields caused by permanent magnets and windings supplied by voltage and/or current sources with arbitrary variation as functions of time; electrical circuits will be connected with the windings. Rotational or translational motion effects can also be included in the simulation.
The complex functionality built into the Maxwell 3D solvers is accessed through the main user interface (called the desktop). With the version 11 interface and later, you can model the problem in a fairly arbitrary order (rather than following the steps in a precise order as was required in previous versions of Maxwell). This flexibility allows experienced users to develop a modeling style that suits their preferences. Once the model is created, the automated Maxwell solution sequence takes over and fully controls the solution process without any interaction from the user. When the solution becomes available, the user can perform a variety of post-processing tasks as required by the design application. For users new to electromagnetic field simulation, Ansoft recommends the following sequence of modeling steps: 1. 2. 3. Based on your application, choose the type of electromagnetic analysis to be performed. Draw the geometry of the model using the drawing space provided by the Modeler menu and Draw menu commands available through the Maxwell desktop interface. Assign the material properties to all solid objects in the model, and define new material proper-
ties if materials in the default library do not provide the needed material. Note Caution: Always make sure the material properties assigned to an object correspond to the real properties of the materials in the electromagnetic device that is being simulated. Material properties supplied in the default library are generic properties and may not always be substituted for actual properties.
4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.
Specify the field sources (excitations) and boundary conditions for your unique solution. Define additional global parameters that you want to calculate (such as force, torque, inductance/capacitance, etc.). Define mesh operations for special applications (such as seeding in areas/objects of interest). Specify solution options. Start the solution process. When the solution becomes available, perform post processing, such as plotting field quantities and calculating expressions.
The basic modeling entity is the design (model). The next level up is the project. A project is a collection of one or more designs (models) that is saved in a single *.mxwl file. A new project is automatically created when Maxwell is launched. As many Maxwell designs as needed can be added to a single Maxwell project. When setting up a Maxwell design, specific commands are available via the menu bar or toolbar using the mouse. You can also work directly in the project tree (the Project Manager area) of the desktop.
Mouse Button Usage

In general the left mouse button is used to select items (menu commands, objects, properties, etc.). Double-clicking the left mouse button on an item opens a properties window and allows you to visualize settings and edit properties. Right-clicking is context-dependent and, in general, allows you to perform context-specific operations (such as assigning boundary conditions or excitations or performing field plots on previously selected geometry entities, exiting the zoom mode or draw mode, etc.).
Maxwell Desktop
A brief description of the desktop workspace is provided below in a graphical format. The desktop commands are located on the menu bar. The toolbar contains graphical symbols for the widely used commands. The results of the modeling operations (as far as the geometry is concerned) are reflected in the 3D modeler window and in the history tree window. The property window displays the attributes of selected objects (when the attribute tab is selected) or command characteristics (parameters) if the command tab is selected. The main modeling phases are accessible through the project manager. The message window displays messages (info, warnings, and errors) while the progress window shows the progress of the current solution process. The status bar is context
Maxwell 3D Technical Notes22-3
dependent and typically contains info guiding the user in the modeling process (displays current status or expected input from user in the process of executing a command).
Project Manager Window
Menu Bar
Tool Bar
A. Mouse buttons usage In general the left mouse button is used to select items (menu commands, objects, properties, etc). Double clicking the left mouse button on an item opens a properties window and allows the user to visualize settings and edit properties. Right mouse button is context dependent and in general allows the user to perform context specific operations (such as assigning boundary conditions or excitations or performing field plots on previously selected geometries, exiting the zoom mode or dram mode, etc). History tree Window
Property Window
3D Modeler Window
Message Window
Progress Progress Window Window
Status bar
Finite Element Analysis

Finite element analysis (FEA) is a very sophisticated tool widely used by engineers, scientists, and researchers to solve engineering problems arising from various physical fields such as electromagnetic, thermal, structural, fluid flow, acoustic, and others. Currently the finite element method is clearly the dominant numerical analysis method for the simulation of physical field distributions, with success not paralleled by any other numerical technique. In essence, the finite element method finds the solution to any engineering problem that can be described by a finite set of spatial partial
derivative equations with appropriate boundary and initial conditions. It is used to solve problems for an extremely wide variety of static, steady state, and transient engineering applications from diverse markets such as automotive, aerospace, nuclear, biomedical, etc. The finite element method has a solid theoretical foundation. It is based on mathematical theorems that guarantee an asymptotic increase of the accuracy of the field calculation towards the exact solution as the size of the finite elements used in the solution process decreases. For time domain solutions the spatial discretization of the problem must be refined in a manner coordinated with the time steps of the calculation according to estimated time constants of the solution (such as magnetic diffusion time constant). Maxwell solves the electromagnetic field problems by solving Maxwell's equations in a finite region of space with appropriate boundary conditions and when necessary with user-specified initial conditions in order to obtain a solution with guaranteed uniqueness. In order to obtain the set of algebraic equations to be solved, the geometry of the problem is discretized automatically into tetrahedral elements. All the model solids are meshed automatically by the mesher. The assembly of all tetrahedra is referred to as the finite element mesh of the model or simply the mesh. Inside each tetrahedron, the unknowns characteristic for the field being calculated are represented as polynomials of second order. Thus, in regions with rapid spatial field variation, the mesh density needs to be increased for good solution accuracy (see also adaptive mesh refinement).
Mesh shown on the outer armature of a rotational actuator
Types of Solutions and Degrees of Freedom (DOFs)

Solving an electromagnetic field problem is always based on solving Maxwell's equations. However the process of obtaining the solution is typically based on solving a second order consequence of Maxwell's equations with the consideration of applicable constitutive equations. At the same time -- as a rule -- a subset of complete Maxwells equations is considered according to characteristic aspects of the application. Thus for reasons of efficiency of the solution, applications are classiMaxwell 3D Technical Notes22-5
fied as electrostatic, magnetostatic, frequency domain or time domain and as a consequence a specific type of solver is used in each case. This allows the users to obtain the solution with the desired accuracy but always within the limits of the fundamental assumptions made when the application was classified along the lines of the above mentioned criteria. The guide lines that can be used to correctly identify the type of solution to use are mentioned in the following paragraphs. The unknowns for each type of solution can be different, depending on the formulation.
Size of Mesh Vs. Accuracy

There is a trade-off among the size of the mesh, the desired level of accuracy, and the amount of available computing resources. The accuracy of the solution depends on the size of each of the individual elements (tetrahedra). Generally speaking, solutions based on meshes using thousands of elements are more accurate than solutions based on coarse meshes using relatively few elements. To generate a precise description of a field quantity, each element must occupy a region that is small enough for the field to be adequately interpolated from the nodal values. However, generating a field solution involves inverting a matrix with approximately as many elements as there are tetrahedra nodes. For meshes with a large number of elements, such an inversion requires a significant amount of computing power and memory. Therefore, it is desirable to use a mesh fine enough to obtain an accurate field solution but not so fine that it overwhelms the available computer memory and processing power. To produce the optimal mesh, Maxwell uses an iterative process, called an adaptive analysis, in which the mesh is automatically refined in critical regions. First, it generates a solution based on a coarse initial mesh. Then, it refines the mesh in areas of high error density and generates a new solution. When selected parameters converge to within a desired limit, Maxwell breaks out of the loop.
The Mesh Generation Process

Following is the general mesh generation process: 1. Maxwell generates an initial mesh, which includes surface approximation settings. If necessary, the mesher will automatically perform any repairs needed to recover an accurate mesh representation of a model. The solution profile will indicate when mesh repairs have been made, and the results of these repairs will be displayed per object in the mesh statistics panel. Any mesh operations that were defined are used to refine the mesh. Using the resulting mesh, Maxwell computes the electromagnetic fields that exist inside the structure based on the assigned excitations. If you are performing an adaptive analysis, Maxwell uses the current finite element solution to estimate the regions of the problem domain where the exact solution has strong error. Tetrahedra in these regions are refined. Maxwell generates another solution using the refined mesh. Maxwell recomputes the error, and the iterative process (solve error analysis adaptive refinement) repeats until the convergence criteria are satisfied or the maximum number of adaptive passes is completed.
2. 3. 4.
5. 6.
7.
If a frequency sweep is being performed, then Maxwell solves the problem at the other frequency points without further refining the mesh. An adaptive solution is performed only at the specified solution frequency. Maxwell does not generate an initial mesh each time it starts the solution process. The initial mesh is generated only if a current mesh is unavailable.
Note
Related Topics Seeding the Mesh Guidelines for Seeding the Mesh Length-Based Mesh Refinement Skin Depth-Based Mesh Refinement Surface Approximation Settings Guidelines for Modifying Surface Approximation Settings Meshing Region Vs. Problem Region Model Resolution
Seeding the Mesh

In Maxwell, mesh operations are optional mesh refinement settings that enable you to provide Maxwell with engineering guidance based on your knowledge of the parts of the model geometry that are critical to the structures electromagnetic performance. Providing such guidance to Maxwell prior to beginning the adaptive analysis process can reduce (sometimes extensively) the number of passes necessary to converge upon a field solution as well as the final number of tetrahedra in the mesh for that solution. Although adaptive analysis convergence targets areas where field behavior is found, refining the mesh using more than the standard criteria, such as material characteristics, can result in finding areas of critical field behavior as soon as the first few passes are solved. The technique of guiding Maxwells mesh construction is referred to as "seeding" the mesh. Seeding is performed using the Mesh Operations commands on the Maxwell menu. You can instruct Maxwell to refine the length of tetrahedral elements on a surface or within a volume until they are below a certain value (length-based mesh refinement) or you can instruct Maxwell to refine the surface triangle length of all tetrahedral elements on a surface or volume to within a specified value (skin depth-based mesh refinement.) These types of mesh operations can be defined at any time. If you apply them before the adaptive solution process, they are used to refine the initial mesh after it has been generated. You can also choose to apply mesh operations without generating a solution, in which case the mesh operations are applied to the current mesh. In a few circumstances, you may also want to define a mesh operation that modifies Maxwells surface approximation settings for one or more faces. Surface approximation settings are only applied to the initial mesh. Related Topics Defining Mesh Operations
Technical Notes: The Mesh Generation Process
Guidelines for Seeding the Mesh

While seeding the mesh is not required, it is useful in the following conditions:
Seeding the mesh inside a volume in the model geometry where regions of strong electric or magnetic fields (with strong capacitive or inductive loading) are expected. Examples include a capacitively loaded gap in a resonant structure, sharp waveguide angles or corners, or gaps between multi-coupled lines in filter structures. Seeding the mesh on every face of higher aspect ratio boundaries, such as long PCB traces or on the surfaces of long wires. Spacing the mesh points roughly equal to the trace width of the wire diameter enables you to more accurately capture the behavior of the highaspect structure from the first adaptive pass.
Related Topics Defining Mesh Operations
Length-Based Mesh Refinement

When you request length-based mesh refinement, you instruct Maxwell to refine the length of tetrahedral elements until they are below a specified value. The length of a tetrahedron is defined as the length of its longest edge. You can specify the maximum length of tetrahedra on faces or inside of objects. You can also specify the maximum number of elements that are added during the refinement. When the initial mesh has been generated, the refinement criteria you specified will be used to refine the initial mesh. Related Topics Assigning Length-Based Mesh Refinement on Object Faces Assigning Length-Based Mesh Refinement Inside Objects
Skin Depth-Based Mesh Refinement

When you request skin depth-based mesh refinement, you instruct Maxwell to refine the surface triangle length of all tetrahedral elements on a face to within a specified value. A layered mesh is created based on the surface mesh. The layers are graded based on the skin depth and number of layers you specify. During skin depth-based mesh refinement, Maxwell creates a series of layers that are planes parallel to the object face, and that are spaced within the specified skin depth. For each point on the surface of the face, a series of points (P0, P1, P2, ..., Pn) are added to the mesh, where n is the number of layers. P0 is the point on the surface and the distance from P0 to Pn is the skin depth. The points are spaced in a non-uniform manner, with the distance between them decreasing in a geometric progression, as you move from Pn to P0.
For example, if Skin Depth: Number of Layers of Elements: then Distance [P0,P1]: Distance [P1,P2]: Distance [P2,P3]: Distance [P3,P4]: Distance [P0,P4]: 0.8 mm. 1.6 mm. 3.2 mm. 6.4 mm. 0.8 + 1.6 + 3.2 + 6.4 = 12 mm 12 mm 4
The skin depth-based refinement first satisfies the surface triangle edge length criterion, then introduces the series of points to each additional layer. If a limit has been placed on mesh growth, one of the following happens:
The limit is set high enough to complete the skin depth refinement. The limit is set high enough to satisfy the surface triangle edge length criterion, but not high enough to complete the depth seeding. The limit is not set high enough to satisfy even the surface triangle edge length criterion.
Because refining by skin depth can add many seeding points, you should first refine the surface of the object using length-based mesh refinement to obtain an accurate count of the number of points Maxwell will add when refining by skin depth. This allows you to reach the surface edge length criterion and approximate the number of elements in the mesh and the number of points on the surfaces before proceeding to skin depth seeding. The refinement criteria you specified are used to refine the current mesh. Related Topics Assigning Skin Depth-Based Mesh Refinement on Object Faces
Surface Approximation Settings

Object surfaces in Maxwell may be planar, cylindrical or conical, toroidal, spherical, or splines. The original model surfaces are called true surfaces. To create a finite element mesh, Maxwell first divides all true surfaces into triangles. These triangulated surfaces are called faceted surfaces because a series of straight line segments represents each curved or planar surface. For planar surfaces, the triangles lie exactly on the model faces; there is no difference in the location or the normal of the true surface and the meshed surface. When an objects surface is non-planar, the faceted triangle faces lie a small distance from the objects true surface. This distance is called the surface deviation, and it is measured in the models units. The surface deviation is greater near the triangle centers and less near the triangle vertices. The normal of a curved surface is different depending on its location, but it is constant for each triangle. (In this context, "normal" is defined as a line perpendicular to the surface.) The angular difMaxwell 3D Technical Notes22-9
ference between the normal of the curved surface and the corresponding mesh surface is called the normal deviation and is measured in degrees. The aspect ratio of triangles used in planar surfaces is based on the ratio of circumscribed radius to the in-radius of the triangle. It is unity for an equilateral triangle and approaches infinity as the triangle becomes thinner. You can modify the surface deviation, the maximum permitted normal deviation, and the maximum aspect ratio of triangles settings on one or more faces at a time in the Surface Approximation dialog box. (Click Maxwell3D>Mesh Operations>Assign>Surface Approximation.) The surface approximation settings are applied to the initial mesh. Note For the initial mesh, all the vertices of the triangles lie on the true surfaces. During adaptive meshing, the vertices are added to the meshed surfaces, not to the true surfaces.
Related Topics Modifying Surface Approximation Settings Technical Notes: Guidelines for Modifying Surface Approximation Settings Technical Notes: The Mesh Generation Process
Guidelines for Modifying Surface Approximation Settings

If you intend to modify the surface approximation settings for an object face or faces, keep the following guidelines in mind:
When necessary, override the default surface approximation settings to represent curved surfaces more accurately. More accurate representation will increase the mesh size and consume more CPU time and memory. The default settings are adequate for most circumstances. If you want to obtain a faster solution by using a cruder representation of curved surfaces, set the coarser setting for the whole object, not just a single face. It is difficult for Maxwell to satisfy aspect ratio demands if the aspect ratio value is set close to 1 because an arbitrary shape cannot be filled with only equilateral triangles. Therefore, setting the aspect ratio to 1 can lead to unreasonably large meshes. Maxwell limits the aspect ratio to 4 for planar objects and 1.2 for curved objects.
Related Topics Modifying Surface Approximation Settings Technical Notes: Surface Approximation Settings
Meshing Region Vs. Problem Region

Maxwell distinguishes between the problem region and the meshing region. The problem region is the region in which the solution is generated and the mesh is refined. The meshing region, which includes the problem region, is the area in which an initial mesh is generated. After an initial mesh is generated, the mesh is refined only in the problem region.
The problem region encompasses an area that is just large enough to include the entire design, but no larger. Maxwell automatically defines the problem region during the solution process. If you are interested in effects outside of the structure, such as radiated effects, then you can create a virtual object to expand the size of the problem region to include these areas. The meshing region, like the problem region, is a box that completely encloses the structure. However the meshing region must be at least 10 times larger than the model. The part of the meshing region not occupied by objects is considered to be the background object. The background extends to the boundaries of the meshing region and fills in any voids not occupied by objects. Since the background object is defined as a perfect conductor, no solution is generated inside the background even though an initial mesh is generated for it. Maxwell automatically defines the meshing region during the solution process. The problem region and the meshing region are illustrated below.
Problem Region Meshing Region
Device
Perfect Conductor
Background Object
Model Resolution
Model Resolution is a setting that determines the smallest details of a model that the mesher should capture and represent in the mesh. Many times the analysis starts with the geometry already drawn in a different tool for different purpose. Some tools are designed for manufacturing and the resulting models contain lots of extra details not needed for electromagnetic analysis. If the user removes such details in the original tool the results will be better. But if the user does not have access to the original drawing tool or redrawing the model without these details is not possible, Model Resolution is another way to remove the details from analysis. When the user sets the model resolution length to be L, the mesher will start with a surface representation of the model accurate to the modeler's tolerance limit. Then it will progressively remove edges, move points, merge points etc., within the allowable model resolution limit and simplify the surface mesh. During this process, tiny fillets, rounds, and chamfer protrusions are removed. Other common model translation anomalies are also handled using Model Resolution. For example, some geometry engines will blindly export all of the surfaces as splines. When a user imports such a model for analysis, it would result in very large number of triangles. If the surface can be
represented by a smaller set of triangles using Model Resolution, this procedure would reduce the number of triangles in the surface mesh. The user can start with a model resolution length around 0.1*wavelength. If the model resolution length chosen by the user is too large, the mesher will detect it and report it as an error. The model resolution length is specified in the user units of the modeler. It can be set on selected bodies only. The default value is 100* the tolerance limit of the ACIS modeler. Related Topics Modifying Model Resolution
Electric Field Calculation

The Electric field solver uses the electric scalar potential values as DOFs. There are two basic types of static electric field solutions, as well as the combination of these two:
For the electrostatic solution, it is assumed that all objects are stationary (velocity is zero everywhere in the space where the electrostatic field is calculated), there is no time variation of any of the electromagnetic quantities ( ) and there is no current flow in conductors = 0 (conductors are in electrostatic equilibrium) and thus Joule losses are zero everywhere. All t conductors are considered to be perfect and equipotential such that there is no electric field inside conductors. The unknowns (DOFs) are electric scalar potentials at all the nodes of the tetrahedra of the mesh. The distribution of conductivity in the space of the problem is irrelevant, only the distribution of permittivity is relevant for the solution process. For the DC current flow solution, only the conductors (with electric conductivity > Insulator/Conductor Threshold) are considered in the solution process. The DOFs are also the electric scalar potentials at the nodes of the mesh. Here the distribution of electric conductivity is relevant for the solution process while the permittivity is irrelevant. There is DC current flow in conductors (conductors are not equipotential) and there is non-zero Joule loss (ohmic power loss) in the conductors (which are part of an excited current path). The conductors are considered to be immobile (velocity is zero everywhere). The magnetic field associated with the DC current flow is not calculated and is totally de-coupled from the calculated electric field distribution in conductors. The combination of the DC current flow and electrostatic solution is based on the division of the arrangement into conductors and insulators. Conductors are those objects whose electric conductivity is greater then or equal to the Insulator/Conductor threshold, and insulators are those whose conductivity is less then the Insulator/Conductor threshold. The solution of such problems is performed in two steps: first the DC conduction problem in the conductors is computed, then the electrostatic solution in insulators is calculated using the electric scalar potential of the conductors as a voltage boundary condition.
For the electric field solution, there are ten nodal DOFs (electric scalar potential unknowns) associated with each tetrahedron at each of the four vertices and at each of the six mid-edge nodes. Therefore, a quadratic approximation of the electric scalar potential inside each tetrahedron can be obtained. The electrostatic field solver solves a Poisson type partial differential equation for the electric potential unknown, , with appropriate boundary conditions:
( r 0 ) = v
where:
orthotropic.
( x, y, z ) is the electric potential scalar function of position. r ( x, y, z ) is the relative permittivity, which is a function of position and can be isotropic or
Once the electric potential is obtained by solving the above second order differential equation in the domain of the problem, Maxwell's equations and the applicable constitutive equation are then used r r to obtain the electric field strength, E , and electric flux density, D , vectors, as follows:
0 = 8.854 1012 F/m is the permittivity of a vacuum. v ( x, y, z ) is the volume density of the electric charge.
E = D = r 0 E
Typical sources for electrostatic problems are net charges (assumed to have a uniform distribution) applied to perfect insulator model objects or on surfaces that cannot touch conductors and voltages (electric potential applied to perfect conductor model objects or on surfaces, also called a Dirichlet boundary condition). Additionally, a floating boundary condition can be applied to perfect conductors (surrounded by insulators) or to surfaces surrounded by perfect insulators. Volume charge density is another allowed excitation, which can have a spatial distribution specified by the user and can be applied to insulating objects only that do not touch conductors. At the interface between two dielectrics, the normal component of the electric flux density vector has no jump if the charge density at the respective interface is zero:
1 E n1 = 2 E n2
where the permittivity and normal electric field values are considered in the two dielectrics and are designated by the subscripts 1 and 2. Alternatively, when crossing a surface with non-zero charge density, the normal component of the electric flux density has a jump equal to the respective local superficial charge density. It follows that in dielectrics (such as air, for example) in the immediate vicinity of conductive objects (perfect conductors), the (normal) component of the electric flux
density is equal to the neighboring local charge density on the metallic surface (since in metallic objects the field value is zero). Note When voltages are applied to conductors, the charge transferred from the DC source(s) to the conductors almost instantly receives a superficial distribution. For real (good) conductors, the time constant for the diffusion of the charge is of the order of 10-19s. Therefore, for all practical instances, we consider the charge relaxation process to occur instantly. Once the charge on conductors reaches the steady state (almost instantaneously), the electric field in the neighboring dielectrics has a distribution that is governed by the laws of electrostatics, and the field in conductors is null while the field distribution in dielectrics is dictated - as far as material properties are concerned - by the respective permittivities and is independent of the conductivity of the electric conductors. This is why, in electrostatics, we can consider the real conductors to be perfect conductors.
Electrostatic regime of the electromagnetic field is rarely achieved in practice rigorously speaking. However very good approximations are many times possible to use for practical situations within the limits specified above. The DC current flow solver solves the following equation:
= 0
where:
position and can be isotropic or orthotropic.
( x, y, z ) is the electric potential scalar function of position. ( x, y, z ) is the electric conductivity (in SI it is measured in S/m), which is a function of
Once the electric potential is obtained by solving the above second order differential equation in the domain of the problem, Maxwell's equations and the applicable constitutive equation (Ohm's law in a local formulation) are then used to obtain the electric field strength and the electric current denr sity J vectors:
E = J = E
Typical sources for DC current flow problems are currents applied on surfaces of conductors and voltages (electric potential applied to surfaces of conductors). The direction of the applied current is either "in" or "out", always normal to the respective surfaces. Note Multiple conduction paths are allowed. Each conduction path that has a current excitation must also have either a voltage applied or a sink to ensure a unique solution.
The sink is a particular excitation (without a numerical value assigned to it) that is used to ensure the divergence-free character of the calculated DC current density vector in each conduction path. At the interface between two different conductors, the normal component of the current density vector is continuous:
1 E n1 = 2 E n2
For DC current flow problems, the solution is dictated everywhere inside the conductors by the distribution of electric conductivity, as far as material properties are concerned. Charge, voltage, floating, current, and sink type excitations are called "terminal" type excitations since they can be referenced in a matrix extraction setup. In perfect conductors, no computation occurs, and the electric scalar potential (the unknown in the problem) has a uniform value. However, in the post-processing phase, the (constant) distribution of the electric scalar potential (voltage) is correctly rendered. No solution is available in solids explicitly excluded from the solution. The solution of any field problem is only possible if appropriate boundary conditions have been set. The boundary conditions have three purposes:
Boundary conditions are always necessary from a mathematical perspective in order to ensure the uniqueness of the solution calculated by Maxwell. Boundary conditions occasionally represent a convenient way of modeling different ideal situations. For example, in order to model the field in a dielectric sandwiched between two very thin conducting objects (the thickness is at least two orders of magnitude less than the other relevant dimensions of the respective conducting objects), only the two respective surfaces need to be modeled on either side of the dielectric object. In the setup, those top and bottom surfaces carry appropriate boundary conditions, and the field in the dielectric is correctly simulated without having to draw the respective conductors. Boundary conditions also occasionally provide a convenient way of taking advantage of symmetry situations. In such cases, the models must have the same geometric and material properties, as well as electric symmetry.
Typical boundary conditions include voltage, floating, and insulation boundary conditions. In the case of an insulating boundary condition, a conductor must exist at least on one of the sides of the respective surface. The default boundary condition applied to all faces of the boundary of the electric field (static or stationary) problem is a Neumann homogeneous condition. This condition enforces an electric field tangent behavior of the solution in the immediate vicinity of the boundaries. There is no need to apply any particular boundary condition at the interface between objects with different material properties, as the solution automatically ensures -in average - the continuity of the tangential component of the electric field strength ( r ) and the continuity of the normal component of the elecE tric flux density vector ( r ) across surfaces with zero superficial electric charge density (for D electrostatic problems).
Symmetry for an Electric Field Solution

A symmetry boundary models a plane of symmetry in a structure. Use this type of boundary condition to take advantage of both geometric symmetry and electric symmetry. Doing so enables you to reduce the size of your model - allowing you to conserve computing resources. Two types of symmetry boundaries are available:
Even Symmetry (Flux Tangential) Odd Symmetry (Flux Normal)
These boundaries can only be assigned to the outside edges of the solution region.
Even Symmetry (Flux Tangential) for an Electric Field Solution

Use an even symmetry boundary to define a plane of symmetry where the signs (positive or negative) of the voltages and charges on one side of the plane are the same as those on the other side. Electric flux is tangential to the boundary and thus does not cross it. To define an even symmetry boundary, the simulator sets the selected edge to a Neumann boundary - acting as an electrical mirror to the model.
Image + Positive + Charge + + + Solution Region + + + + + + + Positive Charge
+ + +
+ + +
The E-field is tangential to an even symmetry boundary.
Odd Symmetry (Flux Normal) for an Electric Field Solution

Use an odd symmetry boundary to define a plane of symmetry where the signs (positive or negative) of all charges and voltages on one side of the plane are the opposite of those on the other side.
Electric flux is normal to the boundary. To define an odd symmetry boundary, the simulator sets the selected edge to a voltage boundary with a potential of zero volts.
Image + Solution Region
+ Positive + Charge + +
+ + + +
Negative Charge
The E-field is perpendicular to an odd symmetry boundary.
Matching Boundary for an Electric Field Solution

Matching boundaries allow you to model planes of periodicity where the E-field on one surface matches the E-field on another. They are very useful for modeling devices such as motors, in which the electric field repeats every 180o, 120o, 90o, or less. They enable you to model the smallest possible periodic segment of the device - reducing the amount of computing resources needed during the solution. To set up matching boundaries, you must create a master boundary and a slave boundary. Unlike symmetry boundaries, E does not have to be tangential or normal to these boundaries. The only condition is that the fields on the two boundaries must have the same magnitude and direction (or the same magnitude and opposite directions).
Master Boundary for an Electric Field Solution

The simulator computes the electric field on a master boundary using the charges and voltages that you specified for the model as input. No other special conditions are imposed.
Slave Boundary for an Electric Field Solution

The electric field on the slave boundary is forced to match the field on the master boundary. The magnitude of the electric field on both boundaries is the same. The fields on the two boundaries can either point in the same direction, or in opposite directions.
When to Use Matching Boundaries for an Electric Field Solution

Consider a simple electrostatic micromotor in which the rotor is held at zero volts and the six stator poles are switched between zero volts, 100 volts, and -100 volts. The E-field pattern at any point in time repeats itself every 180o causing the field in one half of the motor to match the field in the other half. If you use matching boundaries, you only need to model half of the motor, as shown below. The Efield on the slave boundary (the left side of the motor) is forced to match the magnitude and point in
the opposite direction from the E-field on the master boundary (the right side of the motor) - simulating the field pattern that would occur if the entire motor was modeled.
ESla ve
(us = 1, vs = 5)EMast er (u m = 1, vm = 5) vs vm us, um Master
Slave
0 volts
-100 volts
100 volts
A symmetry boundary cannot be used in place of matching boundaries in this example. The electric field is not necessarily either perpendicular or tangential to the motor's periodic surfaces. In the example above, the electric field would be exactly tangential to the periodic surface only when the poles of the rotor are aligned with the poles of the stator. In the other positions of the rotor, the field is not tangential and matching boundaries are required. A combined DC current flow + Electrostatic solution type is also possible. In this case, the voltage distribution on conductors from the DC current flow solution is used as a Dirichlet (applied voltage) boundary condition in the electrostatic phase of the solution process. This type of sequence allows a certain class of problem involving electrostatic fields surrounding conductors with DC current flow to achieve a comprehensive solution. In this case, the solution provides the electric field in conductors and dielectrics.
Solution Process for an Electric Field Solution

Maxwell's electrostatic solver computes and stores the value of the electric potential at the vertices and midpoints of the edges of each tetrahedron in the finite element mesh. It solves for the electric field using the following relationship:
E =
After E is calculated, Maxwell writes out solution files and performs an error analysis. In an adaptive analysis, it refines the tetrahedra with the highest error, and continues solving until the stopping criterion is met. In a non-adaptive solution, the process stops.
S tar t so lu tio n proc es s
S ol ve for elec tric fie ld (E )
Wr ite so lution files Refin e m e sh Pe rform erro r a nalys is
Stop pin g criteri a s atisfie d? Y es Fin ish s olutio n p roce ss
No
Electric Field Energy for an Electric Field Solution

The energy, U, that is stored in a static electric field is given by the following equation:
1 U = -2
where:
Vol
E D dVol
E is the electric field. D is the electric flux density.
Capacitance Matrix for an Electric Field Solution

Capacitance matrices can be expressed in terms of charge and voltage, or current and time-varying voltage. The unit of capacitance is F. Note For a capacitance matrix, the elements are defined based on excitations, not solids.
Capacitance in Terms of Charge and Voltage

A capacitance matrix represents the charge coupling within a group of conductors - that is, the relationship between their charges and voltages. Given a ground reference for the three conductors below, the net charge on each object is:
Q 1 = C 10 V 1 + C 12 ( V 1 V 2 ) + C 13 ( V 1 V 3 ) Q 2 = C 20 V 2 + C 21 ( V 2 V 1 ) + C 23 ( V 2 V 3 ) Q 3 = C 30 V 3 + C 31 ( V 3 V 1 ) + C 32 ( V 3 V 2 )
C 10 Conductor 1 C13 (C31 )
(C21 ) C12
C20 Conductor 2
Conductor 3 C30
C 23 (C32 )
This can be expressed in matrix form as the following:
Q1 Q2 = Q3
C 10 + C 12 + C 13 C 12 C 13
C 12 C 20 + C 12 + C 23 C 23
C 13 C 23
V1 V2
C 30 + C 13 + C 23 V 3
The capacitance matrix above gives the relationship between Q and V for the three conductors and ground. An n-conductor device would have an n x n capacitance matrix.
Capacitance in Terms of Current and Time Varying Voltage

A capacitance matrix can also represent the relationship between currents and time varying voltages in a system of conductors. Given the three transmission lines shown below, the currents caused by the time varying voltage source on each line are given by the following equation:
d V1 dt dV2 dt dV 3 dt
Line 1
i1 i2 i3
Line 2
Line 3
dV 1 i1 i2 = i3 C 10 + C 12 + C 13
C 12 C 13 C 12 C 13 C 23
dt dV 2 dt dV 3 dt
C 20 + C 12 + C 23
C 23
C 30 + C 13 + C 23
If dV2 / dt and dV3 / dt are set to zero, this relationship becomes the following:
i1
dV 1 =
C 10 + C 12 + C 13 C 12 C 13
i2 = C d t 0 i3 0
dV 1 dt
This gives the currents that are induced on Line 2 and Line 3 when a time varying voltage source is applied to Line 1 - that is, the capacitive coupling between the three lines, or the short circuit capacitance. The capacitance matrix can be exported to a circuit/system simulator, such as SIMPLORER, where it can be used in a transient simulation.
Matrix Elements for an Electric Field Solution

If one volt is applied to Conductor 1 and zero volts are applied to the other two conductors, the capacitance matrix becomes the following:
Q1
1 Q2 = C 0 = 0 Q3
C 10 + C 12 + C 13 C 12 C 13
Diagonal Elements for an Electric Field Solution

These terms (such as C11) are the sum of all capacitances from one conductor to all other conductors. These terms represent the self-capacitance of the conductors. Each is numerically equal to the charge on a conductor when one volt is applied to that conductor and the other conductors (including ground) are set to zero volts. For instance, C11 = C10 + C12 + C13. This term is equal to the charge on Conductor 1 when it is set to one volt and the other conductors are set to zero volts.
Off-Diagonal Elements for a Capacitance Matrix

The terms in each column (such as C12 , C13) are numerically equal to the charges induced on other conductors in the system when one volt is applied to a single conductor. For instance, in column one of the capacitance matrix shown above, C12 is equal to - C12. This is equal to the charge induced on Conductor 2 when one volt is applied to Conductor 1 and zero volts are applied to Conductor 2. The off-diagonal terms are simply the negative values of the capacitances between the corresponding conductors (the mutual capacitances). In column one of the example capacitance matrix, the off-diagonal terms represent the capacitances between Conductor 1 and the other two conductors; in column two, the terms represent the capacitance between Conductor 2 and the other conductors; and so forth.
Symmetry for a Capacitance Matrix

The capacitance matrix is symmetric about the diagonal. This indicates that the mutual effects between any two objects are identical. For instance, C13, the capacitance between Conductor 1 and Conductor 3 (C13), is equal to C31, the capacitance between Conductor 3 and Conductor 1.
Solution Process for a Capacitance Matrix

To solve for the capacitance matrix, the electrostatic solver generates a single field solution. The system computes each entry of the capacitance matrix using the following relationship:
C = E Dd
where the contributions of each conductor to the capacitance matrix are modeled using numerical matrix manipulation techniques.
D = E
Only conductors with voltage excitations can be included in a capacitance matrix calculation.
Lumped Capacitance
Lumped capacitance is essentially the result of a 1x1 capacitance matrix. It is used to calculate the electric field energy, U, from the E-field and D-field. Since the energy can also be expressed as:
1 2 U = -- CV 2
the capacitance is:
2U C = -----2 V
Maxwell assumes that the problem is set up so that the following is true:
One conductor (or group of conductors) is set to +1 volt. Another conductor (or group of conductors) is set to zero volts. All other conductors are floating.
Therefore, the lumped capacitance between all conductors set to one volt and all those set to zero volts is simply 2U. Warning The lumped capacitance computation, as described above, is invalid if you assigned voltages other than +1V or 0V to the conductors in your model.
Note
For cases where a matrix extraction is desired in Maxwell, the respective extraction needs to be compatible with the hypothesis made regarding the equipotentiality of the respective surfaces, lack of radiation, etc., characteristic to a low frequency circuit approximation. In the circuit representation, the respective lumped elements are interconnected with other circuit elements at the nodes that physically represent the "terminals" in the electromagnetic field problem. Thus, it is possible (within the limits of the lumped circuit elements and applicable theory) to have circuit elements with field effects, such as capacitors and inductors, capable of storing energy. You can access these elements through the provided terminals/nodes, which can then be viewed as energy ports since most of the extracted elements have the capability to store energy. The volume charge density excitation is not a "terminal" type of excitation since the objects to which it is applied cannot, as a rule, be considered equipotential.
Lorentz Force for an Electrostatic Calculation

The component of the Lorentz force due to current in an electric field is:
F =
where:
qE dVol Vol
q is the charge. E is the electric field.
When the Lorentz force is computed for a set of objects, the system calculates this integral individually for each object. The result is the force on each object in the x, y, and z directions. Warning The Lorentz force does not compute the correct force on objects that are assigned materials with a relative permittivity greater than one. To find the force on these objects, use virtual force.
Lorentz Torque for an Electrostatic Calculation

The system uses Lorentz forces to compute the torque around the x, y, and z axes. The Lorentz torque is given by the following equation:
T =
where:
q ( r E ) dVol Vol
r is the displacement vector from the axis of rotation. q is the charge. E is the electric field.
This integral is computed for the x-, y-, and z-axes, giving the net torque on the object(s) about each axis of rotation. Warning The Lorentz torque does not compute the correct torque on objects that are assigned materials with a relative permeability greater than one. To find the torque on these objects, use virtual torque.
Virtual Force for an Electrostatic Calculation

To compute the virtual force on an object, the electrostatic field simulator uses the principle of virtual work. In the structure shown below, the force on the bottom plate (plate B) in the direction of the displacement, x, is given by the following relationship:
dU ( v, x ) F B = -------------------dx
where U is the electric field energy.
V = Cons tan tP otential
+q A +++++++++++++++++++++++
D, E
B
FB
x
q
Unlike the classical virtual work method, the plate is not actually moved during the numerical process of the force computation. Instead, only the tetrahedra that lie along the outside surface of the object are virtually distorted. U and its derivative, dU/dx, are calculated from a single field solution using finite element interpolation functions.
Virtual Torque for an Electrostatic Calculation

Similar to the virtual force calculation, the system uses virtual work principles to compute the torque on an object. In the structure shown below, the virtual torque on the bottom plate (plate B) about the axis of rotation is given by the following relationship:
dU ( v, ) T B = -------------------d
V = Cons tan tP otential

where U is the electric field energy.
A V
D, E
B
FB
Axis of Rotation
TB
Unlike the classical virtual work method, the plate is not actually rotated during the numerical process of the torque computation. Instead, only the tetrahedra that lie along the outside surface of the object are virtually distorted. U and its derivative, dU/d, are calculated from a single field solution using finite element interpolation functions.
Ohmic Loss for DC Conduction

The Ohmic loss, P, that is generated in conductors when solving DC current flow problems, is given by the following equation:
P =
where
Vol

( E J ) dVol
For the sake of brevity, the ohmic loss density in the post processor should be labeled as Ohmic Loss. The total ohmic loss of an object or the whole arrangement can be calculated by integrating over a proper volume in the Field Calculator.
E is the electric current density. J
is the electric field.
Surface Charge Density

The Surface Charge Density, Q, that is generated on a surface between two materials when solving electric field problems, is given by the following equation:
Q = [ ( 1 E1 ) ( 2 E2 ) ] n
where
E1 is the electric field and 1 the permittivity in the material on one side of the boundary. E2 is the electric field and 2 the permittivity in the material on opposite side of the boundary.
n in the normal vector of the surface.
In order to calculate the surface charge, you must first select a surface in the modeling window.
Magnetostatic Field Calculation

In a magnetostatic solution, the magnetic field is produced by DC currents flowing in conductors/ coils and by permanent magnets. The electric field is restricted to the objects modeled as real (nonideal) conductors. The electric field existing inside the conductors as a consequence of the DC current flow is totally decoupled from the magnetic field. Thus, as far as magnetic material properties are concerned, the distribution of the magnetic field is influenced by the spatial distribution of the permeability. There are no time variation effects included in a magnetostatic solution, and objects are considered to be stationary. The energy transformation occurring in connection with a magnetostatic solution is only due to the ohmic losses associated with the currents flowing in real conductors. The magnetostatic field solution verifies the following two Maxwell's equations:
H = J B = 0
with the following constitutive (material) relationship being also applicable:
B = 0 ( H + M ) = 0 r H + 0 Mp

where: r
H ( x, y, z ) is the magnetic field strength. r B ( x, y, z ) is the magnetic flux density.

J ( x, y, z ) is the conduction current density.
M p ( x, y, z )is the permanent magnetization.
0 = 4 10 7 H / m is the permeability of vacuum. r is the relative permeability.
For nonlinear materials, the dependency between the H and B fields is nonlinear and can be isotropic or orthotropic (in the case of anisotropic behavior, is a tensor). Similarly, for permanent allowed. Additionally, if a demagnetized magnets, nonlinearity can occur in practical cases and is r condition is to be taken into account for (nonlinear) permanent magnets operating below the knee, Maxwell provides an advanced setup option allowing a solution based on a previously computed demagnetization operating point. If nonlinearity occurs in soft materials (with negligible hysteresis) simultaneously with orthotropic behavior, Maxwell requires that the BH curves for the principal directions in the respective material(s) be provided. From these curves, the energy dependency on
H is extracted for each of the respective principal directions and is used in the process of obtaining the nonlinear permeability tensor used in the Newton-Raphson iterative solution process:
B = B0 + [ ] ( H H0 ) [] =
r r
B = [ ] + [ ]
~ [ ] is a general full tensor, and [ ] is given by
where B0 and H are the previous field solution, 0 the following:
x [ ] = y z
with , model. x
y , z taking into account the anisotropic effects of any laminations present in the
The 3D magnetostatic solver considers the magnetic field H with the following components:
H = H p + + H c
where is the magnetic scalar potential, H p is a particular solution constructed by assigning values to all the edges in the mesh in such a way that Ampere's law holds on all contours of all tetrahedra faces in the mesh, and r accounts for the permanent magnets if any. Thus, the DOFs are the Hc nodal values of the magnetic scalar potential with ten values per tetrahedron at each of the four vertices and all six mid edge nodes, ensuring a quadratic approximation inside each finite element. There are major advantages of this formulation over other existing ones, including using considerably fewer computational resources (due to the scalar nature of the DOFs), not requiring a gauge due to excellent numerical stability, significantly reducing cancellation errors, and capably of automatically multiplying connected iron regions. The magnetostatic solver handles both 3D linear and nonlinear problems. In the case of nonlinear applications, a classic Newton- Raphson iterative algorithm with user-controlled accuracy is used. The magnetostatic solver calculates the magnetic field distribution produced by a combination of known DC current density vector distribution and a spatial distribution of objects with permanents
magnetization. It is also possible to apply boundary conditions to a model such that the simulation of the immersion of a device into an external magnetic field is also possible. In this latter case, the boundary conditions should be applied in such a way that Maxwell's equations are not violated inside the domain of the solution or at the boundaries. Typical sources for magnetostatic field problems include voltage, current, permanent magnetization, and current density. When applying the sources for the magnetic field problems, the applied current distribution must be divergence free in the entire space of the solution as it is physical for quasi-stationary conduction current density distributions. Thus, the conduction paths(s) for the
applied current distributions must be closed when totally contained within the solution space for the problem, or must begin and end at the boundaries.
Conduction paths in the two coils are closed (one current excitation applied on terminals in each coil)
Current excitations are applied at the boundaries at both ends of conductors (no terminals need to be defined)
The total current applied to conductors that touch the boundaries does not require the existence of terminals at the ends where the current is applied because the respective planar surfaces of the conductors in the plane of the region (background) can be used to apply the excitations. In the case of a
closed conduction path, a terminal (sheet object) must be created, matching the cross-section of the conductor at the desired location such that the excitation (current/voltage) can be applied. Note Current and voltage excitations cannot be mixed on any conduction path.
Voltage excitations (at least two) must be specified such that the current can flow in the respective conductors to form an uninterrupted conduction path. Voltage drop excitation should by used in the case of closed conduction paths (possibly containing objects with different electric conductivities), primarily in situations where the total current is unknown. One voltage drop excitation per conduction path should be applied. The total current for any conduction path should add up to zero. The magnetostatic solver does not compute the electric field distribution associated with a voltage distribution outside conductors. However, the electric field inside conductors is indirectly available for post processing via the conduction current density distribution, which is available. Thus it is possible to calculate the ohmic loss in conductors with applied current or voltage excitations. Permanent magnetization in Maxwell is treated as a material property, but we mention it here because of its source characteristics.
Permanent magnetization can be specified in Cartesian, cylindrical, or spherical material coordinate systems, as shown in the above window where the R, Phi, and Z components (in a cylindrical system, considered here as example) can be specified in any meaningful combination. The actual direction of the vector property is decided when the property is assigned to the object and when the desired coordinate system is chosen (the global coordinate system always exists, while additional
ones can be defined). If necessary, additional relative coordinate systems can be defined and used to specify the orientation of the vector property.
While the type of material coordinate system is embedded into the material definition, the actual orientation is not, such that a material property defined, for instance, in a cylindrical system can be applied to multiple objects with different orientations if multiple relative local coordinate systems were defined and used in the process of assigning the respective material property. A typical boundary conditions used in magnetostatic problems is the magnetic field tangent (the default, natural boundary condition that is automatically applied on all surfaces of the problem space -the surfaces of the geometry entity containing the model inside it). This default boundary condition can be overwritten if other boundary conditions are applied on exterior surfaces of the solution space. The default boundary condition confines the magnetic field to the solution space; therefore, this boundary must be placed at some distance from the sources to avoid over-constraining the fields by placing the boundaries to close to the model objects. While it is difficult to provide "recipes" with general validity on the placement of the boundaries of problems, a good rule of thumb asserts that if a model can be imagined as being contained in a sphere of radius R, then the boundaries can be placed at a 4-5 radii R from the imaginary center of the model. The Zero Tangential H Field allows the user to prescribe a normal (in average) field orientation on an arbitrary surface. This boundary condition does not require any further user input, meaning that no value and coordinate system specification are necessary. In the case of Tangential H Field boundary condition, the values of two tangential components and a surface coordinate system must be defined and subsequently used in the assignment process of this boundary condition. This boundary condition is restricted to two kinds of surfaces: planar or cylindrical. The CS in the planar case would be a rectangular coordinate system with X and Y components of H in the plane. The coordinate system in the cylindrical case would be a coordinate system with a Z axis coinciding with the axis of the cylinder, and the two components to input would be the PHI and Z axis components of H. In the case of the tangential H field, caution is advised: This boundary condition should be specified such that Ampere's theorem is not violated inside the field domain or at the boundaries. Symmetry boundary conditions are used to solve problems with symmetry and, thus, allow the users to take advantage of the significantly reduced problem size for a given accuracy.
Symmetry boundary conditions can be one of two kinds:
Odd (flux tangent) Even (Flux normal)
Although the use of this symmetry boundary condition overlaps with previous conditions to some extent, the symmetry boundary conditions should only be used in clear symmetry cases.
Symmetry for a Magnetostatic Field Solution

A Symmetry boundary models a plane of symmetry in a structure. Use this type of boundary condition to take advantage of geometric and magnetic symmetry in a structure. Doing so enables you to reduce the size of your model, which helps to conserve computing resources. Two types of symmetry are available:
Odd Symmetry (Flux Tangential) Even Symmetry (Flux Normal)
These boundaries can only be assigned to the outside edges of the solution region.
Odd Symmetry (Flux Tangential) for a Magnetostatic Field Solution

Use an odd symmetry boundary to model a plane of symmetry in which current on one side of a plane flows in the opposite direction to current on the other side of the plane. Magnetic flux is tangential to this type of boundary. To define an odd symmetry boundary, the simulator sets the selected edge to a Neumann boundary.
Image Solution Region
Current out
Current in
The B-field is tangential to an odd symmetry boundary.
Even Symmetry (Flux Normal) for a Magnetostatic Field Solution

Use an even symmetry boundary to define a plane of symmetry where the direction of current flow is the same on both sides of the plane. Magnetic flux is normal to this type of boundary. To define
an even symmetry boundary, the simulator sets the selected edge to a Magnetic Field boundary with a field value of zero - acting as a magnetic mirror to the model.
Image Solution Region
Current in
Current in
The B-field is perpendicular to an even symmetry boundary.
Warning
When using even symmetry boundaries, be careful that you do not violate Ampere's law.
Matching Boundary for a Magnetostatic Field Solution

Matching boundaries allow you to model planes of periodicity where the H-field on one surface exactly matches the H-field on another. They force the magnetic field at each point on one surface (the "slave" boundary) to match the magnetic field at each corresponding point on the other surface (the "master" boundary). They are very useful for modeling devices such as motors, in which the magnetic field repeats every 180o, 120o, 90o, or less. Basically, they enable you to model the smallest possible periodic segment of the device - reducing the amount of computing resources needed during the solution. To set up matching boundaries, you must create both a master boundary and a slave boundary. Unlike Symmetry boundaries, H does not have to be tangential or normal to these boundaries. The only condition is that the fields on the two boundaries must have the same magnitude and direction (or the same magnitude and opposite directions).
Master Boundary for a Magnetostatic Field Solution

The simulator computes the magnetic field on a Master boundary using currents, permanent magnets, and magnetic fields as input. The field is then mapped to the slave boundary.
Slave Boundary for a Magnetostatic Field Solution

The magnetic field on the Slave boundary is forced to match the field on the master boundary. The magnitude of the magnetic field on both boundaries is the same. However, the fields on the two boundaries can either point in the same direction, or in opposite directions, as specified by the user during setup.
When to Use Matching Boundaries for a Magnetostatic Field Solution

Matching boundaries enable you to take advantage of periodicity in a structure. For example, below is a diagram of the cross-section of a simple brushless DC motor. The field in such a motor repeats itself every 90 degrees; that is, the field pattern in one quarter of the motor matches the magnitude and direction (or the opposite of the direction) of the field pattern in the other three quarters. With matching boundaries, all you have to model is one quarter of the structure.
Master + +
N S
HM + Matching Boundaries: H M = HS
Slave
HS
A Symmetry boundary cannot be used to simulate periodicity because the magnetic field is not necessarily either perpendicular or tangential to periodic surfaces. For example, in the quarter model shown on the right, the magnetic field is exactly perpendicular to the bounding surfaces only when the gap separating the permanent magnets is perfectly horizontal or vertical. For all other positions of the rotor, matching boundaries are required.
Solution Process for a Magnetostatic Field Solution

In general, the solution process involves a phase in which the distribution of current density (if not already known) is obtained, followed by the calculation of the distribution of magnetic field that corresponds to the distribution of the sources. In the case of solid conductors with an applied current source, an automatic process is initiated such that following an iterative process involving adaptive mesh refinement, the current density vector distribution is obtained and subsequently the corresponding magnetic field distribution is computed. In the case of stranded conductors, it is assumed that the current density is uniform on the cross-section of the respective conductors. Thus, the stranded option for current excitations should mostly be used only in cases where the cross-section of conductors is constant, consistently with the assumption that the respective object is a coil built with strands of wire.
Magnetic Field Energy for a Magnetostatic Field Solution

The magnetic energy of a system is given by the following expressions. The expressions represent total values of energy for the volumes taken into account. Note that the integrals have simpler expressions if the material property of the object considered is a linear one. In case of linear material properties magnetic energy and co-energy values are identical (W = Wc).
In linear materials, the energy is:
1 W = -2
Vol
B H dVol
In nonlinear materials, the energy is:
B ( H dB ) dVol W = w dVol = Vol 0 Vol
where:
H is the magnetic field. B is the magnetic flux density.
The figure below represents graphically the definitions of both energy and co-energy densities. Note that both are local quantities (i.e. are function of X, Y, Z coordinates of the location in the model) and also depend on the operating point on the applicable B-H curve. Energy is equal to the area above the BH-curve, and coenergy is equal to the shaded blue area below the BH-curve.
For the sake of brevity, the magnetic flux density in the post processor should be labeled as Magnetic Flux. The total magnetic flux of an object or the whole arrangement can be calculated by integrating over a proper volume in the Field Calculator. Related Topics
Technical Notes: Magnetic Co-energy
Magnetic Coenergy for a Magnetostatic Field Solution

The magnetic coenergy of a system is given by the following expressions. The expressions represent total values of co-energy for the volumes taken into account. Note that the integrals have simpler expressions if the material property of the object considered is a linear one. In case of linear material properties magnetic energy and co-energy values are identical (W = Wc).
In linear materials, the coenergy is:
1 W c = -2
Vol
B H dVol
In nonlinear materials, the coenergy is:
H ( B dH ) dVol W c = w c dVol = Vol 0 Vol

where:
H is the magnetic field. B is the magnetic flux density.
The coenergy is related to the magnetic field energy. Note In case permanent magnets are part of the model, as a rule, the magnetic energy reported by the solver and the post processor may be different. This occurs because the adaptive meshing part of the solution sequence runs a special computation so that it can avoid situations with a total zero energy of the field (problems with permanent magnets and no other excitation). To avoid such situations, the solver uses (and reports) the total energy, which includes the absolute value of the energy inside the permanent magnets. Because of this, the energy reported by the solver in these cases is greater than the energy reported by the post processor.
Related Topics Technical Notes: Magnetic Field Energy
Inductance Matrix for a Magnetostatic Field Solution

Inductance matrices can be expressed in terms of flux linkage and current, or in terms of voltage and time-varying current. Inductance values are given in henries.
Types of Inductance
For nonlinear materials, the definition of inductance requires additional detail compared to the linear case. Three commonly used inductance values are illustrated in the figure above - each inductance has useful applications. Maxwell uses apparent inductance to calculate flux linkage as a function of the independent variables, since it changes with current as the material properties change. To obtain apparent inductances for nonlinear materials in Maxwell, a two-step procedure is followed: 1. A nonlinear magnetostatic solution is generated with all sources at user specified values. This establishes a value of permeability that varies with each mesh element, since the degree of saturation varies throughout the device. These self-consistent values are used in a linear solution for the inductance matrix, with each coil current set to one ampere. The resulting values are apparent inductances, which vary with each specified coil current operating point because the material properties change.
2.
The inductance calculation is now linearized on the self-consistent values. If the coil currents had been increased to the specified values in the first step, in the linearized model, the resulting magnetic field would be identical to the nonlinear solution. Therefore, the inductances from the second step are the ratios of respective flux linkages to coil current, at the nonlinear operating point originally determined.
Nonlinear Inductance Current vs. Flux Linkage
The slope of any line drawn on the figure above has units of inductance (henries) and any area enclosed on this plot represents units of energy in joules if magnetic flux is expresed in Webers and current is expresed in Amperes. The three inductances are defined as: Incremental(differential) The slope of a line tangent to the curve at the operating inductance point. Incremental inductance is the usual textbook definition. For small signal AC analysis in Maxwell SPICE or Saber, incremental inductance is evaluated using an d operating point determined from a DC solution. Incremental L inc = ----dI inductance can also be used in time domain system simulations by using the compensation theorem, but it has no useful relationship to stored energy. Apparent inductance The slope of a line from the origin to the operating point. Apparent inductance gives the total flux linkage as a function of current, so it is well-suited for the state equation or basis function approach to time domain simulations. For small-signal AC analysis, apparent inductance cannot be used directly, but can be used to supply the proper derivatives to Maxwell SPICE. Energy can be calculated with apparent inductance, but the result is not really the stored energy because it ignores the path taken along the nonlinear curve. Apparent inductance does not provide the actual stored energy at the specified operating point. However, during time domain simulations, apparent inductance varies with current, and tracks the nonlinear curve shown in the figure. Initial inductance The slope of a line tangent to the curve at the origin. Initial inductance applies to many magnetic materials that have a "toe" in the magnetization curve. Laboratory measurements at 0 A DC measure initial inductance, not the "linear" value that may be somewhat higher. Note: Initial inductance is a particular case of the incremental inductance where the slope of the respective line passes through the origin of the (flux - current) plane. For linear materials, all three inductance values are equal. For nonlinear materials, the three values are generally different. Except for initial inductance, each value varies with the operating point. Ignoring the "toe" of the curve, the relation Lapp > Linc holds. Energy taken from or supplied to the external circuit, as determined from the terminal voltage and current, will be correct. The apparent inductance calculated by Maxwell at the actual operating point due to all sources in the model (currents in the coils but also permanent magnets) is the base of all inductance calculations. Incremental (differential) inductance information can be easily derived from the flux vs current characteristic.
L app = -I
L init
It should be noted that the apparent value relates to the local frozen, current dependent absolute permeability as described above in the two step process. Incremenatal inductance relates to another physical quantity which is the differential (incremental) permeability defined as dB/dH. Solver calculated magnetostatic energy (reported as part of the solution convergence data) is the apparent energy, always equal to the global, model-wise average between energy and co-energy. For the linear material case in the entire model there is only one value of the inductance L = Linit = Lincr = Lapp.
Inductance in Terms of Flux Linkage and Current

An inductance matrix represents the magnetic flux linkage between current loops. Given the three current loops below, the relationship between induced flux and currents is:
1 = L 11 i 1 + L 12 i 2 + L 13 i 3 2 = L 21 i 1 + L 22 i 2 + L 23 i 3 3 = L 31 i 1 + L 32 i 2 + L 33 i 3
L 12 i1 L22 i2 V2 L 23 i3 L 33 V3 (L32 ) (L21 ) L1 1 V1 L 1 3 (L31 )
L 11 L 12 2 = L 21 L 22 3 L 31 L 32
L 13 i 1 L 23 i 2 L 33 i 3
The inductance matrix above gives the relationship between and i for the three independent current loops. A device with n current loops would have an n n inductance matrix.
Inductance in Terms of Voltage and Time-Varying Current

An inductance matrix can also represent the relationship between voltage and current fluctuations in a system. Given the three independent transmission lines shown below, the voltage changes caused by the time varying current source on each line are given by:
d i1 dt d i2 dt di 3 dt
Line 1 Line 2
V1 V 2
RL
RL
Line 3
V3
RL
di 1 V 1 L 11 L 12 V 2 = L 21 L 22 V 3 L 31 L 32 L 13 d t L 23 di 2 dt L 33 di 3 dt
The inductance matrix above gives the relationship between V and dI/dt for the three transmission lines. If di2/dt and di3/dt are set to zero, this relationship becomes:
V 1
di 1
L 11
V 2 = L d t 0 V 3 0
= L 12 dt L 13
di 1
This gives the voltage changes that are induced on Lines 2 and 3 when a time-varying current source is applied to Line 1 - that is, the inductive coupling between the three loops. The inductance matrix can be exported to a circuit/system simulator, such as SIMPLORER, where it can be used in a transient simulation.
Matrix Elements for an Inductance Matrix

If one amp is applied to Current Loop 1 and zero amps is applied to the other two loops, the inductance matrix becomes the following:
L 11 1 2 = L 0 = L 12 0 L 13 3
Diagonal Elements for an Inductance Matrix
Terms such as L11 represent the self-inductance of each current loop. Self-inductance is numerically equal to the flux linkage in a current loop when one amp is flowing in it, and no current is flowing in the other loops. For example, L11 is equal to the flux in Current Loop 1 when one amp is flowing in that current loop, and no current is flowing in the other loops.
Off-Diagonal Elements for an Inductance Matrix

Terms such as L12 and L13 represent the mutual inductances between the current loops. Mutual inductance is numerically equal to the flux linkage in a current loop when one amp is flowing through another loop, and no current is flowing anywhere else. For example, L12 is equal to the flux linkage in Loop 1 when one amp is applied to Loop 2 and no current is flowing in the other loops.
Symmetry for an Inductance Matrix

The inductance matrix is symmetric about the diagonal. This indicates that the mutual effects between any two loops are identical. For instance, L13, the inductance between Current Loop 1 and Current Loop 3, is equal to the inductance between Current Loop 3 and Current Loop 1.
Solution Process for an Inductance Matrix

To solve for the inductance matrix, the magnetostatic solver generates a single field solution. The system computes each entry of the inductance matrix using the following relationships:
1 2 1 U = -- LI = -- H B d 2 2
But, assuming that the current, i, is one ampere:
L = H B d
where:
B = H
Each conductor in the matrix is assumed to be part of an independent current loop. The contributions of each loop to the inductance matrix are modeled using numerical matrix manipulation techniques. Warning Inductance is valid for different current levels in linear and nonlinear models:
In models containing only linear materials, the system assumes that one amp of current flows through each loop. The inductance matrix that is computed for these models is valid for all current levels. In models containing nonlinear materials, the system uses the currents you specified when setting up boundaries and sources. The inductance matrix that is computed for these models is valid only for these current levels.
Grouping Inductance Matrix Elements

The results of the inductance matrix calculation may be post processed into series/parallel windings using the grouping function. The operations of the grouping function can be one of two cases:
Grouping all coils in series connection by grouping into 1 branch Grouping in a mixed series/parallel combination by setting the number of branches to a value of 2 or more.
Series Grouping The inductances of the coils can be calculated as follows:
Lcoil i = L i n i
Where Li is the per-turn inductance of the source calculated by the field solver and ni is the number of turns specified in the grouping dialog box. Combining inductors in series, which is the case when the number of branches is set to 1, is done according to:
m L seriesgroup =
m Lcoil i +
m M ij n i n j +
i=1
i, j = 1 ij
i, j = 1 ij
M ji n i n j
where:
the equation above.
m is the number of source entries being grouped. Lcoili represents the self inductance term for each coil entry to be grouped according to
Mij and Mji are the mutual inductance terms between the sources being grouped. Mij and Mji must generally be considered separately as the matrix may be unsymmetric. ni are the number of turns for each coil in the group.
Parallel Branches If the number branches in the group is set to a value other than 1, the coils are first grouped in series as described above, and then divided into by the number if branches specified. The grouped inductance is then calculated as follows:
L seriesgroup L branch = ---------------------------------2 k

Where k is the number of branches set for the group. The calculation above only relies on the inductance matrix calculated during the field solution and can therefore be manipulated as a post processing calculation.
Lorentz Force
The component of the Lorentz force due to current in a magnetic field is:
F =
where:
J B dVol Vol
J is the current density. B is the magnetic flux density.
When the Lorentz force is computed for a set of objects, the system calculates this integral individually for each object. The result is the force on each object in the x, y, and z directions. Note The Lorentz force does not compute the correct force on objects that are assigned materials with a relative permeability greater than one (that is, materials where 0 ). To find the force on these objects, use virtual force.
Lorentz Torque
The system uses Lorentz forces to compute the torque around the x-, y-, and z-axes. The Lorentz torque is given by the following equation:
T =
where:
r ( J B )dVol Vol
r is the displacement vector from the axis of rotation. J is the current density. B is the magnetic flux density.
This integral is computed for the x-, y-, and z-axes, giving the net torque on the object(s) about each axis of rotation. Note The Lorentz torque does not compute the correct torque on objects that are assigned materials with a relative permeability greater than one (that is, materials where 0 ). To find the torque on these objects, use virtual torque.
Virtual Force
To compute the virtual force on an object, the system uses the principle of virtual work. In the structure shown below, the force on the plate in the direction of the displacement, s, is given by the following relationship:
dW ( s, i ) F plate = ------------------ds
i = Constant
where W(s,i) is the magnetic coenergy of the system. The current, i, is held constant.
Core
FPlate
s Plate
Unlike the classical virtual work method, the plate is not actually moved during the force computation. Instead, only the tetrahedra that lie along the outside surface of the object are virtually distorted. Thus, the force computation only requires one field solution.
Virtual Torque
Similar to the virtual force calculation, the system uses virtual work principles to compute the torque on an object. In the structure shown below, the torque on Object B about the axis of rotation is given by the following relationship:
dW ( , i ) T B = -------------------d
i = Constant
where W(, i) is the magnetic coenergy of the system. The current, i, is held constant.
Axis of rotation
B TB
Unlike the classical virtual work method, Object B is not actually rotated during the force computation. Instead, only the tetrahedra that lie along the outside surface of the object are virtually distorted. Thus, the change in the systems coenergy (and therefore the virtual torque) is given by the change in the coenergy of these tetrahedra.
Frequency Domain (Eddy Current) Solver
The 3D eddy current solver (frequency domain or harmonic solver) uses the T formulation. It is based on the assumption that all electromagnetic fields pulsate with the same frequency (specified by the user) and have magnitudes and initial phase angles calculated by Maxwell. There are no moving objects (velocity is zero everywhere). Permanent magnets cannot be part of the model, and all materials are assumed to be linear. Electromagnetic radiation can also be simulated. In the non conducting regions the magnetic field strength is given by the following equation:
H = H p +
using node element with the same quadratic approximation as for the case of the magnetostatic solver. In regions with non-zero conductivity where eddy current calculation has been set up, the following equation is true:
H = H p + + T
where T is the electric vector potential calculated using edge elements. At the interface between conductors and non-conductors the tangential component of the electric vector potential is constrained to zero. The quantity calculated by Maxwell is in this case the magnetic field H(x,y,z,t). Typical sources for eddy current problems include current and current density. In applying the sources for the magnetic field problems, keep in mind that the applied current distribution must be divergence free in the entire space of the solution as it is physical for (quasi) stationary conduction current density distributions. Thus, the conduction paths(s) for the applied current distributions must be closed when totally contained within the solution space for the problem or must begin and end at the boundaries. The total current applied to conductors that touch the boundaries doesn't require the existence of terminals at the ends where the current is applied, the respective planar surfaces of the conductors in the plane of the region (background) can be used to apply the excitations. Typical boundary conditions used in eddy current problems include magnetic field tangent (the default, natural boundary condition which is automatically applied on all surfaces of the problem space -the surfaces of the geometry entity containing the model inside it). This default boundary condition can be overwritten if other boundary conditions are applied on exterior surfaces of the solution space. The default boundary condition confines the magnetic field to the solution space and thus this boundary must be placed at some distance from the sources of the problem to avoid over-constraining the fields by placing the boundaries to close to the model objects. While it is difficult to provide "recipes" with general validity on the placement of the boundaries of problems, a good rule of thumb says that if a model can be imagined as being contained in a sphere of radius R, the boundaries can be placed at a 4-5 radii R from the imaginary center of the model.
The Zero Tangential H Field allows you to prescribe a normal (in average) magnetic field orientation on an arbitrary surface. This boundary condition does not require any further user input, that is, no value and coordinate system specification are necessary. In the case of Tangential H Field boundary condition the values of two tangential complex components (real and imaginary) and a surface coordinate system have to be defined and subsequently used in the assignment process of this boundary condition. This boundary condition is restricted to two kinds of surfaces: planar or cylindrical. The CS in the planar case would be a rectangular coordinate system with X and Y components of H in the plane. The coordinate system in the cylindrical case would be a coordinate system with a Z axis coinciding with the axis of the cylinder and the two components to input would be the PHI and Z axis components of H. In the case of the tangential H field caution is advised: this boundary condition should be specified such that Ampere's theorem is not violated inside the field domain or at the boundaries. This boundary condition is very useful to simulate the behavior of devices "immersed" in an electromagnetic filed of desired magnitude and orientation. Symmetry boundary conditions are used to solve problems with symmetry and thus allows the users to take advantage of the significant reduction of the problem size for a given accuracy. Symmetry boundary conditions are of two kinds, Odd (flux tangent) or Even (Flux normal). Although the use of this symmetry boundary condition overlaps with previous conditions to some extent, the symmetry boundary conditions should only be used in clear symmetry cases. The Insulating boundary condition is of particular use for applications where very thin insulating layers are impractical to model due for example to high aspect ratio geometries that would be generated and associated meshing difficulties. Thus insulating boundary condition can be assigned to surfaces of separation between conductors. Another remarkable situation where such a boundary condition proves to be extremely useful is in modeling faults in conductors (cracks for example). Thus, modeling 2D (sheet) objects at the location of the respective cracks and applying the insulation boundary condition proves to be a very effective way of modeling the flaws without having to generate 3D cracks that would be difficult and impractical to mesh.
Phasor Notation for an Eddy Current Solution

Time varying quantities that have the form:
F ( t ) = F m cos ( t + )
can be represented as rotating phasors in the complex plane. Using Euler's formula:
= cos + j sin
If a = wt+q, F(t) equals the real portion of e

F ( t ) = Fm e
j( t + )
j( t + )
Each time-varying quantity has the form . The component is a complex F e j F m e j e jt constant that can be represented by a stationary phasor in the complex plane.m The compoe jt nent is a complex number that depends on t and can be represented as a rotating phasor in the complex plane. The phasor's projection on the real axis oscillates sinusoidally. It reaches a peak when parallel with the real axis, and crosses zero when parallel with the imaginary axis. Therefore, a phasor with =90o represents a quantity that peaks 90 degrees after a phasor with =0o.
Imaginary Phasor rotating at an angular frequency of
Real Fm cos(t+)
Real and Imaginary Components for an Eddy Current Solution

In general, you must enter a magnitude and phase for all AC voltages, currents, and other boundary or source quantities. But if the magnitude and phase angle of a quantity are functions of position, specify the functions in terms of real and imaginary components (x+jy). The "x+jy" description of a phasor indicates that the phasor is the sum of two components - a sinusoid that peaks at t=0and a sinusoid that peaks at t=90.
The "x" component of the phasor is the real component and is represented by a phasor that lies on the real axis of the complex plane. The "y" component is the imaginary component and is represented by a phasor that lies on the j-axis of the complex plane.
The real and imaginary components of a three phase system are shown below:
Imaginary
Am
Imaginary component
x Real component
Real
They are related to the magnitude and phase of a sinusoid in this way:
Am e
= x + jy = A m ( cos + j sin ) Am = 2 2 x +y
y = atan x
where the real and imaginary components are:
Re = A m cos Im = A m sin
For a symmetric three-phase system, = 0, 120, 240 degrees, respectively. For a frequency domain simulation (eddy current), all sources (currents, fields) must have the same frequency. Therefore, the simulation frequency is specified as a global input parameter.
In simulations where the electromagnetic radiation is included the displacement, currents are included in the calculation. In such a situation, the dependency between H and J is given by the following equation:
H = J+
( E ) t
Solution Process for an Eddy Current Solution

To solve for the magnetic field, H(t), the solver computes the values as follows:
1 ------------------ H = j H + j
In conductors where eddy currents occur, H(t) is computed directly from source currents and applied magnetic fields. In non-conducting regions, H(t) is computed from the magnetic scalar potential:
( ) = 0
Directly solving for H(t) requires more computing resources than using the magnetic potential, so this is done only in regions where the magnetic potential cannot be used. The solver combines the solutions and solves for the magnetic field. H(t) is forced to be continuous on the boundaries, producing a continuous field solution throughout the model. It then saves the completed solution to a file and performs an error analysis. In an adaptive analysis, it refines the tetrahedra with the highest error and continues solving until the stopping criterion is met. Note Always use the peak value in the applied excitations in an eddy current solution!
Solve DC conduction passes and then start solution process Write solution files
Yes
Eddy currents computed in object?
No
H is computed directly H is computed using
Perform error analysis
Solution criterion satisfied
No
Refine mesh
Yes
Combine and solve Solution finished
Skin Depth for an Eddy Current Solution

Induced currents allow magnetic fields to penetrate conductors only to a certain depth, of about 4-5 skin depths. The skin depth is approximated by the following formula:
=
where:
2 ------------------- 0 r
is the angular frequency, which is equal to 2f (f is the frequency at which source currents
and voltages oscillate during the solution).
is the conductor's conductivity in siemens/meter. r is the conductor's relative permeability. 0 is the permeability of free space, which is equal to 4 x 10-7 H/m.
Currents are concentrated near the surface of the conductor, decaying rapidly past the skin depth. As the formula above indicates, the skin depth gets smaller as the frequency increases. Note Due to the skin concentration of current, AC inductances and resistances are not equal to their DC equivalents. This affects the inductance and resistance values computed during impedance computations.
Both the skin depth / proximity effects and the displacement effects must be specifically requested. Under the excitation setup, the respective effects can be specified for objects in the model as shown below:
Eddy (skin/proximity) effect can only be specified for objects with non-zero conductivity. By default, eddy/displacement current effects are turned off. Including these in the calculation has a potentially significant impact on the solution time since the electric vector potential calculation is activated, causing the size of the solved matrix to increase significantly if the regions with the electric vector potential to be calculated have a large number of finite elements. Displacement current calculation is normally activated in dielectrics (including vacuum) and allows electromagnetic waves to propagate. In such cases, a radiation boundary condition should also be used in the problem setup.
Magnetic Field Energy for an Eddy Current Solution

The energy density in the general case includes the magnetic and electric energy densities. The AC magnetic field energy is given by the following:
1 U = -- Re ( B H ( E D ) ) 4
where:
B is the magnetic flux density. H is the magnetic field. Re is the real part operation. The superscript * denotes complex conjugate.
The symbol is the dot product.
For the sake of brevity, the energy density in the post processor is labeled as Energy. The total energy (U) of an object or the whole arrangement can be calculated by integrating the energy density over a proper volume in the Field Calculator, as follows:
1 U = -- Re ( B H ( E D ) ) dVol 4 Vol
This represents the average energy over time, not the instantaneous energy at a specific point in the cycle. (The 1/4 factor is explained by the use of peak values for excitations.)
Hysteresis Loss for an Eddy Current Solution

The hysteresis loss is given by: the following
U =
where:
Vol

1 Im -- ( B H ) dVol 2
B is the magnetic flux density. H* is the complex conjugate of the magnetic field, H. is the angular frequency, equal to 2f (where f is the solution frequency).
The magnetic hysteresis loss density (ph) is given by the following:
1 p h = -- Im ( B H ) 2
where:
Im is the imaginary part. is the angular frequency.
For the sake of brevity, the hysteresis loss density in the post processor is labeled as Hysteresis Loss. The total magnetic hysteresis loss (ph) of an object or the whole arrangement can be calculated by integrating the hysteresis loss density over a proper volume in the Field Calculator, as follows:
1 p h = -- I m ( B H )dVol 2 Vol
Hysteresis loss applies if the structure includes materials with a non-zero value for the tangent of the magnetic loss angle (equivalent to a non-zero imaginary permeability). Otherwise, it is equal to zero.
Ohmic Loss for an Eddy Current Solution

Ohmic loss is given by:
P =
where:
Vol

J is the current density.
J J ------------- dVol 2
(Watts)
J* is the complex conjugate of the current density. is the conductivity in siemens/meter.
Ohmic loss is used to compute the power loss in a structure (P=I2R). For impedance boundaries, ohmic loss is given by:
P =
0 r ---------------8
Sur
H t H t ds (Watts)
where:
w is the angular frequency, which is equal to 2f. (f is the frequency at which source currents and voltages oscillate during the solution. s is the conductor's conductivity in siemens/meter.
r is the conductor's relative permeability. 0 is the permeability of free space, which is equal to 4 x 107 H/m.
Ht is the tangential component of H on the impedance boundary. Ht* is the complex conjugate tangential component of H on the impedance boundary.
The ohmic loss density (po) is given by the following:
1 p o = -- Re ( E J c ) 2
This loss is calculated from the conduction component of the current density:
J c = [ ]E
For the sake of brevity, the ohmic loss density in the post processor is labeled as Ohmic Loss. The total ohmic loss (po) of an object or the whole arrangement can be calculated by integrating the ohmic loss density over a proper volume in the Field Calculator, as follows:
1 p o = -- Re ( E J c )dVol 2
Vol
Dielectric Loss for an Eddy Current Solution

The dielectric loss density (pd) is as follows:
1 p d = -- Re [ E ( J J c ) ] 2
The current density and the conduction current density are defined by the following two equations:
J = H J c = [ ]E
For the sake of brevity, the dielectric loss density in the dielectric loss density in the post processor should be labeled as Dielectric Loss. The total dielectric loss (pd) of an object or the whole arrangement can be calculated by integrating over a proper volume in the Field Calculator, as follows:
1 p d = -- Re [ E ( J J c ) ]dVol 2
Vol
The dielectric loss can also be called electric hysteresis loss.
Impedance Matrix for an Eddy Current Solution

An impedance matrix gives the relationship between AC voltages and AC currents for multiple conductors. In the current loops below, the voltage and current in each loop is:
V 1 = I 1 R 1 + I 1 jL 11 + I 2 jL 12 V 2 = I 2 R 2 + I 2 jL 22 + I 1 jL 12
I1
R1 +
L1
Loop 1
V1
I2
R12 +
R2
L2
L12
Loop 2
V2
V 1 V 2
where:
Z 11 Z 12 I 1 Z 12 Z 22 I 2
Vi and Ii are phasors. Z11 = R1 + jL11 (the self-impedance of Loop 1). Z12 = R12+ jL12 (the mutual impedance between Loops 1 and 2). Z22 = R2 + jL22 (the self-impedance of Loop 2).
A device with n current loops would have an nn impedance matrix.
Matrix Elements for an Impedance Matrix

All impedances are complex numbers in the form:
Z = R + jL
where:
is the angular frequency of the AC voltages and currents, which is equal to 2f (where f is the solution frequency). R is the resistance, given in ohms. L is the inductance, given in henries.
If one amp flows in Loop 1 and zero amps in Loop 2, the impedance matrix becomes:
V 1 V 2
1 = Z 11 0 Z 12
Diagonal Elements for an Impedance Matrix

The self-impedance of Loop 1 is given by Z11 = R1 + jL11.
R1 represents the internal resistance of the current loop. L11 represents the self-inductance of the loop. The jL11 term represents the inductive reactance of the loop the apparent AC inductance due to the loop's self inductance.
Off-Diagonal Elements for an Impedance Matrix

The mutual impedance between Loops 1 and 2 is given by Z12 =R12+ jL12.
R12 represents the mutual resistance of a neighboring conductor as seen from the source conductor. L12 represents the mutual inductance between the loops. The jL12 term represents the inductive reactance between the loops the apparent AC inductance due to the mutual inductance.
Symmetry for an Impedance Matrix

The impedance matrix is symmetric about the diagonal. This indicates that the mutual effects between any two loops are identical.
Solution Process for an Impedance Matrix

The simulator divides the impedance matrix computation into two parts, as shown below.
Set conductor i to 1 amp; all other conductors to 0 amps For conductors 1 to n, where 1 < i < n
Solve for Li
Solve for Ri
Compute impedance from Ln and Rn solutions

The solver generates a field solution for each conductor in the matrix. Each conductor is assumed to be part of an independent current loop. In the first solution, the current in the first conductor is set to one amp; currents in the other conductors are set to zero. This is done by imposing current sources on the conductors. In the second solution, the current in the second conductor is set to one amp and all other conductors are set to zero amps, and so forth. Objects that are not included in the impedance matrix are not affected. Using the field solution as input, the simulator performs inductance and resistance computations. When it finishes solving for the inductance and resistance, the simulator combines them to form the impedance matrix, using the relationship:
Z i = R i + jL i
Inductance for an Impedance Matrix
The inductance solution for an impedance computation is similar to a magnetostatic inductance solution. The system computes the following for each matrix entry:
L ij = B i H j d
where:
B is the magnetic flux density. H* is the complex conjugate of the magnetic field.
Resistance for an Impedance Matrix

To find the resistance, the system computes the ohmic loss, P, for each loop:
1 P = ------ J J d 2
where J is the current density. Ohmic loss can also be expressed in terms of resistance and total current, P=RIRMS2, where:
I Peak I RMS = -------------2
The resistance, therefore, is:
1 ------ J J d J J d P 2 R = ----------------- = -------------------------------- = -----------------------2 2 2 I RMS I RMS I Peak

To solve this, the system computes the conduction current, J, for each conductor. Each subsolution, Ji, represents the contribution of a current loop toward the matrix. After it solves for J for all conductors, the system computes the resistance matrix. Note Since all current loops are assumed to be independent, an impedance matrix only contains terms for their internal resistance (or self-resistance). It does not include terms for the mutual resistances between loops.
Line Impedance
Line impedance is represented by a 1x1 impedance matrix. That is to say, the line impedance is the impedance of a single current loop given by:
Z = R + jL
where:
is the angular frequency of the AC voltages and currents, which is equal to 2f (where f is the solution frequency). R is the self-resistance of the loop.
L is the self-inductance of the loop.
= 2f
The inductance and resistance components of line impedance are computed separately.
AC Inductance and Resistance for an Impedance Matrix

The inductances and resistances computed during an impedance solution are different from those computed for the equivalent DC case, as shown below. The darker blue area represents the crosssection of the current flowing in the conductors.
4-5
Skin depth
R DC: J is uniformly distributed throughout the conductor.
R AC: J is concentrated near the surface and decays exponentially toward the conductor's center.
The current density, J, in the DC case (the conductor on the left) is evenly distributed throughout the cross-section of the conductor. The current density in the AC case (the conductor on the right) is distributed close to the surface due to skin concentration of currents. Since the area through which current can flow is smaller, it follows that the resistance to the current flow is higher in the impedance matrix than in the equivalent DC case.
In the DC example, no eddy currents occur. The magnetic field created by the current flowing through the conductor is static. In the AC example, the oscillating magnetic field induces currents in other conductors in the model. These induced currents affect the computation of inductance for the impedance matrix, causing it to be different than the equivalent DC inductance.
Lorentz Force in an Eddy Current Solution

The Lorentz force represents the average force on an object (or group of objects) due to currents in a time-varying magnetic field. Lorentz force is given by:
F(t) =
where:
Vol

J(t) is the current density. B(t) is the magnetic flux density.
J ( t ) B ( t ) dVol
The average force is found by integrating the instantaneous force:
1 1 F AV = ----- F Inst dt = ----- 2 2 0 0
Vol
J ( t ) B ( t ) dVol dt
When the Lorentz force is computed for a set of objects, the system calculates this integral individually for each object. The result is the average force on each object in the x, y, and z directions. Warning The Lorentz force does not compute the correct average force on objects that are assigned materials with a relative permeability greater than one. To find the force on these objects, use virtual force.
Lorentz Torque in an Eddy Current Solution

The Lorentz torque represents the average torque on an object or group of objects due to currents in a time-varying magnetic field. The Lorentz torque is given by:
T(t) =
where:
r [ J ( t ) B ( t ) ]dVol Vol
r is the displacement vector from the axis of rotation. J(t) is the current density. B(t) is the magnetic flux density.
The average torque is found by integrating the instantaneous torque:
1 1 T AV = ----- T Inst dt = ----- 2 2 0 0
r [ J ( t ) B ( t ) ]dVol dt Vol
This integral is computed for the x-, y- and z-axes, giving the average torque on the object(s) about each axis of rotation. Warning The Lorentz torque does not compute the correct average torque on objects that are assigned materials with a relative permeability greater than one. To find the torque on these objects, use virtual torque.
Virtual Force in an Eddy Current Solution

Virtual force in an eddy current problem is computed the same way as the magnetostatic virtual force. The only difference is that the average force over time is computed not the net (instantaneous) force at a given time. The average virtual force is found by integrating the instantaneous force:
1 1 F AV = ----- F Inst dt = ----- 2 2 0 0

Virtual Torque in an Eddy Current Solution
dW ( s, i ) ------------------- dt ds
Virtual torque in an eddy current problem is computed the same way as the magnetostatic virtual torque. The only difference is that the average torque over time is computed not the net torque at a given time. The average torque is found by integrating the instantaneous torque:
1 1 T AV = ----- T Inst dt = ----- 2 2 0 0

Average Force in an Eddy Current Solution
dW ( , i ) dt ------------------- d
The Lorentz force and virtual force computed for an eddy current model represent the average force, not the instantaneous force at a specific point in the AC magnetic field's cycle. Similarly, the Lorentz torque and virtual torque represent the average torque over time, since these torque compu-
tations make use of the time-averaged force. The difference between the time-averaged (or DC) force, AC force, and instantaneous force is shown below:
Force oscillates at twice the frequency of the source current and magnetic field:
1 f F = ------ = 2f S TF
where:
fF is the frequency of the force. fS is the frequency of the source current and magnetic field. TF is the period of the force.
The time-averaged (or DC) force, AC force, and instantaneous force can be determined by:
* 1 F DC = -- Re J B dV 2
1 F AC = -- Re J B dV 2 F INST = F DC + F AC
The AC force, FAC must be evaluated at a particular phase (=t) in order to determine its magnitude at an instant in time.
3D Transient Excitations (Sources)

In the 3D transient (time domain), the solver uses the r formulation. Motion (translational T or cylindrical/non-cylindrical rotation) is allowed, excitations - currents and/or voltages- can assume arbitrary shapes as functions of time, nonlinear BH material dependencies are also allowed. The support of voltage excitations for the windings has as consequence the fact that the winding currents are unknown and thus the formulation has to be modified slightly to allow Maxwell to account for source fields due to unknown currents in voltage - driven solid conductors (where eddy effects are evaluated) and in voltage-driven stranded conductors -where the eddy effects (such as skin and proximity effects) are ignored. Also for a simpler formulation of problems where motion is involved, Maxwell uses a particular convention and uses the fixed coordinate system for the Maxwell's equations in the moving and the stationary part of the model. Thus the motion term is completely eliminated for the translational type of motion while for the rotational type of motion a simpler formulation is obtained by using a cylindrical coordinate system with the z axis aligned with the actual rotation axis. The formulation used by the Maxwell transient module supports Master-Slave boundary conditions and motion induced eddy currents everywhere in the model, in the stationary as well as in the moving parts of the model. Mechanical equations attached to the rigid-body moving parts allows a complex formulation with the electric circuits being strongly coupled with the finite element part and also coupled with the mechanical elements whenever transient mechanical effects are included by users in the solution. In this case the electromagnetic force / torque is calculated using the virtual work approach. For problems involving rotational type of motion a "sliding band" type of approach is followed and thus no re-meshing is done during the simulation. For translational type of motion the mesh in the band object (surrounding the part in motion) needs to be re-created at each time step with a degree of refinement which is dependent upon the mesh size in the moving object. In this later case the mesh in both stationary and moving objects remains unchanged as initially created by the user. For transient type of electromagnetic field analysis (with or without motion) the user is responsible for creating the mesh that is capable to "catch" the respective physics such as skin and proximity effects -if any- are to be present in the resulting fields. The following three Maxwell's equations are relevant for transient (low frequency) applications:
H = (E) E = B t
B = 0
The following two equations directly result from the above equations:
1 B -- H + = 0 t B = 0
The final result is a formulation where vector fields are represented by first order edge elements and scalar fields are represented by second order nodal unknowns. Field equations are coupled with circuit equations for both solid and stranded conductors because, in the case of applied voltage supplies, the currents are unknown. For the case of voltage driven solid conductors, the following equation is used to account for the ohmic drop across the i-th conductor loop:
V Ri =
RC ( i )
J0i ( E + v B ) dR
where J0i represents the current density. The current density J0i corresponds to 1A of net current in loop i and vanishes outside loop i. The induced voltage can be derived from the following equation:
e i = H i B dR
RC(i) where the integration is performed over the whole conductor region. Stranded conductors are considered to be without induced eddy currents and, thus, are placed in the non-conducting region. This means that, for the purpose of calculating the ohmic voltage drop, we cannot use the same procedure we use for solid conductors. Instead, we use a lumped parameter to represent the DC resistance of the winding. We obtain the induced voltage due to the total flux linkage in a similar way as for solid conductors. In both cases, it is also possible to add an external inductance and capacitance. For the time discretization, a backward time stepping scheme is used:
t + t t x {x} t + t dx = --------------------------------------dt t
For the nonlinearities allowed in 3D transient applications, the classical Newton-Raphson algorithm is used. The transient solver in Maxwell supports the coil terminals and winding definitions. Thus it is possible to specify the number of turns of coils in models which is necessary for the calculation of global quantities with high engineering value such as flux linkage and back emf of coils. Thus for the 3D transient solver a number of quantities are automatically calculated and displayed as 2D plots (functions of time): voltage (current), flux linkage, back emf. Other global quantities can be also calculated by the 3D transient solver and displayed as 2D plots such as power loss, core loss, stranded loss, electromechanical quantities such as force/torque, speed and displacement. A few types of sources can be used in 3D transient applications. The Coil Terminal type is discussed here. Related Topics Loss Quantities
Coil Terminals
A coil terminal excitation is the preferred excitation for Maxwell transient applications. This type of excitation can be specified as functional (arbitrary functions of time) and is very flexible; 6 different combinations can be used: current, voltage, and external circuit, with either solid or stranded conductor options. The current, stranded conductor option should be used when setting coils of constant cross-section made of strands of wire (with no eddy current effects to be taken into account in the coil). The current can be functional and the specific variation as a function of time can be specified by the user. When defining the function, already defined primitives such as sin( ), cos( ), exp( ), etc. can be used. For arbitrary variations, a piecewise linear capability can also be used by defining the corresponding dataset. You should also specify the number of winding turns. Note When using the stranded option, coils and, more generally, each individual current path must have a constant cross-section. However, coils and conductors that may have different individual cross-sections can be connected in windings.
The current, solid conductor option does not carry the restriction of constant a cross-section. The current path can have varying cross-section, and can also split as long as in the end all parallel branches merge into a unique current path. You can also define a functional excitation and apply it to the winding. The voltage, strand option is similar to the corresponding current setting, with the obvious difference being that now the voltage is known, while the current remains unknown. In many situations when the voltage setup is used, other terminal characteristics that influence the current calculation are also specified: for instance, series resistance, inductance, and capacitance. No eddy current effects are taken into account, so a series resistance (DC resistance) must be specified. For this type of source, the cross-section of each conductor needs to be constant, but the cross-section can differ from one coil to another, and it is possible to construct windings using coils with different crossMaxwell 3D Technical Notes22-73
sections. After the solver calculates the total current, the current is uniformly distributed on the cross-section, as it always is with a stranded option. The voltage, solid option is chosen when solid conductors with eddy effects are part of the winding. In this situation, eddy current effects are taken into account. If required by the application, you should also include other characteristics of the source, such as series resistance, inductance, and capacitance. The external strand and external solid settings are used when the circuits attached to the windings have an increased degree of complexity. In the case of external sources, solid or stranded options are used, depending on whether or not eddy effects are to be taken into account. There are normally two phases in the process of defining windings. 1. First, define the terminal(s) by selecting the planar surface(s) as appropriate for the model, and then assign the coil terminal excitation by specifying the orientation of the current with respect to the terminal (current in or current out, graphically represented by an arrow). Specify the actual number of conductors (turns) intersecting the chosen planar surface (coil terminal), regardless of the symmetry (if any) of the problem.
2.
Right-click in the 3D Modeler window, add a new winding from the excitation menu (no need to select any geometry), and specify the remaining details of the setup (the screen shot below shows a sinusoidal current with 100 A amplitude and 100 Hz frequency being used in the
setup. Note If external circuits are used in the excitation setup, they need to be created using the Maxwell Circuit Editor before they an be assigned to windings.
3.
Right-click the winding in the property window, and specify the coil terminal(s) that belong to the winding (unassigned coil terminals are listed and can be selected from the respective win-
dow).
Solution Process for a Transient Solution

The solution process for 3D transient applications poses several challenges not apparent for other solver types. For instance, the behavior of fields is more complex than it is for static or steady-state applications, and a special finite element mesh structure is required in order for the software to accurately represent the physics.
Complex Field Behavior for a Transient Solution

For 3D transient applications, the behavior of the fields is more complex than it is for static or steady-state applications. A diffusion of the magnetic field into the materials occurs in 3D transient situations. The distribution of the magnetic field inside objects typically has a number of spatial harmonics, which usually means the time step used in the analysis should be less (sometimes much less) than the magnetic diffusion time constant. These time constants depend upon the geometry of objects and also upon their respective material properties. For example, for a cylinder, the magnetic diffusion time constant of the fundamental spatial harmonic is given by the following equation:
2 a = -----------------2 2.4048
where is the permeability of the cylinder, is the conductivity, and a is the radius.
Special Mesh Structure for a Transient Solution

Since eddy currents are usually considered in conductive objects, a special finite element mesh structure is required in order to accurately capture the physics. In general, a careful planning of the (manual) meshing process is required in order to achieve an accurate solution with the available hardware resources.
Overcoming Challenges for a Transient Solution

There are a number of applications where the combined effects of magnetic diffusion and strong eddy effects represent a significant challenge. Add the effect of nonlinearities that may also be present, and you have the full picture of a difficult to solve application. The following suggestions can help you overcome these challenges presented by some 3D transient applications:
Use symmetry whenever the problem allows it. Set the eddy effects only on objects where it really counts. In general, all unnecessary details, such as details of a geometric nature, should be eliminated, particularly in cases where a large problem is the expected task.
Boundary Conditions for a Transient Solution

The behavior of the H-field at the edges of the problem space is controlled through boundary conditions. The following boundary conditions can be assigned for a 3D transient model:
Natural boundaries are assigned to the surface between objects. Neumann boundary conditions (homogeneous) are assigned to the outside faces of the problem region. Odd Symmetry (Magnetic Flux Tangential) Even Symmetry (Magnetic Flux Normal) Matching Insulating
Default Boundary Conditions for a Transient Solution

By default, the Boundary/Source Manager automatically assigns the following boundary conditions for a 3D transient model: Natural boundaries are assigned to the surface between objects. Neumann boundary conditions (homogeneous) are assigned to the outside faces of the problem region.
Natural Boundary Conditions for a Transient Solution

Natural boundary conditions behave the same way as for magnetostatic or eddy (AC) problems: The normal component of B and the tangential component of H (surfaces without superficial current distribution) are continuous.
Neumann Boundary Conditions for a Transient Solution

Boundaries with Neumann conditions force the magnetic field (H) to be tangential, and the magnetic field (and the associated energy of the field is assumed to be confined to the region with overall Neumann boundaries. Typically, Neumann boundaries are placed at sufficient distance from the sources of the field to avoid an over-constraint of the solution. By default, the Boundary/Source Manager automatically applies the Neumann boundary to all faces of the problem region that is, surfaces exposed to the non-meshed space.
Symmetry for a Transient Solution

Symmetry boundary conditions take advantage of the symmetry of a problem. When deciding upon the symmetry, you must consider the geometry, as well as material properties and source distribution in space. Using symmetry boundary conditions when possible is very useful, particularly in 3D transient applications, which typically require large computing resources. Two types of symmetry are available:
Odd Symmetry (Magnetic Flux Tangential) Even Symmetry (Magnetic Flux Normal)
These boundary conditions can be assigned to the faces of the problem region.
Odd Symmetry (Magnetic Flux Tangential) for a Transient Solution

Use an odd symmetry boundary to model a plane of symmetry in a symmetric problem in which current on one side of the plane flows in the opposite direction than current on the other side of the plane. Note If the odd symmetry plane cuts through an object with eddy currents that tend to flow normal to the magnetic flux tangent boundary, then the odd symmetry condition must be explicitly applied to the model. In this situation, you cannot rely on the default boundary condition.
Even Symmetry (Magnetic Flux Normal) for a Transient Solution

Use an even boundary to model a plane of symmetry in a symmetric problem in which the direction of current flow on both sides of the plane is the same. The currents on both sides of the plane are also assumed to have the same variation in time.
Examples of symmetry are shown in the following four pictures, where the inductor model pre-
sented has three-fold symmetry:
Full Model
Half Model, Magnetic flux tangent Boundary condition on the symmetry plane
Quarter Model, 2 magnetic flux tangent boundary conditions
1/8 Model, 2 magnetic flux tangent boundary conditions (as in 1/4 model), one magnetic flux normal boundary condition (bottom plane)
Matching Boundary for a Transient Solution

Matching boundaries allow you to model planes of periodicity where the H field on one surface exactly matches the H field on another by forcing the magnetic field at each location on one surface (the "slave" boundary) to match the magnetic field at the corresponding location on the other surface (the "master" boundary). Matching boundaries are used in periodic structures and decrease the resources used in the computational process. For matching boundaries, you need to set up both a master and a slave boundary. Unlike symmetry boundaries on master and slave boundaries, the H field does not need to be either tangential or normal to these boundaries. However, the H field on the two boundaries must have the same magnitude and direction (or the same magnitude and opposite direction) at each time step. The variation in time of the fields at corresponding locations is the same on matching (master and slave) boundaries.
Insulating Boundary for a Transient Solution

An insulating boundary prevents current from flowing across a surface - for instance, the interface between two adjacent conductors. Use an insulating boundary to model very thin layers of insulating material between conductors. Modeling thin insulating sheets saves you from the complications associated with the geometry of the insulation and also speeds up the solution process.
Meshing and Band Setting Recommendations for 3D Transient Applications With Motion
Maxwell supports three types of 3D transient problems with motion:
Translational motion (motion along a user specified, linear direction). Rotational motion (non-cylindrical such as the pivoting rotation around an axis encountered in the armature of a relay). Rotational motion (cylindrical, such as the type of rotation encountered in an electric machine type of application).
Regardless of the particular type of motion involved, all types of motion applications require a band object that must contain the moving part(s). If there are multiple moving objects, all of the moving parts must be included in one all-inclusive object this is because they all must be moving as one rigid body, with a single force acting on the assembly. Also, regardless of the type of motion, the user must create a mesh density capable of capturing the physical effects characteristic for the specific application, such as field gradients, skin and proximity effects, etc. In terms of meshing, the main characteristic of the first two types of motion is that, during the analysis, a new mesh is created at each time step as the motion occurs. This re-meshed region is always inside the band object between the moving part(s) and the stationary part(s). The mesh corresponding to the moving part(s) and the stationary part(s) is kept fixed during the analysis. The mesh density inside the band object is always controlled during the solution process: the edges of any element created inside the band object during re-meshing will never be larger than the average element edge on the entire surface of the band object where it is in contact with both the moving and stationary parts. Thus, both the mesh density created for the moving part (in the area where it touches the band) and the mesh density in the stationary part (in the area where it touches the band) are used to actively control the mesh density in the re-meshed part throughout the entire solution process. This ensures good solution quality for any aspects conditioned by the quality of the mesh. In maximizing the quality of the solution for 3D transient applications with motion, a number of observations and recommendations are available regarding the band object. For applications with translational and non-cylindrical rotation types of motion:
The band object can touch the symmetry plane if any exists. The moving object cannot touch a stationary object during motion (the gap between the moving object and the band can never become zero during analysis). The only exception to this rule is for the particular case when both the band and moving object surfaces touch a symmetry plane (if any exists in the respective setup) and the moving object slides along the symmetry plane (in this case the symmetry plane, respective band, and moving object surfaces coincide); The band cannot have true surface faces; all faces must be segmented (for example created with the regular polyhedron primitive).
The band object cannot separate the stationary part into unconnected sub-regions.
Stationary sub-region1 Band Stationary sub-region2

Fig.1 Band cannot separate the stationary part into unconnected regions
Hollow objects cannot be used for band objects. Subtractions cannot be performed within the band object.
For the cylindrical type of rotational motion applications: For this type of applications the band object must by somewhat larger than the rotating part(s) in ALL directions with only one exception, at the boundaries, which can just be touched. Thus the band object must effectively enclose the moving part, not just by touching it, in the radial and axial directions; so users have to leave some "room" between band and surrounding objects. The only exceptions allowed to the requirement mentioned above are: symmetry plane (if any exists), M-S or other boundaries as applicable for the application, can be touched i.e. at those planes it is allowed for the band surface(s) to coincide with the respective planes. Additionally, the following observations are also applicable:
For the band object, always use a facetted (regular polyhedron) type of cylindrical object or a wedge object if symmetry is used. The angular aperture of each facet depends on the problem; however, an opening of 2-3 degrees per facet is usually sufficient. Hollow cylinders cannot be used for band objects. Subtractions cannot be performed within the band object. The band object can separate the stationary part into unconnected sub-regions (a rotor sandwiched between two stators is allowed).
Non-cylindrical band objects are allowed.
band
Fig. 2 Rotor and stator assembly with band object in between
Fig. 3 Band object
Geometric Objects Bondwires

A bondwire is a thin metal wire that connects a metal signal trace with a chip. You can choose to draw a standard JEDEC 4-point bondwire, as shown below:
Bond Pad Point Lead Point
Horizontal Plane where h1 = the height between the bond pad point and the top of the loop. h2 = the height between the lead point and the bond pad point. radius = half the diameter, or thickness of the wire. You can draw a standard JEDEC 5-point bondwire, as shown below:
where = the angle between the horizontal plane and the wire at the bond pad point. = the angle between the horizontal plane and the wire at the lead point. When drawing the bondwire, first select the bond pad point, a point in 3D space that defines the bond pad position in a horizontal plane. Then select the lead point, which indicates the distance the wire covers in the horizontal plane. Maxwell uses the distance between the bond pad and lead points to calculate the height between the bond pad and the lead point, or h2, a value that you can modify in the Bondwires dialog box. Related Topics Drawing Bondwires
Healing Models
The underlying solid modeling technology used by Ansoft products is provided by ACIS geometric modeler. Users can create directly models using primitives and operations on primitives. In addition, users can import models saved in a variety of formats (Step, IGES, etc.) All the models are stored internally in ACIS native format (sat format). When users import models into Ansoft products, translators are invoked that convert the models to sat format. ACIS regularly upgrades their solid modeling system and different versions of Ansoft products like HFSS, Maxwell, Q3D use different versions of ACIS. Third party vendors also create files in ACIS sat format but the data in the files is in some cases not robust. All of the above contribute to errors when a model is read. When translating from (for example) IGES to sat, some accuracy is lost. Not all third party vendors write files to the supported formats with a high level of accuracy. Third party vendors sometimes create invalid sat files the sat files are either targeted at earlier versions of ACIS or incorporate invalid elements in the sat file. Sometimes there are errors in reading a file generated by an earlier version of ACIS with the current version of ACIS (for example, reading HFSS 9.2 files in HFSS 10 sometimes causes errors). There is a final issue with using ACIS as the modeler when working with imported models. ACIS can handle mixed dimensionality models. It works with manifold and non-manifold bodies as well as sheet bodies, wire bodies and solid bodies. One of the goals of our use of the ACIS modeling system is to create a valid volumetric mesh for simulation. Mixed dimensionality models will not yield a valid volumetric mesh. If users use Ansoft products exclusively to create geometry models, they are less likely to create invalid models. Imported models are more likely to have errors in geometry and topology definition. Related Topics Technical Notes: Error Types Technical Notes: Detecting Errors Technical Notes: Healing and Meshing Analyzing Objects Analyzing Interobject Misalignment Analyzing Surface Mesh Healing an Imported Object Validating Projects
Error Types
When models are imported there are two types of errors geometry errors and topology errors. Geometry errors are errors in definition of the underlying geometry while topology errors are errors in how the underlying components like faces, edges and vertices are connected. These have to be fixed before mesh analysis can be performed.
When models pass the initial validity checks, mesh generation could still fail. If bodies in the model overlap, mesh will not be invoked. If bodies are very close to each other, mesh might fail. Small features (small edges, small edges, sliver edges) might be present in the bodies which might cause mesh to fail. The following are common errors present in models:1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. api_check_entity() errors. These are errors detected by ACIS and are geometry and topology errors. non-manifold topology. These are non-manifold edges and vertices that are present in the model. Body pair intersection. This detects if pairs of bodies intersect. Small feature detection small edge length, small face area and sliver face detection. Mis-aligned entities detection detects pairs of faces from bodies that can be aligned to remove interbody intersections. This improves the odds of mesh success. Mesh failure error display. This is available for single body, body pairs and last simulation run (all bodies in model). Errors reported by the meshing module are reported to the user.
Errors of type 1, 2, and 3 must be resolved before the mesh can be applied to the model.
Detecting Errors
Errors in the model can be detected by the following methods: 1. Perform a validation check (Maxwell3D >Validation check). This returns the following types of errors api_check_entity() errors, non-manifold errors, and intersection errors and works on all the bodies present in the model. Run an object analysis (Modeler >Model Analysis >Analyze Objects) on a subset of bodies in the model. This returns api_check_entity() errors and non-manifold edge/vertex errors, and, optionally small edge, small face and sliver face detection errors. Run an interobject misalignment analysis (Modeler >Model Analysis >Analyze Interobject Misalignment). This yields face pairs from different bodies that are slightly misaligned with respect to each other. This misalignment causes the faces to intersect each other or to create small volumetric portion between the bodies that might cause mesh to fail. If these faces are aligned that is, the faces are made to share the same surface definition then the gap between the faces is eliminated and there is a higher likelihood that the mesh will succeed. Run a surface mesh analysis (Modeler >Model Analysis >Analyze Surface Mesh). For the selected bodies, a mesh is invoked on each individual body and, optionally, on body pairs. Errors from running the mesh analysis are displayed, helping you focus on bodies/body pairs that fail meshing. If these are fixed, there is a higher probability that the mesh will succeed. Mesh errors from the last simulation run are displayed.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Errors for 2, 3, 4 and 5 are displayed in the Model Analysis dialog box. Using the menu items for 2, 3 and 4 displays the dialog box. This dialog box can also be opened by clicking Modeler >Model Analysis >Show Analysis Dialog.
Healing and Meshing

Potential problems with 3D Models This section lists problems that can prevent a 3D model from being meshed successfully. Subsequent sections will describe how these problems can be detected and addressed. ACIS errors The underlying solid modeling technology used by Ansoft's 3D products Maxwell, HFSS and Q3D is provided by the ACIS geometric modeler. You can create models directly in the drawing environment of these Ansoft products using primitives, such as boxes, cylinders, etc. and operations on primitives, such as Boolean operations. In addition, you can import models produced by other CAD tools in a variety of formats such as STEP, IGES, etc. In Ansoft's 3D products, all models have to be stored internally in ACIS' native format, known as sat format. When you import models into Ansoft products, translators are invoked that convert the models to sat format. Often, models that were created in other CAD tools were created initially for other purposes than electromagnetic analysis, such as,. for mechanical design or just for display purposes. They may have imperfections that make them illegal to ACIS. Further, there can be compatibility issues between different versions and even flavors of modeling tools. All this can lead to errors in imported 3D models. If you use Ansoft products to create geometry models, and thereby avoid model import and translation, you are unlikely to encounter such problems. Mixed dimensionality Even if a model is imported and translated without errors, there is a restriction to be aware of. ACIS can handle mixed-dimensionality models. One of the goals of Ansoft's use of the ACIS modeling system is to create a valid volumetric mesh for simulation. Mixed-dimensionality models will not yield a valid volumetric mesh. Therefore, the Ansoft tools will not mesh objects with mixed dimensionality, so-called non-manifold objects. For instance, imagine a 3D object representing a curved metal plate with a small but finite thickness. If it reaches zero thickness somewhere while having non-zero thickness elsewhere, it has mixed dimensionality, 2D as well as 3D. You will get an error message saying that the object is non manifold. Of course, 2D and 3D objects can co-exist in a model, but any one object cannot be both 2D and 3D. Intersecting objects Another restriction is that Ansoft 3D tools do not allow partial intersections (also known as partial overlaps) between 3D objects. Each element of the mesh has to belong unambiguously to one object. There is no problem if one object is enclosed completely inside a bigger object, but partial intersections lead to ambiguities. As long as there are partial object intersections, the mesh generator will not attempt to create a mesh. Instead, you will get an error message notifying you which objects are intersecting. You must remove the intersections before you can proceed. You can do this by changing the shapes of objects slightly, or by subtracting one object from the other. Caveat: If, as a result of a subtraction, the model has pairs of true surfaces that are coincident (that is, smooth curved surfaces that fit exactly one inside the other), you make it harder for the mesh
generator to create a mesh. This is because ACIS creates segmentations on each of these surfaces, and these segmentations are not guaranteed to fit. Setting a small value for Surface Deviation under Mesh Operations>Assign>Surface Approximation increases your chance of success in such a case, but it is better to avoid such situations if you can. Small features and misalignment When there are no ACIS errors in the model, no non-manifold objects and no partial object intersections, the mesh generator can be invoked to create a valid mesh for the electromagnetic analysis. Even if the geometry is valid, mesh generation can still fail. Possible causes are the presence of very short edges, very small faces, long and thin sliver faces, and slight misalignments between faces that are supposed to be coincident. Related Topics Technical Notes: Detecting and Addressing Model Problems to Improve Meshing
Detecting and Addressing Model Problems to Improve Meshing

The following sections describe a systematic procedure to detect and address model problems that can interfere with the meshing process. Technical Notes: Healing During Geometry Import Technical Notes: Healing After Geometry Import Technical Notes: Removing Object Intersections Technical Notes: Removing Small Features Technical Notes: Aligning Objects Technical Notes: Troubleshooting if Meshing Still Fails
Stage One: Healing during geometry import

In case you do not draw your entire geometry in the Ansoft environment but wish to import (part of) it, in the Import File window you select which geometry file to import. At the bottom of this window is a check box "Heal Imported Objects". Two modes exist, "auto" and "manual". Auto Healing will try to address ACIS errors and non-manifold errors, the first two classes of potential
problems listed earlier. It will also fix surface normals in the body and updating orientation of body, to avoid having a body with negative volume.
Manual healing adds small-feature removal to this. You can remove small features at this stage if you wish. However, the usual approach is to apply auto-healing at this stage and leave small-feature removal until later.
Stage Two: Healing after geometry import

Healing can only be performed on objects that have no drawing history other than "import". If necessary, object history can be deleted through Modeler >Purge History. If that causes a warning that another object will be deleted, you may need to purge the history of that other object first, or purge the histories of several objects simultaneously. At any time after import, you can perform a Validation Check: Maxwell3D >Validation Check. This will enable you to focus on bodies and body pairs that need attention before a mesh can be created. 1. 2. Select the objects that have ACIS errors, such as failing api_check_entity(), and the objects that have non-manifold features, i.e. mixed dimensionality. Invoke Modeler >Model Analysis >Analyze Objects.
This will bring up an Options dialog to set thresholds for small feature detection and on completion, the Model Analysis dialog is displayed. All bodies in the model are shown in the objects grid along with their status. Bodies can have the following status: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Good Null Body Analysis not performed Invalid entities found Small-entity errors
Invalid-entity errors are ACIS errors and non-manifold errors. Small-entity errors are small faces, sliver faces and small edges that are optionally detected based on user-defined parameters. Note Invalid-entity errors must be fixed before a mesh can be generated.
To fix invalid entity errors: 1. 2. Choose the bodies that have "Invalid Entities Found." In the same window, choose Perform->Heal Objects, with or without an optional setting for small-feature removal. In most cases, the bodies will be healed and the errors fixed. 3. If errors still persist, choose "offending" faces and edges and click on Delete. This will replace the selected face/edge entity by a tolerant edge/vertex respectively. In order to avoid unintended changes, it is good practice to do the following: 1. 2. 3. At the bottom of the Model Analysis window, check the box "Auto Zoom to Selection." Select one face or edge at a time Decide for each face and edge whether you want to delete it.
Note
Healing causes changes to the geometry and topology of the body being healed. Validation check has to be re-run after healing is done to identify body pairs that intersect. It is possible that after healing, bodies that were disjoint before now overlap.
In some cases the replacement of the face/edge by tolerant edge/vertex will fail. If the object remains invalid, you know at this point what parts of the object are invalid. You will need to change that part of the object manually, either in Ansoft's drawing environment or in the original CAD tool, to make it pass. Often, the invalid entities are in small details that can be changed without noticeably affecting the results of the electromagnetic analysis. For example, it may be possible to create a small object, well placed in the "offending" region, and to unite it with or subtract it from the problematic object, such that the "offending" details no longer exist.
Stage Three: Removing Object Intersections

If there are any intersecting objects, a Validation Check will list them. You must eliminate object intersections before a mesh can be created. In complicated models, before making changes, it is good practice to inspect the overlap visually. A way to do this is to: 1. 2. Duplicate both objects and place the copies outside the model. Perform Boolean Intersect on the copies.
This will show you what causes the intersection and will help you decide how to remove it. 3. Then, delete the copies. The easiest way to eliminate object overlap is to subtract one object from the other, in the order that leaves the desired material in the region of overlap. If the overlap is very small and you can choose the order of subtraction, choose one that does not create coincident true surfaces, if possible. Caveat: if as a result of a subtraction the model has pairs of true surfaces that are coincident, that is, smooth curved surfaces that fit exactly one inside the other, you will make it harder for the mesh generator to create a mesh. This is because ACIS will create segmentations on each of these surfaces, and these segmentations are not guaranteed to fit. Setting a small value for Surface Deviation under Mesh Operations>Assign>Surface Approximation increases your chance of success in such a case, but it's better to avoid such situations if you can. A way to eliminate object intersections without subtraction is to split one object in parts, in such a way that some parts are completely enclosed in the other object, and some parts are completely outside the other object. Even for complicated objects, this is possible through a sequence of Boolean operations on the objects and copies of the objects. At this point, the geometry has no ACIS errors, no non-manifold objects and no partial object intersections. A mesh can be created for the electromagnetic analysis.
Stage Four: Removing Small Features

Even though, in principle, the geometry may be ready for a mesh to be created, it is possible that small features in the geometry lead to a mesh that is unnecessarily large and contains long and thin tetrahedra that make the simulation converge slower. Small features may even cause the mesh generation to fail. By small, we mean details on an object that are thousands of times smaller than the main features of the object, and that, in most cases, are unintended consequences of the drawing history in another CAD tool. Therefore, it is advantageous to remove small features. To do this, you may need to purge the history of objects, since healing and related operations can only be performed on objects without history beyond import. You may have noticed that you could have invoked small-feature removal at several earlier stages. There is no objection to doing it earlier. The reason why it is presented here as stage four is that the previous stages were necessary while this one is optional. To start the small-feature removal: 1. Select objects and invoke object analysis through Modeler >Model Analysis >Analyze Objects. Alternatively, without objects selected, use Modeler >Model Analysis >Show Analysis Dialog >Objects and select objects from the list. In the Model Analysis window, invoke Perform >Analyze Objects. The software will report the smallest edge length and the smallest face area, and enable you to set thresholds for the detection of short edges, small faces and sliver faces. 2. Upon clicking OK, the analysis is performed. As a result of the analysis, the software presents a list of all faces and edges that do not meet the thresholds set by you.
3.
Check the box "Auto-Zoom to Selection" at the bottom of the Model Analysis window and click on small faces and short edges in the list. Inspect them visually and decide whether they can be deleted. It is good practice to delete them one by one rather than deleting many at once in order to prevent unintended changes. Sometimes, an edge or face cannot be deleted, and you get a message notifying you. In that case, either ignore it, or revisit it after deleting some other details first, or revisit it later manually in the 3D drawing environment. At this point, the geometry has no ACIS errors, no non-manifold objects and no partial object intersections. Furthermore, there are fewer small features that were unintended or unimportant for the electromagnetic analysis, so the quality of the model has improved.
Stage Five: Aligning Objects

Objects that touch each other in imported geometries do not always have well-aligned faces. Often, this is a consequence of the limited level of precision in the imported file. Misaligned faces can cause tiny object intersections or tiny gaps between objects, which in turn can lead to an inefficient mesh or even a failure to create the mesh. To repair such occurrences in an automated way, you can select groups of objects and invoke Modeler >Model Analysis >Analyze Interobject Misalignment. This will yield face pairs from different bodies that are slightly misaligned with respect to each other. In the window that shows this list, check the box "Auto-Zoom to Selection" and select face pairs from the list. When you decide that faces should be aligned, click Align Faces. In some cases, face alignment will fail if the topology of the body would change by a large amount after alignment. In that case, you can decide to ignore it, as it may not be a problem, or revisit it later manually in the 3D Modeler environment. Note In complicated models, the Interobject Misalignment analysis can take a long time if you select all objects before launching the analysis. If you do not know which pairs of objects to analyze, just let the mesh generator try to make a mesh. If the mesh fails, a list is presented to you of misalignments that the mesh generator finds suspicious but did not want to adjust without permission. Not every misalignment in the list is always a problem: this is a list of features that might need your attention. As face misalignments between touching objects can cause small object intersections, this alignment capability can already serve a useful role in stage three.
Note
Stage Six: Troubleshooting if meshing still fails

If mesh generation fails, information about the reasons for the failure is presented under Modeler >Model Analysis >Show Analysis Dialog >Last Simulation Mesh. Again, check the box "Auto Zoom to Selection" and click on the errors in the list. This can give you hints about which parts of the model are causing difficulties.
For instance, there may be self-intersecting bodies or faces. Such errors can have a variety of causes, such as a face that is supposed to be planar, but of which the vertices do not quite lie in the same plane. When you zoom and search you are likely to see what causes the problem. Also, there may be face misalignments. Once you know they exist, you can inspect them and decide whether to align them under the Objects Misalignment tab. One of the tabs of the Model Analysis window is the Surface Mesh tab. Under that tab, you can try to create surface meshes for objects and pairs of objects. Since a surface mesh on selected objects is easier to create than a volume mesh for the whole model, this can help you to identify quickly which objects are causing difficulties and why. Also, in order to determine which objects are causing difficulties, you can exclude objects temporarily from the model. If the mesh succeeds without them, this helps to identify the reason for failure. To exclude an object temporarily, select it and uncheck "Model" in its properties window. Then try to create the mesh again. Once you know which objects make the mesh fail, you can try to make small changes to them that do not affect the electrical properties noticeably but help the mesh maker succeed. For example:
Zoom in on details and consider removing details; Find coincident true surfaces and move one of the faces over a very short distance so the pair of faces is not coincident anymore; Split very complicated objects into multiple less-complicated objects; Delete a complicated 3D ground object and create a 2D ground through a boundary condition on the appropriate faces of a dielectric; Replace imported objects by objects drawn in Ansoft's 3D modeling environment. For instance, some CAD tools produce cylinders that consist of two half cylinders that have a seam where they join. The fit is not always perfect.
Finally, for coincident true surfaces, set a very small value for Surface Deviation under Mesh Operations > Assign > Surface Approximation. ACIS will give them more segments, but you can compensate for that with Model Resolution. In a parametric sweep, you can experiment with settings for Surface Deviation and Model Resolution. Related Topics Analyze Objects Analyze Interobject Misalignment Analyze Surface Mesh Healing Validating Projects
Handling Complicated Models

Complicated models, often imported from a CAD tool or layout tool, may slow down the interface, use a lot of RAM during file I/O and other operations, contain imperfections and object overlaps. After analysis, post processing of such models may be time consuming. Maxwell has several options and features that address these problems.
Interface Options for Complicated Models RAM Settings for Complicated Models Geometry Imperfections and Complicated Models Object Overlap Settings for Complicated Models Post Processing Settings for Complicated Models
Interface Options for Complicated Models

To improve the speed of the interface when dealing with complicated geometries, do the following: Under Tools>Options>Modeler Options, on the Display tab...
Set "Default View Render" to "Wire Frame". Wire-frame rendering is faster than shaded rendering. Turn off "Display UV Isolines". For models with curved faces, this will simplify the wireframe display, so the rendering will be faster. Turn off "Visualize History of Objects". This will remove visualization of objects that are part of the model history. For large models, this is faster and uses less memory. Use larger deviations to view curved objects in less detail. Un-check "Check Model" and "Heal Imported Objects." This helps for complicated models: Validation and healing take considerable time for such models. Use this option to defer checking to a later stage (especially in cases where you know that you want to mesh the model as is). Turn off "Do Autosave" or set the autosave interval to a larger value, e.g. 50. Auto-save can be time consuming.
Under View>Visualization Settings Under Modeler>Import
Under Tools>Options>General Options, on the Project Options tab
RAM Settings for Large Geometries

Modeler>Support Large Geometry Import Use this to reduce memory during file I/O and other operations for very large imported geometry. Only in exceptional cases will this need to be set. Large-address awareness Some 32-bit versions of Windows operating systems don't allow, by default, executables to access more than 2 GB of address space. If such an operating system is used on a machine with more than 2 GB RAM, this maximum can be raised to 3 GB by adding the switch /3GB to the file boot.ini which resides, as a hidden file, on the C:\ drive. More information can be found on www.microsoft.com, e.g. by searching for the string /3GB .
Geometry Imperfections and Complicated Models

Modeler>Import Many formats can be handled. It is recommended to import a version of the geometry that is as close as possible to its source, rather than geometries that have been translated before from one forMaxwell 3D Technical Notes22-97
mat to another, or that have been imported into another computational tool and later exported from it. Modeler>Validation Settings Geometry imperfections are listed as ACIS errors when executing Maxwell3D>Validation Check and when starting an analysis. It is recommended to attempt to heal objects with such errors. However, Maxwell enables you to bypass the errors (not the check itself) by choosing a setting under Modeler>Validation Settings. "Warning Only" enables you to ignore all errors. "Basic" enables you to bypass all but the most severe errors. The Maxwell mesh generator has been enhanced to handle many geometry errors.
Object Overlap Settings for Complicated Models

In the Set Material Override Tab in the Maxwell3D>Design Settings menu... Complicated geometries often have small object overlaps. This setting will allow overlaps between dielectrics and metals. In the overlap region, the metal will locally take priority over the dielectric, as if this part of the dielectric has been subtracted. Overlaps between two dielectrics and overlaps between two metals are still not allowed.
Post Processing for Complicated Models

Under Tools>Options>General Options, on the Miscellaneous Options tab...
Turn off "Dynamically update postprocessing data during edits". This will disable expensive updating of existing reports and plots. Turn off "Update reports on file open". This will disable expensive updating of reports and plots when opening a project. Set Plot Quality to Coarse, and save as default. This will make field plots much faster. The fields will not be as smoothly approximated within each tetrahedron, but this should not be noticeable on very large meshes.
Under Maxwell3D>Fields>Modify Plot Attributes, on the Plots tab
23
Maxwell V12 Examples
Maxwell V12 contains numerous examples provided for customer use and review. These examples cover Maxwell 3D, Maxwell 2D, and RMxprt. All examples are stored in the Examples subdirectory of the Maxwell installation directory. Related Topics Maxwell 3D/2D Examples RMxprt Examples
Maxwell V12 Examples 23-1
Maxwell 3D/2D Examples:
23-2 Maxwell V12 Examples
Examples\Maxwell2D\opti_new.mxwl
This is a magnetostatic problem that uses Optimetrics and a used defined cost function repeatedly simulate and modify the shape of one of the steel pieces in order to determine the optimum shape needed to generate a uniform field in the air gap on the right side of the model.
Examples\Maxwell2D\Getting_Started\so The solenoid model shown is a 2D axisymmetric lenoid.mxwl simulation of a 3D actuator that demonstrates rotational symmetry about a central axis. The problem is a magnetostatic model that uses parametric analysis to determine the force on the core as various locations along the length of the stroke. This is a non-linear problem incorporating both non-linear steel and a permanent magnet. This problem is used in Getting Started with Maxwell: A 2D Magnetostatic Solenoid Problem.
Examples\Maxwell3D\ example_DC_cond.mxwl
This example is a real life example of an inductor. In a DC analysis the focus would be to look at the distribution of current density, and ohmic power loss density. A heating / stress application would also be interesting to do as users may want to couple the losses to ePhysics
Examples\Maxwell3D\ example_electrostatic.mxwl
The electrostatic example is a bushing application which is one of the most widely used type for electrostatic solution type, particularly in 3D. Has been used for many years and is considered as a benchmark application. The main results to be extracted from this example are voltage and field distribution. For the magnitude of electric field additional meshing is required which is true for any dielectric breakdown type of application.
Examples\Maxwell3D\ example_magnetostatic.mxwl
The magnetostatic example is a relay type of application exhibiting 3D effects. There is a force setup allowing extraction of a force vs. (rotational) displacement type of characteristic. It also contains a parametric setup which eventually allows the extraction of an ECE model to be used in Simplorer.
Examples\Maxwell3D\Getting_Started\ Rotational_actuator.mxwl
The rotational actuator is another magnetostatic example useable for the parametric study of the torque and inductance characteristics vs. position. Possible variation(s) of the setup can include using ferromagnetic materials with different magnetic (non-linear) characteristics and the respective impact on torque and inductance characteristics. This model is used in the Getting Started with Maxwell: Designing a Rotational Actuator guide.
Examples\Maxwell3D\Getting_Started\ Rotational_Act_TR.mxwl
This model is a modified version of the Rotational Actuator model listed above. It is configured with a motionband for rotating the inner armature. It is a transient problem using an external circuit to drive the coils with a pulse voltage. The results demonstate the torque, position, and current versus time as the inner armature object moves with time. This model is used in the Getting Started with Maxwell: Transient Problem guide.
Examples\Maxwell3D\Getting_Started\ ExternalCircuit.amcp
This project is the Maxwell Circuit Editor model used in the transient rotational actuator problem to drive the coils with a pulse input.
RMxprt Examples:
Examples\RMxprt\assm\*.mxwl
Adjustable Speed Synchronous Machine
ASSM can be used in Motor Mode or Generator Mode, this example is in motor mode
Examples\RMxprt\bldc\ QuickStart.mxwl ws-1.mxwl ws-2.mxwl ws-3.mxwl ws-4.mxwl ws-5.mxwl ws-6.mxwl
Brushless Permanent Magnet DC Motor
ws-1 to ws-5 are examples of rotor PM Pole Type 1-5 as defined the "Rotor" section ws-6 is an example of an outside rotor as shown
Examples\RMxprt\cpsg\cpsg_1.mxwl
Claw Pole Synchronous Machine 3D Representation is shown.
Examples\RMxprt\dcm\ z_500.mxwl zf_500.mxwl
DC Machines
these do not have any permanent magnets
Examples\RMxprt\indm1\3hp.mxwl
Single Phase Indcution Motor
Examples\RMxprt\indm3\ tsyde-22.mxwl ylew-95.mxwl yz200-6.mxwl yz200-24.mxwl yzd132-4.mxwl yzd132-8.mxwl
Three Phase Induction Motor
These are 22, 95, 6, 24, 4, and 8 pole motor variations 8 pole machine is shown..
Examples\RMxprt\lssm\ sm-1.mxwl sm-2.mxwl sm-3.mxwl sm-4.mxwl sm-5.mxwl sm-6.mxwl sm-7.mxwl sm-8.mxwl
Line Start Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor
sm-1 to sm-8 represent the 8 rotor pole types available sm-8 is shown.
Examples\RMxprt\manual\ AssymetricWinding.mxwl BLDC_4p1500rpm550W.mxwl CPSG_4p50Hz550VA.mxwl DCM_4p1100rpm500kW.mxwl IndM1_2p60Hz3hp.mxwl IndM3_6p50Hz11kW.mxwl LSSM_4p50Hz550W.mxwl PMDC_2p2400rpm75W.mxwl PMSG_4p50Hz550W.mxwl QuickStart.mxwl SRM_8-6p1500rpm550W.mxwl SynM3_6p50Hz538kW.mxwl UniM_2p12500rpm100W.mxwl
Examples\RMxprt\nssm\ nssm-1.mxwl
Examples\RMxprt\pmdc\ stndj-1.mxwl
Permanent Magnet DC Motor
These are brush type motors
Examples\RMxprt\pmsg\ pmsg-1.mxwl
Adjustable Speed Synchronous Machine
ASSM can be used in Motor Mode or Generator Mode, this example is a generator
Examples\RMxprt\srm\srm-1.mxwl
Switched Reluctance Motor
Examples\RMxprt\syng3\ bjs7-6-1.mxwl bjs10-61.mxwl bsm.mxwl g2-5.mxwl
Three Phase Synchronous Machine
This can be either motor or generator mode, these examples are generators Model g2-5 is shown
Examples\RMxprt\synm3\ Bjs7_mot.mxwl
Three Phase Synchronous Machine
This can be either motor or generator mode, this example is a motor
Examples\RMxprt\unim\ac120_i.mxwl
Universal Motor Example
Index
Symbols
20-13
Numbers
1D objects 7-2 2D AutoCAD files exporting 4-23 2D model files exporting 4-23 importing 4-26 2D objects 7-2 3D model files exporting 4-24 3D Modeler Chamfer command 7-96 3D Modeler window 2-19 3D movement mode 7-141, 7149 3D objects 7-2
A
aborting analyses 18-53 absolute coordinates entering 7-129, 7-139
AC conduction solver 21-3 admittance 21-42 theory 21-41 adaptive analysis percent refinement per pass 14-6 setting up 14-5 Adaptive Pass Plotting Versus 19-25 adaptive passes completed and remaining 19-3 admittance 21-42 Amperes Law 21-12 analyses changing priority of 18-52 monitoring 18-51 Optimetrics 20-1 re-solving 18-54 starting 16-1, 18-1 stopping 18-53 animations controlling the display 1911 exporting 19-13 field 19-10 geometry 19-9 overview 19-9
Index-1
Maxwell Online Help
anisotropic admittivity 8-11 anisotropic dielectric permittivity 8-6 anisotropic electric conductivity 8-11 anisotropic magnetic permeability 8-8 arc lines center-point arcs 7-5, 7-6, 7-9 three-point arcs 7-4 arcs center-point 7-5, 7-6, 7-9 three-point 7-4 arrows modifying in plots 19-69 types in plots 19-69 AutoCAD Drawing Interchange Format files 4-23 auto-save file 4-10 average force 22-68 axes torque about 22-49 axisymmetric models electric flux linkage 21-11 field simulation for 21-43 magnetostatic flux linkage 21-19
magnetostatic 9-14 boxes drawing 7-10
C
calculated expressions plotting 19-61 calculation range setting for a cost function 20-33 setting in a parametric setup 20-10 calculator entering values and geometries 19-79 exporting 19-93 general operations 19-82 opening 19-76 output 19-91 registers 19-77 scalar operations 19-84 stack commands 19-78 stacks 19-77 units assumed as SI 19-77 vector operations 19-88 capacitance and electric field 21-5 calculating 21-9 in terms of charges and voltages 21-6 in terms of currents and time-varying voltages 21-7 short circuit 21-8 Cartesian coordinates on grid 7-111 entering coordinates 7-128, 7-137 setting as grid type 7-111 center-point arcs 7-5, 7-6, 7-9 Chamfer command 3D modeler 7-96 charge and balloon boundaries 21-57 and reference voltage 21-72 charge density 21-4 Charge Standard Field Quantities Surface 19-57
Index-2
B
background color setting 7-109 balloon boundaries charge at infinity 21-57 used as reference 21-72 voltage at infinity 21-57 BH-curve 8-39 for permanent magnets 8-32 bondwires drawing 7-21 boundaries duplicating with geometry 9-8 hiding 9-9 setting default values 9-9 boundary conditions eddy current 9-29, 9-36 functional 21-74
Maxwell Online Help
circles drawing 7-8 clean stop 18-53 clearing selections 7-126 cloning objects before intersecting 7-91 before subtracting 7-90 before uniting 7-89 closed objects 7-2 cloud plots 19-70 coenergy and virtual force 21-17, 22-27, 22-49 and virtual torque 21-18, 22-27, 22-50 color key moving 19-67 setting visibility 19-66 colors assigning to objects 7-74 default for objects 7-74 default for outlines 7-74 of field overlays 19-65 of highlighted objects 7-117 of selected objects 7-116 setting background color 7-109 command properties 2-17 complex numbers admittance 21-42 impedance 21-27 in calculator registers 19-77 phasor notation for 21-50 real and imaginary components 21-50 conductance 21-39 in admittance matrices 21-42 conduction paths recalculating 9-8 showing 9-8 conductions paths verifying 9-8 conductivity and skin depth 21-25 conductors parallel explicitly defining (AC current
Index-3
source) 21-69 passive 21-68 skin depth in 21-25 stranded 21-46 touching assigning AC currents to 21-68 cones drawing 7-12 connecting objects 7-87 constraints setting linear 20-75 convergence in solution process 22-6 output variable 14-6 viewing output variable 19-3 convergence data for design variations 20-78 number of passes completed 19-3 output variable 19-3 plotting 19-3 viewing 19-2 coordinate system effect on field simulation 21-43 coordinate systems creating face 7-134 creating relative 7-132 default planes 7-134 deleting 7-135 enlarging axes 7-110 hiding axes 7-110 modifying 7-135 modifying view of axes 7-110 operations affecting 7-135 overview 7-131 setting the working CS 7-131 showing axes 7-110 shrinking axes 7-110 coordinates entering absolute 7-129, 7-139 entering Cartesian 7-128, 7-137 entering cylindrical 7-128, 7-137 entering relative 7-130, 7-139 entering spherical 7-129, 7-138
Maxwell Online Help
copy command for report and trace definitions 19-35 Copying 7-75 copying and pasting objects 7-75 copying materials 8-23 copyright notices 2-30 corners removing rounded 7-87 cost function adding 20-31 plotting results vs. iteration 20-80 setting a goal 20-31 setting the calculation range 20-33 specifying solution quantity for 20-33 viewing results vs. iteration 20-79 count setting for sweep definitions 20-6 coupling coefficient matrix 19-6 covering faces 7-85 covering lines 7-85 CPU time viewing for solution tasks 19-4 vs. real time 19-4 creating a quick report 19-49 creating a User Defined Primitive 7-28 cross-sections creating 7-86 CTRL+A shortcut keys 7-116 curl axisymmetric vs. cartesian 21-43 current and capacitance 21-7 and inductance 21-14 and virtual force 21-17 constraints on passive conductors 2168 instantaneous 21-27 peak 21-27 relationship to current density (eddy current solver) 21-24 source 21-21 time varying and inductance 21-16
current coordinate system about 7-131 current density 21-12 AC 21-29 DC (magnetostatic) 21-29, 22-66 displacement currents 21-21 eddy current 22-66 eddy currents 21-21 in Amperes Law 21-12 in stranded AC current sources 21-69 relationship to electric field (DC conduction) 21-35 source current 21-21 current distribution effect on inductance and resistance 2129 current flow for DC conduction solver 21-39 for eddy current (AC magnetic) solver 21-31 current sources AC assigning to touching conductors 21-68 constraints on current in solid and parallel sources 21-69 parallel 21-69 perfect conductors 21-69 reference for computing A-field 2172 solid 21-69 stranded 21-69 DC reference for computing A-field 2172 currents and Lorentz force 22-48 and Lorentz torque 22-49 and virtual force 22-27, 22-49 cylinders drawing 7-11 cylindrical coordinates entering 7-128, 7-137
Index-4
Maxwell Online Help
D
data markers 19-72 data tables creating 19-27 dataset expressions adding 4-63 using 4-69 datasets adding 4-63 modifying 4-63 DC conduction solver 21-3 conductance 21-39 current flow 21-39 theory 21-35 when to use 21-38 decade count sweep definitions 20-5 default variable value overriding for a parametric setup 20-7 defaults 7-74, 7-75 auto cover closed polylines 7-85 auto cover polylines 7-85 background color 7-109 clone objects before intersecting 7-91 clone objects before subtracting 7-90 clone objects before uniting 7-89 color of highlighted objects 7-117 color of selected objects 7-116 field plot attributes 19-65 lighting 7-108 mesh plot attributes 19-97 open Properties window after drawing objects 2-16 rendering mode 7-105 setting face CS 7-135 setting for boundary values 9-9 setting for excitation values 9-9 snap settings 7-144 view orientation 7-106 deleting field overlay plots 19-74 materials 8-24
Index-5
start points and end points 7-76 deleting last operation 7-76 deleting objects 7-76 demagnetization 14-11 density of grid 7-111 derived field quantities plotting 19-61 Design Settings 5-4 design variables See local variables 4-62 design variations manually modifying points 20-7 viewing all in a parametric setup 20-4 viewing solution data 20-78 designs in project tree 2-14 inserting in project 5-2 setting up 5-1 desktop menu bar 2-7 overview 2-6 status bar 2-13 toolbars 2-9 detaching edges 7-86 detaching faces 7-86 dielectrics time constant 21-38 discard below value 19-33 displacement current 21-21 in solid and parallel AC current sources 21-69 relationship to AC current density 2121 relationship to AC electric field 21-70 display types of reports 19-23 distributed analysis 20-12 licensing 18-47 distribution criteria setting for statistical setups 20-59 divergences axisymmetric vs. cartesian 21-43 donuts
Maxwell Online Help
See toruses 7-14 drawing a model overview 7-1 drawing objects bondwires 7-21 boxes 7-10 center-point arcs 7-5, 7-6, 7-9 circles 7-8 cones 7-12 cross-sections 7-86 cylinders 7-11 ellipses 7-7 for post processing 7-25 helices 7-15 non model 7-25 overview 7-2 planes 7-22 points 7-22 polylines 7-3 rectangles 7-6 regular polygons 7-9 regular polyhedrons 7-11 spheres 7-13 spiral using UDP 7-20 spirals 7-19 splines 7-4 straight line segments 7-23 three-point arcs 7-4 toruses 7-14 drawing plane 7-149 duplicates and parent objects 7-79 duplicating boundaries 9-8 excitations 9-8 duplicating objects along a line 7-80 and mirroring 7-81 around an axis 7-80 overview 7-79
E
eddy current 21-21
and skin depth 21-25 effect on AC inductance and resistance 21-29 in solid and parallel AC current sources 21-69 relationship to AC current density 2121 relationship to AC magnetic field 21-70 eddy current field simulation magnetic field energy 22-58 eddy current solver 21-3 current flow 21-31 derivation of field equations 21-22 impedance 21-26 theory 21-20 virtual force 21-30 virtual torque 21-31 eddy currents effect on AC inductance 22-66 edges detaching 7-86 removing 7-86 rounding 7-95 selecting 7-123 selecting all face 7-124 selecting all object 7-124 editing an external circuit 9-57 electric field 21-4 and capacitance 21-5 static 21-4 electric flux flux linkage 21-11 electric flux density 21-4 electric potential reference for 21-72 theory 21-4 electrostatic solver 21-3 capacitance 21-5 flux linkage 21-11 specifying reference for potential 21-72 theory 21-4 virtual force 21-9 when to use 21-38
Index-6
Maxwell Online Help
ellipses drawing 7-7 emagnetization 8-33 energy and impedance 21-27 and virtual force (electrostatic) 21-9 even symmetry boundaries behavior of magnetic field 21-56 in magnetostatic models 21-56 relationship to Neumann boundaries 21-56 Excitations 21-64 See also Sources excitations duplicating with geometry 9-8 hiding 9-9 setting default values 9-9 executive module 21-3 exponential count sweep definitions 20-5 export from the calculator 19-93 export a circuit 16-2, 16-5 exporting 2D AutoCAD files 4-23 2D model files 4-23 3D model files 4-24 animations 19-13 field overlay plots 19-74 materials to libraries 8-25 exporting a netlist 9-57 expressions dataset 4-69 defining 4-64 including in functions 4-64 intrinsic functions in 4-67 piecewise linear functions in 4-69 using as cost function goal 20-35 valid operators 4-65 extruding faces 7-87
F
face coordinate system about 7-131 creating 7-134 creating automatically 7-135 operations affecting 7-134 faces copying 7-91 covering 7-85 creating coordinate system on 7-134 creating face lists 7-122 creating objects from 7-91 detaching 7-86 extruding 7-87 moving along a vector 7-88 moving along the normal 7-87 removing 7-86 selecting 7-119 selecting all object 7-120 selecting behind 7-126 selecting by name 7-120 uncovering 7-86 far fields reports 19-23 FFT 19-45 field overlay plots 19-55, 19-61 default settings 19-74 hiding color key 19-66 modifying attributes 19-64 modifying colors of 19-65 modifying field quantities 19-64 modifying phase 19-55 modifying plot scale 19-67 moving color key 19-67 on lines 19-72 scalar plots 19-63 vector plots 19-63 field plot animations 19-10 field quantities phase angle 19-84 plotting basic 19-55
Index-7
Maxwell Online Help
plotting derived 19-61 field reports 19-23 field simulation eddy current (AC magnetic) 6-2, 6-3 electrostatic 6-3 magnetostatic 6-2 field solutions saving for a parametric setup 20-68 saving for a sensitivity setup 20-69 saving for a statistical setup 20-68, 2070 saving for a tuning analysis 20-68, 2069 saving for all Optimetrics setups 20-68 saving for an optimization setup 20-68 Fields calculator 19-76 file formats animated GIF 19-13 .avi 19-13 .dsp 19-74 .dxf 4-23 .gds 4-26 .q3dx 4-2 .q3dxresults 4-2 .sat 4-24 .sm2 4-23, 4-26 .sm3 4-24 files auto-save 4-10 importing 4-26 Q3D Extractor 4-2 fillet command rounding edges 7-95 fitting all objects in view 7-102 fitting selections in view 7-103 fixed variables setting values during analyses 20-74 flux density electric flux density 21-4 flux linkage electrostatic 21-11 magnetostatic 21-19 force
Lorentz (magnetostatic) 22-48 virtual (Eddy Current) 21-30 virtual (Electrostatic) 21-9 virtual (electrostatic) 22-27 virtual (Magnetostatic) 21-17 virtual (magnetostatic) 22-49 frequency and impedance 21-27 and impedance matrix 22-63 and line impedance 22-65 and skin depth 21-25 functions defining 4-64 for traces 19-33 reserved names in Q3D Extractor 4-64 selecting for a quantity 19-37 valid operators 4-65
G
Gausss Law 21-4 geometry animations 19-9 global coordinate system about 7-131 global materials Ansoft 8-27 user-defined 8-27 goal setting a complex value 20-34 setting a real value 20-34 setting a single value 20-34 setting as variable dependent 20-35 setting for cost function 20-34 setting weight of 20-31 using an expression for 20-35 goal weight setting 20-31 gotolink face selection toolbar 7-120, 7-124 gotolink materials.fm recoillines 14-24 gradient background colors 7-109 gradients axisymmetric vs. cartesian 21-43
Index-8
Maxwell Online Help
grid settings choosing 7-111 density 7-111 dots or lines 7-111 grid plane 7-112 spacing 7-111 style 7-111 type 7-111 visibility 7-112 grounded systems modeling with balloon boundaries 2157 grouped objects and parallel current sources 21-68
H
helices drawing 7-15 help about conventions used 3-7 hiding boundaries 9-9 color key 19-66 excitations 9-9 field overlay plots 19-73 objects 7-103 selections 7-103 history tree controlling view of objects 2-22 operations affecting CSs 7-135 operations affecting face CS 7-134 operations affecting relative CS 7-131 Unclassified folder 2-21 holes moving 7-88 resizing 7-87 hysteresis loss 22-59
imaginary quantities representing with phasors 21-50 impedance and AC inductance 21-27, 22-63 and AC resistance 21-27, 22-66 and AC self-inductance 22-66 and AC self-resistance 22-65 and frequency 21-27, 22-63 and time-varying currents 21-26, 22-62 and time-varying voltages 21-26, 22-62 difference in AC and DC computations 21-29 matrix 21-26, 22-62 importing files 4-26 inductance AC vs. DC 21-29, 22-66 and impedance 21-27, 22-64 in terms of magnetic flux and currents 21-14 in terms of voltages and time-varying currents 21-16 open circuit 21-16 initial displacement setting 20-54 initial mesh reverting to 13-11 in-plane movement mode 7-140 inserting designs 5-2 Installing OpenGL libraries for Sun Solaris 2-4 insulated systems modeling with balloon boundaries 2157 intersecting faces 7-91 intersecting objects 7-90 intrinsic functions 4-67 isosurface display 19-70
I
IFFT 19-45
J
joining objects 7-89
Index-9
Maxwell Online Help
K
Keyboard Shortcuts General 2-12 Modeler 2-22
L
lamination modeling 8-12 legacy Maxwell projects opening 4-7 legacy Q3D Extractor projects translation overview 4-7 legends in reporrts 19-21 length-based refinement inside objects 13-4 on faces 13-3 licensing distributed analysis 18-47 lighting 7-108 linear constraints deleting 20-76 modifying 20-76 setting 20-75 linear count sweep definitions 20-5 linear materials adding to libraries 8-4 properties of 8-4 linear step sweep definitions 20-5 lines between grid points 7-111 converting to arcs 7-94 converting to splines 7-94 covering 7-85 drawing center-point arc segments 7-5, 7-6, 7-9 drawing straight segments 7-23 drawing three-point arc segments 7-4 field plots on 19-72 value vs. distance plots 19-37 Linux Importing projects from previous ver-
sion 2-4 Setting Up a Printer 2-4 local variables adding 4-62 units in definition 4-62 log of solution tasks 19-4 Lorentz force 22-48 and current 22-48 and magnetic flux density (magnetostatic) 22-48 theory (magnetostatic) 22-48 Lorentz torque 22-26, 22-49 and current 22-49 and Lorentz force 22-49 and magnetic flux density 22-49 theory (magnetostatic) 22-49 lumps multiple 7-94
M
magnetic coercivity in permanent magnets 8-32 magnetic field behavior on even symmetry boundaries 21-56 behavior on odd symmetry boundaries 21-55 in Amperes Law 21-12 relationship to electric field (eddy current solver) 21-24 static 21-12 magnetic field simulation time-dependent 21-45 magnetic flux 21-12 and inductance 21-14 magnetic flux density 21-12 and Lorentz force 22-48 and Lorentz torque 22-49 in nonlinear materials 8-39 magnetic retentivity in permanent magnets 8-32 magnetic vector potential 21-12
Index-10
Maxwell Online Help
reference for 21-72 magnetostatic solver 21-3 flux linkage 21-19 inductance 21-13 specifying reference for potential 21-72 theory 21-12 virtual force 21-17 virtual torque 21-18 magnetostatic vector 14-11 magnifying objects 7-100 markers adding to plot traces 19-31 point plot 19-71 material browser accessing 8-1, 9-1, 11-1 material characteristics magnetostatic nonlinear permeability 8-39 nonlinear materials 8-39 material coordinate systems 8-6 material properties defining variables for 8-5 using expressions for 8-5 using functions for 8-5 using variables for 8-5 materials adding to library 8-4 assigning to objects 8-1, 9-1, 11-1 copying cloning 8-23 deleting 8-24 exporting to libraries 8-25 global 8-27 modifying 8-20 nonlinear 8-39 removing from libraries 8-24 search by name 8-3 search by property 8-3 sorting 8-26 user-defined database 8-27 validating 8-22 viewing 8-20 mathematical functions
Index-11
See functions 4-64 matrices admittance 21-42 capacitance 21-6 diagonal terms in 21-7 mutual capacitance 21-7 off-diagonal terms in 21-7 self-capacitance 21-7 sequence of solutions 21-9 conductance 21-39 and current 21-39 and voltage drops 21-39 impedance 21-26, 22-62 and inductance 22-64 and resistance 22-65 diagonal terms in 21-26, 22-62 matrix elements 22-63 monitoring the solution 22-64 mutual impedance 21-26, 22-63 off-diagonal terms in 21-26, 22-62 self-impedance 21-26, 22-62 setting sources during solution 2264 solution process 21-27, 22-64 symmetry 22-63 theory 21-26, 22-62 inductance 21-14 diagonal terms in 21-15, 22-63 mutual inductance 21-15 off-diagonal terms in 21-15, 22-63 self-inductance 21-15 sequence of solutions 21-17 matrix data for design variations 20-78 modifying frequencies 19-4 viewing 19-4 maximum delta S viewing results 19-3 maximum number of iterations setting for a sensitivity analysis 20-50 setting for an optimization 20-29 setting for statistical analysis 20-57 maximum step size
Maxwell Online Help
setting for optimization analysis 20-40 maximum variable Optimetrics calculation of 20-37, 20-53 maximum variable value changing for all setups 20-60 overriding for a sensitivity setup 20-53 overriding for all optimization setups 20-38 overriding for all sensitivity setups 2054 overriding for an optimization setup 2038 Maxwells equations 21-23 Maxwell>Excitations>Conduction Paths>Recalculate Conduction Paths 9-8 Maxwell>Excitations>Conduction Paths>Show Conduction Paths 9-8 Maxwell>Excitations>Conduction Paths>Verify Conduction Paths 98 Measure Mode distance between two points 7-147 Measure mode position 7-147 memory used during solution 19-4 menu bar overview 2-7 menus shortcut menus 2-11 mesh color in plots 19-96 plotting 19-96 size vs. accuracy 22-6 mesh generation and surface approximation settings 229 Copy geometric equivalent meshes options 20-71 copy geometrically equivalent meshes 20-71 process 22-6
reverting to initial mesh 13-11 Mesh operations model resolution 13-8 mesh operations applying without solving 13-10 defining 13-1 modifying surface approximation 13-6 surface approximation overview 22-9 mesh plots color of mesh 19-96 creating 19-96 setting attributes 19-96 tetrahedra scale factor 19-96 transparency 19-96 mesh refinement defining mesh operations 13-1 percent refinement per pass 14-6 without solving 13-10 meshing detecting and addressing problems 2290 meshing region 22-10 Message window about 2-18 displaying 2-18 new messages 2-18 Min and Max focus SNLP optimizer 20-40 minimum step size setting for optimization analysis 20-40 minimum variable value changing for all setups 20-60 Optimetrics calculation of 20-37, 20-53 overriding for a sensitivity setup 20-53 overriding for all optimization setups 20-38 overriding for all sensitivity setups 2054 overriding for an optimization setup 2038 mirroring objects 7-78 modal S-parameter reports 19-23 model resoliution
Index-12
Maxwell Online Help
mesh operations 13-8 modifying in Properties window 2-17 modifying objects 7-61, 7-73 monitoring solutions 18-51 movement mode 3D 7-141 along x-axis 7-142 along y-axis 7-143 along z-axis 7-143 choosing 7-140 in plane 7-140 out of plane 7-141 Movement mode 3D 7-149 moving faces a specified distance 7-87 along a vector 7-88 along the normal 7-87 moving holes 7-88 moving objects 7-77 moving the cursor along x-axis 7-142 along y-axis 7-143 along z-axis 7-143 in 3D space 7-141 in plane 7-140 out of plane 7-141 selecting movement modes 7-140 multi-processing 4-48 mutual capacitance 21-7 mutual impedance 21-26, 22-62 mutual inductance 21-15, 22-63
aries 21-56 new projects creating 4-3 newlink DeleteLastOperation 7-76 Next Behind command 7-126 nominal design 20-1 non-cylindrical rotational motion 11-4 nonlinear magnetostatic 14-11 nonlinear materials 8-39, 14-7 relationship of B and H in 8-39 non-model objects 7-25 normalized distance overview 19-37 notes saving with project 4-39 number of processors 4-48
O
object orientation changing 7-77 objects associating with faces 7-134 bondwires 7-21 boxes 7-10 center-point arcs 7-5, 7-6, 7-9 circles 7-8 cones 7-12 converting polyline segments 7-94 creating from faces 7-91 creating from intersections 7-90 creating object lists 7-117 cylinders 7-11 deleting parts on a plane 7-92 drawing relative to 7-132 duplicates and parents 7-79 ellipses 7-7 for post processing 7-25 helices 7-15 modifying 7-61, 7-73 non model 7-25 planes 7-22
N
named expressions plotting 19-61 near fields reports 19-23 netlist exporting 9-57 Neumann boundaries relationship to even symmetry bound-
Index-13
Maxwell Online Help
points 7-22 polylines 7-3 rectangles 7-6 regular polygons 7-9 regular polyhedrons 7-11 separating 7-94 spheres 7-13 spirals 7-19, 7-20 splines 7-4 straight lines 7-23 three-point arcs 7-4 toruses 7-14 types of 7-2 ways to select 7-115 octave count sweep definitions 20-5 Odd Symmetry (Flux Normal) 22-17 odd symmetry boundaries behavior of magnetic field 21-55 in magnetostatic models 21-55 relationship to value boundaries 21-55 used as reference 21-72 offsetting objects 7-79 ohmic loss formula 22-60 old Maxwell projects opening 4-7 open circuit 21-68 open circuit inductance 21-16 open objects 7-2 opening existing projects 4-7 field overlay plots 19-74 legacy Maxwell projects 4-7 recent projects 4-7 opening the Fields calculator 19-76 operating systems supported 2-2 Optimetrics Copy geometric equivalent meshes 2071 overview 20-1 tuning a variable 20-65 types of analyses 20-1
viewing analysis results 20-78 viewing solution data 20-78 Optimization norms, L1, L2, and Max 20-43 optimization 20-13 optimization analysis choosing variables to optimize 4-70 optional settings 20-22 overview 20-13 plotting cost vs. iteration results 20-80 setting up 20-22 viewing cost vs. iteration results 20-79 optimization setups adding 20-22 adding a cost function 20-31 procedure for defining 20-22 setting a goal 20-31 setting the max. iterations 20-29 optimizers 20-13 orientation changing for objects 7-77 creating new view directions 7-107 deleting view directions 7-107 setting in view window 7-106 orthographic view 7-108 out-of-plane movement mode 7-141 output parameter adding to sensitivity setup 20-51 plotting results 20-80 setting calculation range 20-52 specifying solution quantity for 20-51 viewing results in table format 20-80 output variable viewing convergence 19-3 output variables deleting 19-47 specifying 19-46
P
parallel current sources AC source current in 21-69 displacement current in 21-69
Index-14
Maxwell Online Help
eddy current in 21-69 parameter data viewing 19-6 parameterizing See variables 4-61 parameters assigning variables to 4-69 parametric analysis setting up 20-4 solution quantity results 20-10 parametric setup adding 20-4 overview 20-4 parametric setups adding sweep definitions 20-4 adding to a design 20-4 plotting solution quantity results 20-79 setting the calculation range 20-10 solution quantity results 20-10 solving before optimization 20-41 solving before sensitivity analysis 2054 solving during optimization 20-42 solving during sensitivity analyses 2055, 20-63 specifying a solution setup 20-8 specifying solution quantities for 20-8 using results for optimization 20-41 using results for sensitivity analysis 2054 parametric sweep distributed analysis 20-12 parent objects and duplicates 7-79 passive conductors displacement currents in 21-68 eddy currents in 21-68 pasting objects 7-75 pattern search optimizer 20-13 percent error 14-5 percent refinement per pass setting 14-6 perfect conductors
Index-15
assigning AC currents to 21-69 permanent magnets 8-32 linear vs. nonlinear 8-32 nonlinear 8-32 permeability 14-8 nonlinear 8-39 of free space (Eddy Current) 21-25 of free space (Magnetostatic) 21-12 relative (Eddy Current) 21-25 relative (Magnetostatic) 21-12 permittivity of free space 21-4 relative 21-4 perspective view 7-108 phase modifying for field overlays 19-55 phase angle in the calculator 19-84 phasors notation for 21-50 real and imaginary components 21-51 used to express current 21-26, 22-62 used to express voltage 21-26, 22-62 piecewise linear functions dataset expressions in 4-69 using in expressions 4-69 planes created with coordinate system 7-134 default 7-22 drawing 7-22 setting the grid plane 7-112 play panel 19-11 plots adding markers 19-31 convergence data 19-3 deleting field overlays 19-74 distribution results for statistical analyses 20-82 hiding 19-73 mesh 19-96 modifying field overlays 19-64 modifying field quantities 19-64 named expressions 19-61
Maxwell Online Help
opening field overlays 19-74 parametric solution quantity results 2079 saving field overlays 19-74 spectral domain 19-45 time domain from frequency 19-45 Plotting Versus Adaptive Pass 19-25 plotting basic quantities 19-55 derived quantities 19-61 Plotting Standard Field Quantities Core Loss 19-58 Current 19-57 Dielectric Loss 19-57 Edge Loss 19-58 Electric Field Intensity 19-57 Electric Flux Density 19-57 emloss 19-57 Field Energy 19-57 Hysteresis Loss 19-57 Magnetic Co-energy 19-57 Magnetic Field 19-56 Magnetic Flux Density 19-56 Ohmic Loss 19-57 Vector Potential 19-56 Voltage 19-57 point of reference 7-140 point plots markers 19-71 points drawing 7-22 measuring distance between 7-147 polar coordinates on grid 7-111 setting as grid type 7-111 polygons drawing 7-9 polyhedrons drawing 7-11 polylines center-point arcs 7-5, 7-6, 7-9 connecting between planes 7-87
connecting with sheet objects 7-87 converting segments 7-94 converting to sheet objects 7-85 covering 7-85 defining sweep paths 7-84 drawing 7-3 plotting value vs. distance 19-37 spline segments 7-4 straight line segments 7-23 three-point arcs 7-4 position measuring 7-147 post processing overview of options 19-1 viewing convergence data 19-2 viewing matrix data 19-4 viewing parameter data 19-6 viewing profile data 19-4 post processing objects points 7-22 potential 21-4 primary sweep modifying the variable 19-36 specifying for 2D rectangular plots 1924 specifying for 3D rectangular plot 19-26 specifying for data tables 19-27 Printers Linux 2-4 Solaris 2-4 priority changing simulation 18-52 problem region 22-10 profile information for design variations 20-78 for Optimetrics solutions 20-78 viewing 19-4 Progress window monitoring solutions 18-51 Project Manager window overview 2-13 showing 2-13 project tree
Index-16
Maxwell Online Help
auto expanding 2-14 field overlays 19-55 field plot folders 19-55 showing 2-13 project variables adding 4-61 and material properties 8-5 naming conventions 4-61 units in definition 4-61 projection view 7-108 projects creating new 4-3 default names 4-1 managing 4-1 opening existing 4-7 opening legacy Maxwell 4-7 opening recent 4-7 saving 4-9 saving active 4-9 saving automatically 4-10 saving copies 4-10 saving new 4-9 saving notes 4-39 properties report backgrounds 19-20 Properties window modifying command properties 2-17 set to open after drawing objects 2-16
R
radius on polar grid 7-111 RAM required 2-2 used during solution 19-4 recalculating conduction paths 9-8 rectangles drawing 7-6 rectangular plots creating 2D 19-23 creating 3D 19-26 of parametric solution quantity results 20-79 reference for voltage and magnetic vector potential 21-72 reference point moving relative to 7-140 selecting 7-140 registers 19-77 regular polygons drawing 7-9 regular polyhedrons drawing 7-11 relative coordinate system about 7-131 creating 7-132 operations affecting 7-131 relative coordinates entering 7-130, 7-139 relative permeability and skin depth 21-25 relative permeability (Magnetostatic) 21-12 relative permittivity 21-4 remote analysis 18-5 rendering objects as shaded solids 7-104 as wireframes 7-104 setting default for 7-105 report properties discard below value 19-33
Q
quantities plotting field 19-43 plotting S-parameter 19-42 quasi newton optimizer 20-13 queued simulations removing 18-51 viewing 18-51 quick report 19-49
Index-17
Maxwell Online Help
report types selecting 19-23 Reports background properties 19-20 reports adding traces 19-28 creating 19-15 creating 2D rectangular plots 19-23 creating 3D rectangular plots 19-26 creating data tables 19-27 creating quick reports 19-49 display types 19-23 modifying data in 19-19 overview 19-15 plotting field quantities 19-43 selecting a function 19-37 sweeping variables 19-36 types of 19-23 value vs. distance 19-37 Reset command in Tuning dialog box 20-67 resistance AC vs. DC 21-29, 22-66 and conductance 21-39 and impedance 21-27, 22-65 in eddy current problems 22-65 resizing holes 7-87 resizing objects 7-81 re-solving a problem 18-54 rotating and sweeping objects 7-84 objects 7-77 rounded corners removing 7-87
S
saving field overlay plots 19-74 tuned states 20-66 saving fields for a parametric setup 20-68 for a sensitivity setup 20-69
for a statistical setup 20-68, 20-70 for a tuning analysis 20-68, 20-69 for all Optimetrics setups 20-68 saving projects 4-9 active projects 4-9 automatically 4-10 new projects 4-9 saving copies 4-10 scalar field plots cloud plots 19-70 creating 19-63 isosurface display 19-70 transparency 19-71 scalar operations 19-84 scale modifying for field overlays 19-67 scaling objects 7-81 secondary sweep modifying the variable 19-36 seeding the mesh 22-7 Select All command 7-116 Select All Visible command 7-116 selecting all face edges 7-124 all object edges 7-124 all object faces 7-120 all visible objects selecting all objects in design 7-116 clearing a selection 7-126 edges 7-123 face behind 7-126 faces 7-119 faces by name 7-120 multiple objects 7-116 object behind 7-126 objects 7-115 objects by name 7-116 vertices 7-124 self-capacitance 21-7 self-impedance 21-26, 22-62 self-inductance 21-15, 22-63
Index-18
Maxwell Online Help
sensitivity analysis choosing variables to include 4-70 optional settings 20-50 setting up 20-50 sensitivity setups adding 20-50 adding an output parameter 20-51 procedure for defining 20-50 setting initial displacement 20-54 setting the max. iterations 20-50 separating bodies 7-94 Sequential Mixed Integer NonLinear Programming (SMINLP) Optimizer 2013 Sequential Nonlinear Programming (SNLP) Optimizer optimizer 20-13 setting object color 7-74 setting object transparency 7-75 setting outline color 7-74 setting the drawing plane 7-149 setting the movement mode 7-149 setting up designs 5-1 setting up distributed analysis with licensing 18-47 setting up projects 5-1 Settings Design 5-4 setups solution 14-1 sheet objects 7-2 sheets thicken to make 3D objects 7-85 short circuit 21-68 short circuit capacitance 21-8 shortcut keys CTRL+A 7-116 shortcut menus overview 2-11 Show Queued Simulations command using 18-51 showing selections 7-103 some objects 7-103
Index-19
showing conduction paths 9-8 shrinking objects 7-100 simulations changing priority of 18-52 monitoring 18-51 re-solving 18-54 starting 16-1, 18-1 stopping 18-53 skin depth and conductivity 21-25 and eddy currents 21-25 and frequency 21-25 and magnetic field 21-25 and permeability 21-25 effect on AC resistance 21-29, 22-66 skin depth-based refinement creation of layers 22-8 on faces 13-5 snap settings choosing 7-144 guidelines for 7-145 modes 7-144 setting default 7-144 SNLP optimizer setting Min and Max focus 20-40 Solaris Setting Up a Printer 2-4 solid current sources AC source current displacement current and eddy current 21-69 solid objects 7-2 solid sources 21-69 solution data for design variations 20-78 viewing 19-2 viewing convergence data 19-2 solution process tetrahedra used during 19-4 viewing memory used during 19-4 viewing profile data 19-4 viewing tasks performed 19-4 solution quantity
Maxwell Online Help
calculation range for optimization 2033 calculation range for parametric setups 20-10 calculation range for sensitivity 20-52 calculation range for statistical 20-58 plotting parametric setup results 20-79 specifying for cost function 20-33 specifying for output parameter 20-51 specifying for parametric setups 20-8 specifying for statistical setups 20-58 solution settings percent refinement per pass 14-6 setting up adaptive analyses 14-5 setting up transient analyses 14-17 specifying 14-1 solution setups adding 14-1 choosing for a parametric analysis 20-8 solutions after modifying the model 18-54 changing priority of 18-52 monitoring 18-51 re-solving 18-54 setting sources to compute impedance 22-64 starting 16-1, 18-1 stopping 18-53 Solutions window displaying 18-51 Solver 6-1 Eddy Current 6-2, 6-3 Electrostatic 6-1 Magnetostatic 6-2 Solver options number of processors 4-48 solvers 9-2 eddy current 6-2 electrostatic 6-3 magnetostatic 6-2 transient 6-3 solving 16-1, 18-1 parametric setup before optimization
20-41 parametric setup before sensitivity analysis 20-54 parametric setup during optimization 20-42 parametric setup during sensitivity analysis 20-55, 20-63 solving remotely 18-5 sorting materials 8-26 source current in passive conductors 21-68 relationship to AC current density 2121 sources AC conduction required 21-64 Voltage 21-64 DC conduction required 21-64 Voltage 21-64 eddy current Current 21-64 parallel current 21-69 passive 21-68 perfect current 21-69 required 21-64 solid current 21-69 stranded current 21-69 electrostatic Charge 21-64 Floating 21-64 polarized materials 21-64 required 21-64 Voltage 21-64 functional 21-74 magnetostatic Current 21-64 permanent magnets 21-64 required 21-64 transient required 21-64 spacing between grid points 7-111 S-parameters
Index-20
Maxwell Online Help
plotting quantities 19-42 spectral domain plots from transient solution 19-45 spheres drawing 7-13 spherical coordinates entering 7-129, 7-138 spinning the view 7-100 spirals drawing 7-19, 7-20 splines converting to straight lines 7-94 drawing 7-4 splitting objects on a plane 7-92 stack 19-77 stack commands clear 19-78 exch 19-78 loading into 19-79 performing operations on 19-82 pop 19-78 push 19-78 rldn 19-78 rlup 19-78 undo 19-78 stacking direction 8-12 starting variable value overriding for optimizations 20-37 overriding for sensitivity 20-52 overriding for statistical 20-63 statistical analysis choosing variables to include 4-71 plotting distribution results 20-82 setting up 20-57 viewing distribution results 20-81 statistical setups adding 20-57 procedure for defining 20-57 setting the max. iterations 20-57 specifying solution quantities for 20-58 status bar overview 2-13 steady-state conditions 21-37
Index-21
step size setting constraints for optimization 2040 setting for sweep definitions 20-6 stopping an analysis 18-53 stopping criteria for optimization maximum number of iterations 20-29 stopping criteria for sensitivity analysis max. iterations 20-50 stranded conductors 21-46 stranded current sources AC source current in 21-69 subtracting objects 7-89 Sun Solaris OpenGL Libraries 2-4 surface approximation guidelines for setting 22-10 modifying settings 13-6 overview 22-9 surface visualization setting 7-105 surfaces covering 7-85 creating face lists 7-122 detaching 7-86 uncovering 7-86 susceptance 21-42 sweep definitions See variable sweep definitions 20-4 sweep variables in reports modifying values 19-36 normalized distance 19-37 normalized line 19-37 sweeping faces along normal 7-84 sweeping objects along a path 7-84 along a vector 7-83 and twisting 7-84 around an axis 7-82 overview 7-82 Sync # column 20-6 synchronizing sweep definitions 20-6
Maxwell Online Help
system material libraries 8-27 system requirements minimum 2-2 recommended 2-2
T
terminal S-parameter reports 19-23 tetrahedra color in plots 19-97 display options 19-97 scale factor in plot 19-96 setting number added each pass 14-6 used during solution 19-4 theory AC conduction field simulation 21-41 AC magnetic field (eddy current) simulation 21-20 DC conduction field simulation 21-35 DC magnetic field (magnetostatic) simulation 21-12 electrostatic field simulation 21-4 theta on polar grid 7-111 thicken sheets 7-85 three-point arcs 7-4 time real vs. CPU 19-4 viewing for solution tasks 19-4 time constant for electrostatic and DC conduction simulation 21-38 time domain plots from eddy current solution 19-45 time-varying quantities real and imaginary components 21-51 representing with phasors 21-50 toolbars overview 2-9 torque Lorentz (magnetostatic) 22-49 virtual (Eddy Current) 21-31 virtual (electrostatic) 22-27
virtual (Magnetostatic) 21-18 virtual (magnetostatic) 22-50 toruses drawing 7-14 Traces display properties 19-30 traces adding characteristics 19-33 adding to reports 19-28 copy and paste definitions 19-35 removing 19-34 Traces dialog box 19-15 trademark notices 2-30 transient analysis setting up 14-17 transient motion restrictions 21-45 transient simulation 21-45 transient solid conductors 21-47 current sources 21-48 voltage sources 21-48 translating legacy projects 4-7 translational motion equations 21-49 transparency assigning to objects 7-74 default for objects 7-75 in scalar field plots 19-71 of mesh plots 19-96 tuning choosing variables to tune 4-71 tuning analysis resetting variable values after 20-67 reverting to a state 20-66 saving a state 20-66 setting up 20-65 twisting objects while sweeping 7-84
U
Unclassified folder history tree 2-21 uncovering faces 7-86
Index-22
Maxwell Online Help
uniting objects 7-89 units as part of variable definitions 4-61 setting for design 5-3 User Defined Primitives 7-20, 7-28 user interface overview 2-6 user material libraries 8-27
V
validating materials 8-22 validation check 4-21 value boundaries relationship to odd symmetry boundaries 21-55 used as reference 21-72 value vs. distance plots 19-37 variable for output convergence 14-6 variable sweep definitions adding to parametric setups 20-4 manually modifying 20-7 overview 20-4 setting values to solve 20-5 synchronizing 20-6 tracking changes to 20-7 viewing all design variations 20-4 variable-dependent goal 20-35 variables adding local variables 4-62 adding project variables 4-61 and object parameters 7-2 assigning to material properties 8-5 assigning to parameters 4-69 choosing to optimize 4-70 choosing to tune 4-71 dataset expressions in 4-69 defining sweep definitions 20-4 excluding from Optimetrics analyses 20-73 including in functions 4-64
including in sensitivity analysis 4-70 including in statistical analysis 4-71 material properties 8-5 min. and max values for optimization 20-37 min. and max values for sensitivity analysis 20-53 output 19-46 overriding default value for a parametric setup 20-7 overview 4-61 predefined in Q3D Extractor 4-64 setting default value 4-62 setting distribution criteria 20-59 setting fixed values 20-74 setting range of values 20-53 setting range of values for optimization 20-37 tuning 20-65 types in Q3D Extractor 4-61 updating to optimized values 20-42 vector field plots creating 19-63 modifying arrows 19-69 vector operations 19-88 verifying conduction paths 9-8 vertex selecting 7-124 vertices selecting 7-124 video drivers recommended 2-2 view direction 7-106 view options background color 7-109 fit all in view 7-102 lighting 7-108 orientation 7-106 projection 7-108 spin 7-100 view direction 7-106 zoom 7-100 zoom on rectangle 7-101
Index-23
Maxwell Online Help
viewing data markers 19-72 virtual force and current 21-17, 22-27, 22-49 and energy 21-9 and magnetic coenergy 21-17, 22-27, 22-49 and virtual work (Electrostatic) 22-27 and virtual work (electrostatic) 21-9 and virtual work (magnetostatic) 21-17, 22-49 instantaneous 21-30 theory (eddy current) 21-30 theory (electrostatic) 21-9, 22-27 theory (magnetostatic) 21-17, 22-49 time-averaged value of 21-30 virtual torque and magnetic coenergy 21-18, 22-50 and virtual force (electrostatic) 22-27 and virtual force (magnetostatic) 21-18, 22-50 instantaneous 21-31 theory (eddy current) 21-31 theory (electrostatic) 22-27 theory (magnetostatic) 21-18, 22-50 time-averaged value of 21-31 virtual work and force (electrostatic) 21-9, 22-27 and force (magnetostatic) 21-17, 22-49 and torque (electrostatic) 22-27 and torque (magnetostatic) 21-18, 2250 visibility hiding objects 7-103 of color key 19-66 of field overlay plots 19-73 of mesh on field plots 19-69 showing objects 7-103 visualization options for boundaries 9-9 for excitations 9-9 voltage and balloon boundaries 21-57 and capacitance 21-6
and inductance 21-16 reference 21-72 time-varying 21-7 voltage sources AC used as reference 21-72 DC used as reference 21-72
W
wing 19-6 wireframe objects 7-104 working coordinate system about 7-131 selecting 7-131
X
XY drawing plane 7-149
Z
zooming in and out 7-100 on rectangular area 7-101
Index-24

MaxwellV12 Onlinehelp

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Table of Contents

1. Welcome to Maxwell Online Help

2. Getting Started with Maxwell and RMxprt

Customize Toolbar Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-10

Maxwell Online Help

2-22 2-24 2-27 2-28 2-28

Maxwell Online Help

4. Working with Maxwell Projects and Designs

Maxwell Online Help

Maxwell Online Help

Maxwell Online Help

5. Setting Up a Maxwell Design

6. Specifying the Solver Type

Maxwell Online Help

Maxwell Online Help

7-66 7-66 7-66 7-67 7-68

Maxwell Online Help

Deleting Start Points and Endpoints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-76

Maxwell Online Help

Moving Faces Along a Vector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-88

Maxwell Online Help

7-108 7-108 7-109 7-110 7-110

7-112 7-113 7-115 7-115 7-116

Selecting Objects by Name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-116

Maxwell Online Help

Maxwell Online Help

7-145 7-146 7-147 7-149 7-150

Maxwell Online Help

Recoil Lines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-34

9. Assigning Boundaries and Excitations for 3D Designs

Maxwell Online Help

Maxwell Online Help

Maxwell Online Help

Maxwell Online Help

10. Assigning Boundaries and Excitations for 2D Designs

Maxwell Online Help

Maxwell Online Help

Maxwell Online Help

Maxwell Online Help

11. Setting Up Motion for Transient Projects

12. Adding Solution Parameters

13. Defining Mesh Operations

Maxwell Online Help

14. Specifying Solution Settings

Maxwell Online Help

15. Maxwell Coupling with ePhysics, HFSS, and Simplorer

16. Exporting Equivalent Circuit Data

Maxwell Online Help

17. Scripting in Maxwell

18. Running Simulations

Maxwell Online Help

19. Post Processing and Generating Reports

Maxwell Online Help

Maxwell Online Help

Units of Measure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-77

19-82 19-82 19-83 19-83 19-83 19-83 19-83 19-83

Maxwell Online Help

Complex . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Domain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Scalar Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Vec? Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

19-83 19-84 19-84 19-85

Maxwell Online Help

Maxwell Online Help

20-41 20-42 20-42 20-42

Optimization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20-43 20-45 20-49 20-49 20-50 20-50 20-51