About Ports

Port Data Types

Input ports and output ports can be one of several types (similar to variable types): real, integer, string, Boolean, enumeration, or region. I/O ports always transmit real numbers.

Ports can only be connected to one another if they have the same type.

Port Causality

Port causality indicates which direction the information travels in. There are three port causalities:

Input

The component receives a signal.

Output

The component emits a signal. An output port displays XY-plot traces of variables of interest in your experiment. These XY plots can be viewed in real time as the experiment progresses.

Input/Output (I/O)

A distribution of physics-simulation-based quantities are both emitted and received. Input/ouput ports are defined only for 3D physics abstractions; you specify the port region on the model geometry in a physics simulation app.

0D logical simulation ports are either input or output causality. Input port and output ports are shown as triangles in the experiment diagram on the canvas. I/O ports are shown as blocks.

	Input port
	Output port
	I/O port

3D Physics App Ports

There are three kinds of co-simulation ports that you first define in the physics simulation apps:

Port region (I/O port)

A port region defines the portion of 3D model geometry where the data transfer and mapping is to occur. The region can be a surface, a volume, or a point in space. Port regions become I/O-to-I/O (region-to-region) interaction connections between components in the co-simulation. These connections define the physical nature of the interaction between two 3D regions and specify the exchange of field output variables. For example, in a fluid-structure interaction (FSI) co-simulation, the port region is usually the surface of the solid over which the fluid flows.

The port region specifies the coupling of the solver analyses; for example, in an Abaqus FSI co-simulation the Abaqus/Standard structural analysis and the CFD flow analysis (as shown below):

Input port

An input port specifies an excitation (actuator) that is exposed for use in a co-simulation. For example, the excitation could be a load, thermal condition, or flow condition that has an amplitude definition. In Multiscale Experiment Creation the port becomes an input to the component encompassing the abstraction that represents the physics simulation. The input port is used to receive a scalar variable signal from the output port of another mating component in the experiment.

Output port

An output port specifies history output variables recorded during the simulation. History output represents results values at specific points in the model or abstraction; for example, nodal temperature or displacement degrees of freedom. In Multiscale Experiment Creation the port becomes an output of the component encompassing the abstraction that represents the physics simulation. The output port is used to transmit a scalar variable signal to the input port of another mating component in the experiment.

You define your ports and publish them to the 3DEXPERIENCE platform database in the physics simulation apps. The component abstractions are saved as Logical Reference objects in 3DSpace. You can drag and drop the objects from 3DSpace into Multiscale Experiment Creation, where they are instantiated as components with abstractions. You can repeat this process to save different port configurations as Logical Representation Reference objects in 3DSpace—these become multiple abstractions for the component.

For more information, see the following topics in the physics simulation app guides:

• Structural Scenario Creation: Co-Simulation Experiment Interactions
• Mechanical Scenario Creation: Co-Simulation Experiment Interactions
• Fluid Scenario Creation: Co-Simulation Experiment Interactions

Manual Updating of Component Ports

If you have an abstraction assigned to a component in an experiment and then:

1. Add or remove ports in the abstraction's source simulation, and
2. Republish the abstraction from the physics scenario app or logical modeling app,

Multiscale Experiment Creation automatically refreshes the modified port configuration for the abstraction but not for the component. You must manually add, delete, or edit the component's ports (to match the abstraction) using the Edit Component command.