Frequently Asked Questions   


Q1: I want to use the study guide and I am not a student. Can I do this?

A: Yes. Even though the student guide was developed with students in mind, it is ideal for anyone who wants to learn the basics of antennas or simulation. 

Q2: For which applications can SuperNEC be used?

A: Full 3-D wire antenna analysis and design.
Antenna placement studies on complex structures (e.g. like aircraft) 
Genetic Algorythm optimisation.
A teaching aid or virtual laboratory.

Q3: What is the difference between the trial SuperNEC Licenses?

A: There are 2 trial licenses:
Free Academic License:
Duration - 1 year
Limitation - 300 segments
Cost - Free
Requirements - You must be a student or lecturer and fax or e-mail proof (normally a University Card) to +27 11 262 5156. 
You must have MATLAB v 6.0 or higher.
Demo License:
Duration - 30 days
Limitation - 300 segments
Cost - Free
Requirements - None. This demo license includes a MATLAB runtime License.

Q4: What is the MATLAB runtime license and what does it have to do with SuperNEC?

A: The SuperNEC User Interface was written in MATLAB and therefore MATLAB is required to run SuperNEC. To accommodate users that do not have MATLAB we include a MATLAB runtime license at a nominal fee. Please remember that you can not write scrypt files to interface with SuperNEC if you have the MATLAB runtime license.

Q5: What SuperNEC products can be purchased:

A: There are basically 4 SuperNEC products available:
- SuperNEC Lite (300 segments)
- SuperNEC (no limits)
- SuperNEC Parallel (for problems to large for single pc's)
- SuperNEC Study Guide (Teaching Aide with software limited to 500 segments) 
There are different pricing structures for commercial and academic users. More info can be found here.

Q6: What licensing options are available for SuperNEC products?

A: We can control access with a:
- Hardware Key (This is a dongle that you plug into the parallel port of the machine you want use SuperNEC on)
-Single PC license (This is a software file, supplied by us, that you have to copy onto the machine where you want to use SuperNEC on)
-Floating license (This is a software file, supplied by us, that you copy onto the server on the network. The number of people that can use SuperNEC simultaneously depends on the number of floating licenses that was bought. If 2 floating licenses were bought, a possible 10 users might have the software installed, but only 2 will be able to use it simultaneously.

Q7: What is the difference between simulation and model frequency?

A: The simulation frequency or frequencies are the frequencies at which the problem will be simulated. The simulation frequencies are set under the “Simulation Settings” tab in SuperNEC.The model frequencies can be thought of as the segmentation frequency. In other words this is the frequency which determines the length of the segments. This is set at the bottom left of the SuperNEC GUI. This should be set to the highest frequency at which you will be simulating the structure.

Q8: Can SuperNEC be used to simulate patch or micro-strip antennas on a dielectric substrate?              

A: SuperNEC can simulate patch antennas on an air substrate. SuperNEC can, however, not simulate patch antennas on a dielectric substrate. This feature will be included in a future release of SuperNEC.

Q9: Can I write my own assemblies if I have the runtime version of SuperNEC?                                             

A: To write your own assembly you will need Matlab’s script editor. The user can not write their own scripts with the runtime version of SuperNEC.

Q10: I have formatted my hard drive and reinstalled SuperNEC. Why does my license no longer work?      

A: When you format your hard drive the disk serial number changes. Your SuperNEC license is linked to your disk serial number. Once you have formatted your hard drive you will need to request a new SuperNEC license from supernec@poynting.co.za .

Q11: Can SuperNEC import CAD files?                                                                                                                     

A: SuperNEC can not import CAD files directly. There is however a program within SuperNEC called SIG to create complex structures. The best way to create a complex structure from a CAD file is to create DXF cross sections from the CAD file. These cross sections can then be used as inputs for SIG.

Q12: I want to create a ground plate on which I mount an antenna. How do I do this?                                    

A: A ground that is limited in size can be created using “snplate”. A gridded ground is the best way to simulate a small ground plate. UTD plates need to be large with respect to wavelength and are typically only suited for scattering problems.

Q13: Does Poynting Software offer SuperNEC Training Courses?

A: Yes, Poynting Software does offer training courses for SuperNEC. This consists of a 4 day course that takes the user form basic concepts to advanced modelling. Courses can be offered at our premises or at yours as you prefer.

Q14: How can I optimise an antenna design in SuperNEC?

A: SuperNEC has a genetic algorithm optimiser that can be used to optimise multiple parameter antennas with respect to gain and VSWR over frequency.

Q15:I want to create a complex structure like an aircraft or vehicle, how do I do this?

A: The program SIG (Structure Interpolation and Gridding) is used for this purpose. A detailed example is contained in the SIG GUI help files.

Q16: Do I have to interface with SuperNEC through the GUI?

A: SuperNEC can be accessed fully through a command line interface in MATLAB. This enables the user to write their own programs and interface to SuperNEC.

Q17: I am writing SuperNEC under Windows XP but the SuperNEC interface does not display correctly. How can I fix this?

A: The version of MATLAB being used was released before Windows XP. The problem can be solved by either upgrading your versions of MATLAB or setting tour windows display to classic mode.

Q18: Do you sell complex grid structures such as aircraft structures?

A: We have a number of wire grid models available. These include the C-130, HAWK, Puma, Boeing and Pilatus aircraft to name a few. These models can be purchased. We can also generate wire grid models for your unique aircraft or structure if you supply us with the IGES files.

Q19: I need to manipulate some of the simulated data in SuperNEC. How do I do this?

A: To manipulate simulated data in SuperNEC, select the data set, such as Excitation under Parameters vs Frequency and click on the workspace button. This will put the data to the MATLAB workspace to be manipulated and plotted as required.

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