Fred Kummer

My 11th SI linked in post. I was a junior engineer working my first (dream) job out of college at DEC in the Large Systems Engineering Group. We had many EE’s running SPICE simulations (Pre and Post Layout) on every net-class on every PCB in every system. I eventually worked on automating the process with Software’s help and created a set of tools to automatically review results then summarize crosstalk, reflections, noise margins, timing margins and ultimately generate Pass/Fail criteria. This is great until you run into a SPICE bug or error. I remember the first time my SPICE simulation failed and gave me the notorious “Timestep Too Small” error. I read through the manual, took all the appropriate actions to debug the problem but nothing seemed to work. I generally wouldn’t waste too much time hunting down a solution to a problem before I would ask for help. I finally asked the most senior simulation guy in the group who ran and debugged SPICE simulations for many years. I walked up to him and asked him, “Pete how do I fix Timestep too Small” in my SPICE simulation? His response left me flabbergasted, “I’ve forgotten more than you know”! Then he proceeded to explain that he once knew how to fix the problem, but couldn’t remember. This was long before you could search the internet. I initially thought this was an arrogant answer being a young impressionable junior engineer that had actually forgotten more than I knew. But 19 years later when I was the most senior simulation engineer in the DEC SI group a young junior engineer walked up to me and asked. “How do I fix timestep too Small in my SPICE simulation” and I just had to laugh out loud. I too had now forgotten the magic steps to quell this beast. Well, I then had to explain to the young padawan that when you get older you forget stuff and I didn’t want to sound like an arrogant Prema donna, but I said the exact same thing to him that I was told 19 years earlier, after I qualified it. “I’ve Forgotten more than you know”. At one point in my career, I was thinking I should write an SI book (even completed an outline) and considered the title “I’ve Forgotten more than you know”. I did help him fix his problem and got the simulation to run. So, for those of you who are still using SPICE I would recommend Kielkowski’s “Inside SPICE” chapter 5. Free download here; https://lnkd.in/enqvrcDx   The funny thing is recently, 20 years later, I am running state of the art IBIS-AMI models in my favorite SI simulation tool and stumbled into a “timestep too small” error, which gave me another good laugh. But this is now easily correctable in the simulation parameter settings but gave me a flashback.

38

9 Comments

Characterizing phase is an important (and often overlooked) aspect of assessing filter performance. There are several different ways to describe phase performance, and we’ll cover those in the fifth installment of our RF Components for Radar series. https://bit.ly/44f6Vev

37

Do you know the benefits of multilayer circuit board design?

29

Let's talk capacitors! These little components play a massive role in electronics, and here's why.🤓 Usually I spend 30 minutes reading up on a component, but I'm not going to lie, these genuinely confused me, so I have spent a bit longer looking at videos, diagrams, and a lot of google! So simple terms, Picture a reservoir, but for electric charge. As the reservoir fills to the top and reaches capacity, it will then just sit there quite happy in the sun (rain in the UK) but then when the village down the way needs some more water, the dam will open and provide the amount needed. So what the Capacitor does is store and release energy swiftly, aiding in power management across devices. They stabilize voltage and power flow, critical for ensuring your electronic devices operate smoothly. 🤓⚡️ The Capacitor is made up of 2 small metal sheets, in-between is the dielectric which can be made out of all sorts of insulating materials: paper, glass, rubber, ceramic, plastic, or anything that will impede the flow of current. When current flows into a capacitor, the charges get "stuck" on the plates until they have somewhere else to go. The power to the capacitor may be from a battery, once the capacitor is filled up the circuit changes to allow it to escape and go to another component, for eg. powering an LED! In your smartphone or TV, capacitors work tirelessly. They smooth out the electrical energy, making sure your screen doesn't flicker its processor gets a steady power supply. 💻📱 Without capacitors, we'd face random resets or crashes, and even FIRE! Choosing the right capacitor can truly make or break a product's performance. Interested in learning more about what happens when incorrect voltage is applied to Capacitors, and why you should include more capacitors than your set voltage! Then click the image below! And because we all love a good chuckle: Fact of the day - A single lightning bolt contains enough energy to toast 100,000 slices of bread! Now, that's electrifying! ⚡️🍞 #Capacitors #Electronics #TechRecruiting

5

1 Comment

If you are into historical or retro computing, you may already know about Ken Shiriff. A little sadly, I only just discovered his blog. It covers some amazing stuff to great depth. The one thing that blew my mind and that I am compelled to share is his analysis of an analog computer that was used to make real-time fluid dynamics calculations in 1950s military jet aircraft. *Using gears and cams to carry out the complex calculations.* Here, I share only the first of a four-part analysis: an overview of the Bendix Central Air Data Computer. If you wish to read the rest, the links are on Shiriff's blog site. The links are a little buried but if you liked this, it'll be worth the effort. https://lnkd.in/gqWdRixS

2

The Power of Authenticity and Reliability ✔️ https://hubs.la/Q02yRW9T0 Component end-of-life (EOL) is a certainty, but there are ways to safely navigate critical EOL component management. Rochester Electronics is fully compliant with the SAE Aerospace Standard, AS6496. We are authorized by the OCM to provide traceable and guaranteed products with no additional quality or reliability testing required because the parts are sourced from the OCM. 👉 Learn more about the benefits of AS6496 compliance: https://hubs.la/Q02yRW9T0 #RochesterElectronics #RochesterElectronicsUS #AS6496 #semiconductor #authorizedsemiconductors #semiconductors

20

What can you do with AWR software products? Hear how the Penn Electric Racing saves time and improves reliability with Cadence tools. #DesignedwithCadence

4

Want to dive in to how an oscilloscope works? How to optimize it for your projects? This is a great on-demand webinar that covers these topics and more. https://lnkd.in/deSnW_X2   #MakeIdeasReal  #RohdeSchwarz

2

As we propel toward a digitally dominant future, the need for high-speed, reliable, and voluminous data transmission has never been more critical. The September 4th edition of everything RF brings to the spotlight a powerful article by Art Aguayo, Technical Business Development Executive at Benchmark, titled “Filtering Key Needs for Millimeter-Wave Satcom.” In an era where satellite communication (Satcom) takes the center stage in global connectivity, Art discusses the critical role that millimeter-wave frequency bands play. These bands—spanning 30 to 300 GHz—are the backbone of transmitting colossal amounts of data at unparalleled speeds. From powering Internet of Things (IoT) sensors to facilitating complex satellite-to-satellite communications within low-Earth-orbit satellite (LEOS) constellations, the importance of exploiting these bands cannot be overstated. https://hubs.ly/Q02SfK_H0 #SatelliteCommunications #MillimeterWave #everythingRF #WhenItMatters

32

Wow! It might be a decade before we see #fpga dev boards with these devices, but it looks like a promising idea. (Put your semiconductor physics hat on to read this.) » To mitigate the aforementioned issues in terms of area, latency, and power, we propose a dynamic context-switching FPGA architecture based on ferroelectric field-effect transistors (FeFETs) which can implement DNN accelerators more efficiently. https://lnkd.in/gQ7dgFTb

34

Are you tearing your hair out trying to estimate the cost of your PCB project? Well, here are 10 things to mull over for your PCB fabrication cost estimation. https://bit.ly/3VUFW5g #PCBdesign #Cadence

8

Learn how model-based systems engineering (MBSE) enables you to perform early validation of requirements by using descriptive models, simulation models, and formal methods and use the Requirements Toolbox to establish a traceable digital thread. https://spr.ly/6048W8T56

19