1. Thermal analysis helps designers determine the electrical properties of components on a PCB and assess whether components or the PCB itself will overheat due to high temperatures.
2. Basic thermal analysis calculates the average temperature of a PCB, while advanced transient models are developed for electronic systems with multiple PCBs and thousands of components.
3. Regardless of how meticulously an analyst models the thermal power of electronics, PCBs, and components, the ultimate accuracy of the thermal analysis relies on the precision of the power consumption data provided by the PCB designer.
4. Weight and physical size are crucial in many applications. If actual component power consumption is lower than anticipated, it can lead to a design with a high safety coefficient, potentially making the PCB design less realistic. Conversely, overly conservative power consumption values can result in a thermal design with a dangerously low safety coefficient, meaning the actual component temperatures may exceed predictions.
5. Such issues are often addressed by installing cooling devices or fans to cool the PCB. These additions increase costs and manufacturing time. Adding a fan also introduces a layer of reliability uncertainty, so PCBs now often use active cooling methods rather than passive ones (like natural convection, conduction, and radiative cooling) to maintain components within lower temperature ranges.
2. Basic thermal analysis calculates the average temperature of a PCB, while advanced transient models are developed for electronic systems with multiple PCBs and thousands of components.
3. Regardless of how meticulously an analyst models the thermal power of electronics, PCBs, and components, the ultimate accuracy of the thermal analysis relies on the precision of the power consumption data provided by the PCB designer.
4. Weight and physical size are crucial in many applications. If actual component power consumption is lower than anticipated, it can lead to a design with a high safety coefficient, potentially making the PCB design less realistic. Conversely, overly conservative power consumption values can result in a thermal design with a dangerously low safety coefficient, meaning the actual component temperatures may exceed predictions.
5. Such issues are often addressed by installing cooling devices or fans to cool the PCB. These additions increase costs and manufacturing time. Adding a fan also introduces a layer of reliability uncertainty, so PCBs now often use active cooling methods rather than passive ones (like natural convection, conduction, and radiative cooling) to maintain components within lower temperature ranges.
