Features & Capabilities
Electromagnetic simulation tool for research and industry
What's in Free, Core and Machines
Nabla Free is a permanent, full-featured tier - not a time-limited trial. Core and Machines are cumulative: Machines includes everything in Core. See pricing for cost and how to buy.
| Capability | Free | Core | Machines |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2D magnetostatic, transient, planar & axisymmetric | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| First-order (P1) elements | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| One motion zone (rotary or linear) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Circuit editor (R, L, C, sources, switches) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Materials library | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Material editor and curve fitting | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| DXF import and export | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Mesh node cap | 25,000 | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Report watermark | Yes | No | No |
| Core Pro - included in both paid editions | |||
| Time-harmonic solves | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| 2nd-order (P2) elements | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| Far-field (balloon) boundary condition | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| Multiple simultaneous motion zones | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| Crank-Nicolson time integration | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| Thermal - included in both paid editions | |||
| Steady and transient heat conduction | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| Convection, fixed-temperature, heat-flux BCs | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| Time-dependent volumetric heat sources | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| Automation - included in both paid editions | |||
| Python API and headless batch runs | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| MCP server (LLM-driven modelling) | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| Machines - Nabla Machines only | |||
| Parametric PMSM and IM builders | — | — | ✓ |
| Windings setup, skew, stator/rotor customisation | — | — | ✓ |
| Machine PDF report | — | — | ✓ |
| Performance - Nabla Machines only | |||
| Efficiency and loss maps, performance curves | — | — | ✓ |
| MTPA / MTPV trajectories, torque vs speed | — | — | ✓ |
| IM equivalent circuit extraction | — | — | ✓ |
| Demagnetisation risk analysis | — | — | ✓ |
The Performance entitlement requires Machines to be present as well - granting a higher tier implicitly grants every tier below it, so the upgrade from Core to Machines is one step.
Solver Capabilities
Magnetostatic & Transient Magnetics Free
2D vector-potential formulation, planar and axisymmetric, with permanent magnets, current-carrying conductors and nonlinear magnetic materials.
- Inductance, force and torque computation
- Flux density mapping
- First-order (P1) elements
Time-Harmonic Analysis Core
Frequency-domain (K + jωM) solves with an effective-permeability nonlinear iteration, for AC problems where a full transient run isn't needed.
Second-Order (P2) Elements Core
Quadratic 6-node triangles for planar, axisymmetric and time-harmonic problems, plus the thermal module - higher accuracy per node than P1.
Motion Without Remeshing Free Core
Rotary or linear motion through a sliding band, not a moving mesh. One motion zone is free; Core adds multiple simultaneous zones (two rotors, mover/mover interfaces) and Crank-Nicolson time integration.
- Rotating and linear machinery simulation
- Rotor/stator skew (multi-slice, Machines)
Eddy-Current Analysis Free
Induced currents in conductive media under time-varying magnetic fields.
- Skin and proximity effects
- Eddy-current losses
Circuit Coupling Free
An embedded Modified Nodal Analysis (MNA) circuit solver, coupled directly to the field solve.
- Resistors, inductors, capacitors
- Voltage/current sources and switches
- Coils wired directly into the circuit
Far-Field (Balloon) Boundary Core
An asymptotic open-boundary termination that lets an unbounded model's outer edge sit at 2-3x the device radius instead of 20x.
Nonlinear Material Support Free
B-H curve materials with saturation, solved by a consistent Newton iteration.
- Iron loss (Steinmetz) in laminated steels
- Anisotropic permeability
Thermal Module Core
Steady-state and transient heat conduction on the same mesh as the electromagnetic model, planar or axisymmetric.
- Convection, fixed-temperature and heat-flux boundary conditions
- Time-dependent volumetric heat sources
- Electromagnetic loss results fed in directly as a heat source
Automation Core
Every capability above is scriptable, headless, from outside the GUI.
- Python API - geometry, meshing, solve, post-processing
- MCP server (~130 tools) for LLM-driven modelling
- Batch/CI runs with no display attached
Machine Design Tools Machines
Parametric Machine Builders
PMSM (radial, outrunner, Halbach) and induction machine topologies built from parameters, not drawn by hand - slot/pole advisor included.
Windings & Rotor Tools
Winding layout tools, rotor/stator skew, custom-rotor DXF import, and the squirrel-cage builder for induction rotors.
Machine Analysis
Back-EMF, cogging torque, Ld/Lq extraction, the induction-machine equivalent circuit, and mass estimation.
PDF Report
A shareable machine performance report generated directly from the model.
Performance Analysis Machines
Maps & Curves
Efficiency and loss maps over the full drive envelope, torque-vs-speed and MTPA/MTPV trajectories.
Induction Machine Extraction
Equivalent-circuit parameter extraction from a handful of FEM solves.
Demagnetization Risk
Per-magnet risk analysis against the knee of the demagnetization curve.
Boundary Conditions
Dirichlet & Neumann Free
Fixed potential and specified-flux edges - the two building blocks every model uses.
Periodic & Anti-Periodic Free
Model a repeating sector instead of the full machine, circular or parallel.
Sliding Band Free
What makes motion possible without remeshing - couples a moving ring to a stationary one across an air gap.
Far-Field (Balloon) Core
An open-boundary termination for unbounded problems - see above.
Thermal Boundary Conditions Core
Fixed temperature, heat flux and convection, for the thermal module.
Numerical Methods
FEM Solvers
- Direct: Simplicial LDLT decomposition
- Iterative: Conjugate Gradient (CG)
- Consistent Newton iteration for nonlinear materials
Electric Circuit Solver
- Modified Nodal Analysis (MNA)
- Trapezoidal (Crank-Nicolson) companions Core
Geometry & Meshing
CAD Import & Export
Import or export geometry as DXF, or draw directly with the built-in line/arc/circle tools.
Material Editor Free
Define and curve-fit your own B-H and loss data - free on every tier, same as the base material library.
Mesh Generation
An open-source Two-Dimensional Quality Mesh Generator and Delaunay TriangulatorUp to 25,000 nodes on Free; unlimited on Core and Machines.
Parametric Geometry Machines
The parametric PMSM/induction machine builders above generate geometry from parameters directly - see Machine Design Tools.
Post-Processing & Visualization
Field Plots & Probes
Contour, vector and streamline plots; point, contour and shape probes for B, H and derived quantities.
Forces, Torque & Losses
Maxwell-stress (eggshell/Arkkio) force and torque, Joule and iron losses.
Data Analysis & Export
Analyze results with built-in tools, or export to CSV or via the Python API.
Fast Animation Engine
GPU-accelerated OpenGL animation of time-domain and time-harmonic results.