Rohm Semiconductor has added a new thermal analysis function its Solution Simulator, enabling automotive and industrial circuit and system designers to verify power device and driver IC thermal issues on different solution circuits. It allows full circuit verification of power semiconductor and analog ICs, including SiC devices, driver/power supply ICs, and passive components (shunt resistors) in solution circuits under near-actual application conditions.
Click for a larger image. (Source: Rohm Semiconductor)
The web-based simulation tool provides free simulations from component selection to individual device and system-level verification. The tool reportedly is the only industry simulator that enables web-based electrically and thermally-coupled analysis of both the semiconductor chip (junction) temperature during operation and the pin temperatures as well as thermal interference of board components on solutions circuits that include both power semiconductors and ICs along with passive components.
As a result, thermal analysis that used to take as much as one full day can now be performed in about ten minutes, said Rohm. This allows engineers to quickly check the temperature of various parts of the device before prototyping, instead of after, as is currently the case, which reduces the need for rework, added the company.
(Source: Rohm Semiconductor)
The thermal analysis function can be used in solution circuits for devices and applications where heat is likely to become an issue in electronic circuit design, said Rohm. Examples cited include PTC heaters (specifically designed for electric vehicles) equipped with IGBTs and shunt resistors, as well as DC/DC converters and LED drivers in order to meet the increasing demand to simulate temperature during circuit operation.
“The thermal analysis function is achieved by using a thermo-fluid analysis tool to create a 3D model of the parameters related to heat dissipation calculated from the actual circuit board, then reducing the model to 1D so that it can be thermally analyzed by the electric circuit simulator and performing coupled analysis of electricity and heat,” said Rohm.
Thermal analysis function in solution circuits for a PTC heater with IGBTs and shunt resistors as well as a DC/DC converter (BD9G500EFJ-LA) and LED drivers (BD18337EFV-M and BD18347EFV-M). Click for a larger image. (Source: Rohm Semiconductor)
A key feature of the tool is that it allows for batch verification of power devices using a solution circuit close to the application environment. This enables engineers to perform simulation of characteristics that cannot be seen with the device alone, including peripheral circuits, said Rohm.
The tool also allows simulation data to be transferred to a user’s PartQuest development environment. The Rohm simulator is based on the PartQuest simulation platform from Siemens EDA, enabling PartQuest users to incorporate simulation data executed in Rohm’s Solution Simulator into their own environment.
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