Handy Decoupling Design Tools

Found these tools from manufacturer's websites regarding capacitor choice and getting their respective ESR, ESL and other necessary values.

Check out Murata's Chip S-parameter & Impedance Library
http://www.murata.com/products/capacitor/design_support/index.html

Check out Kemet's Spice software
http://www.kemet.com/kemet/web/homepage/kechome.nsf/weben/kemsoft

AVX have their own site as well, but the programs aren't as good
http://www.avx.com/SpiApps/default.asp

Yageo (acquired Phycomp in 2000) have their own version as well, this gives a lot more information
http://www.yageo.com/?mid=40029

Of all of them, I found Murata's tools to be the easiest to use, find and download. Kemet's are good as well and I found AVX's software tools to be a little harder to use than the others. Murata's tool allows you to enter a valid order code and you can extract details from that straight away, very handy indeed.

If anyone knows of any other manufacturer's that have these tools available online, please let me know, am trying to build up a helpful and handy database.

Take it easy.

LightPeak

Just found this article on Light Peak from Intel, looks pretty cool. Sounds like Intel are holding back on the whole upgrading to USB 3.0 as they claim when LightPeak comes along, it can operate over the same USB port, but operating over 10Gbps over fibre optic cables. Now that'll kick the copper cables outta here.

http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/15/intel-says-light-peak-coming-next-year-can-and-will-coexist-wit/