Sherlock’s post-processor determines time to failure with a complete and comprehensive lifetime curve—reducing the number of required physical testing iterations and improving the chances that prototypes will pass qualification tests in the first round. Sherlock’s post-processing tool includes reporting and recommendations, a lifetime curve graph, red-yellow-green risk indicators, tabular display, graphic overlay, pinned results based on reliability goals, automated report generation and a locked IP model for review by suppliers and customers.

With its extensive parts and materials libraries (part, package, materials, solder, laminate and more), Sherlock automatically identifies your files and imports your parts list. It then builds a 3D finite element analysis (FEA) model of your circuit board in minutes. Sherlock’s powerful parsing engine (capable of importing Gerber, ODB++ and IPC-2581 files, etc.) and embedded libraries (containing over 600,000 parts) automatically builds box-level FEA models with accurate material properties—reducing pre-processing time from days to minutes.

Sherlock is the leading industry tool for converting a range of ECAD files into simulation-ready finite element models, with the following features: Captures stackup from output files (Gerber, ODB++, IPC-2581)
Automatically calculates weight, density and in-plane and out-of-plane modulus, coefficient of thermal expansion and thermal conductivity
Allows the user to explicitly model all PCB features.

Utilizing Physics of Failure and Reliability Physics techniques, Sherlock accurately predicts the failure behavior of electronic hardware and components, providing users with actionable results to optimize their product designs. Physics of Failure (PoF), or Reliability Physics, uses degradation algorithms that describe how physical, chemical, mechanical, thermal or electrical mechanisms can decline over time and eventually induce failure. Sherlock uses these algorithms to assess thermal cycling, mechanical shock, natural frequency, harmonic vibration, random vibration, bending, integrated circuit/semiconductor wear-out, thermal derating, conductive anodic filament (CAF) qualification and more.

Sherlock predicts thermal failure rate and end of life for multiple part technologies as a function of ambient temperature, temperature rise due to power dissipation, and electrical loads. Aging and wear-out of integrated circuits are captured through acceleration transforms for electromigration, time-dependent dielectric breakdown, hot carrier injection and negative bias temperature instability. Supplier-specific time to failure predictions for aluminum liquid electrolytic capacitors and ceramic capacitors (MLCC) is provided. Finally, Sherlock automates the thermal derating process and flags devices being used outside of the specified operation or storage temperature range.

Sherlock provides users ultimate flexibility in predicting solder fatigue behavior. The software’s fully validated 1D solder model predicts solder fatigue reliability under thermomechanical and mechanical environments for all electronic parts (die attach, BGA, QFN, TSOP, chip resistor, through hole, etc.).
Sherlock’s Thermal-Mech capability incorporates the effect of system-level mechanical elements (chassis, module, housing, connectors, etc.) on solder fatigue analysis by capturing complex, mixed mode loading conditions. Sherlock also supports the use of Darveaux or Syed models in Ansys Mechanical by pushing simulation-ready models of BGA, CSP, SiP, and 2.5D/3D packaging.