Thermal design software meets new JEDEC standard

The latest version of Flopack offers the ability to create Delphi compact models that predict the performance of electronic components using new JEDEC thermal testing standards.

Flomerics has just introduced Version 5 of its web-based Flopack software providing the ability to create Delphi compact models that predict the performance of electronic components under soon-to-be-published thermal testing standards from JEDEC committee JC-15.1.

Flopack produces behavioural compact models that can predict the temperature of electronic component packages at critical points such as the junction, case, and board, in far less time than would be required using conventional detailed package models.

Version 5.1 also provides a number of new features including a faster, more accurate nonlinear optimiser, support for additional nodes, user access to setup parameters, and the ability to create compact models from non-Flomerics simulation data.

Flopack consists of a collection of "Smart Part" modules installed on a central web server.

Users enter data describing the IC package through simple forms using a standard web browser.

Parameters such as the number of solder balls, die size, power, substrate metal layer stack-up and coverage are typically entered.

These parameters are then used by Flopack to generate a Flotherm simulation model with built-in adherence to the thermal modelling standards currently being defined by industry standards body JEDEC.

The resulting models can be instantly downloaded to the user's local machine and analysed in their actual operating environment.

Flopack supports more than 40 package families, including their standard JEDEC outlines.

Associated parts such as PCB, heatsinks, sockets etc are also supported.

Flopack is the only commercial software tool in the market that can generate Delphi compact models.

Several studies have shown that Delphi models yields less than 10% predictive error for the wide range of environments that were examined.

Flopack Version 5 provides an advanced nonlinear optimisation method that provides more accurate Delphi compact models.

The new algorithm automatically optimises the area assigned to each node, eliminating the need for manual nodal partitioning.

The new optimisation method also provides a more flexible objective function that combines flux and junction temperature contributions.

Version 5 also increases the number of nodes with which the compact model interacts with the environment.

In addition to the top inner/outer and bottom inner/outer nodes supported in the past, Version 5 also supports up to two side nodes for all packages and up to four lead nodes for leaded packages.

Version 5 for the first time gives users access to key Delphi setup parameters.

This includes user-definable boundary condition sets for generating Delphi models.

Users now have the choice of either using the default set of boundary conditions or creating and storing their own boundary condition sets.

Users also have the ability to download a detailed model from Flopack, modify it using Flotherm thermal analysis software - for example to add a specific feature such as a "heat slug" - then re-export the model and upload it back to Flopack for Delphi model generation.

This feature combines the full geometry flexibility of Flotherm to add features not supported in Flopack input fields with Flopack's powerful parametric capabilities and compact modelling tools.

Finally, heat fluxes and temperatures generated by most thermal analysis software can now be exported in a defined comma separated variable format and uploaded to Flopack where it will be used to generate the Delphi model.

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