Understanding PCB/PKG Thermal Simulation workflow in Celsius Layered Structures

PCB/PKG Static Thermal Simulation: This workflow enables engineers to perform static thermal simulation. This workflow combines both electrical and thermal analyses together. Combining electrical and thermal analyses will consider and include both electrical and thermal parameters together, and this leads to highly accurate simulation results. The simulation results include plots for all electrical aspects such as voltage distribution, current density, power density, power loss, IR drop, and via current. Thermal results include plots for temperature rise, heat flux, conductivity, fusion current density, and mean time between failures. You can explore and understand the simulation results in three different ways:

• Table View: View both electrical and thermal results in the form of tables. Tables include electrical parameters such as VRM and sink voltages, power loss, global via current, specific via tables, and thermal parameters such as dissipation (case top, case side), PCB dissipation, junction (°C), via, plane, wirebond temperature tables, and so on.
• 2D Distributions: 2D distribution helps you understand both electrical and thermal results in 2D plots. This includes electrical distribution plots such as voltage, IR drop, current, current density, power density, power loss, fusion current density, and mean time to failure (MTTF). This also includes thermal distribution plots such as temperature, heat flux, and conductivity plots.
• 3D Distributions: 3D distribution allows you to view the results in 3D color-coded way. Electrical, via, temperature, and heat flux results can be seen here. It allows you to understand the results in a much more realistic way by enabling specific components, animations, 3D structures, and slicing the planes (X,Y,Z).

PCB/PKG Transient Thermal Simulation: Transient simulation is a highly useful capability of Celsius Thermal Solver. Transient simulation allows you to define transient heat sources which can vary over time. You can get the same type of simulation results (as mentioned above), including all electrical and thermal results. Modern systems require transient analysis to study the electrical and thermal distribution over time. This workflow evaluates how the electrical and thermal parameters evolve at different points in the system over a specified period. Transient analysis plays a major role in thermal sign-off by validating the complete design and checking the reliability, efficiency, and performance.

Team SimTech 

Cadence Design Systems