Feature Sugestion (Meshes import and multiport S parameter networks)

[likecabezon]

Since the code is capable of simulating several thousand of elements often the limitation is the modeling of complex structures with nec2 cards. So a macro or a Card for importing a mesh like a stl or other mesh format generated by CAD software could improe the workflow for modeling more complex structures. The card or the macro would need a option for selectin the radius of all imported sements and could include another paameters for loading all the imported elements with the same LD card.

Also a mode or card could be used to step different sources and measure the complete Y parameters matrix by doing various simulations with only the active port excitation and the rest shorted. Then the S or Z parameters could be obtained for multiport networks.

[KJ7LNW]

Since the code is capable of simulating several thousand of elements often the limitation is the modeling of complex structures with nec2 cards. So a macro or a Card for importing a mesh like a stl or other mesh format generated by CAD software could improe the workflow for modeling more complex structures. The card or the macro would need a option for selectin the radius of all imported sements and could include another paameters for loading all the imported elements with the same LD card.

That is a good idea. I do not have the bandwidth to work on that, but contributions are definitely welcome. More than likely, this should be written in a language like Python. Something with lots of good support for loading 3D libraries. Because C is a little bit low level for such a conversion, and C would not provide (easy) support for 3D file libraries. I'm sure there are some great Python libraries for loading lots of types of 3D modeling sources and generating a wireframe in memory; once you generate the wireframe in memory, it's pretty trivial to create a bunch of GW cards.

Let me know if you publish such a thing, and I will link to it in the xnec2c.org documentation.

Also a mode or card could be used to step different sources and measure the complete Y parameters matrix by doing various simulations with only the active port excitation and the rest shorted. Then the S or Z parameters could be obtained for multiport networks.

This is a really cool idea. I've often wondered if it made sense to create structures like this. NEC 2, I do not think it was ever designed for the purpose of multi-port, or if it was, I am not familiar with that situation. Inspecting through shorting and then building a network could be really useful.

Could probably be done by using XNC2C as an engine, but the implementation would be external. You can use the optimization triggering to modify a source file and get a CSV result. The CSV result would provide the S2P/S1P information, and then you compose a multiport SNP file from the data that is collected.

I have marked this issue for enhancement and help wanted, so if anybody would like to jump on this, please do!

[KJ7LNW]

Also a mode or card could be used to step different sources and measure the complete Y parameters matrix by doing various simulations with only the active port excitation and the rest shorted. Then the S or Z parameters could be obtained for multiport networks.

Recently I learned that internally, NEC2 does solve impedance for every excitation port, so this information might already be available. Try a multi-excitation (EX) NEC2 "antenna" implementation using nec2c and check the raw text output. It provides purport impedance metrics that are not available in the graphical xnec2c system. I would be curious to know if this provides the information that you need and if it does, maybe I can bring it into the graphical system in a supported way that meets what you're looking for.