Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1359517
APRIL 2021 I DESIGN007 MAGAZINE 29 what analytical tasks can you make available to what audience? e SI expert crunch isn't going away, so we're going to have to make sys- tem designers and layout designers more self- sufficient and find better ways to couple their efforts to the SI experts in their organization. Johnson: is takes us back to the very begin- ning of the conversation: To put together a comprehensive solution in the current envi- ronment, you have to be a simulation expert. at's a huge barrier and another area where engineers will think they have to be an expert in an area that's not their discipline or job. Westerhoff: Absolutely. Most of the time, SI experts are using a collection of tools from dif- ferent companies to perform a given analysis task. e analysis methodology—what tools get run in what sequence, and how data gets formatted and passed between them—is cus- tom. Parts of the process are usually manual, so you have to pay attention to the details, or the results will be compromised. All of that adds to what you just said: e average system designer will avoid taking on that task. Since HyperLynx combines DRC/ERC, SI, PI, and 3D EM, we have all the modeling and simulation technology we need to create com- plete analytical methodologies that don't rely on anyone else's tools. We can define all the analytical steps and data formats, and auto- mate as much of the process as possible, to provide a complete analytical methodology, right out of the box. It's not about having all the tools; it's about having work together with a documented flow. at frees the customer to focus on the thing they care about the most: will their design work, and by how much? Shaughnessy: Are there any myths about simu- lation out there that you would like to address? Westerhoff: I think some people believe that the only thing that matters with simulation is accuracy, and beyond that all simulators are equivalent. Accuracy is important, to be sure, but it's not the only thing. ere are times when you want a rough answer quickly, times when you want a decent answer and can be a bit more patient, and times when you want the best answer possible and are willing to wait for it. You need a flexible, graduated ability to trade off speed for accuracy. Saying that the only thing that matters for simulation is accuracy is sort of like saying that the only thing that matters for cars is perfor- mance, and that if you only had a great per- formance car, you'd never need anything else. I've seen people driving Lamborghinis, but I've never seen anyone take their Lamborghini to the lumberyard. Shaughnessy: When should an OEM start to consider using simulation or outsourcing to an expert? Westerhoff: I'm going to refer you back to my five points, Andy. You consider it when there's no way forward, when you have fail- ures, when your consultants get too expensive, when overdesign costs mount up, and finally, if you're forward-looking. If we're successful at making simulation easier to use, we'll see those reasons change with time. Shaughnessy: is has been really good, Todd. Maybe we'll catch up in person, if the stars align. Westerhoff: Always a pleasure, Andy. DESIGN007 I've seen people driving Lamborghinis, but I've never seen anyone take their Lamborghini to the lumberyard.