Set Of Design Tools Research Articles

Design methodology of functionally graded cellular materials: Manipulating design parameters of triply periodic minimal surfaces through three-dimensional density distributions

Functionally Graded Cellular Materials (FGCM) with variable volume fractions have demonstrated significant advantages, including weight reduction, improved stiffness, and enhanced load distribution, when compared to uniform density counterparts. Their design is often characterized by the application of a density distribution to locally modify Representative Volume Elements (RVEs). Current studies have explored the application of Triply Periodic Minimal Surfaces (TPMS) topologies, given their capability to create seamless and interconnected structures, thus avoiding stress concentration issues commonly encountered in traditional lattice configurations. Consequently, this paper introduces a design methodology tailored to TPMS-based FGCM allowing for independent or simultaneous adjustments of RVE thickness and size. Models for predicting relative density as a function of the RVE design parameters of Primitive and Gyroid topologies are presented and discussed. These models are employed to adapt the topologies to three-dimensional density distributions. The proposed method is implemented as a set of design tools and is illustrated for the studied TPMS topologies.

3‐1: Invited Paper: Reality Versus Simulations in Diffractive Waveguide Combiners

Dispelix has developed an advanced design toolset capable of optimizing the image quality and performance of augmented reality near‐eye and head‐up displays based on diffractive waveguide technology. The design toolset can solve the unique challenge prevalent in diffractive optical waveguide systems by accurately simulating the operation of nano‐scale diffractive surface relief gratings in an optical waveguide with macro‐scale dimensions. This paper presents simulation results of key performance metrics and compares them to measurement data from samples manufactured by state‐of‐the‐art nanofabrication tools.

Graph-based decomposition for electrical wiring design in interior finishing

Electrical wiring design within interior finishing is subject to various practical criteria, thereby resulting in time-intensive manual implementation. Despite this, most applications offer only basic collision detection tools, limiting design capabilities. In response, a graph-based decomposition approach is introduced, framing electrical wiring design as an optimization problem on a non-uniform grid graph derived from building information. This method breaks down the problem into two distinct subproblems, which are sequentially solved to achieve an optimal overall solution. Through experimentation across synthetic and real-world instances, performance improvements are demonstrated compared to two conventional integer programming solvers, yielding cost reductions averaging 12.3% when compared to a leading commercial application for interior design. These findings demonstrate the potential integration of this approach into building information modeling platforms, offering an efficient toolset for electrical wiring design in interior finishing.

Heterogeneous Integration of Chiplets, Lego-like IP for More than Moore

The semiconductor industry is facing an inflection point as higher cost, lower yield, and reticle size limitations drive the need for viable alternatives to traditional monolithic solutions, which are hitting or coming close to the limits of manufacturing and physics. This is driving an emerging trend to disaggregate what typically would be implemented as an SoC into solid, fabricated IP blocks, otherwise known as chiplets. These chiplets typically provide a specific function implemented in an optimal chip process node. Several chiplets and an optional, custom SOC device mounted and interconnected in a single packing using high speed/bandwidth interfaces that will then deliver monolithic or greater performance at a reduced cost, higher yield, and with only a slightly larger area as a heterogeneous integrated advanced package. As fabless semiconductor companies begin to bring these disaggregated chiplets to market, their successful adoption requires the fabless semiconductor industry to standardize on a set of interface protocols that will offer Lego-like plug and play compatibility between different suppliers chiplets creating a truly open ecosystem and supply chain. When it comes to the physical heterogeneous integration of these chiplets it is typically achieved using a high-performance silicon-like interposer substrate. Such substrates typically require silicon-like design rules and design techniques along with their own specific analysis and verification requirements. The supply chain for these substrates does not change significantly, it is still typically the leading semiconductor foundries and OSATs however the level of interaction, requirements, and signoff approvals does change bringing often new demands and challenges. Is this a revolution or an evolution, it depends on your starting point? Does it need an entirely new set of workflows and design tools? Can we evolve in some stepwise linear process from where we are today with monolithic or traditional system-in-package type designs into this next-generation design environment? This paper will explore these new challenges and outline 5 key workflows that address and manage them. These 5 workflows span interlinked domain areas starting with architecture definition before progressing to design that incorporates planning, prototyping, and technology co-optimization of the chosen architecture as well as the detailed physical implementation of substrates before moving to multi-physics analysis, device-level test, and then manufacturing. This paper will then recommend workflow adoption focus areas that we have seen provide immediate heterogeneous integration capability benefits while providing a managed methodology adoption and migration process that minimizes disruption, risk, and of course cost that can bring heterogeneous integration based chiplet design within reach of the mainstream instead of only being accessible to the mega iDMs and fabless semi’s.

Procedure for simulating radiators of liquid cooling systems of avionics

Setting the problem. Analysis and assessment of the thermal mode of radioelectronic equipment (RES) in modern radioelectronic equipment is the most important task that is solved at the stage of design and development of the future device. Therefore, the choice of cooling system for heat-loaded structures is an integral component that must be solved in the early stages of design. The use of a modern set of computer-aided design tools (CAD) throughout the entire process of creating RES allows you to take into account all possible problem areas without resorting to the manufacture of a layout and prototype. Modeling of thermal characteristics and heat exchange processes provides for modeling procedures and ensuring the thermal regime mainly at the stage of design and topological design. At the same time, the analysis of thermal characteristics, as a rule, carried out after solving any design synthesis problem (placement, layout, selection and development of block structures, racks, etc.), if the modeling results are unsatisfactory, the design changes. Thus, in order to reduce time costs and reduce the iteration of the design process, it is necessary to solve the issues of ensuring the thermal regime in the early stages. Most often, the problem can be solved by increasing the area of the heat-emitting surface (radiator), but in some cases there is a need for additional cooling, in our case, additional use of liquid cooling. This is the reason for the relevance of the development of the methodology for modeling radiators of liquid cooling systems of the RES. Purpose. Present the methodology for simulating radiators of liquid cooling systems of the RES, the reliability of which could be confirmed by the results of analytical calculations and data of a full-scale experiment. Results. A mathematical statement has been formed, a modeling technique has been proposed and procedures for optimizing the cooling system have been implemented. Based on the developed 3D model of a radiator with a liquid cooling system, multivariable analysis procedures are implemented using modern computer-aided design tools. The liquid cooling system was optimized using modern software modeling tools, in particular the Solidworks Simulation program.

Evaluation of spherulite growth in PHB‐based systems – A DoE approach

AbstractFormulations based on poly(hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) and poly(hydroxybutyrate‐co‐valerate) were studied to statistically assess the importance of process parameters (temperature) and chemistry in filled and/or plasticized PHB‐based formulations on spherulite growth rate (SGR) and nucleation density (ND). It was found that in binary systems, addition of a plasticizer results in shift of the maximum SGR towards lower temperatures, with the value of the shift dependent on polymer‐plasticizer compatibility. The presence of the filler does not significantly influence SGR, instead resulting in ND changes dependent on filler chemistry, with Cloisite Ca++ showing the strongest nucleating action in all formulations among fillers studied. In ternary systems, statistical analysis shows that SGR strongly depends on the crystallization temperature (Tc), plasticizer type and concentration, and hydroxyvalerate content in the polymer chain while being independent of the presence and chemistry of the filler in the system. ND has, however, proven to be dependent on all investigated parameters, including both filler type and its concentration, with Tc being the most important factor. These results expand the understanding of factors controlling crystallization in polymer systems and provide an initial set of design tools that can be used to control mechanical properties in new generations of packaging materials.

Prediction of Cooling Load of Tropical Buildings with Machine Learning

Cooling load refers to the amount of energy to be removed from a space (or consumed) to bring that space to an acceptable temperature or to maintain the temperature of a space at an acceptable range. The study aimed to develop a series of models and determine the most accurate ones in the prediction of the cooling load of low-rise tropical buildings based on their basic architectural and structural characteristics. In this context, a series of machine learning (regression) algorithms were tested during the research to determine the most accurate/efficient prediction model. In this regard, a data set consisting of ten features indicating the basic characteristics of the building (floor area, aspect ratio, ceiling height, window material, external wall material, roof material, window wall ratio north faced, window wall ratio south faced, horizontal shading, orientation) were used to predict the cooling load of a low-rise tropical building. The dataset was generated utilizing a set of generative and algorithmic design tools. Following the dataset generation, a series of regression models were tested to find the most accurate model to predict the cooling load. The results of the tests with different algorithms revealed that the relationship between the predictor variables and cooling load could be efficiently modeled through Histogram Gradient Boosting and Stacking models.

Snap buckling of bistable beams under combined mechanical and magnetic loading.

We investigate the mechanics of bistable, hard-magnetic, elastic beams, combining experiments, finite-element modelling (FEM) and a reduced-order theory. The beam is made of a hard magneto-rheological elastomer, comprising two segments with antiparallel magnetization along the centreline, and is set into a bistable curved configuration by imposing an end-to-end shortening. Reversible snapping is possible between these two stable states. First, we experimentally characterize the critical field strength for the onset of snapping, at different levels of end-to-end shortening. Second, we perform three-dimensional FEM simulations using the Riks method to analyse high-order deformation modes during snapping. Third, we develop a reduced-order centreline-based beam theory to rationalize the observed magneto-elastic response. The theory and simulations are validated against experiments, with an excellent quantitative agreement. Finally, we consider the case of combined magnetic loading and poking force, examining how the applied field affects the bistability and quantifying the maximum load-bearing capacity. Our work provides a set of predictive tools for the rational design of one-dimensional, bistable, magneto-elastic structural elements. This article is part of the theme issue 'Probing and dynamics of shock sensitive shells'.

3D МОДЕЛЮВАННЯ ПРОЦЕСУ МАНЕВРУВАННЯ ЧОТИРИВІСНОГО КОЛІСНОГО ШАСІ З ДВОМА ПОВОРОТНИМИ ПЛАТФОРМАМИ

One of the ways to increase the maneuverability of the wheeled vehicles of the National Guard of Ukraine is to use a four-axle wheeled chassis with two turntables, which will allow the machine to turn with the smallest radius, move crab, sideways and turn around its own vertical axis. The creation of such a chassis is associated with a large amount of various experiments and tests of the finished sample. The development of computer technology and technologies has led to the creation of software applications for computer (simulation) modeling, which allow research and study of the properties of technical objects and systems under different conditions. The article developed a digital model of the chassis of a four-axle machine with two turntables and identified its features. For modeling, a powerful package of solid modeling Autodesk Inventor was chosen, which provides a comprehensive flexible set of tools for 3D design, visualization, instrumentation, analysis and calculations. When building a general 3D model of the chassis, the main features of the layout of parts and assemblies of this wheeled vehicle were taken into account. The forced rotation of the wheels and the rotation of the platforms were modeled by entering the value of a single parameter or setting using a graph. Depending on the needs of the experiment, graphs were set for displacements, speed or acceleration. In the course of a visual experiment, a simulation of the maneuvering of a four-axle vehicle was carried out for three options: turning the chassis to move in the opposite direction; changing the direction of movement through the turn of the chassis is a difficult maneuver; turning the chassis for sideways movement. The analysis of virtual studies showed that the control of the front, rear or both turntables is a promising way to increase the maneuverability of wheeled vehicles. In addition, the created computer prototype allows you to determine the main characteristics of the future product, carry out analysis, upgrade and necessary modification, set the desired trajectory of movement, including when passing through obstacles.

Framework for simulation-based control design evaluation for a snake robot as an example of a multibody robotic system

Snake robots are the multibody mechanisms allowing us to solve specific problems efficiently, i.e., navigate into diverse environments and maneuver through tight spaces or uneven grounds in a way that resembles living organisms. However, the path following and controlling such systems is challenging due to nonlinear dynamics, coupling between links, and nonstandard definitions of the set-point that differ from industrial applications. This paper describes a framework for simulation and evaluation of the controller design for snake robot as the set of tools for the 3D design and robot dynamic simulation. Combined with a theoretical background (equations of robot dynamics), it allows testing new solutions and strategies of robot control design. Firstly, based on the proposed methodology, we provide a mechanical design of a ten-link snake robot. We present control algorithms enabling point-to-point tracking of the robot position in two cases: (i) tracking the center of gravity of the robot and (ii) tracking the position of the head of the robot. Then we provide a simulation-based robustness analysis of a simple fault-tolerant control algorithm, where some snake robot joints are broken. The proposed framework can be used efficiently to study control strategies for multibody mechanisms.

ПЛАТФОРМЕННЫЕ РЕШЕНИЯ ДЛЯ СОЗДАНИЯ ДОВЕРЕННОЙ ОТКАЗОУСТОЙЧИВОЙ ЭЛЕКТРОННОЙ КОМПОНЕНТНОЙ БАЗЫ

The development of trusted fault-tolerant VLSI requires achieving economic efficiency, along with the functional and operational characteristics for the target equipment. To minimize errors, reduce costs and time to market, the practice of “reusing” technical solutions in the form of complex functional blocks (IP blocks), element libraries, etc. is widely used. In case the developers are not limited by various kinds of sanctions, they can choose the basic technical process for their project among several options according to the same design standards. The choice of a non-optimal for a given product and less stable technical process with a low-quality set of design tools leads to non-fulfillment of the requirements for the developed components or to the uncompetitiveness of the developed IP. Since it is almost impossible to localize the production of all the necessary electronic components, it is reasonable to determine the main technological directions for localization, while for all used processes to achieve the highest possible level of reuse of IP and libraries, ensuring the highest possible yield and a large series, apply a platform approach. The study considers multifactorial aspects of the design and development of platforms dedicated to trusted fault-tolerant systems on the levels of electronic component base (systems on a chip) and radio-electronic equipment (systems in package, micromodules and the corresponding infrastructure of support and services). We propose the solutions based on standard assembly components and allowing to implement the required functionality, increase economic efficiency and provide the high level of reliability and security, including the circumstances of sanctions restrictions.

Predicting the hydrodynamic properties of a bioreactor: Conditional density estimation as a surrogate model for CFD simulations

The rising quantity and quality demands in biopharmaceutical manufacturing require a deep understanding of the underlying bioprocesses. For this purpose, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations are typically used to predict the hydrodynamics properties of a bioreactor, offering a toolset for process design. However, CFD approaches are computationally demanding and therefore often restricted to a small set of input parameters. Basic regression techniques can be used to predict the hydrodynamic properties for new input parameter values, but these surrogate models are only capable of interpolating simple statistics such as the mean or maximum of the CFD simulation results. We propose a novel approach that allows to interpolate the volume-averaged distributions of a hydrodynamic property instead of only a simple statistic. In doing so, we: (i) obtain a computationally tractable model (ii) that is less expressive than a CFD simulation but more expressive than a basic regression model. The proposed approach has been applied to model the hydrodynamic stress and Kolmogorov length scale distributions using a CFD model of a sparged and stirred bioreactor. However, the methodology is generic and can be applied to further geometries and parameters.

Design Empowering Active Aging: A Resource-Based Design Toolkit

The aging population is often labelled as a social problem, with a focus on their functional decline. Design interventions for aging usually play a role in functional compensation, which may risk damaging older people’s agency. Therefore, it is necessary to reimagine aging and change the mindsets of designing for aging. Inspired by empowerment theories, this study regards older people as resources and active agents; they can address many of their issues and continue making contributions to society. Case studies were conducted to identify different means of empowerment. Four modes of design empowerment strategies were identified. A set of design tools based on older people’s resources and the empowerment modes was developed to help transfer knowledge into practice. A design workshop was organized to evaluate the toolkit; it suggests the positive impact of the toolkit on the participant designers’ understanding of, and responses to, aging.

A two-step parametric generative method for heat exchangers design in additive manufacturing

Additive Manufacturing(AM) liberates a lot for the hands of designers to create complex geometry and avoid many traditional manufacturing constrains. A set of advanced generative design and topological optimization tools are emerging to support the design for AM. However, many existing methods are based on traditional topological optimization methods, which are focusing more on lightweight design but have difficulty to optimize component’s functions. In heat exchanger design, the functional features, e.g. fluid tunnels, are usually fixed without changing during the lightweight optimization. This cannot guarantee an optimal functional performance for the design. To solve this problem, this paper proposes a two-step generative design method that can both help optimizing the functional features for performance improvement and lightweight design. This method has two generative optimization loops, including functional feature group optimization and lightweight optimization. A set of finite optimized candidate alternative solutions from the first optimization loop are inputs for the second lightweight optimization loop to form boundary conditions and freezing regions in lightweight design. With the topological optimization in the second loop, the pre-selected functional features can be combined with the optimal volume layouts in the original design space to form a final component with improved function performance and reduced mass. To demonstrate the proposed method, a design case of a heat exchanger with conformal cooling channels is presented. The method can be adopted for other similar design cases in additive manufacturing applications.

Influence of Ship Design Complexity on Ship Design Competitiveness

Complexity is discussed in design literature mainly through its negative and in some cases positive consequences. This article critically reviews and elaborates the effects of complexity on competitiveness in ship design, its directionality, and magnitude. The article introduces a model for the measurement of ship design complexity and ship design competitiveness based on predefined factors. Archival data of 100 ship design projects from eight different Norwegian designers are used as case study. Multivariate data analysis techniques are employed to study the research model. The results show a significant correlation between complexity and competitiveness in ship design, where the magnitude and directionality of influence vary among different complexity factors. Our findings provide a basis for enhancing complexity management in ship design. Introduction Continual technology improvements and market volatility with its associated uncertainties have a significant impact on and partly change ship design customers’ expectations. To be successful in such a market, not only does it require the development of competitive products but also the accompanying work processes and the organization or firm framing the development of the vessel solution are involved. Ulstein and Brett (2015) define ship design competitiveness in terms of doing the right thing (effectiveness), doing the right thing right (efficiency), and with the right resources (efficacy) to cover product, process, and firm aspects of competitiveness. To improve their success, ship design companies typically tend to focus on the introduction of new technologies, and, in some cases, extra functional capabilities, which have led to large and complex vessels over the years. To a lesser extent, ship designers have put emphasis on the overall needs of customers. Securing a higher overall performance yield of the ship design solution than peer vessels out in the market is not a common practice among ship designers; they rather focus on a typical and traditional subset of performances. The implications and the consequences of such strategies in ship design have led to a growing need for a new set of design tools and project-making skills, a more extensive design process with different disciplines involved, and many iterations in the design development process.

Microstructure evolution, fatigue crack growth, and ultrasonic fatigue in As-fabricated laser powder bed and conventionally cast Al–10Si-0.4Mg: A mechanistic understanding and integrated flaw-sensitive fatigue design methods

Additive manufacturing (AM) enables fabrication of lightweight components with high geometric complexity, and its broad adoption in high-integrity structural applications relies on a fundamental understanding of the processing-microstructure-fatigue performance relationships and development of fatigue design methods. In this study, microstructures, tensile properties, and long and small fatigue crack growth (FCG) behaviors of laser powder bed (LPB) manufactured Al–10Si-0.4Mg were systematically investigated in both orientations with respect to the build direction, and compared to those of an equivalent conventionally cast material. Tensile properties of the LPB material demonstrated orientation dependency, and exceeded on average those of the cast material, with higher yield (>170% increase) and tensile (>150% increase) strengths and enhanced elongation (88% increase in horizontal orientation). In contrast, long FCG properties at various stress ratios showed minor differences associated with orientation (attributed to residual stress), and were lower compared to the cast alloy, particularly in the near-threshold regime. Mechanisms of FCG were identified at all growth stages using fractography and electron backscatter diffraction, and further integrated with the loading conditions by creating dual-parameter load-microstructure-damage mechanisms design maps. Ultrasonic fatigue testing was complementary conducted on the LBP-fabricated materials to study the very-high cycle fatigue regime (for both orientations and different surface conditions), and the results were correlated with the FCG data using Kitagawa-Takahashi diagrams to unify the two fatigue testing methods, and together with the dual-parameter maps, provide a microstructure-sensitive design toolset for fatigue crack initiation and growth resistance.

Robust Object Detection in Colour Images Using a Multivariate Percentage Occupancy Hit-or-Miss Transform

AbstractThe extension of Mathematical Morphology to colour and multivariate images is challenging due to the need to define a total ordering in the colour space. No one general way of ordering multivariate data exists and, therefore, there is no single, definitive way of performing morphological operations on colour images. In this paper, we propose an extension to mathematical morphology, based on reduced ordering, specifically the morphological Hit-or-Miss Transform which is used for object detection. The reduced ordering employed transforms multivariate observations to scalar comparisons allowing for an order to be derived and for both flat and non-flat structuring elements to be used. We also compare other definitions of the Hit-or-Miss Transform and test alternative colour ordering schemes presented in the literature. Our proposed method is shown to be intuitive and outperforms other approaches to multivariate Hit-or-Miss Transforms. Furthermore, methods of setting the parameters of the proposed Hit-or-Miss Transform are introduced in order to make the transform robust to noise and partial occlusion of objects and, finally, a set of design tools are presented in order to obtain optimal values for setting these parameters accordingly.

High-Performance Design of a 4-Bit Carry Look-Ahead Adder in Static CMOS Logic

Design of a 4-bit Carry Look-Ahead (CLA) process in static CMOS logic has been presented. CLA architecture proposed in this work computes carry-out terms without using carry-propagate and carry-generate signals which are used in conventional static CMOS (C-CMOS) 4-bit CLA adder. Performance parameters of the proposed 4-bit CLA architecture have been simulated and validated by comparing with the conventional design using Cadence design toolset in 45 nm technology. The designs were compared in terms of average power consumption, propagation delay and power delay product (PDP). The proposed 4-bit CLA topology obtained 34.53 % improvement in speed, 4.84 % improvement in power consumption and 37.696 % improvement in PDP while the source voltage was 1.0 V. Hence, as per acquired simulation results, the proposed 4-bit CLA structure is proven to be an excellent alternative to the conventional design for data-path design in modern high-performance processors. Design of a 4-bit Carry Look-Ahead (CLA) process in static CMOS logic has been presented. CLA architecture proposed in this work computes carry-out terms without using carry-propagate and carry-generate signals which are used in conventional static CMOS (C-CMOS) 4-bit CLA adder. Performance parameters of the proposed 4-bit CLA architecture has been simulated and validated by comparing with the conventional design using Cadence design toolset in 45 nm technology. The designs were compared in terms of average power consumption, propagation delay and power delay product (PDP). The proposed 4-bit CLA topology obtained 26.67 % improvement in speed, 5.966 % improvement in power consumption and 31.06 % improvement in PDP while the source voltage was 1.0 V. Hence, as per acquired simulation results, the proposed 4-bit CLA structure is proven to be an excellent alternative to the conventional design for data-path design in modern high-performance processors.

High-Performance Design of a 4-Bit Carry Look-Ahead Adder in Static CMOS Logic

Design of a 4-bit Carry Look-Ahead (CLA) process in static CMOS logic has been presented. CLA architecture proposed in this work computes carry-out terms without using carry-propagate and carry-generate signals which are used in conventional static CMOS (C-CMOS) 4-bit CLA adder. Performance parameters of the proposed 4-bit CLA architecture have been simulated and validated by comparing with the conventional design using Cadence design toolset in 45 nm technology. The designs were compared in terms of average power consumption, propagation delay and power delay product (PDP). The proposed 4-bit CLA topology obtained 34.53 % improvement in speed, 4.84 % improvement in power consumption and 37.696 % improvement in PDP while the source voltage was 1.0 V. Hence, as per acquired simulation results, the proposed 4-bit CLA structure is proven to be an excellent alternative to the conventional design for data-path design in modern high-performance processors. Design of a 4-bit Carry Look-Ahead (CLA) process in static CMOS logic has been presented. CLA architecture proposed in this work computes carry-out terms without using carry-propagate and carry-generate signals which are used in conventional static CMOS (C-CMOS) 4-bit CLA adder. Performance parameters of the proposed 4-bit CLA architecture has been simulated and validated by comparing with the conventional design using Cadence design toolset in 45 nm technology. The designs were compared in terms of average power consumption, propagation delay and power delay product (PDP). The proposed 4-bit CLA topology obtained 26.67 % improvement in speed, 5.966 % improvement in power consumption and 31.06 % improvement in PDP while the source voltage was 1.0 V. Hence, as per acquired simulation results, the proposed 4-bit CLA structure is proven to be an excellent alternative to the conventional design for data-path design in modern high-performance processors.

Direct observation of nystatin binding to the plasma membrane of living cells

Nystatin is an antifungal polyene macrolide which is widely applied to treat yeast infections. Nystatin has also been used as a laboratory tool to inhibit endocytic processes in mammalian cells. The interaction of nystatin with model membranes has been studied thoroughly by various spectroscopic methods, making use of its weak fluorescence in the ultraviolet (UV). Studying its interaction with cells would require direct imaging, which, so far, required attachment of a fluorophore to nystatin. Using UV-sensitive microscopy, we show here how to visualize the interaction of nystatin with the plasma membrane (PM) directly. We find that nystatin forms micron-sized aggregates in buffer, and molecular dynamics simulations confirm that nystatin rapidly self-assembles into aggregates in aqueous solution. Using UV-sensitive microscopy, we find that large nystatin aggregates adhere to the surface of Chinese Hamster Ovarian (CHO) cells, causing slow spreading of nystatin fluorescence into the PM. Binding of nystatin to CHO cells does not interfere with cellular uptake or lateral membrane diffusion of the cholesterol analogue TopFluor-cholesterol (TF-Chol). Nystatin binds extensively to the PM of yeast cells as inferred from a strong UV signal in this membrane. Loading a yeast mutant unable to synthesize ergosterol with cholesterol gave much less nystatin membrane staining compared to loading such cells with ergosterol. These results explain the selective fungicidal effect of nystatin by differential interaction of nystatin with yeast membranes containing ergosterol compared to the mammalian cholesterol. Our combined experimental and computational approach provides a toolset for future design of new polyene macrolides.