• A new Unwrap phase checkbox is available in 1D Global and Point Graph plots for data

with an angle as the unit. When the checkbox is selected, your plot will show the
phase values without jumps.
• You can now add multiple Graph Marker subnodes to the same plot for applicable
plot types.
• The eval operator in Annotation plots has been improved. It now supports formats
of the %[flags][width][.precision] type. Allowed types are d, f, e, E, g, and
G. For example, eval(pi*1e10,,%+.3e) gives the output +3.142e+10, showing
the number with scientific format with 3 decimal values and with the sign of the
number shown.
• For Point plots, you can now display values as text. Evaluation can also be done not
only at points but also for other geometry levels: line, surface, and volume
(depending on the space dimension of the model). The evaluation can now also be
done at mesh nodes or Gauss points.
• For models that include a phase, the Solution at angle (phase) list in plot groups now
includes a Custom per plot option, which adds Solution at angle (phase) lists for all
plots in the plot group. You can then specify the phase individually for each plot.
• For a disabled plot, clicking Plot or pressing F8 no longer enables or plots the plot.
Clicking Plot plots all active and enabled plots in the plot group.

NEW AND IMPROVED REPORT AND PRESENTATION FUNCTIONALITY

• The report level Brief now includes settings for Function nodes.
• Physics Interface report nodes now include variables, shape functions, weak
expressions, and constraints by default only for reports of level Complete.

New and Improved Java® API Methods

HASTAG METHOD
To check whether a feature with a given tag exists in a list, use the new hasTag method.
It will return true if the list contains a model entity with the given tag.

The following methods have been added or improved in version 6.3:

ABSOLUTE TOLERANCE IN THE GENERAL EXTRUSION OPERATOR

For model.cpl() and a general extrusion operator, if manualsearchdist is set to on
and the source selection is a boundary, edge, or point selection, searchdist gives the

30 | CHAPTER 1: RELEASE NOTES

search distance in directions orthogonal to the source selection. If manualsearchdist
is off, the search distance is equal to exttol times the mesh element size.

IMPROVED SUPPORT FOR EDGE EVALUATIONS AND PROJECTIONS

The methods edgeX, edgeDX, edgeDDX, edgeDDDX, edgeNormal, edgeCurvature,
and edgeTorsion have been updated to support evaluation on a smooth interpolated
edge curve for meshes that define their own geometric model.

REMOVING ROWS IN RESULTS TABLES

Use the new removeRows(int[]) method to delete rows from a results table. You can
delete several rows, provided as an input, given as an integer array of row numbers.

RETRIEVING THE NUMBER OF PARAMETER VALUES THAT ARE

AVAILABLE FOR STEPPING OVER
Use the new getStepCount(int level) method to retrieve the number of parameter
values that are available for stepping over on a given level, given as an integer input
value. This functionality can be useful for managing sliders in apps, for example.

General Backward Compatibility Considerations

COMSOL Multiphysics version 6.3 can open MPH-files saved from COMSOL
Multiphysics versions 4.0–6.2.

COMSOL Multiphysics version 6.3 can run Java® files saved from COMSOL
Multiphysics versions 4.0–6.2. However, the Java® files may need to be modified in
accordance with information in this document and may need to be recompiled with
the comsol compile command in version 6.3.

Backward Compatibility with Version 6.2

REMOVED DEVICE FEATURE FROM THE PHYSICS BUILDER

In version 6.2 and earlier versions, under the Device Model Feature node, a node called
a Device Feature that created an instance of the Device Model Feature directly was
available. This functionality was inconsistent with the basic framework, both how
Device Model Feature nodes should be used and how Device Model features generally
behave. There is a migration that converts the configuration to an equivalent
configuration with a Device Model and a Device node under a Global Feature. So the
migration changes the type of the Device Model Feature to a global feature, move all
device-related nodes to the new Device Model node, and finally change the obsolete

COMSOL MULTIPHYSICS | 31
 Device Feature node to a normal Device node. There are some complicated cases when
the migration fails to do a completely valid migration. It then adds a warning giving
more information about the problem.

CHANGED NAMES FOR PARAMETERIZED CURVE AND PARAMETERIZED

SURFACE DATASETS
The datasets called Parameterized Curve 2D, Parameterized Curve 3D, and
Parameterized Surface in earlier versions of COMSOL Multiphysics are now called
Parametric Curve 2D, Parametric Curve 3D, and Parametric Surface, respectively.

GEOMETRY IMPORT IN WORK PLANES

For Import, there is a new setting Include result form virtual operations when importing
MPHBIN and MPHTXT in a work plane. In 6.2, this setting did not exist in this case,
which meant that only the real part of the geometry was imported. In 6.3, the setting
is on by default, which means that the whole virtual geometry is imported. This
concerns the property includevirtual in the Java API.

GEOMETRIC MODEL UPDATE FOR MESH

The method geometricModel(boolean) has been replaced with
geometricModel(String) to specify if a meshing sequence operates on a geometry
or on a mesh.

Backward Compatibility with Version 6.1

NEW WEBVIEW2 BROWSER

The CefSharp web browser control used by the .NET client in version 6.1 has been
replaced with WebView2.

Backward Compatibility with Version 6.0

NEW CEFSHARP BROWSER

The Chromium™-based CefSharp browser component replaces the Internet Explorer-
based .NET WebBrowser component in version 6.1.

In the Video and Web Page form objects, there is now a Native browser on Windows
option in the settings to determine if the Internet Explorer®-based .NET WebBrowser
component from earlier versions should be used instead. The default value for the
native browser is Chromium™ (CEF) but all existing models have the setting set to

32 | CHAPTER 1: RELEASE NOTES

Internet Explorer® by default to maintain the functionality from earlier versions. Use
the launcher flag cs.legacywebbrowser=true as a way to keep the previous browser
component instead of CefSharp.

The CefSharp browser component stores user data such as cookies, browser history,
and local storage in a folder. This cscefcache folder is placed among the temporary
files of the client and persist between COMSOL and browser sessions. You can delete
the cscefcache folder to clear this data. The CEF log output is written to
Users\[user]\.comsol\6.2\logs\cef.log. The log level can be controlled using
the cs.cefloglevel launcher argument, which accepts the values info, warning,
error, and fatal.

EQUATION FORM FOR PDE AND ODE INTERFACES

When adding a PDE or ODE interface in the user interface, the equation form will by
default be set to Study controlled. This will lead to a different interpretation of time
derivatives in frequency-domain studies compared to previous versions. When creating
a new PDE or ODE interface from the API or opening a model saved in a previous
version, the equation form will be set to Time domain, which corresponds to the
behavior in previous versions.

THE FLASH MOVIE FORMAT

For movie export, the Flash format is no longer available as of version 6.1.

TIME-EXPLICIT SOLVER
The Time-Dependent Solver node settings now includes the time-explicit methods from
the Time-Explicit Solver node that was available in the Model Builder in earlier versions.
The Time-Explicit Solver node is still available in models created in earlier version of
COMSOL Multiphysics. It is also available in the COMSOL API.

MODEL REDUCTION STUDY STEP

The Study step for eigenmodes and Study step for constraint modes settings in version
6.1 correspond to Defined by study step in previous versions because it is not possible
to use one study step for two different solution types.

PERIODIC CONDITIONS — DESTINATION SELECTION

The Destination Selection subnode under Periodic Condition nodes has been removed in
version 6.1 and has been replaced by an optional Destination Selection section in the

COMSOL MULTIPHYSICS | 33
 Settings windows for Periodic Condition nodes. It can still be added from the API for
backward compatibility. The Destination Selection subnode was used for two purposes:

• To provide a manual destination selection in cases where the automatic detection

failed for some reason (for example, in models with curved boundaries). The
selection of the feature was used as destination domains. When the All boundaries
option was selected for the selection list, the automatic destination was used from
the parent periodic condition.
• To add a manual orientation for vector transforms of the destination boundaries.
The Orientation of Destination section was used for this.

For more information about the API compatibility, see COMSOL 6.1 API Changes.

FLASH MOVIE FORMAT

The Flash movie format is no longer available for export of movie files using the
Animation feature. Animation features in models created using version 6.0 or earlier
where the format is set to Flash now use GIF as the format from version 6.1.

STREAMLINE PLOT CHANGES

For 2D Streamline and 3D Streamline Surface and Streamline Multislice plots, the
algorithm for finding and plotting streamlines has been improved. The Density setting
in version 6.0 and earlier versions has been replaced with the Maximum distance setting,
which is the inverse of the Density. A corresponding Minimum distance setting has also
been added. When opening models from version 6.0 and earlier versions, the Minimum
distance is assigned a value that is 0.05 times the Maximum distance. This is a reasonable
heuristic, but it is not guaranteed to give a good result in all cases.

PHYSICS SYMBOLS IN 1D AND 0D GEOMETRIES

The Physics Symbols section in the settings for physics interfaces, features, and
boundary conditions has been removed for all components with dimension less than
2D. This change might cause issues with old public API code that accesses any physics
symbol properties in 1D or 0D, even though they did not have any effect in earlier
versions.

34 | CHAPTER 1: RELEASE NOTES

AC / DC M o dule
New and Improved Functionality in Version 6.3

NEW FORMULATION FOR ELECTROSTATICS

The Electrostatics interface now supports the D–V Formulation in 2D and 3D, allowing
for a more accurate electrostatic force evaluation. This is of particular interest for 3D
MEMS device modeling.

As a counterpoint to solving for scalar potential, as is done in the V Formulation,

electrostatic problems can be reformulated to solve for flux. The D–V formulation is a
mixed formulation technique that solves for the normal components of the electric
displacement field, D. It does this by solving a system of two equations: one for the
electric displacement field and a second equation for the electric potential, V. The
second equation acts as a constraint on the first equation.

Computing the flux directly produces a high accuracy for the electric displacement
field and is particularly advantageous for calculating electromechanical forces in
geometries that contain sharp corners.

The D–V Formulation can be activated by going to the Discretization options in the
Settings window for Electrostatics and selecting any of the Mixed finite element options.

NEW ELECTROMECHANICS MULTIPHYSICS INTERFACES

Under AC/DC > Electromagnetics and Mechanics > Electromechanics, two new
multiphysics interfaces have been added to the Model Wizard tree: Electromechanics,
Shell and Electromechanics, Membrane. Both use the new Electromechanics, Boundary
multiphysics coupling, together with the Electrostatics interface and either the Shell or
Membrane interface. Coupling Electrostatics with Shell or Membrane was possible
before, but the new interfaces streamline the process.

For the new multiphysics interfaces as well as the existing Electromechanics, Solid
interface, the contained Electrostatics interface is now configured to use the new
D–V Formulation by default — although, this can be reverted back to the regular
formulation if desired. Note that the new Electromechanics, Boundary multiphysics
coupling requires a license for the Structural Mechanics Module, together with either
the MEMS Module or the AC/DC Module.

AC/DC MODULE | 35
 SUPPORT FOR HIGH-FREQUENCY LOSS IN MULTITURN COILS
The Homogenized multiturn conductor model in the Coil domain feature — as used in
the Magnetic Fields, the Magnetic and Electric Fields, and the Rotating Machinery, Magnetic
interfaces — has received multiple updates, most notably for modeling intrinsic loss
caused by skin and proximity effects in the coil.

In the Frequency Domain study when the Wire properties setting is using the From
conductivity option, a new High-frequency effective loss model is available (enabled by
default). This loss model introduces an effective wire conductivity and an effective
complex permeability in the coil such that the field distribution and the AC resistance
resemble that of a fully resolved coil consisting of hexagonally packed wires with skin
and proximity effects. For Stationary and Time Dependent studies, the loss model reverts
back to the DC approximation, as used in previous COMSOL® versions.

For both the Time Dependent and Frequency Domain studies, a new Wire properties
option is available, called From resistance and mutually coupled circuit. It couples the
coil to a lumped circuit. When the circuit parameters are properly tuned, the resistive
and inductive effects modeled by the circuit resemble those coming from a fully
resolved skin and proximity effect.

The advantage of this approach is that it supports both the Frequency Domain and Time
Domain study and is therefore more versatile. The disadvantage is that the circuit needs
to be tuned. Oftentimes, an educated guess is possible, but fitting gives more accurate
results. Fitting is typically done by matching the average loss to that of an equivalent
fully resolved model, or to measurements.

NEW HOMOGENIZED LITZ COIL CONDUCTOR MODEL

For the Coil domain feature — as used in the Magnetic Fields and the Rotating Machinery,
Magnetic interfaces — there is now a new Homogenized litz coil conductor model. This
conductor model shares many similarities with the Homogenized multiturn option, but
it is more suitable for litz coils.

When the Litz wire properties setting uses the From conductivity option, the Number of
strands setting can be specified, along with the Litz wire DC resistance per unit length.
The latter is used to compensate for the increase in DC resistance caused by the
twisting or weaving pattern. (Note that the homogenized multiturn conductor model
assumes untwisted wires.) Like the Homogenized multiturn conductor model, the
Homogenized litz coil conductor model supports High-frequency effective loss.

When the Litz wire properties setting is using the From resistivity option, the wire
resistance per unit length can be set explicitly. The wire resistance can be taken from a

36 | CHAPTER 1: RELEASE NOTES

specification sheet or a measurement, and it can be a constant value or taken from a
lookup table or a frequency-dependent curve. Analytical expressions as given by
literature are supported too — they are typically based on known parameters such as
strand size, conductivity, number of strands, and frequency.

Note that at higher frequencies, the total net AC resistance will depend on both skin
and proximity effects within the litz coil (intrinsic effects) and the inductive coupling
between the coil and its environment (external effects).

MISCELLANEOUS COIL IMPROVEMENTS

Smaller usability improvements for the Coil domain feature — as used in the Magnetic
Fields, the Magnetic and Electric Fields, and the Rotating Machinery, Magnetic interfaces
— include support for a Symmetry specification in 2D and the Filling factor variable. The
Filling factor is an important parameter to check when the wire (or strand) cross-section
area is specified explicitly. This is done to avoid coil configurations where the copper
mass is larger than would physically fit inside the coil. Typically, the filling factor should
not surpass 0.9 (the densest packing for circles), but higher values are allowed. This
functionality is useful for experimentation, sweeping, or optimization purposes.

The Symmetry specification feature can be used when sector symmetry or mirror
symmetry is used, and the model represents only a fraction of the actual device. It can
be useful for setting up stator coil configurations for motor models (for cases where
the Multiphase Winding feature is not applicable). Another application of interest is the
2D modeling of fully resolved litz coils: The symmetry factors can be used in
combination with the Coil group option in 2D to model the strands fully resolved with
skin and proximity effects included. These 2D models can then be used to verify the
High-frequency effective loss model in 3D or to fine-tune the circuit parameters used in
the From resistance and mutually coupled circuit option.

NEW COIL FEATURE FOR THE MAGNETIC MACHINERY, ROTATING, TIME

PERIODIC INTERFACE
A new Coil feature has been added to the Magnetic Machinery, Rotating, Time Periodic
interface. It can be seen as a combination of the existing Passive Conductor feature and
External Current Density feature. The main advantage of this new feature is that it
combines a simple form of excitation with the support for skin and proximity effects.
For more advanced excitation forms, consider using the Multiphase Winding feature
instead.

AC/DC MODULE | 37
 NEW MULTI-TERMINAL CONDUCTOR FEATURE
The Magnetic Fields, Currents Only interface has a new Multi-Terminal Conductor feature.
This feature is similar to the existing Conductor feature and can be used as an easy way
to apply current sources, especially in connection with the Stationary Source Sweep with
Initialization study step and for conductors containing multiple current inputs to sweep
onto. The Multi-Terminal Conductor feature has several subnodes (Terminal, Ground, and
Electric Insulation) that can be used to define the boundary conditions for the current
distribution.

NEW LAMINATED CORE FEATURE

A new domain feature, Laminated Core, has been added to the Magnetic Fields interface,
the Magnetic Fields, No Currents interface, and the Rotating Machinery, Magnetic
interface. For the Rotating Machinery, Magnetic interface two flavors are available: the
Laminated Core, Ampère’s Law feature and the Laminated Core, Magnetic Flux
Conservation feature. These new features are suitable for modeling laminated cores as
used in transformers, electromechanical actuators, and electric motors. They are
available in 2D and 3D for Stationary, Time Dependent, and Frequency Domain studies.

In the Laminated Core feature, laminae are approximated by an anisotropic effective

medium. Using the Stacking factor option, the ratio between magnetic and
nonmagnetic material can be specified. The Stacking direction option can be specified
as well. For the lamina, both linear and nonlinear magnetic properties are supported:
Relative permeability, B–H curve, and Effective B–H curve. The resistive and magnetic
loss can be included through empirical loss models, such as Steinmetz or Bertotti.

EASY EVALUATION OF THE TOTAL MAGNETIC COENERGY

A predefined variable for the total magnetic coenergy is now available for the Magnetic
Fields; Magnetic and Electric Fields; Magnetic Fields, No Currents; and Rotating Machinery,
Magnetic interfaces. Contributions from both domains and boundaries are taken into
account. In particular, the magnetic energy now also includes the energy stored in the
Thin Low Permeability Gap boundary feature.

The magnetic coenergy constitutive relation of a magnetic material now supports

sensitivity analysis. This functionality provides easier extraction of magnetic forces by
the principle of virtual work and easier extraction of the differential inductance.
Among other things, the new functionality is relevant for extracting a lumped
representation of electromechanical devices.

38 | CHAPTER 1: RELEASE NOTES

NEW DQ EXCITATION SUPPORT FOR THE MULTIPHASE WINDING
Specifically introduced for motor modeling, the direct quadrature (DQ)
transformation support allows for the simulation of electrical machines more in line
with common control strategies and for easier calculation of key machine parameters.
Essentially, the DQ transformation converts the AC signals from stator coils producing
a rotating field to an equivalent set of DC signals for a virtually rotating coil assembly
producing a constant field.

In order to use the DQ transformation as a means of excitation, the DQ currents option

has been added in 2D as an Excitation type to the Multiphase Winding feature in the
Magnetic Machinery, Rotating, Time Periodic interface, and the Rotating Machinery,
Magnetic interface. Furthermore, a set of predefined DQ variables is now available in
those interfaces to simplify result evaluation and data extraction.

NEW CONTACT IMPEDANCE AND ELECTRICAL CONTACT BOUNDARY

CONDITIONS FOR THE MAGNETIC AND ELECTRIC FIELDS INTERFACE
The resistive boundary conditions in the Magnetic and Electric Fields interface have been
restructured, and new ones have been added. The Electric Insulation boundary feature,
the Contact Impedance boundary feature, and the Electrical Contact boundary feature
are now available as subnodes to the Magnetic Shielding, the Magnetic Continuity, and the
Thin Low Permeability Gap boundary conditions. This allows for the modeling of
electrical contact together with inductive phenomena.

IMPROVED HANDLING OF SOLIDS AND LIQUIDS (FOR SEVERAL PHYSICS

INTERFACES)
For several physics interfaces, the handling of solids and liquids has been improved,
making it easier to build models with moving materials. In particular, the Electrostatics
interface now has a Charge Conservation in Solids and a Charge Conservation in Fluids
feature; the Magnetic Fields, No Currents interface now has a Magnetic Flux Conservation
in Solids and a Magnetic Flux Conservation in Fluids feature; and the Magnetic and Electric
Fields interface has an Ampère's Law and Current Conservation in Solids and an Ampère's
Law and Current Conservation in Fluids feature. Note that the previous versions of these
features have been deprecated.

The new features provide a more user-friendly implementation that helps to ensure
that the appropriate material models and the appropriate coordinate frames of
reference are used for liquids, gases, and vacuum as well as for solid objects.
Furthermore, the features allow for a more intuitive setup of multiphysics couplings.
Multiphysics couplings designed for solids, such as the Electromechanics coupling, are
only applicable in domains where the corresponding solid feature is active, whereas

AC/DC MODULE | 39
 multiphysics couplings designed for liquids, such as the Magnetohydrodynamics
coupling, are only applicable in domains where the corresponding fluid feature is
active.

NEW DEFAULT FREE SPACE FEATURE (FOR SEVERAL INTERFACES)

A new default feature, Free Space, has been added to the Electrostatics interface, the
Magnetic Fields, No Currents interface, and the Magnetic and Electric Fields interface. It
is used to specify the physical conditions in close proximity to the modeled device
(typically in air or vacuum). The feature provides a starting point to which other
features — such as the Charge Conservation in Solids feature or the Ampère’s Law and
Current Conservation in Fluids feature (see above) — can be added to locally specify
material properties and excitation forms.

For the Magnetic and Electric Fields interface, the Free Space feature also now comes
with a built-in Stabilization option. The Automatic setting adds an artificial conductivity
term that keeps the model from becoming singular (1 S/m for Stationary and Time
Dependent studies, and 0 S/m for Frequency Domain studies). A user defined option is
available, too, for manual tuning of the stabilization.

Note that replacing the default feature has an impact on backward compatibility:
Model methods, Java® code, and MATLAB® code that have been saved using
previous COMSOL® versions may need to be revised in order to function properly.

MORE FEATURES NOW SUPPORT THE SPLIT BY CONNECTIVITY OPTION

When a model of a physical device requires hundreds of coils (or terminals), setting up
every one of them individually can be time consuming. For such cases, a single
selection can be used that contains the union of all coils. This selection is typically
provided by the geometry sequence, a geometry import node, or some other form of
automation. The Split By Connectivity option analyzes the combined selection and
automatically identifies all coils within it. With a single click, a physics feature is created
for every coil.

This functionality has now been extended to most instances of Coils in domains,
Terminals in domains and on boundaries, and Lumped Ports in the Electrostatics,
Electrostatics, Boundary Elements, Electric Currents, Magnetic Fields, Magnetic and Electric
Fields, and Rotating Machinery, Magnetic features. Furthermore, it is now supported by
the public API, meaning that the Split By Connectivity action can be included in apps,
plug-ins, or model methods.

40 | CHAPTER 1: RELEASE NOTES

IMPROVED USABILITY FOR CIRCUIT CONNECTIONS
The usability of circuit connections has improved greatly. A domain physics interface
such as the Electric Currents interface or the Magnetic Fields interface can be connected
to the lumped Electrical Circuit interface by means of a Coil or Port feature. When such
a domain or boundary feature is set to be connected to a lumped circuit, automated
functionality is now available to complete the circuit connection. This includes options
to create a new Electrical Circuit interface or to connect to an existing one. The lumped
elements in the circuit that provide the connection to the finite element model are
created automatically, and useful feedback is provided when the connection is
incomplete.

PUBLIC API SUPPORT FOR CIRCUIT IMPORT AND EXPORT

The Electrical Circuit interface supports the Import SPICE Netlist and Export SPICE Netlist
options. In addition to this, circuit import and export are now supported through the
public API. This means that a model method, an app, or a plug-in can automatically
retrieve or export a circuit. This is especially useful for lumped circuit extraction,
where circuits are generated in an automated fashion based on lumped resistance,
capacitance, and inductance matrices as retrieved from the finite element model.

BETTER SUPPORT FOR MODELING BIOLOGICAL TISSUES (INCLUDING

NEW BIOLOGICAL TISSUE MATERIAL LIBRARY)
For both the Electrostatics interface and the Electric Currents interface, three new
dispersive dielectric material models are available: Cole–Cole, Havriliak–Negami, and User
defined. All three are available for Frequency Domain studies as well as for Time
Dependent studies — using the new support for partial fraction fitting (note that this
implies that the dispersive materials can also be fitted directly on measured data). This
is of particular interest for medical applications.

Furthermore, the existing Multipole Debye dispersive material model can now be used
in combination with the new Biological Tissues material data. The Biological Tissues
folder in the AC/DC material library branch contains values for the electric conductivity,
relative permittivity, and reference temperature, together with the relaxation times and
relative permittivity contributions of several Debye poles, for 54 biological tissue types.

The dispersion models are available in the Dispersion subnode. This subnode is located
under the Charge Conservation in Solids feature (for Electrostatics) and the Current
Conservation feature (for Electric Currents, assuming that the feature’s Material type is
set to Solid). The subnode will become visible when the parent feature’s Dielectric
model is set to Dispersion.

AC/DC MODULE | 41
 Note that the Dispersion subnode is now contributing. This implies that the effect of
several dispersion models can be combined by adding multiple Dispersion subnodes.

Note that the Cole–Cole and Havriliak–Negami material models require the AC/DC
Module, while the Multipole Debye and User defined models are also available for the
MEMS Module.

BETTER DEFAULT SOLVERS AND DEFAULT SETTINGS FOR MOTOR

MODELING
The default solver settings for the Stationary and Time Dependent studies — as used for
the Magnetic Machinery, Rotating, Time Periodic and the Rotating Machinery, Magnetic
interfaces — have been redesigned, with a general focus on performance and
robustness. The default discretization is now Linear rather than Quadratic, allowing for
more robustness and better performance in the case of nonlinear magnetic materials.

Furthermore, the default Constraint type used in the Continuity pair feature — as used
in the Rotating Machinery, Magnetic interface — has now changed from Pointwise
constraints to Weak constraints, allowing for coarser meshes on the pair boundaries.
(To see the Constraint Settings section, enable Show More Options > Advanced Physics
Options.)

Note that changing the default discretization and the default constraint type has an
impact on backward compatibility: Model methods, Java® code, and MATLAB® code
that have been saved using previous COMSOL® versions may need to be revised in
order to function properly.

NEW ITERATIVE SOLVER FOR THE MAGNETIC FIELDS INTERFACE

The Auxiliary-Space Algebraic Multigrid (Auxiliary-Space AMG, or ASAMG) solver has
been introduced as the new default iterative solver for the Magnetic Fields interface, in
particular for stationary studies. For most models, this is expected to reduce memory
consumption and improve both performance and robustness.

NEW NAMING CONVENTION FOR VARIABLE NAMES IN THE ELECTRICAL

CIRCUIT INTERFACE
The variable names used in the Electrical Circuit interface have been updated from using
an underscore convention to using a dot-separated convention; for example,
“cir.R1_p_v” is now “cir.R1.p.v”. Furthermore, the new format reduces the level
of ambiguity for variables where the underscore is used to separate the subscript from
the main variable name — as used in “R_dc”, for example.

42 | CHAPTER 1: RELEASE NOTES

Note that changing the naming convention has an impact on backward compatibility:
Custom expressions containing these names — including those used in model
methods, Java® code, and MATLAB® code — may need to be revised in order to
function properly.

MISCELLANEOUS IMPROVEMENTS
• The Stationary Source Sweep study now supports cluster distribution.
• The Lumped Port feature — as used in the Magnetic Fields interface, the Magnetic and
Electric Fields interface, and the Rotating Machinery, Magnetic interface — now
supports specifying the excitation direction by means of a Reference edge.

New and Updated Models, Apps, and Add-Ins in Version 6.3

PERMANENT MAGNET MOTOR IN STEADY STATE (NEW MODEL)

Obtaining the steady-state performance is an essential task for the electric motor
designer. As with many electromagnetic devices, the steady-state condition of an
electric motor occurs when the electric and magnetic field variations have stabilized to
a time-periodic pattern. The Magnetic Machinery, Rotating, Time Periodic interface solves
directly for the steady-state operation while fully including the effects of nonlinear
materials and induced currents. In this tutorial model, a distributed wound interior
permanent magnet (IPM) machine is modeled to demonstrate the fundamentals of the
time-periodic interface.

PIEZOMAGNETIC CELL ROVER (NEW MODEL)

This tutorial shows how to model a miniaturized magnetostrictive antenna developed
for use inside living cells. The stress in the antenna, the magnetic flux density, the
current density, and the displacement of the tip of the device are investigated at the
resonance frequency.

B–H CURVE CHECKER (UPDATED APP)

The B–H Curve Checker app has been improved. In particular, it now supports input
data that does not reach all the way to full saturation. The data is augmented assuming
that the differential permeability will decrease, eventually settling at the vacuum
permeability. This gives more realistic saturation effects in models with high-flux
concentrations.

AC/DC MODULE | 43
 CIRCUIT EXTRACTOR (UPDATED ADD-IN)
The Circuit Extractor add-in allows for automated extraction of lumped circuits by
analyzing the lumped resistance, capacitance, and inductance matrix retrieved from the
finite element model. The resistance networks extracted by the add-in have been
updated to better follow the SPICE standard.

Backward Compatibility with Version 6.2 and Earlier

• For the Electromechanics, Solid multiphysics interface, the contained Electrostatics
interface is now configured to use the new D–V Formulation by default. This version
of the Electromechanics, Solid multiphysics interface is therefore not compatible with
previous versions of COMSOL, considering the support of model methods, Java®
code, and stored MATLAB® scripts. This is because these scripts typically do not
mention default settings explicitly. To manually migrate scripts that rely on the
previous default settings, add an instruction that applies the previous default settings
explicitly.
• The Coil feature in the Magnetic Fields interface, the Magnetic and Electric Fields
interface and the Rotating Machinery, Magnetic interface now has new default settings
for the Coil type and the Wire cross-section area. The Coil type is applicable in 3D for
the Homogenized multiturn conductor model, and the new default is Numeric. The
Wire cross-section area is used for the Homogenized multiturn conductor model when
the Wire properties are set to From conductivity (both in 2D, and 3D), and the new
default is Filling factor. This version of the Coil feature is therefore not compatible
with previous versions of COMSOL, considering the support of model methods,
Java® code, and stored MATLAB® scripts. This is because these scripts typically do
not mention default settings explicitly. To manually migrate scripts that rely on the
previous default settings (Linear, and User defined), add an instruction that applies
the previous default settings explicitly.
• The Homogenized multiturn conductor model in the Coil feature — as used in the
Magnetic Fields, the Magnetic and Electric Fields, and the Rotating Machinery, Magnetic
interfaces — does not support advanced magnetic and dielectric material models any
longer. This is because the correct functioning of the Homogenized multiturn
conductor model combined with these material models could not be guaranteed.
This version of the Coil feature is therefore not compatible with previous versions of
COMSOL. Existing Coil features saved in COMSOL 6.2 and before will keep the
full set of magnetic and dielectric material models.
• The switch from the old Charge Conservation feature in the Electrostatics interface,
the old Magnetic Flux Conservation feature in the Magnetic Fields, No Currents

44 | CHAPTER 1: RELEASE NOTES

 interface, and the old Ampère’s Law and Current Conservation feature in the Magnetic
and Electric Fields interface, to the new default Free Space feature in all these
interfaces, means that this version of these interfaces is not compatible with previous
versions of COMSOL, considering the support of model methods, Java® code, and
stored MATLAB® scripts. This is because these scripts typically do not mention the
creation of the default feature explicitly. To manually migrate scripts that rely on the
previous default features, add an instruction that adds the previous default features
explicitly.
• The Charge Conservation feature in the Electrostatics interface has been deprecated
and is replaced by a Charge Conservation in Solids feature and a Charge Conservation
in Fluids feature.
• The Magnetic Flux Conservation feature in the Magnetic Fields, No Currents interface
has been deprecated and is replaced by a Magnetic Flux Conservation in Solids feature
and a Magnetic Flux Conservation in Fluids feature.
• The Ampère’s Law and Current Conservation feature in the Magnetic and Electric Fields
interface has been deprecated and is replaced with an Ampère’s Law and Current
Conservation in Solids feature and an Ampère’s Law and Current Conservation in Fluids
feature.
• The default discretization for the Rotating Machinery, Magnetic interface has changed
from Quadratic to Linear, both for the Magnetic scalar potential and the Magnetic
vector potential. In addition to this, the default Constraint type used in the Continuity
pair feature has changed from Pointwise constraints to Weak constraints. This version
of the Rotating Machinery, Magnetic interface is therefore not compatible with
previous versions of COMSOL, considering the support of model methods, Java®
code, and stored MATLAB® scripts. This is because these scripts typically do not
mention default settings explicitly. To manually migrate scripts that rely on the
previous default settings, add an instruction that applies these previous default
settings explicitly.
• The default solver used for the Magnetic Fields interface has changed for the
Stationary study step. Existing models with a manually configured solver saved in
COMSOL 6.2 and earlier may need to have their solver configurations reset, to
benefit from the new defaults.
• The default solver used for the Rotating Machinery, Magnetic interface has changed
for the Stationary study step and for the Time Dependent study step. Existing models

AC/DC MODULE | 45
 with a manually configured solver saved in COMSOL 6.2 and earlier may need to
have their solver configurations reset, to benefit from the new defaults.
• The variable names used in the Electrical Circuit interface have been updated from
using an underscore convention to using a dot-separated convention — for example
“cir.R1_p_v” is now “cir.R1.p.v”. Custom expressions containing these names
— including those used in model methods, Java® code, and MATLAB® code —
may need to be revised in order to function properly.

46 | CHAPTER 1: RELEASE NOTES

Acoustics Module
New Functionality in Version 6.3

GPU SUPPORT FOR ACCELERATED ACOUSTICS SIMULATIONS WITH

PRESSURE ACOUSTICS, TIME EXPLICIT
Support for an accelerated solver that can use GPU has been added for the Pressure
Acoustics, Time Explicit interface. A new option where the system data is extracted and
cashed for efficient evaluation on either GPU or CPU has been added. Important
features like the general Impedance condition (to include real impedance data of
absorbing surfaces) and the Absorbing Layer (to model open problems) are available
with the GPU. If the solved problem can fit in the memory of the GPU, this results in
the most significant speedup.

POROACOUSTICS IN THE TIME DOMAIN FOR PRESSURE ACOUSTICS,

TIME EXPLICIT
A new Poroacoustics feature has been added to the Pressure Acoustics, Time Explicit
interface. This allows for modeling porous materials in the time domain using an
equivalent fluid model. The method relies on transforming frequency-dependent data
for the equivalent density and compliance to the time domain using a rational function
approximation. The data can be fitted with the built-in Partial Fraction Fit function.

FAST FORMULATION OF THERMOVISCOUS ACOUSTICS

The new Thermoviscous Acoustics, SLNS Approximation interface solves for the
propagation of acoustic waves using the so-called sequential linearized Navier–
Stokes, or SLNS, approximation, to include the thermoviscous boundary layer losses
in a computationally efficient manner. The interface solves the governing equations in
the frequency domain. This interface is particularly suited for large system simulations.
The main assumption for the decomposition is that the acoustic wavelength is much
larger than the thickness of the viscous and thermal boundary layers.

ANALYTICAL PORT MODES FOR LINEARIZED POTENTIAL FLOW

Standard analytical port mode options have been added to the Port condition in the
Linearized Potential Flow, Frequency Domain interface. Both Annular and Circular port
modes can be selected. The modes assume a uniform background flow in the port
surface. These built-in options simplify model setup in many cases; in particular, they

ACOUSTICS MODULE | 47
 are essential when performing a modal expansion of measured sources, as well as when
computing modal transmission loss of flow ducts.

ANISOTROPIC POROACOUSTICS
A new Anisotropic Poroacoustics material model has been added to the Pressure
Acoustics, Frequency Domain interface. The new model defines a porous domain
(equivalent fluid model) with a porous material that has anisotropic properties.
Anisotropic properties can be defined for the relevant poroacoustic properties, namely
the flow resistivity, the tortuosity factor, and the viscous characteristic length.

IMPROVEMENTS TO THE PARTIAL FRACTION FIT FUNCTIONALITY

The Partial Fraction Fit function is available in the COMSOL Multiphysics base
package. The function is essential in acoustics for modeling impedance conditions as
well as poroacoustic properties in the time domain. The Partial Fraction Fit function
has several improvements:

• Explicit handling of data at zero frequency (DC), if included in the input data
• Exact computation of residues
• New advanced stop conditions based on Iterations and Tolerance or iterations.
• New advanced option to automatically detect and remove Froissart doublets
(unstable poles)

These new options allow for more robust fitting of noisy data as well as better control
of the fitting.

INTERIOR IMPEDANCE MODELS IN PRESSURE ACOUSTICS AND FEM–BEM

MULTIPHYSICS COUPLING
A series of new interior impedance models (transfer impedance models) have been
added to pressure acoustics in the frequency domain. This is available for both the
Interior Impedance condition and the Pair Impedance condition in the Pressure
Acoustics, Frequency Domain interface as well as for the Impedance condition that can be
added between domains modeled with FEM and BEM as a subfeature to the Acoustic
BEM-FEM Boundary multiphysics coupling. The new options include Thin plate,
Membrane, Porous mass layer, and Perforated plate models through a transfer
impedance.

48 | CHAPTER 1: RELEASE NOTES

IMPERFECT BONDING OPTION FOR POROELASTIC-SOLID BOUNDARY
MULTIPHYSICS COUPLING
A new Imperfect bonding option exists when coupling poroelastic and solid domains.
The existing Perfect bonding option represents a scenario where the solid is glued or
bonded to porous material. The second new Imperfect bonding option represents a case
with only coupling in the normal direction; this can represent a case where the porous
material is placed on or next to the solid.

ELECTROMECHANICS MULTIPHYSICS COUPLING FOR MEMBRANES AND

SHELLS
A new Electromechanics, Boundary multiphysics coupling has been added for modeling
electromechanics when coupling the Electrostatics interface to the Membrane or the
Shell interfaces. The new multiphysics coupling simplifies setting up models of, for
example, microphones. When the new multiphysics coupling is used in combination
with acoustics and structural mechanics for frequency-domain analysis, an efficient
iterative solver suggestion is now also generated.

PHYSICS-CONTROLLED AWE EXPRESSIONS FOR PRESSURE ACOUSTICS,

FREQUENCY DOMAIN
A new AWE Expression feature is used to define the asymptotic waveform expansion
(AWE) expression or metric used for the Adaptive Frequency Sweep study type. The
feature can define expressions based on a user-defined global expression, values defined
at points, or the scattering coefficients evaluated at ports.

EXTENDED PORT OPTIONS FOR PRESSURE ACOUSTICS

The Port condition in the Pressure Acoustics, Frequency Domain interface has a new
built-in Annular port option for annular port geometries. Moreover, for both the
Circular and Annular port options, Sine and Cosine options are available to define the
setting in the Azimuthal angle dependency list.This option is used to add the two
orthogonal modes that exist for a given azimuthal mode number.

POWER VARIABLES FOR PML AND EXTERIOR FIELD

Two built-in variables exist for evaluating the total radiated power through a perfectly
matched layer (PML) and the radiated power associated with the Exterior Field
Calculation feature.

• For the PML, the variable acpr.P_pml gives the total radiated power from the
physical domain to the PML. The variable is useful for identifying the performance
of the PML.

ACOUSTICS MODULE | 49