YOUR FASTEST SOLUTION TO A BETTER DESIGN

MagNet
Version 7.5

Getting Started Guide

May 6, 2014
We welcome your comments regarding Infolytica Corporation documents. Please send comments or
corrections to the following addresses:

email: [email protected]
fax: Documentation Department
(514) 849-4239
post: Documentation Department
Infolytica Corporation
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Montreal, Quebec H2X 4B3
Canada

© 2014 Infolytica Corporation.

Part number MN7-GS-006

All rights reserved. No part of this document may be reproduced, translated to another language, stored in a
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otherwise, without written permission from Infolytica Corporation.

The information in this document is subject to change without notice.

 Getting Started Guide

Chapter 1 – Welcome to MagNet

© 2014 Infolytica Corporation

 Getting Started Guide 1
Welcome to MagNet

Welcome
MagNet provides state-of-the art visualization to help you easily build 2D and 3D models for
magnetostatic, time-harmonic, transient or transient with motion analysis. Infolytica’s leading
edge technologies transparently generate the finite element mesh and quickly provide accurate
field solutions.
The structures which can be simulated with MagNet include:
• Machines: DC, universal, 3-phase IM
• Actuators
• Solenoids
• Loudspeakers
• Transformers
• Sensors
• Recording heads

Learning MagNet
Your MagNet documentation package consist of this Getting Started Guide and a set of Tutorials
in an electronic media format (i.e. PDF files), and also includes a comprehensive Help system.

Getting Started Guide Tutorials

• Installation instructions • Magnetostatic, Time-harmonic, and

Transient 2D and 3D tutorials
• Introduction to modeling
• Transient 2D with Motion Tutorial
• Transient 3D with Motion Tutorial

Additional help is available by visiting the Support section of our website:

• Live Docs -- an integrated and centralized source of up-to-date documentation for all
Infolytica products
• Tools (Free Add-ons) -- allows you to take advantage of Infolytica's powerful scripting
engine without requiring any knowledge of programming.

Additional information
More information on the procedures and concepts of model building with MagNet is found in the
Help included with each package.
Note The MagNet Help menu provides easy access to the PDF versions of this Guide
and the Tutorials.

© 2014 Infolytica Corporation

 Getting Started Guide

Chapter 2 – Installation Instructions

© 2014 Infolytica Corporation

 Getting Started Guide 1
Installation Instructions

Overview
This chapter contains instructions for:
• Installing MagNet
• Obtaining a license key file for MagNet
• Installing a MagNet node-locked license
• Installing the License key server
• Installing a floating (network) license key file for MagNet
• Connecting a node to the license key server
• Where to contact Customer Support

For system requirements, please refer to:

• http://www.infolytica.com/en/products/magnet/requirements.aspx

Note that MagNet requires Microsoft® Visual Basic®, Scripting Edition (VBScript) to run. The
MagNet setup program will install VBScript on your computer.

© 2014 Infolytica Corporation

 Getting Started Guide 2
Installation Instructions
Installing MagNet from a CD
The procedure is identical, whether you are installing MagNet as a new system or as an update.
1. Insert the MagNet CD into the drive.
2. From the Windows START menu, select Run.
If Run command line is not listed, press keys Windows Logo + R to open the Run dialog.
3. In the Open text box of the Run dialog, type the following:
D:\setup.exe
(where D is the name of the CD drive).
The MagNet Setup program is initiated.
4. Follow the instructions given by the Setup program.
Note Copies of MagNet are shipped without a license key file. You will need to run the
Client ID program to obtain a license key file. Please see “Obtaining a license key
file for MagNet” on page 4.
Note If the Microsoft Scripting Setup program prompts you to re-boot the computer
after installing VBScript and JScript, or after installing DCOM, do not re-boot at
that time. Please wait until the MagNet Setup program prompts you to re-boot.

© 2014 Infolytica Corporation

 Getting Started Guide 3
Installation Instructions
Obtaining a license key file for MagNet
A license key file can be node-locked (single-user) or floating (network-based). To obtain a
license key file, you must run the Client ID program. The Client ID program displays
information about your computer that you must send to Infolytica Customer Support. The client
information provided by the Client ID program will be used by Infolytica Corporation in the
preparation of a license key file.
The Client ID program can be run from the Windows’ Start menu created by the Setup program.
• For instructions on installing a node-locked license, please see “Installing a MagNet
node-locked license” on page 5.
• For instructions on installing a floating license, please see “Installing a floating (network)
license key file for MagNet” on page 6.
To obtain a license key file
1. From the Windows’ Start menu, navigate to All Programs/Infolytica/MagNet <version
number> Docs & Tools, and then click "Client ID".
The Client ID dialog appears.

2. In the Client ID dialog, do one of the following:

• Click “Send E-Mail” -- This action opens your default e-mail account and automatically
places the contents of “Client Information” into the body of the e-mail message.
• Click “Copy To Clipboard” – This action requires that you open your e-mail account
and paste (press CTRL+V) the contents of the “Clipboard” into the body of the e-mail
message.
3. Important -- Add the following information to the e-mail message:
• Your name
• Your affiliation (e.g., company name)
• The version of MagNet you have installed (e.g. MagNet 7.1.2)
4. Send the e-mail to your Customer Support representative. (please see “Where to contact
Customer Support” on page 9 for the appropriate e-mail address -- for example, if you reside
in Canada or the United States, you would send the e-mail to [email protected]).

© 2014 Infolytica Corporation

 Getting Started Guide 4
Installation Instructions

Installing a MagNet node-locked license

Note This procedure assumes that you have obtained a license key file (MagNet.lic)
from your Customer Support representative and placed it in a temporary folder
(e.g., C:\Temp). If you still haven’t requested a license key file, please see
“Obtaining a license key file for MagNet” on the previous page.
1. From the Windows’ Start menu, navigate to All Programs/Infolytica/MagNet <version
number> Docs & Tools, and then click "Client License Key File Administrator”.
The Client LicenseKey File Administrator dialog appears.

2. Select the option ”Use a local license key file”.

3. In the License key file text box, type the path (e.g., C:\Temp\MagNet.lic), or browse to the
location of the license key file that you have received from your Customer Support
representative.
4. Click the Configure License key file button.
5. At the “Backup and Replace File?” prompt, click Yes.
The new license key file is installed.

Installing the License key server

This procedure installs the Infolytica License key server on the computer designated as the server
in a network environment.
1. Insert the MagNet CD into the drive.
2. From the Windows Start menu, select Run.
3. In the Open text box of the Run dialog, type the following:
D:\LicenseServer\setup.exe
(where D is the name of the CD drive).
The License key server Setup program is initiated.
4. Follow the instructions given by the Setup program.
Note Once the setup is complete, you will need to run the Client ID program on the
server to obtain a floating license key file. Please see “Obtaining a license key file
for MagNet” on the previous page.

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 Getting Started Guide 5
Installation Instructions

Installing a floating (network) license key file for MagNet

The following instructions describe how to install a floating (network) license key file on a
license key server.
Note This procedure assumes that you have obtained a floating license key file
(MagNet.lic) from your Customer Support representative and placed it in a
temporary folder (e.g., C:\Temp). If you still haven’t requested a license key file,
please see “Obtaining a license key file for MagNet” on page 4.

1. From the Windows’ Start menu, navigate to All Programs/Infolytica, and then click
“Infolytica License key server Administrator <version number>”.
The License key server Administrator window appears.
2. Click the Add/Update button.
3. From the Open dialog, locate the license key file (e.g., C:\Temp\MagNet.lic), then click
Open.
4. In the License key server Administrator window, click Close.
If the License key server is not already running and you are prompted to start it, click Yes.

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 Getting Started Guide 6
Installation Instructions

Connecting a node to the license key server

Note This procedure assumes that you have obtained a license key file (MagNet.lic)
from your Customer Support representative and installed it on the license key
server. Please see “Installing a floating (network) license key file for MagNet” on
page 6.
1. From the Windows’ Start menu, navigate to All Programs/Infolytica/MagNet <version
number> Docs & Tools, and then click "Client License Key File Administrator”.
The Client License Key File Administrator dialog appears.

2. Select the option ”Use a license key server”.

3. In the License key server name text box, type the name of the Server (e.g., Avatar).
4. Click the Configure License key file button.
5. At the “Backup and Replace File?” prompt, click Yes.
The applications will now connect to the floating license key server the next time they are
started.

© 2014 Infolytica Corporation

 Getting Started Guide 7
Installation Instructions

Where to contact Customer Support

North America and International (outside of the areas that are listed below)
Infolytica Corporation
Telephone: + 1 514 849 8752 ext. 600
Fax: + 1 514 849 4239
E-mail: [email protected]

Europe
Infolytica Limited, UK
Telephone: + 44 (0) 1865 408190
Fax: + 44 (0) 1865 389576
E-mail: [email protected]

Japan
Adtech Co. Ltd.
Telephone: + 81 3 5475 1540
Fax: + 81 3 5464 2973
E-mail: [email protected]

India
Tessolve Services Pvt. Ltd.
Telephone: + 91 80 4181 2507
Fax: + 91 80 4120 2626
E-mail: [email protected]

China
Beijing Hi-key Technology Corp Ltd Shanghai Hi-key Technology Corp Ltd
Telephone: + 86 10 8231 8880 ext.358 Telephone: + 86 21 6487 8366
Fax: + 86 10 8232 4448 Fax: + 86 21 5489 2033
E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected]

Korea
VFK Inc.
Telephone: + 82 054 223 2431
Fax: + 82 054 223 2430
E-mail: [email protected]

Taiwan
Alpha Precision Instrumentation Corporation
Telephone: + 88 62 2508 3066 ext.231
Fax: + 88 62 2507 7185
E-mail: [email protected]

© 2014 Infolytica Corporation

 Getting Started Guide

Chapter 3 – Model building with MagNet

© 2014 Infolytica Corporation

 Getting Started Guide 1
Model building with MagNet

Introduction to model building

A MagNet model is made from a geometric model to which boundary conditions and excitations
are assigned. After the model is solved, field plots and numerical results are available for
viewing. The finite element mesh of the model can be customized to increase solution accuracy.

Modeling flowchart

© 2014 Infolytica Corporation

 Getting Started Guide 2
Model building with MagNet

Geometric modeling
A MagNet model is made from geometry to which materials, boundary conditions, and
excitations are assigned.
The geometric model is constructed from three basic building blocks:
• Edges
• Surfaces
• Components

Edges
Edges are lines and arcs. They are drawn on the construction slice in the View window.

The construction slice is a two-dimensional editing plane that can be moved forward and
backward in space. Edges drawn on the construction slice move with the slice and remain in
view until they are intentionally removed by the user.

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 Getting Started Guide 3
Model building with MagNet

Surfaces
Edges are drawn to create surfaces. Surfaces are swept to create three-dimensional components.
A surface must be “closed” before it can be swept to create a component.

Components
Components can be swept in a positive or negative direction:
• For an arbitrary length
• In a circular arc through any angle

By drawing and sweeping surfaces, additional components are added to form an entire model.

© 2014 Infolytica Corporation

 Getting Started Guide 4
Model building with MagNet

Drawing edges
Edges are drawn using the Draw toolbar and either the mouse pointer or the Keyboard Input bar.
You can draw lines, arcs, or circles.

Edges are drawn on the construction slice.

Note Edges are saved with the model even if the user has not swept the geometry
before closing.

Lines
Using the mouse pointer
Lines are drawn as polylines. That is, line drawing is continuous until you press ESC or double-
click the mouse.

Using the Keyboard Input bar

Lines are entered as coordinate pairs. The last coordinate pair entered becomes the start
coordinate pair of the next line. To stop drawing, or to begin a new line, press ESC on your
keyboard.

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 Getting Started Guide 5
Model building with MagNet

Arcs
Note When drawing an arc using the mouse
pointer or keyboard, ElecNet automatically
adjusts the end point to have the same radius
from the center point as does the start point.

Using the mouse pointer to draw an arc

Three different methods exist, when using the mouse pointer, for drawing arcs in ElecNet.

• Arc (Center, Start, End)

• Arc (Start, Center, End)
• Arc (Start, End, Center)
Note Arcs are drawn in a counter-clockwise direction.

Holding the Ctrl key down, while drawing the arc, inverts the direction of the arc.
The arc is still created counter-clockwise; it is only the start and end points that
are inverted.

A “rubber-band” line follows the movement of the mouse pointer.

Using the Keyboard Input bar to draw an arc

Arcs are drawn by entering three coordinates, in the order that corresponds to the chosen method
(see above for reference):
• Center point, Start point, End point
• Start point, Center point, End point
• Start point, End point, Center point

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 Getting Started Guide 6
Model building with MagNet
Circles

Note After a circle is

drawn, ElecNet
automatically segments
the circle into two arcs.

Using the mouse pointer to draw a circle

Two different methods exist, when using the mouse pointer, for drawing circles in ElecNet.

• Circle (Center, Radius)

• Circle (Radius, Center)

Note A “rubber-band” line follows the movement of the mouse pointer.

Using the Keyboard Input bar to draw a circle

Circles are drawn by entering two coordinates, in the order that corresponds to the chosen
method (see above for reference):
• Center point, Point on the radius of the circle
• Point on the radius of the circle, Center point

© 2014 Infolytica Corporation

 Getting Started Guide 7
Model building with MagNet

Segmenting edges
Edges are not automatically segmented at the point of intersection with other edges. Only when
the user has selected the specific edges, and then clicked Segment Edges on the Model menu, do
the lines segment.

Snap modes
The snap modes control the location of entry points made with the mouse pointer. There are
seven snap modes: Grid, Endpoint, Intersection, Nearest, Center, Tangent, and Perpendicular.

None Points appear exactly where the mouse

pointer clicks in the display.
Grid Points snaps to the nearest grid intersection.
Endpoint Points snaps to the nearest endpoint of a line
or arc.
Intersection Point snaps to the nearest line or arc
intersection.
Nearest Point snaps to the nearest line or arc.
Center Point snaps to the center of arcs.
Tangent Point snaps to the nearest edge to make a
tangent line with the last point.
Perpendicular Point snaps to the nearest edge to make a
perpendicular line with the last point.

Note The snap mode stays in effect until a new snap mode is selected. Select None
from the Draw menu to turn off the snap mode.

© 2014 Infolytica Corporation

 Getting Started Guide 8
Model building with MagNet
Creating surfaces
Surfaces are the basis of 3D components. Surfaces are 2D regions formed by:
• Edges drawn on the construction slice
• 2D faces of 3D components
Construction slice surfaces
Surfaces drawn on the construction slice must be “closed” before they can be selected.

After a surface has been made into a component, the edges of the surface are duplicated in the
component. The original edges remain on the construction slice.
Note To remove the construction slice edges, select all of the edges and
then click Delete on the Edit menu.
Moving edges with the construction slice
Edges can only exist on the construction slice. If the construction slice is repositioned, all edges
move with the construction slice. For example, in the diagram below, the construction slice, with
edges, has been moved 2 meters in the positive Z direction.

Note Edges on the construction slice are saved with the model.
Component surfaces
Components can also be created from the 2D surfaces of other components.

Extracting edges
After a surface has been made into a component, the edges of the surface are duplicated in the
component. You can copy the edges of a component’s surface to the construction slice using the
Extract Edges command.
Note The construction slice must intersect the surface.

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 Getting Started Guide 9
Model building with MagNet
Creating components
Components are created from surfaces (see “Creating surfaces” on page 8) or using the CSG
Modeling technique (see page 11). Components can be swept in either a linear or rotational
direction.
Note When using the Extrusion modeler, all the components of the model, except for
coil components, must be swept in the same linear or rotational direction.

Default sweep direction

The default sweep direction for a component is positive (sweeping out of the construction slice
or out from the surface of a component).

Creating multiple components simultaneously

More than one surface can be selected to create a component.
Note When multiple components are created simultaneously, all components share the
same material and sweep distance. You can later change the properties of any
component in the Component property and parameter pages.
In the C-core model below, three surfaces exist. One surface is for the permanent magnet, and
the other two surfaces form the C-core.

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 Getting Started Guide 10
Model building with MagNet
You can sweep all three surfaces at the same time. To select all three surfaces, hold down the
SHIFT key while selecting each surface. After all the surfaces are selected, you can use the Make
Component tool.

Tip When you press SHIFT or CTRL as you select objects, every object you click on
remains selected. Pressing CTRL as you select objects also enables you to click
on an object a second time to de-select the object.
Changing component properties
The properties of a component are changed in the Component Properties dialog, which consists
of six pages (General, Sweep, Mesh, Mesh Layers, Material, and Parameters).

You can change the following properties:

• Name
• Polynomial order (3D models only)
• Initial Temperature
• Enable/Disable the component
• Sweep distance
• Material
• Material direction
• Maximum element size
• Curvature Refinement minimum element size
• Curvature Refinement angle
• Mesh Layer type (Uniform, Logarithmic, User-defined)
• Parameters for:
• Position of the starting surface of the component
• Geometric position
• Angle of the start and end surfaces (3D models only)
• etc.

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 Getting Started Guide 11
Model building with MagNet

Creating components using the CSG Modeling technique

Various shapes and forms can easily be created using a modeling technique known as
Constructive Solid Geometry, or CSG.

Sphere

Rectangular
Block

Cylinder

Cone

Torus

Prism

Pyramid

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 Getting Started Guide 12
Model building with MagNet
Selecting edges, surfaces, and components
Objects are selected with the mouse pointer using one of the selection tools on the Edit menu or
Selection toolbar, or by creating a selection box.

An object must be selected before a property or action can be applied to it. For example, a
construction slice surface must be selected before it can be made into a component. The object is
highlighted when it is selected.

Selection box
You can draw a selection box to highlight several objects at once. A selection box is also useful
to highlight only certain items. For example, to find all the available edges on the construction
slice, you can draw a selection box (using the select Construction Slice Edges selection tool) to
highlight the edges.

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 Getting Started Guide 13
Model building with MagNet
Positioning the construction slice
The construction slice is a two-dimensional editing plane in the View window that can be moved
forward and backward in space.
The initial position of the construction slice is in the XY plane of the global XYZ coordinate
system. The slice is first located at Z=0. The construction slice can be moved forward and
backward using the Move Construction Slice dialog box. This dialog is accessed from either the
Draw toolbar or the Draw menu.

The construction slice can also be moved to a selected surface of a component.

When a component is swept, the start surface of the component begins on the construction
slice. The end surface of the component is determined by the sweep distance set in the
Make Component dialog.
Note The construction slice does not move when the component is swept.

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 Getting Started Guide 14
Model building with MagNet
Materials
Materials are added to the component during the sweeping process.
• The Model Materials library lists all materials assigned to the device.
• The User Defined Materials library contains material that you have created or modified.
• The Materials page contains hundreds of pre-defined materials (sorted by database) that can
be applied to the model, including magnetic steels, and ceramic and rare earth permanent
magnet materials. Each material can be assigned to several categories (making it easier to
locate and apply the appropriate one).
Note To modify any of these pre-defined materials, you must first copy the material to
the User-defined materials library and then make the appropriate changes in the
Material Property dialog.
The contents of the material library are shown in the Material page of the Project bar.

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 Getting Started Guide 15
Model building with MagNet
Boundary conditions
Boundary conditions define the behavior of the magnetic field at the boundaries of the
model. Boundary conditions are applied to surfaces of the model, or to surfaces of an air box
that represents an artificial outer boundary that surrounds the model. Conditions of symmetry
can also be represented by using the appropriate boundary condition.
MagNet provides six boundary conditions:
Field Normal: Constrains to zero the tangential component of the field. The field is made
normal (perpendicular) to the boundary.
Flux Tangential: Constrains to zero the normal component of the magnetic flux density. The
flux is made to flow tangential to (along side) the boundary. The Flux Tangential boundary
condition is applied by default to all surfaces of the model that are not assigned the Flux
Tangential boundary condition.
Even Periodic: If symmetry conditions exist, you can use the Even Periodic boundary
condition to model sections of linear or rotary machines that have an even number of poles.
The mesh nodes on one plane of symmetry are related to the mesh nodes on the other side.
Odd Periodic: If symmetry conditions exist, you can use the Odd Periodic boundary condition
to model sections of linear or rotary machines that have an odd number of poles. The mesh
nodes on one plane of symmetry are related to the mesh nodes on the other side.
Surface Impedance: Uses a calculated value, or a specified value, to represent the Ohmic loss
of a conducting component, and assigns the value as a boundary condition to the selected
surface.
Thin Plate: Thin plates are implemented in MagNet as a surface property. The user can assign
a surface property to the face(s) of component(s).

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 Getting Started Guide 16
Model building with MagNet

Finite element mesh

In the finite element method of analysis, the model is divided into a mesh of elements. The field
inside each element is represented by a polynomial with unknown coefficients. The finite
element analysis is the solution of the set of equations for the unknown coefficients.
The accuracy of the solution depends upon the nature of the field and the size of the mesh
elements. In regions where the direction or magnitude of the field is changing rapidly, high
accuracy requires small elements or high polynomial orders (or a combination of both).
MagNet provides you with control over the size of the mesh elements. You can change the size
of the elements for the entire model, or only in areas of interest.

Adaption
MagNet's adaption process automatically identifies the areas of the mesh most in need of
improvement and refines the mesh (h-adaption), or increases the polynomial order of the
elements (p-adaption), in those areas.
MagNet's adaption is controlled by adaption options that are set before solving begins. These
options determine:
• the type of adaption method (h-adaption or p-adaption)
• the percentage of elements of the mesh that are refined during each adaption step
• the adaption convergence tolerance
• the maximum number of adaption steps
The Adaption Options are set in the Adaption Options properties page.

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 Getting Started Guide 17
Model building with MagNet
Solving the model
MagNet solves Maxwell's equations to find the magnetic field within the model. The solution
can be Magnetostatic, Time-harmonic, Transient, or Transient with motion for either 2D or 3D
models.
MagNet also offers an adaption process that automatically identifies and refines the areas of the
mesh most in need of refinement to improve the quality of the solution.
The computed magnetic fields are viewed as shaded, arrow, or contour plots or as field
animations. In addition, MagNet automatically extracts from the field solution certain parameters
of interest (depending on the solution type).
Static
• Total magnetic stored energy and co-energy
• Force and torque on each body
• Flux linking each coil
• Ohmic loss in each conducting component
• Iron loss for each enabled component
• Current in each coil and circuit component
Time-harmonic
• Time-averaged magnetic stored energy
• Time-averaged force and torque on each body
• RMS total flux linking each coil -- (real and imaginary or magnitude and phase)
• Time-averaged ohmic loss in each conducting component
• Iron loss for each enabled component
• RMS net current through each voltage-driven coil and circuit component
-- (real and imaginary or magnitude and phase)
• RMS net voltage drop across each current-driven coil and circuit component
-- (real and imaginary or magnitude and phase)
Transient
• Instantaneous magnetic stored energy and co-energy
• Instantaneous force and torque on each body
• Instantaneous flux linking each coil
• Time-averaged ohmic loss in each conducting component
• Time-averaged iron loss for each enabled component
• Instantaneous net current through each voltage-driven coil and circuit component
• Instantaneous net voltage across each current-driven coil and circuit component
Transient 2D/3D with Motion (Same as Transient above, plus the following)
• Magnetic Force/Torque
• Load Force/Torque
• Net Force/Torque
• Position
• Speed
• Acceleration
• Mass
• Center of gravity
• Moment of Inertia

© 2014 Infolytica Corporation