KiCad FEM with free Software Tools
Published 6/2024
Duration: 3h1m | .MP4 1280x720, 30 fps(r) | AAC, 44100 Hz, 2ch | 1.69 GB
Genre: eLearning | Language: English

Learn to perform 3D Finite Element Analysis (FEM / FEA) with KiCad using free Software

What you'll learn
Learn to use the Finite Element Method (FEM) for KiCad with free tools
Perform thermal analysis of your Kicad PCB with airflow or without airflow, static as well as transient analysis
Simulate the electric fields around your KiCad Traces and voltage drop acrossm traces.
Simulate how current flows through your Kicad traces by simulating the current density and direction of the current (via vectors)
FEM simulation can nicely suplement your LTSpice simulation results
Simulate trace heating due to current via simulation of joule heating
Lean how to use FreeCAD, ElmerGUI, Salome, Meshlab, StepUp to create 3D simulations

Requirements
You should at least know what KiCad is, everything else you will learn inside the course.

Description
This course if for you, if you are already using KiCad but cannot yet afford a commercial FEM tool that typically costs tens of thousands of dollars.
Besides learning how to perform FEM simulations with free tools you will also learn a lot of interesting facts that for sure will make you a better hardware design engineer after watching this course.
In this course I will show you how to simulate following topics with free Software Tools for KiCad:
* We will learn how to do Thermal simulations that take airflow into account.
For this we will work our way up from simulating the heat conduction between PCB and compoonents
and also by simulationg the heat conduction between copper trace and the PCB material.
Finally we will be adding airflow to the simulation.
* We will learn how to simulate the current that flows through a PCB trace
Based on the current density, we will be able to simulate the voltage drop on a trace
as well as trace temperature increase due to current.
* We will also learn how to simulate the electric fields around a trace and components.
The simulations of the field in 3 dimensions can show you where your signal routing can be improved based on how the electric field is propagating inside and outside of your PCB.
Who this course is for:
This course is for beginners and advanced users. Many people have no acess to FEM simulation for KiCad as FEM tools cost tens of thousands of dollars. This course only uses completely free tools.

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