Improving PCB Structural Design and Reliability through Numerical Simulation

EE Times Current · 23 Sept 2022 · 34m

AI in practice: 2 real uses of AI described

What this episode covers

Jean Baptiste Moyet, a multiphysics architect at Altair Engineering, explains how numerical simulation, high-performance computing (HPC), and artificial intelligence are transforming PCB structural design and reliability. He details the workflow from early-stage meshing and material property assignment to complex load case modeling for thermal cycling and drop tests. Moyet highlights how AI-driven optimization helps engineers find the best compromise between cost, manufacturability, and durability, significantly reducing the time needed to iterate on designs compared to traditional experimental campaigns.

AI in practice

Where this conversation describes AI being used to build or deliver a product. Part of the AI in practice tracker.

DesignAltair simulation software with machine learning/AI

Machine learning extracts information from numerous simulations to identify the optimal design compromise between conflicting requirements like cost, manufacturability, and performance, which was previously impossible to do quickly.

“artificial intelligence and machine learning are helping us to based on our experience, based on our previous work, they help us to find very quickly the right design, which will be the right compromise between all the specifications…”

Speaker 2 · Hear it at 12:12

Design

AI analyzes simulation results to suggest new, optimized designs by leveraging existing design variants, allowing engineers to iterate faster than with manual methods.

“once actually the analysis of your results has been performed, artificial intelligence or will suggest you a new design based on the results. And then you can rerun your simulation using a solver, and once you have a run, you can re- analyze the results, and you can iterate.”

Speaker 2 · Hear it at 23:05

Mentioned

Companies
Altair, Altair Engineering, Herbus
Products
Commodore 3032
Also
EE Times Silicon 100

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