▲Dr. Lee Jun-sang, Altair

EMC SW Engineer, Analysis Tool Vision Setting and Strategy Development
SBD Need, Cost Efficiency, Time Saving, Performance Improvement, Accuracy
AI-based virtual simulation, EMC testing needs expected to decrease

[Editor's Note] Engineering software is a part of the manufacturing industry these days. It is at a turning point for important technological advancements, with simulation-based design improving process efficiency and AI-based design emerging. Recently, as hardware specifications have gradually increased and electromagnetic environmental noise has also increased, engineering tools are continuously developing EMI/EMC countermeasures and advancing. In this 'EMI/EMC Expert Talk', we met with experts in engineering software solutions in the EMI/EMC field and had a conversation.

Through a conversation with Dr. Jun-Sang Lee, an EMI/EMC expert working at Altair Engineering, we were able to hear about his recent activities and EMI/EMC design/simulation tools and development trends.

[Reporter] Hello, please introduce yourself briefly.

[Dr. Lee Jun-sang] I received my PhD in automotive EMC from Professor Na Wan-soo’s lab at Sungkyunkwan University, and have been building my career in the automotive EMC field since 2012.

I am currently working as a Product Manager at Altair Engineering in Austin, Texas. My primary job is to plan EMC solutions and work with software developers to create analysis tools.

I joined Altair three years ago with extensive experience in EMC engineering for automotive components, particularly those involving PCB systems. As an engineer with a background in EMC and a career in the field, my role at a software company is to set the vision for EMC analysis tools, develop strategies, and determine the direction of product development through market and user research.

Through this process, we create a product roadmap, set priorities, and manage the product to meet the needs of users and the market.

[Reporter] You must be very active in your company and academic circles. Please tell us about your recent activities.

[Dr. Lee Jun-sang] Recently, in the U.S., there has been an increasing demand for EMC solutions in the automotive and heavy industry sectors. We are discussing EMC-related technologies with companies that are not well known in Korea, such as Emerson and John Deere.

Of course, GM and Ford also continue to demand updated EMC solutions that keep up with the latest trends.

For academic activities, I attend IEEE EMC+SIPI symposium and DesignCon. We plan to present 'Automated SI Verification Methods for Optimal Design of DDR Systems' at the 2024 IEEE EMC+SIPI symposium to be held in Phoenix, Arizona, USA in 2024.

Last year, I attended DesignCon and presented 'An EMI Reduction Modeling Approach of PCB & Shielding Enclosures Using the Lua-based Automation', and in 2022, I presented 'High-speed Memory Signal Integrity Compliance using the CNN' at IEEE EMC+SIPI.

[Reporter] What are the EMI/EMC issues that have recently become hot topics in the power electronics field? If there is an agenda that you are interested in, please let us know.

[Dr. Lee Jun-sang] A major requirement for power electronics EMC engineers is to simulate remote ground and local ground.

This ground connection is a test condition required when measuring component-level EMC (e.g. CISPR25). Local grounding is a method of grounding the product enclosure and the grounding table used for EMC testing, while remote grounding is a method of not grounding. When the product is installed in a system, it may or may not be grounded to the system ground (e.g. vehicle body).

Since the path of common mode noise is different in each case, the EMI results also show significant differences. Power electronics EMC engineers want to simulate both cases, and companies like Altair in the simulation industry are working to optimize numerical analysis methods to provide accurate results and fast execution times.

[Reporter] How long have you been working at Altair?

[Dr. Lee Jun-sang] I worked at Altair Korea for three years. I recently moved to Altair headquarters in the United States.

[Reporter] What kind of company is Altair?

[Dr. Lee Jun-sang] Altair is a global company that provides leading software and cloud solutions in engineering simulation, data analysis, and high-performance computing (HPC). It supports product design, optimization, and performance improvement, helping engineers develop innovative products faster and more efficiently.

For example, automotive CAE engineers can use Altair’s tools to optimize vehicle aerodynamics (fluid simulation), improve structural integrity (mechanical simulation), and design advanced electronic systems (electronic simulation).

Additionally, Altair’s AI-based solutions enable predicting product performance and optimizing performance to ensure long-term maintenance.

Altair Korea is providing these technologies tailored to the Korean market and focuses on solving engineering problems for customers across a wide range of industries. In particular, we provide Altair's simulation and data analysis tools in various fields such as automotive, aviation, and electronics.

[Reporter] Why is simulation-based design important?

[Dr. Lee Jun-sang] Simulation-Based Design (SBD) has a revolutionary impact on the engineering and manufacturing industries, and its importance is evident in many aspects.

First, in terms of cost efficiency, SBD significantly reduces the need for physical prototype manufacturing. Engineers can virtually test and iterate products, reducing the need for expensive physical prototypes. In addition, potential design flaws and performance issues can be identified and addressed early in the development process, reducing the cost of post-production modifications.

Second, SBD also offers significant time savings. Virtual testing accelerates the design process, allowing for faster iterations and faster time to market. Concurrent engineering allows multiple aspects of the design to be evaluated simultaneously, increasing overall efficiency. This shortens the product development cycle and gets products to market faster.

Third, SBD plays a vital role in improving product performance. Engineers can design products with better performance by optimizing various parameters through simulation. SBD also provides an opportunity to experiment with innovative designs that are too risky or expensive to physically test.

Fourth, SBD contributes to improving accuracy and precision. Modern simulation tools model complex physical phenomena with high accuracy, providing reliable insights into real-world performance. It allows us to evaluate a variety of scenarios, especially extreme conditions, to ensure the strength and durability of our products.

▲Dr. Lee Jun-sang is giving a lecture at e4ds Analog Day 2023.

[Reporter] Please introduce the EMI/EMC related tools that Altair possesses.

[Dr. Lee Jun-sang] Since its establishment in 1985, Altair has been a company with a solid reputation for mechanical simulation. In order to strengthen its electrical simulation capabilities, it has strategically acquired PSIM, Feko, and PollEx in recent years, making significant progress by filling in the gaps in electrical simulation.

Among these, PSIM is known as an excellent tool for conducting emission simulation of power electronics circuits. This tool is very important for EMC compliance as it allows engineers to model the behavior of power electronics devices and predict conducting emissions.

On the other hand, Feko is a powerful tool for radiated emission simulation. It allows analysis of the propagation of electromagnetic waves and the interaction between various structures in the wave position. It is used for simulating mobile and consumer electronics where radiated emissions can affect product performance and EMC regulatory compliance.

PollEx provides robust ECAD import capabilities and the ability to model current sources in your circuits using IBIS models. PollEx ensures the accuracy of signal integrity and power integrity simulations, improving the electrical reliability of complex PCB systems.

[Reporter] The tools are very detailed. Can they be used in an integrated environment?

[Dr. Lee Jun-sang] Previously, these tools were used independently, forcing engineers to perform time-consuming simulations individually. However, Altair is working on integrating these solvers into a platform called SimLab, which will greatly improve user convenience and simulation efficiency. This integration will enable comprehensive multiphysics simulations that consider not only electrical characteristics but also thermal and mechanical interactions.

[Reporter] There are many similar types of tools on the market. What are the unique advantages of Altair’s tools compared to those of competitors?

[Dr. Lee Jun-sang] Altair's PSIM tool has several advantages and features over competing products in the power electronics design and simulation field.

PSIM is mainly used for design, optimization, and verification of power electronics systems. Altair's PSIM provides an intuitive user interface and examples to help users easily build models and perform simulations. This is a great advantage for both design beginners and experienced engineers.

Additionally, PSIM's own Spice library in macro type enables rapid analysis of complex circuits and systems, and provides a vast library containing various power electronic components and system models. This allows users to easily set up and test different scenarios.

[Reporter] How is AI-based design currently being utilized in the circuit design and EMI/EMC fields?

[Dr. Lee Jun-sang] In terms of our company, Altair recently acquired a company called RapidMiner and is providing codeless AI software. It analyzes simulation data and provides optimized design parameters without having to code scripts directly. This simplifies the design optimization process that is most widely used in engineering simulation.

Going forward, AI-based design is expected to bring about significant changes in the EMI/EMC field. AI is expected to improve prediction accuracy by modeling complex interactions between components and electromagnetic fields more comprehensively. This will enable smart EMC design strategies that can reduce the need for physical EMC testing through better virtual simulations.

Additionally, AI-based simulation tools will be able to agilely ensure EMI/EMC compliance and reliability by monitoring real-time EMI/EMC performance and providing component optimization strategies as components (e.g. passive components like capacitors) change in the BOM. Overall, AI will streamline the EMI/EMC compliance process, accelerate design cycles, and foster innovation in the electronics manufacturing industry.

[Reporter] If you have any plans or goals for the future, please tell us.

[Dr. Lee Jun-sang] In the future, I plan to strengthen EMC-related collaboration by utilizing Altair’s global R&D network. In particular, we will work closely with key customers in the automotive and heavy industry sectors based in the US to further develop EMC simulation technology and use it to provide customized solutions tailored to EMC requirements in Europe and Asia. Through this, we aim to further solidify Altair’s position in the global market and drive simulation innovation in various fields.

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