Category - Guides

The guides describe how to set up a simulation, draw wires, run the calculations, and display the results.

Screenshot of the Quick Start Guide article showcasing AN-SOF Antenna Simulation Software.

Quick Start Guide

Master antenna simulation using AN-SOF software. Enhance your design process and gain insights into the first steps of modeling antennas with ease.
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Antennas modeled by means of wires and wire grids.

AN-SOF Overview

AN-SOF is a comprehensive software tool for the modeling and simulation of antenna systems and radiating structures in general. AN-SOF is intended for solving problems in the following areas...
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The AN-SOF Interface

When AN-SOF is started, the initial screen contains the following components: The title bar contains the name of the currently active project (.emm file)...
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Preferences

Preferences include the unit system to be used for showing input and output data, the workspace appearance, and several miscellaneous options. Preferences can be accessed via...
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Tools in the Workspace

The background of the workspace can be white or black. When a white (black) background is chosen, all wires will default to black (white) unless a different color is specified for certain wires. The workspace color can be set by going to...
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Shortcut Keys

Pressing ALT with the underlined letter of a menu item will execute the command associated with the item. The following keys and associated actions are available...
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File Formats

When a project is saved in AN-SOF, multiple files that have the same name as the project are saved. Each file has a unique extension that...
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The Setup Tab

The simulation parameters can be set in the Setup tabsheet. This page has the following panels: Frequency, Environment, Far-Field, Near-Field, Excitation, and Settings...
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Specifying the Frequencies

The Frequency panel has three options: Single, List and Sweep. By choosing one of these options the simulation can either be performed for a single frequency, for frequencies taken from a list or for a frequency sweep...
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Defining the Environment

Go to the Setup tab in the main window and select the Environment panel. The relative permittivity and permeability of the surrounding medium can be set in the Medium box, Fig. 1. Four options are available for the ground plane...
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Far Field Parameters

The far field can be computed after having calculated the current distribution previously. Thus, the parameters set in the Far-Field panel have no effect in the determination of the currents and can be modified at any time. However, the far field must be...
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Near Field Parameters

The near field can be computed after having calculated the current distribution previously. Thus, the parameters set in the Near-Field panel have no effect in the determination of the currents and can be set at any time. However, the near field must be recalculated every...
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The Settings Panel

Go to the Setup tab in the main window and select the Settings panel, Fig. 1. The accuracy of the integrals involved in the calculations can be set in the Settings panel. The Quadrature Tolerance is the error in the evaluation of...
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Project Details

Go to View > Project Details in the main menu to display the Project Details window, where a summary of the project information is shown...
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Types of Wires

AN-SOF has different types of wires. Each wire type has its own geometrical parameters, attributes and materials that can be set in a specific Draw dialog box. This dialog box allows us...
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Wire Attributes

The Attributes page belongs to the Draw dialog box of the chosen wire type, Fig. 1. In the Attributes page the following attributes can be specified...
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Wire Materials

The Materials page belongs to the Draw dialog box of the chosen wire type, Fig. 1. In the Materials page the following attributes can be specified...
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Enabling/Disabling Resistivity

If wires with non-zero resistivity have been drawn previously and the whole structure must now be considered as a perfect electric conductor, all resistivities can be disabled...
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Enabling/Disabling Coating

If wires with a coating shield or insulation have been drawn previously and the whole structure must now be considered as composed of bare conductive wires, all coatings can be disabled...
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Exporting Wires

Linear wires can be exported from AN-SOF to a text file in NEC format (extension .nec) by going to File > Export Wires in the main menu. Linear wires will be stored as GW lines. FR (frequency), EX (excitation), LD (load impedances and wire conductivity), RP (radiation pattern)...
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Line

The Line refers to a linear or straight wire. Go to Draw > Line in the main menu to display the Draw dialog box for the Line...
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Arc

The Arc refers to a circular arc. Go to Draw > Arc in the main menu to display the Draw dialog box for the Arc...
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Circle

The Circle refers to a circular loop. Go to Draw > Circle in the main menu to display the Draw dialog box for the Circle...
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Helix

The Helix refers to a helical wire. Go to Draw > Helix in the main menu to display the Draw dialog box for the Helix...
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Quadratic

The Quadratic refers to a quadratic wire or parabola. Go to Draw > Quadratic in the main menu to display the Draw dialog box for the Quadratic...
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Archimedean Spiral

The Archimedean Spiral refers to the Archimedes’ spiral with polar equation r(a) = r0 + p/(2p) a, where r0 is the starting radius and p is the pitch. For a spiral with an integer number of turns...
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Logarithmic Spiral

The Logarithmic Spiral refers to a spiral with polar equation r(a) = r0 exp(ba), where r0 is the starting radius (r at a = 0), b = p/(2pr0) and p is the starting pitch...
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Tapered Wires

A tapered wire is a wire with a variable radius along its length. The cross section of tapered wires is always circular. The radius is varied linearly along the wire and in defined steps, then a wire with a stepped radius is obtained...
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Importing Wires

Wires in an external file can be imported into AN-SOF by going to File > Import Wires in the main menu. A sub-menu having four options will be displayed: AN-SOF, NEC, DXF, and MM formats. The DXF and MM formats must contain only...
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Selecting a Wire

Any wire in the workspace can be selected in three different ways: 1. By clicking on the Select Wire button (arrow icon) on the toolbar and then...
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Modifying a Wire

Right-clicking on a wire brings up a menu. Choosing the Modify command from the pop-up menu shows the Modify dialog box, where the geometrical parameters and attributes of the selected wire can be modified...
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Deleting a Wire

Right-clicking on a wire brings up a menu. Choosing the Delete command from the pop-up menu deletes the selected wire with all sources and loads placed on it...
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Modifying a Group of Wires

AN-SOF allows us to select a group of wires to edit them all at once. Click on the Selection Box button on the main toolbar. By left clicking on the workspace and dragging a box with the mouse, multiple wires can be selected...
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Wire Color

Right clicking on a wire shows a pop-up menu. Choose the Wire Color command to display a dialog box that allows us to select a color for the wire...
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Connecting Wires

A wire junction is automatically established whenever the coordinates of a wire end are identical to the end coordinates of a wire previously specified. However, two wires will be also connected automatically when their ends are spaced one tenth of the wire radius...
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Moving, Rotating, and Scaling Wires

After drawing the wire structure, we may need to modify the position or size of one wire or a group of them. To modify wires, we must first select them. Click on the Selection Box button on the toolbar and then expand a box using the mouse with the left button pressed...
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Copying and Stacking Wires

When drawing a wire structure, it is often necessary to copy wires from one position to another. An antenna array is an example where this situation occurs. To copy wires, we must first select them by first pressing the Selection Box button on the toolbar...
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Types of Grids and Surfaces

Wire grids can be composed of curved or straight wires and can be used to model grids and approximate conductive surfaces. The wires of a grid do not overlap but are connected to each other...
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Grid/Surface Color

Click on the Selection Box button in the main toolbar. By left clicking on the workspace and dragging a box with the mouse, a wire grid can be selected...
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Patch

The Patch refers to a rectangular patch on the xy-plane composed of wires having a flat or rectangular cross-section. Use this wire grid to model patch and microstrip antennas...
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Types of Excitations and Loads

Discrete Sources, Incident Field, and Loads. A structure can be excited by discrete sources or an incident field. Refer to "Excitation by an Incident Field" for the second case. Discrete sources can be located on any wire segment...
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The Run ALL Command

Once the frequencies, the environment, the geometry of the structure, the excitation, and the points of observation of the radiated field have been set, AN-SOF is ready to execute the calculations. First, the current distribution on...
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Numerical Green’s Function

There are simulations where we need to change the excitation of the structure frequently. For example, when we must often change the amplitudes of discrete sources or the direction of arrival of an incident field...
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Running a Bulk Simulation

AN-SOF can import a sequence of input files to obtain a corresponding sequence of output files, without user intervention in the middle of the process. The input files must be in NEC format...
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Types of Results

Commands to Display Results. The output data of a simulation can be listed in tables or displayed in graphs. All results are found under the Results menu...
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The Results Tab

In the AN-SOF main window there is a Results tab, Fig. 1, where a table with the main results for a transmitting antenna is shown: input impedance, VSWR, directivity, gain and efficiency...
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The Plots Tab

Select the Plots tab in the AN-SOF main window to visualize the plots of the main results for a transmitting antenna as a function of frequency.
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The List Currents Toolbar

Right clicking on a wire shows a pop-up menu. Click on the List Currents command to display the List Currents toolbar, Fig. 1. This toolbar allows us to select a wire segment to see the current flowing through that segment versus frequency...
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Plotting 2D Far Field Patterns

The radiation pattern can be shown as a 2D rectangular plot by going to Results > Plot Far-Field Pattern > 2D Rectangular Plot in the main menu. This command displays the Radiation Pattern Cut dialog box...
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Plotting 3D Far Field Patterns

The far-field can be shown as a 3D plot by going to Results > Plot Far-Field Pattern > 3D Plot in the main menu. This command executes the AN-3D Pattern application...
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Plotting the Far Field Spectrum

Far-field frequency spectra are obtained when a simulation is performed by specifying a list of frequencies or a frequency sweep. For each frequency, the far-field is calculated at the several directions given by the zenith (Theta) and azimuth (Phi) angular ranges and...
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Power Budget

Go to Results > Power Budget/RCS in the main menu to display the Power Budget dialog box, Fig. 1. The following list of parameters versus frequency will be shown...
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Radar Cross Section

Go to Results > Power Budget/RCS in the main menu to display the Radar Cross Section dialog box, Fig. 1. The following list of parameters versus frequency will be shown when an incident field is used as the excitation...
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Plotting Near Field Patterns

Go to Results > Plot Near E-Field Pattern > 3D Plot in the main menu to plot the near electric field as a 3D graph with a color scale. This command executes the AN-3D Pattern application...
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Plotting the Near Field Spectrum

Near-field frequency spectra are obtained when a simulation is performed by specifying a list of frequencies or a frequency sweep. For each frequency, the near-field is calculated at those points specified in...
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