ANSYS Releases Icewave(TM) 1.1 Software for Electromagnetic Compatibility and Interference Analyses

ANSYS, Inc. has announced the release of version 1.1 of its Icewave(TM) electromagnetic compatibility and interference (EMC/EMI) analysis software. This newest version of Icewave incorporates enhanced model building capabilities and radiation computation for EMC/EMI analysis of electronic systems. A new 64-bit solver allows users to solve complex systems without being restricted by memory limitations of 32- bit operating systems. Using its enhanced model sharing capabilities with Icepak(R) thermal design software, Icewave 1.1 makes engineering workflows that require thermal and EM analyses easier than ever before. This capability allows system designers of high-performance electronics systems to dramatically reduce time from concept to market by simulating electronic design in a single CAD environment. Icewave and Icepak technologies are now part of the ANSYS suite, from the company’s recent acquisition of Fluent Inc.

Using a robust time-domain 3-D full-wave finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) solver, Icewave software solves broadband electromagnetic emission and interference problems and generates both transient and frequency-domain results in a single run. In Icewave 1.1, real-world EMC scan and antenna measurements in both near field and far field can be computed by using a fast transformation. The shielding effectiveness of the investigated models may be calculated on demand. The introduction of surface impedance boundary condition for coatings and resistive wires allows users to model finite thickness conductor losses in high-frequency simulations.

New model building features in Icewave 1.1 software include intuitive mouse-driven snapping capabilities to resize, reposition and align objects in the model. Through a seamless sharing of the model geometry with Icepak, the EM-thermal co-simulation can be set up in several minutes. An optimized mesh generator greatly reduces the loss of accuracy due to the staircase approximation of the model objects. Mesh viewing tools for selected objects can help users to refine the mesh to minimize the computational cost. New output and postprocessing functionalities – such as voltage probes, current probes, elevated monitor plane fields, cylindrical near field scan, shielding effectiveness, etc. – simplify engineering analyses by calculating and visualizing the wave propagation characteristics that are invisible in the real-world. Through its sister products Icepak and Icepro(TM), Icewave allows for MCAD/ECAD data to be imported in STEP, SAT, IGES and IDF formats as well as from Pro/E PRT and ASM files.

“EMC/EMI engineers will experience multiple benefits from the new release,” said Dr. Xin Wu, Icewave product manager at ANSYS, Inc. “With the improved model building features, geometry handling capabilities, solver features and postprocessing functionalities, Icewave can make the conceptual EMC/EMI designs and electromagnetic simulations faster and easier.”