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Optimal Design of Electronic System Utilizing an Integrated Multi-Disciplinary Process

01 January 2000

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(TITLE was originally Knowledge-Based Engineering System for Design of Electronic Equipment) Design of an electronic system requires knowledge of various engineering disciplines such as thermal issues, structural performance, electromagnetic interference shielding, etc. Considering only the thermal issues would not be sufficient since, for instance, physical size of the equipment has a direct influence on the structural performance, pressure drop of the system, and on the temperature rise in the unit. An integrated system model is required to make sense of these interdependencies. Utilizing an integrated approach in the design of electronic systems has many advantages. One is the speed at which an optimal solution can be obtained. An integrated approach, the main goal of the current investigation, would have a major impact on the industry. Implementation of an integrated multidisciplinary approach in the design of electronic assembly can shorten the design cycle and thus reduce time-to-market, while increasing the quality of the product. To illustrate this approach, an integrated design model with four distinct areas of electronic equipment design is considered. These engineering areas are Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) Shielding Effectiveness, Structural Performance, Thermal Management, and Material Selection. Optimization approach is also implemented based on a weighted-multi-attribute objective function. It is evident that not all the engineering fields are equally important in the design optimization. The approach presented in this work has been tested on an industrial case study, and its utility to evaluate alternative designs and optimize the results has been confirmed.