Articles Tagged with ''impedance''

Navigating Signal Integrity Challenges Transitioning from PCIe Gen6 to Gen7 Cover 2-20-24.jpg

Navigating Signal Integrity Challenges: Transitioning from PCIe Gen6 to Gen7

With PCIe Gen7 on the horizon, expected to debut around 2025 at a staggering 128 GT/s data rate and a pad-to-pad channel loss budget shift from -32 dB at 16GHz to -36 dB at 32 GHz, this article delves into the evolving performance requirements for Gen7 connectors and details the pivotal design changes needed to meet these demands. The study delves into meticulous design refinements in both the add-in card and baseboard components, addressing challenges such as signal integrity concerns, ground-mode resonances, and the delicate balance between signal performance and mechanical reliability.


Read More
Extreme Measurements_FeaturedThumb_.jpg

The Challenge of Measuring a 40 µΩ (2000 Amp) PDN with a 2-Port Probe: The Measurement Result with Another VNA

In the final installment of this blog series, Benjamin Dannan, Heidi Barnes, and Steve Sandler continue their discussion of how to calculate the minimum CMRR with a PDN impedance measurement using a 2-port probe, demonstrating how to measure a sub-40 µΩ impedance when using an isolator that has sufficient CMRR using two different VNAs, the Bode 100 and E5061B. Achieving sub-40 µΩ impedance measurements is challenging, but completely realistic with the proper test equipment. 


Read More
Dannan Cover 1-9-24.jpg

What is Enough? VDDQ Package Power Integrity Analysis With a DDR4 PHY

As voltage margins for power rails continue to decrease, end-to-end power integrity modeling is already difficult without having to be concerned if all of your simulation models are correct. System designers typically assume that all of the vendor models are correct. So, what does an engineer do if one of the ASIC die models needed for a power integrity simulation is incorrect? 


Read More
Contradicting the Common Belief Cover Image.jpg

Contradicting the Common Belief: Decoupling Capacitors - Is More Always Better?

In the process of circuit design, electrical engineers must carefully position capacitors to decouple the power supply pins of integrated circuits (ICs). Yet, relying solely on a single capacitor for this purpose may potentially decrease the performance of the Power Delivery Network (PDN). Therefore, there exists a need for an elegant and systematic methodology in designing the PDN while utilizing a single capacitor. Within this paper, we analyze the single-capacitor scenario within the context of the PDN and introduce a systematic approach for its design. This approach not only suggests clear guidelines for when favoring a single capacitor over multiple capacitors is appropriate but also showcases that when these guidelines are exceeded, this method can be implemented recursively to achieve an optimal PDN solution.


Read More
Microstrip FEXT Reduction 4-6-23.jpg

Microstrip FEXT Reduction by Capacitive Compensation

Reduction of microstrip FEXT plays an important role in microwave engineering, as microstrip coupled line backward couplers suffer from poor directivity when not compensated. In this article, Henning Mextorf presents a general approach to improve directivity which does not require a modification of the dimensions of the coupled line structure and provides closed form solutions for optimum capacitor values.


Read More
Avoiding GIGO 3-14-23.jpg

Avoiding GIGO with Field Solvers

In this article, Bert Simonovich explores how to avoid “garbage in, garbage out” with field solvers by building an understanding of the nuances of PCB fabrication processes, the interpretation manufacturers’ data sheets, and the tool’s user interface.


Read More