Harmonizing Circuit Design and EMC DesignPart 12 Websites (3) Design Support Tools

Hello! I’m Inagaki, at ROHM.
This 12th column is our second on Websites. As a follow-up to the previous article, let’s have a look at “Simulation/Calculation Tools” under “Design Support” accessed from “Technical Support” tab on the ROHM home page. What this article covers relates, by and large, to the “calculating” part of the previous article. There are the following seven types of tools.

The tools that are relevant to “calculation” for LSIs are the ROHM Solution Simulator, the AC-DC Designer, the DC-DC Designer, and the thermal calculation tool for motor drivers. Here, we will introduce the ROHM Solution Simulator.

The ROHM Solution Simulator is a type of web-based simulator that can perform batch calculations and verifications of power semiconductors and driver ICs. After creating a ROHM user account, you can log in and run simulations.

The above explanation may give the impression that the Solution Simulator is highly specialized and hard to use; in fact, use is extremely simple. Simulation circuits and operating conditions are set in advance, and simulations can be run simply by clicking the Execute button. Waveforms for different parts of the circuit can be displayed at will, switching frequencies and component values can be changed, devices can be changed, and so on. Before evaluating or purchasing a ROHM product, the electrical characteristics can be checked very easily. Circuit operation can be grasped, and results can be compared with measurements. The circuits currently prepared for use in simulations on the website are as follows (excerpted from the ROHM Solution Simulator web page). Click on the “+” symbol for each category to display the simulation circuits; simulations can be run immediately.

At present simulations can be run for nearly 100 product models; there are also detailed solutions that conform to CISPR25 Class 5, the international automotive EMC standard. The reader should by all means make use of this asset. For information on use, see the videos and hands-on user manual (pdf) on the ROHM Solution Simulator, or refer to “About the ROHM Solution Simulator” (series) in the Tech Web Basic Knowledge/Simulation section.

Thank you very much for your attention.