*STEP CONTROL

Control progress of the simulation based on the solution state.

This option is used to control the progress of the simulation based on the solution state. If you specify a threshold value for a particular measure of the solution state that has been associated with a sensor definition, the action taken on reaching that threshold can include skipping the reminder of the current step or even all of the remaining steps. Alternatively, you can chose to continue the analysis past the threshold.

This option can also be used to control the time incrementation as the sensor value falls in a range around the threshold. Either the algebraic or the absolute value of the sensor is checked against the threshold that acts either as an upper or a lower bound.

The STEP CONTROL option applies only in the step in which it is defined. You can include multiple STEP CONTROL definitions.

This page discusses:

See Also
*STEP
In Other Guides
Defining an Analysis

Products Abaqus/Standard

Type History data

LevelStep

Required parameters

NAME

Set this parameter equal to the name associated with this sensor-based step control definition. The sensor’s name itself is given on the data line.

Optional parameters

ACTION

On reaching a threshold, the action taken can include skipping the remainder of the current step and even all of the remaining steps. By default, the simulation continues without any action taken.

Set ACTION=CONTINUE (default) to continue the step past the threshold.

Set ACTION=END ANALYSIS to stop the analysis completely when the threshold is reached.

Set ACTION=END STEP to conclude the current step and to continue to the next step when the threshold is reached.

DT REFINEMENT

You can specify two limits straddling the threshold and control the time incrementation when the sensor value is in that range. If you specify only one limit value, the threshold serves as the second limit.

Set DT REFINEMENT=AUTO to indicate that the analysis should refine the time increment automatically to reach the threshold as closely as possible.

Set DT REFINEMENT=NO to leave the time increment unaffected.

Set DT REFINEMENT=YES (default) to indicate that a user-specified fixed time increment should be used.

Data lines to define a sensor-based step control without refining the time incrementation

First (and only) data line

  1. Sensor name.

  2. Threshold criteria (Max, Min, AbsMax, or AbsMin).

  3. Sensor threshold value.

Repeat this data line as often as necessary to define different stopping criteria, potentially using different sensors.

Data lines to define a sensor-based step control with the time increment refined to a user-given fixed value

First (and only) data line

  1. Sensor name.

  2. Threshold criteria (Max, Min, AbsMax, or AbsMin).

  3. Sensor threshold value.

  4. Time increment value to be used, provided that it is lower than the time increment computed by the automatic time-incrementation algorithms in Abaqus/Standard and the condition for time increment refinement is met.

  5. Sensor limit value when the time increment refinement starts.
  6. Sensor limit value when the time increment refinement ends.

Repeat this data line as often as necessary to define different stopping criteria, potentially using different sensors.

Data lines to define a sensor-based step control with the time increment refined automatically

First (and only) data line

  1. Sensor name.

  2. Threshold criteria (Max, Min, AbsMax, or AbsMin).

  3. Sensor threshold value.

Repeat this data line as often as necessary to define different stopping criteria, potentially using different sensors.