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Guides
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- Beyond Analytical Formulas: Accurate Coil Inductance Calculation with AN-SOF
- Complete Workflow: Modeling, Feeding, and Tuning a 20m Band Dipole Antenna
- DIY Helix High Gain Directional Antenna: From Simulation to 3D Printing
- Evaluating EMF Compliance - Part 1: A Guide to Far-Field RF Exposure Assessments
- Design Guidelines for Skeleton Slot Antennas: A Simulation-Driven Approach
- Simplified Modeling for Microstrip Antennas on Ungrounded Dielectric Substrates: Accuracy Meets Simplicity
- Fast Modeling of a Monopole Supported by a Broadcast Tower
- Linking Log-Periodic Antenna Elements Using Transmission Lines
- Wave Matching Coefficient: Defining the Practical Near-Far Field Boundary
- AN-SOF Mastery: Adding Elevated Radials Quickly
- Enhancing Antenna Design: Project Merging in AN-SOF
- On the Modeling of Radio Masts
- The Equivalent Circuit of a Balun
- AN-SOF Antenna Simulation Best Practices: Checking and Correcting Model Errors
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- AN-SOF 9.50 Release: Streamlining Polarization, Geometry, and EMF Calculations
- AN-SOF 9: Taking Antenna Design Further with New Feeder and Tuner Calculators
- AN-SOF Antenna Simulation Software - Version 8.90 Release Notes
- AN-SOF 8.70: Enhancing Your Antenna Design Journey
- Introducing AN-SOF 8.50: Enhanced Antenna Design & Simulation Software
- Get Ready for the Next Level of Antenna Design: AN-SOF 8.50 is Coming Soon!
- Explore the Cutting-Edge World of AN-SOF Antenna Simulation Software!
- Upgrade to AN-SOF 8.20 - Unleash Your Potential
- AN-SOF 8: Elevating Antenna Simulation to the Next Level
- New Release: AN-SOF 7.90
- AN-SOF 7.80 is ready!
- New AN-SOF User Guide
- New Release: AN-SOF 7.50
- AN-SOF 7.20 is ready!
- New Release :: AN-SOF 7.10 ::
- AN-SOF 7.0 is Here!
- New Release :: AN-SOF 6.40 ::
- New Release :: AN-SOF 6.20 ::
- Show All Articles (3) Collapse Articles
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Models
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- Download Examples
- Modeling a Center-Fed Cylindrical Antenna with AN-SOF
- Yagi-Uda Array
- Monopole Over Real Ground
- Helix Antenna in Axial Mode
- Modeling a Circular Loop Antenna in AN-SOF: A Step-by-Step Guide
- A Transmission Line
- An RLC Circuit
- Explore 5 Antenna Models with Less Than 50 Segments in AN-SOF Trial Version
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- Modeling a Super J-Pole: A Look Inside a 5-Element Collinear Antenna
- Simulating the Ingenious Multiband Omnidirectional Dipole Antenna Design
- The Loop on Ground (LoG): A Compact Receiving Antenna with Directional Capabilities
- Precision Simulations with AN-SOF for Magnetic Loop Antennas
- Advantages of AN-SOF for Simulating 433 MHz Spring Helical Antennas for ISM & LoRa Applications
- Radio Mast Above Wire Screen
- Square Loop Antenna
- Receiving Loop Antenna
- Monopole Above Earth Ground
- Top-Loaded Short Monopole
- Half-Wave Dipole
- Folded Dipole
- Dipole Antenna
- The 5-in-1 J-Pole Antenna Solution for Multiband Communications
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- The Lazy-H Antenna: A 10-Meter Band Design Guide
- Extended Double Zepp (EDZ): A Phased Array Solution for Directional Antenna Applications
- Transmission Line Feeding for Antennas: The Four-Square Array
- Log-Periodic Christmas Tree
- Enhancing VHF Performance: The Dual Reflector Moxon Antenna for 145 MHz
- Building a Compact High-Performance UHF Array with AN-SOF: A 4-Element Biquad Design
- Building a Beam: Modeling a 5-Element 2m Band Quad Array
- Broadside Dipole Array
- Log-Periodic Dipole Array
- Broadband Directional Antenna
- A Closer Look at the HF Skeleton Slot Antenna
- The 17m Band 2-Element Delta Loop Beam: A Compact, High-Gain Antenna for DX Enthusiasts
- Enhancing Satellite Links: The Moxon-Yagi Dual Band VHF/UHF Antenna
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Validation
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- Simple Dual Band Vertical Dipole for the 2m and 70cm Bands
- Linear Antenna Theory: Historical Approximations and Numerical Validation
- Validating Panel RBS Antenna with Dipole Radiators against IEC 62232
- Directivity of V Antennas
- Enhanced Methodology for Monopoles Above Radial Wire Ground Screens
- Dipole Gain and Radiation Resistance
- Convergence of the Dipole Input Impedance
- Impedance of Cylindrical 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 and there can be more than one source, as many as there are segments.
A source is used to model the feed point of a transmitting antenna or generator in an electrical circuit. There are two types of sources:
- Voltage sources
- Current sources
Current sources can be used to model impressed currents.
For each source, its amplitude and phase must be set. Internal impedances can also be added to model imperfect sources, which can be series RL, series RC, or R+jX impedances.
Lumped loads can also be added to any wire segment, representing resistors, inductors, capacitors, or fixed impedances. There are three types of loads:
- Series RL impedance (inductive)
- Series RC impedance (capacitive)
- Fixed R+jX impedance (the reactance X does not scale with frequency)
To model a pure resistor, add an inductive impedance with L = 0. The unit of inductance can be pH, nH, uH, mH or H, while that of capacitance can be pF, nF, uF, mF or F. These units can be set going to main menu > Tools > Preferences >.
Tips
- Sources are displayed as a yellow circle in the workspace, while loads are displayed as a green highlighted segment. To change the default colors, go to main menu > Tools > Preferences > Workspace tab.
- Voltage sources have their internal impedance in series, so set a null impedance to model a perfect source.
- Current sources have their internal impedance in parallel, so set a very large impedance (1E6 Ohm) to model a nearly perfect source.
Excitation by Sources
To excite the wire structure with discrete sources, go to the Setup tab > Excitation panel and select the Discrete Sources option, Fig. 1.
If the Set Input Power option is checked, you can set the total input power to the structure. In this case, the amplitudes of the voltage and current sources will be adjusted to achieve the specified input power.