Simulation software helps select SMPS MLCCs for your designs
Article By : AVX
AVX’s SpiCALCI 10 features updated links to the latest datasheets on the AVX website and product photographs designed to help engineers choose the part that best meets their application requirements.
AVX has announced the latest version of its SpiCALCI simulation software, supplanting the previous one, which calculates performance characteristics and parameters for its advanced switch mode power supply (SMPS) multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs) to assist electrical design engineers in choosing the part that best meets their application criteria. SpiCALCI 10 features all of the SMPS MLCCs that AVX has introduced over the past 18 months (many of which are sole-sourced), in addition to updated links to the latest datasheets on the AVX website, and product photographs designed to help engineers better visualise product selections.
Recent additions to the SpiCALCI 10 product catalogue include: ST10, RT10 and SMX 25V rated parts; parts with voltage ratings spanning 25V to 5kV; VHT (X7R) dielectric high temperature parts; the SV series with N1500 dielectric; SXP series parts rated for 1.5kV, 2kV and 3kV; MIL-PRF-49470 T-Level BP (C0G /NP0) PS01 and PS02 style parts in case sizes 3, 4, 5 with 100V, 200V and 500V voltage ratings; and MIL-PRF-49470 T-Level BX (X7R) 25V PS01 style parts in case sizes 1-6.
The SpiCalci10 software allows electrical design engineers to predict critical operational parameters, such as: self-resonant frequency, ESR, ESL and phase angle, for a given ambient temperature, temperature rise and operational frequency. Further, designers can adjust the latter variables numerically, via a button slide, to model important capacitor characteristics, including: ripple current, ripple voltage and internal temperature.
The software also enables the creation of interactive graphs for further analysis of: ESR and impedance vs. frequency, temperature rise vs. current, maximum current vs. frequency, maximum ripple voltage vs. frequency, phase angle vs. frequency, and capacitance changes with DC bias. The numerical data can be imported to SPICE simulation software, and graphs may be saved and printed for presentation and/or sharing.
Available free of charge, SpiCALCI 10 is packaged using InstallShield, which facilitates easy installation on Windows 7, Windows 8, and other 64bit or 32bit PC operating systems, added the company.