CAD

CADpass client secure connection (will be referred to as CADpass client or CADpass in this document) is a utility provided by CMC Microsystems that creates a secure connection between client PC’s, workstations, and computer sessions, and the CMC managed infrastructure.

This quick start guide is provided to help subscribers install and run Ansys Electronics Desktop (EDT) CAD modules in the Campus Solutions bundle. These instructions have been tested on Windows 10, 64-bit operating system using CMC Microsystems’ CADpass to access shared licenses on the CMC License Management System (LMS).

Prerequisites for Installing Ansys with CMC License Management System (LMS) 

Before you begin with this installation, you must do the following:

• Students must register with CMC at https://account.cmc.ca/MyAccount/MyAccount.aspx
• Faculty supervisors can subscribe through the CMC subscription page at https://www.cmc.ca/subscriptions/
• Complete all required agreements for Ansys software use, which may be obtained at https://www.cmc.ca/tools/
• You must have administrator rights for the computer on which you are installing this software
• You must have a unique login name (LINUX or Windows) that does not contain a blank space. The following are examples of unacceptable login names: admin or administrator, cmcmgr, root, stcmgr, super, sysadmin, user, owner, student, guest, temp, and system

System Requirements

The technical staff at Ansys provide the following recommendations for making the best use of their software, including the operating system, graphics card, CPU, and other hardware.

For a list of the features in this bundle, contact cad@cmc.ca.

Note: Not all modules are available for the supported operating systems (LINUX and Windows). Refer to the vendor’s recommendations for details.

Setting up CADpass client for Use with Ansys EDT

CADpass client is a CMC Microsystems’ license access client and is used by subscribers across Canada to connect to our secure license server(s).

1. Follow the instructions in the quick start guide to download and install CADpass client.
2. Start CADpass client and then log in using your CMC Microsystems Username and Password.
3. When the CAD access window appears, double-click Ansys Campus Solutions Bundle.

A red checkmark appears next to the entry, as shown in Figure 1. Leave this checked while you are using the software.

Figure 1: Ansys Campus Solutions Bundle Entry in CADpass client
with a License Selected

Obtaining the Software

You need to install the following software:

• Ansys Electronics Desktop (EDT) software

Installing Ansys Software

Before installing the Ansys software:

1. Start CADpass client and log in using your CMC Microsystems Username and Password.
2. Double-click Ansys Campus Solutions (Research) and download the installer archive.
3. Extract the archive into a separate temporary folder.

To install the Ansys software:

1. In the extracted Electronics directory, double-click autorun.exe.
2. In the window that is displayed, click Install Electromagnetics Suite, as shown in Figure 2.

Figure 2: Ansys Electromagnetics Installation Shell

In the pop-up dialog, you are prompted to close all Windows programs before starting the installation.

3. Close the programs and click Next.

At this point, you are prompted to read the license agreement carefully to ensure that you understand your obligations.

4. Contact cad@cmc.ca if you have questions about these obligations.
5. If you agree to the terms, click Yes.
6. In the next pop-up dialogue, choose your installation directory and click Next.
7. Choose a default temporary directory for simulation work, either solo or group, and click Next.
8. Choose a location for common libraries containing individual or group material and click Next.
9. If you already have other Ansys 2022 software installed, you may choose to integrate Ansys Electromagnetics Suite with it by clicking Yes.

Note: For simplicity, you can click No, and return to the integration step later.

10. In the following window, you are prompted for your license location.
11. Choose I want to specify a license server and click Next.
12. Enter the information for the Ansys license server:

TCP/IP port number is 6624 and Server 1 is a2.cmc.ca

13. To complete the rest of the installation process, click Next.

When the executable has completed its task, the dialogue InstallShield Wizard Complete is displayed.

14. Click Finish.

Testing your Ansys EDT Installation

To test your Ansys EDT installation, do the following:

1. Ensure that you have CADpass client running and that you have a check mark next to the ANSYS Campus Solutions entry, as shown in Figure 1.
2. Select the Desktop from the main Windows menu as follows:
   Start menu | All programs | Ansys EM Suite 2022 Rx | Ansys Electronics Desktop 2022 Rx.
3. Go to the menu selection Tools | Options | General.
4. Click to open the General menu and click Desktop Configuration.
5. Select the Use Electronics Pro, Premium, Enterprise product licensing check box as shown in Figure 3.

Figure 3: Ansys Electronics Desktop 2022 Product Licensing Screen

You are now able to open a project and set up a simulation. Figure 4 shows the Ansys Electronics Desktop 2022 R1 running HFSS.

Figure 4: Ansys Electronics Desktop 2022 Running HFSS

Troubleshooting

The following suggestions are based upon difficulties some of our subscribers have had when upgrading their workstations from earlier Ansys installations.

Anti-virus Programs

Some anti-virus programs may interfere with the Ansys installer. If you find that you cannot complete this installation, shut off your anti-virus programs temporarily and try again.

Firewall Programs

Firewall programs may block Ansys software access to the Internet. This will prevent you from using the online tutorial and help file features. If you suspect that your firewall may be blocking your CADpass client license access, check your firewall rules.

If you have followed these instructions and cannot start EDT, open a support case with CMC Microsystems’ technical staff for assistance.

Other Tricks and Tips

For high-performance computing (HPC) applications, the Ansys Campus Solutions bundle is designed to work as follows:

• Each time one of the main modules (e.g., HFSS, Maxwell, or SIwave) is started by one of our subscribers, this module can be run on four (4) CPU cores without asking for any additional license features.
• Specifically, if your local workstation has a multi-core processor, you may set your simulation to call on all its cores for computations, up to the limit of four, using any tool sourcing a feature named electronics_desktop, ansys or cfd_base.

Table 1 identifies the license allotments.

Table 1: Main Modules Versus Max. No. CPU Cores

• The Ansys license file leased annually by CMC Microsystems includes a high-performance computing (HPC) license feature named anshpc. There are hundreds of this feature type included in this license file.
• Each anshpc HPC feature is equal to one (1) additional physical core you may use. When a simulation is started, an Ansys module (e.g., Fluent or HFSS) checks out anshpc features to fill the user’s request  – if more than four cores are specified – and releases these features when the simulation is finished.
• In this way, our subscribers share one large pool of licenses with each other across our research community.
• As of January 2021, CMC licensing staff has placed a restriction on the anshpc feature of 60. This means that one Ansys user may run a simulation on a maximum number of 64 cores (4 base + 60 HPC).

To enable use of the anshpc feature:

1. Go to the Ansys EDT menu

Tools | Options | HPC and Analysis Options

2. Select the tab Options.
3. Set the HPC License menu to Pool, as shown in in Figure 5.

Figure 5: Set the HPC License Menu to Pool

Note: If you find that you are experiencing denials when attempting simulations, your token(s) may be in use by another member of your group. Look at the report here to see if this is the case. If this is not the case, then contact our office for support.

References and Resources to Get You Started

• Ansys has provided many useful tutorials with their software under their respective Help menus
• There are online training modules and Getting Started guides included with Ansys software
• For other examples and hints, visit the Ansys Resource Library located here: Resource Library
• For additional help, our student subscribers are entitled to browse the Ansys Academic Support Resources
• For specific help learning how to use SpaceClaim, go to the Ansys SpaceClaim Tutorials

Acknowledging CMC

If your research benefits from products and services provided by CMC Microsystems, please acknowledge this support in any publications about your work. Publications may include journal articles, conference papers, scientific posters, presentations, thesis, and other documents that feature your research. For more information, please visit https://www.cmc.ca/be-sure-to-acknowledge-cmc/.