No, you don't. Simply run AN-SOF and start using it. If prompted for a license, go to the AN-SOF main menu > Help > Activation Key. Click the Trial Key button in the displayed window, followed by the Activate button. AN-SOF will restart and be ready for use in trial mode.

The trial period lasts 30 days, during which software evaluation support is available. However, you can continue using AN-SOF Trial after the evaluation period ends.

The Trial version is limited to 50 unknowns (segments + wire connections + ground connections) for calculations. However, all example files included in the installation directory are pre-computed and can be opened without restrictions to display tables and graphs.

You can also download additional example files with fewer than 50 unknowns from this link >.

No, AN-SOF PRO is a lifetime license and will continue to function on the same PC where it was installed and activated, even after your plan expires. However, you will lose access to the following:

• Software Updates: You will no longer be able to download the latest versions, including bug fixes and security updates.
• Technical Support: You will no longer receive technical assistance from our team.
• Installer Access: Installers for discontinued versions will only be available for 3 years after discontinuation. After this period, they will no longer be provided. As technology evolves, we cannot guarantee long-term compatibility.
• Activation Key Replacement: If you lose your activation key for a discontinued version or need to transfer AN-SOF to another PC, we cannot issue a new key more than three years after the version has been discontinued.

While AN-SOF will continue to work on your installed PC (assuming the OS remains unchanged), we recommend renewing your plan to ensure access to the latest features, technology improvements, and ongoing support.

If you don’t renew your plan, the following will apply:

• Continued Functionality: AN-SOF will keep working on the same PC where it was installed and activated, but only with the last version available before your plan expired.
• No Updates: You won’t receive new versions, bug fixes, security patches, or feature updates.
• Limited Support: Technical support will no longer be available.
• Version Discontinuation: Your installed version will eventually be discontinued. Three years after discontinuation, its installer and activation key will no longer be available.

To maintain full functionality, updates, and support, we recommend renewing your plan before it expires. Customers who renew early receive special benefits and discounts.

Due to the availability of a fully functional trial version with no time limit, all sales of AN-SOF software licenses are final and non-refundable. This policy helps us ensure that users have a fair opportunity to try out the software before making a purchase. We encourage all users to thoroughly evaluate the trial version before purchasing a license. You can find detailed information about the conditions and process for exceptions to the non-refundable policy on our dedicated Refund Policy page.

No, consulting services are not included, as we do not offer consulting of any kind. However, our technical support—available with both plans—goes beyond resolving software issues. We assist customers in improving their models and expanding their understanding of antenna modeling techniques to maximize the capabilities of AN-SOF. While we provide tips and guidance, this should not be considered consulting.

Windows Vista/7/8/10/11. 2GHz CPU, 2GB RAM, 1GB free disk space.

The supported operating system is Microsoft Windows. We have no plans to release a Mac version. Macintosh users can run a program called Parallels >. Parallels Desktop for Mac is desktop virtualization software that allows Microsoft Windows applications to run on an Apple Mac computer.

No. The supported operating system is Microsoft Windows. We have no plans to release a Linux version. You can use a Windows emulator like Wine, CrossOver Linux, Vmware Workstation or whatever you find on the market.

No, it doesn’t. AN-SOF has been developed to run on home computers running Windows(R) OS, so numerical calculation strategies have been implemented to take care of the available RAM memory and at the same time obtain reliable results.

There is no theoretical upper limit for the frequency since the structure size is measured in wavelengths. So, we talk about a size limit in wavelengths instead of a frequency limit. The simulation requires solving a matrix equation of increasing order as the structure size is increased in wavelengths, so modeling large structures will require more computer memory and time on a particular PC.

Yes. Parametric design is possible by running a Bulk Simulation >. We prefer that the user chooses the programming language to generate a sequence of files in NEC format with one or more variable parameters. Calculations on these files can then be run automatically in bulk. Scilab > is a free numerical calculation software tool with which we can program scripts that generate multiple descriptions of an antenna with variable parameters. Download an example of a Yagi-Uda antenna with variable element spacing from this link >.

No. AN-SOF is an independent implementation of the Method of Moments (MoM) for wire structures. NEC is an old Fortran calculation engine that has a lot of limitations. Many of these limitations have been removed in AN-SOF by implementing the so-called Conformal Method of Moments with Exact Kernel > in a completely new object-oriented C++ code. See further details here >.

Yes. Most of the NEC commands are supported. Download NEC example files to import into AN-SOF from here >.

Although AN-SOF was developed to simulate wire structures, we have been able to extend the calculation engine to also model PCBs and microstrip antennas that meet the following requirements:

• The structure must have a single layer of dielectric substrate. Multiple layers are not supported.
• When the substrate has a finite size, the traces must be separated from the edges by at least 5 times the width of a trace.
• The dielectric substrate is backed up by a perfectly conducting ground plane that cannot be removed. Vias that go through the substrate and connect traces to the ground plane can be added to feed an antenna or PCB.