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Explore.Design.Deliver.

AntennaMagusThe first antenna design tool of its kind

Antenna Magus is the first antenna design tool of its kind. Its huge searchable collection of antennas can be explored to find, design and export models of designed antennas to CST MICROWAVE STUDIO and FEKO.

Where does AntennaMagus

fit into the design process?

Antenna Magus is a new software tool that helps engineers accelerate the antenna design process. It simplifies the day-to-day work of antenna designers and engineers that create EM models, ensuring that more projects are completed within specification and on time.Antenna Magus is built on the solid foundation of many years of combined antenna design experience of the Magus team, our partners and customers.

During product conceptualisation, the central role of simulation tools in the antenna design process was apparent. For this reason, Magus has partnered with two of the leaders in simulation technology, and intends to partner with others in the future. Both EMSS (FEKO) and CST (CST MICROWAVE STUDIO®) immediately saw the benefits of Antenna Magus for design engineers and assisted Magus with product refinement.

Get system specifications

Choose an atenna type

based on specifications

Find literature on chosen antenna

Modelantenna

Compare results to literature

Calculate parameters to achieve

specification

Simulate antenna to evaluate

performance

Modify topology to

better achieve specification

Use simulator for virtual

prototyping

Build and measure

prototype

Final modification for

manufacture

What is Antenna Magus?

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Huge searchable database of antennas that is continually growing. • Database is regularly updated with new antennas so that users can be confident • that their bases are covered. Information provided in standardised format to simplify the comparison of • different antennas.Quick summary as well as detailed information about each antenna.•

Antennas are designed to meet performance specifications.• Thoroughly tested design algorithms ensure that resultant designs meet • specified criteria.Proportional 3D preview images and simple 2D design sketches of each designed • antenna helps to identify physical manufacturing challenges.

Predict performance of designed antenna.• Applicable performance graphs are displayed. (Graphs include S-parameters, • VSWR, Gain, Impedance, Pattern cuts, Smith charts etc.)Tweak (vary) physical dimensions and re-analyse to understand the relationship • between different parameters and the antenna’s performance. View tweaked results on same graphs and compare performance with original design.•

Easily and instantly generate CST MICROWAVE STUDIO® and FEKO models from • your designs.FEKO and CST MICROWAVE STUDIO models have been validated and are • “ready to run”.Various useful export options, using different modeling approaches, for • each antenna. Antennas are continuously improved to help you leverage new capabilities of • CST MICROWAVE STUDIO and FEKO.

Explore database

Design

Estimate performance

Export

OverviewAntenna Magus features summary

2 | 3

The amount information relating to different antenna types and topologies is enormous – and much of it is completely irrelevant. This makes the task of finding specific information that is both accurate and relevant a challenging one. The search for information is particularly challenging or even impossible for less popular topologies and design approaches, or for antennas that are named and described differently by different authors.

Even if all of the generally available information about a specific antenna is gathered, it often lacks necessary information. For example, physical dimensions aren’t shown, performance graphs indicate impedance information without showing the antenna pattern or important design obstacles are simply ignored!

Antenna Magus overcomes these problems by providing a complete database of antennas that incorporates accurate concise general information about each antenna in an easily searchable, standardised format, as well as relevant design information.

Antennas are searchable according to specifications or performance criteria —and can be sorted and grouped based on standardised keyword based search terms. This database is regularly updated with new and improved antennas.

We consider the feedback from Antenna Magus users to be extremely valuable in helping us expand and improve Antenna Magus. Specific antennas that are nominated by users will be considered during development planning and scheduling.

Search and explore the Antenna Magus database

Explore

The database is regularly updated with new and improved antennas.

The old way The new way

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Sample of antenna information provided in Antenna Magus

4 | 5Explore

Example of an antenna validation report.

When designing a new antenna the correct design approach is often ambiguous. Published papers may be unclear or contradictory in their approach and provide insufficient information for confident design choices to be made.

Antenna Magus has taken care of the routine work needed to get to an initial design. The team of Antenna Magus Engineers have collected the necessary design information for each antenna and

converted it into mathematical algorithms. Each design algorithm is thoroughly tested by running thousands of full-wave simulations to ensure that the resultant design meets the specified criteria.

2 dimensional images with physical dimensions and 3 dimensional images of the actual as-designed antenna are provided and provide a good indication how easy or difficult the antenna is to manufacture.

Design antennas to meet specifications

Design

Antenna Magus has taken care of the routine work needed to get to an initial design.

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Example of waveguide-fed H-plane sectoral horn.

Design example: Quadrifilar helix

6 | 7Design

Antenna Magus provides an estimate of the performance of the designed antenna before continuing with prototyping or more detailed simulation in 3D-EM analysis tools (like CST MICROWAVE STUDIO or FEKO).

Unlike EM analysis tools, Magus knows the topology and the environment of the antenna. By limiting the geometric modifications that can be made to an antenna, certain assumptions and approximations can be employed to reduce analysis time while still providing a reasonable estimation of performance. Performance graphs like impedance vs frequency, gain vs angle, gain vs frequency, S-parameters, Smith charts etc. are used to show the most suitable information for each antenna.

Antenna Magus allows “tweaking” of the values of the physical parameters that have been generated during design. The given parameters can be changed within

a limited range and the resultant model can be re-analysed in Magus. From the changes in performance users can learn how specific parameters affect certain aspects of the antenna performance without having to focus on maintaining a CAD model. Further detailed studies can be performed in a full-wave 3D-EM analysis tool.

From the general information and estimated performance results the user can decide whether an antenna warrants further investigation. Antenna Magus generates a model of the as-designed antenna in a format that can be opened directly in FEKO or CST MICROWAVE STUDIO. Modifications (adding holes in substrates or including impedance stubs) and environmental effects (like EMC coupling or placement studies) may be considered further using this model as a reliable starting point.

Fast estimation of designed antennas’ performance

Estimate performance

...provides predicted performance of the designed antenna before continuing with prototyping...

Typical performance results for a edge fed circular patch antenna

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From the general information and estimated performance results the user can decide whether an antenna warrants further investigation. Antenna Magus generates a model of the as-designed antenna in a format that can be opened directly in FEKO or CST MICROWAVE STUDIO. Modifications (adding holes in substrates or including impedance stubs) and environmental effects (like EMC coupling or placement studies) may be considered further using this model as a reliable starting point.

Demonstration of the tweaking environment

8 | 9Estimate performance

What is “tweaking”?

Tweaking is the term used for making slight parameter changes to the designed model. The “tweaked” model can be re-analysed to see the effect of changing the parameters on the estimated performance graphs.

Engineers spend a lot of time becoming proficient in the use of EM analysis tools. Even experts may spend hours setting up models correctly before beginning with any form of useful analysis. Antenna Magus’ export functionality allows more time to be spent on antennas and less time to be spent on mastering simulation software. Antenna Magus generates a parametric and “ready to run” model of the user’s designed antenna which can be saved in the correct file format. Each model is validated against reference data or measurements.

Simulation tools like FEKO and CST MICROWAVE STUDIO regularly release new features and implement new technology which can radically improve simulation performance for specific problems. These features still need to be understood and applied before they can be used

to improve the simulation of antennas. Antenna Magus helps to manage this problem by updating and modifying existing models to include relevant additions as CST MICROWAVE STUDIO and FEKO undergo changes and improvements. These updates are released regularly to ensure that the latest, best methods are used to analyse antennas.

Some of the antenna models have various export options. These export options exploit the different modelling approaches that are available in the EM analysis tool. Each export includes useful information about the model like local meshing, variable dependencies, labels and region properties etc. Exporting from Antenna Magus saves valuable time which allows engineers (experts and novices) to focus more time and energy on meeting final design requirements.

Export models of designed antennas to FEKO and CST Microwave Studio

Export

...more time to be spent on antennas and less time to be spent on mastering simulation software.

“More than half of the effort with setting up an antenna for analysis goes into the non-geometrical aspects like choosing the correct feed mechanism or specifying the boundary conditions etc.”

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Conical Corrugated Horn export

10 | 11Export