PDN Analyzer for Power Analysis

Easily identify and resolve multi-network DC voltage and current density issues with the legacy PDN Analyzer or the latest Visual Power Integrity Analysis by Keysight

Power Analyzer by Keysight Get PDN Analyzer PDN Analyzer Quickstart Guide PDN Analyzer Technical Documentation

High Currents and High Temperature: PCB Design Tips for Heat Management

High Currents and High Temperature: PCB Design Tips for Heat Management I remember the first (and hopefully the only) time one of my circuits caught on fire. It started with the resistors and quickly spread to a nearby decoupling capacitor. Thankfully, the destruction was minor and most of the components were salvageable. Why did this happen you ask? No, this was not due to a short circuit. Very simply, I did not take into account the high current PCB layout. As electronics continue to be miniaturized, the thermal Read Article

6:07 Power Integrity Analysis in Your PCB Design Software Power integrity problems can abound in modern PCBs, especially high-speed boards that run with fast edge rates. These systems require precise design of the PDN impedance to ensure stable power is always delivered throughout the system. Without carefully considering the PDN impedance, you’re at risk of creating ripple and noise in the power distribution network when fast signals switch states. As more signals switch in large ICs, the result is the Watch Video

PDN Simulation and Analysis Guide Cover

Ebook: PDN Simulation and Analysis Guide In this e-book, we’ll show how to create some fundamental PDN simulation models with SPICE, and how to analyze PDN impedance with industry-standard simulation programs. Read Article

Your Complete Guide to Circuit Board Thermal Analysis

Your Complete Guide to PCB Thermal Analysis The physical properties of your PCB substrate and copper conductors are the main factors determining how a circuit board will heat up during operation. Circuit board thermal analysis techniques aim to predict when and where a board will heat up during operation, as well as how hot the board will get. This important part of the analysis is geared to ensure component-level and board-level reliability, and it can influence many design decisions Read Article

Copper Current Density for Simulations, The Quick and Dirty Way

Copper Current Density for Simulations, Using Quick and Dirty PCB Design Rules How to calculate copper current density quickly and effectively when you don’t know where to start. Read Article

PDN Analyzer Simulation of 65W Single IC LED Driver

PDN Analyzer Simulation of 65W Single IC LED Driver In my last article, I designed a 65W LED driver for powering a 36V LED string at 1.8A. The small MSOP-8 IC on it is going to get quite warm, which makes me believe the power distribution network is worth simulating with PDN Analyzer. This will allow me to see if there are any spots that need optimization on the board. Anywhere I can reduce the current density in high-current areas to ensure a lower copper temperature will be worth the time Read Article

Optimizing Power Consumption

Power Consumption Optimization Power efficiency—energy efficiency if you’re a purist—has become perhaps the highest-profile aspect of system design. This is especially true for IoT applications where a device may need to operate for years on harvested energy or a cell battery. Thus, a critical stage of design is power optimization. Typically, the first stage of power optimization is setting the power budget. For example, the system spec might state that the device has to be Read Article

PDN Analyzer Quick Start on a Motor Driver PCB

PDN Analyzer Quick Start on a Motor Driver PCB Previously, I posted about designing a simple DC brushed motor controller using a single IC. While it’s a relatively simple board, it will still be transferring a maximum of 4 amps of current if both motors are running at the driver’s full rated current per channel. For a board as simple as this, you could simply look at the trace length and width and use an online calculator (or a little math) to figure out current densities on the traces and Read Article

Power Integrity Analysis for Your Power Delivery Network

Power Integrity Analysis for Your Power Delivery Network Designing PCBs to have stable power output is as much an art as it is a science. Power integrity analysis and simulation is all about verifying a design will deliver the required power, but also that the delivered power will be stable. This idea that a power supply might not deliver stable power is not necessarily related to the power supply, it's related to the design of the PDN on the PCB. The structure of a PCB, the elements used to store and Read Article

59:34 Introduction to PDNA_Demo Watch Video

22:01 Introduction To PDN Analyzer Webinar Power Delivery Network (PDN) Design Issues Low supply voltage at load components A low supply voltage at your loads Watch Video

Introduction To PDN Analyzer Webinar Recap May 10, 2018

Introduction To PDN Analyzer Webinar Recap May 10, 2018 If you joined us for the May 10th, 2018, PDN Analyzer^™ webinar then the following will be a recap, if not here’s what you missed. You can also view the presentation slides and recording. Key Takeaways about PDN Power Delivery Network () Design Issues Low supply voltage at load components. A low supply voltage at your loads can cause issues like processors outputting faulty logic. These things happen when there is an unexpected voltage drop Read Article

Voltage Regulators and How to Plan Your Power Budget with PDN Analysis

Voltage Regulators and How to Plan Your Power Budget with PDN Analysis and Examples With my first buck regulator design, I had been given a power budget for the circuit block and I had to take into consideration what it was supplying and what topology I’d use. I considered efficiency to remove heat from the enclosure and I wanted to avoid using a heat sink. I also wanted a robust engine, a regulator to keep on working when the CPU, memory, and other utility circuits were exercising their might. I decided on the buck regulator Read Article

History of Wave Soldering: Developing the Wave Soldering Process

History of Wave Soldering: Developing the Wave Soldering Process It is often said that the sun rises in the east and sets in the west. Of course, Copernicus long ago dispelled this misinterpretation. Even so, when I am on the road early in the day and the horizon is continually getting brighter I always get a sense of excitement coupled with uncertainty as to what the day will bring. With the speed at which technology changes today, what the future will bring is a constant concern for engineers and designers Read Article

Learning Current Density: Don’t Pop the Balloon

Learning Current Density: Don’t Pop the Balloon One area of PCB design that probably does not get the attention that it deserves is current density. Current density in a PCB trace is much like the pressure in a balloon. You want to squeeze as much air into the balloon as you can, but if you put too much: boom! The same is true of PCB traces many times. We want the traces to be as small as possible yet carry the most current possible, and if the trace carries too much: boom! For PCBs, that boom Read Article

54:12 PDN Analysis Watch Video

10 Symptoms of a Bad PDN

10 Symptoms of a Bad PDN At face value, DC power integrity seems to be a simple enough topic -- you just need to make sure that every component on your PCB has the power (current and voltage) it needs when it needs it. But that’s just on the surface. WHAT IS POWER INTEGRITY? The new reality is a bit more complicated. When you start to work with fine-pitch device packages, the manufacturing constraints and power requirements of said devices are almost completely at odds Read Article