CAD/CAM/CAE : electronic design automation, 1992 - Archive Server

Figure 1
Changes in User Categories
(1991 to 1996)
Percentage
70-d
60-
50-
40-
30-
20-
10-
O-pa
PCB: PCB Layout Specialists
EE: Electronic Engineers
MPE: Mechanical Packaging Engineers
Source: Dataquest (August 1992)
Equipment Corporation's new Alpha microprocessor
currently runs at a clock frequency
of 200 MHz and dissipates a very hot
30 watts of power (higher than most circuit
board soldering irons). A 1-GHz version
planned for 1994 wiU dissipate 175 watts.
• Multichip modules—^Multichip modules
(MCMs) are characterized by several naked
dice movmted very close together in a confined
space. Couple this with another characteristic
of MCMs—^high operating frequencies—
and severe thermal problems result. Thermal
problems are intensified through the growing
use of solder-bump flip-chip device packaging
and assembly, since the major heat-transfer
path is through the solder bumps. These
problems have led to the use of thermal vias
in MCM substrates—^the required numbers
and locations of which are difficult to calculate
manually.
For these reasons, we believe that thermal
analysis is indispensable for MCM design,
which will provide a significant boost to the
thermal an^ysis market.
• Miniaturization—^From 1985 to 1991, the size
volume of comparable computing equipment
CAD/CAM/CAE—Electronic Design Automation Applications
0 1991 n 1996
MrLW^^^^^ —,
T 1 —^-i r
MPE MDE TE RE
User Categories
MDE: Mechanical Design Engineers
TE: Thermal Engineers
RE: Reliability Engineers
02000985
reduced thirtyfold. Similar size reductions
were evident in many other electronic sectors.
Equipment that was previously large enough
to support internal fans are now too small.
Heat-sink areas and cooHng-air volume are
correspondingly reduced—^yet clock speeds
continue to increase. As a result, thermal
problems mtdtiply.
• New design methodologies—^As engineers and
companies increase their vise of EDA tools,
company working practices will evolve in a
direction that will expect comprehensive analysis
of aU aspects of a design. Release-control
procedures will prohibit the release of any
design information into manufacturing unless
these analyses can be proven to have taken
place. We believe that thermal analysis is an
important part of product design and will be
induded in most large-company procedures.
When this happens, use of the tools becomes
mandatory.
We have discussed the market drivers in the
context of the PCB thermal market. However,
they apply equally to aU three thermal sectors:
IC, PCB, and system. Furthermore, w^e believe
that increased use of tools at one level will
August 31, 1992 ©1992 Dataquest Incoiporated CCAM-EDA-DP-9202