Output Files - Overview

When you simulate a project in Sonnet, the results are automatically saved in your project using high precision. This allows you to create graphs, view currents, and plot far field radiation patterns. By default, no additional files are generated. However, you may wish to save your results to a file which may be used by a third-party simulation tool, or by a script or other program for further processing.

Sonnet output files may be classified into three categories:

  • S, Y, Z-Parameter files: These are text files in tabular format using formats such as the Touchstone format. Sonnet project data is natively stored as S-parameters which are easily converted to Y and Z-Parameters using simple algebraic conversion equations. See S, Y, Z-Parameter Files for details.
  • SPICE model files: Sonnet can use your project's S-Parameter results to synthesize a SPICE model which can by used by many time domain simulators. Sonnet offers several different models. See SPICE Model Synthesis Overview for details.
  • IEEE 370 CQMi file: Provides an estimate of the causality of your circuit. See IEEE 370 CQMi file.
  • Curves: You can save the data from the curves on a Sonnet graph to a text file in the form of comma-separated values, suitable for importing into a spreadsheet. See Exporting Curves to a Spreadsheet for details.

Generating Output Files

There are two methods you may use to generate an output file:

  1. Automatic: You may set up your project so the EM solver will automatically generate one or more output files. From the Project Editor, select Circuit > Settings > [Output Files] and then click the Add File button.
  2. Interactive: After simulating your project, you may generate an output file from a Sonnet graph using the Output menu. Select a curve representing the desired project, and then select the Output menu, followed by the file type you wish to create.

Parameter Sweeps and Optimization

If you are performing a parameter sweep and your project file specifies an output file, multiple output files may be created, depending on the type and format of output file. When a file type and format supports multiple parameters, a single output file is generated, containing the information for all parameter combinations. The following file types and formats support multiple parameters in a single file:

  • S, Y, Z-parameter file: MDIF
  • S, Y, Z-parameter file: spreadsheet format
  • Broadband SPICE Model file: when Generate separate files for different parameters is unchecked.

When the file type and format does not support multiple parameters, multiple files are generated and an additional text file is created which contains a list of each file and the parameter values associated with that file.

If your simulation will create multiple output files, you may wish to specify an Output folder in which the files will be saved. This may help you keep your files organized.

If you are using the interactive method to create an output file from a Sonnet graph, you may click the Select Parameter button to specify which parameter combination to use for the output. Only one parameter combination may be selected at a time using this method.