Whether your company creates airplanes, cars, widgets, or software, product planning is an essential part of the development process. And if your group is like mine, product planning meetings are seldom boring. I am privileged to work with some pretty sharp folks who are very capable engineers, and very passionate about what they do. Our planning discussions are always interesting, and often animated. … Read More
Tags: engineering
As engineers we often use “system” to describe different levels of design abstraction. Chip designers refer to integrated circuits as systems on chips. Audio designers refer to an amplifier as a system. Aircraft brake designers create systems for stopping aircraft. There truly are a variety of ways to define and implement a system. And most things we call a system are really just a subsystem … Read More
Tags: Modeling
An important performance metric for any system is reliability — does the system do what it’s supposed to do, when it’s supposed to do it, time after time, without fault or failure. Obviously, system reliability doesn’t just happen; it’s not just dumb luck when a system delivers flawless performance, whether it’s your car, your cell phone, your garage door opener, or your … Read More
Tags: Minitab, Reliability, Experiment Manager
It’s software release time in the SystemVision® offices, and we are pleased to announce that SystemVision 5.8 is ready for immediate download. I say “pleased” for two reasons. First, users will no doubt find good value in the many new features and updates. And second, SystemVision Engineering can take a break from their keyboards, and maybe even take a well-deserved nap (getting a … Read More
Tags: LabVIEW, Simulink, Experiment Manager
Once in awhile I work with customers who want to move VHDL-AMS models between multiple simulators. The ability to do so is one of the great promises of standard modeling languages and, at face value, should be an easy task. After all, if a language is an industry standard, and multiple simulation tools claim to support it, then moving models between tools should be a plug-and-play process, right? Well, … Read More
Tags: Modeling, IEEE 1076.1
If you plan to be in Frankfurt, Germany on November 17, mark your calendars for Mentor Graphics’ Automotive and Commercial Vehicles Integrated Electrical Solutions Forum (IESF). You’ll enjoy 26 industry sessions planned specifically for E/E design engineers, engineering managers, and executives in the automotive and commercial vehicle industries. This IESF event will be particularly interesting if your … Read More
I’ve spent a fair amount of time recently troubleshooting a system simulation from a prospective customer. It’s always an interesting, and sometimes frustrating, process.
Fixing simulations can be slow going work. Simulation error messages are often cryptic at best, and the customer’s system is sometimes based on a technology that I know little about. Despite these challenges, however, … Read More
Tags: troubleshooting
One of the most important things I’ve learned during my 20+ years working with simulation tools is simply this: my simulation results will only be as good as my models. While not a revolutionary concept, it’s none the less a fact of system simulation that anyone using a simulator in their design process knows. But there is an equally important companion principle: my model will only give me the … Read More
Tags: Mixed-Signal, IEEE 1076.1, Modeling
Mentor Graphics’ Military & Aerospace Integrated Electrical Solutions Forum (IESF) 2011 is coming up fast on the calendar – Tuesday, September 13 in Long Beach, California. This is a companion event to our Automotive IESF 2011 held in Detroit, Michigan in early June. And just like the June event, Military & Aerospace IESF will be chock-full of technical content.
The September 13 event focuses … Read More
Tags: IESF, Military, Aerospace, System Design
There are times in each of our lives when preparation and opportunity come together in a single moment for once in a lifetime experiences. Then there are times when dumb luck rules the day but produces the same result. I would like to say that I am regularly prepared to open the door when opportunity knocks, but more often than not I stumble into worthwhile opportunities, some of which truly are once … Read More
Tags: space program, engineering
