ROHM's free online simulation tool for simultaneous verification of power semiconductors and driver ICs

ROHM Solution Simulator, a free online simulation tool for simultaneous verification of power semiconductors and driver ICs, adds thermal analysis function

~Add the industry's most advanced online analysis function of thermoelectric coupling to the circuit solution, which can quickly simulate complex thermal problems~

ROHM (headquartered in Kyoto, Japan), a world-renowned semiconductor manufacturer, has released an online simulation tool "ROHM Solution Simulator" on its official website for electronic circuit designers and system designers in automobiles and industrial equipment. This simulation tool can be used to verify power components (power semiconductors) and driver ICs in circuit solutions at the same time. This time, a thermal analysis function has been added to the tool.

"ROHM Solution Simulator" is a free electronic circuit simulation tool available on the ROHM website that supports a wide range of simulation applications, from component selection and component verification to system-level operation verification. This tool can be used to easily and accurately verify power semiconductors such as SiC components provided by ROHM, various ICs in application fields such as drivers and power supplies, and passive devices such as shunt resistors through circuit solutions close to the user's actual environment, thereby greatly reducing the user's application development time, and has therefore been highly praised by users.

The newly added thermal analysis function is installed in the circuit solution of applications or equipment prone to thermal problems. It is suitable for the design of electronic circuits such as PTC electric heaters (special heaters for electric vehicles without internal combustion engines) equipped with IGBTs and shunt resistors, DC/DC converter ICs, and LED driver ICs. In the circuit solution combining power semiconductors and ICs and passive devices, the industry's first function that can perform online thermoelectric coupling analysis*1 has been added. This function can not only simulate the semiconductor chip temperature (junction temperature) when the application is running, but also simulate the lead temperature and thermal interference of components on the circuit board. The thermal analysis simulation work that previously took a day to complete can now be completed in less than 10 minutes (less than 1/100 of the time required in the past). In the past, the temperature of each part of the equipment had to be confirmed by actual measurement after the product trial production. Now, it can be confirmed quickly and easily before the product trial production. Therefore, this function is very helpful to reduce rework after trial production and reduce the development time of application products with thermal problems.

Moreover, the simulation tool can be used by simply registering as a user on the ROHM official website. In addition, the following ROHM Solution Simulator page not only provides a portal for users to access the simulation tool, but also publishes documents and videos that users need when using the simulation tool.

In the future, ROHM will continue to add thermal analysis functions to more circuit solutions that support "ROHM Solution Simulator", focusing on newly developed SiC devices, to contribute to further reducing the development time of application products and preventing problems from occurring.

Background

不仅在汽车和工业设备领域，几乎在所有的应用开发过程中，都会充分利用仿真来减少开发工时。在电子电路板的设计过程中也是一样，仿真可以减少部件选型所需的时间和精力，在实机验证之前明确问题所在，从而可以显著减少电路板试制和评估相关的工时。

ROHM is committed to developing application circuits that can maximize the performance of power semiconductors that provide high power and ICs that drive power semiconductors for the automotive and industrial equipment fields, and providing corresponding support. In 2020, it released the "ROHM Solution Simulator" that can verify products such as power semiconductors and ICs at the same time. This tool is not only free, but also highly accurate and easy to use, and has been widely praised by users. Many users want to be able to perform temperature simulation while simulating circuit operation. In order to meet this demand, a thermal analysis function has been added this time.

＜Overview of Thermal Analysis Function＞

Electronic circuit boards have multiple parameters that affect heat dissipation performance (number of layers, area, etc.). The thermal analysis function of the "ROHM Solution Simulator" uses a thermal fluid analysis tool to perform 3D modeling of heat dissipation-related parameters calculated from actual circuit boards, and reduces the three-dimensional data to one dimension so that thermal analysis can be performed using circuit simulation tools, thereby performing electrical and thermal coupling analysis. This function can be used not only to simulate the semiconductor chip temperature (junction temperature) that changes when the application is running, but also to simulate the pin temperature and the thermal interference of components on the circuit board and chips within the module. Thermal analysis simulation work that used to take a day to complete can now be completed in less than 10 minutes (less than 1/100 of the time required in the past).

As the first wave, we have added thermal analysis functions to the simulation circuits of PTC electric heaters (special heaters for electric vehicles without internal combustion engines) equipped with IGBTs and shunt resistors, DC/DC converter ICs "BD9G500EFJ-LA", and LED driver ICs "BD18337EFV-M" and "BD18347EFV-M". For applications and equipment that are prone to heat problems when designing circuits, the temperature of each part of the equipment can be quickly confirmed through simulation before product trial production, which helps reduce the time required for application development.

●What can be done using the thermal analysis function (details)

●Circuit solutions and lists that support thermal analysis functions (as of press time)

＜Features of ROHM Solution Simulator＞

"ROHM Solution Simulator" is a free online simulation tool that can verify power semiconductors, ICs, and passive devices at the same time. This simulation tool has the following features, which can reduce the application development time of electronic circuit designers and system designers.

1. Power semiconductors and ICs can be verified simultaneously through circuit solutions close to the application environment

The ROHM Solution Simulator allows you to easily and accurately verify ROHM's SiC devices, power semiconductors such as IGBTs, various ICs such as driver ICs and power supply ICs, and passive devices such as shunt resistors, using circuit solutions that are close to actual application environments. It is possible to simulate characteristics that cannot be confirmed for individual components, including peripheral circuits.

2. Simulation data can be embedded into the user’s own development environment

"ROHM Solution Simulator" was developed using the simulation platform "PartQuest™" from Siemens EDA, a giant in the electronic design automation software industry with a strong track record in the automotive and industrial equipment industries. Existing PartQuest users or users who have newly registered a PartQuest account can import simulation data executed in "ROHM Solution Simulator" into their own PartQuest environment (workspace) to perform verification on a system circuit that is closer to actual use, and can also customize verification.

＜About ROHM Solution Simulator page＞

You can easily use ROHM Solution Simulator by simply visiting the "ROHM Solution Simulator" page on the ROHM official website below and registering as a user. In addition, the ROHM official website also publishes documents and videos necessary for using ROHM Solution Simulator.

＜About PartQuest™ provided by Siemens EDA＞

PartQuest is a cloud computing software as a service (SaaS) provided by Siemens EDA, a giant in the electronic design automation software industry with a proud track record in the automotive and industrial equipment industries. PartQuest provides a variety of information for building a comprehensive circuit board design library environment. Part of its environment (PartQuest Explore) can perform the latest multi-domain simulation and support access from the IE browser, so users can use their own computer operating environment for analysis anytime and anywhere, just like in the company. In addition, it also supports encrypted VHDL/AMS and SPICE models, which can be imported into Siemens EDA's PCB design environment (Xpedition™ series).

*For a list of Siemens trademarks used in this article (such as PartQuest and Xpedition), please click here.

＜Terminology＞

*1) Coupling analysis

An analysis method that takes into account the cross-effects and mutual influence of two or more different influencing factors such as electricity, heat, and flow field, and performs calculations on steady-state and transient states.