Free and legacy tools frequently utilize older simulation engines that may struggle with complex or curved geometries. In contrast, AN-SOF is built on the Conformal Method of Moments (CMoM) with an Exact Kernel. This provides industry-standard precision and a streamlined CAD interface that significantly reduces design and setup time.

Yes. For small-to-mid-sized businesses, the Platinum Plan provides the full AN-SOF Engine for optimization and automated scripting. Compared to enterprise tools costing $100k, Platinum offers a superior return on investment, often paying for itself within a single project by reducing prototyping and design time.

Absolutely. You can upgrade to the Platinum tier at any time to unlock the full optimization engine and priority support. To move up, you simply pay the price difference between the Gold and Platinum plans.

An external key is not required to begin your trial. Simply launch AN-SOF to start. If the application prompts you for a license, navigate to the main menu and select Help > Activate AN-SOF. In the window that appears, click the Trial Key button followed by Activate. AN-SOF will restart automatically and be ready for use in trial mode.

The initial trial period lasts 30 days, during which full software evaluation support is available. You may continue to use the AN-SOF Trial version after this evaluation period ends; however, technical support will be limited to licensed users.

The Trial version has a calculation limit of 50 segments (which includes wire segments, wire-to-wire junctions, and wire-to-ground connections).

Important Exceptions:

• Pre-computed Models: All example files included in the installation directory (accessible via the Models tab) are pre-computed. You can open, analyze, and display their tables and graphs without any segment restrictions.
• Additional Models: You can also download a variety of additional example models with fewer than 50 segments from this link.

No. Consulting services are not included as we do not offer custom design or consulting services of any kind. However, technical support for both plans goes beyond resolving software issues. We actively assist customers in refining their models and expanding their proficiency with antenna modeling techniques to maximize the capabilities of AN-SOF. While we provide technical guidance and tips, this support is distinct from professional consulting.

If you choose not to renew your subscription plan, the following terms will apply to your license:

• Continued Functionality: Your current installation of AN-SOF will remain functional on the PC where it was activated. You will continue to have access to the final version released prior to your plan’s expiration.
• No Updates: You will no longer receive new software versions, feature updates, bug fixes, or security patches.
• Limited Support: Technical support services will no longer be available.
• Version Discontinuation: Installed versions are eventually phased out. Three years after a specific version is discontinued, its installer and activation key will no longer be available.

To ensure uninterrupted access to the latest features, security updates, and engineering support, we recommend renewing your plan before it expires. Customers who renew early are eligible for special benefits and renewal 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 ensures that users have a thorough opportunity to evaluate the software before making a purchase. We encourage all users to fully test the trial version before purchasing a license. Detailed information regarding the conditions and the process for exceptions to this policy can be found on our dedicated Refund Policy page.

No. AN-SOF is an independent implementation of the Method of Moments (MoM) specifically developed for wire structures. While many legacy tools rely on older Fortran-based NEC engines that carry significant modeling limitations, AN-SOF utilizes an entirely new object-oriented C++ architecture. By implementing the Conformal Method of Moments with an Exact Kernel, we have removed many of the historical constraints found in NEC, allowing for greater precision and flexibility.

Yes. AN-SOF supports the import of NEC files, and most standard NEC commands are fully compatible with our environment. This allows you to easily migrate existing projects or legacy designs into the AN-SOF interface to take advantage of our advanced solvers and modern visualization tools. You can download a collection of NEC example files to test the import process in AN-SOF from this link.

While AN-SOF was originally designed for simulating wire structures using the Method of Moments (MoM), its calculation engine has been extended to support specific PCB and microstrip antenna designs. For structures that do not comply with the following conditions, a Finite Element Method (FEM) solver (not included in AN-SOF) should be used instead.

Key Limitations and Requirements:

• Single-Layer, Lossless Substrate Only: Only one dielectric layer is supported; multilayer substrates are not available. Additionally, the substrate must be lossless (loss tangent is assumed to be zero), and no holes or cutouts are permitted.
• Finite-Size Substrate Constraints: The substrate must be rectangular. To ensure accuracy, traces must be positioned at least five times the trace width away from any substrate edge.
• Ground Plane and Vias: A perfect electric conductor (PEC) ground plane is mandatory. Vertical vias can be modeled as short vertical wires connecting traces to the ground plane, which is often used for antenna feeding.
• No Slot-Based Designs: Slot antennas or patches with internal slots cannot be modeled due to current software limitations.

We currently have no plans to integrate an FEM solver into AN-SOF. For advanced PCB designs, such as multilayer structures or lossy substrates, we recommend using alternative simulation tools.

There is no theoretical upper frequency limit in AN-SOF. Since electromagnetic simulation complexity is determined by the size of the structure relative to the wavelength, we define limits in terms of electrical size rather than a specific frequency. As a structure becomes larger in wavelengths, the software must solve a matrix equation of a higher order. Consequently, modeling electrically large structures will require more computer memory and longer calculation times on any given PC.

Yes. Parametric design is achieved by utilizing the Bulk Simulation feature. This allows you to use your preferred programming language to generate a sequence of files in NEC format with one or more variable parameters. AN-SOF can then process these files automatically in a single batch. For script generation, we recommend Scilab, a free numerical calculation tool that can be used to program scripts for creating multiple antenna descriptions with varying parameters. You can download an example of a Yagi-Uda antenna with variable element spacing at this link to see this workflow in action.

No. AN-SOF is engineered to deliver high-performance simulations on standard Windows workstations. Our numerical calculation strategies are specifically optimized to manage available RAM efficiently while providing professional-grade reliability. By focusing on algorithmic efficiency and the Conformal Method of Moments (CMoM), AN-SOF provides accurate results without requiring high-end server hardware or complex parallel configurations.

AN-SOF is optimized to run on most modern Windows environments. The minimum specifications are:

• Operating System: Windows 10 or 11 (also compatible with Windows Vista, 7, and 8).
• Processor: 2.0 GHz CPU or faster.
• Memory: 2 GB RAM.
• Disk Space: 1 GB of available hard drive space.

For users working on large-scale simulations, increasing RAM and processor speed will further enhance calculation performance and overall responsiveness.

AN-SOF is natively developed for Microsoft Windows, and we do not have plans to release a version for macOS. However, you can run AN-SOF on Mac hardware by using virtualization software such as Parallels Desktop. This allows you to create a virtual Windows environment on your Mac, providing full access to all AN-SOF features and simulation capabilities.

No. The natively supported operating system is Microsoft Windows, and we do not have plans to release a Linux version. However, many of our users successfully run AN-SOF on Linux using compatibility layers or virtualization software.

Commonly used solutions include:

• Wine or CrossOver Linux: These allow many Windows applications to run directly on Linux.
• VMware Workstation or VirtualBox: These tools allow you to run a full Windows virtual machine within your Linux environment.

We recommend using the AN-SOF Trial version to verify performance on your specific Linux distribution and configuration before purchasing.