Scribd
Upload
484 views8 pages

Tutorial Altium To q3d 2020

The document describes the process of exporting a PCB design from Altium Designer to ANSYS Q3D Extractor for parasitic parameter extraction. The key steps are: 1) Export an ODB++ file from the Altium PCB project. 2) Import the ODB++ file into ANSYS SIwave and export a file for Q3D Extractor. 3) Open the exported file in ANSYS Electronics Desktop to run simulations in Q3D and obtain parasitic parameters like inductance between nets.

Uploaded by

Benyamin Farzaneh Aghajarie
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
484 views8 pages

Tutorial Altium To q3d 2020

The document describes the process of exporting a PCB design from Altium Designer to ANSYS Q3D Extractor for parasitic parameter extraction. The key steps are: 1) Export an ODB++ file from the Altium PCB project. 2) Import the ODB++ file into ANSYS SIwave and export a file for Q3D Extractor. 3) Open the exported file in ANSYS Electronics Desktop to run simulations in Q3D and obtain parasitic parameters like inductance between nets.

Uploaded by

Benyamin Farzaneh Aghajarie
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 8

Altium to Q3D

Exporti ng Alti um PCB projects to ANSYS Q3D Extractor

The three programs that you need are:


1) Altium Designer 17
2) ANSYS Designer
3) ANSYS Q3D Extractor
Previous versions of Altium will not have the proper Fig. 1. Required software
exporting tools. Just ask IT to install ANSYS suit.
Starting with the PcbDoc in Altium (Fig. 2) place a board outline in one of the mechanical layers. In Fig.
3 the board outline is placed in layer Mechanical 15 which is shown in green. Mechanical 1 is usually
used for 3D bodys—see caps and devices in Fig. 2—and I’ve put dimensions in the other standard
Mechanical 13 layer.

Fig. 1. PCB editor in Altium Fig. 2. Board outline in Mechanical 15

Next export ODB++ file. The ODB++ file is a CAD-to-CAM data exchange format that is gaining
popularity due to its superior efficiency compared to Gerber format (wiki).

Fig. 3. Export via Fabrication Outputs Fig. 4. Export dialogue box

Created by Craig Timms making use of UTK/CURENT facilities


Edited by Ruiyang Qin, 2020
Cam file pops up but not important, close without saving. In project folder there’s a new folder “Project
Outputs for PCB_Project.” The guy that you want is the TGZ file—this is the ODB++ format. Note that it
says it’s a compressed folder, that’s because it has all the good information.

Fig. 5. Location of exported OBD++ file (.tgz)

Next open ANSYS Designer znd import your .tgz file. When the dialogue box pops up, select file as
“archive type” then click Browse… button and find the .tgz file. A window pops up asking what nets to
import, they all should be selected and hit OK.

Fig. 6. Import OBD++ file to Designer Fig. 7. Import dialogue box

After the import finishes, use the 3D exporter to convert to Q3D file type. Nothing should need to be
changed in the dialogue box that pops up.

Fig. 8. 3d Export in ANSYS Designer Fig. 9. Export to Q3D dialogue box

Created by Craig Timms making use of UTK/CURENT facilities


Edited by Ruiyang Qin, 2020
The desired Ansoft Q3D Extractor File (.q3dx) is now available in your working folder. If you didn’t
check the Invoke Q3D upon completion box, Q3D extractor.

Fig. 10. Exported Ansoft Q3D Extractor File (.q3dx) Fig. 11. What you’re looking for

For some reason the process outputs solder balls. Just select them all and hit delete.

Fig. 12. Deleting solder balls

Created by Craig Timms making use of UTK/CURENT facilities


Edited by Ruiyang Qin, 2020
Altium to Q3D, updated 2020
Exporti ng Alti um PCB projects to ANSYS Q3D Extractor

Starting 2020, ANSYS has included Q3D, Maxwell, and HFSS into a unified software platform: ANSYS
Electronics Desktop. In this tutorial, the updated procedure will be given to convert the PCB design from
Altium Designer to Q3D for parasitic parameter extraction. The example applied here is extraction of
power loop inductance Lds of one half bridge. Other parasitics in the gate loop can be found in a similar
manner.
The three programs that you need are: (available in the department RD machines)
1) Altium Designer 17
2) ANSYS SIwave 2019
3) ANSYS Electronics Desktop (Q3D)
1. Starting with the PcbDoc in Altium. Use command: fabrication output ODB++ file from Altium
designer.

Fig. 1. fabrication output under File in Altium Designer


Also consider the following useful tools before the output for a better result.
1.1. Add polygon plane if needed to simplify targeted power loop
1.2 Use commands in PCB filter to find the non-interested nets to delete
e.g. not (InNet('OGND') or InNet('VRA’)),
not (InNet('GND_Tha') or InNet('VG2s') or InNet('VG1s') or InNet('VG3s'))
1.3. To change all one net to another, use find similar objects. For example, select Net VG2s to same,
check on run PCB inspector. Then in the inspector (F11), change Net from VG2s to VG1s
1.4. Repour the added polygon after changing nets. Do not repour all to avoid change on other polygons
1.5. Manually add stitching vias if needed. (they may disappear after the output)
1.6. Delete trivial traces to speed up the simulation and avoid divergence in Q3D
1.7. Note that at least one component should be left there in PCB before export. Otherwise, no net
available in Siwave! (e.g. just add a pad)
Created by Craig Timms making use of UTK/CURENT facilities
Edited by Ruiyang Qin, 2020
And Fig. 2 and Fig. 3 give the comparison after considering all factors above.

Fig. 2. Original PCB

Fig. 3. Simplified PCB to analyze power loop inductance only

2. The exported .tgz file can be imported by Ansys Siwave (.siw), then export it by Q3D extractor in
Siwave (.aedt). Include C/L/R when exporting as needed. Include a large area of dummy polygon in PCB
in case can’t export, usually happens on PCB file with only trace no polygon condition, then can delete
polygon and vias in Siwave.

Fig. 4. Import .tgz file using import ODB++ command

Created by Craig Timms making use of UTK/CURENT facilities


Edited by Ruiyang Qin, 2020
Fig. 5. Select .tgz file from Altium Designer

Fig. 6. Imported PCB design in SIwave

Fig. 7. Export to Q3D extractor

3. The received file (.aeft) can be opened as Q3D file in Ansys electronics desktop. Set the simulation
frequency and then can get capacitance matrix between the nets.

Created by Craig Timms making use of UTK/CURENT facilities


Edited by Ruiyang Qin, 2020
Fig. 8. Imported PCB in Q3D

4. For AC esr and esl, connect the interested nets together as one path in PCB, assign excitations on two
surface (vias or copper edge) in Q3D then simulate:
Q3D Extractor > Nets > Assign Excitation > Source (and Sink)

Fig. 9. Simulated parasitic parameters

Created by Craig Timms making use of UTK/CURENT facilities


Edited by Ruiyang Qin, 2020
Fig. 10. Simulated current distribution in Q3D

Created by Craig Timms making use of UTK/CURENT facilities


Edited by Ruiyang Qin, 2020

You might also like