- Ground return loops
- Crosstalk analysis
- Track current capacity
- Track impedance
- Track shielding
- Avoidance of closed loop antennae
- Avoidance of open loop antennae
- Impedance profile
- Termination (quality)
- Primary routing directions (X,Y tracking)
- Track stub lengths
- Track resonance
- Track corner mitering
- Component decoupling requirements
- Component placement partitioning
- Isolated copper areas
- Overlapping power planes
- Track length
- High power plane impedance
- EMC compatible layer stack
Fully Integrated Within CADSTAR PCB
Design Editor
The CADSTAR EMC Adviser is an integral part of the CADSTAR PCB Design
Editor application. Run from a menu item it does not require external
net or component lists, exchange files or translators.
Driven From CADSTAR Schematic Capture
Information and parameters used by the CADSTAR EMC Adviser can be
added to the schematic diagram during design by the engineer. This
information is then passed onto the PCB design during the PCB transfer
process, thus retaining all the essential data. Both design transfer
and subsequent ECOs are retained in sync at all times with the PCB,
enduring complete integrity.
Interface
The interface is a simple, intuitive dialog which presents information
and rules selections in a logical format, allowing the designer
to concentrate on the design at hand. No complex setups or lengthy
data entries are necessary.
Histograms
After running the selected rules, results are presented to the user
in a graphical histogram. This also shows the results as a percentage
performance rating and uses a custom color code to reflect the seriousness
of the problem.
Highlighting
Once the rules have been run, the items which report concerns can
be highlighted in the PCB design. Complete control of the highlighting
is available for any combination of rules and design items within
the rules. The highlight colors for "Attention" and "Caution" can
be defined for the user's preference using the CADSTAR Colors dialog.
Red and Yellow are used by default to draw the user's attention
to the highlight.
Suggest Files
With "suggest" files always available, suggestions based on "expert"
or company standard advice can be displayed to show corrective or
evasive actions needed to improve design compliance.
Rule Weightings
Within a company, specific rules may be considered more or less
important than others in the design of a PCB. To reflect this relative
importance, each rule can be weighted to give it an adjusted significance
in the overall design rating, making the tool totally flexible.
Parameters for "What If" Situations
In normal operations, the designer allocates specific parameters
to nets as required by the rules. In a "what if" situation, the
parameters can be changed globally using a simple dialog, and the
rule can be re-run; therefore "what if" results can be obtained
quickly.
Reusable Configuration
With the ability to save and load adviser setup files, parameters,
weightings, decoupling capacitor data filenames and the actual rules
selections are all reusable for each Adviser session.
Reports Output
Reports generated from the CADSTAR EMC Adviser can be used in design
reviews to document the rules previously run and the success rate
of each rule. The reports can be tailored to a format that suits
the review or sign-off procedure documentation. Using iterative
processes of design working, the incremental reports can be used
to assess a design's progress against the required specification
of the finished product.
Integrated Field Solver
Built into the CADSTAR EMC Adviser is Zuken's own FEM (finite element method) based field solver. This provides the CADSTAR EMC Adviser with highly accurate information for precise calculations on the design. Analysis of the design from the field solver calculates characteristic impedance, unit length delays and the mutual inductance's and capacitance's between lines. These results are then used by some of the rules to calculate the ratings
