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Design H-Notch Patch Unit Element

This step of the tutorial shows how to design an unit element for a 1-by-2 H-notch linear array. You design the H-notch unit element by subtracting the top and bottom notches from the substrate.

Create H-Notch

Select the HNotchLayer on the PCB Stack navigation tree and then select Rectangle from the Shapes section on the toolbar. Drag the shape onto the canvas to create a rectangular patch.

Set the properties of Rectangle2 to the following:

  • Name HPatch

  • Center[0,0]

  • Length20

  • Width20

pcb_antenna_gs_6.png

Click the Canvas Settings button and select Snap to grid to allow easier and more accurate drawing. Then set the Grid Size to 0.5 mm.

snapToGridChecked.PNG

The app displays the drawn shape.

pcb_antenna_gs_7.png

Create Top Notch

Select Rectangle from the Shapes section and drag the shape to the top of the shape to create a top notch in the patch layer. Set the properties of Rectangle3 to the following:

  • Name TopNotch

  • Center[0,7]

  • Length6

  • Width6

pcb_antenna_gs_8.png

Create Bottom Notch

Select TopNotch from the canvas and then copy the layer by clicking Copy in the Actions section. Click Paste to paste a copy of TopNotch. Doing so creates a rectangle TopNotch_Copy_1 with identical dimensions to the TopNotch layer.

Set the properties of TopNotch_Copy_1 to the following:

  • Name BottomNotch

  • Center[0,-7]

pcb_antenna_gs_9.png

Subtract Top and Bottom Notch Layers from Metal Patch

Select HPatch and TopNotch and then click Subtract in the Shapes section of the toolbar to remove both rectangles.

SelectTopNotchafterHnotch.PNG

The app updates the HPatch layer.

pcb_antenna_gs_10.png

Select the HPatch and BottomNotch and click Subtract in the Shapes section of the toolbar to remove both rectangles.

pcb_antenna_gs_11.png

Set Dimensions for Ground Plane

The ground plane must be same size as the HNotchLayer. To make the ground plane the same size as HPatch, right-click HPatch and select Copy.

pcb_antenna_gs_12.png

Right-click the GroundPlane and click Paste on the toolbar to paste the rectangle in the GroundPlane.

pcb_antenna_gs_13.png

The app copies the rectangle to the ground plane layer with the name HPatch_Copy(1). HPatch_Copy(1) and HPatch have the same dimensions.

Set the properties of HPatch_Copy(1) to the following:

  • Name GroundPlaneRect

  • Center[0,7]

  • Length23

  • Width23

pcb_antenna_gs_14.png

Add Feed

Select the HNotchLayer metal layer on the PCB Stack navigation tree and then click Add Feed in the Feed Via section on the toolbar. You can add a feed only to a metal layer.

FeedViaWithAddFeedSelected.PNG

As the PCB Stack navigation tree shows, the app adds the feed to HNotchLayer as Feed1.

pcb_antenna_gs_15.png

For more information on feeds and vias, refer to the FeedLocation and ViaLocation properties in the documentation of the pcbStack object.

Change Properties of Feed

Select the parent Feed node on the PCB Stack navigation tree, and then set the FeedDiameter to 1 and FeedViaModel to Strip. FeedDiameter is a global property.

FeedParentSelected.PNG

Change Position of Feed

Select Feed1 on the PCB Stack navigation tree. In the Properties pane, set Center to [-3,-3].

FeedSelectedInTree.PNG FeedpositionChanged.PNG

In the 3D-View pane, you can see that the feed is connected only to HNotchLayer.

pcb_antenna_gs_16.png

Change Start Layer and Stop Layer

Connect the feed from HNotchLayer to GroundPlane by setting StartLayer to HNotchLayer and StopLayer to GroundPlane. This creates a feed on the GroundPlane which connects to the HNotchLayer.

HNotchSelection.PNGFinalSelection.PNG View3DafterStartlayerStopLayerChanged.PNG

Change Metal Properties

Select the Layers in on the PCB Stack navigation tree and set the Type of the metal layer to Copper in the Properties pane.

LayersNodeSelected.PNG MetalOptions.PNG

Validate Design

Click Validate Design on the toolbar to validate your board shape, layers, feed, via, and load.

ValidateDesignDialog.PNG

See Also

Objects

Functions

Related Topics