Mentor Graphics intros Unique FloTHERM XT technology

USA: Mentor Graphics Corp. announced the FloTHERM XT software that enables the industry’s first integrated MDA-EDA electronics cooling simulation solution—from conceptual through detailed design—to dramatically shorten the process.

This solution addresses two of today’s trends which are electronic challenges and geometric complexity. The electronic challenges are driven by increasing speed, density, and power consumption of ICs, PCBs and electronic systems. The increasing geometric complexity is driven by decreasing size and the increased influence of industrial design which requires handling of complex shapes.

The FloTHERM XT technology efficiently interconnects mechanical design automation (MDA) and electronic design automation (EDA) domains and addresses the needs of design engineers as well as thermal specialists.

This electronics cooling simulation solution enables earlier virtual prototyping, fewer design iterations, and advanced “what-if” analysis for improved product quality and faster time-to-market benefits. Key markets where the FloTHERM XT product can benefit design teams from components to systems of electronic applications are industries such as automotive, aerospace, telecommunications, computing, industrial automation and consumer electronics.

“In support of our design consultancy business, FloTHERM XT empowers us to perform thermal analysis throughout our client’s design process. We are now able to start optimizing designs from the early concept stage and, using the same data model, can continue to support our clients with increasing levels of sophistication and shape complexity as they progress onto the verification/prototype phase and prepare a fully vetted design ready for manufacturing,” said Guy Wagner, director, Electronic Cooling Solutions.

Combining the electronics cooling DNA from the Mentor Graphics' market-leading FloTHERM thermal analysis software, and Concurrent Computational Fluid Dynamic (Concurrent CFD) technology from the FloEFD product, the FloTHERM XT solution offers the power and performance to solve complex electronics systems design problems.

The product’s easy-to-use interface is fully configurable so new users can customize the functionality features on the screen, providing a scalable user experience that can be adapted as the needs of the design project change.

Imported or CAD-generated geometries work seamlessly with the FloTHERM XT’s SmartPart library of models, and automatic meshing and data convergence provide significant reduction in execution times. It also provides an easy and intuitive direct interface to enterprise platforms such as the market-leading Mentor Expedition® Enterprise solution.

The direct integration of the FloTHERM XT product with PCB design flows will reduce time-consuming data translation and costly errors. As a result, FloTHERM XT is the only solution on the market that allows engineers to work effortlessly with geometry created in the MDA or EDA world.

“Our FloTHERM XT technology was developed to support today’s most innovative electronics components and systems,” stated Erich Buergel, GM of Mentor Graphics Mechanical Analysis Division. “We have combined our best-in-class technologies from FloTHERM and FloEFD with an easy-to-use interface that will serve both the MDA and EDA worlds, and we believe FloTHERM XT will be a ‘game-changer’ in electronics cooling due to the ease with which MDA and EDA data can be used to create the single best design.”

The FloTHERM XT product is available for immediate shipment.