Explore the New Features of AN-SOF 9.50 – Now Available for Download!
We’re thrilled to announce AN-SOF 9.50, packed with user-requested enhancements. Simplified polarization analysis, improved geometry input, and new EMF compliance tools make antenna design easier and more precise than ever. Upgrade your design process with AN-SOF 9.50!
Accurate Coil Inductance Calculation with AN-SOF
Did you know that AN-SOF can be used as a coil inductance calculator?
Traditional coil inductance calculations often rely on simplified approximations. AN-SOF offers a more accurate approach by considering factors like non-uniform magnetic fields, conductor losses, and complex coil geometries. By using AN-SOF, you can obtain precise inductance values, visualize magnetic field and current distributions, to improve your coil designs.
Explore Our New RF Calculators
These online RF calculators assist with conversions (like frequency to wavelength, Watts to dBm, VSWR to reflection coefficient, etc.) and offer easy calculations for antenna power density, near-far field boundary, line of sight, radio horizon, and more.
The calculators are organized into three categories:
Just fill in the fields, hit Calculate, and you’ll get your results instantly.
We hope you find these tools useful as a complement to AN-SOF!
2024’s Top 10 AN-SOF Articles: Your Favorites So Far
We’re excited to share the top 10 most-read articles of 2024 so far. We greatly appreciate your continuous feedback and support. Your engagement helps us improve and tailor our content to your interests. We encourage you to share your thoughts and suggestions for future articles—your ideas are always welcome!
Thank you for being a valued part of our community.
📰 Top 10 Most-Read Articles:
- Efficient NOAA Satellite Signal Reception with the Quadrifilar Helix Antenna
- Design Guidelines for Skeleton Slot Antennas: A Simulation-Driven Approach
- Exploring the Spiral Loop Antenna: A Compact Solution for 80m DXing
- Front-to-Rear and Front-to-Back Ratios: Applying Key Antenna Directivity Metrics
- A Closer Look at the HF Skeleton Slot Antenna
- Precision Simulations with AN-SOF for Magnetic Loop Antennas
- Enhancing VHF Performance: The Dual Reflector Moxon Antenna for 145 MHz
- Modeling a Circular Loop Antenna in AN-SOF: A Step-by-Step Guide
- Advantages of AN-SOF for Simulating 433 MHz Spring Helical Antennas for ISM & LoRa Applications
- Building a Compact High-Performance UHF Array with AN-SOF: A 4-Element Biquad Design
Not an AN-SOF user yet? Request your free trial version now:
AN-SOF Feeder and Tuner FAQs
After the addition of the Feeder and Tuner in AN-SOF 9, I’ve received several inquiries about configuring the various parameters within these tabs. While offering unparalleled flexibility for modeling diverse scenarios, this complexity has presented a challenge in providing clear explanations. Here are frequently asked questions related to the Feeder and Tuner features.
I hope these answers helps clarify these matters.
Thank you for your continuous feedback!
Tony Golden
Lazy-H Antenna Model for the 10m Band Coming Soon
At the request of a client and follower of our section The Ham’s Corner, I’ve been working on a Lazy-H antenna model for the 10m band. The Lazy-H is a 4-element broadside array, offering an estimated gain increase of about 6 dB over a single element. I’ll be publishing an article on this antenna soon.
Stay tuned!
Tony Golden
Solving the Rounded Corner Challenge in Antenna Simulations
Helping a customer solve a real-world problem is incredibly rewarding!
Recently, we worked with a client building Omni Double Bi-Quad antennas for 2.4 GHz who was facing a mismatch between simulations and real-world performance. The culprit? Rounded corners, not represented in the model. By creating a script that considered rounded corners, we were able to achieve a more accurate simulation, leading to a new AN-SOF command called GB.
‘GB’ simplifies creating rounded corner models, saving time and improving simulation accuracy compared to the older ‘GA’ NEC command. Stay tuned for an upcoming tutorial on this model!
Celebrating 12 Years of AN-SOF!
Today marks a significant milestone in the journey of AN-SOF Antenna Simulator – it’s been 12 years since I launched the very first version! 🎉
Back in 2002, I dedicated countless hours (and years) to develop a tool that would empower antenna designers and enthusiasts alike. In 2012, I officially launched version 1.0, and today, I’m excited to share a nostalgic screenshot of that initial version.
As we celebrate this anniversary, I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to each of you for being part of this incredible journey. Whether you’re an RF engineer, radio amateur, professor, or hobbyist, your contributions have helped shape AN-SOF into the powerful tool it is today.
Thank you for your unwavering support!
Best regards,
Tony Golden
AN-SOF 9: Taking Antenna Design Further with New Feeder and Tuner Calculators
Exciting News: AN-SOF 9 is Here! 🚀
Discover the advanced features of AN-SOF 9, the latest version that takes antenna design to the next level with groundbreaking Feeder and Tuner Calculators.
Introducing ‘The Ham’s Corner’: Your Ultimate Destination for Ham Radio Enthusiasts!
We’re thrilled to announce the launch of a new section on our blog: 🎙 The Ham’s Corner. This section is dedicated to all passionate ham radio enthusiasts.
We’ve also got two other sections on our blog:
💡 The Antenna Lab: Perfect for students, professors, and anyone eager to dive deep into the world of antenna simulation.
🎓 Advanced RF Edge: Explore advanced techniques, cutting-edge insights, and everything you need to take your skills to the next level.
With these three dedicated sections, we’re committed to serving our diverse readership better than ever before. 🌟
And if you haven’t already, don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter for the latest updates and exclusive content.
Best,
Tony
Introducing AN-SOF DX: Tailored Software for Radio Amateurs
We are thrilled to announce the launch of AN-SOF DX ✨, a special edition designed to elevate the antenna simulation experience for ham radio enthusiasts.
📌 AN-SOF DX offers a 500/50/5 combo, including:
✅ Up to 500 segments + connections.
✅ Up to 50 frequencies in a linear sweep.
✅ 5 degrees of 3D radiation pattern resolution.
These features perfectly address the diverse antenna design needs of ham radio operators. AN-SOF DX is our response to the numerous requests from radio amateurs seeking a software edition that fits their budget constraints, recognizing that many enthusiasts in this community are hobbyists or engaged in non-profit amateur radio activities. AN-SOF DX is tailored to be accessible and affordable for individuals, not businesses.
If you are interested in AN-SOF DX, drop us a message or email to learn more or request a quotation.
Let’s elevate your antenna simulation experience together!
A Phased Array for Extended Double Zepp (EDZ) Antenna Enthusiasts
The Extended Double Zepp (EDZ) antenna offers higher gain than a half-wave dipole, but matching to 50-Ohm coax is difficult. This article explores a phased array design using two EDZs for directional radio transmission, achieving good gain and easier impedance matching.
AN-SOF Antenna Simulation Software: What’s in Store for 2024?
Dear AN-SOF Community,
As we kick off 2024, we’d like to reflect on the strides made in 2023 and provide a sneak peek into the exciting developments awaiting you in the year ahead.
Our commitment to enhancing AN-SOF revolves around your needs, and last year, we diligently incorporated several user-requested features, including:
✅️ Transmission Line Models: Now boasting over 160 models meticulously fitted to real cable datasheets, AN-SOF facilitates the seamless modeling of phased arrays and feeding systems with multiple transmission lines.
✅️ Solid Surfaces with Thickness: We’ve expanded our capabilities to include the modeling of solid surfaces, moving beyond wire grids.
✅️ Material Selection: Choose the material of wires and dielectric substrates effortlessly from a curated list of commonly used materials.
✅️ Enhanced Impedance Options: Introducing Fixed Load Impedance, allowing the addition of R+jX impedance alongside RL and RC impedances.
✅️ Efficient Convergence Analysis: The Segments per Wavelength option optimizes convergence analysis by adjusting the number of wire segments based on their lengths measured in wavelengths.
✅️ New Plots Tab: A dedicated tab for quick insights into input impedance, VSWR, gain, Front-to-Rear, and Front-to-Back ratios as a function of frequency.
✅️ EMF Compliance: Evaluate compliance with Average and Peak Effective Isotropic Radiated Power (EIRP) limits stipulated by regulations.
✅️ Extended Power Budget: Gain valuable insights with the integration of Front-to-Rear (F/R) and Front-To-Back (F/B) ratios into the Power Budget table.
✅️ Axial Ratio: Recognizing the importance of polarization analysis, we’ve introduced Axial Ratio in both dB and dimensionless formats.
✅️ Performance Enhancements: Optimized algorithms for faster results while maintaining the high accuracy AN-SOF is known for.
In addition, we’ve shared valuable models and articles, with the top 5 being:
📰 Accurate Analysis of Solid Wheel Antennas at 2.4 GHz Using Cost-Effective Simulation
📰 Evaluating EMF Compliance – Part 1: A Guide to Far-Field RF Exposure Assessments
📰 Design Guidelines for Skeleton Slot Antennas: A Simulation-Driven Approach
📰 Efficient NOAA Satellite Signal Reception with the Quadrifilar Helix Antenna
📰 The Loop on Ground (LoG): A Compact Receiving Antenna with Directional Capabilities
As we dive into 2024, our commitment to improvement remains unwavering. AN-SOF is evolving, and we’re thrilled to announce a glimpse of what’s to come:
⚠️ SPOILER ALERT:
AN-SOF 9 is on the horizon, featuring a groundbreaking Tuner Calculator. This tool will enable you to incorporate an impedance matching network (L, Pi, T), account for output stray capacitance, and include a balun. Additionally, you can model quality factors in capacitors and inductors, along with balun losses, providing a comprehensive solution for simulating real-case scenarios and accurately representing all components between the transmitter and the antenna.
And this is just the beginning.
If you’re in search of an easy-to-use, accurate, and affordable antenna simulation tool, look no further than AN-SOF.
AN-SOF never stops evolving, and we invite you to stay tuned for more exciting updates.
Best regards,
Tony Golden