knowledge-base:general:plecs

Plexim PLECS

Important: You have to be a student or faculty member in the University of Tennessee Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science to obtain a license.


Before requesting the PLECS software, you need to know which version of PLECS you intend to use. The PLECS software comes in two forms:

  • PLECS Blockset
    • This version of PLECS requires MATLAB and Simulink (part of OIT’s MATLAB license) to be installed on your machine. This is the preferred version for EECS students. This version should also match the version of MATLAB you have installed, e.g., 32-/64-bit.
  • PLECS Standalone
    • As the name suggests, this version of PLECS does not require a MATLAB installation.

Once you have determined which version of PLECS you need, use the following guidelines to request the proper license.

Due to campuses closing for COVID-19, PLEXIM is offering limited free at-home licenses for PLECS. After you install PLECS, request a trial license. Please enter “Home-90” in the comment field of your request to receive an extended trial license valid for 90 days.

If you require PLECS on a UT-owned computer, please send a request to eecs-ithelp@utk.edu containing the following information:

  • Your first and last name
  • Your UT NetID
  • The name of your computer, e.g., com1461

Once we have installed the software, we will send you an email with instructions on how to license the software.

If you require PLECS on a personal computer, please follow these instructions:

  1. Download and install PLECS from the Plexim Website
  2. Launch PLECS and click Get HostID
  3. Send us an email containing…
    1. Your first and last name
    2. Your UT NetID
    3. The HostID you retrieved
    4. Your username for the user you will be using PLECS on
    5. The MAC address of your computer

Once you have sent us an email with that information, we will request a license for you. Plexim will send you an email with the license that you can use to activate PLECS. The PLECS User Manual, which contains installation instructions, is available on the PLECS website in the Downloads section along with the downloads for PLECS Blockset and Standalone.