Two complementary approaches for the thermal simulation of electronic equipment

This paper describes two consistent and complementary approaches for the thermal simulation of electronic equipment. They both consist of performing a PCB thermal analysis to compute the component junction temperatures, so as to prevent overheating problems, but they deeply differ in the context of their use and accordingly in their capabilities. Basically, the first approach integrates the thermal functions in one program to maximize ease of use and interactivity while the second one integrates the programs dedicated to these functions in one framework to maximize flexibility and accuracy. Both approaches share the same PCB geometrical description, as generated by the PCB design system.