Optimization

Optimization allows engineers to get the most out of their devices. Small changes to the dimensions of a component can have a big effect on its tuning and efficiency. When multiple variables are involved, the interactions between them can be complex, and finding the optimum values analytically is often impossible.

The parameterization and optimization tools in CST STUDIO SUITE® mean that users can check how a device’s behavior is affected as its properties change, and find the parameters which maximize or minimize a given effect or fulfill a certain goal. These can optimize any property of the model that can be parameterized, such as the dimensions or position of a component, the materials properties, and the values of circuit elements connected to it.

CST STUDIO SUITE contains several optimization algorithms, both local and global, each suited to different situations, as illustrated in the diagram below. Local optimizers provide fast convergence, but risk converging to a local minimum rather than the overall best solution. Global optimizers on the other hand, typically require more calculations, but they search the entire problem space.

These tools can be used with any solver, both within the module itself and in CST DESIGN STUDIO™, which allows optimization tasks to be set up and run semi-automatically. For very complex systems, or problems with large numbers of variables, high-performance computing techniques are available to speed up simulation and optimization. The performance of global optimizers in particular can be greatly improved with the use of distributed computing.