Q. What OS is required to run SWAN™?
SWAN™ Software supports Windows XP 32-bit and x64, Windows Vista 32-bit and x64, Windows Server 2003, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 10 and Windows 11 Operative Systems.
Q. Do I need an internet connection to run SWAN™?
If a perpetual license is purchased, then SWAN™ does not require any internet connection and it has no access to internet while running at any time. If a time-limited license is purchased (license rental) then, during the lease period, an internet connection is required to run the software.
Q. Do I need any additional software to run SWAN™?
SWAN™ is a stand-alone software. To run SWAN™ you don’t need other software installed on your PC.
Q. Can I use an external full-wave simulation software for the slot model extraction?
The Slot Model module can make use of an external full-wave simulation software for the slot model extraction. If an external full-wave simulation software is employed, the adopted full-wave software licensing is exclusively under the user’s responsibility. However SWAN™ can perform analysis and design also without any additional full-wave simulation tool, as a very powerful proprietary e.m. engine has been integrated in SWAN™ which allows an extremely fast and accurate slot model extraction. For additional information please see SWAN™ Overview (PPT presentation, 9 MB).
Q. Can I design narrow-wall, edge, compound or cross slot arrays?
Not yet. SWAN™ is currently dedicated to the design and analysis of arrays of longitudinal slots cut on the broad wall of rectangular waveguides, SIWs, singe-ridge waveguides, and ridge gap waveguides.
Q. Can I design flared or baffled slotted waveguide arrays?
Yes. SWAN™ is now capable (since Version 20.0) of accounting for the presence of two metallic flares beside the slotted waveguide array antenna, both in the design and the analysis.
Q. Can I design planar slotted waveguide arrays with periodic boundary conditions?
Yes. With SWAN™ is now possible (since Version 20.0) to design and simulate planar arrays of slotted waveguides assuming an infinite periodic structure (periodic boundary conditions).
Q. What is the limit for the number of elements for a planar array?
There is no limit to the number of slots. SWAN™ has been already successfully tested for array up to 20K slots.
Q. Are both internal and external mutual coupling terms taken into account?
Yes, both internal and external mutual coupling terms are included. You can account for all couplings or you can window the mutual coupling terms around each considered element with a user-defined window size (for extremely large array this may speed up the calculation, though the software is extremely fast and usually this is not a real issue).
Q. Are both resonant and traveling wave arrays possible?
Yes. Both types of arrays can be designed in SWAN™.
Q. Are feeding waveguides (series excitation) included?
Yes, SWAN™ automatically designs (if required) also the first layer of the BFN, made of multi-section feeding waveguides with centered inclined slots.
Q. Is end-feeding possible?
Yes. Both radiating waveguides and feeding waveguides can be end-fed.
Q. Does SWAN include pattern optimization algorithms? If yes, which ones?
Yes. Two algorithms are included: Projection Method (also known as Intersection Method) and Orchard Method. Both methods are very powerful and always converge to the solution in extremely short time. You can impose excitation constraints (amplitude/phase) and provide upper and lower masks for the optimization. More details can be found in SWAN™ Complex Slot Excitation Feature Description (PDF file, 1 MB).
Q. Can I use custom slot excitations for an array synthesis?
Yes. You can provide your pre-calculated excitations (amplitude and phase) and SWAN™ will automatically synthesise the array geometry producing those excitations on the aperture.
Q. Are edge diffraction effects included in the software?
Yes. Edge diffraction effects on matching are included.
Q. Is there any sensitivity tool included in the code? Is it possible to evaluate the effects of manufacturing errors on radiation pattern and input matching?
Yes. Monte Carlo analysis is implemented in the software, which allows you to evaluate the separate or combined effects of manufacturing tolerance (random errors) and systematic errors on virtually any dimension of the antenna, and statistic results are provided. Analysis is performed at a single frequency.