FAQ
What can Sonnet do?
For a brief description of all the tools in the Sonnet suite and their functions, see Sonnet Overview. For a discussion of what applications Sonnet is appropriate for, see our applications page.
What hardware do you recommend I have in order to run Sonnet?
Sonnet Lite can utilize older machines with a small amount of memory. Sonnet Professional needs a high performance machine with up to 2GB RAM for large jobs. As the amount of memory you have increases so do the complexity of problems you can solve with Sonnet in a timely manner. Both AMD and Intel systems are suitable. For a suggested x86 system see our System Recommendations page.
What are the system requirements for Sonnet?
Visit our System Requirements page for details.
Can I evaluate Sonnet before I buy?
You have two choices for trying out Sonnet at no cost. The first is to start using Sonnet Lite, our FREE version of Sonnet. It is feature limited, but can be used for a surprisingly large number of projects. If you want to try Sonnet on larger circuits and have the full power of Sonnet Professional, you can request a free 30 day evaluation.
What are the Sonnet Lite & LitePlus Restrictions?
For Sonnet Lite and LitePlus capabilities visit the comparison page.
How do I register Sonnet Lite?
For directions on registering Sonnet Lite, please refer to the Sonnet Lite Registration Guide on the Sonnet web site.
Who do I contact if I am having problems installing or using the software?
For help on troubleshooting problems and directions on contacting Sonnet, please refer to the Sonnet Support page on the Sonnet web site.
How do I get started?
Sonnet has a great tutorial for getting started. The tutorial is valid for all Sonnet Suites, from Sonnet Lite through Sonnet Professional. It is part of the online Sonnet Manual set. The manual set is available for purchase in hard-copy form if desired. Both the online and hardcopy formats are identical in content. To view the electronic form of the tutorial, first bring up the Sonnet Task Bar, then click on Manuals button. From here, you can select the Sonnet Tutorial, or more in-depth documentation.
Does Sonnet offer technical training?
For information about what training courses are available and how to schedule them, please refer to the Sonnet Training page on the Sonnet web site.
Is there any hard copy documentation for Sonnet?
Yes. Sonnet has hard-copy manuals available for purchase, however identical pages are also supplied in PDF format with any software installation. To access the documentation, first bring up the Sonnet task bar, then click on "Manuals". From here, you can select the Sonnet Tutorial, for more in-depth documentation. Hard copy manuals are available for $100.00 (US).
Do you have versions of the software in other languages besides English?
Sonnet software is only available in an English version, but there is a Sonnet Japanese web site which provides both a Japanese translation of the Sonnet's User Manuals and many helpful hints in Japanese.
How do I send a project to Sonnet Support?
The Sonnet project file ends with a .son extension. However, this file only contains the geometry information and other analysis settings. It does not contain the results from a simulation or optimization. Including this extra information allows Sonnet Support to respond more quickly and more effectively. To do so, it is necessary to "pack" the project, so that all the geometry or netlist information, the analysis controls and the response data are included. In Release 10 and above, Sonnet provides a command which packs up your Sonnet project and emails it to Sonnet support. Use the Project Editor's Send to Sonnet feature under the File menu. For older versions use Export => Packed Project also under the File menu and email the resulting file to your support representative.
Where can I find Sonnet application notes?
Application notes are available in the Sonnet Knowledge Base.
Where can I find Sonnet examples?
Examples are available in the electronic documentation that comes with the software. See Help => Examples in product's menus. Also there are some examples on the Lite Application page on the web site.
What upgrade paths are available?
For more information on the various products available from Sonnet and their capabilities, please refer to the Sonnet Suites page on the Sonnet web site