SystemVision tool allows designers to make range of design decisions

Early simulation using the SystemVision tool allows designers to make design decisions regarding component trade offs, find design mistakes, and verify their designs before PCB layout. The central library allows teams to exchange projects around the world, which eliminates errors due to using different libraries and tools for simulation and PCB layout.

The SystemVision multi-discipline collaboration environment lets designers at Siemens Building Technologies explore concepts, validate performance specifications, and investigate architectures of systems developed for modern, energy-efficient building systems. These systems are comprised of electrical (analogue, digital, and mixed-signal), mechanical, embedded software, and controls. Teams from Switzerland, France, China, and the United States save valuable design time by validating electrical circuits within the context of the mechanical systems with which they interface, before committing to the PCB layout. Using a central library that contains all the information required for design capture, simulation, and PCB design, provides a seamless design flow.

“Thanks to SystemVision, our design teams identify many design issues before the PCB layout takes place,” said Philipp Schuermann, E-CAD Tool Manager at Siemens Building Technologies. “Combined with the central library, our PCB design flow has been greatly enhanced around the world, allowing us to get our innovative building products to market more quickly.”

At their headquarters in Zug, Switzerland, the Siemens team worked closely with the Mentor Graphics team to configure and test the new solution, and then train the worldwide designers to use it. Designers now draw one schematic in Mentor’s DxDesigner environment for PCB design and use that same schematic in SystemVision for simulation and in the Xpedition flow for layout. The central library allows worldwide teams to share SPICE, VHDL-AMS, digital, and PCB models, rapidly deploy updated or new models, and easily reproduce simulation results from colleagues.

“We are pleased that Siemens Building Technologies values our SystemVision solution as a single, comprehensive environment for advanced PCB systems simulation and analysis,” stated AJ Incorvaia, Vice President and General Manager, Mentor Graphics Systems Design Division. “We strive to provide our global customers like Siemens with the benefits of concurrent design, extensive design libraries, and accurate simulation and analysis technologies, to successfully deliver advanced products to market.”