Why use Design Simulation

Why use Design Simulation is necessary in today's world because designing electronic products which are compliant with all environmental regulations is a challenge as well as a requisite. The electronic products not only have to be functionally differentiated, but also be energy efficient with minimum spurious emissions in the form of electromagnetic compatibility and electromagnetic interference.

Designing consumer electronics which GeneRally have plastic/ fibre housings Seldom create any shield through which high frequency waves could not permeate. Hence, the mobile phones/ radios/ home security appliances etc all need to address the issue of EMI/EMC at the design phase of these products.

The PCBs that constitute consumer electronics are generally within 12 layers, and it is impertinent that all high speed signals be routed in the embedded layers. The top and bottom layer of the PCB which house the chipsets and are exposed to the environment (shielded only by plastic/ fibre) should route low speed signals (less than 100 MHz). Also, the rise time of clock edges in the individual interfaces should be considered before any routing on the PCB: very small rise time will invariably generate switching frequency spikes that would again cause EMI/ EMC issues.

Once the design phase is ongoing, the EMI/EMC profile of the PCB should be addressed by using simulation techniques rather than during the verification phase or design verification phase. There are very useful tools like Hyperlynx which can provide the optimum routing guidelines for any design and also ensure that spurious emissions are absorbed within the PCB. PSPICE is one tool which is used extensively to simulate power design and optimize energy efficiencies, and Hyperlynx should be the tool in the future which could effectively simulate high speed design and create "quiet" PCBs. Please visit Mentor Graphics to read more about Hyperlynx.

  • Mentor Graphics - Hyperlynx1