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Your entire PCB flow in one tool, from schematic to 3D layout and simulation.
Try for free for 30 daysYour entire PCB flow in one tool, from schematic to 3D layout and simulation.
Try for free for 30 days Celsius PowerDC
Celsius PowerDC calculates voltage drops, current density, and the heat generated by the current itself—on the board and in the package—directly from the layout, without the need to build models first.
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The challenge
The solution
HOW IT WORKS
The layout is imported directly from OrCAD and Allegro or as ODB++ and IPC-2581 files. The first results are available after a brief setup.
Electric current generates heat, heat increases resistance, and resistance changes the current. If you calculate them separately, none of them will be correct.
A voltage drop can be resolved by using wider traces, more vias, or a different layout. These are all changes that are easy to make during the layout phase but expensive to make later on.
VALUE
Voltage drop, current density, heat, and power distribution—calculated based on the layout you’ve actually designed.
The lower the supply voltages become, the less it takes for a voltage drop to have an effect.
The current rarely distributes itself as expected, and a single circuit may end up carrying too much load.
The heat from the current changes the resistance, and the resistance changes the current. That is the loop that PowerDC calculates.
Before the layout is fully drawn, the question is whether the supply tree even makes sense.
The tool should fit into your existing workflow, not the other way around.
Implementation
We recommend starting with a circuit you're already familiar with—preferably one where you've measured the voltage drop. That way, you can compare the result to a real-world scenario right from the start.
What constitutes an acceptable voltage drop and what current density you are willing to accept depends on your product. We can advise you on how others have set these limits and what they mean in practice.
You'll have access to specialists who work with both layout and analysis on a daily basis. A question about a specific result will be answered while the design is still open.
Ready?
A brief conversation is usually enough to determine whether PowerDC is the right place to start. No sales pitch. No pressure. Just an open discussion about the supply voltages and currents your board needs to deliver.
FAQ
PowerDC handles DC aspects: voltage drop, current density, and the heat generated by the current. Sigrity X covers the AC side—power integrity at high frequencies and signal integrity. They address two different aspects of the same board, and many users employ both.
No, not to get started. The layout is read immediately, and the first results appear after a brief setup. The more precise the component data you add, the closer the result will be to reality—but you don't have to wait for it.
Yes. PowerDC also reads OBD++ and IPC-2581, so it works with layouts from other ECAD tools.
When the focus shifts from the copper to the component, PowerDC calculates the heat generated by the current on the board. If you need to know the temperature inside a chip or a package—or if the enclosure needs to be included—use Thermal Solver and EC Solver.
Contact us
A brief dialogue is often enough to clarify if Nordcad is the right choice for you. No pitch. No pressure.
15+ specialists
