The Role of Ground Currents in the Co-Simulation of Matching Components and Layout Models in Matching Circuit Optimization

Components exhibiting high ground currents can introduce inaccuracies in the modeling of matching circuits if these ground currents are not accounted for in the simulation. In this paper, we provide a comparative analysis of two different techniques for simulating matching components and a layout model of a printed circuit board. Our discussion incorporates a suggested figure of merit for the estimation of a component's ground current. We illustrate with a practical example how the omission of ground currents can influence the accuracy of the estimated matching performance. We provide an example based on a co-simulation model integrating full-wave electromagnetic model of the layout and circuit models of the matching components. Our findings underscore the importance for modeling ground currents, as this aspect can have a crucial impact on practical implementations for antenna matching circuits.