Return Loss Ripples Slide -1

How Return Loss Gets its Ripples

an homage to Rudyard Kipling

Dr. Eric Bogatin, Signal Integrity

Evangelist, Bogatin Enterprises
www.beTheSignal.com
@beTheSignal
Downloaded handouts from www.beTheSignal.com

Fall 2011
 Bogatin Enterprises, a LeCroy Company 2012 www.beTheSignal.com

Return Loss Ripples Slide -2

45 Minute Speed Training

• Virtually every measured or

simulated return loss (S11) shows
“ripples”
• Sometimes, insertion loss also shows
ripples
• Why?
• What does it tell us about the
S21
interconnect?
0
Differential Response, dB

0 -10
S11
Differential Response

-10
-20

-20
-30
-30
-40
-40 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
freq, GHz
freq, GHz

 Bogatin Enterprises, a LeCroy Company 2012 www.beTheSignal.com

Return Loss Ripples Slide -3

2 Port S-Parameters
Magnitude Applies to single-ended and differential S-parameters
and phase
Detector

50Ω Z 0 = 50Ω
DUT Z0 = 50Ω
V
source
~ • S11: Return loss
50Ω
magnitude/
phase
detector

It is the reflected signal

Impedance mismatch from 50 ohms throughout
the interconnect

A little about losses
• S21: Insertion loss

It is the transmitted signal

Impedance mismatches throughout the
Transparent interconnect: interconnect
S11: large, negative dB
S21: small, negative dB
Losses

 Bogatin Enterprises, a LeCroy Company 2012 www.beTheSignal.com

Return Loss Ripples Slide -4

Connection Between Insertion and

Return Loss
Vincident S21
S11
Vreflected
How is S11 related to S21? Vtransmitted

There is no such thing as conservation of voltage

S11 + S21 = 1 There is conservation of energy
2
Energy in a wave ~ V2 1 = S11 + S 221 + losses
Sources of loss:
- conductor
- dielectric
2
In a lossless interconnect S 21 = 1 − S11 - coupling (cross talk)
- radiation

 Bogatin Enterprises, a LeCroy Company 2012 www.beTheSignal.com

Return Loss Ripples Slide -5

For Lossless Interconnect:

Insertion Loss from Return Loss

When plotted in dB, relationship

between S11 and S21 looks unusual
0.0
-0.5
-1.0 2
dB(S21_sim) -1.5 S 21 = 1 − S11
-2.0
-2.5
-3.0
-3.5
-4.0
-4.5
-5.0
-50 -45 -40 -35 -30 -25 -20 -15 -10 -5 0
dB(S11_sim)

S11 of < -10 dB yields S21 > -0.5 dB

 Bogatin Enterprises, a LeCroy Company 2012 www.beTheSignal.com

Return Loss Ripples Slide -6

How Reflections Result in Return,

Insertion Loss Ripples
Z0 < 50 Ohms

50 Ω 50 Ω S21
At low frequency
When Len << ¼ λ
ALL interconnects
½ 0 are transparent
min S11 0 max S21
0 0 S11
0

• When Len << ¼ λ

Reflections from front and back, 180 deg
out of phase

No net reflection, all transmitted waves in
phase and add

S11 large negative dB, S21 nearly 0 db

 Bogatin Enterprises, a LeCroy Company 2012 www.beTheSignal.com

Return Loss Ripples Slide -7

When Len = ¼ λ, S21 Lowest, S11

Highest
Z0 < 50 Ohms

S21

When Len << ¼ λ

½ 0
min S11 0 max S21
0 0 S11
0
When Len = 1/4 λ
½
max S11 ¼+0 ¼
½ min S21 • When Len = (½ x n + ¼ ) λ
½+0 ¾

Max S11, min S21

 Bogatin Enterprises, a LeCroy Company 2012 www.beTheSignal.com

Return Loss Ripples Slide -8

When Z0 ≠ 50 Ohms, Multiple Reflections

From The Terminations Cause Ripples

Z0 < 50 Ohms
S21

When Len << ¼ λ

½ 0
min S11 0 max S21
0 0 S11
0
When Len = 1/4 λ
½
max S11 ¼+0 ¼
½ min S21 • When Len = n x ½ λ
½+0 ¾
Reflected waves from front and back subtract

Minimum reflected signal

Transmitted waves all in phase, S21 max

When Len = ½ λ • As frequency increases, insertion, return loss

increase, decrease
½ ½
Longer distance between reflections, shorter the frequency between
min S11 ½+0 max S21
high and low

Larger the impedance difference, the larger the modulation
1 1+0 1½
 Bogatin Enterprises, a LeCroy Company 2012 www.beTheSignal.com
Return Loss Ripples Slide -9

Shorter the Distance,

Farther Apart the Ripples
1
∆f = 3 inches is ~ 1 GHz spacing
2TD

 Bogatin Enterprises, a LeCroy Company 2012 www.beTheSignal.com

Return Loss Ripples Slide -10

Every ½ λ, Another Dip

1
∆f =
2TD
• Frequency spacing is a measure of
distance between discontinuities
• Case 1:

TD = 1 nsec

Freq between dips is 1/2nsec = 500 MHz

• Case 2:

TD = 0.5 nsec

Frequency between dips is ½ x 2 GHz =1 GHz

 Bogatin Enterprises, a LeCroy Company 2012 www.beTheSignal.com

Return Loss Ripples Slide -11

Larger the Impedance Difference,

Larger the Modulation Dips

Z0 = 40 Ohms Z0 = 30 Ohms Z0 = 20 Ohms

When return loss is less than ~ – 13 dB, insertion loss impact is < 1 db

 Bogatin Enterprises, a LeCroy Company 2012 www.beTheSignal.com

Return Loss Ripples Slide -12

Add Some Jazz

• Impedance mismatch on
the ends
• Add attenuation
• Add multiple
discontinuities
• Fine features increase,
general structure stays
the same

 Bogatin Enterprises, a LeCroy Company 2012 www.beTheSignal.com

Return Loss Ripples Slide -13

Two Uniform, Tightly Coupled

Stripline Traces

• What are the

features of S11,
S21?
• What does it say
about impedance
variations?
• How would you
interpret the
results?

 Bogatin Enterprises, a LeCroy Company 2012 www.beTheSignal.com

Return Loss Ripples Slide -14

The Pop Quiz

• What are the features of S11, S21?
• What does it say about impedance
variations?
• Why does spacing between ripples
change with frequency?
• How would you interpret the results?

 Bogatin Enterprises, a LeCroy Company 2012 www.beTheSignal.com

Return Loss Ripples Slide -15

Extra Credit

• Why does S11 increase at higher frequency?

• What happened to the ripples?

 Bogatin Enterprises, a LeCroy Company 2012 www.beTheSignal.com

Return Loss Ripples Slide -16

 Bogatin Enterprises, a LeCroy Company 2012 www.beTheSignal.com

Return Loss Ripples Slide -17

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Published by Prentice Hall, 2009

 Bogatin Enterprises, a LeCroy Company 2012 www.beTheSignal.com