The Boundary Mode Analysis (

) study and study step are used to compute the propagation constants or wave numbers as well as propagating mode shapes, for a given frequency at a port.
The Boundary Mode Analysis study step’s Settings window contains the following sections:
Enter a Port name if applicable. The default is 1.
Enter a value or expression for the Mode analysis frequency. The default frequency is 1 GHz.
From the Mode search method list, select a search method:
Use the Desired number of modes field to specify the number of modes you want the solver to return (default: 1).
In the Search for modes around field, you can specify a value or expression around which the eigenvalue solver should look for solutions to the eigenvalue equation (default: 1).
Use the Mode search method around shift list to control how the eigenvalue solver searches for modes around the specified shift value:
Use the Approximate number of modes field to specify the approximate number of modes you want the solver to return (default: 20).
In the Maximum number of modes field, you can specify a maximum number of modes to limit the eigenvalue solver’s search for additional modes (default: 200).
The Perform consistency check check box is selected by default to increase confidence that the solver finds all modes in the search region.
Under Search region, you define the size of the search region for modes as a rectangle in the complex plane by specifying the
Smallest real part,
Largest real part,
Smallest imaginary part, and
Largest imaginary part in the respective text fields. The search region also works as an interval method if the
Smallest imaginary part and
Largest imaginary part are equal; the eigenvalue solver then only considers the real axis and vice versa.