Learning objectives
Signal Integrity is a key issue in the design of electronic based products and in particular printed circuit boards (PCBs). As digital circuits operate at higher and higher clock speeds signal integrity becomes increasingly important. The PCB and interconnects in general can dramatically alter the performance of circuits and systems and should be considered as a major component that impacts on the product design activity at an early stage.
After completing this module you will be able to design high speed PCB interconnects, simulate and measure their performance using state of the art software and probes.
The module makes extensive use of the signal integrity tools in ADS software suite.
Prerequisites
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Course unit content
Introduction to Signal Integrity.
Signal path analysis as an aid to SI (transmission lines, characteristic impedance, reflection coefficient, signal integrity, time-domain reflectometry – TDR, TDR resolution factors, differential TDR measurements, frequency-domain measurements for SI applications)
Real-time measurements: probing.
Testing and debugging: oscilloscopes and logic analyzers.
Replicating real-world signals with signal sources.
Chip-to-chip timing and simulation
Signal analysis and compliance
Case studies: DDR2 and PCI express
The wireless signal
Full programme
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Bibliography
G. Lawday, D. Ireland, G. Edlund, “A signal Integrity Engineer's Companion”,
Prentice Hall
Teaching methods
The course is divided in two parts: theory of signal-integrity design techniques (lectures) and laboratory (simulation of digital systems)
Assessment methods and criteria
Oral exam and discussion of the reports of the individual activity in the laboratory part of the course.
Other information
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