What Is Electromagnetic Wave Analysis?
Electromagnetic wave analysis is a type of numerical analysis method that uses a computer from the initial stage of product development.
It is a type of CAE (computer aided engineering) that visualizes electric and magnetic fields in the high-frequency range and is used to study countermeasures for EMC (electromagnetic compatibility).
It can be used for waveguide analysis in a two-dimensional domain, resonance analysis in a three-dimensional domain, and transient analysis.
Uses of Electromagnetic Analysis
The most common uses of electromagnetic wave analysis are numerical analysis using computers during product development and analysis of defects during development.
Electromagnetic wave analysis is a type of electromagnetic field analysis, and is also used in the analysis of circuits for radio communication, antennas, and radars that use high frequencies, as well as in electromagnetic compatibility analysis for EMC. Electromagnetic wave analysis has become a field of numerical analysis during product development and is an indispensable tool in the design and development of applied products using electromagnetics.
Types of Electromagnetic Wave Analysis
For example, the Method of Moments (MoM), which is useful for EMC analysis of unbounded radiation problems, is excellent for analyzing the structure of uniform dielectric materials. However, it is not suitable for the analysis of non-uniform structures.
The finite elements method (FEM) is a method that meshes the entire area of the structure for analysis and is good for modeling heterogeneous structures. However, it does not model radiation problems as effectively as the method of moments.
The finite difference time domain (FDTD) method meshes the entire space and, unlike the moment and finite element methods, performs the analysis in the time domain. This makes it suitable for transient analysis and excellent for modeling complex heterogeneous structures.
Principle of Electromagnetic Wave Analysis
In computer-based electromagnetic wave analysis, the medium is modeled by dividing space, generally called a grid, and Maxwell’s equations are solved for each grid. The discretization of the space used in the calculation consumes computer memory, and the more grids there are, the longer it takes to solve the equations.
For large-scale electromagnetic analysis, the amount of memory and CPU time used by the computer sets a limit on the calculations. Various boundary conditions, such as insulating boundary, periodic boundary, symmetry boundary, and impedance boundary, as well as time step and frequency, can be set according to the required analysis.
For electromagnetic analysis, it solves Maxwell’s equations in the full-time domain at each instant, the inverse matrix that summarizes the coefficients of the basic equation when modeled by the finite element method, the product of matrices in the transfer matrix method, and the integral equation at the moment method. When calculating with the split-step or beam propagation methods, the FFT and inverse FFT are solved.
How to Choose an Electromagnetic Wave Analysis
Electromagnetic wave analysis is a type of electromagnetic field analysis, and there are various methods used for noise analysis, etc. Each method has different characteristics. For example, it is necessary to fully consider which method to choose, whether the analysis is based on integral or differential equations.
And it is necessary to understand why high-frequency circuit approximations are used. Design feedback is important, taking into account the characteristics of the analysis method.
Structure of Electromagnetic Wave Analysis
The calculation results of electromagnetic wave analysis are presented along with numerical values in easy-to-read color-coded graphs and contour plots. Electromagnetism is a difficult phenomenon because it is invisible to the naked eye, and visual representations make it easier for people who are not familiar with electromagnetic fields and non-engineers to understand the phenomenon.
Electromagnetic field analysis software is also called an electromagnetic field simulator. The 2.5D simulators are classified into 2.5D and 3D based on the dimension of the structure that can be analyzed. 2.5D simulators can analyze a structure that consists of multiple layers, each layer having a 2D figure. However, structures with different electrical properties cannot be placed on the same layer.