Preface

During my years as a graduate student, the software package JMAG-Designer played a significant role in simulating electromagnetic properties. I first came in contact with the software in my early years as a research student in 2015. The power and versatility of the software caught my attention. As I was learning electric machine design, a tool for model design and simulation of electric motor properties, such as torque, speed, power, iron loss, etc., was a critical necessity. JMAG-Designer is the de-facto tool I was first introduced to. As a Japanese software, it was not easy to come into contact with a good tutorial in English as most of the materials available were entirely in Japanese. This makes it challenging to find assistance using the software online. 

However, the parent company of JMAG,  JSOL, has been making efforts to make teaching/training materials available in English. I am sure this effort is very appreciated by the JMAG user community worldwide. But compared to similar computer-aided engineering (CAE) Electromagnetic Analysis software such as ANSYS and COMSOL, JMAG users' experience shared online and on platforms like  Youtube, StackExchange, Github, Reddit, etc., remains very limited and, in some cases, unavailable. This was what formed the basis of my motivation to provide hands-on training on JMAG-Designer. I want to share my more than six (06) years of using the software with everyone, especially newbies. 

Everything shared on this site combines years of experience with the tool. I hope this will help others, both students and professionals, design better electrical machines in the future. I know that this lecture will serve its purpose and become outdated as the years go by.  However, the fundamentals will remain the same.

The lecture notes are organized such that the learning curve of the software is reduced. I know this learning curve can be quite steep. 

Another essential objective I hope to achieve through these training materials is that whoever uses them can realize JMAG's power as a finite element analysis (FEA) tool. 

I will start the training by presenting the philosophy behind the software, how a simulation analysis is implemented in the tool, and how to evaluate the validity of the conducted simulation and analysis.

The training is divided into two parts. The first section, part I, introduces the tool. This section is very important to all still new to the tool. The second section, part II, focuses on case studies and different aspects of simulations using JMAG-Designer in general. All details of each part are listed below.

Before I start, I would like to emphasize that: 

<< The first step to any simulation is to know how the system you want to simulate should behave. A simulation is a verification tool, not a system solver. >>

PART I:

1. Introduction to JMAG Software Package

• In this section, the JMAG software package is presented underlying its main used

• The strengths and philosophy of JMAG are also presented

2. Introduction to JMAG Express

• Toolboxes in JMAG Express

• Implementing rapid prototyping in JMAG Express

• Exporting JMAG Express results to JMAG Designer to perform a full analysis

• Understanding what rapid prototyping means using JMAG Express

• Exploring new tools of JMAG Express, mainly the JMAG Express ONLINE Simulation tool

3.  Introduction to JMAG-Designer

• Understanding the JMAG-Designer Project Tree Philosophy

• Exploring JMAG Designer tools

• Using JMAG Designer CAD tools in geometry design and model drawing as an alternative to other CAD software such as Solidworks 

• Importing CAD files into JMAG Designer for analysis.

• Using different CAD files that can be imported into JMAG Designer

4. Setting Simulation Conditions for Analysis

• Configuring and setting up imported CAD files to run simulations

• Understanding Materials and Conditions in JMAG Designer

• Exploring the JMAG Designer Materials libraries

• Setting up an analysis model using JMAG designer conditions and materials libraries

• Drawing analysis circuits in JMAG Designer

• Linking an analysis circuit to an analysis model

5. Understanding the Concept of Finite Element Analysis (FEA)

• What is FEA and why is it relevant in electromagnetics and electrodynamics simulations

• Relating FEA to the meshing concepts in JMAG Designer

• Applying FEA to JMAG Designer Simulations

PART II:

6. Designing, Simulating, and Validating a Simple Brushless DC motor with JMAG-Designer

• Design of a simple motor in Solidworks and JMAG Designer

• Understanding the online resources provided by JSOL, JMAG's parent company.

7. Other Advanced JMAG Designer Concepts

• Inductance in JMAG

8. Parametric Analysis In JMAG Designer

• Defining parametric CAD constraints 

• Case-control in parametric JMAG analysis