This unique book provides you with practical guidance on understanding and interpreting signal integrity (SI) performance to help you with your challenging circuit board design projects. You find high-level discussions of important SI concepts presented in a clear and easily accessible format, including question and answer sections and bulleted lists. This valuable resource features rules of thumb and simple equations to help you make estimates of critical signal integrity parameters without using circuit simulators of CAD (computer-aided design). The book is supported with over 120 illustrations, nearly 100 equations, and detailed reference lists at the end of each chapter.
Introduction to Signal Integrity - What Is Signal Integrity?. The Importance of Signal Integrity: The First Transatlantic Telegraph Cable. What Is a Pulse?. Time and Frequency Domains. Power Integrity and Simultaneous Switching Noise. What Is the Dielectric Constant and Loss Tangent?. Main Points.; The Signal Integrity Process -Introduction. Why Perform a Signal Integrity Analysis?. What Is a Typical Signal Integrity Workflow?. Signal Integrity Worst-Case Analysis. Main Points.; Signal Integrity CAD and Models -Introduction. I/O Models. Modeling Transmission Lines. S-Parameters. Field Solvers. Main Points.; Printed Test and Evaluation Boards -Introduction. Test Boards. Evaluation Boards. Roll of the Printed Circuit Layout Shop. Fabricating and Assembling the Board. Alternative Methods for Design and Fabrication. Main Points.; Printed Circuit Board Construction -Introduction. How Is a Multilayer Circuit Board Constructed?. What Is the Significance of Calling a Circuit Board FR4ù?. Circuit Board Traces. Main Points.; Transmission Line Fundamentals -Introduction. What Is a Transmission Line?. Circuit Model of a Transmission Line. Impedance and Delay. How Does a Signal Travel Down the Line?. How Does the Current in the Return Path Behave?. When Does a Conductor, Via, or Connector Pin Act Like a Transmission Line?. Main Points.; Understanding Microstrip and Stripline Transmission Lines -Introduction. DC Resistance and Resistivity. Stripline and Microstrip Capacitance. Stripline and Microstrip Inductance. How Does the Skin Effect Change the Trace 's Resistance?. How Does the Skin Effect Change the Inductance?. Understanding Stripline and Microstrip Impedance. Understanding Stripline and Microstrip Propagation Delay Time. Main Points.; Signal Loss and the Effects of Circuit Board Physical Factors -Introduction. What Are Transmission Line Loss and Attenuation?. What Creates Transmission Line Loss and How Is It Characterized?. How Do Impedance and Loop Resistance Affect Conductor Loss?. Understanding Dielectric Losses. Summary of Signal Loss and Distortion Characteristics. Effects of Resin Content and Glass Weave on Delay Time and Impedance. Effects of Trace Shape. Main Points.; Understanding Trace-to-Trace Coupling -Introduction. Understanding Mutual Capacitance and Inductance. How Does Switching Alter the Trace Inductance and Capacitance?. What Effect Does Coupling Have on Impedance and Delay?. What Are Odd and Even Modes?. What Are the Circuit Effects When Switching Causes the Impedance to Change?. How Is Receiver Timing Affected by In- and Out-of-Phase Switching?. Main Points.; Understanding Crosstalk -Introduction. How Is Crosstalk Created and What Are Its Characteristics?. Far-End Crosstalk. Near-End Crosstalk. How Closely Do Calculation and Simulation Agree?. Guard Traces. Main Points. Understanding Signal Reflections -Introduction. How Are Reflections Created?. The Reflection Coefficient. How Do the Reflected Waves Combine with the Incident Waves?. What Is the Behavior When There Are Multiple Reflections?. Reactive Discontinuities. Main Points. ; Termination Strategies -Introduction. Source Series Termination. Parallel and Thevenin Termination. Diode Termination. AC Termination. Topologies. Multidrop Lines. Stubs and Branches. Main Points.; Differential Signaling -Introduction. What Are the Electrical Characteristics of Differential Signaling?. What Are the Electrical Characteristics of a Differential Transmission Line?. How Are Differential Transmission Lines Terminated?. How Are Differential Transmission Lines Created?. What Are Some Suggested Diff-Pair Layout and Routing Rules?. Main Points.; Trace and Via Artwork Considerations for Signal Integrity -Introduction. Mitered Corners. Routing Near the Board Edge. Serpentine Traces. Vias. Main Points.; Identifying Common Signal Integrity Problems -Introduction. Questions to Ask When Reviewing PCB Stackup. Questions to Ask When Reviewing Crosstalk Simulations. Questions to Ask When Reviewing Signal Quality Simulations. Questions to Ask When Reviewing Prelayout Simulations. Questions to Ask When Reviewing Postlayout Simulations. Questions to Ask When Reviewing a Termination Strategy. Questions to Ask When Reviewing PCB Layout Design Rules. Questions to Ask When Reviewing ASIC Driver Selection Choices.; Solving Common Signal Integrity Problems -Introduction. Reducing Crosstalk. Reducing Reflections. Reducing and Eliminating Simultaneous Switching Noise (SSN). Improving Inadequate Timing Margins. Correcting Intersymbol Interference (ISI). Steps to Take When Circuit Board Traces Are Too Lossy. Options to Reduce Circuit Board Thickness. Steps to Take When There Are Not Enough Routing Layers. Steps to Take When a Circuit Board Must Be Cost Reduced. Steps to Take When Data-Dependent Errors Are Causing System.; Calculating Trace and Plane Electrical Values -Introduction. How to Convert from Decibel Loss to Signal Swing. Estimating DC Resistance. Finding Inductance and Capacitance When the Physical Dimensions Are Not Known. Finding Stripline Inductance and Capacitance When Impedance Is Known. Finding Stripline Inductance and Capacitance When Trace Geometry Is Known. Finding Microstrip Inductance and Capacitance When Trace Geometry Is Known. Estimating Inductance and Capacitance of a Plane. Calculating Trace Loss from a Circuit Model. Calculating Stripline Loss from Trace Dimensions. Calculating Microstrip Loss from Trace Dimensions. Finding Stripline Impedance. Finding Exposed Microstrip Impedance. Finding Solder Mask Covered Microstrip Impedance. Wavelength.; About the Author. Index.;
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Stephen C. Thierauf
is a signal integrity design engineer at Thierauf Design and Consulting. Previously he was a senior member of the technical staff at Digital Equipment Corporation and Compaq Computer Corporation, and senior consulting hardware engineer at Infiniswitch Corporation. He received his B.S. in Electrical Engineering Technology from Wentworth Institute of Technology.