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Zuken - Power Integrity Software for Analysis of High-Speed PCBs

10th May 2011

Zuken Limited

ES Admin

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Today, Zuken announced the availability of a new product for concurrent analysis of power and DC noise effects and electromagnetic interference as an integral part of the PCB design flow. This new module, called CR-5000 Lightning Power Integrity Advance enables PCB design engineers to perform advanced power integrity analysis for AC and DC power distribution noise at any point during the physical design process. Design time is shortened by eliminating iterations and rework; for example, decoupling capacitor optimization effort can be reduced by up to 40 percent.

As the PCB layout progresses, the engineer is able to get immediate feedback on the effect of design decisions for each power distribution network in the design. This rapid feedback identifies the impact of design changes such as changing decoupling schemes.

We extensively use CR-5000 Lightning Power Integrity Advance in our designs to support our 'right first time' design process. It helps us to identify problems at the earliest stages, eliminating design re-spins and reducing our overall development costs, commented Jeff Williams, Design Manager of e5D.

High-speed digital boards featuring multiple supply voltages have become commonplace. Examples include USB3.0, DDR3 and other kinds of signals used by FPGAs. In these cases, careful design of PCB power distribution is essential.

In CR-5000 Lightning Power Integrity Advance, AC and DC power analysis is combined in a single environment. AC analysis assists decoupling capacitor selection and verifies detailed plane impedance. DC analysis identifies unintended design features that reduce supply voltages below specification when they reach ICs.

AC analysis checks frequency-dependent power/ground impedance to make sure impedance at a device is low at key frequencies such as a clock frequency and its harmonics. High impedance may require correction by decoupling or by reshaping a power or ground plane.

DC analysis automatically creates an equivalent DC circuit representing power distribution. This circuit is combined with knowledge of device power consumption and other datasheet specifications to check DC voltage drops and current flow. Common problems detected include dense grouping of via holes causing increased local resistance.

The EMC analysis capabilities of CR-5000 Lightning Power Integrity Advance utilize a fast empirical EMC simulation approach developed by the EMC-Expert System consortium. This enables quick full-board EMC analysis for differential and common mode radiation, detecting potential EMC root causes during the PCB design process.