DfR Solutions, leader in quality, reliability, and durability (QRD) solutions for the electronics industry, today announced the newest release of Sherlock Automated Design Analysis™ software, version 3.2. This newest version of Sherlock incorporates several advanced features including Hi-Fidelity PCB Modeling, a Part and Package 3D Model Viewer, a Shared Parts Library feature, and Through-Hole Lead Modeling. These features, along with existing Sherlock features, enable users to model even more complex substrates and boards, faster, and more accurately than ever before.
Hi Fidelity PCB Modeling is for the power FEA user who requires high-resolution (< 100 micron) three-dimensional models that capture material properties, layer structure, and every copper feature inside a substrate or PCB. These comprehensive intelligent models allow organizations to accurately simulate risk of warpage, package coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE), and copper trace failures due to breakage or fatigue. Prior to Sherlock 3.2, that which took days to accomplish, can now take only minutes. The generated model can be seamlessly exported into existing FEA tools such as Abaqus and Ansys® Workbench™.
Through-Hole Lead Modeling auto-generates accurate three-dimensional mechanical models of standard electronic through-hole components, such as electrolytic capacitors, film capacitors, power semiconductors, relays, transformers, and connectors. The model generation supports numerous lead configurations, including radial, axial, dual inline (DIP), single inline (SIP), transistor outline (TO), and pin grid array (PGA), as well as leads bent at various angles. Designers, mechanical engineers, and test groups can now rapidly and accurately evaluate the performance of power supplies and other electronics with tall components under vibration and shock. This capability also greatly accentuates the value of HALT / HASS / HASA by allowing companies to subject designs to a virtual HALT and predict failures before actual testing.
Part and Package 3D Model Viewer. Creating models of through-hole electronic parts is seamless due to the use of fill-in fields and drop-down selections, but the resulting model can be challenging to visualize. To solve this problem, Sherlock now includes a Part and Package 3D Model Viewer that allows users to preview the mechanical model part prior to placing it on the board. This user-friendly feature saves design time and enhances model accuracy.
A Shared Parts Library provides one consistent, controlled, and verified source for parts properties across entire companies. As the number of Sherlock users within an organization increases, it becomes critical that all Sherlock users within and across departments are accessing the same part information. This helps eliminate parts inconsistencies, saving considerable time.
"With Sherlock 3.2, we have radically changed the paradigm that mechanical and thermal simulation and modeling is too difficult, too long, and too inaccurate to perform on every electronic design and redesign," stated DfR Solutions CEO Craig Hillman. "As a result of this advance in model development and reliability prediction, we expect users of Sherlock to dramatically increase their use of thermal and mechanical simulation tools, such as Abaqus and Ansys, and experience a measurable decrease in time to market and warranty returns compared to their competition."
About Sherlock Automated Design Analysis™ Software
Sherlock is the first-of-its-kind Automated Design Analysis software for analyzing, grading, and certifying the expected reliability of products at the circuit card assembly level. It is used by the electronics industry across all markets. Sherlock continues to evolve, incorporating new innovations and enhancements allowing users to manage increasingly complex analyses more easily and faster than ever before.
