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EdgeFEM

3D Finite-Element Electromagnetics Simulator for RF and mmWave

EdgeFEM is an open-source full-wave frequency-domain FEM solver for RF and microwave structures: hollow waveguides, probe-fed patch antennas, and periodic unit cells. It computes S-parameters, electromagnetic fields, and radiation patterns using lowest-order Nédélec (edge) tetrahedral elements. Accuracy is validated against analytical benchmarks over roughly 5-26 GHz (see Validation).

Key Features

Feature Description
S-parameters Wave ports with 2D discrete port modes and assembled surface-mass ABC; lumped ports for antenna feeds
Radiation Patterns 3D far-field via Stratton-Chu integration
Periodic Structures Phase-shifted (Bloch) periodic BCs along one lattice axis, for small unit cells
Open Boundaries First-order ABC and a graded absorbing layer
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; single-node, script-driven workflow
  • Accurate: Validated against analytical solutions (waveguide dispersion, cavity eigenmodes, Fresnel)

Architecture

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