Compare Altair Activate vs. Ansys Sherlock

Altair Activate is utilized to model and simulate a diverse array of products as interconnected systems, facilitating the discovery of improved designs at an accelerated pace. As products across various sectors grow more intricate, electrified, intelligent, and interconnected, the need for advanced simulation tools becomes paramount. By leveraging multi-disciplinary system-level simulation capabilities, designers can develop sophisticated mechatronic systems more holistically, fostering enhanced collaboration and streamlined workflows among product development teams. Altair Activate effectively eliminates barriers between various subsystems, including mechanical, electrical, control, and electronic components, as well as software and hardware-in-the-loop interactions, alongside data analytics. Utilizing 1D modeling and simulation for thermal-fluid system dynamics allows for nearly equivalent accuracy to traditional 3D CFD methods, while significantly reducing timeframes, thereby promoting extensive design exploration and performance optimization more efficiently. This innovative approach not only speeds up the design process but also empowers teams to create more integrated and efficient product solutions.

Ansys Sherlock stands out as the sole reliability physics-based tool for electronics design that delivers quick and precise life expectancy assessments for electronic components, boards, and systems during the initial design phases. By automating the design analysis process, Ansys Sherlock enables the rapid generation of life predictions, thus eliminating the "test-fail-fix-repeat" cycle that often hampers development. Designers can effectively model the interactions between silicon–metal layers, semiconductor packaging, printed circuit boards (PCBs), and assemblies, allowing for accurate predictions of potential failure risks stemming from thermal, mechanical, and manufacturing stresses, all prior to creating prototypes. Additionally, Sherlock's extensive libraries, which house over 500,000 components, facilitate the seamless transformation of electronic computer-aided design (ECAD) files into computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and finite element analysis (FEA) models. Each of these models is equipped with precise geometries and material properties, ensuring that stress information is accurately conveyed for reliable predictions. This capability not only enhances design efficiency but also significantly reduces the risk of costly errors in the later stages of product development.