Standard Modeling Problems

There are many different types of EM modeling and simulation problems, and the use of well defined cases with known solutions are an excellent means of validating a modeling tool or procedure.  However, it is impossible to define every possible case and create a suitable reference problem.  Therefore a variety of validation cases were created to span the range of problems that may be encountered.  Users are encouraged to select validation cases that most closely match their types of problems, recognizing that more than one validation case may be needed to cover the range of problems they are interested in.  It should be noted that the library of standard cases is dynamic and additional materials will be added over time.

This recommended practice defines three types of validation cases:  canonical, benchmark, and standard.  On this web site, multiple problems of each of the three types are provided. 

Canonical Problems
The simplest problems are straightforward canonical problems, that often provide significant challenges for full-wave EM techniques and codes due to the need to “break” the physical geometry into small parts.  The input impedances (real and imaginary) and far field radiation patterns are detailed for each problem.  These canonical validation problems have a closed form solution that will allow comparison of the user’s simulation results to the theoretical results.

Benchmark Problems
The next level in complexity is ‘benchmark’ validation problems.  These problems tend to have a simple geometry with only a few objects, so they represent specific types of problems often encountered in the field of EMC.  Although these problems do not have closed form solutions, many of them have been previously solved by a number of different codes and techniques.  Thus, the user’s simulation results should be compared against these previously obtained results.

Standard Validation Problems
The highest level of complexity is ‘standard’ validation problems.  These problems have a complex geometry and are intended to represent real-world scenarios.  As with the benchmark validation problems, no closed form solution is available but many of these problems have been solved by a number of different codes and techniques.  Once again, the user’s simulation results should be compared against these previously obtained results.

The specific problems are numbered to coinside with the numbering within the IEEE Best Practice (P1597.2) document.  Unless otherwise specified, all equations in this document are MKS rationalized.