Abstract

Signal integrity issues are a major concern in highly integrated and compact mixed signal IC's. This work presents a numerical and analytical method for analyzing and assessing signal integrity issues relating to discontinuities, interconnects, and irregularly shaped power planes through the development of two independent methods. To address the coupling issue the finite difference time domain (FDTD) technique has been used, which is an accurate and robust algorithm capable of analyzing an arbitrary geometry in both the frequency and time domains. The analysis of signal integrity issues is carried out using examples such as transmission lines placed in close proximity, co-planar to co-planar transitions, and board level via interconnects. To take advantage of FDTD's ability to work natively in the time domain an analysis of two closely spaced transmission lines made where a series of digital pulses were applied to one transmission line while a low RF power analog signal is present on the other. Using voltage and current extraction techniques the corruption of the RF signal due to the coupling of the digital waveform is obtained. To address the resonances occurring in a power plane cavity excited due to ground/Vdd bounce an analytical method based on a segmentation technique in conjunction with the cavity model with arbitrary port placement has been developed for irregularly shaped power planes. Using this technique the resonant frequencies and noise coupling for irregular power planes can be accurately computed. Some popular power plane configurations such as the L-shaped and rectangular ring shape are considered and comparisons have been made with the equivalent circuit based transmission line matrix (TLM) method, HFSS, and experimental results. A design methodology has also been developed to shape the power planes so that no resonances occur within the frequency range of interest.

Library of Congress Subject Headings

Mixed signal circuits--Mathematical models; Mixed signal circuits--Reliability--Research; Signal integrity (Electronics); Finite differences

Publication Date

2004

Document Type

Thesis

Student Type

Graduate

Degree Name

Electrical Engineering (MS)

Department, Program, or Center

Electrical Engineering (KGCOE)

Advisor

Jayanti Venkataraman

Advisor/Committee Member

Syed Islam

Advisor/Committee Member

Fung-I Tseng

Comments

Physical copy available from RIT's Wallace Library atTK7874 .M234 2004

Campus

RIT – Main Campus

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