RF PCB

Model RF PCB Component

Since R2025a

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  • RF PCB block icon

Libraries:
RF Blockset / Circuit Envelope / PCB

Description

The RF PCB block enables you to create, visualize, and analyze characteristics of components used on a printed circuit board (PCB) in RF Blockset™ circuit envelope simulation environment. You can create components such as transmission lines, splitters, couplers, baluns, and others from the PCB Components Catalog (RF PCB Toolbox) except the viaSingleEnded object.

Note

To use this block, you need a RF PCB Toolbox™ license.

Examples

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This example uses:

Open Script

This example compares the coupler created using the Ideal (S-parameter) Coupler block and the RF PCB block. There are several types of coupler configurations that an RF system can use, including quadrature, split-ring, and rat-race. This example compares the rat-race couplers created using the S-parameter Coupler block and the RF PCB block.

Rat-Race Coupler Using Ideal Coupler Block

The Coupler block models an ideal frequency-independent four-port rat-race coupler using the S-parameters in a circuit envelope simulation environment. This coupler consists of four ports: an input port, a through port, an isolated port, and a coupling port. The rat-race coupler has a loss and coupling of around 3 dB and infinite isolation. Additionally, the phase differences between the ports are equal.

Simulate the model included with this example and observe the results at the output, coupling, and isolation ports. The isolation of this coupler is infinite and the output and phase differences at the output and coupling ports are the same.

open_system("IdealRateRace.slx")
sim("IdealRateRace.slx")

ans = 

  Simulink.SimulationOutput:
                   tout: [1x1 double] 

     SimulationMetadata: [1x1 Simulink.SimulationMetadata] 
           ErrorMessage: [0x0 char]

Rat-Race Coupler Using RF PCB Block

Use the RF PCB block to create a rat-race coupler from a couplerRatrace (RF PCB Toolbox) object created using RF PCB Toolbox.

Create a rat-race coupler using the couplerRatrace object. Calculate its S-parameters.

cr = couplerRatrace;
sparam = sparameters(cr,linspace(1e9,5e9,16));

Input the rat-race coupler object to the RF PCB block to visualize and analyze the coupler in an RF Blockset circuit envelope environment. This example includes a Simulink model of a rat-race coupler designed using an RF PCB block.

Simulate this model and observe the results at the output, coupling, and isolation ports. The rat-race coupler object is solved using the Method of Moments (MoM) solver. This coupler also has four ports: an input port, a through port, an isolated port, and a coupling port. However, in this design, the loss and coupling can vary depending on the design, and the isolation is approximately 29 dB. The phase difference between the through port and the coupling port is 180 degrees.

open_system("RFPCBRateRace.slx")
sim("RFPCBRateRace.slx")

ans = 

  Simulink.SimulationOutput:
                   tout: [1x1 double] 

     SimulationMetadata: [1x1 Simulink.SimulationMetadata] 
           ErrorMessage: [0x0 char]

The rat-race coupler designed using the Coupler block allows you to model an ideal frequency-independent coupler with S-parameters, whereas the rat-race coupler designed using the RF PCB block allows you to design a coupler by specifying its physical properties, such as width and length, and enables you to simulate using MoM.

Parameters

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To edit block parameters interactively, use the Property Inspector. From the Simulink® Toolstrip, on the Simulation tab, in the Prepare gallery, select Property Inspector.

Main

Specify one of the PCB component objects from the workspace. You can use any one of the objects from the PCB Components Catalog (RF PCB Toolbox) except the viaSingleEnded object.

Note

Analyze the RF PCB objects in the workspace for at least one frequency before using them in the block. To analyze an RF PCB object, input the RF PCB object to an sparameters (RF PCB Toolbox) object.

RF PCB Geometry

Click this button to visualize all the metal layers and the PCB shape of the RF PCB component in the figure window. The filled red circle corresponds to PCB feed points and the blue filled circles correspond to vias.

Dependencies

To enable the Layout button, input a PCB object from your workspace to the Object parameter and then click Apply.

Select this button to visualize the 3-D geometry of the RF PCB component in the figure window.

Dependencies

To enable the Layout button, input a PCB object from your workspace to the Object parameter and then click Apply.

Noise and RF Terminals

Select this parameter to simulate thermal noise in the antenna due to real impedance at the antenna terminals.

Dependencies

To simulate thermal noise in this block, first select Simulate noise in the Configuration block.

Select this option to ground and hide the negative terminals. Clear this parameter to expose the negative terminals. By exposing these terminals, you can connect them to other parts in your model.

Modeling

To enable this tab, analyze the RF PCB objects in the workspace for at least one frequency.

Model S-parameters, specified as:

  • Time domain — This option creates an analytical rational model that approximates the whole range of the data.

  • Frequency domain — This option computes the baseband impulse response for each carrier frequency independently. This technique is based on convolution. For more information, see Compare Time and Frequency Domain Simulation Options for S-parameters.

Time Domain Modeling

Data fitting options, specified as Fit individually, Share poles by column, or Share all poles. This parameter enables you to fit your data using a rational object.

The fitting results are displayed in the Rational fitting results section. The block displays the Number of independent fits, Number of required poles, and Relative error achieved (dB) fields.

Dependencies

To enable this parameter, select Time domain in Modeling options.

Relative error acceptable for the rational fit, specified as a scalar in decibels.

Dependencies

To enable this parameter, select Time domain in Modeling options.

Frequency Domain Modeling

Select this parameter to automatically calculate impulse response. Clear this parameter to manually specify the impulse response duration using Impulse response duration.

Dependencies

To enable this parameter, select Frequency domain in Modeling options.

Impulse response duration, specified as a scalar in seconds.

Dependencies

To enable this parameter:

  • Select Frequency domain in Modeling options

  • Clear Automatically estimate impulse response duration.

Visualization

To enable this tab, analyze the RF PCB objects in the workspace for at least one frequency.

Frequency data source, specified as:

  • Extracted from data source — To enable this option, set Data source to Data file. Verify that the file contains frequency data.

  • User-specified — Select this option to specify a vector of frequencies in Frequency data and the frequency units in a corresponding drop-down list.

When Source of frequency data is Extracted from data source, the Data source must be set to Data file. Verify that the specified Data file contains frequency data.

When Source of frequency data is User-specified, specify a vector of frequencies in the Frequency data parameter. Also, specify units from the corresponding drop-down list.

Frequency data range, specified as a finite vector. Select the frequency units from the corresponding drop-down list.

Dependencies

To enable this parameter, set Source of frequency data to User-specified.

Type of data plot, specified as one of the following:

  • X-Y plane — Generate a Cartesian plot of your data versus frequency. To create linear, semilog, or log-log plots, set Y-axis scale and X-axis scale accordingly.

  • Polar plane — Generate a polar plot of your data. The block plots only the data corresponding to the specified frequencies.

  • Z smith chart, Y smith chart, and ZY smith chart — Generate a Smith® chart. The block plots only the data corresponding to the specified frequencies.

Type of S-Parameters to plot, specified as S(1,1), S(1,2), S(2,1), or S(2,2). For an N-port device, Parameter 1 lists all options to plot N-port S-parameters.

Type of S-Parameters to plot, specified as S(1,1), S(1,2), S(2,1), or S(2,2).

Plot format, specified as Magnitude (dB), Angle(degrees), Real, or Imaginary.

Dependencies

To enable this parameter, set Plot type to X-Y plane.

Plot format, specified as Magnitude (dB), Angle(degrees), Real, or Imaginary.

Dependencies

To enable this parameter, set Plot type to X-Y plane.

Y-axis scale, specified as Linear or Logarithmic.

Dependencies

To enable this parameter, set Plot type to X-Y plane.

X-axis scale, specified as Linear or Logarithmic.

Dependencies

To enable this parameter, set Plot type to X-Y plane.

Click this button to plot the data.

Version History

Introduced in R2025a

See Also

Topics