Some recent upgrades to existing designs tools

Some recent upgrades to existing designs tools

Today most of the semiconductor companies offer a variety of design tools. If you are a design engineer you probably have heard or used iSim, Multisim Component Evaluator, and WEBENCH System Power Architect. However, you might have not heard of the recent upgrades to these tools and how they can help you in your design. Here’s hoping you can get use of the new versions.

A while back, Intersil announced iSim v4.1, an upgrade to its web-based non-inverting and inverting op-amp design tools. Both tools select and simulate the optimum Intersil precision or high-speed op-amp device, resolving implementation issues that provide board-ready solutions to the system designer. This approach is powered by online macro models that capture all critical second-order effects. With up to six possible input interface options, the iSim op-amp designer matches requirements to the optimally suited device and generates a complete design with immediate simulation capability.

Device selection flow and design algorithms provide guidance for designers during each step of the process. Input impedance matching and dc blocking functionality are also available to the designer. Guard-banded bandwidth and slew rates can be set for screening out op amps in order to achieve the targeted bandwidth while avoiding nonlinear operation.

iSim also takes numerous second-order effects into consideration including, total output noise, input bias current, total output offset voltage and slew rate limits. Once designed, the tools allow immediate simulation of small signal ac response, step response, and/or output noise. An immediate redesign feature is supported in each tool giving the design the option to override the suggested component values. Additionally, schematics generated by this online tool can also be downloaded and run on the iSim:PE desktop simulator.

To find out more, visit www.intersil.com/iSim.

Analog Devices recently announced an upgrade to the NI Multisim Component Evaluator — Analog Devices Edition. Done in collaboration with National Instruments, the new version of the free tool adds features and functionality to provide engineers with an easy-to-use environment for the simulation of linear circuits using ADI components. The new release of the Multisim — ADI Edition includes more than 870 models of ADI’s linear components. By pairing these components with intuitive simulation features and SPICE analyses, engineers can now visualize and evaluate linear performance, making this critical step of circuit design easier, faster, and far more productive. The free component evaluation tool is available for download on ADI’s website at www.analog.com/multisim.

Watch a video about the tool: www.analog.com/multisim_video

The Multisim — ADI Edition allows engineers to design larger, more complex circuits and import their own models into the tool. The new Multisim snippets feature allows engineers to “drag and drop” saved Multisim circuit files for sharing or to use in new designs. The new tool release further enhances the user experience with virtual component property editing and provides a highly graphical environment for advanced simulation features and analyses, making it easier than ever for designers to build and evaluate complete linear circuits.

Texas Instruments also expanded its WEBENCH suite of tools by introducing WEBENCH System Power Architect, the industry's first online tool to speed design of multi-output, high-performance dc/dc power supply systems. WEBENCH System Power Architect enables the user to build and optimize a complete power system from the edge of the card to the smallest point-of-load. In addition to the design and simulation of individual point-of-load converters, this tool adds the ability to accommodate multiple intermediate bus architectures and safety isolation in conjunction with TI's hot-swap controllers and isolated power products. To start a design, visit www.ti.com/webenchspa-pr.

WEBENCH System Power Architect

Key features of WEBENCH System Power Architect:

• Includes a variety of hot swap controllers from TI, such as the LM5069 with power limiting, as well as isolated power products, such as the 10-W PTMA402050.
• Offers all of the capabilities of the existing WEBENCH FPGA and Processor Power Architects, supporting 268 processors and 190 FPGAs from seven suppliers.
• Supports a variety of power supply topologies, including buck, boost, buck-boost, SEPIC, inverting, flyback and LDO.