NEC, v5.0

NEC v5.0 models the electromagnetic response of antennas and scatters consisting of wires and conducting surfaces. Input commands can generate a number of wire and surface shapes that can be combined for complex models. Excitation can be voltage or current sources or incident plane waves. Models can be above or buried in a homogeneous ground and can include impedance loads, networks and transmission lines. Output can include model currents, radiation patterns and near E and H fields.
Technology No. NEC5

Note: NEC5 is no longer being maintained or supported.  Windows 10 is the last version of Windows in which the NEC5 GUI can run.  The GUI is not compatible with Windows 11.

Description

Antennas are a foundational component of our global communication and information systems. Cell phones, Wi-Fi networks, and satellite links couldn’t exist without them. LLNL scientists, Gerald Burke, Andrew Poggio, and Edmund Miller created the Numerical Electromagnetic Code (NEC), an antenna modeling system for wire and surface antennas. As computer capability to handle heavy calculations increases, new versions of the code have been released.  NEC has been the most licensed technology in LLNL’s software portfolio, and the most widely used code for analyzing antenna performance. NEC v5.0 is the latest version of LLNL’s decades-long successful NEC antenna modeling software family.

NEC v5.0 models the electromagnetic response of antennas and scatters consisting of wires and conducting surfaces. Input commands can generate a number of wire and surface shapes that can be combined for complex models. Excitation can be voltage or current sources or incident plane waves. Models can be above or buried in a homogeneous ground and can include impedance loads, networks and transmission lines. Output can include model currents, radiation patterns and near E and H fields.

For a more detailed comparison of NEC-4 and NEC-5 please review the NEC 5 Validation Manual.

Update:

LLNL is now providing an update to NEC-5 provided by Roy Lewallen. A special thanks to Roy Lewallen for his long support of NEC and for providing our user community with updates. Dan Maguire also made major contributions in identifying and extensively testing and verifying the improvements.

Improvements to the command line NEC-5 program in the updated package consist of corrections of several serious bugs involving current sources and MININEC type ground among others. Corrections to the command line NEC-5 program address the following bugs:

Incorrect gain was reported when using current sources.

  •     Near field and surface wave results were incorrect when using MININEC type ground.
  •     Inhibiting Sommerfeld ground file writing by specifying NOFILE as the file name caused a crash.
  •     An internal array dimension (NETSOLMAXX in SUBROUTINE ALLOC_NETWORK_SOL) wasn’t large enough and could cause a crash under some conditions.
  •     Errors could occur or the program crash if any NT or TL port was placed at end 1 of a segment.


Existing NEC 5.0 licensees can now download the updated command line program files via the download site provided at the time of your license. The updated files are contained in a separate file package to preserve the original NEC 5.0 authored by Jerry Burke and referenced in the LLNL NEC 5 Validation Manual.

LLNL continues to seek qualified distributors who are interested in maintaining and supporting NEC. Companies interested in commercializing NEC can contact softwarelicensing@llnl.gov.

U.S. Federal Government User: Free

LLNL continues to provide NEC 4.2.  To order, please visit:  https://softwarelicensing.llnl.gov/product/nec-v42.


  • swap_vertical_circlecloud_downloadSupporting documents (2)
    Product brochure
    NEC, v5.0.pdf
    DOWNLOAD
    NEC5 Summary
    NEC4_NEC5 Summary.pdf (43 KB)
    DOWNLOAD
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NEC5 Individual End User License Agreement
License for individual/personal use

Term: 3 years

Price per license:
From $110.00 excl. TAX

NEC5 U.S. Academic Research Site Licnese
An educational institution that has been accredited by an authorized governmental agency within its applicable local, state or U.S. federal government and has the primary purpose of teaching its enrolled students. Such students who access and use the Software controlled by End User will operate under the End User’s license.

Term: 3 years

Price per license:
From $400.00 excl. TAX

NEC5 U.S. Small Business Site License
An organization which qualifies as a small business concern for government contracting purposes pursuant to 15 U.S.C. 632 and Small Business Administration regulations

Term: 3 years

Price per license:
From $1,200.00 excl. TAX

NEC5 U.S. Large Business Site License
An organization legally formed in and with its primary place of business located in the U.S., and which does not qualify as a small business.

Term: 3 years

Price per license:
From $1,700.00 excl. TAX

NEC5 Non-U.S Academic Research Site License
An educational institution that has been accredited by an authorized governmental agency within its applicable local, state, provincial, federal or national government and has the primary purpose of teaching its enrolled students

Term: 3 years

Price per license:
From $600.00 excl. TAX

NEC5 Non-U.S. Organization Site License
An organization, other than an educational institution as defined above, not legally formed in the U.S.

Term: 3 years

Price per license:
From $2,400.00 excl. TAX

RENEWALS ONLY - NEC5 End User License Agreement
No cost time extension for NEC5 end user licenses

Term: 3 years

Free of charge

NEC5 U.S. Government License
U.S. Government agencies

Term: perpetual

Free of charge

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