Features

What is currently implemented in the EMerge FEM RF solver.

GMSH & OpenCASCADE integration

EMerge uses GMSH for mesh generation, with the OpenCASCADE kernel handling CAD. This functionality is wrapped in EMerge’s own class system, making interaction and manipulation much simpler for the user.

Microwave / RF physics

EMerge uses the second-order edge element basis function implementation of the time-harmonic EM wave equation. It can handle both frequency-domain studies and eigenmode analysis.

Boundary Conditions

The boundary condition options in EMerge keep growing. Currently available are: PEC, PMC, Absorbing Boundary, Wave Port, Lumped Port, Periodic Boundaries, Surface Impedance and Floquet Port (without grading modes).

3D view and Post Processing

Solutions from frequency-domain sweeps return scalars like S-parameters and field data, which can be easily interpolated at arbitrary coordinates. Far-field computations are also supported, with or without symmetry planes.

For 3D visualization, EMerge uses PyVista. Its simplified interface makes it easy to add objects, port modes, fields, cut planes, and iso-surfaces to a 3D view.

Multi-core and multi-threaded computing out of the box!

EMerge is built on the linear algebra solvers in SciPy. For direct solvers it relies on SuperLU, UMFPACK, Intel’s PARDISO (x86 only), and NVIDIA’s cuDSS, while eigenmode solvers use ARPACK and LAPACK.

Frequency-domain sweeps can be easily distributed across multiple cores or processes.

Geometry

Box, Cylinder, Coax, Horn, Cone, Sphere, Half Sphere, Polygons, Extrusion, Revolution, Add, Subtract, Intersect, Embed, Stretch, Change coordinate system

Plus advanced features:

- PCB Layout/route tool

- PML Box + Layers

- Automated periodic cells

Boundary conditions

PEC
PMC
Absorbing Boundary (1st, 2nd order)
Port (wave, lumped, Floquet, rectangular waveguide, modal with eigenmode solver, user defined)
Periodic
Lumped Element
Surface Impedance/Material + Hammerstad-Jensen model

Others

Adaptive mesh refinement (Beta)
Frequency/Coordinate dependent material properties (full tensors)
Material library with 300+ materials*
S-parameter (no multimode ports)
Vector Fitting
Far-field 2D/3D with symmetry plane support
E and H field
Touchstone Export

* Material properties have pending verification on their accuracy.

Performance

Performance matters. While it’s tough to compete with software that’s been refined for decades, EMerge still manages to carve out its niche.

Thanks to its lightweight design, small simulations run extremely fast on multi-threaded systems. And by leveraging powerful sparse solvers like PARDISO, UMFPACK, SuperLU, and cuDSS, performance limitations compared to commercial tools are minimal.

For problems under 200k DoF, EMerge performs on par with commercial software. On very small simulations, it can even edge them out, though more benchmarking is still needed.