Date: 26/10/2008

Free online EDA tool for designing white LED based lighting solutions

Philips Lumileds and Future Lighting Solutions have introduced industry's first online Electronic Design Automation (EDA) tools. This software helps in developing solid-state lighting solutions (LED based) for general lighting applications such as task lamps, recessed down-lights, outdoor lighting and shop lighting.
Software is freely available on companies' web sites.
The suite includes tools that provide analysis and data on LED selection, reliability, lifetime, thermal management, and detailed models for optical, electrical and mechanical design.
The modules/tools named Usable Light Tool and LED Reliability Tool will aid designers to choose the right LED for their application. They compare expected performance of LEDs in a variety of environments. For electrical development, SPICE analysis can be conducted with National Semiconductor's Webench or Linear Technology's LTspice. The library models also work with Cadence OrCad, Altium Designer and CadSoft Eagle for easy schematic entry and board layout. Models for mechanical layout are provided in standard 2D and 3D CAD file formats. The tools are can be downloaded from either,
http:/www.philipslumileds.com/resources/design or http://www.futurelightingsolutions.com/services/tools.asp