SimLab Software GmbH

Product Description

PCBMod includes field solver 2D & 3D & SLNetView
With the full functionality of SimLab's two-dimensional and three-dimensional field solvers and with advanced network simulators running in the background, PCBMod offers the user an overall solution to solve EMC and signal integrity problems related to PCB layout design, placement of components, and optimization of power / ground concepts . You can choose from a variety of methods e.g.: 2 dimensional or 3 dimensional, time or frequency domain, Signal integrity or EMC ( power / ground ) to ensure investigations can be done to the point. An import of layout data from common CAD tools as well as the extraction of layout structures for modeling and simulation is a matter of one mouse click. The powerful and self-explaining graphical user interface leads you through your project and supports you in all stages of product development. One of the outstanding features of PCBMod is the combination of a fast integral equations method (BEM) with a modern modeling procedure (PEEC).

2D field solver - Regardless whether Microstrips, wires or cables our 2D field solver can analyze any two dimensional structures without any limitations of the number of dielectric media.
3D field solver - This an ideal complement to our 2D field solver and is widely used to create models for line discontinuities e.g. bends, junctions, cut outs, or vias. Many comparisons with measurements proofed those models to be accurate and especially suitable for pre-layout analyses.

CableMod (includes SLNetView)
Because the analysis of cable structures is more than just an investigation of several cable geometries, CableMod was especially adapted for complex harness systems to meet the industrial users' requirements regarding modeling and simulation of EMC and signal integrity effects. With the two-dimensional and three-dimensional field solvers and with our advanced network simulators running in the background CableMod does also take exactly into account Skin effects and electrical losses whether in time - or frequency domain.

Optionally available is an interface to import meshed geometrical data in Nastran file format provided by mechanical CAD software environments, as e.g. CATIA, Ideas3D, and Pro/E.

RadiaSim
Based on the calculation of impressed current densities in either PCBs or cable harness systems, RadiaSim enables the user to determine the radiated static as well as the radiated dynamic E-field and H-field. This is done by defining probe point arrays (lines, circles, planes, or spheres) in three-dimensional space where the field is to be calculated.

ATHOS
The functionality of ATHOS offers you comfortable interfaces to common CAD tools for PCB layout as e.g. Mentor Graphics Board Station, Power PCB (PADS), Expedition and others.

The advantage of the extraction algorithms can be seen especially in a transmission line analysis of bus structures when three-dimensional geometries are processed for two-dimensional field calculations.

SLNetView
SLNetView is a schematic viewer who does visualize graphically the circuitry of a net list. SLNetView is included into either CableMod and / or PCBMod.

SLIBIS
SLIBIS allows you to read those IBIS models into PCBMod and / or CableMod with a matter of 1 mouse click. SLIBIS is easy to use, converts automatically IBIS models into Spice equivalent models, and generates ramp (simple) models as well as waveform (accurate) models.
Benefits to End User

Benefits to End User of Product and Interface to MGC

• Customer can import the PCB layout data or car chassis into CableMod with one mouse-click and get quickly and efficiently to the EMC / SI analysis.
• Customer can with one tool perform a user friendly EMC and / or SI simulation whether in frequency or time domain.
• Customer can - with our tools and interface strategy - easily integrate our solutions for EMC, EMI and SI analyses into his existing workflow.
• Customer will save time and money using the pre-layout capabilities to set up design rules respectively using a virtual prototype (post-layout) to analyse, understand and solve EMC issues.

Description of Integration
Availability: Boardstation now, PADS PowerPCB in Q1/04, Expedition PCB in Q2/04

The Athos Interfaces to PCBMod (Board Station, Expedition PCB, PADS PowerPCB)

With the powerful layout extraction algorithms, any net, trace, via, or area of interest can quickly be selected and automatically be prepared for a following modeling and simulation.

Platforms Supported:

Future platform additions:
Windows 98/NT/XP PCBMod in Q4/03
Windows 98/NT/XP CableMod in Q3/04

Company Background
SimLab Software GmbH was founded in 1994 as a spin of from the Fraunhofer Institute for Festkoerpertechnologie (IFT) in Munich, Germany. During their work at the Fraunhofer Institute the founders and co-founders were involved in various ESPRIT-R&D projects. During this time fundamental scientific research and comparisons about simulation methodologies have been undertaken followed by modifying this scientific simulation software tools in such a way that it met industrial requirements allowing an efficient workflow in electronic design. The result of this work found its way into the first prototypes of the today existing simulation tools of SimLab.

In 1995 we launched our first EMC / SI tools for industrial printed circuit board (PCB) analyses. It was one of the first commercially available tools considering non ideal power and ground respectively single layer boards. In 1997 CableMod followed which was the first commercially available tool for EMC analysis of cables and complex cable harnesses. SimLab was again the first company which implemented in 1998 the PEEC method (originally developed by IBM) into their commercial products. In 2002 we started to rework our tool suite in Java technology. The first product using this Java technology will be PCBMod. CableMod will follow next.

We are proud to say that all our kernels have been fully developed at SimLab and that this know-how - also based on working together with partners from industry and universities on several European and German research and development projects - is still within our company.

For more details visit us at: www.simlab-emc.com or send an Email to info@simlab.de.

Distribution and Contact Information

Sales support can be directed to any worldwide location through info@simlab.de.

SimLab Software GmbH
Kruener Str. 51
Muenchen 81373
Germany
Tel: +49-89-7600090
Fax: +49-89-7600099
Email: info@simlab.de
Web: www.simlab-emc.com