Slide -1

Bogatin: 3 Confusing Topics

The Three Most Confusing Topics in

Signal Integrity
and how not to be confused

with
Dr. Eric Bogatin, Signal Integrity Evangelist,
Bogatin Enterprises, www.beTheSignal.com
eric@beTheSignal.com
IEEE EMC Distinguished Lecturer Series

Slide -2

Bogatin: 3 Confusing Topics

Overview
Why do we care?
Specific examples:

Characteristic Impedance

Differential Impedance

Inductance

Got your own? Send me a note

IEEE EMC Distinguished Lecturer Series

Slide -3

Bogatin: 3 Confusing Topics

What are the Designers Most Important Tools?

To Here

From Here

Or Here

?
Creativity and intuition are the key
ingredients to the design process
IEEE EMC Distinguished Lecturer Series

Slide -4

Bogatin: 3 Confusing Topics

What Does it Mean to Refer to a Cable

as a 50 Ohm Cable?

x
hm coa
ng 50 O
lo
t
o
fo
3

IEEE EMC Distinguished Lecturer Series

Slide -5

Bogatin: 3 Confusing Topics

What is the Most Important Electrical

Quality the Signal Cares About?
Ans: the instantaneous impedance

Vsignal

Signal path

Vin

Return path
GROUND

IEEE EMC Distinguished Lecturer Series

Slide -6

Bogatin: 3 Confusing Topics

Electrical Model of a Lossless Transmission Line

Telegraphers equation

V (x, t ) = L I(x, t )
x
t

I(x, t ) = C V (x, t )
x
t

Wave equation

2
1 2
(
)
V
x
,
t
=
V (x, t )
t 2
LC x 2

2
1 2
(
)
I
x
,
t
=
I(x, t )
t 2
LC x 2

derive

Z0 =

L
C

IEEE EMC Distinguished Lecturer Series

TD = LC

Slide -7

Bogatin: 3 Confusing Topics

be the signal

Charging up a transmission line

+++++
- - - - -

Instantaneous Impedance,

Z=

V
I

IEEE EMC Distinguished Lecturer Series

Slide -8

Bogatin: 3 Confusing Topics

Geometry, Current and Impedance

Line width increases, capacitance ______________,

impedance______________
increases
decreases

Line width decreases, capacitance ______________,

impedance ______________
decreases
increases

Dielectric thickness increases, capacitance ___________,

___________
decreases impedance, increases
IEEE EMC Distinguished Lecturer Series

Slide -9

Bogatin: 3 Confusing Topics

What Does it Mean to Have a 50 Ohm Line?

m coax
g 50 Oh
g
g
g
g
n
lo
Verrrry

IEEE EMC Distinguished Lecturer Series

Slide -10

Bogatin: 3 Confusing Topics

open

Characteristic
impedance

Impedance (Ohms)

The Input Impedance of a Transmission

Line is Time Dependent

Round trip
time of
flight

Many round trip

time of flights

IEEE EMC Distinguished Lecturer Series

Time

Slide -11

Bogatin: 3 Confusing Topics

the impedance of a Transmission

Line is Ambiguous

The input impedance of the transmission line - may be

time dependent
The instantaneous impedance of the transmission line
The Characteristic impedance of the transmission line

IEEE EMC Distinguished Lecturer Series

Slide -12

Bogatin: 3 Confusing Topics

2nd topic: Differential Impedance

What is differential impedance and how does
coupling affect it?

Difference signal

IEEE EMC Distinguished Lecturer Series

Slide -13

Bogatin: 3 Confusing Topics

A Secret to Minimize Confusion About

Differential Impedance

Differential mode
Common mode

Think:
Differential signals
Common signals
Odd mode
Even mode

IEEE EMC Distinguished Lecturer Series

Slide -14

Bogatin: 3 Confusing Topics

Essential Principle

Differential impedance is the

instantaneous impedance the
differential signal sees

IEEE EMC Distinguished Lecturer Series

Slide -15

Bogatin: 3 Confusing Topics

The Differential Signal

Differential signal
V = 0v
1v

V = 1v
0v

2
+1

Difference voltage = 2v : -1v  +1v

-1
What is the impedance the difference signal sees?
IEEE EMC Distinguished Lecturer Series

Slide -16

Bogatin: 3 Confusing Topics

Differential Impedance and

Series Impedances
What is the equivalent impedance between the two signal lines?
with no coupling:

Zdiff
Zdiff = Z0 + Z0
Z0

Z0

Zdiff = 2 x Z0

What happens to the impedance of one line when we turn on coupling?

IEEE EMC Distinguished Lecturer Series

Slide -17

Bogatin: 3 Confusing Topics

Other Line Is Tied Low

Z0, Second Trace Pegged Low

Single-Ended Impedance (Ohms)

58
56
54
52
50

Z0, Second Trace Pegged Low

48
46
44
42
40
0

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

Edge to Edge Spacing Between the Traces (mils)

IEEE EMC Distinguished Lecturer Series

Slide -18

Bogatin: 3 Confusing Topics

Vdiff = V1 V2
+1 v

-1 v

return

ODD MODE

Single-Ended Impedance (Ohms)

Other Line Driven Opposite

58
56
54

Z0, Second Trace Pegged Low

52
50
48
46
44

Z0, Both Traces Driven Opposite

42
40
0

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

Edge to Edge Spacing Between the Traces (mils)

IEEE EMC Distinguished Lecturer Series

50

Slide -19

Bogatin: 3 Confusing Topics

Relating the Modes Impedance to the

Impedance the Signals See
What is the equivalent impedance between the two signal lines?
with coupling:
Zdifferential

Zodd

Zodd

Z differential = 2 x Z odd
decrease
As coupling increases, differential impedance will: _______________
IEEE EMC Distinguished Lecturer Series

Slide -20

Bogatin: 3 Confusing Topics

Whats Inductance?

IEEE EMC Distinguished Lecturer Series

Slide -21

Bogatin: 3 Confusing Topics

Deficiencies with Text Book Definitions

Too mathematical to
provide insight

Deals with coils, not traces

on a board

IEEE EMC Distinguished Lecturer Series

Slide -22

Bogatin: 3 Confusing Topics

Inductance Principles -1
Rings of magnetic field lines are
around all current carrying
conductors

wire carrying a current

Right hand rule

photo source: Halliday and Resnick, Physics, 1962

What influences the total number of rings of field lines?

IEEE EMC Distinguished Lecturer Series

Slide -23

Bogatin: 3 Confusing Topics

Inductance Principles -2
2. Inductance is the number of rings of magnetic field
lines around a conductor, per amp of current
through it
Units:

Webers/amp = Henry
nH more common

Inductance is a measure of the efficiency of a conductor to create

rings of magnetic field lines at the cost of current
- high inductance, lots of field lines

Many flavors of inductance:

self  mutual
loop  partial
total, net or effective
IEEE EMC Distinguished Lecturer Series

Slide -24

Bogatin: 3 Confusing Topics

Inductance Plays a Pivotal Role in

Signal Integrity

Signal propagation:

loop self inductance

Discontinuities:

Cross talk:

loop self inductance

loop mutual inductance

PDN and rail collapse:

loop self inductance

Ground bounce:

Hacking interconnects: performance  physical design

total inductance of the return path

Partial self and partial mutual inductance

IEEE EMC Distinguished Lecturer Series

Slide -25

Bogatin: 3 Confusing Topics

Most Important Principle (#3) of Inductance

VIB

?B  V

1831 Christmas lecture to the Royal Society:

Faraday demonstrates switching noise

Michael Faraday's discovery:

Induction: dB/dt  V  I
Changing magnetic field
lines around a conductor
induce a voltage, which
drives a current.

IEEE EMC Distinguished Lecturer Series

Slide -26

Bogatin: 3 Confusing Topics

Summary
Why do we care?
Specific examples:

Characteristic Impedance

Differential Impedance

Inductance

Got your own? Send me a note

IEEE EMC Distinguished Lecturer Series

Slide -27

Bogatin: 3 Confusing Topics

Thanks for
listening!

IEEE EMC Distinguished Lecturer Series