HyperLynx PDN Decoupling Optimisation & Keeping it Real

Using HyperLynx PDN to optimise the bill of materials (BoM) for a consumer electronics product and understanding some of the issues for the first-time user of the PDN optimiser. The literature for the PDN Optimiser describes the functionality of the software, this presentation walks through the discovery process of configuring and using the optimiser highlighting issues identified and their resolution.

The optimisation of the decoupling capacitors of a Set Top Box (STB) will be used to show some of the issues that present themselves when setting up, running, and reviewing the results of the simulation. This will be achieved through simulating the decoupling performance of the STB to determine the design margin, running the optimiser, and comparing the optimised BoM against the starting BoM.

We review setting up the model library and the use of qualified parts libraries (QPL), selecting the components to simulate, the results from the PDN Optimiser and the impact they have on the design in practice.

The capacitor optimisation project illustrates the HyperLynx optimiser in reducing the BoM cost of the STB and shows how QPLs were used to accelerate setting up future simulations.