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Volume 41 (May 18, 2005)
Reducing Digital Device Noise with World-Recognized EMC Technology (2/2)
Confidence and pride as the pioneer of EMC technology
senior system integrator,
Platform LSI Division
assistant manager,
1st Chip Technology Development Group, Chip Technology Development Division, NEC Micro Systems, Ltd.
assistant manager,
Technology Foundation Development Group, Design Engineering Division
NEC Electronics' EMC technology contributes to the solution of problems faced by customers troubled by EMI noise. One example of this is underscored by an episode that occurred in the spring of 2004. A digital image device manufacturer contacted NEC Electronics to request a consultation. This manufacturer was having problems because EMI noise had become so great that it was having an adverse effect on images. Although the device manufacturer had asked its existing LSI manufacturer to redo the design numerous times, the LSI manufacturing was unable to clear the target EMI value. It was then that the device manufacturer contacted NEC Electronics.
Masahiro Tonami of the Platform LSI Division and Nobuo Ida of the NEC Micro Systems' Chip Technology Development Division began to investigate possible measures for EMI reduction. Based on past experience, they figured they could reduce EMI by 20 dB. However, it wasn't quite as simple as they imagined, and they found it difficult to reduce EMI in this particular situation.
With ASICs, pin arrangement and frequency differ for each product. Therefore, it would be necessary for Tonami and Ida to perform a detailed investigation with respect to the specifications of each product. , After obtaining a "net list" (LSI data collected during the development stage), Ida set to work on creating a plan.
Watanabe got Yuuichi Iizuka, also of the Technology Foundation Development Unit Division, involved in the matter. Iizuka, a man of remarkable talent, was integral to the creation of an optimal plan, which was the first step toward the realization of EMC countermeasures. After Iizuka received the net list, he spent an entire day just looking at it until a single idea took shape. Iizuka's brainstorm was helped by the fact that NEC Electronics was the first in the industry to establish EMC technology. Three days after getting the netlist, the team finally discovered what they considered to be the answer to the customer's problem, and simulation results showed that a satisfactory numerical value could indeed be attained.
What surprised the customer was that the numerical value generated during the simulation was identical to that obtained when actual measurements were performed for the finished product. Moreover, the unit price for kits was reduced because external capacitors, which had up until then been essential for noise prevention, were no longer necessary. The kits therefore became particularly appealing to purchasing departments. Watanabe declares with an air of total confidence, "This is all because we were the very first in the industry to tackle the development of EMC technology."
Enabling customers to perform their own measurements and simulations
Tonami, who deals directly with customers, states with great pride, "EMC measurement and simulation can now be carried out virtually anywhere. We are the only company in the industry that offers a system that enables customers to perform measurements on devices they design, such as gate arrays and embedded arrays, and also easily carry out simulations that have a very small margin of error compared to the actual measurement." This accuracy helps alleviate the stress felt by customers when they must delay production in order to request that measurements or simulations be performed by an outside source.
NEC Electronics' EMC technology can also be applied to cell-based ICs. In addition, a technology that makes it possible to perform EMI measurements and simulations for not only LSI chips but also boards in their entirety has already been put into practical use. This technology eliminates wasted time and cost overruns incurred when board designs must be done over and over again without even clearing the standard.
NEC Electronics' EMC technology is expected to play an ever-greater role as demand increases for acceleration, increased performance and miniaturization of LSI chips for PCs, printers, mobile phones, DVCs, flat-display TVs and other digital consumer electronics products and digital products for automobiles and more.
