System Analysis Knowledge Bytes: Two New Courses to Refine Your PI Skills

15 Dec 2025 • 3 minute read

The System Analysis Knowledge Bytes blog series explores the capabilities and potential of the System Analysis tools offered by Cadence. In addition to providing insight into the useful features and enhancements in this area, this series aims to broadcast the views of different bloggers and experts, who share their knowledge and experience on all things related to system analysis.

Two New Courses to Refine Your PI Skills

Modern designs integrate multiple high-speed interfaces, advanced packaging, and dense power distribution networks (PDNs). A single oversight in IR drop or impedance planning can lead to catastrophic failures in performance and reliability. As electronic systems grow more complex and power delivery networks become increasingly sensitive to noise, mastering power integrity (PI) is no longer optional—it's essential. To meet this demand, Cadence has launched two new, highly focused courses that equip engineers with the tools and techniques to tackle DC and AC power analysis, thermal management, and voltage ripple mitigation.

Course 1: DC and Thermal Analysis with Celsius PowerDC

Focus: DC Power Integrity and Electro-Thermal Co-Simulation
Duration: 16 hours

This course dives deep into static IR drop analysis and thermal management using Celsius PowerDC, enabling engineers to:

Perform IR Drop Analysis: Identify voltage drops across power nets and optimize for minimal loss.
Electro-Thermal Co-Simulation: Combine electrical and thermal domains for accurate predictions.
Simulations Including Airflow and Heatsinks: Account for cooling strategies in real-world environments.

Key labs include:

Setting up board databases for DC analysis.
Running electrical and thermal simulations.
Applying constraints for power delivery optimization.

This course is perfect for high-current designs and engineers integrating thermal constraints into electrical workflows.

Course 2: PDN and Voltage Ripple Analysis with Sigrity X OptimizePI and SystemPI

Focus: AC Power Integrity and PDN Optimization
Duration: 16 hours

Voltage ripple and impedance control are critical for the stable operation of high-speed circuits. This course teaches:

PDN Impedance Plotting: Visualize impedance across frequency bandwidths.
Decoupling Optimization: Use OptimizePI to sweep capacitor configurations for cost and performance.
Voltage Ripple Capture: Leverage SystemPI for system-level ripple analysis.

Key labs include:

Creating PDN impedance profiles.
Automating capacitor selection for optimal decoupling.
Capturing ripple effects under dynamic loads.

This course is ideal for engineers designing complex PDNs, multi-rail systems, and high-speed interfaces where ripple suppression is paramount.

Why These Courses Matter

These two courses replace the older Sigrity PowerDC and OptimizePI course, splitting DC and AC analysis into focused, advanced tracks. This ensures learners gain specialized expertise in each domain rather than a generalized overview. They not only cover the theoretical underpinnings of PI but also provide hands-on experience with industry-standard tools like OptimizePI, SystemPI, and Celsius PowerDC. Whether you're designing high-speed PCBs or optimizing power delivery in advanced IC packages, these courses offer the depth and practicality needed to succeed.

Related Resources

Webinars	Celsius Thermal Solver: Electrical Thermal Co-Simulation Sigrity X SystemPI: Voltage Ripple Analysis
Datasheets	DC and Thermal Analysis with Celsius PowerDC PDN and Voltage Ripple Analysis with Sigrity X OptimizePI and SystemPI
Online Courses	Training Course Online: DC and Thermal Analysis with Celsius PowerDC 2024.0 Training Course Online: PDN and Voltage Ripple Analysis with Sigrity X OptimizePI and SystemPI 2024.1
Relevant Support Articles	How to Accurately Model Natural Convection in PowerDC Thermal Simulation Temperature-Dependent Conductivity in PowerDC: Ensuring Accurate IR Drop Simulations Frequency Domain and Time Domain Sweep Simulations in Topology Workbench SystemPI PDN Analysis Using SystemPI: Deriving Target Impedance, Voltage Ripple, Overshoot, and Undershoot for a Simple Power Delivery Network

For more information on Cadence Sigrity and Systems Analysis products and services, visit www.cadence.com.

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