Optimizing RF PCB Designs

Critical: Always Use optimize() First

The RF PCB Toolbox provides a built-in optimize() function that handles all standard optimization scenarios. Always use it as the first approach — do NOT write manual optimization loops with patternsearch, surrogateopt, fmincon, or ga called directly unless optimize() is demonstrably insufficient for the specific problem.

When to Use

• Tuning filter, coupler, or splitter dimensions for return loss, bandwidth, or area
• Running optimize() on catalog objects with bounds and constraints
• Using SADEA/TR-SADEA, patternsearch, or surrogateopt via the optimize() interface
• Defining custom objective functions over S-parameter responses

When NOT to Use

• Designing components from scratch — use matlab-design-pcb-filter, matlab-design-pcb-coupler, etc. first, then optimize
• Running EM analysis without optimization — use matlab-analyze-em
• Parameter sweeps without an objective — just loop over sparameters calls directly
• Antenna-only optimization without PCB context — use Antenna Toolbox docs