The Anatomy of a signal reflection ..

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Signal Quality problems
Overshoot

High Level

High Threshold
Low state
overshoot
Low Threshold
Low Level

Ringback

Under-shoot

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The errors .....

 Overshoot error
 Can lead to device damage
 Affects long term reliability of device
 Adds to EMI problems by dramatically increasing harmonics in
waveform
 Ringback
 May lead to false device latching
 May lead to metastable behaviour in circuit
 Causes increased EMI headaches
 Reduces noise immunity of device

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The errors (Contd.)

 Undershoot
 Can lead to device failure
 Leads to excessive current in case a clamp diode is present, which
 Affects device reliability
 Dissipates power due to excessive clamp currents.
 Increases EMI problems
 Low-state overshoot
 Can lead to false switching
 Increases EMI problems
 Reduces noise immunity of device

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The errors (Contd.)

 Multiple threshold crossing

 Leads to metastable behaviour in some cases
 Can lead to device latch-up
 Makes circuit performance erratic
 Oscillation error
 The repeated oscillation of a waveform around a level, primarily causes
increased EMI problems
 Dramatically increases cross-talk inflicted on neighboring traces

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The errors (Contd.)

 Delay Error
 Excessive delay between driver and receiver, or,
 Excessive delay between clock of the driver and output of the receiver
 Can lead to timing problems, metastability, false latching and a host of
other problems
 Arises due to excessive lengths or loading

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Ok, so what does one do about it ?

 Do something about the reflections !!

 Eliminate them, or
 Limit them, or
 Cancel them out, or
 Protect your device and live with the reflection

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Solving Signal Integrity Problems

 We now know -- reflections occur due to media boundaries

 Electrically speaking, these can be described as differences
in the impedance of two media
 Elimination of reflection should thus involve eliminating
such impedance mismatches

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Impedance mismatch ....

 There are impedance mismatches at both ends of the line.

 In the example case, the mismatch is 40 Ω at the driver and 109 Ω at the
receiver end !

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Impedance mismatch (Contd.)
 The severe mismatch results in the entire energy of the wave being
reflected from the receiver to the source.
 The second reflection occurs at the driver. This is considerably weak,
due to the reduced impedance mismatch.

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Impedance mismatch (Contd.)
 Which is again reflected back in its totally by the impedance match at
the receiver.
 The back and forth traversal of the wave produces complex voltage
patterns called ringing.

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Impedance mismatch (Contd.)
 Ringing persists as long as there's energy in the wave, unless the driver
forces a change of state earlier.

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Tackling reflections

 The most obvious method of tackling reflection is to ensure

that there are no impedance mismatches.
 This can be achieved by ensuring that the wave 'sees' an
impedance equal to that of the line at the receiver.
 Add a resistor at the receiver .....

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