Signal integrity measurements have become a critical step in the process of developing digital systems. Signal integrity problems such as crosstalk, signal attenuation, ground bounce, etc., increase at higher frequencies where transmission line effects are also...
Designing a board for operating frequencies higher than a few hundred MHz becomes challenging as it is difficult to measure the voltage, current, or impedance of the circuit directly. This is where S-parameters come into play, as circuit/network parameters can be...
When a signal travels from the source towards the load through a PCB conductor, it experiences attenuation due to trace resistance and dielectric loss resulting in energy loss. Signal attenuation is the most prevalent term when high-speed signals propagate on a...
Signal integrity analysis provides the measurement of the amount of signal degradation when the signal travels from the driver to the receiver. In other words, it signifies the signal’s ability to propagate along PCB traces without distortion. Here, our...
A PCB transmission line comprises at least two conductors – one for the signal and another for its return path. Complex circuit board nets are the combinations of such simpler transmission line structures. Understanding these structures (microstrip, stripline, and...
Before we start with today’s article, something needs to get engraved in your mind. If some current goes out somewhere, it will always return to the source, with no exceptions. Hence, there is always a current loop, a current return path, along with the...
Measuring impedance and checking for faults and discontinuities on different points of a PCB trace is not a cakewalk. This is because impedance is an AC property and cannot be measured like resistance. Time Domain Reflectometer (TDR) impedance measurements are...
Miniaturization of the copper features in electronic circuits results from placing interconnections closely with a high packing density. As a result, crosstalk in HDI PCB substrate comes at play because of the increased coupling between the adjacent signal lines. HDI...
The designers are constantly challenged to improve the performance of an electronic product. At the same time, the designers need to consider the effects of high-speed signals in a PCB design since continuously increasing clock frequencies and decreasing rise times...