Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1441485
16 DESIGN007 MAGAZINE I JANUARY 2022 nets, look at the voltages, and classify things in the spacing groups that need to be met. at means the spacings aren't going to be limited to layer-specific spacings; they must become all network-specific spacings. Warrier: Andy, I'm curious, do we see the tem- perature issue creeping up as well? As we talk about spacing, are we on the same table? How do we manage the thermal space around it? Is that coming into the picture as well? Buja: If we're looking at a system-level design, we need a method to collect that information from the boards, all the harnesses, and sum- marize it in a table that can be reviewed fur- ther up the chain. If it's not just going to be one board and one harness, you had better have the entire process running. And if you then export it to a tool like ANSYS Icepak where you can assemble a lot of that information, that will give it a little bit more concrete format. It'll be more finite. Warrier: at's an excellent point, Andy, and I think the trend that we are all working toward is to move that up the value chain on the digital side. We can gather information early in the pro- cess so you have the verification, "Yes, you can have 400 amps on this. Yes, you can have 1,500 volts on this, but remember, that this is this application; if it's going to go to this country, you need this, this, and this in place and there are three different people who are doing that." Johnson: It seems to me you're talking about— I'm coining a term here—the survivability of the electronic system. It's the ability to not burn itself up, not make an environment for itself that is damaging to the product. How does the manufacturability vs. survivability part play into priorities? Buja: If we start looking at the thickness of boards and metals, then we must look at alter- native choices of metals. Are we going with aluminum in some cases? Maybe we deal with a higher voltage aluminum plane vs. using cop- per. You're right, there's a lot to that and hav- ing tools that will understand multilayer con- nections in between them. How many vias are we supporting to be able to carry that current between a layer? Shaughnessy: I imagine you're going to see more EMI issues as well. Buja: Well, I'm sure it will have a big impact and the folks in the EMC chamber wielding their magic wand, making those measure- ments and depicting what we have to do. So, if the shielding is there in some form, hopefully we can keep EMI under control. If we look at electric cars today, if those were all electrically powered antennas running down the street, I'm sure we'd be getting static even on our cable TV. Matties: Where's the reliability weak point with high voltage? Companioni: It's probably somewhere in the silicon. Everybody is trying to go for these Sanu Warrier