Optimizing Collaborative PCB Design by Simulation
Software for Collaborative Conceptual Design of Printed Circuit Boards
What is FloTHERM PCB?
FloTHERM PCB is a unique, software program for streamlining concept development of printed-circuit boards (PCBs), while ensuring good thermal design and accelerating the PCB design process. FloTHERM PCB facilitates collaboration between Product Marketing, Electronic Engineers and Mechanical Engineers on PCB design, particularly during the conceptual phase of the design process.
FloTHERM PCB serves as a common platform that Electrical Engineers and Mechanical Engineers can use to collaboratively create and thermally evaluate multiple proposed board layouts, quickly and accurately, as it supports:
■ Creation of board layouts and cooling solutions (heatsinks, thermal vias, copper fills) with provided SmartParts;
■ Import of layout data from EDA layout tools in several formats: IDF, CSV, or via direct interfaces for Xpedition, Boardstation,
Allegro, and CR5000;
■ Creation of an orthotropic material map of the board based on copper distribution;
■ Import power dissipations in CSV format;
■ Property sheet description of typical thermal environments in which the board will reside. Forced Air, Still Air, Conduction Cooled, and Card Slots can be used, as well as directly importing a 3D set of thermal boundary conditions from a pre-solved FloTHERM analysis;
■ Fast, robust, 3D predictions of temperature and air flow. No traditional CFD constructs (meshing, boundary conditions, solving settings) are required;
■ Import of FloTHERM and FloTHERM PACK component models and library swapping facilitate PCB definition;
■ Side-by-side views of thermal results for multiple layouts to easily compare benefits and drawbacks of various designs;
■ Automatic, configurable report generation;
■ Command line support for model construction, solving, and report generation allowing FloTHERM PCB to be embedded in your
organizations workflow;
■ Thermal model transfer to FloTHERM to easily transition from the conceptual design stage to considering more detailed thermal
design tasks and thermal verification; and
■ Layout transfer to MCAD and EDA design flows via IDF, CSV, or EDA layout tool specific placement files.
■ Language localization of the user interface and is available in Japanese.
Benefits:
- The Only PCB-level Electronics Cooling CFD Solution for Mechanical Engineers
- Fastest PCB Thermal Design for Mechanical Engineers
- Reduce PCB Re-spins to Zero!
- Cut Thermal Verification Time by 66%
Who can use FloTHERM PCB?
FloTHERM PCB is designed to be used by all those involved in the conceptual design of PCBs, including Product Marketing, Systems Architects, Hardware Designers, and Mechanical/Thermal Engineers.
How does FloTHERM PCB save my company money?
FloTHERM PCB saves your company money by addressing major inefficiencies in the board design process. On top of this, FloTHERM PCB minimizes the risk of board “re-spins” due to thermal problems. In a recent survey, 60% of Mechanical Engineers in electronics companies stated that thermal issues had forced board layout changes during the previous 12 months. Just one such re-spin costs many times the FloTHERM PCB license fee.
