Ansys Sherlock is the only reliability physics-based electronics design tool that provides fast and accurate life predictions for electronic hardware at the component, board and system levels in early stage design.
Ansys Sherlock provides fast and accurate life predictions for electronic hardware at the component, board and system levels in early design stages. Sherlock bypasses the ‘test-fail-fix-repeat’ cycle by empowering designers to accurately model silicon–metal layers, semiconductor packaging, printed circuit boards (PCBs) and assemblies to predict failure risks due to thermal, mechanical and manufacturing stressors--all before prototype.
With embedded libraries containing over 200,000 parts, Sherlock rapidly converts electronic computer-aided design (ECAD) files into computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and finite element analysis (FEA) models. Each model contains accurate geometries, material properties and translates stress information into validated time-to-failure predictions.
February 2022
In 2022 R1, Ansys Sherlock new features include a semi-automated reinforcement workflow, integrations with Ansys AEDT Icepak, and a new GDSII stream/exchange database file format (GDSII/EDB) to import chip- and die-level models.
Sherlock users can now import PCB models into Ansys AEDT Icepak for more accurate thermal analysis simulations.
The new semi-automated reinforcement workflow automates many previously manual tasks, including assignment of reinforcement material, thickness, type, and more.
The GDSII/EDB file import capability allows users to import chip- and die-level models directly into Sherlock as part of their preprocessing workflow.
Continental Automotive uses Sherlock to model BGA solder balls to ensure that even small solder fatigue failures are captured and analyzed.
To begin product reliability analyses using Ansys Sherlock, the engineers at Continental imported a Zuken ODB++ file into Sherlock. Sherlock quickly read all information in the file and generated a representative board with complete stack-up data, including all components and mounting conditions with their exact locations and material characteristics. The board also featured mirrored BGA components and conformal coating that Sherlock modeled accurately using the available potting functionality.
Sherlock effortlessly modeled individual components with a high level of detail, including modeling each solder ball on the BGA to ensure that even small solder fatigue failures would be captured. For non-standard components, users could input those properties into the Package Manager, as well as retain this information for future use.
Electrical, mechanical, reliability engineers and more can work in tandem to implement design best practices, predict product lifetimes and reduce failure risks.
Sherlock reduces expensive build-and-test iterations by virtually running thermal cycling, power-temperature cycling, vibration, shock, bending, thermal derating, accelerated life, natural frequency, CAF and more so you can adjust designs in near real-time and achieve qualification in one round. In post-processing simulation results from Icepak and Mechanical, Sherlock is able to predict test success, estimate warranty return rates and make Icepak and Mechanical users more efficient by directly connecting simulation to material and manufacturing costs.
Unlike any other tool on the market, Sherlock uses files created by your design team to build 3D models of electronic assemblies for trace modeling, post-processing of finite element analysis and reliability predictions. This early insight translates to almost immediate identification of areas of concern and gives you the ability to quickly adjust and retest designs.
Pre-Processor for Ansys Mechanical & Ansys Icepak
Sherlock’s over 200,000 parts materials library enables the creation of accurate and complex FEA models. These models can be imported directly into Mechanical and Icepak for improved model fidelity and analysis.
Sherlock’s post-processing tool includes reporting and recommendations, a lifetime curve graph, red-yellow-green risk indicators, tabular display, graphic overlay, pinned results based on reliability goals, automated report generation and a locked IP model for review by suppliers and customers.
Sherlock’s powerful parsing engine (capable of importing Gerber, ODB++ and IPC-2581 files, etc.) and embedded libraries (containing over 200,000 parts) automatically builds box-level FEA models with accurate material properties—reducing pre-processing time from days to minutes.
Physics of Failure (PoF), or Reliability Physics, uses degradation algorithms that describe how physical, chemical, mechanical, thermal or electrical mechanisms can decline over time and eventually induce failure. Sherlock uses these algorithms to assess thermal cycling, mechanical shock, natural frequency, harmonic vibration, random vibration, bending, integrated circuit/semiconductor wear-out, thermal derating, conductive anodic filament (CAF) qualification and more.
Aging and wear-out of integrated circuits are captured through acceleration transforms for electromigration, time-dependent dielectric breakdown, hot carrier injection and negative bias temperature instability. Supplier-specific time to failure predictions for aluminum liquid electrolytic capacitors and ceramic capacitors (MLCC) is provided. Finally, Sherlock automates the thermal derating process and flags devices being used outside of the specified operation or storage temperature range.
Sherlock’s Thermal-Mech capability incorporates the effect of system-level mechanical elements (chassis, module, housing, connectors, etc.) on solder fatigue analysis by capturing complex, mixed mode loading conditions. Sherlock also supports the use of Darveaux or Syed models in Ansys Mechanical by pushing simulation-ready models of BGA, CSP, SiP, and 2.5D/3D packaging.
This includes our heatsink editor, where users can create pin- and fin-based heatsinks using fill-in fields and drop-down menus and attach them to components or PCBs. Users can also add a wide variety of conformal coatings, potting compounds, underfills, and staking adhesives so the FEA model best represents the real world.
SHERLOCK RESOURCES & EVENTS
This webinar spotlights major updates to Ansys Electronics Reliability solutions in 2021 R2. Ansys Electronics Reliability solutions feature comprehensive workflows involving Ansys Sherlock, Ansys Mechanical, Ansys Icepak, Ansys LS-DYNA and more
This webinar will demonstrate an automated process of thermal modeling of printed circuit boards. It will present a workflow to translate ECAD data to a thermal and mechanical model in Ansys Icepak, followed by the transfer of results into Ansys Sherlock for solder fatigue analysis.
In this webinar, we will explore Ansys simulation solutions for modeling PCBs and identify which techniques are best-suited for a particular problem.
In this webinar, learn how Ansys SIwave, Ansys Icepak, Ansys Mechanical and Ansys Sherlock can be used as a comprehensive multi-physics solution to optimize PCB reliability.
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