EM Simulation
Fundamentals.
Five days of practical computational electromagnetics. Methods you will choose between, design problems you will solve.
Who it's for
RF, antenna, and microwave engineers.
Practising engineers who use commercial EM tools and want a deeper, methodical foundation.
Five-day syllabus
From Maxwell to measurement.
DAY01
Maxwell to mesh — choosing the right method
- Maxwell's equations and boundary conditions revisited from a numerical standpoint
- FDTD vs FEM vs MoM: when each excels, where each fails
- Mesh density, dispersion error, and the cost of doing it badly
- Absorbing boundaries (PML), symmetry exploitation, and run-time forecasting
LabImplement a 2D FDTD simulator from scratch in Python (TM mode, PML boundaries). Validate against an analytical waveguide cutoff problem.
DAY02
Antennas & matching
- Dipoles, monopoles, patches, and arrays — first-principles intuition
- S-parameters, the Smith chart, and impedance matching with discrete components
- Radiation pattern, gain, efficiency — and the difference between them
- Array factor, beamforming basics, and grating lobes
LabDesign a 5 GHz inset-fed patch antenna on FR-4. Optimise return loss to better than -15 dB. Generate the radiation pattern. Document fabrication tolerances.
DAY03
RF / microwave structures
- Transmission lines, microstrip, stripline, CPW — when to use each
- Waveguides and resonant cavities — modal analysis in practice
- Filter synthesis: stepped impedance, coupled-line, interdigital
- Substrate effects, metal loss, and the truth about Q-factor
LabDesign a 5-pole interdigital bandpass filter centred at 2.45 GHz with 200 MHz bandwidth. Verify in 3D EM solver; quantify substrate-induced ripple.
DAY04
EMC, EMI, and shielding
- Radiated and conducted emissions — what regulators actually measure
- Shielding effectiveness, aperture coupling, and seam impedance
- Cable bundles, common-mode currents, and the role of ferrites
- Standards survey: CE, FCC Part 15, MIL-STD-461 — practical implications
LabPredict shielding effectiveness of a perforated enclosure across 30 MHz–1 GHz. Compare a sealed-seam variant. Recommend gasket placement.
DAY05
Workflow, validation, and capstone
- Simulation–measurement correlation — why your model and your VNA disagree
- VNA calibration (SOLT, TRL), de-embedding, and fixture artefacts
- Tolerance analysis, manufacturability, and design for yield
- Documentation discipline — handover packages that survive personnel change
CapstoneTake a real design problem from your work, present a simulation plan with chosen method, mesh strategy, validation milestones, and projected runtime budget.
Lead instructor
Senior RF specialist.
Senior RF & EM Consultant
Confirmed at registration
EM-101 is led by a senior practitioner with industry experience in antenna design, microwave filter synthesis, and EMC qualification of regulated equipment.
What's included
Inclusions.
- 35 hours of live tuition
- EM solver licences for the duration of the course
- Reference designs (Touchstone + project files)
- Printed bilingual workbook
- Daily lunch & refreshments; cohort dinner Day 4
- UK visa support letter on confirmed registration
- 30 days of post-course Q&A access
- Sadiqoon Institute Certificate of Completion
Register