Reduce PCB design rework in the preliminary design stages!
Moore’s prediction of the constant reduction in size of electronics (Moore’s Law) has resulted in the packaging of more electronic components onto the printed circuit board (PCB). Moreover, system level cooling technologies are reaching their limits as more and more devices are now fan-less and sealed. These advances have placed a greater emphasis on the need for thermal analysis at the beginning of the PCB layout design process.
Electronic components are selected based on specific system requirements and must be kept within operating temperature parameters to ensure proper functionality. The PCB layout phase is the critical step in the design process where the electrical designer can determine the arrangement that may provide the best heat dissipation for these components. The PCB is where thermal and structural issues will arise and it is not always intuitive as to how to organize components on the board.
Fortunately, MSC Software has developed a software tool called PCB Instant Cradle Software (PICLS) to simulate the thermal effects of component placement at the board level. The software easily follows the workflow used in PCB design and component layout to combine the tasks of the electrical PCB designer with that of the mechanical designer and the thermal analyst!
With the PICLS tool, the electrical designer can easily arrange components on a printed circuit board to in such a way so that it has optimal heat dissipation properties.
PICLS is intuitive and can be learned in 30 minutes or less!
For a demonstration of the software, please click on the button below:
