Transform Circuit Design with OrCAD X PSpice

May 3, 2024

Cadence PCB Solutions

Key Takeaways

PSpice integrates high-tier analog and mixed-signal engines, offering a comprehensive suite for circuit simulation, performance enhancement, and reliability assessment.
PSpice offers targeted solutions for automotive and IoT applications, such as sensitivity and smoke analysis for automotive designs and comprehensive solutions for IoT device testing.
PSpice stands out for power electronics design with its complete circuit simulation, extended model libraries, and technologies like the PSpice Magnetic Designer.

Screengrab of PSpice’s Sensitivity Analysis Tools

PSpice Sensitivity Analysis Window

OrCAD X PSpice is a powerful simulation tool that includes features for verifying circuit functionality, assessing electrical overstress, and enabling prototypes using premier analog, mixed-signal, and advanced analysis tools for a circuit simulation. PSpice offers the most extensive model library and allows for easy refinement of both straightforward and complex systems, along with their components and parameters, before advancing to layout and production stages. Below, we discuss simulation capabilities for automotive, IoT, and power supply designs.

PSpice Key Features

Feature	Description
Advanced Circuit Simulation	Integrates top-tier analog and mixed-signal engines, providing a comprehensive solution for circuit simulation and verification
Circuit Optimization	Enhances design performance, yield, cost-effectiveness, and reliability through simulation engines along with the core PSpice simulation.
Electro-Mechanical Simulation	Allows for sophisticated system-level electro-mechanical simulations by combining PSpice with MathWork's Simulink through the Cadence PSpice MATLAB Simulink Interface.

Assess Design Performance With OrCAD X PSpice

PSpice’s native tools for analog, mixed-signal, and analysis allow everything from simple circuit prototyping to complex system design and validating component yield to reliability. With the leading high-performance simulation and advanced analysis technology, you can examine and improve your circuits, components, and parameters before moving on to layout and production.

Advanced, accurate ECU and inter-ECU signal design simulations.
Mixed-signal simulation environment integrated with OrCAD X and Allegro X
Comprehensive solutions for IoT device testing, including sensors, communication devices, and actuators.
Advanced signal design simulations with mixed-signal capabilities, integrated with OrCAD X and Allegro X for simplified analysis.

OrCAD X PSpice for Automotive Designs

Automotive companies must conduct comprehensive simulations for yield and reliability analysis to meet compliance. OrCAD X PSpice offers a solution for system modeling and simulating ECU interactions, enabling risk assessments and spot integration issues before finalizing hardware designs. By simulating automotive ECU design blocks at any abstraction level, you can prevent production issues and avoid late-stage design modifications. Furthermore, PSpice is also beneficial in the design of power supplies, battery chargers, battery management, electric power trains circuits, and infotainment systems. It supports full system-level analysis, including the entire drive-by-wire system with mixed-signal control loops and software management.

PSpice Smoke Analysis Window

PSpice Tools for Automotive Design

PSpice Feature	Description	Benefit
Sensitivity Analysis	Identifies components needing tighter or looser tolerances.	Reduces costs by optimizing component specifications.
Smoke Analysis	Alerts to components stressed by power dissipation, temperature increases, secondary breakdowns, or voltage/current limit violations.	Prevents warranty costs by focusing on critical components.
PSpice Optimizer	Facilitates quick and accurate tuning of circuits to meet new design goals or regional requirements.	Enhances design flexibility and efficiency.
Expansive Model Library	Provides over 35,000 simulation-ready analog and mixed-signal devices, mathematical functions, and behavioral models.	Speeds up simulation projects with a wide range of ready-to-use models.
Electromechanical Simulations	Enables the integration and simulation of electrical components with mechanical systems in a unified environment. Supports the analysis of electromechanical interactions, including motor drives, actuators, sensors, and other electromechanical devices.	Incredibly important for the automotive sector. Enhances accuracy and leads to a more comprehensive design validation.

PSpice Technology for Internet Of Things

There is a need for advanced mixed-signal verification tools linked to system-level tools for comprehensive functionality testing. The surge in devices essential for analyzing and optimizing various sectors, significantly impacts the IoT landscape. PSpice technology offers a simulation library with high-speed performance capabilities, positioning it as the ideal choice for the IoT market.

Key PSpice Features for the Internet of Things Domain

PSpice Feature	Description	Benefit
Comprehensive Solution	Serves as an all-encompassing electrical circuit simulator, boasting capabilities in: Mathematical computation Behavioral modeling Circuit optimization Electromechanical co-simulation	Enables detailed simulation and analysis of analog and mixed-signal circuits.
Integrated Design Flows	Integrates: Capture CIS PSpice PCB Editor Allows for SI, analog, mixed-signal, and design constraints, aiming for first-pass design success.	Streamlines design process significantly reducing time to market
Integration with MathWorks (Simulink-PSpice Integration)	Comprehensive system-level simulation solution. Accurate analog and mixed-signal simulation capabilities, supported by an extensive array of board-level models.	Versatile simulation toolkit for achieving high fidelity in system-level and dynamic system designs.
Reliability Package	Leverages an array of analyses, including: Sensitivity Monte Carlo Smoke (stress) Parametric Optimization Complements the core PSpice simulations to refine design performance and reliability.	Optimizes design outcomes by improving performance, yield, and cost-effectiveness.

PSpice for Power Supply Design

PSpice allows for complete circuit simulation and verification

For power electronics designers, understanding the intricacies of the power supply design process is crucial, as ongoing experimentation often leads to repeated circuit redesigns and simulations. Comprehensive circuit simulations under a complete range of working conditions are essential to design robust, cost-effective, energy-efficient and reliable power supplies. This is extremely important for automotive, medical or any other mission critical application where power failure is simply not an optio. PSpice offers a complete solution that enables designers to conduct exploratory "what-if" analyses, reducing the need for physical prototypes and associated costs.

Key Features of PSpice for Power Supply Design

Feature	Description	Benefits
Complete Circuit Simulation and Verification	Uses PSpice technology for integrated design space exploration.	Enables efficient design of power supplies with reliable results across generations.
New PSpice Technologies	Algorithmic enhancements and a C/C++ interface for simulating systems with digital control loops.	5X improvement in performance for simulating switching regulators. Enhances efficiency in high-power systems.
PSpice Magnetic Designer	Magnetic Parts Editor automates the design of transformers and DC inductors.	Facilitates rapid prototyping and automated design, improving transformer building for power supplies.
Extended Model Libraries	Over 35,000 models including analog and mixed-signal devices, power regulator ICs, and more.	Accelerates simulation readiness and expands design possibilities

Don't miss the opportunity to explore the OrCAD X PSpice advanced simulation tool tailored for automotive, IoT, and power supply designs. With an extensive model library, sophisticated analysis capabilities, and user-friendly optimization tools, PSpice is your gateway to unparalleled engineering innovation. Start your free trial now and see the difference firsthand.

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