Artificial intelligence (AI) can be leveraged to speed up many routine tasks. When AI algorithms are used in NX™ software or Xpedition™ software, which are part of the Siemens Xcelerator business platform of software, hardware and services, mechanical design and circuit board design and layout can be performed much more quickly. Further-more, with the predictive capabilities of AI and machine learning (ML), new designers can quickly be brought up to speed.

The intent behind using AI in NX or Xpedition is to make more human ideas a reality. When AI is paired with electronic computer-aided design (ECAD) or mechanical computer-aided design (MCAD), it can reduce the time and effort required to bring designs from the mind of the designer to fruition as a physical device.

Using AI to improve ECAD

In traditional ECAD work, much of the designer’s time is spent determining and selecting the correct components for the design. However, AI can be deployed to learn from the patterns used by designers and suggest commonly used components based on the design intent. Not only does it build the suggestion list from a particular engineer’s choices, but it can incorporate past designs and historical data to make suggestions and implement commonly used components and circuit layouts. This alone can drastically reduce design time as well as help new or inexperienced engineers develop their ideas.

Another advantage of implementing AI in ECAD is new input devices, such as voice commands and virtual reality (VR) goggles, can help developers place components much more quickly and efficiently. It makes the software more accessible and speeds up the design process. For example, an engineer can examine a virtual circuit board and say, “place our standard operational amplifier circuit in the lower left-hand corner of the board,” and AI will take over, look at the most common amplifier circuits and pick the most suitable one for a particular design. Meanwhile, the engineer can rotate and view the board from multiple angles, all in VR or augmented reality (AR), without the need to perform expensive prototyping.

AI improves NX

NX is already a powerful MCAD tool, allowing designers to rapidly develop 2D and 3D mechanical designs ready for physical prototyping. It has been used across many industries, including aerospace, automotive, industrial machinery, electronics, etc.

Modeling capabilities are built into NX for design and performance, including surface modeling, finite element analysis (FEA) and finite volume method (FVM). Furthermore, NX can be used directly in the manufacturing process, where designed components are physically machined and assembled. Designers can design, test and physically construct components and assemblies far more rapidly than in the past.

AI improves NX by providing additional capabilities in all three stages of development: design, testing and manufacturing. In the design phase, common, repetitive and time-consuming designs are implemented with little input from the engineer. It can take 3D designs and quickly produce 2D images for detailed instructions for assembly or troubleshooting purposes. During testing, AI can quickly process multiple use cases, finding the boundary conditions that will be of most interest, and then run those against the design. Instead of the engineer having to develop each set of boundary conditions, AI can also scan historical data, finding conditions that have led to problems in the past, or common loading criteria. Once a design has been created and modeled, the addition of AI makes it easier to integrate and communicate designs with other collaborators, manufacturing cells and other interested parties.

What does this look like on the practical level? During development of a new mechanical design of a bracket that requires multiple ribs for support, AI recognizes the new engineer is redrawing a commonly used system of components. It suggests that simulations be conducted to see how the assembly will perform under load. This drastically reduces the time spent in design, prototyping and testing. During manufacturing, AI can designate the smartest tool routing paths to save time and energy. Ultimately, designs are created and tested in a fraction of the time, even by designers that are new to MCAD.

AI improves Xpedition

The use of Xpedition is a driving force in ECAD, making circuit designs and circuit board layout easier and more efficient. Xpedition is widely used in the electronics design industry for printed circuit board (PCB) layouts.

There are built-in simulation capabilities to test for thermal management, electromagnetic interference (EMI) and other problems that are often overlooked in initial designs. These overlooked issues lead to multiple redesigns and prototyping steps, which significantly impact the cost and schedule.

When AI and Xpedition work together, some of the same benefits are realized as when AI and NX work together. Components can be predicted and suggested based on past designs, modeling data and other predetermined criteria. This way, designers do not have to calculate new component values as often or redesign each of these circuits for every iteration.

However, AI does much more. It can improve modeling capabilities, handling both thermal and EMI considerations. By doing so, PCB component layouts can be optimized to minimize heat, EMI and cross talk. In general, this means PCBs can be made more reliable and more compact than ever before. Soon AI will have the capabilities to parse historical data for common failure modes and integrate that with advanced simulation routines. It will take an existing design and look at how the placement of a part, or the change in frequency, will affect the new design. By embedding an increasing amount of AI capability into its ECAD products, Siemens Digital Industries Software helps users increase their productivity and generate boards more efficiently.

The future with NX and Xpedition

As AI routines continue to improve, they will make both NX and Xpedition even more powerful, creating new ways to design and implement ideas. Command prediction will continue to improve, reducing the time spent hunting through cascaded menus and searching for the proper tools or components. This is invaluable for new and experienced designers, who would otherwise spend too much time looking for components instead of designing them.

In addition to bringing new designers up to speed in shorter amounts of time, AI will also improve integration with voice recognition. NX voice command allows the designer to speak and have components appear in the design. A microphone captures the speech, and an AI algorithm analyzes it, pulling out key words such as components and locations. Between the predictive algorithms for choosing components and the ability to reference historical data, the addition of components to a design will require little manual manipulation. Soon AI will be able to determine that a band-pass filter is required to reduce noise. The engineer says, “add a band-pass filter to clean up that signal,” and the AI will know where to place it on the PCB.

Consider also how voice activation has the potential to improve large, collaborative projects. A design can be shared on a common screen. As designers work together, they can say things like, “rotate it counterclockwise,” and “lengthen that mounting bracket by another half an inch” and the design will change based on the verbal commands.

The bottom line

AI offers so much potential when paired with NX and Xpedition. Siemens also has many resources on how AI is affecting the design world, from podcasts with Siemens developers to case studies.

At first glance, it may appear difficult to get started in the world of AI, but it doesn’t have to be. Visit the following resources to learn more about how NX, Xpedition and AI can speed up the design process, make designs more efficient and bring more ideas to life.