EMDS for ADS Visualization

EMDS for ADS Visualization enables you to view and analyze these types of simulation data:

Data can be analyzed in a variety of 2D and 3D plot formats. Some types of data are displayed in tabular form.

You can view the simulation results from any EMDS for ADS or Agilent EMDS project.
This chapter gives an overview on how to use the EMDS for ADS Visualization. Viewing Results describes in detail how to use EMDS for ADS Visualization for viewing specific types of data, such as S-parameters or currents.

Starting EMDS for ADS Visualization

To start EMDS for ADS Visualization choose EMDS > Post-Processing > Visualization . The current project must run through a complete simulation use Visualization to view data. If simulation has been previously completed for a project, you can start Visualization directly to view the existing data.

Working with EMDS for ADS Visualization Windows

The following figure highlights the basic elements of the EMDS for ADS Visualization window.
For an overview of EMDS for ADS, refer to EMDS for ADS Overview.

Selecting the Number of Views

By default, the view screen displays a single view. You can optionally display four views. By using four views, you can display up to four different plots at one time.
To display four views:

Tip
You can enlarge the viewing area by clicking Hide Controls .

To display a single view:

Selecting a View to Work In

You must choose from one of the four views to work in. You can change to a different view at any time.

To select a view:

  1. Position the mouse in the view and click.

To identify the selected view, note the title of the Plot Type - View list. This will change to identify the selected view. For example, if you choose View 3, the title will appear as Plot Type - View_3.

To select a view and enlarge it to a single view:

  1. Choose Window > Select View.
  2. Select a view from the View list.
  3. Click OK . The view screen displays the new view.

Setting Preferences for a View

You can set the color preferences for a view, including the background, grid lines, and text along the plot axes.

To set preferences:

  1. Choose Window > Preferences.
  2. Select a color for the background, the text that labels plot axes, and colors of the major and minor axes. The major axis includes the grid lines with numbers, the minor axis consists of grid lines that appear in between the numbered ones.
  3. Click Done to dismiss the dialog box.

Working with Annotation in a View

You can add text to a view, and edit the position and color of the text, by choosing Display > Annotation. You can save your settings so that they can be reused.

Adding Text

To add text to a view:

  1. Select the view where you want to add text.
  2. Choose Display > Annotation. Drag the Annotation dialog box so that any existing text is in view.
  3. Click New Annotation.
  4. Type your text into the Annotation Label field. If text already appears in this field, you can delete it and then type in your text. When you are finished, press the Enter key.
  5. Use the X Location and Y Location scroll tools to position the text on the display.
  6. Click Done to dismiss the dialog box and view the new text.

Adding Variables

There are three variables that can be added to the annotation: %project% , %view% , and %date% . These variables can be displayed automatically whenever EMDS for ADS Visualization is in use.

Editing Text

To edit text:

  1. Select the view where you want to edit text.
  2. Choose Display > Annotation . Drag the annotation dialog box so that any existing text is in view.
  3. Select the text that you want to edit from the Annotations field.
  4. To adjust the position of the text in the view, use the X Location and Y Location scroll tools.
  5. To change the size of the text, use the Annotation Size scroll tool to increase or decrease the font size.
  6. To change the thickness of the text characters, use the Annotation Thickness scroll tool to make fine, normal, or bold-faced characters.
  7. To change the color of the text, select one of the colors listed under Annotation Color.
  8. To change the orientation of the text, Horizontal or Vertical under Orientation.
  9. To change the text, make your changes in the Annotation Label field.
  10. To make changes to other lines of text, select the text from the Annotation field and edit as desired.
  11. When you are finished, click Done to dismiss the dialog box.

Deleting Text

To delete text:

  1. Select the view that you want to add text to or edit text.
  2. Choose Display > Annotation . Drag the annotation dialog box so that any existing text is in view.
  3. Select the text that you want to delete from the Annotations field.
  4. Click Delete Annotation .
  5. Click Done to dismiss the dialog box.

Retrieving Plots in a View

Multiple plot types can be stored under a single view. Only one plot at a time can be displayed in a view, but any other plots that you worked with in the view will be saved so that you can view them again.

To retrieve a plot from a view:

Refreshing the Window

Choose Window > Refresh at any time to update the displayed views. Typically, the window refreshes automatically after a command is completed.

Data Overview

You can display these types of data in EMDS for ADS Visualization:

The plots and tables available for viewing this data can be found under these menus.

Working with Plots and Data

There are many plot types available, plus many types of data to display. This section describes how to work with plots, such as adding a plot to a view, adding data to a plot, and editing a plot.

Displaying a Plot

EMDS for ADS Visualization is designed so that for each basic type of data, such as S-parameters or currents, there is a set of plots available for displaying the data. The details for working with each basic data type and the available plots are in later chapters in this manual.

As an example, to display an S-parameter magnitude plot:

  1. Choose Plot > S Mag Plot... .
  2. Select a matrix and set of S-parameters from the Matrix and S-parameters list. Details about these lists appear in Variables in the Standard and AFS Dataset.
  1. Select a view from the View list. The plot will appear in this view.
  2. Click Apply .

Adding Data to a Displayed Plot

Multiple sets of data can be added to a plot:

Working with Data Controls

Data controls are available for editing the appearance of the following items:

To access data controls, select the data from the Graphs list. Click the button that appears above the Graphs list. The illustration here is an example for S-parameter data or other data that appears on a rectangular plot.

Data controls include:

Viewing Data from Another Project

The data from any Momentum or Agilent EMDS project can be added to a plot. After you load new projects, you can select among any of the projects for data to display.

To load an Momentum project:

  1. Choose Projects > Read Momentum Project... .
  2. Navigate to the folder where the project is saved (project folder) and open the folder.
  3. Under the project folder is another folder named mom_dsn . Open this folder.
  4. Open the folder that contains your specific design.
  5. Double-click on any file within this folder.

To load a new Agilent EMDS project:

  1. Choose Projects > Read Agilent EMDS Project....
  2. Select the project directory containing the project.
  3. Select the project from the Projects list. Note the annotation at the bottom of the list, it will indicate if the selected project has saved solutions or not.
  4. Click OK.
    Note
    The project directory and projects brought up by selecting Read Agilent EMDS Project ... are ONLY those designs that have been opened in the standalone version of EMDS. If no projects have been opened in the standalone version, the project list will be empty.

To change to a different project:

  1. Choose Projects > Select Project.
  2. Select a project from the list of Momentum or Agilent EMDS projects.
  3. Click Select Momentum or Select Agilent EMDS.
Note
The title bar of the Agilent EMDS window will display the name of the currently selected project. Data will be retrieved from this project.

Erasing Data from a Plot

Choose Window > Erase to delete part or all of the data from a plot. When the data is deleted, it is also removed from the Graph list.

  1. Select the plot from which you want to erase the displayed data.
  2. Choose Window > Erase Plot .
  3. Select the data to be erased.
  4. Click Apply .
  5. Continue to select data and use Apply as needed.
  6. Click Done to dismiss the dialog box.

Reading Data Values from a Plot

Data for a single point can be retrieved from any plot. The values are displayed near the bottom of the EMDS for ADS window. The type of data that is returned is based on the plot type. Data is not retrieved from far-field plots.

To read the values of a single data point:

For rectangular plots and Smith charts, the returned values include the data name, and the values along the X and Y axes of the plot. In some cases, values may be rounded.

On current plots, you can return values selected on Objects added from the Display menu. These are the x, y, and z drawing coordinates of the layout.

Working with Plot Controls

You can use the plot editing controls at the bottom of the EMDS for ADS window to rotate, resize, and move plots to optimize the view of your data. When you are working with rectangular plots, you can adjust the scale of the plot.

Rotating a Plot

The Rotate command moves a 3D plot in the X, Y, or Z direction. You can rotate Objects and 3D far-field plots only.

To rotate a plot:

  1. Click Rotate.
  2. Rotate the plot using one of the following methods:
    • Position the mouse anywhere on the plot, then drag the mouse up, down, or diagonally to rotate. To fix the plot position, release the mouse button.
    • Click Rotation to set X Rotation, Y Rotation, and Z Rotation values using scroll bars. Values range from -180 to 180 degrees.
    • Click Views to select a predefined view. Choices are Front Angle , Back Angle , Top , Side , or Front.

Scaling a Plot

The Scale command enlarges or shrinks the size of a plot.
To scale a plot:

  1. Click Scale.
  2. To enlarge the plot, click anywhere on the plot and drag the mouse up or to the right.
  3. To make the plot smaller, drag the mouse down or to the left.

Moving the Centerpoint of a Plot

The Pan command moves a plot in the horizontal or vertical direction.
To move a plot:

  1. Click Pan.
  2. Click anywhere on the plot and drag the mouse to move the plot up, down, left, or right.

Working with Rectangular-plot Editing Controls

Rectangular plots have additional plot controls for:

Editing the Axes on a Plot

The options in the Graph Properties dialog box enable you to change the range of data that is displayed on a plot, to increase or decrease the number of lines in the plot grid, and to change the text that appears along each axis.

To change the data range on a plot:

  1. Click Graph Properties.
  2. The current boundaries are displayed in the X Axis and Y Axis Min and Max fields. To change the range of displayed data, type new values into the Min and Max fields for each axis.
  3. Press Enter as you make each entry to view its effect on the plot.

To manually scale x, y axes:

  1. Click Graph Properties .
  2. Enter the number of units per division in the Div field. For example, if Div is set to 20 when Min is 0 and Max is 100, you would see 5 major divisions along the axis.
  3. Enter the number of grid lines in each division in the Ticks field. In the figure above, Ticks is set to 1, so one line appears in each division.
  4. Press Enter as you make each entry to view its effect on the plot.

To automatically scale the axes of a plot:

  1. Click Graph Properties.
  2. Click Auto Scale to automatically scale the x and y axes of a plot.

To change the text on each axis:

  1. Click Graph Properties.
  2. Type new text into the X Legend and Y Legend fields.
  3. Press Enter as you make each entry to view its effect on the plot.

Editing the Legend

When several sets of data are on a single plot, the legend can help to distinguish the data. The legend displays the colors used to display the data and the names of the data.

You can move and resize the legend, or erase it. You can also change the name of the data.

To edit the legend:

  1. Click Legend Properties.
  2. If the dialog box appears to be empty, enable Visible.
  3. Use the X Location and Y Location scroll bars to adjust the position of the legend in the view.
  4. Adjust the font size if the title using Legend Title Size.
  5. Adjust the font size of the data names using Legend Entries Size.
  6. To change the title above the data names, enter a different title in the Legend Title field.
  7. Click Done to dismiss the dialog box.

To edit the name of the data:

  1. Select the data from the Graphs list.
  2. Click Line Properties.
  3. Under Line Legend, enter a new name for the data.
  4. Click Done to dismiss the dialog box.

Saving a Plot

You can save plotted data and the plot type to a file. The data types include:

The file is in ASCII format, so you can use the data in other applications.
You can also import these files directly into EMDS for ADS Visualization. This eliminates the need to read in a project and then select the project in order to view the data.

To export plotted S-parameters:

  1. Choose File > Export Plot Data.
  2. Select the type of plot you want to export.
  3. Under Plots, select the S-parameters that you want to apply to the plot.
  4. Click Browse. Navigate to where you want to save the file and enter a file name. An extension (. hfd ) will be automatically appended to the file name. Click OK.
  5. If you are satisfied with your selections, click Apply . The calculated S-parameters and plot type are written to the file.
  6. Continue to save other sets of S-parameters with other plot types, as desired. Be sure to click Apply so that the file is generated.
  7. When you are finished, click Done to dismiss the dialog box.
  8. The file is saved in ASCII format. You can view the file in any text editor.

Importing a Plot

Plots that have been saved to a file in .hfd format can be imported. This eliminates the need to read in a project and then select the project in order to view the data.

To import a file:

  1. Choose File > Import Plot Data....
  2. Click Browse and select the file of interest.
  3. The dialog box will display the following information:
    • File Name -the full path and name of the file
    • Plot Type Label -the type of plot that is saved in the file
    • Plot Name Label -the S-parameters that are saved in the file
    • Import Name -the name that is assigned by the post processor to the S-parameter plot. This is the name you will choose when you go to display the plot.
  4. Click Apply . Continue importing S-parameter plots as desired.
  5. When you are finished loading plot files, click Done .
    To view an imported plot:
  1. Choose Field > Plot Imported Data....
  2. Select a plot type. A list of available plots is displayed.
  3. Select the name of the plot that you want to view.
  4. Select a view.
  5. Click Apply. Continue adding plots to views as desired.
  6. Click Done to dismiss the dialog box.

Displaying Fields

In EMDS for ADS Visualization, you can display electric and magnetic fields on cut planes in the geometry. This section describes how to view fields.

Setting Port Solution Weights

Before displaying a current plot, select a frequency and set the port solution weights for that frequency. Weighting port solutions enables you to specify the amount that any one port solution contributes to the solution at a given frequency. The weighting will be reflected in the current plots.

A Thevenin voltage source (voltage source + source impedance in series) is attached to each circuit port. The source impedance is either the characteristic impedance for single, differential, and coplanar ports; or 50 ohms for all other port types. The voltage source amplitude for each port is set to its corresponding solution weight (magnitude + phase). The displayed currents are those that correspond with this excitation state.

To set port solution weights:

  1. Choose Current > Set Port Solution Weights.
  2. Select a frequency.
  3. Select a port, and enter the magnitude in the Solution Weight field, and enter the phase in the Solution Phase field.
  4. Repeat the previous step for other ports, as necessary for the same frequency.
  5. Click OK to complete the command.

Displaying the Layout

An outline of the layout is loaded into a view (if it is missing) when the current plots are displayed. If a layout is not loaded or if it was deleted, choose Display > Objects to display the layout.

Displaying a Field Plot

The field plot displays surface currents on all objects of the simulated layout. The plot can be animated to illustrate the fields propagating through the circuit.

Note
Make sure the layout is loaded into the view. Choose Display > Objects to load the layout if it is missing.

To display a Field plot:

  1. Choose Field > Plot Fields.
  2. Select the graphical format:
    • Arrow Plots a vector field quantity using arrows to indicate direction and magnitude.
    • Contour Displays the "equal magnitude" contours of the vector field.
    • Shaded Displays a shaded plot of a magnitude of the vector field quality. The magnitude being plotted is represented by a range of colors. A color scale showing the range of values also appears on the screen.
    • Line Scalar quantities plotted along a line path in a graph. The paths are defined with Define > Line... . The X-, Y-, and Z-components of vector quantities are plotted as a function of position along the line. For scalar quantities (i.e. E dl), the scalar value is plotted as a function of position along the line.
    • Surface Scalar quantity plotted as a shaded plot on the intersection of a cut plane with metallic surfaces
    • 3D Cloud Scalar quantity plotted as a cloud plot in the entire 3D space. The point density represents the maximum magnitude of the scalar quantity, while the color represents the phase varying magnitude.
  3. Select the view that you want to use to display the plot.
  4. Click OK.

Animating Plotted Currents

The currents have a sinusoidal, or harmonic, time dependence, with steady-state conditions assumed. There is an implied time dependence. Animation enables you to visualize the surface currents in the time domain, illustrating the propagation through a circuit. Changing time corresponds with changing the additional phase introduced by the factor. You can change this phase continuously or you can step through the phase changes manually.

To change the phase manually:

  1. Click Display Properties.
  2. Enable Animate.
  3. The currents are animated in time. The animation repeats automatically until Animate is disabled. The speed of the animation can be changed by editing the Increment field. A larger value speeds the animation, smaller values slow it down.
  4. You can change the maximum value of the color scale. Depending on the selected graphical format, you can change other options:
    • For the shade and contour plots, you can set the translucency, and color of the current.
    • For the arrow plot, you can change the length of the arrow vector.

Displaying the Mesh on a Current Plot

Choose Display > Mesh to add the mesh to a current plot.

To display a mesh:

  1. Choose Display > Mesh.
  2. Select the view displaying the plot to which you want to add the mesh. Meshes can be displayed in Objects only.
  3. Click OK to complete the command.
Tip
Depending on the drawing order, the mesh may be under the shaded current plot, and not visible. To see the mesh, lower the translucency of the shaded plot.
 

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