WEBENCH® Design Center

Thermal Analysis

This Thermal Analysis page provides easy access to the tools and information needed to understand and design thermal systems including design tools, lab analysis recommendations, education, and FAQs. Select a thermal analysis section below to see more information.

	Videos A 4-part series on thermal considerations for TI products. What should I know about thermal performance? Why does thermal performance matter? Thermal Considerations for TI Analog Products (Parts 1 to 4)...
	Designing for Thermal Performance It is often important to understand how various components will perform in a system before the system is assembled and available for testing. Widgets & How-to's… Designing for thermal performance can mean many things: Choosing the right TI device, choosing between multiple package options, or trying to understand how a full system will work together. The links below offer helpful information to help with design for thermal performance. TI Tools & Information To help with component selection and system thermal design: PCB Thermal Calculator widget ECN: How to make early thermal assessments and decisions using a simple resistor network How to use a PowerPad Device (PDF, 105KB)
	Temperatures In The Lab It is often necessary to make thermal calculations for components in an existing electronic system. Read below to learn how to use measured thermal data to estimate internal device temperatures. Publications… EE Journal: Methods for Estimating Component Temperature Part 1 EE Journal: Methods for Estimating Component Temperature Part 2 -- Case Temperature EE Journal: Methods for Estimating Component Temperature Part 3 -- Board Temperature How to use Psi-JT to calculate Junction Temperature (PDF, 130KB)
	Thermal Education & Basics Learn more about basic thermal concepts, thermal analysis and special thermal considerations for electronic systems. Linked below are training documents, application notes, and one page printable handouts which will help to explain the basics of thermal engineering in the electronics industry. Application Notes, Publications, Training, & Resources… Application Notes Theta Definitions (PDF, 100KB) PowerPAD (PDF, 906KB) Thermal Calculator (PDF, 100KB) Using Thermal Metrics for Power Devices (PDF, 100KB) Publications EE Journal: Methods for Estimating Component Temperature Electronics Design: Thermal Modeling Takes the Heat off of Automotive Silicon Design EE Times: What is Ambient Temperature Anyway, and Why Does it Matter? Electronics Products Magazine: Printed Circuit Board Cooling Techniques and Strategies for IC Packages IEEExplore© A Quick PCB Thermal Calculator to Aid System Design of Exposed Pad Packages Note: IEEExplore© access is required to access the paper. Vendor Training Mentor Graphics: Using FloTHERM to Assist Thermally Optimized Die Design in the Auto Industry Tools PCB Thermal Calculator widget More Resources How to use a PowerPAD Device (PDF, 105KB) How to use Psi-JT to calculate Junction Temperature (PDF, 130KB)
	Thermal FAQs Frequently asked questions... Select a question below to read the answer: How hot is my die going to get? A1: If the device is mounted on a board, you can estimate the die junction temperature by measuring the top of your device and using Psi Jt. A2: If board mounted device is not available, the PCB Thermal Calculator can be used to estimate die temperature for several Analog PowerPAD devices. What is Theta Jx for my device (Theta Ja, Theta Jc, etc)? A1: The appropriate theta values for most devices are listed in the Device Thermal Table on in the device datasheet. If the thermal table is not available it can be requested from the PIC or on the TI E2E Community page for that device type. A2: Do you plan to estimate the die junction temperature? How can I improve the thermal design of my PCB? A1: Add copper! By increasing the copper content of your PCB, you improve the ability of the board to transfer and dissipate heat away from the power components. An unbroken copper spreading path (generally it is tied to the ground plane) will help to move heat away from the device. Copper can be added by: increasing the number of layers in the PCB (from 2 to 4 layers for example) by using thicker copper plating for each layer (1 ounce copper to 2 ounce copper), for powerpad devices thermal vias can be added under the device to quickly move heat through the board, add top or bottom side copper planes. A2: The minimum recommended copper layout for PowerPAD devices is detailed in our PowerPAD Application Note. C. Do you already have boards built up? Measure the board temperature and then use the PCB Thermal Calculator to estimate the junction temperature of your device. Do I need to solder the exposed pad of my device? A: For QFN/SON type packages the exposed pad must be soldered for mechanical reliability. For thermal integrity of PowerPAD type packages, TI recommends that the exposed pad be soldered, but it is not required for mechanical reasons. See an example of How a PowerPAD device works to show an example of the thermal path through the exposed pad when soldered. See the PowerPAD Application Note for more information on PowerPAD packages. How does TI do thermal analysis, what tools do you use? A: In order to best assess the thermal performance of our devices, TI uses a full JEDEC thermal lab, Infared cameras, as well as several thermal modeling software suites. The thermal modeling software currently used includes FloTherm, IcePack, as well as several custom tools developed inside TI. How do you know your thermal models are accurate? A: Accuracy is important. To verify the values published in our datasheets, TI has done a modeling and measurement correlation on several of the common package types used in TI. The modeled data is consistently within 10% of the measured data.