[SI-LIST] Re: Using general purpose computer tools to solve SI pr oblems
- From: "Peterson, James F (FL51)" <james.f.peterson@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: si-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Wed, 29 Sep 2004 05:37:43 -0700
back in the mid-80s I created a Lotus123 file that calculated and plotted
fourier's equation for a square wave. it plotted 5 examples, each using more
harmonics and then compared them to each other.
After Ray's post, I re-created it in excel. It's pretty simple, and the only
use it really has is to link the equation to a plot, and show what the
waveform looks like with different harmonic content.
Ray, if you think it's ok (might be too trivial), I'll post it on the
si-list website for folks to download. (how do you do that?)
best regards,
Jim
-----Original Message-----
From: si-list-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:si-list-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]On Behalf Of Ray Anderson
Sent: Monday, September 27, 2004 11:45 AM
To: si-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [SI-LIST] Using general purpose computer tools to solve SI
problems
Engineers quite often utilize specialized software to solve specialized
problems in their work. A few general examples of these tools might be:
spice simulators, field solvers, model generators, netlist generators
etc. The list goes on and on.
As has been discussed recently, sometimes more general purpose computing
tools such as spreadsheets can be used to advantage to solve engineering
problems if applied appropriately. In the example of the spreadsheet,
even though the most common use of the tool is to automate 'book
keeping' functions, beneath the hood lives a powerful math engine and
graphics interface. Quite often those intrinsic qualities of the tool
can be utilized in imaginative ways to solve engineering problems that
would otherwise require specialized software that might not be available
to the user.
The non-availability might be due to the fact that the type of problem
to be solved is uncommon enough that acquisition of a special tool
isn't cost effective, that a commercial tool is cost prohibitive, or
perhaps that a tool designed to solve some particular problem just does
not exist.
I was wondering if list members might share (the concept, not
necessarily the tool) examples of innovative uses of general purpose
computing tools to solve problems that they've either used or seen used.
To start off, I'll volunteer the use of an Excel spreadsheet to
recursively calculate the DC drop on a PCB from the VRM to the core
power pins of a CPU packaged in a BGA package accounting for PCB
cutouts, swiss-cheesing effects of anti-vias etc. There have recently
become available elegant commercial tools that very accurately deal with
this problem, however, in the past the problem of determining and
visualizing these distributed voltage drops accurately (or even
inaccurately) has been problematic.
One other example, although not strictly SI related, is a shareware
application a friend of mine developed called MultiNEC. Based on the
Excel spreadsheet and utilizing the VB macro capability of that tool, it
performs pre and post processing functions for NEC (Numerical
Electromagnetic Code) simulations. It allows antenna geometries to be
defined and then it generates the appropriate input decks for the
simulator. It also analyzes and graphically plots the results from the
NEC solve engine. Interface from the spreadsheet to the NEC simulator is
seamless. There are many other capabilities integrated as well which all
depend on the spreadsheet framework.
I for one, would be interested in learning of other interesting
applications of general purpose computing tools that engineers have come
up with to deal with SI and other engineering problems. If anyone
actually wants to share a particular tool that would be great, but just
the general knowledge of what has been or can be done may provide the
impetus for others to develop their own applications.
-Ray Anderson
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