Software & Hardware
Software
Available Software for Students
- ANSYS
- ANSYS now provides a Student license for the ANSYS products that students can purchase for $25. With this version they would not need to connect to the campus license server. This license is available to registered students with their NCSU email address (xxx@ncsu.edu). It contains a node limited version of ANSYS software (32K nodes Mechanical/Structural and 512K nodes CFD plus Multi-Physics capability).
Students will receive a one year license for their computer. They can save files so they can bring a project into ANSYS on campus if they are working with a big problem with more nodes than the Student License can handle.
Students may purchase the license from the ANSYS Customer Portal at https://www1.ansys.com/customer/default.asp. After they login to the student portal, they can click the ANSYS Academic Student Product link for information and to purchase the license.
If the students had not previously registered on the student portal, they will need to complete a form to register to create an account. When they complete the form, they must use their ncsu.edu email address, the account number (customer number), 214406, and specify the Academic Facility as North Carolina State University. The name of the university must be spelled out. At the next screen, they will need to select the professor from a list. Their professor will be on the list if they had registered.
- MSDNAA
- The MSDN Academic Alliance is an annual membership program for departments that teach and utilize technology such as computer science, engineering, and information systems departments. The membership provides a complete, inexpensive solution to keep academic labs, faculty and students on the leading edge of technology. With this membership, we have the latest Microsoft development tools, operating systems, server software, documentation, and technical references at our fingertips. In addition, our students have complete access to these tools on their personal computers and in our departments' labs.
- Dreamspark
- Students can download professional Microsoft developer, designer, and gaming software through DreamSpark at no charge. DreamSpark enables students, like you, to download and use Microsoft tools to unlock your creative potential and set you on the path to academic and career success by advancing your learning in the areas of technical design, technology, math, science, and engineering! It doesn’t matter what classes you’re taking right now, just as long as you’re a current student at NC State and use the tools in pursuit of advancing your education in one of these areas. https://www.dreamspark.com/
- Matlab for Students
- College of Engineering students continue to have access to download Matlab from the Eos Software download site at http://www.eos.ncsu.edu/software/downloads/. Matlab is currently available for 32- and 64-bit Windows computers and is restricted to students who are majoring in engineering or taking at least one engineering course. This includes BAE, TE, and CPE. The version of Matlab for student download has a limited number of toolboxes. The toolboxes are Control System, Optimization, Signal Processing, Simulink Control Design, Statistics, Symbolic Math, and System Identification. Students should contact the ITECS help desk at eoshelp@ncsu.edu if they need Matlab installed on a Mac or Linux computer. The following toolboxes are installed in addition to Matlab and Simulink -- no additional toolboxes will be installed:
- Control System
- Optimization
- Signal Processing
- Simulink Control Design
- Statistics
- Symbolic Math
- System Identification
- MS Ultimate Steal
- MS Office Ultimate Edition for $59.99. http://www.microsoft.com/student/discounts/theultimatesteal-us/
- MS Windows 7 Home Premium
- Windows 7 for $29.99 (until Jan 2010). http://www.win741.com/
- National Instruments Labview Student Install Option
- College of Engineering faculty, staff, and students may purchase the LabVIEW Student Install Option from e-academy for $40. Software upgrades are available throughout the student's enrollment. The license expires at the end of student's enrollment at NCSU or upon termination of employment at NCSU by faculty and staff. Seats are not transferable among students. The LabVIEW Student Install Option includes the following:
- LabVIEW Student Edition
- LabVIEW Control Design and Simulation Module
- LabVIEW MathScript RT Module
- LabVIEW System Identification Toolkit
- LabVIEW Digital Filter Design Toolkit
- NI Modulation Toolkit
- LabVIEW SignalExpress
- NI Vision Development Module
- NI Vision Acquisition Software
- NI DIAdem Student Edition
The LabVIEW Student Edition has all the features of the LabVIEW Full Development System, with one difference - the addition of a watermark. A watermark is on all LabVIEW panels (front panel and block diagram) and appears on any printouts of student edition VIs. If a student creates a VI at home using the LabVIEW Student Edition and then opens it on campus in the lab, the watermark will disappear.
The LabVIEW Student Edition may not be installed on university-owned computers.
To purchase the software, visit http://ni.onthehub.com/. You must use your NCSU email address to purchase the Student Install Option software. Online LabVIEW training -- tutorial videos , exercises , and quizzes to help get students up to speed using LabVIEW: http://www.ni.com/lv101
- Origin 8.1
- this application is available on the Eos Software Download site at http://www.eos.ncsu.edu/software/downloads/. The licenses for Origin are held by the College of Engineering. Students majoring in Engineering, and students enrolled in College of Engineering courses are permitted to download and install Origin on their personally-owned computers and use them for academic instruction and research.
- Solidworks
- The 32-bit and 64-bit versions of SolidWorks are available for permitted students to download at http://www.eos.ncsu.edu/software/. This includes engineering majors and students enrolled in engineering courses, graphic communications students in the College of Education, and industrial design students in the College of Design. SolidWorks is not available on this site for faculty and staff to download, so faculty/staff will not see it on their list. Faculty and staff who are teaching or supporting instruction may work with their departmental system administrators to receive SolidWorks for their computers. Our SolidWorks EDU license is restricted to use by faculty for teaching only. The license does not permit research or administrative use by faculty or staff.
- TecPlot 360 2010
- this application is available on the Eos Software Download site at http://www.eos.ncsu.edu/software/downloads/. The licenses for TecPlot are held by the College of Engineering. Students majoring in Engineering, and students enrolled in College of Engineering courses are permitted to download and install TecPlot on their personally-owned computers and use them for academic instruction and research.
- TotalView
- free student licenses of TotalView Express, a C/C++ and Fortran debugger for Linux, Unix and Mac OS. After discussing the licensing and distribution process, it has been agreed to make TotalView available to our students from the Software@NC State web page at http://www.ncsu.edu/software/agreements/totalview/
Available Software for Faculty / Staff
MSDNAA Now Available for Faculty
Faculty are now eligible for the ECE MSDNAA software licenses as well (link above). Please note that this is for *personal* computers only. NCSU owned equipment is covered by alternative licenses.
Microsoft Office for HomeUse -- Faculty/Staff
Faculty and Staff are now eligible to participate in Microsoft's Software Assurance Home Use Program (HUP). This program enables you to get a licensed copy of Microsoft Office software to install and use on your home computer without restricting it to work-only purposes. You are eligible to use the Home Use Program software as long as you are an employee at NCSU.
The following products are currently available for purchase through the Home Use Program: Office Professional Plus 2010 and Office 2011 for Mac.
http://www.ncsu.edu/software/download/hup/
NOTE: TAs and RAs are eligible for this -- however, the website above has a problem if you have your Student Privacy Flag turned on. Turn it off, then you can participate in this program. For more information on the student privacy block: http://help.ncsu.edu/solutions/all/3005.php
Also, as part of the Microsoft Office site license, faculty and staff are now eligible for FREE E-Learning from Microsoft for the various Office applications. Applications included in this training are Access, Excel, Groove, InfoPath, Office, Office SharePoint Server, OneNote, Outlook, PowerPoint, Project, Visio and others. The E-Learning is geared for both information workers and IT professionals.
http://www.ncsu.edu/software/agreements/elearning/
(Please Note: E-Learning classes must be completed in IE 7 or higher.)
Labview
Please see the details regarding this option in the Student section above.
Licensing
Want to recommend a piece of software? Need something in particular to get the job done? Tell us, and we'll see what we can do about it.
signatures, legal, process
Hardware
license servers, dongles, etc
Restrictions
university owned, research vs teaching, etc
Requesting
Need a particular piece of software? See something in our list you'd like to try? Having trouble with an installation? We'll be glad to help.
Hardware
The availability of computers has skyrocketed in the past five years. One particular institution responsible for this explosion is the university. Encouraging students and professors to communicate via e-mail, using electronic gradebooks, providing free usage of computers, etc.
Considering the data network of NC State, it probably advantageous to make use of its resources. But, to ensure a higher caliber network, NC State must monitor the quality of the machines on its network. NC State makes minimum reccomendations for new computers for the advantage of its users and its network.
If you are planning on purchashing a new computer, printer, or other piece of technology to be used here on campus, it must meet or exceed all the minimun requirements given for a new purchase. If you are unsure or unaware of what these are, then just contact WolfTech and we can tell you wether or not your system will be acceptable. We can also tell you if there are going to be any major problems when your new devices get here.
Consulting
Getting in touch with us before you do anything can save both yourself and us a major headache if something happens to go awry. We are here to help if something goes wrong, but we would rather head off potential problems before they affect you.
We tend to get our fingers in all sorts of technology. We'd be happy to sit down with you and help plan any technology requirements and upgrades.
Starting a project sometime? Planning for the future? Sure you are--there has to be something you feel like upgrading, modifying, or altering. Now, here's the catch, if you do not know a great deal about the technology behind the system and the requirements of what you are about to get into, you need IT consulting on your project.
The field of technology runs the gamut of topics. A great deal of people have neither the time nor energy to commit to learning a great deal about computers and their workings. This is where we can help. We are staffed to answer most any question you may have regarding technology in general, with experts in a variety of topics.
We shall do our best to help you plan out your requirements, technology needs, and possible solutions which will fit your needs. And if we can not do so in house, our network of contacts within the University will lead to someone who can.
Purchasing Requirement
NCSU released a 3D memo from the CIO and the VC for Finance and Business outlining a new purchasing process for laptop and desktop computers that will go into effect on November 8th 2010. Here is a link to the memo if you haven't seen it: http://ncsu.edu/3d-memos/pdf/3dmemo-91.100-new.requirement.for.purchasing.university.computers.pdf
The basic facts are these:
1. The new purchasing process is required by law.
2. While the law only applied to purchases with state funds, the University has extended the process to encompass laptops and desktops purchased with any campus funding source.
3. There is a website that describes the process and provides links to the approved list of desktops and laptops available for purchase under the program. The link is: http://oit.ncsu.edu/it-purchases/
4. There is a process in place for keeping the common configurations updated as the technology changes or as needs change. Charles Hunt from my shop is the college's rep to the committee charged with keeping the configurations up to date.
5. There is an exception process in place that will allow non-standard configurations to be purchased to meet specific, legitimate needs that are not covered by the standard configurations. That process is described in general terms here: http://go.ncsu.edu/oit-cpi-exception-process. There is one primary and one alternate exception approver for the College of Engineering. The primary exception approver is Keith Boswell. The alternate is Charles Hunt.
As described in the exception process document, exceptions are treated in a tiered manner. Minor changes to the standard configurations may be approved at the college level. Requests for exceptions outside of the standard configurations (requesting a machine from a vendor not on the list, for instance) require approval at the university level. In all cases an exception will require specific, technical justification that describes why one of the standard configurations does not meet the needs of the purchaser. Cost of the configurations and/or personal preference of the purchaser are not legitimate justifications for deviating from approved configurations.
Please notice that there is a limit to exceptions. Currently, no more than 20% of our purchases may be exceptions. Purchasing will be generating monthly reports by OUC that will detail all purchases made through the process to include exceptions so we (and University and UNC System leaders) can see how we're doing in adhering to the requirements of the law. At the end of each fiscal year the UNC System will provide a consolidated report to the legislature to demonstrate our compliance with the law.
6. The consolidated purchase process only applies to desktop and laptop computers at the current time. The CPI committee is currently working on a definition and set of configurations for a "workstation." The process does not currently apply to purchases of Apple Desktops and laptops, netbooks, printers and other ancillary devices. All of these may be added to the process in the future.
Personal Purchases
Vendors
DELL
All personal purchases need to go through the NC State University Employee and Student personal purchase premier page. This page allows you to do the credit card purchases. And this page has better pricing on the consumer models like the Inspirons plus this website will reflect all the same promotions that are running on Dell's Home Sales website in addition to the 5-12% extra discount you get for being an employee or student at NC State.
This premier page is linked from NC State's Bookstore website at: http://www.dell.com/ncstate/
Note: be warned that the pricing can be confusing -- you often have to get to checkout before all of your discounts are shown.
IBM
APPLE
SOC Laptop Program
Warranty
See ECE 3yr policy.