Antenna Placement and Simulation Assignments Using SolidWorks and CST

One of the biggest mistakes students make is jumping directly into modeling without reading the assignment deeply. Simulation-based CAD assignments are not just geometry tasks—they are performance-driven problems.

From the attached antenna placement workflow, we can see that such assignments usually have three core objectives:

1. Design or import a CAD model (drone, enclosure, vehicle, or product body)
2. Design or place a functional component (like a GPS patch antenna)
3. Validate performance using simulation metrics (return loss, far-field gain, E-field distribution)

Before touching any software, always identify:

• What is being designed vs. what is being imported
• What needs to be optimized (position, orientation, material)
• What results must be shown (S11, radiation pattern, field plots)

Once these are clear, your modeling and simulation workflow becomes focused instead of chaotic.

Building the CAD Model in SolidWorks: Design for Simulation, Not Just Appearance

Simulation assignments fail most often at the CAD pre-processing stage. Your SolidWorks model may look perfect visually—but simulation software like CST requires clean topology and realistic geometry behavior.

Best Practices for Simulation-Ready CAD:

• Use mid-plane extrusions where possible for symmetry.
• Avoid unnecessary fillets or micro-features.
• Suppress cosmetic features not related to EM behavior.
• Keep body count minimal for large assemblies.
• Maintain proper origin alignment for smooth CST import.

In antenna placement projects (like drone-mounted GPS antennas), the top surface of the drone body becomes a critical interaction zone. If your SolidWorks model has broken faces, gaps, or overlapping surfaces, simulation accuracy will suffer.

The attached assignment clearly shows a drone CAD model being imported into CST before antenna placement, reinforcing the importance of clean geometry.

Designing or Selecting the Functional Component (Antenna, Sensor, Module)

Many simulation assignments involve two separate design stages:

• Designing the host structure (drone, casing, enclosure)
• Designing or importing the functional device (antenna, sensor, PCB)

For GPS, RF, and communication-based assignments:

Patch antennas are commonly selected due to:

• Low profile
• Directional radiation
• Compact geometry

In such assignments, your instructor expects you to:

Define:

• Substrate material
• Patch dimensions
• Feed mechanism

Validate antenna performance before and after placement.

This is important because it demonstrates design isolation vs. system interaction, which is a critical engineering concept.

The uploaded assignment follows this approach by first validating the GPS antenna independently using return loss and far-field gain.

CAD-to-CST Workflow: How Students Actually Lose Marks

After modeling, students typically export SolidWorks files as:

• STEP (.stp)
• IGES (.igs)
• Parasolid (.x_t)

However, most mistakes occur during import into CST Studio Suite:

Common Student Mistakes:

• Wrong unit scale (mm imported as meters)
• Misaligned coordinate systems
• Floating components not mated properly
• Missing material assignments

Professional Workflow:

1. Import CAD into CST
2. Verify geometry integrity

Assign:

• PEC (Perfect Electric Conductor) for metallic parts
• Dielectric constants for substrates

Define background material (usually air).

This step alone often separates average submissions from high-grade professional models.

The assignment explicitly shows CAD import into CST with hybrid solver setup, which confirms how critical this transition phase is.

Why Hybrid Solvers Are Used in These Assignments

Students often use full-wave solvers blindly, not realizing that electrically large structures like drones require different strategies.

In large assemblies:

• Full-wave solvers = Accurate but extremely slow
• Asymptotic solvers = Fast but limited near-field accuracy

So CST uses a Hybrid Solver Technique:

• Full-wave solver for antenna
• Integral or asymptotic solver for large CAD structures

This allows:

• Accurate near-field antenna behavior
• Efficient simulation of large platforms
• Reduced memory usage
• Faster convergence

The assignment explicitly documents this hybrid solver logic and shows how it is used to simulate the drone + antenna system efficiently.

Strategic Antenna Placement: This Is Where Engineering Judgment Is Tested

Many students assume antenna placement is just “putting it on top.” In reality, placement affects:

• Signal blockage
• Ground plane coupling
• Radiation nulls
• Interference from electronics

Best Engineering Logic for Placement:

• Place antenna at highest possible elevation

Maintain:

• Clearance from metal
• Distance from motors and batteries

Avoid:

• Edge diffraction zones
• Shadowed regions under carbon frames

The uploaded assignment places the GPS antenna on the top surface of the drone, which is the most logical engineering choice for unrestricted sky visibility.

Running the Simulation: What Matters for Grading

Instructors do not care if your simulation took 3 minutes or 3 hours. They care about:

• Correct boundary conditions
• Proper excitation sources
• Logical frequency sweep range

Typical simulation outputs expected:

1. Return loss (S11)
2. Far-field radiation pattern
3. Electric field distribution
4. Interaction with mounting structure

These results prove that:

• Power is transferred efficiently
• Signal radiates in the desired direction
• Host structure does not excessively distort performance

Interpreting Results Like a Top-Scoring Student

Many students list results without explaining what they mean, which drastically reduces marks.

Example Interpretations:

• Return Loss (S11)

Shows how much power is reflected back.

→ Values below -10 dB indicate good impedance matching.

• Far-Field Pattern

Shows radiation direction and gain.

→ A well-placed GPS antenna should show upward hemispherical radiation.

• E-Field Distribution

Shows electromagnetic coupling with surfaces.

→ Helps verify whether the drone body is interfering with the antenna performance.

The attached project illustrates all three result types clearly after antenna placement on the drone model .

How Professors Evaluate These Assignments (Hidden Marking Rubric)

Most students are unaware that evaluation is usually split into:

This means even if your simulation works, you can still lose marks due to:

• Poor screenshots
• Missing captions
• Weak technical explanations

Report Writing: The Silent Grade Killer

Your report should follow engineering publication standards, not casual writing.

Ideal Report Structure:

1. Introduction & Objective
2. CAD Modeling Workflow
3. Antenna Design Process
4. CST Import & Solver Setup
5. Antenna Placement Strategy
6. Simulation Parameters
7. Result Analysis
8. Conclusion & Optimization Scope

If your report does not logically justify:

• Why that antenna?
• Why that position?
• Why that solver?

You will lose easy marks—even if your model is technically correct.

Common Student Mistakes in Such Assignments

1. Modeling antenna directly on curved surfaces without isolation
2. Running full-wave solver on entire large drone geometry
3. Forgetting to validate antenna before placement
4. Incorrect frequency band selection for GPS
5. Interpreting radiation pattern without understanding axes
6. Poorly labeled figures
7. Copy-paste conclusions

These mistakes instantly reveal low conceptual understanding to evaluators.

How Professional SolidWorks Assignment Help Improves Outcomes

Students often reach out for solidworks assignment help when:

• Deadlines are too tight
• Simulation refuses to converge
• CAD fails during import
• Results look incorrect
• Marks have dropped consistently

Professional academic modeling support ensures:

1. Correct modeling order
2. Simulation stability
3. Industry-accurate results
4. Clean documentation
5. Plagiarism-free reports
6. Maximum grading potential

This combination leads to A-grade submissions rather than barely passing work.

Why These Assignments Matter for Your Career

Employers in:

• Aerospace
• Automotive
• Robotics
• RF & Antenna Design
• IoT & Embedded Systems

look for engineers who can:

• Transition from CAD to simulation
• Validate designs digitally
• Interpret performance data
• Make iterative improvements

Antenna placement and CAD-driven simulation assignments are direct replicas of industrial workflows.

Final Takeaway: The Winning Formula

To consistently score high in SolidWorks + CST assignments:

1. Start with clean simulation-ready CAD
2. Validate components independently
3. Use proper solver strategies
4. Place components using engineering reasoning
5. Analyze—not just display—results
6. Present professionally
7. Seek expert solidworks assignment help when time or complexity gets overwhelming.