The tool can analyse in both pre-layout and post-layout modes, although the functionality of the tool is quite limited in the pre-layout mode. The post-layout mode allows the engineer to import both partially  and completely routed PCBs. The unrouted tracks of interest in a partially routed PCB can be completed using tracking tools in the post-layout mode. Vias and copper patterns can also be added in this mode.

It is even possible to copy – paste components without changing the schematic and this ability helps in analysing power integrity with additional components – a capacitor, for example. Once layout is imported and capacitor models are assigned, which can be a spice model, the tool allows to analyse the impedance of the trace that is of interest.

The tool also optimises capacitors in the design based on the criteria selected – which could be cost, size, number or even types of capacitors used. After optimising, the tool also provides all the possible schemes based on the optimisation criteria. The engineer can review all the schemes and select which scheme is the best to use.

There is also an option to perform ‘what-if’ analysis on the results where the engineer can replace one or multiple capacitors and check how the impedance changes. Reporting is a fundamental part of any simulation tool and OptimizePI can generate detailed reports of capacitor locations and types for every scheme analysed. Even the layout can be exported as a .spd file which can be brought into PowerSI for further simulation.

A point to note with OptimizePI is while performing DC resistance calculations the value obtained will most certainly be different – higher than what it should be. This is because the simulator works in the frequency domain and tries to extrapolate DC values from its calculations. So, its always better to use PowerDC to obtain exact DC resistance values.

XFE is a very important option while dealing with Flexible printed circuits (FPC). Due to relatively thin buildup it is extremely difficult to achieve 50 ohms impedance for single ended signals with a solid ground reference plane on FPCs and so the ground return paths are generally hashed. XFE helps understand what sort of hash width and spacing is required for the ground layer to achieve required impedance.

Loss less calculation gives the impedance and the required numbers to track signals on a PCB, while frequency calculation provides insight into various trace parameters like inductance, capacitance, skin depth etc., based on the frequency of interest.

The only disadvantage i have faced with this software is while designing a multilayer (2 layers or more) flex with Ag-coating. The Ag coating on top of the trace (used for EMC purposes) affects the trace impedance, but this can’t be calculated using Si9000 because it supports only one layer of hashing (for the ground). For this scenario, i had to resort to my good old CST!!

In simple form, NFC hardware is made up of an inductive coil that creates an alternating magnetic field. When a new device with another similar antenna is bought near this device, the magnetic field induces current to flow and energy is transferred. The NFC software stack uses this hardware to embed data and transfer it to another device that is close by.

The energy involved in a traditional NFC application is quite minimal because it is aimed for data transmission. But the same hardware can be used with some minor additions to transfer battery power over the air.

The idea is to connect a charging circuit from the NFC circuit to the battery charger and this gets enabled only when the charging app is invoked and the circuit feeds the energy tapped via NFC to the battery. The donor can choose how much battery he/she can afford to share and then both the donor and the receiver have to leave the phones near each other.

The traditional methods of wireless charging asks for a similar idea, but the hardware required for that so far is very bespoke and huge – something like a dedicated table which is expensive and also a logistical nightmare to roll out. But by using NFC which will become a norm in a few years, we don’t need any of these expensive hardware.

And honestly, more than the cost saving aspect of this idea, its the freedom that this gives people that interests me more!!

Government

Going back many centuries when the concept of democratic governance was first formed, people wanted to share views and be able to agree on policies and ideas. At that time it was impossible to inter communicate with the whole population and the theory of a governing body was formed. But with the invention of social networking which is predominantly used to share fun these days, we might be laying the foundation of distributed governance, where everyone has a view and co-ordinators will enable a healthy dialogue to arrive on solutions. If successful,may be there will be no prime minister one day, and we will manage to self govern ourselves by close communication on issues because we will all be connected to each other all the time.

Integrated Transport

Though this sounds like an idea for a simple app, its far more than that. Car to car communication has been a hot topic for a while now and a consortium of people are working together to ensure how cars can communicate while they are on roads. With mobile phones already packing most of the hardware that is being proposed (WLAN and Blue tooth), it is extremely well placed to take over this domain. With a mobile phone you could seamlessly share information that you obtained from the Internet and friends or something you created or photographed, while on the move. There is no need to transfer information from one personal device used at home or work to another used in a car. Use cases range from sharing or even selling music to a neighbouring car to communicating about traffic jams and collision avoidance.

This is not all. Honestly, there is more that can be done. Local Community buses that run on a specified schedule can alter theirs’ based on an agreement between the community users of that day’s service. This could even work for aeroplanes one day and it might all happen without any human interaction. Phones will learn talk on behalf of the users between themselves and come with a solution that might suit the group and that group could be a country or a small block of flats.

More Human

By the virtue of being close to us all day and every day, we have a loyal companion in the name of a mobile phone. Not only it can guide us take lifestyle decisions, it can organize thoughts and could potentially guide us in the right direction. From personality management to objective achievement, there is a lot of potential that a mobile phone can help us with. The key ingredient to achieve this is the introduction and extensive use of neural networks on mobile phones. Like a baby that learns as he/she grows about the family and the environment, a mobile phone will learn as it gets used to the user. The challenge here though, is none of us will be ready to wait for long for our phone to learn. So it has to be quick.

Distributed computing

I believe people wouldn’t fancy carrying their laptops in the future – it probably would turn out to be a mobile phone. And in situation where it runs out of computing power, it is going to be the case of using the help of phones nearby. Assuming one day that half the population own a smart phone – that might be around 3 or 4 billion – and each phone packing a similar computing power as laptops, there is going to be a lot of opportunity to share and compute problems – on the go! So in case you took a photograph of a beautiful mountain using a 50 mega pixel mobile phone camera but want to do some photo editing before you send it to your friends, you don’t have to worry about your mobile phone coping with it. It can rope in the neighbouring mobile phones for a few seconds to help with number crunching!

Earthian

With the renewed interest in sensors nowadays, there might be a day where mobile phones can monitor and sense an incoming storm or a tsunami or even an earthquake and could alert the ones nearby for evasive action. From knowing real time gas content in the atmosphere using intelligent gas sensors, mobile phones could be telling the users what protection they need or even what and how much Carbon they can safely emit for the day.

Rather than the lack of knowledge, it is the lack of decision making based on that knowledge that is a big problem these days. With intelligence of the Internet in the backyard, mobile phones might be able to suggest what plants to grow in that area to offset the environmental effects we have introduced.

Suggesting that I will live to see these things happen might be optimistic. Technology is mostly driven by consumers(sometimes by venture capitalists), so these things might just go out of window depending on how the society evolves!

Although my “optimised” route to my office takes me through some very strange roads, as i approached my office i was quite surprised to see that i followed him for almost the entire length.This made me thinking “if only i knew he was going this way, i could have taken a lift!”

But realistically though, is it possible to dynamically know which way people are going? And, are they ready to take a stranger with them? Well, why not?

First, think about the computers that run stock markets. I can stay in London, but can obtain a quote for a share from the Tokyo Stock Exchange in a matter of seconds. The quote is very much real time, lagging by not more than a few seconds.

Second, think about price comparison websites, that compare hundreds of quotes from retailers and suppliers and provide you the best possible solution. Again, most of them take not more than few seconds to collect data and sort them for you.

Third, think about mobile phones. They keep transmitting their position all the time, so in reality someone knows where we are.

Right, let’s link them up, shall we? Mr. Anderson decides to leave home and go to the supermarket which is 10 miles away at 12:00 noon. As he gets on his car, he turns on an “app” that asks for his destination address and the route he intends to take. The app then automatically transmits his current location, destination and extrapolates the time he would take based on speed limits and/or his previous driving data (neural network based) to a central server.

Mr. Guruchandran, at 12:05 steps out of his home and realises his car tyres are flat. He has no time to change wheels and also has just missed the bus. He needs to be at the office for a meeting at 12:30 PM. Instead of calling a taxi, he turns on the same “app” and searches for potential car pools. The app searches the server and comes back with a list of people in his current location who are interested in sharing their car with strangers and the money they charge per mile. The app also includes the style of driving, accident history, average delays over a year, car comfort etc.

Now, Mr. Guruchandran selects the person who would be passing his home at the earliest, though he costs more per mile and lets him know he is interested. The person, who happens to be Mr. Anderson, agrees to pick him up and transmits the pick up location. Mr.Guruchandran walks to the pick up location and by the time he reaches there, Mr. Anderson also arrives.

The greet each other and curse the weather. As he approaches his office, Mr. Guruchandran, touches his mobile with Mr.Andersons’ initiating money transfer through NFC(Near Field Communication) for the ride. They say goodbye and Mr. Guruchandran reaches his office on time for the meeting.

Sounds Simple, doesn’t it? I am not an app developer so i don’t know the intricacies involved with this idea, though I would assume that this may not be as simple as I have described.

But, if you did manage to do an app for this, do feel free to share your fortune with me

Do register and have a look for yourselves.

http://www.compliance-club.com/