Coil and PCB for Inductive Noise Solution

for DC-DC Converter

2013.1.8
ANSYS Japan K.K.
Takahiro Koga
1 © 2011 ANSYS, Inc.
 Agenda: Coil and PCB for Inductive Noise Solution

• Motivation and Summary

• Solutions
1. Electromagnetic Analysis
1. Coil : Magnetic Saturation (Maxwell)
2. PCB : Magnetic Coupling (Q3D Extractor)
3. Coil and PCB : Magnetic Coupling (Maxwell)
2. Circuit Simulation
1. Easy to Study with simple equivalent circuit (Simplorer)
2. Integrated System Simulation with FEA models (Simplorer)
• Conclusion
• Appendix: How about Harmonic Noise?

2 © 2011 ANSYS, Inc.

 Motivation and Summary

• A Coil on the PCB is often doubted as noise source,

because it has “Gap” and “Leakage Flux” for Ground Plane
as Inductive noise..?

Coil and PCB

(Real Model for DC-DC) Coil and Simple PCB
(Virtual Test Model)

3 © 2011 ANSYS, Inc.

 Motivation and Summary

• What/How is the critical source of conducting noise on my

power supply PCB ?

Coil and PCB

(Real Model for DC-DC) Coil and Simple PCB
(Virtual Test Model)

4 © 2011 ANSYS, Inc.

 Suite ANSYS Products

• Electromagnetics : Maxwell 3D
• Electromagnetics : Q3D Extractor
• Circuit : Simplorer

• Option (for Maxwell, Q3D Extractor)

ALinks for MCAD
Optimetrics
HPC Pack

5 © 2011 ANSYS, Inc.

 Sim. 1-1
Coil, Magnetic Nonliear Saturation (Maxwell)

• Inductance vs. Input Current

• Magnetostatic
• Specification Max. Current：10A
• 1A ~ 10A

Excitation(Current) Setting
Model

6 © 2011 ANSYS, Inc.

 Sim. 1-1
Coil, Magnetic Nonlinear Saturation (Maxwell)

• Result: Inductance vs. Input Current

Under the spec current(~10A), Not saturated inductance value.
Input Current to 50A
L vs Current 2nd_Coil_Only
30.00

Curve Info

25.00 21uH Flat Matrix1.L(Current1,Current1)

Setup1 : LastAdaptive
Matrix1.L(Current1,Current1) [uH]

20.00

15.00

10.00 Inductance dropped over 40A

5.00

0.00
0.00 10.00 20.00 30.00 40.00 50.00
Current [A]

Inductance vs. Input Current

7 © 2011 ANSYS, Inc.

 Sim. 1-1
Coil, Magnetic Nonlinear Saturation (Maxwell)

• Result: Field Plot Mag_B on the Core

Not magnetic saturated -> Suitable core design

Max. 0.4[T]

5A
Core’s BH Curve

10A
8 © 2011 ANSYS, Inc.
 Sim. 1-1
Coil, Magnetic Nonlinear Saturation (Maxwell)

• Additional Test: Field Plot Mag_B on the Core over 20A

Start to saturate( 0.4T～） over 20A , but still Inductance is sustained.

Max. 0.4[T]

20A 40A 50A

9 © 2011 ANSYS, Inc.

 Sim. 1-1
Coil, Magnetic Nonlinear Saturation (Maxwell)

• Can be linear up to 10A ?

Yes, possible to be linear up to 30A for circuit simulation.

L vs Current 2nd_Coil_Only
30.00 30.00

25.00 25.00

Matrix1.L(Current1,Current1) [uH]
20.00 20.00

Linear [u]
15.00 μr = 3000 Constant 15.00

μr = 3000 Nonlinear BH Curve

10.00 10.00

Curve Info
Matrix1.L(Current1,Current1)
5.00 Setup1 : LastAdaptive 5.00
Linear
Setup1 : LastAdaptive

0.00 0.00
0.00 10.00 20.00 30.00 40.00 50.00
Core’s BH Curve Current [A]

Inductance vs. Input Current

10 © 2011 ANSYS, Inc.
 Sim. 1-2
PCB, Coupling PWR - GND Lines (Q3D Extractor)

• Self/Mutual Inductance(L,M), Magnetic Coupling Coefficient(k)

• DCRL, ACRL(1kHz～2MHz)
• Reduced Matrix
PWR1 and PWR2 are merged into one , then evaluate L, M, k with GND

PWR1

PWR2
GND
PWR

LGND M
M LPWR
11 © 2011 ANSYS, Inc.
 Sim. 1-2
PCB, Coupling PWR - GND Lines (Q3D Extractor)

• Result: Self Inductance(L), Mutual Inductance(M) vs. Frequency

M: 44nH Flat
L. M vs Freq Q3DDesign1
150.00

LGND
125.00 Self Inductance(L)

100.00 LPWR
Curve Info
Y1 [nH]

ACL(GND:GND_Source,GND:GND_Source)
75.00 ACL(GND:GND_Source,PWR:PWR1_Source)
ACL(PWR:PWR1_Source,PWR:PWR1_Source)

50.00

25.00 Mutual Inductance(M) M= 44nH

0.00
1.00 10.00 100.00 1000.00 10000.00
Freq [kHz]

12 © 2011 ANSYS, Inc.

 Sim. 1-2
PCB, Coupling PWR - GND Lines (Q3D Extractor)

• Result: Magnetic Coupling Coefficient(k) vs. Frequency

k: 0.35 Flat
k vs Freq Q3DDesign1
1.00

0.80
Curve Info
k
Setup1 : Sw eep1

0.60

k= 0.35
k

0.40

0.20

0.00
0.00 0.01 0.10 1.00 10.00
Freq [MHz]

13 © 2011 ANSYS, Inc.

 Sim. 1-2
PCB, Coupling PWR - GND Lines (Q3D Extractor)
• Additional Test
Swept GND Position
k vs GND Position Q3DDesign1
1.00

Curve Info
k
0.80 Setup1 : Sw eep1
Freq='0.0001GHz'

0.60

k: 0.26 ~ 0.58
k

0.40

0.20

0.00
-20.00 -15.00 -10.00 -5.00 0.00 5.00 10.00 15.00 20.00
move_x [mm]

-20mm
+18mm

14 © 2011 ANSYS, Inc.

Default Position
 Sim. 1-3
Coil and PCB, Coupling Coil - GND Lines (Maxwell)

• Self/Mutual Inductance(L,M), Magnetic Coupling Coefficient(k)

• Magnetostatics
• 1A～20A

Coil

GND

Top of view

Model

15 © 2011 ANSYS, Inc.

 Sim. 1-3
Coil and PCB, Coupling Coil - GND Lines (Maxwell)
• Result：Mutual Inductance(M), Magnetic Coupling Coefficent(k) at 1A~20A
M: 1.1nH～2.1nH
k: 0.0013～0.0007
Very small value compared with PWR-GND lines coupling
* Ref. slide 18-19

M vs Current 4th_Coil_GND k vs Current 4th_Coil_GND

10.00 0.010
Curve Info
Curve Info
Matrix1.L(Current1,Current3)

Matrix1.CplCoef(Current1,Current3)
Matrix1.L(Current1,Current3) [nH]

Setup1 : LastAdaptive Matrix1.CplCoef(Current1,Current3)

8.00 0.008 Setup1 : LastAdaptive

6.00 0.006

4.00
M= 1.1nH～2.1nH 0.004
k= 0.0007～0.0013

2.00 0.002

0.00 0.000
0.00 5.00 10.00 15.00 20.00 0.00 5.00 10.00 15.00 20.00
Current [A] Current [A]

M vs. input Current k vs. input current

16 © 2011 ANSYS, Inc.

 Sim. 1-3
Coil and PCB, Coupling Coil - GND Lines (Maxwell)
• Additional Test
Swept GND Position
k vs GND Position 5th_Coil_GND_Linear
0.0010
Curve Info
Matrix1.CplCoef(Current1,Current3)
Setup1 : LastAdaptive
Matrix1.CplCoef(Current1,Current3)

0.0005

0.0000

k= 0.00078～-0.00028
-0.0005

-0.0010
-20.00 -15.00 -10.00 -5.00 0.00 5.00 10.00 15.00 20.00
move_x [mm]

-20mm +18mm

17 © 2011 ANSYS, Inc. Default Position

 Sim. 2-1
Easy to Study with simple equivalent circuit (Simplorer)

• Equivalent circuit with extracted parameters(R,L,k)

• Input switching voltage to the equivalent circuit model and analyzing inductive current at GND
line (as inductive noise)
• Motivation:
Which coupling factor is dominant for noise?

Switching Freq.
100kHz

Model
18 © 2011 ANSYS, Inc.
 Sim. 2-1
Easy to Study with simple equivalent circuit (Simplorer)

• Easy to Study Equivalent Circuit

Equivalent Circuit with extracted parameters

GND Coil

M: GND – PW1 M: GND - Coil M: GND – PWR2 PWR2 GND

PWR1

Coil
PWR1 PWR2

Easy to Study Equivalent Circuit

19 © 2011 ANSYS, Inc.

 Sim. 2-1
Easy to Study with simple equivalent circuit (Simplorer)

• Result #1: Waveform Coil(Power line) Current and Induced Current at GND line
Max 0.84A in the GND Line @ Max. 10A in the Power Line
Current 1st_All
10.00

8.00

Current at Coil, PWR line

6.00
Y1 [A]

4.00
Curve Info max rms
R_GND.I
0.8394 0.5014
TR
R_PWR1.I
2.00 9.8561 7.3096
TR

0.00
Current at GND line
(Inductive Noise)
-2.00
100.00 150.00 200.00 250.00 300.00 350.00 400.00
Time [us]

20 © 2011 ANSYS, Inc.

 Sim. 2-1
Easy to Study with simple equivalent circuit (Simplorer)

• Result #2: What happens if GND is floated?

No current induced (No noise)
Current 2nd_GND_Float
10.00

8.00

Current at Coil, PWR line

6.00
Y1 [A]

4.00
Curve Info max rms
R_GND.I
0.0000 0.0000
2.00 TR

TR
R_PWR1.I
9.8545 7.3094
Current at GND line
0.00
(Inductive Noise)
-2.00
100.00 150.00 200.00 250.00 300.00 350.00 400.00
Time [us]

Connect High impedance

(1Mohm) to GND

21 © 2011 ANSYS, Inc.

 Sim. 2-1
Easy to Study with simple equivalent circuit (Simplorer)

• Each Self/Mutual Inductance values

• GND-Coil mutual inductance value is very smaller than others
-> How influence is this for Noise?

143.9nH
22.0nH 1.24nH 22.0nH

21240nH

47.5nH 42.5nH

22 © 2011 ANSYS, Inc.

 Sim. 2-1
Easy to Study with simple equivalent circuit (Simplorer)

• Result #2: What happens if M between Coil and GND was neglected?
No change in Inductive Noise

Current 3rd_EVB_coupling
10.00

8.00

Current at Coil, PWR line

6.00
Y1 [A]

4.00
Curve Info max rms
R_GND.I
0.8163 0.4876
TR

Current at GND line

2.00 R_PWR1.I
9.8560 7.3096
TR

0.00 (Inductive Noise)

-2.00
100.00 150.00 200.00 250.00 300.00 350.00 400.00
Time [us]

23 © 2011 ANSYS, Inc.

 Sim. 2-1
Easy to Study with simple equivalent circuit (Simplorer)

• Result #3: What happens if M between PWR1,2 and GND were neglected?
Inductive Noise significantly reduced

Current 4th_Coil_Coupling
10.00

8.00

Current at Coil, PWR line

6.00
Y1 [A]

4.00

Curve Info max rms

R_GND.I

Current at GND line

0.0230 0.0138
2.00 TR
R_PWR1.I
9.8545 7.3094
TR

0.00 (Inductive Noise)

-2.00
100.00 150.00 200.00 250.00 300.00 350.00 400.00
Time [us]

24 © 2011 ANSYS, Inc.

 Sim. 2-1
Easy to Study with simple equivalent circuit (Simplorer)

• Result #1 - #3: FFT on GND Line current

#1: Original
#2: M(Coil-GND) is neglected
#3: M(PWR-GND) is neglected

25 © 2011 ANSYS, Inc.

 Sim. 2-2
Integrated System Simulation with FEA models (Simplorer)

• Maxwell and Q3D models brought into Simplorer

• Previous analysis confirmed the coupling between the Coil and GND
Line can be neglected

Q3D Extractor

Maxwell

Integrated model

26 © 2011 ANSYS, Inc.

 Sim. 2-2
Integrated System Simulation with FEA models (Simplorer)

• Result: Waveform and FFT Coil(Power line) Current and Induced Current at GND line
Current 5th_Mxwl_Q3D_Coupling
10.00

8.00

Current at Coil, PWR line

6.00
Y1 [A]

4.00
Curve Info max rms
AM1.I 1.6091 1.0081
R_Coil.I 9.8136 7.2690

2.00
Current at GND line
0.00
(Inductive Noise)

-2.00
100.00 150.00 200.00 250.00 300.00 350.00 400.00
Time [us]

FFT GND Current 5th_Mxwl_Q3D_Coupling

1.00E+000
Curve Info
mag(AM1.I)
1.00E-001 TR

1.00E-002
mag(AM1.I) [A]

1.00E-003

1.00E-004

1.00E-005

1.00E-006
0.00 0.01 0.10 1.00 10.00
27 © 2011 ANSYS, Inc. Spectrum [MHz]
 Conclusion

• Effect of the leakage flux from the coil on the PCB traces
is evaluated by simulation

• Possible three factors of the noise source are investigated

• Noise due to the crosstalk coupling among the traces on

the PCB is dominant , while crosstalk between the coil and
the traces is negligible

• ANSYS can provide the effective noise evaluation solution

by EM-Circuit coupled SYSTEM simulation

28 © 2011 ANSYS, Inc.

 Step Up Solution

• You can step up PCB model(Q3D Extractor) from virtual

test model to Real model

Can clear the magnetic coupling relation between coil and PCB
with Maxwell 3D, Q3D Extractor and Simplorer
29 © 2011 ANSYS, Inc.