Signal-integrity and advanced digital design (2-day)

Learn to estimate, calculate and simulate signal integrity problems before they occur. Understand how predict and quantify reflections, crosstalk, ground bounce, supply ripple and loss. These are the basic signal-integrity issues in any modern digital design. Keep the total impact of those within the noise margin, and your system will work as predicted.

The goal of this course is to reduce the number of board revisions of your designs. Several of the companies that have participated in previous courses, like Axcon itself have achieved this. Shipping revision A boards to customers in over 50% of all cases.

The material is presented with a practical approach interchanging between theory and hands-on exercises. The tools used in the course are from Cadence, but used as just that: tools - so it's not a course in how to operate the tools, but in understanding the results.

Examples used through the material includes design of DDR memory systems, clocks, fast LVDS differential buses, PCIe, PCI and similar buses.

Time

The course runs over 2 days from 9:00 am to 16:00 (4:00 pm)

Textbook

All participants gets a full binder of course material.

There is no requirement for any specific textbook, but the the course refers to the two "Right The First Time" books (volume 1 and volume 2) by Lee Ritchey.

These books are recommended for further reading and reference. The books are not included in price. Volume 1 can be downloaded as a pdf for free (see how). Volume 2 can be purchased at the authors website: www.speedingedge.com).

Content

The following topics are covered in the course:

• Transmission Lines (how to calculate using 2D field solver, material constants, geometries, verifying)
• Reflections (under / overshoot, termination methods, net topologies, connectors, stubs)
• Crosstalk (understanding, terminology, how to calculate, simulation setups, measures to take)
• Differential signaling (LVDS, PCIe, high speed serial buses, routing)
• Power sub-system design (decoupling, capacitor types, power planes, measurements)
• Ground bounce (estimating, simulating, understanding, package design impact)
• Noise Margin budget (losses in transmission lines, termination noise, process)
• Layout routing rule creation and usage
• PCB stack-up design and useful embedded PCB test fixtures

Prerequisites

The course assumes knowledge of digital design at the PCB level. No advanced math is required.

Exercises

Practical exercises are done using the latest simulation tools from Cadence.

Note: This course focuses on theory and understanding. It is not a tool-specific training. The exercises are primarily designed to give participants a feel for the mechanisms as they are in real circuits.

Instructor

Rolf V. Østergaard, M.Sc.EE. from Axcon teaches the course. Rolf has many years experience in board design and help companies with signal integrity both as trouble shooting and SI analysis before layout.

Registration and more information

Register either at Nordcad (our partner on this course) at www.nordcad.dk or by following the sign-up link on the training schedule page.

For questions, please call Axcon Tel: +45 4822 9266 or email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

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