Motorola Labs Engineers

Dr. Olson was first introduced to Crystal Ball Professional through the recommendation of a Motorola Statistical Black Belt, who suggested that Crystal Ball could further augment the capabilities and features of their spreadsheetbased models. Dr. Olson's team has developed a range of proprietary Excel-based models that describe the cost, electrical, or mechanical performance of electronic assemblies used on portable consumer electronics.

'Through dynamic variation of these models, we are able to better understand the relative performance and cost relationships of various competing technologies or alternative designs,' noted Dr. Olson. Prior to his use of Crystal Ball, Dr. Olson had used custom macro programs written for Excel.

The Design Reliability Team also finds that the software is useful for quickly assessing the relative impact of conflicting design requirements or design tradeoffs. Such simulations can help to check the robustness of the design when particular design parameters are varied.

For example, in a PWB performance simulation, they can look at the effect upon line impedance as a result of variation in dielectric constant, loss tangent, or circuit design. By simulating 5000 combinations of design model variables, a desktop computer can determine the relative robustness of a design solution in about two minutes. In contrast, an exact solution would require tens of hours of simulation on a far more powerful workstation.

'I call Crystal Ball my 95-percent correct solution,' said Dr. Olson. 'Providing that the model is appropriately structured, Crystal Ball Professional can return an answer that is 95% correct in less than 5% of the time it would take a higher level simulation tool to return a comparable result. In many instances, the time savings more than compensate for the increased uncertainty and result in a better, more timely decision.'

Dr. Olson believes that skillful application of Crystal Ball can address a remarkable range of problems, from engineering applications involving electrical and mechanical design to projecting potential revenues from new businesses or projects. 'In my experience I have found this tool to be as versatile and applicable as Microsoft Excel. I hope your experience is the same.'

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info@crystalball.com
www.crystalball.com
Dr. William L. Olson
Design Reliability Team Leader
Motorola Labs MATC
G11373@email.mot.com