RF Channel Modeler Analysis Tab

After generating your transceivers under the Design tab, you can then set up the remaining simulation parameters under the Analysis tab. This tab has three sections that cover the following functionality:

Analysis configuration

Use this top panel to instantiate all your analysis configurations. This includes specifying settings with the Analysis Extent Tool and Advanced Solver Options dialog box. As you add analysis configurations, their names appear in the list along with the configuration status of each.

You can add or remove analysis configurations using the following icons.

Option Icon Description
Add Configuration When you click this icon, the Add Configuration dialog box appears. Enter a name for the analysis configuration and click OK.
Delete Configuration To remove an analysis configuration from the list, select (highlight) it and click .
Duplicate Configuration To duplicate an analysis configuration in the list, select (highlight) it and click . The Duplicate Configuration dialog box appears. Enter a name for the duplicated analysis configuration, or retain the default name, and click OK. The new analysis configuration now appears in the list.

Analysis Extent Tool

When you click the Analysis Extent Tool icon () in the top panel, the Analysis Extent Tool dialog box appears, enabling you to adjust the physical extent of the analysis area. The tool lists all the analysis configurations available. Use the following parameters in the dialog box to specify the extent.

Item Description
Select All Select this check box to apply your extents adjustments to all of the analysis configurations listed in the dialog box.
Select A check box is available for each analysis configuration. Select the check boxes for the ones you want to include in the extents adjustment.
3D Window Selection - Enable This Enable check box defaults to selected, which enables you to go to the 3D Graphics window and click and drag the extent boundary.
Northwest Latitude, Northwest Longitude, Southeast Latitude, Southeast Longitude Enter values for each of these, in degrees, to specify the northwest and southeast corners of the analysis region.

After you set all the parameters in the table, click Apply to make all the adjustments.

Advanced Solver Options

When you click the Advanced Solver Options icon () in the top panel, the Advanced Solver Options dialog box appears, enabling you to adjust the settings for the scattering and bouncing rays algorithm for all of the analysis configurations.

Setting Description
Enable Geometrical Optics Blockage

The basic SBR+ ray tracing model uses rays only to paint direct currents on the scattering geometry. If you select this check box, the algorithm also computes the following:

  • blockage of the incident field from the field source by directly illuminated surfaces of the scattering geometry, using a physical optics model
  • scattering fields arising from interacting with the geometry, using a line-of-sight blockage check to the field observers
Ray Density

This is a setting for specifying the density of rays as they pass through a sampling box at a given distance from the source. Ansys recommends that you retain the default setting or contact product support for assistance in adjusting this parameter.

Maximum Number of Reflections Enter the maximum number of times that the RF Channel Modeler algorithm will allow a ray to reflect off of an object or facet.
Maximum Number of Transmissions This is the maximum number of penetrable surfaces that the algorithm allows a ray to traverse before ending that ray's track processing.
Enable Bounding Box

This parameter is only applicable for radar modeling. This setting limits the area for solver meshing and processing computations to the box window around a target region. Choose one of the following options:

  • Default sets the bounding box to the GPU-SBR default setting.
  • Full Scene sets the bounding box to be the size of the extent of the analysis area.
  • Custom enables you to enter a value for Bounding Box Side Length.

Configuration specification

In the Analysis main tab, there are two middle panels. The left panel shows all the applicable STK objects and all the RF Channel Modeler transceivers you added. Use the tabs in the right panel to set the specifics for the analysis configuration that you highlighted in the top Analysis panel.

Transceivers tab

Click the Add Transceiver Configuration icon () to select transceivers to include in the analysis configuration. When you click the icon, the Add Configuration Analysis Transceivers dialog box appears. You can enable the Select All check box to include all the available transceivers, or you can select individual transceivers by enabling the Select check box next to the ones you want. For all selected transceivers, you can change them from the default Transceive Mode to TransmitOnly or ReceiveOnly, using the Mode drop-down menu. Then click OK to apply the selections and close the dialog box.

After including transceivers, you will see them listed in the Transceivers tab. For each transceiver listed, you can see its name and STK Sensor object path; these are read-only parameters. You can select the Include Parent Facets check box to have the RF Channel Modeler include these facets in the calculations. You can also change the Mode from this list.

To delete a transceiver from the list, select (highlight) it in the list and click the Remove Transceiver Configuration icon ().

Scene Contributor Objects tab

Click the Add Scene Contributor icon () to add available STK objects to the analysis calculations. When you click the icon, the Add Analysis Scene Contributors dialog box appears, enabling you to select objects individually or all at once, using the Select All check box. You can remove an object by highlighting it in the list and clicking the Remove Scene Contributor icon ().

The RF Channel Modeler will check to assure that, for each object you add as a contributor, the object's model in STK is type GLB or glTF. This ensures that the model provides surface facets; otherwise, the analysis computation will fail.

Analysis Compute Times tab

Use this tab to specify a total analysis interval as well as the step size for analysis calculations. The tab provides the following settings:

Setting Description
Use Scenario Analysis Interval This check box defaults to selected, which means the analysis calculations will span the entire scenario interval. If you clear this check box, you can specify the analysis interval using the Start Time and Stop Time settings below.
Start Time If you are not using the scenario interval, then enter this time in epoch seconds.
Stop Time If you are not using the scenario interval, then enter this time in epoch seconds.
Continuous Channel Soundings Select this radio button to generate continuous sounding intervals for the entire scenario interval. Thus, the sounding frequency depends on the soundings time step and the number of soundings per time step.
Step Size When you select this radio button, you can enter an analysis step size in seconds or retain the default step size.
Step Count When you select this radio button, you can enter the total number of steps in the analysis interval.

The last three parameters (Continuous Channel Soundings, Step Size, and Step Count) are mutually exclusive. The default is Continuous Channel Soundings.

Facet Tileset tab

Facet tilesets represent the structures in the analysis region that can impact the transmitted energy of the channel soundings. Use this tab to specify both analysis extents and facet tilesets.

The Analysis Extent section shows the current extents, which are the latitude and longitude of the northwest and southeast corners. You can click Launch Extent Tool to use the Analysis Extent Tool to adjust these extents.

The Analysis Extent Graphics section enables you to specify the graphics for the selected analysis cofiguration. You can adjust the following settings:

Setting Description
Show Extent Select this check box to have STK show the analysis extent in both the 2D and 3D Graphics windows. Selecting this check box activates the remaining settings below.
Select Color Click Select Color to see the Color dialog box, from which you can choose a different color for the extent. The current extent color appears to the left of the button.
Show 3D Label When selected, the 3D Graphics window displays the name of the analysis configuration for the extent area.
Show 2D Label When selected, the 2D Graphics window displays the name of the analysis configuration for the extent area.
Translucency Enter a number from 0.0 to 1.0 to specify the degree of translucency of the extent region. A value of 1.0 makes the region completely opaque.
Top Altitude Enter a value, in meters, for the highest altitude point to display in the extent region.
Bottom Altitude Enter a value, in meters, for the lowest altitude point to display in the extent region.

To select one or more tilesets for inclusion in the analysis configuration, first look at the Available Tilesets list at the bottom left of the tab. To be sure this is the most current list, click Refresh. Select one or more tilesets and move them to the Selected Tilesets list using >> . You can also return selected tilesets back to the Available Tilesets list using <<.

For each selected tileset, choose a material to represent its reflective characteristics using the drop-down in the Material column. The installed choices are Metal, Absorber, Glass, and Asphalt. You can create additional choices by adding a JSON file to your STK scenario folder. See Custom 3D Tileset Materials.

Results Output tab

Click Edit to write an Analysis Description to go with the numerical results of the analysis. Use the Results File Mode drop-down menu to choose the file generation method: single file or one file per link.

Output

At the bottom of the Analysis tab, designate where the RF Channel Modeler sends the results by specifying the Analysis Output Folder path. You can enter a file path or click Select to browse to a folder to select.

Run an analysis configuration

When you have finished all setup for an analysis configuration, click Run Analysis at the bottom of the Analysis tab to produce a set of results. You can then go to the Results tab to view these results.