W2376ET PEPro, Momentum, FEM Element

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.