SonoAnalyzer Pro beta - first release version 1.4.0

Douglas Adams once said: "I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by."

Beta test versions

SonoAnalyzer Pro has proved to be a lot like that, but finally I have a beta version ready for release. I've decided to make this available, free of charge and without obligation, to clients who have already purchased SonoAnalyzer OE. However it has a 60-day expiry so it cannot be used indefinitely. New versions (also expiring after 60 days) will be offered at frequent intervals - no more than 4 weeks - until the final release version which is tentatively planned for end 2013.

Version 1.4.0 was built on 26 September 2013 and will expire 18 November.

If you haven't yet purchased SonoAnalyzer (and no, the free demo version doesn't count!), please consider making a purchase in order to participate in the beta trial. The minimum purchase is still $100 for the 1-month PAYG license and this will entitle you to download all Pro beta versions released during the period of your purchase.

Alternatively if you wish to wait for a free demo of SonoAnalyzer Pro, I aim to add some limited demonstrations of its extra capabilities to the Demo version at a later time.

What's different about SonoAnalyzer Pro?

In addition to all the features of SonoAnalyzer OE, Pro allows the user to interact directly with the Finite Element Analysis.

The animations on the How it works page show in detail how OE communicates with a series of online servers; SonoAnalyzer Pro doesn't require this - instead it communicates directly with a single analysis machine, which can even be the same computer that's running Pro. Shorter lines of communication can lead to faster results and the complexity of the analysis is ultimately limited only by the amount of processing power you're willing to give the analysis machine.

"Analysis Machine"?

SonoAnalyzer is not a finite-element program. It creates finite element models and displays results but connects to another program to obtain the results. The finite-elment program of choice is CalculiX, and this excellent open-source software is behind the scenes of both OE and Pro. But with Pro, the user can decide how and where the finite-element program runs. Many possible options exist, for example (but only the first two below are implemented in this release):

  • On the user's MS Windows 64-bit PC, running under Cygwin (a collection of tools giving Gnu/Linux-like capabilities in Windows)
  • On the user's MS Windows 64-bit PC, running as a Gnu/Linux virtual machine under VirtualBox or other virtualization
  • On a Gnu/Linux machine (dedicated server) connected via LAN or internet
  • On a Gnu/Linux virtual machine (VPS / cloud server) connected via internet

CalculiX, as may be clear from the above, is primarily a Gnu/Linux application but both virtualization and Cygwin offer practical solutions for running it on MS Windows PCs.

So what does all that do for me?

It really comes down to two things:

1. More complex analyses: Freed of time constraints, Pro models can be much more complex. Enhancements will include:

  • Auto-tuning - run analysis repeatedly with different lengths until a specified resonant frequency is achieved.
  • Mesh fineness control - finer mesh for small horns or coarser mesh for quick results on large sonotrodes.
  • Multi-component analysis (not yet implemented) - model booster and sonotrode together, or model complex shapes with more than the current limit of 12 sections.
  • More complex shapes (not yet implemented) - slotted horns, hollow cylindrical etc.

2. Direct access to complex results. SonoAnalyzer's animated display gives a good indication of vibration modes but the sonotrode designer needs more information. The FEA menu items in OE were one step towards this aim - providing fixed images from the finite-element postprocessor. Pro takes this further, offering a second interactive window where all results can be examined in detail.

Features still to be implemented

At this point there are no new sonotrode models included with SonoAnalyzer Pro. The available models (shown with a gold "FEA" icon) are direct equivalents of the latest OE "Online FEA" models, with slightly increased ranges of operation. New models as requested by users will be gradually added over the coming months. SonoAnalyzer Pro is now the main target for model development and new models will be released first for Pro. Some complex models will probably not be suitable for OE at all.

This release, like SonoAnalyzer OE, only allows the definition of one sonotrode defined on a single "Dimensions" tab. The next step will be to implement multiple-component analysis, with each component defined by its own "Dimensions" tab. Multiple materials will also be supported. Multiple-component analysis will permit the analysis of larger sonotrode stacks and / or more complex shapes.

Support is currently included for only two types of analysis machine: "Native CalculiX" and "Root server", both mainly aimed at creating a standalone system on a single Windows PC. In future other methods will be added, including using Amazon EC2 to permit very large computing resources to be allocated, briefly, to the analysis process. The distribution packages will also be streamlined for convenient installation on various platforms.

Finally, please note that SonoAnalyzer Pro is currently a beta (trial) release. While many months of development and testing have gone into bringing it to this point, there are undoubtedly still issues that will need to be addressed. You may find unexpected behaviour and you will need to updated it at least every 60 days. I would appreciate a report of any bugs you find and I may send out short questionnaire emails at intervals to request feedback.

More information

Please see the new Manual entry: Introducing SonoAnalyzer Pro

Installation

Installation requires both the SonoAnalyzer Pro program itself and at least one package of analysis software. Please see the Pro support packages page for full details of these.

Purchase options

At the end of the trial period / time of final release (tentatively planned for end 2013):

  • The first purchasers of SonoAnalyzer RC + included Pro upgrade will receive the Pro upgrade free, complete with support and updates for a year from then.
  • Later purchasers of SonoAnalyzer RC / OE (full versions) can upgrade to Pro at their locked-in early-bird price of $600 and get support and updates for a year from then.
  • Purchasers of SonoAnalyzer OE one month PAYG access can upgrade either to OE (11-month license) at $500 or Pro (including a full year of updates) at $1100 - a discount of $100 off early-bird prices corresponding to the payment already made.

For those who haven't yet purchased SonoAnalyzer OE, I've now opened the product page for SonoAnalyzer Pro: Buy now for $1200, use the trial versions until the final release date and then get support and upgrades for a full year after that.

Unlike the free trial beta versions, the final release version will not expire. Support and updates will be provided for a period of one year, after which the program will continue to operate. However, as for any software, ongoing maintenance and updates are highly recommended. Annual contract for support and updates is priced at $360.

Early-bird pricing will cease 2 weeks after the final release date and revert to regular prices (25% higher than listed here) for new sales. Users who purchase before this will retain their reduced prices (on upgrades / new licences and updates) for as long as they remain a client.

Special PRO offer - extra $100 off

To celebrate the first SonoAnalyzer Pro public beta, I'm offering a further discount of $100 on all Pro purchases for the next two weeks only. So the OE upgrade is $500, full purchase $1100 until October 15.