This paper demonstrates the development of an open-source software solution that can be used for quick evaluation of the thermal performance for a given PCB design using common PCB design files. While existing software solutions exist for performing thermal analysis of PCBs, the intent of this solution is to give a designer confidence in their PCB design and indications of areas of concern that could require revision. Hardware validation led to adjustments of the model with the final output on average of 8% error.
