New power and power-management ICs were added to the growing library of more than 23,500+ simulation models. Examples include: Unitrode/Texas Instruments UC3855 power factor pre-regulator and UCC2891 PWM controller; International Rectifier IR1150 one-cycle control PFC; Fairchild ML4800 & ML4824 PFC/PWM combination; Linear Technology LTC3780 high efficiency, synchronous 4-switch buck-boost controller and LT1575 ultra-fast low-dropout regulator; Power Integrations TNY253 low-power off-line switcher and other custom ICs. Additional completed models include operational amplifiers, power MOSFETs, regulators, line-matching transformer, rectifiers, isolated feedback generator, surface-mount LED display, pre-regulator, IGBT, and surface-mount bead. 151 CoolMOS power MOSFET models were also added, plus nonlinear saturable inclusion for SPICE models synthesized by Intusoft's "Magnetics Designer" software option.

A model requestor receives a SPICE-model netlist and graphic symbol. Some complex models include a test circuit for the user to verify performance.

Testimonial

Bob Ritter, president of Sym-Pulse Corporation quoted, "With Intusoft's rapid turn-around of our Macromodel AD834JR, a critical design-simulation project was simulated with the exact performance we hoped for. The simulation also included an amazingly fast DG9411DL switch engineered by Intusoft. The design for our Sym-Pulse, Santa Cruz Header-Demodulator Module unfolded before our eyes, enabling early PCB construction. Truly remarkable!"

Demand for power electronic models

The worldwide shipment forecast for power supply & management ICs is projected to reach almost $7B in 2006, according to VDC Corporation's report in December 2003. "There's no doubt the engineering community's model requests have derived from power-electronic end-users; this is a fast-growing IC market across several technological industries" commented Tim Ghazaleh, Intusoft's marketing director.

The company's president and chief engineer, Larry Meares, has driven the collection of exceptionally difficult IC models, among other power components developed by Intusoft's engineering staff. Meares commented that the difficulty imposed by IC manufacturers making select datasheet specs and internal IC operatives sparse at times, or even devoid, in addition to creating custom-made "SPICE primitives" to model portions of ICs, and modeling their complex internal behavior has made the modeling particularly challenging. In cases, final accuracy was hand-tuned based on feedback from the end user, an interactive process that has merged engineers with Intusoft's model development effort.

Design automation with Intusoft's Test Designer and ICAP/4 simulators

The Test Designer simulation and automated fault-isolation software is Intusoft's highest-end offering, with which the models were developed and tested. The effort was timely with Test Designer's input to the 2006 "Test of Time" award with Test & Measurement World publication.

The collection of requested models will also be offered with Intusoft's "ICAP/4" suite of scalable SPICE-simulation offerings. Last October, 444 new custom analog models were added to ICAP/4's 8.x.11 2641 product release. Currently, both Test Designer and ICAP/4 Professional comprise the largest simulation model count amongst today's leading SPICE providers.

More on Intusoft's free custom modeling service can be found at: www.intusoft.com. A free demo CD or web download is available for the ICAP/4 software, including Magnetics Designer at: http://www.intusoft.com/demos.htm#icap4. Platform support for Intusoft's products includes Windows 98se/ME/NT4/2000/XP.

Company:
Established in 1985, Intusoft designs, develops and markets award-winning EDA software to electronics industries worldwide. Its headquarters are in Gardena, California, including a worldwide network of resellers. Intusoft's products target a breadth of applications across all industrial, technological, military and consumer industries, by providing leading tools for analog and mixed-signal design of boards and ICs, plus automated test synthesis of electronic circuitry. The ICAP/4 tool suite is scalable, starting at $249 US, with all levels incorporating Intusoft's IsSpice4, 4th-generation SPICE kernel.

Information on Intusoft and its products is provided at www.intusoft.com.