Trying Analyst extraction in MWO for the first time, getting errors...

Here's the .emz in a .zip:

HPLP Shiftes - Analyst Issue.emz.zip

Hi Eric,

I can take a look, but this looks like a support question. Have you submitted it to Cadence support (at support.cadence.com), or to the AWR university program support (awr.support.univ@cadence.com)?

Mohi

Hi Eric,

I did not see a reply, but did not want to leave this question unanswered.  In some ways, Analyst extraction is more flexible than AXIEM (e.g. it allows different substrates at different levels of hierarchy), but that comes at a cost: you can not set up a top level SUBCKT block for extraction, and have it automatically flatten and extract the hierarchy and elements below.  Since all of your subcircuits use the same substrate:

• Disable extraction for any SUBCKT blocks
• Edit the primitive elements in them to enable extraction
  • Use Shift+click to select all of the non-SUBCKT elements
  • Right-click on one > Properties... > Model Options tab
    • Check the box to Enable extraction
    • Set the Group Name to the name of the EXTRACT block at the top level.

 hplp shiftes dad_mk.zip

I have attached a version of your project with these changes.  The relevant section of the documentation is here: https://awrcorp.com/download/faq/english/docs/Simulation/i793180.html#analyst_extraction

I hope this helps.
Mohi

Awesome, thank you! Zeke and I will give it a try and see if we can get it to work.  He is simulating microstrip high/low-pass filters to make phase shifter bits for a phased array antenna.  So far it has been going quite slow because of simulation+optimization time so hopefully Analyst will help.  Maybe he'll put a video of that up soon...

I pressed F8 to check the graphs in the .zip you sent to see how close Axiem is to Analyst and it says  "Zero distance to ground for lumped port 1 found - please check ground direction and boundary conditions." 

It works if I switch to Axiem though.  Do you know what this might mean?  Looking at the 3D view the ground doesn't appear to be close to port 1.

Sorry, when I got the extraction working, I did not have time to run the simulation, so I did not try.  I will take a look and post an update when I can.

I think the main issue is that you have no ground reference for your ports: the top and bottom boundaries are open, and unless I missed it, there is no ground pour on any layer.  AXIEM has auto-ports that try to detect where ground is, and automatically set up the best port type based on the surroundings.  In this case, there is no ground, and the auto-ports resolve to ground type of "None", meaning implicit ground, which uses a voltage excitation at the port with ground at infinity for reference (see https://awrcorp.com/download/faq/english/docs/Simulation/axiem.html#edge_ports).  Analyst does not have such a port type.  You need to define a ground reference/return path.  So, if you were measuring this in the lab, how would you connect the ground on your probes?

Hi Mohi,

Thanks for all of your help on this.  I was hung up a little bit on the "Group name" setting in the subcircuit primitive elements: they do not show the top-most circuit's extract block group name in the "Group name" pulldown.  Did you just copy-paste it in to the sub-circuit primitives?

Also, I noticed you have Heirarchy=On in the extract block:  From the documentation, "When On, this extraction group generates an individual EM document and is not part of a higher level document. ".  Is this setting also necessary for Analyst?

One more analyst question, unrelated to above:

I can create a helix (draw entity->helix) but it is 2d.  How can I give the helical element a radius and make it 3d so I can model a helical antenna and get a far-field from it?

Thanks again,

-Eric

Yes, I copy/pasted the group name.  You can multi-select all the elements to be extracted, right-click > Properties, and edit their Model Options tab at once.

The Hierarchy parameter makes no difference if on the highest level of hierarchy being extracted.  I probably changed it to On by accident.  Please see this section of our help documentation for exceptions related to 3D EM simulations: awrcorp.com/.../i793180.html

You need to create a profile (cross-section) and sweep it along the path.  If your are running version 15.04, in the 3D editor's Help, navigate to section 3.3.4.8. Example - Sweeping a Surface Solid

Thank you for the quick response, I appreciate your help!