Mentor Graphics Launches Xpedition PCB Vibration and Acceleration Simulation Solution

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

Mentor Graphics Corporation has announced its new Xpedition vibration and acceleration simulation product for printed circuit board (PCB) systems reliability and failure prediction. As the industry’s market share leader in PCB design software, the Mentor Graphics Xpedition product augments mechanical analysis and physical testing by introducing virtual accelerated lifecycle testing much earlier in the design process. This is the industry’s first PCB-design-specific vibration and acceleration simulation solution targeting products where harsh environments can compromise product performance and reliability, including the military, aerospace, automotive and industria markets.

Traditional, physical HALT (highly accelerated lifecycle testing) is conducted just before volume manufacturing, and requires expert technicians, which can result in costly schedule delays. Bridging mechanical and electronic design disciplines, the Xpedition product provides vibration simulation significantly faster than any existing method. This results in increased test coverage and shortened design cycles to ensure product reliability and faster time to market.

The Xpedition component modeling library is the most extensive in the industry, comprised of over 4,000 unique 3D solid models which are used to create highly defined parts for simulation. The 3D library allows users to easily match geometries to their 2D cell database. Designers can assemble the parts models on board and automatically mesh them for performance analysis, including stiffeners and mechanical parts. The system modeling tool is ultra-fast since it can model over 1,000 components per minute.

Based on years of experience, the Xpedition technology provides an easy-to-use, automated environment leveraging a finite-elements engine developed for quick, accurate analyses. Unlike other tools, the technology is optimized for the PCB layout designer, enabling simulation and improved redesign at the desktop. The intuitive pre-processor and wizard allow users to set-up simulation in quickly and easily, for fast and accurate virtual prototyping.  The easy-to-use, patented post-processor technology lets designers quickly see high-failure-probability components and analyze boundary conditions, material properties, and environment profiles.

“Tech-Clarity research shows that higher quality and reliability have become top ways companies are trying to differentiate their products. With products becoming increasingly complex, engineers need better ways to efficiently improve product quality, without adding cost,” stated Michelle Boucher, vice president of research, Tech-Clarity. “Extending the virtual prototyping capabilities can be an important way to mitigate risk associated with product performance and reliability. Simulation capabilities such as what is available in Mentor’s Xpedition, can help companies catch problems earlier to improve quality, while saving time and cost by reducing physical tests.”

The Xpedition product can also perform acceleration stress simulation for specialized applications. This feature provides safety factor simulation for constant acceleration conditions, pin-level Von-Mises stress, detailed stress and deformation plots, and three- axes user-defined force vector (X, Y, Z) simulation. These features are developed for safety-critical applications such as those targeting the mil-aero markets. To see a video of this in action, click here.

“As leaders in their respective fields, Mentor customers constantly endeavor to implement strategic initiatives around risk mitigation through design-for-reliability solutions,” stated AJ Incorvaia, vice president and general manager of Mentor Graphics Board Systems Division. “Our new and patented Xpedition technology serves the PCB systems design community with an automated, fast, easy-to-use solution that simulates vibration in accelerated life cycle conditions. This enables customers to quickly identify performance issues before products are committed to prototype and manufacture, thus saving time and cost while ensuring end-product reliability.”

Xpedition Vibration and Acceleration Solution – Key Features

• Simulate during the design process to determine PCB reliability and reduce field failure rates.
• Detect components on the threshold of failure that would be missed during physical testing.
• Analyze pin-level Von-Mises stress and deformation to determine failure probability and safety factors.
• Automated simulation setup, significantly faster than existing methods.

About Mentor Graphics

Mentor Graphics Corporation is a world leader in electronic hardware and software design solutions, providing products, consulting services and award-winning support for the world’s most successful electronic, semiconductor and systems companies. Established in 1981, the company reported revenues in the last fiscal year of approximately $1.28 billion. Corporate headquarters are located at 8005 S.W. Boeckman Road, Wilsonville, Oregon 97070-7777 World Wide Web site: http://www.mentor.com/.