CAD translation is needed for many reasons. It allows collaboration between OEMs and their suppliers, and communication between electrical and mechanical design engineers working in parallel on the same projects. Systems with long product lifecycles, such as military hardware, may have been engineered using which are now out-of-date and no longer supported by the vendors. In order to avoid the costs and problems of accessing this data, it needs to be migrated into modern systems, for which CAD translation tools are needed.

There are many CAD migration packages on the market, but few support all platforms. Interoperability between ECAD and MCAD systems is a major challenge in the engineering industry, especially now so many mechanically engineered products have factory-fitted embedded firmware.

Back in 1999, a NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) study reported CAD translation costs were $1 billion per annum for the automotive industry alone. Today, the costs are even higher. Much of this is down to the incompatibility of CAD design formats between engineers and OEMs. In 2007, a survey revealed that when OEMs exchanged 3D rendering and modeling data with engineers, what they received back was in its correct format less than 35% of the time.

At ¿Û¿Û´«Ã½ Technologies, we offer a wide range of CAD, CAM, and CAE services. Our CAD translation solutions support most platforms.

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Advances in design software, such as high-speed PCB design tools, have made these things possible. But as components become ever more tightly packed and miniaturized, and key process parameters ever more numerous, negative forces come into play – such as increased power consumption, enhanced parameter variability, and heat generation – the last being a particular threat.

The increased number of key process parameters in modern CMOS (Complementary metal-oxide semiconductor) VLSI designs causes dramatic on-chip substrate and metal line temperature rises, which impact on reliability, causing timing failure and performance degradation through electromigration and other effects.

It is estimated that up to 50% of all integrated circuit failures are heat-related. Accurate thermal analysis is therefore essential to system hardware design. It is essential to analyze and reduce on-chip temperature variations and identify and eradicate hotspots before a VLSI design enters commercial production.

A lot of research has gone into CPU power consumption and heat dissipation, with the development of high-performance, low power VLSI and FPGA designs. A number of high-speed incorporate thermal analysis software, often with 3D modelling simulations. However, the data can be difficult to interpret, if thermal physics is not your first language.

We at ¿Û¿Û´«Ã½ Technologies are experienced in all matters of CAD design. Our engineering services cover thermal analysis, computational fluid dynamics and many other areas.

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EM compliance is a major issue for any electrical/electronic hardware designer, whether their product produces EM intentionally (as in some digital signal processing applications) or unintentionally, as in computer design. Electromagnetic emissions are released from any system which has a current running through it, either as a series of pulses or a continual stream. If not kept to a safe level they can be a danger to health, causing nausea, headaches, depression, sensory hallucinations and even cancer. However, the risks can be minimized by effective system design and screening.

As with many areas of , the EU has a stringent EMC directive, which all OEMs exporting products to Europe must adhere to. US directives are more limited. The FCC (Federal Communications Commission) ruling covers digital signal processing in broadcasting and telecommunications, while the SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) has a protocol in line with the EU automotive EMC directive, which became law in 2006.

All electrical systems must undergo stringent testing to ensure they meet EM environmental compliance regulations. However, around 50% of prototypes fail the first test. New Pre-test EMC system software, similar to that used in computational fluid dynamics, is helping to minimize this.

We at ¿Û¿Û´«Ã½ Technologies offer an extensive range of engineering services for those affected by EMC legislation, from part obsolescence management to DSP programming.

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VHDL language specifically operates simulation and synthesizing tools, but users are not limited to one description style, and hardware designs can be described via any method, e.g. from the top down, bottom up or both ends to the middle. Although the language itself is standardized, the hardware designer can choose the tools and methodology.

Hardware can be described by the VHDL language in a number of abstract ways. When applying VHDL to advanced ASIC and FPGA design, there are three levels of abstraction: algorithm, RTL (Register Transfer Level) and gate level. They are identified in terms of timing.

RTL represents the input, and GL the output, of synthesis. The algorithm is a set of commands carried out in sequence to perform a task, and does not have inputs, outputs, a clock or detailed delays. However, behavioural synthesis tools are available which enable VHDL input to occur. This can be constrained via an algorithmic clock.

RTL description encompasses a clock, which allows scheduled operations to occur in specific cycles, but without detailed delays. Again, tools are available to increase flexibility. Gate level description is technology orientated, describing a network of gates and registers, and contains delays.

We at ¿Û¿Û´«Ã½ Technologies offer a wide range of value engineering services, including complex FPGA programming and VHDL design.

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