Skip to content

EdgeFEM

3D Finite-Element Electromagnetics Simulator for RF and mmWave

EdgeFEM is an open-source full-wave FEM solver specialized for metasurface, metamaterial, and phased array unit cell modeling (100 kHz - 110 GHz). It computes S-parameters, electromagnetic fields, and radiation patterns using Nédélec (edge) elements with industry-standard accuracy.

Key Features

Feature Description
S-parameters Wave ports with eigenmode-based extraction (99.4% accuracy)
Radiation Patterns 3D far-field via Stratton-Chu integration
Periodic Structures Floquet ports for infinite array/metasurface analysis
Open Boundaries PML and ABC for antenna/scattering problems
Python SDK Full scriptable API with NumPy integration
High-level Design Classes RectWaveguideDesign, PatchAntennaDesign, UnitCellDesign
Standard Exports Touchstone (.sNp), VTK, CSV

Quick Example

from edgefem.designs import RectWaveguideDesign
import numpy as np

# Create WR-90 waveguide (X-band: 8.2-12.4 GHz)
wg = RectWaveguideDesign(
    a=22.86e-3,   # Width: 22.86 mm
    b=10.16e-3,   # Height: 10.16 mm
    length=50e-3  # Length: 50 mm
)

# Generate mesh and compute S-parameters at 10 GHz
wg.generate_mesh(density=10)
S = wg.sparams_at_freq(10e9)

print(f"|S11| = {abs(S[0,0]):.4f}")  # ~0.0 (matched)
print(f"|S21| = {abs(S[1,0]):.4f}")  # ~1.0 (full transmission)

Design Philosophy

EdgeFEM is designed as a computation engine that integrates with your existing workflow:

  • Script-first: All simulations are fully reproducible Python scripts
  • Standard formats: Export to Touchstone for RF tools, VTK for ParaView
  • Researcher-friendly: No GUI lock-in, runs on laptops to HPC clusters
  • Accurate: Validated against analytical solutions and commercial tools

Architecture

                    ┌─────────────────────────────────┐
                    │      Python SDK (pyedgefem)    │
                    │  ┌───────────┐ ┌─────────────┐  │
                    │  │  Design   │ │   Plots     │  │
                    │  │  Classes  │ │   Module    │  │
                    │  └───────────┘ └─────────────┘  │
                    └─────────────┬───────────────────┘
                                  │
┌─────────────────────────────────┼─────────────────────────────────┐
│                     C++ Core    │                                 │
│  ┌──────────┐ ┌──────────┐ ┌───┴────┐ ┌──────────┐ ┌──────────┐  │
│  │   Mesh   │ │  Maxwell │ │ Ports  │ │  Solver  │ │  Post-   │  │
│  │  (Gmsh)  │ │ Assembly │ │(Wave/  │ │(BiCGSTAB)│ │  proc    │  │
│  │          │ │ (PML/ABC)│ │Floquet)│ │          │ │(NTF,VTK) │  │
│  └──────────┘ └──────────┘ └────────┘ └──────────┘ └──────────┘  │
└───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Getting Started

  1. Installation - Set up EdgeFEM on your system
  2. Quick Start - Run your first simulation in 5 minutes
  3. Tutorials - Step-by-step guides for common tasks

Ecosystem Integration

EdgeFEM is the full-wave FEM engine in a multi-package RF modeling ecosystem:

  • Phased-Array-Antenna-Model: Uses EdgeFEM element patterns and coupling for array synthesis
  • Metasurface Package (planned): Unit cell optimization and homogenization

License

EdgeFEM is released under the MIT License. See LICENSE for details.