Webinars by Topics

Recorded on 10-19-2017

This one hour webinar is the first in a series of webinars on creating high level models for the SIMPLIS simulator. The webinar will begin with an overview of the modeling goals which should be common to all modelling efforts. A hierarchical example is then examined and tested against those goals and detailed modeling techniques will be discussed. Finally, we will present the model development timeline, from initial concept schematics, to the final hierarchical design.

Recorded on 09-15-2016

Several tips and tricks to help you work more efficiently in SIMPLIS will be discussed in this one-hour webinar. These time saving actions are some of the

Recorded on 10-20-2016

Piecewise linear (PWL) resistors, capacitors, and inductors allow designers to create very complex models using only a single two terminal device. This one-hour webinar will start with the one of the most versatile SIMPLIS primitives: the PWL Resistor. The webinar uses real-world application circuits to define PWL Resistors as well as explain their limitations. Circuit examples include:

• Constant Power Loads
• ESD Diodes with Snapback
• Soft-Start Blocks
• Current Sources with Saturation
• Multipliers and Dividers
• MOSFET Driver Output Characteristics

Recorded on 03-16-2017

SIMetrix/SIMPLIS has a powerful built-in measurement system which allows users to make measurements on simulation waveforms. As powerful as this system is, it is infrequently used. In this one hour webinar you will learn how to make measurements, and most importantly, add your own custom measurements to the program.

Recorded on 05-18-2017

This one hour webinar focuses on creating high-level models, both from the IC developer and system-level designer's point of view. Techniques for defining block re-usability and parameterization as well as designing models which simulate fast and succeed at the Periodic Operating Point (POP) analysis are covered. Finally, methods for backing up models and taking

Recorded on 06-29-2017

This one hour webinar focuses on identifying the circuit elements which cause a SIMPLIS simulation to run slowly. The webinar will begin with a description of circuit elements which cause SIMPLIS to run slowly. Example circuits with small RC and L/R time constants will be presented and examined, with the simulation speed correlated to the smallest time constant.

Recorded on 05-19-2016

Parameterization is one of the most powerful concepts in SIMPLIS. Using parameterization, you can create reusable technology blocks where each block is configured by parameters. In this one hour webinar you will learn how to use parameters on both the top level schematic and how to pass parameters into subcircuits using the SIMPLIS_TEMPLATE property.

Recorded on 03-22-2018

The agenda for this one hour webinar is as follows:

• Brief review of parameterization
• Overview of the three dialog types
  • NewValueDialog
  • TabValueDialog
  • RadioSelectWidgetStackDialog
• Using dialog definition spreadsheets
• Modifying dialog definitions

Recorded on 04-28-2016

The SIMPLIS POP analysis finds the periodic steady-state operating point of a circuit and is one of the most powerful features of SIMPLIS. To find the steady-state operating point, POP runs a sequence of transient simulations on your circuit, constantly refining the initial conditions between simulations. This one hour webinar will cover how to setup the POP analysis on a DC/DC converter, the core POP process, analysis parameters and common POP errors.

Recorded on 11-17-2016

Running AC analyses on PFC converters has always been challenging because the circuit has no true steady-state when the input voltage is sinusoidal. The SIMPLIS POP and AC analyses assume the converter has a single operating frequency, namely the switching frequency. As soon as the sinusoidal input voltage is applied to the converter, running a POP analysis becomes difficult, but as you will see, not impossible. Tricks for running a POP and AC analysis on a PFC converter with an AC input voltage will be discussed and the loop gain results obtained with a DC input will be compared to the loop gain results when the converter is operating with an AC input.

Recorded on 11-09-2017

This webinar will cover the design of two common blocks used in power converters:

• Oscillators, Including Spread Spectrum
• Soft-Start (Moved to December's Webinar: Modeling in SIMPLIS - Part II)

Recorded on 12-14-2017

This webinar will cover the design of soft start blocks using both digital and analog techniques.

• Analog Soft-Start
  • Issues With PWL Source Implementation
  • Designing for Back Annotation
  • Handling Pre-charged Outputs
• Digital Soft-Start

Recorded on 01-18-2018

In this one hour webinar, PWM modulators will be presented in both analog and digital forms. Trailing edge, leading edge, and dual edge PWM modulators will be presented in detail.

• Implementation Discussion - Classic/Advanced Digital Logic
• Analog PWM modulators
  • Trailing edge
  • Leading edge
  • Dual edge
• Digital PWM modulators
  • Trailing edge example

Recorded on 03-26-2020

This teaser webinar discusses two of the major development that will be available in SIMetrix/SIMPLIS Version 8.4. The developments covered include:

• A Capacitor/Inductor Conversion Tool
• Power Supply Sources and Loads

• Useful Schematic Editor Features
• Multi-Level Lossy Transformer
• Updated Controlled Sources with Ideal Limiting

Recorded on 02-15-2018

In this one hour webinar, a programmable load with three load types (constant resistance, constant current, and constant voltage) will be presented. After the individual loads are created, a parameter editing dialog is used to select which load will be used in the simulation as well as the electrical parameters for the load.

• Creating each load subcircuit
• Error checking parameter values with .ERROR
• Using a master parameter to determine which schematic

Recorded on 05-17-2018

SIMetrix/SIMPLIS Version 8.20 was released on January 27th, 2018 and offers several important upgrades and additional features. Among the changes for this version are a brand new, ground up redesign of the waveform viewer, a simulation health report which diagnoses common simulation issues, and updates to the arbitrary probe for Multi-Step and Monte Carlo simulations. In this one hour webinar, several new features will be discussed:

• Simulation Health Report
  • How it diagnoses common problems with simulations
• New Waveform Viewer
  • Completely New Rendering Engine
  • Curve History/Grouping (replaces persistence feature)
  • Graph Tab Naming
  • Continuous X-Y Value Display (small

Recorded on 07-21-2016

The webinar starts with the digital hardware approach to modeling, where adders, multipliers, and other digital hardware models are used to implement the control algorithm. The second approach uses discrete time filters, which emulate the digital hardware model but with the benefit of allowing an AC analysis to be performed on the control loop. Next, SystemDesigner, which is a set of built-in modelling blocks which allow the user to use a single schematic to implement both a digital hardware and a discrete time filter model. Finally, co-simulating SIMPLIS with the controller implemented in Verilog HDL is covered.

Recorded on 07-19-2018

SIMetrix/SIMPLIS Version 8.20 was released on January 27th, 2018 and offers several important upgrades and additional features. This webinar is the second part of a two-part series detailing these features. In this one hour webinar, several new features will be discussed:

• Component Enable/Disable
• Improved Transformer GUI
• DVM Enhancements
• Laplace Filter Pole-Zero Entry Dialog
• Ability to Shift the Reference (x-values) of a Waveform
• Piecewise Linear Curve Fit

Recorded on 02-16-2017

SIMetrix/SIMPLIS version 8.10, was introduced on December 13th, 2016. Several new features were added and this webinar will cover some new SIMPLIS features.

Recorded on 01-21-2016

SIMetrix/SIMPLIS version 8.00, with a new user interface using dockable layouts, was released in August, 2015. In addition the user interface changes, the schematic editor was updated with graphical annotation features including images and hyperlinks. Finally, the Analog Functions library adds several general purpose models. This webinar is divided into two parts - the first part is a one hour webinar which introduces 5 new features of version 8.00:

• New User Interface
• Schematic Features
• New Parts
• New Probes
• Schematic Migration Tool and Followup Questions

Recorded on 09-14-2017

This one hour webinar will explore measuring switching losses and efficiency on SIMPLIS circuits. In order to effectively model switching losses, the MOSFET driver circuit must be modeled with more detail than is typical. The driver sourcing and sinking current limits, as well as the saturation resistances, must be realistically modeled for the switching losses to approximate a real circuit.

Recorded on 02-18-2016

SIMetrix/SIMPLIS version 8.00, with a new user interface using dockable layouts, was released in August, 2015. In addition the user interface changes, the schematic editor was updated with graphical annotation features including images and hyperlinks. Finally, the Analog Functions library adds several general purpose models. This webinar is divided into two parts - the first part is a one hour webinar which introduces 5 new features of version 8.00:

• Monte Carlo Report
• DVM Makes Probe Measurements After a Monte Carlo Simulation
• SIMPLIS Debug Tools
  • Finding the Smallest Time Constant
  • Graphing Time Constants
  • Debug Report Generator
• Digitize Data Sheet Curves (SIMetrix/SIMPLIS Pro Feature)
• Documentation Updated for Version 8.00
  • Expanded SIMPLIS Tutorial
  • Advanced SIMPLIS Training Material

Recorded on 09-27-2018

In this one-hour webinar, we focus on the losses of a MOSFET switching a clamped inductive load. A dual simulator mode test bench will be presented which helps compare and contrast how MOSFETs are modeled in both SIMPLIS and SPICE. Losses due to turn-on, turn-off, and conduction are quantified using both SIMPLIS and SIMetrix SPICE. All losses will be presented in both terms of energy as well as power dissipation, and these energy curves provide helpful insight into which part of a switching transition dominates the loss. Finally, we end the webinar discussing the difficulties in finding a true, periodic steady-state operating point which is crucial to measuring efficiency in a power converter.

Recorded on 11-29-2018

In this webinar, we will take the customized MOSFET models created in the first webinar and insert these models into a real application circuit. A hard-switched synchronous buck converter will be used as the test vehicle.

Recorded on 01-24-2019

In this one hour webinar, we will discuss reverse recovery loss in diodes. To begin the discussion, we will present waveforms for a diode commutating from an on to off state under an inductive load for the following models:

• No Reverse Recovery and No Junction Capacitance (ideal, conduction only.)
• No Reverse Recovery but Including the Junction Capacitance (ideal, capacitance only.)
• Including Reverse Recovery (conduction, junction capacitance, and reverse recovery as modeled by SPICE).

Recorded on 08-18-2016

This one hour webinar introduces DVM, the mechanics of setting up a design to run in DVM, and customizing testplans. Examples include plotting measured scalar values (e.g. average output voltage) against other scalar values on X-Y plots, creating design of experiments, and worst case analysis of the power converter.

Recorded on 06-23-2016

As pressures increase to increase efficiency and decrease size and design cycle time, it is becoming more important to model the non-ideal behavior of magnetic power devices. As switching frequencies increase, the need to model PC Board and device package parasitics is also growing. This webinar is Part I of a series looking at how to effectively model magnetic devices in SIMPLIS. Using Piecewise Linear modeling, SIMPLIS offers a powerful and simple way to model non-linear magnetic devices such as power inductors and transformers. In this one hour webinar we focus on how to model inductors in SIMPLIS.

Recorded on 07-20-2017

This one hour webinar will expand on the previously held Introduction to DVM Webinar, with the goal of bringing into reach some of the more powerful DVM features. The bulk of the webinar will be focused of practical example circuits.

Recorded on 01-19-2017

This Webinar presents the SIMPLIS best practices approach to modeling energy-storage transformers for power electronic applications. We first illustrate the SIMPLIS T-Equivalent circuit transformer model, which is good for the large majority of switching power supply applications, such as predicting device stresses and output voltage cross regulation. We also address an approach for modeling more complex magnetic structures based on a reluctance model.

Recorded on 03-26-2020

Magnetic devices have a large impact on power supply performance. Using the SIMPLIS Magnetics Design Module (MDM), you can design, simulate, and optimize your magnetic devices - inductors and transformers - as you concurrently design and simulate your power supply circuit in SIMetrix/SIMPLIS. SIMPLIS MDM allows you to build a physical model of an inductor or transformer by picking a core made of a specific magnetic material, wire, bobbin, and defining how the winding(s) are arranged. From this physical model, an electrical model is extracted to be used in a SIMPLIS schematic for simulation. The schematic simulation waveforms are then used by MDM to calculate losses and temperatures in the magnetic device. These results are presented in a detailed report, allowing insights into how the design can potentially be improved. This video presents an overview of SIMPLIS MDM and demonstrates its use using the example of an isolated 600 W, 380 V to 12 V DC-DC LLC converter.