Samtec and Ansys: Simulating for a Smaller, Faster, Denser World

Data connectivity has become integral to the advancement of our everyday lives. High-speed interconnect solutions, in particular, are critical to the automotive industry, consumer electronics, telecommunications, and data centers worldwide to carry the high-speed, low-latency signals required for the most advanced technologies. To support the continuous growth of this $71.7 billion industry, engineers are always looking for new advancement capabilities in digital design, performance, and speed enhancement.

An integrated circuit (IC) — or chip — is a set of electronic components and circuits made from silicon, a common semiconductor material. These components and circuits are connected to each other with elements known as interconnects. Interconnects form the backbone of signal communication among devices on a chip and between chips on a printed circuit board (PCB). These integrated circuits are found in nearly everything with an on/off switch, as are PCBs.

Most of us unknowingly rely on PCBs to make our devices work. They are found in nearly all electronic devices we use and rely on, from smartwatches and cellphones to smart TVs and computers. Looking at a PCB, with all the traces, pads, vias, and connectors, there’s no question that a great deal of engineering goes into its design.

Samtec Inc., a leader in the electronic interconnect industry, has delivered reliable, cutting-edge board-to-board, cable, optics, and RF products to its customers for nearly 50 years. Samtec is a privately held high-performance interconnect solution provider supporting industries such as datacom, industrial, military and aerospace, medical, computer and semiconductor, instrumentation, and automotive.

Samtec excels at bringing customers sophisticated, Sudden Service designs for all aspects of PCBs and cables. For about the past decade, a key enabler of the fast turnaround times is the use of Ansys simulation tools. We sat down with two experts at Samtec to discuss how Ansys simulation tools give them a leg up in the interconnect industry by increasing design capability, reliability, and speed.

Samtec Simulation Expertise

Ansys simulation was introduced at Samtec by strategic technologist Scott McMorrow. His critical role, as he explains, is to “see where we’re going in technology, how to fill that with tools or methods or processes, and also do a lot of evangelization.” Since introducing Ansys tools, Samtec has become a leading user of Ansys simulation among its peers.

Matthew Burns, director of technical marketing at Samtec, says, “The simulation design capabilities of the Ansys suite of tools that we use enable us to play in a virtual sandbox for concepts that our team thinks work within the data center ecosystem.

“We went with Ansys very specifically because of my experience with Ansys HFSS high-frequency electromagnetic simulation software, its 3D Layout capability, and Ansys SIwave PCB and package electromagnetics software because of the exquisite accuracy. My philosophy is to take the time to design it right the first time so that you don’t have to build it multiple times. We try not to guess. We try to do everything in electromagnetic analysis, and then we know that when we’re doing our correlations, if we don’t get the same results, it’s not because of the tool.”

Ansys tools and solvers enable Samtec to design products in a holistic simulation, analysis, and modeling environment that correlates to physical reality. Whether working with 3D computer-aided designs from Ansys Mechanical software (MCAD) or 2D layout designs, Samtec’s signal and power integrity simulation are done in the Ansys Electronics Desktop platform, where the two workflows can “talk” to one another, exchanging design simulation and parameter data for a comprehensive workflow that saves time for the engineer.

Samtec is an astute user of Ansys tools and solvers. In addition to the previously mentioned software, Samtec uses:

• Ansys Q3D Extractor parasitic extraction electromagnetic simulation software
• Ansys LS-DYNA nonlinear dynamics structural simulation software
• Ansys Zemax OpticStudio optical system design and analysis software
• Ansys Fluent fluid simulation software for thermal management

Encrypted 3D Components in HFSS Software

Throughout the design process for its customers, Samtec works to deliver a customer-specific product that meets all necessary requirements and specifications, with component designs sent to the customer via the HFSS software environment.

“The Ansys HFSS encryption component allows us to encapsulate the entire electromagnetic structure that is necessary for electromagnetic analysis of our complex connectors without revealing the inner design architecture of those structures. It allows us to keep our intellectual property (IP),” McMorrow explains.

This encryption capability in HFSS software enables Samtec to provide simulation-ready models of its connectors, which gives its customers the ability to integrate Samtec connectors into their products with confidence.

“As things get faster, smaller, denser, we always benefit from the continued innovation of Ansys and the opportunity for the partnership,” Burns says. The ability to iterate in real time in the design world of simulation proves invaluable to Samtec in providing exceptional service as a high-performance enterprise provider.

A Smaller, Faster, Denser Tomorrow

The Ansys product collection helps McMorrow and his team remain technically leading groups in their work. “Ansys simulation has accelerated our design process significantly,” he says.

Throughout this 10-year symbiotic relationship, Ansys and Samtec have worked collaboratively to identify and address pain points in an engineer’s journey through interconnect simulation. Both companies have embraced the ability to work in partnership to create solutions that benefit customers and the industry as a whole.

“The simulated world that Ansys enables is crucial to Samtec’s R&D,” says Burns.

Behind the increasing demand for high-speed data connectivity, there is an insatiable need for innovation and evolution in the technological domain. Samtec is pioneering new technologies that drive the advancement of the components that make our most used devices function. In synergy with Ansys, Samtec’s global presence enables unmatched customer service and cutting-edge innovation in an ever-changing landscape.

Visit Ansys and Samtec at DesignCon 2025 on Jan. 29 and 30.

Learn more about how Ansys simulation can help minimize electromagnetic interference.