HongAn Microwave Co., Ltd.
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| Brand Name: | Hoan |
| Model Number: | HALA-CUSTOM-SM |
| MOQ: | 10 Pieces |
| Payment Terms: | L/C,D/A,D/P,T/T,Western Union |
Modern RF design flows are simulation-first. Before a single prototype is assembled, the entire signal chain — from antenna port to ADC input — has been modeled in Keysight ADS, Ansys HFSS, or Cadence AWR Microwave Office. The accuracy of this simulation chain depends on one assumption: that the models of passive components match the physical parts that will eventually populate the board. When a ferrite inductor model uses a frequency-independent lumped inductance value but the physical part's permeability μᵣ drops 30% between 1GHz and 18GHz, the simulation becomes wrong in ways that mask real problems and create phantom ones.
The HALA-CUSTOM-SM eliminates this disconnect. Built on the HALA precision automated winding platform, every configuration is supported by measurement-backed simulation models — S2P Touchstone data, equivalent circuit models, and full-wave EM geometry files — that reproduce the actual measured performance to within the measurement uncertainty of your VNA. What you simulate is what you build.
| Simulation Resource | Format | Frequency Range | What It Captures |
|---|---|---|---|
| S2P Touchstone Data | .s2p (2-port), 201 points, 50Ω reference | 100 MHz – 26.5 GHz | Measured S-parameters: insertion loss, return loss, isolation, phase |
| Equivalent Circuit Model | ADS netlist / AWR EM structure | DC – 40 GHz | L, R_AC(f), C_parasitic, packaging parasitics, inter-winding capacitance |
| Full-Wave 3D EM Geometry | .sat / .step / .dxf (coil CAD) | User-defined | Exact 3D coil geometry for native HFSS/CST/Microwave Office simulation |
| PCB Footprint Model | ADS layout component / AWR EM socket | DC – 40 GHz | Pad parasitics, ground clearance, keep-out zone (zero for air core) |
| Monte Carlo Tolerance File | .csv statistical data | N/A | L distribution (μ, σ), Q distribution, for yield analysis and corner simulation |
HFSS Integration Workflow: Import the .step or .sat geometry file directly into your HFSS project. Assign the copper coil as a perfect-E or finite-conductivity boundary (σ = 5.8*10⁷ S/m). The air core requires no magnetic material definition — the entire simulation volume inside and outside the coil is free space (εᵣ=1.0, μᵣ=1.0). This means the HFSS mesh for a HALA air core inductor is approximately 10* faster to solve than an equivalent ferrite inductor model, because there is no nonlinear magnetic material requiring a dense volume mesh with permeability convergence loops.
ADS Integration Workflow: Place the S2P data component directly in your schematic using the standard ADS SNP data item. For broadband simulations, the equivalent circuit model provides DC-to-40GHz coverage without the interpolation artifacts that occur when Touchstone data is extrapolated beyond its measurement range. The equivalent circuit is verified against measurements with RMS error <0.05dB in S21 magnitude and <2° in S21 phase across the full 100MHz–26.5GHz span.
Near-field coupling between adjacent inductors is one of the most insidious and difficult-to-diagnose problems in multi-channel RF designs. A 64-element beamformer with 64 bias chokes creates a dense magnetic field environment where every inductor couples to every other — and if each channel coupling is only -35dB, the aggregate coupling across 63 neighbors degrades the array pattern by several dB in unpredictable directions.
The HALA air core architecture provides inherent near-field isolation that ferrite inductors cannot match:
| Coupling Mechanism | Ferrite Chip Inductor (0402) | HALA Air Core | Isolation Advantage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Magnetic Dipole Coupling | Ferrite core concentrates and guides magnetic flux, extending the effective dipole moment far beyond the physical package | Air core μᵣ=1.0 — no flux concentration, dipole field decays as 1/r³ from coil center per the Biot-Savart law | 6–12dB lower coupling at equal spacing, frequency-dependent |
| Magnetic Material Proximity Effect | Ferrite in adjacent inductors forms an unintended magnetic circuit — coupling through shared μᵣ material in nearby components | No magnetic material exists anywhere in the system — no shared flux path can form | Eliminates the mechanism entirely |
| Substrate Eddy Current Coupling | Ferrite concentrates return flux into the PCB ground plane, inducing eddy currents that couple to neighboring inductors through the ground plane | Air core return flux spreads uniformly in free space per dipole field pattern, minimizing ground plane current density | 3–5dB lower ground-plane-mediated coupling |
| Recommended Center-to-Center Spacing | >2.0mm for >30dB isolation at 28GHz (0402 package) | >1.0mm for >30dB isolation at 28GHz (0.30mm ID coil) | 50% tighter packing for equivalent channel isolation |
Isolation Design Rules: For multi-coil layouts, orient all coils with their axes perpendicular to the PCB plane (Z-axis). This ensures the dominant magnetic dipole moment is in the Z-direction, where coupling between adjacent horizontal dipoles is minimized. At 1.0mm center-to-center spacing with 0.30mm ID coils, measured coupling < -32dB at 28GHz. At 1.5mm spacing, coupling < -38dB. For critical applications requiring >40dB isolation, specify alternating coil orientation (coil A: Z-axis, coil B: XY-plane) — this exploits the orthogonal dipole null, achieving >45dB isolation even at 0.8mm spacing.
Microphonics — the conversion of mechanical vibration into electrical noise through inductance modulation — is a well-documented failure mode in ferrite-core inductors. Mechanical vibration modulates the core permeability through magnetostriction (the Villari effect), creating an AC component in the bias current that appears as phase noise sidebands on the RF carrier. In a high-vibration industrial system operating at 20g RMS, a ferrite bias choke with 100ppm/g inductance sensitivity generates phase noise sidebands only 40dB below the carrier — degrading the system's signal-to-noise ratio by 10dB or more.
The HALA-CUSTOM-SM air core eliminates this failure mode at the physics level:
| Microphonics Mechanism | Ferrite Inductor | HALA Air Core |
|---|---|---|
| Magnetostriction (Villari Effect) | Mechanical stress changes μᵣ, modulating L → AM/PM noise sidebands. Sensitivity: 50–500ppm/g typical for NiZn ferrite | No magnetic material → no magnetostriction → zero stress-dependent inductance modulation. Sensitivity: <<1ppm/g (below measurement floor) |
| Coil Geometry Modulation | Vibration can change winding geometry in poorly secured coils. Ferrite body provides some rigidity but adds mass that increases Q-factor of mechanical resonance | Active shape-lock mandrel extraction + post-solder adhesive fixation (optional). Low mass (<80mg) places mechanical resonance >10kHz, well above vibration spectrum |
| Mechanical Resonance Amplification | Ferrite body mass (~5–20mg for 0402) combines with PCB stiffness to create mechanical resonances in the 500Hz–5kHz range — directly in the vibration power spectrum | Coil mass <1mg for micro-packaging variants — mechanical resonance frequency >20kHz, above all practical vibration spectra. Cantilever beam analysis confirms: ωₙ ∝ √(EI/mL³) |
| Accelerated Life Test Verification | 20g RMS, 10Hz–2kHz, ΔL typically 0.5–2% during vibration due to μᵣ modulation, with hysteresis after test (μᵣ does not fully recover) | 20g RMS, 10Hz–2kHz, ΔL <0.05% (below measurement uncertainty). Zero hysteresis post-test — air core has no memory effect |
Post-Solder Structural Fixation (Recommended): After final RF tuning, apply a micro-droplet (<0.5µL) of low-dielectric RF-compatible adhesive (εᵣ < 3.0, tan δ < 0.005 at 10GHz) to the base of both leads at the PCB pad. This immobilizes the coil against vibration and thermal cycling without adding measurable parasitic capacitance. Verify final S-parameters post-cure.
| Parameter | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Inductance Range | 2 nH – 500 nH | Per customer specification |
| Frequency Range | 100 MHz – 20 GHz | Geometry dependent |
| Q Factor | ≥100 @ 1 GHz | Air-core, zero hysteresis loss |
| SRF | >20 GHz | Single-layer air-spaced helix, εᵣ=1.0 |
| Simulation Models | S2P + EC model + 3D CAD geometry + Monte Carlo | ADS, HFSS, CST, AWR formats |
| Model-to-Measurement RMS Error | <0.05dB S21 mag, <2° S21 phase | 100MHz–26.5GHz, 201 points |
| Near-Field Isolation (1.0mm pitch) | >32dB @ 28GHz | 0.30mm ID, Z-axis orientation |
| Near-Field Isolation (1.5mm pitch) | >38dB @ 28GHz | 0.30mm ID, Z-axis orientation |
| Orthogonal Dipole Isolation (0.8mm) | >45dB @ 28GHz | Alternating Z/XY coil orientation |
| Microphonics Sensitivity | <<1ppm/g | Below measurement floor, zero magnetostriction |
| Mechanical Resonance Frequency | >20kHz (micro-packaging), >10kHz (standard) | Above all practical vibration spectra |
| Vibration Test (20g RMS) | ΔL <0.05% | Zero hysteresis post-test |
| Current Rating | Up to 500 mA DC | Wire gauge dependent, zero saturation |
| Operating Temperature | -55°C to +125°C | Full parametric compliance |
| Proto Lead Time | 5–7 business days | MOQ 10 pieces, simulation models included |
Every HALA-CUSTOM-SM order includes direct access to our applications engineering team for simulation integration support. Assistance includes: importing S2P data into your ADS/AWR schematic, setting up the 3D geometry in HFSS/CST, interpreting Monte Carlo tolerance data for yield analysis, and recommending coil orientation for your specific channel spacing goals. Contact us during your design phase — simulation support is provided at no cost for all CUSTOM-SM configurations.
Q: How do I use the S2P data when my simulation frequency range exceeds 26.5GHz?
A: The equivalent circuit model (provided alongside the S2P data) is verified to 40GHz and can be used to extrapolate performance. The air core's linear behavior (no frequency-dependent μᵣ) means the equivalent circuit accurately represents the coil's behavior well beyond the S2P measurement range. Contact engineering for custom S-parameter measurements up to 50GHz on request.
Q: What if my PCB layout cannot achieve the recommended coil spacing?
A: For layouts where 1.0mm coil spacing is not feasible, we offer three isolation enhancement strategies: (1) alternating coil orientation for orthogonal dipole nulling (>45dB at 0.8mm), (2) grounded guard traces between coils with quarter-wave stubs at the operating frequency, and (3) custom coil shielding with grounded copper foil (adds <0.1pF parasitic capacitance). Our applications team will recommend the optimal strategy for your specific layout constraints.
Contact us with your target specifications, channel count, and PCB layout constraints. Simulation models ship with evaluation samples within 5–7 business days.
