Sharksim wsolver user_guide

wSolver User Guide

Signal Consulting Group Confidential – Do not Publish or Distribute Copyright 2010

Revision 1.0

Consulting Software Education

www.siconsultant.com www.sharksim.com www.xrosstalkmag.com

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Get Help

Online Help

www.sharksim.com/wsolver_help.html

Links to Field Solver

www.sharksim.com/wsolver_field_solver_links.html

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Introduction to wSolver

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SharkSim wSolver is a PCB Impedance Design Tool

Provides quick what-if analysis and rapid prototyping

Supports 8 most common PCB structures

Two main features

Impedance Calculator

Interface to Field Solvers

wSolver Quick Feature Tour

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Supports 8

Common

PCB

Structures

Graph Any

Variable

Against

Impedance

View and Save

RLGC

Parameters

Link to

External

Field Solvers

Quickly and

Easily Enter

Stackup Data

Impedance

Calculated

Instantly

wSolver Preferences

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Set your preferences such

as working directory, path

to external field solver,

and other default values

wSolver Preferences Definitions(1)

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Default Working Directory

This is where all of your files will be stored

Path to Field Solver

Point to exe of your external field solver such as HSPICE

Field Solver Application

Select from list of supported field solvers

RLGC Model Format

Select end simulation tool that RLGC model will be used in

for correct format

wSolver Preferences Definitions(2)

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Dielectric Loss Tangent

Loss tangent of dielectric laminate material (ex FR4)

Conductor Conductivity

Conductivity of metal used for trace (ex Copper)

RLGC Model Frequency Operating Point

Define frequency of simulation model

Dielectric Conductivity

Conductivity of dielectric material (ex FR4)

wSolver Preferences Definitions(3)

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Following used for crosstalk calculations

Input Edge Rate

Coupling Length

Input Voltage Swing

wSolver Impedance Calculator

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Each structure has a built-in impedance calculator

Uses fitted expressions to approximate impedance based upon

geometry

Allows for rapid prototyping with easy to use GUI

2D Stackup View of PCB Structure

Enter various structure properties

quickly through text entry and

with sliders

wSolver Impedance Results

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Characteristic Impedance Zo and prop delay TD

automatically calculated when values change

Text entry or by slider

Some structures also show RLGC per unit length

Calculated Zo and TD

Calculated RLGC per unit length

wSolver Impedance Graphs

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Graph Characteristic Impedance Zo vs. any variable

Uses analytical equations for quick analysis

Plots Zdiff for differential structures

Includes vias

wSolver Field Solver Link

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Can link to an external field solver to re-use current PCB

structure design

Use impedance calculator for quick prototyping to narrow

design space and then link to field solver for final sign-off

Select supported field solver

Define saved output model file

Generate, Run, and View Results

Default Shape is Rectangle

Trapezoid Also Supported

wSolver Field Solver Results

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Results button reads in RLGC matrices and displays data

Calculates Zo and TD

Can also Save Model to different tool format

See RLGC Model Format in Preferences

Press Load File to find and load field

Solver output file

Ex. For HSPICE it will be .rlgc file

wSolver Field Solver Diff Results

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Results button reads in RLGC matrices and displays data

Calculates even, odd, and diff/comm Zo and TD

Can also Save Model to different tool format

See RLGC Model Format in Preferences

wSolver Field Solver Coupled Results

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Results button reads in RLGC matrices and displays data

Calculates even, odd, and diff/comm Zo and TD

Also calculates crosstalk coefficients and voltages

Can also Save Model to different tool format See RLGC Model Format in Preferences

Supported Field Solvers

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Synopsys HSPICE

HSPICE has a built-in 2D/2.5D field solver that can

generate lossy RLGC matrices

MMTL

MMTL is an open source 2D field solver using the BEM

method

Does not directly compute Rs but can estimate it

Does not include other losses

Originally developed by Mayo Clinic

URL Link: http://mmtl.sourceforge.net/