PEPro Highlights
- New User Interface - Run a post-layout analysis as easily as a pre-layout analysis.
- Expert EM-circuit Presets – Automatic optimum settings of EM analysis and simulation controllers for switched-mode power supply (SMPS) design.
- Analysis, Tuning, Optimization
- Interactive EM-Circuit co-simulation, including a unique circuit
excitation technique to pinpoint layout problems like current crowding.
- EM Simulation Technologies – Finite Element Method (FEM) and Method of Moments (Momentum)**.
- Integrated in Advanced Design System (ADS) – No need for external EM simulators.
> Net-based selection: no more tedious "cookie cutting" & cleanup for separate EM analysis.
> No more errors from manual re-assignment of EM ports and materials.
> No more tedious re-import and stitching of EM results for EM-Circuit co-simulation.
> No need to learn another unfamiliar tool or wait for someone to run external batch EM analysis.
**
PEPro contains the same FEM technologies as in the W2342 FEM Element
with the exception that RFPro UI is not included. It also contains the
same MoM technologies in the W2341 Momentum Element with the exception
that Virtuoso/RFDE Momentum Integration is not included.
The Power Electronics Professional, Momentum, FEM Element (PEPro)
is the next generation EM-circuit co-simulation platform for SMPS
designs. PEPro revolutionizes power convertor design for Power
Generation and Transmission, Aerospace-Defense, Automotive, Data Center,
Consumer Electronics, and IoT applications by seamlessly integrating EM
with circuit simulation to become the industry’s first EM simulation
platform dedicated to SMPS circuit designs.
PEPro makes performing
EM analysis as easy as running circuit simulations, with predictive
expert settings that used to require configuration by rare and dedicated
EM simulation experts.
New User Interface
PEPro offers
predictive expert settings for correct EM analysis of physical circuit
layout structures every time. Automatic EM-circuit co-simulation
partitioning integrates EM results effortlessly into circuit design for
interactive tuning and optimization.
Figure 1. Once the layout is complete, launch PEPro from the Layout window ‘Tools’ menu bar list.
Expert EM Presets
Run
an EM simulation in any portion of your PCB or module layout in situ
without worrying about how to set up the analysis. Instantly use the EM
results in your circuit design workflow. Account for, or even exploit
EM-circuit interactions to quickly explore innovative design options
that would be impossible or very tedious to do with other tools.
Figure 2. Confirm creation of the new PEPro user interface.
Analysis, Tuning, Optimization
PEPro's
seamless integration into ADS means no "cookie cutting" and clean-up of
layout for offline EM analysis. This eliminates hours, days, and
sometimes weeks of manual work preparing your layout to run an EM
simulation. Therefore, you can interactively tune, optimize and analyze
your design to understand the impact of well-known physical effects such
as laminate registration and fabrication over- and under-sizing.
Figure 3. Three
simple steps to run a PEPro results testbench are a) net-based
selection b) run the EM analysis c) open the pre-built results
testbench.
EM Simulation Technologies
Traditional
circuit simulation is no longer adequate for the design of SMPS because
of increasing switching frequencies, high di/dt edges, and technology
integration density. The physical aspects of the circuit tend to
interact more closely as complexity increases, which means that EM
effects become a first-order contributor to circuit performance and must
be considered in all stages of the design process. The PEPro platform
unifies full 3D finite element method (FEM) and 3D planar method of
moments (Momentum) EM simulation technologies for easy choice of solvers
to analyze physical structures efficiently and get accurate answers
quickly.
Figure 4. Circuit
excitation results from the voltage spike results testbench shows
surface current hot spots that can cause excess inductance and voltage
spiking.
How you can get PEPro in ADS 2020
PEPro is
available as a new Element, Model W2376. It requires ADS Core,
Transient-Convolution, and Layout. For customers on support, PEPro will
be made available as a free upgrade with ADS 2020 in the following
bundle.