- Flex Power Modules has updated its Flex Power Designer software that helps power designers improve the overall power-stage design analysis
- These include improved load-based design capability amongst system optimisation others
Flex Power Modules has announced an update to its Flex Power Designer software. The new 4.0.1 release includes a reference design tool for Xilinx-based field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs). It also provides further system optimisation and loop compensator features for improving the overall power-stage design analysis, helping power designers to accelerate time-to-market.
Efficient load input data feature
A major upgrade to this version includes a load-based design capability that enables a more accessible and accurate load simulation based on the needs of Xilinx FPGAs. Xilinx Power Estimator (XPE) files for the Virtex Ultrascale+ series can now be effortlessly imported into the Flex Power Designer. Once the relevant load input data is selected, the software automatically detects potential design issues (for example, addressing transient power requirements). It also suggests suitable parts for delivering optimised power to rails based on performance and cost. This advancement simplifies pre-design, power architecture evaluation and power module device selection.
Suitably find products
Other enhancement to the Flex Power Designer includes System optimisation feature to the System view. Starting with a load, it can be used to automatically find suitable products and optimize bus voltage based on several configurable parameters.
Two new features have also been added to the Loop Compensator tool. The first is an option to automatically adjust the Vout setpoint to compensate for the Vout drop. The other is an option to include Vout accuracy and ripple in load transient plot and optimization, providing designers with the means of directly taking into account device tolerances and ripple in load transient simulations.
Additionally, the upgraded software version offers extended support for the PMU series of Analog Point of Load (POL) regulators.
“By ushering in the next generation with Xilinx FPGA design support and extra system optimization and loop compensator analytical features, Flex Power Modules has gifted design teams with an accurate and reliable software which is even more robust and easy to use,” said Olle Hellgren, Director Product Management and Business Development at Flex Power Modules
Flex Power Designer is available to download free of charge from the Flex website.