PCB Design for 1 Gbps

ECE 4006 Dr Brooke

Overview
What signals are being routed? How can you route those signals? How to apply routing to PCB? PCB design techniques

Signals being routed

High Frequency Sensitive Analog (e.g., IN from PD) High Frequency: Data, and Noisy Analog (e.g., +OUT from Limiting Amp, +OUT from VCSEL driver) Low Frequency sensitive : Bias, Analog (e.g., DC Power on input side of most chips esp. TIA) Low Frequency insensitive: Bias, Analog (e.g., DC Power on output side of most chips, low frequency data)

Signal Type Matrix

Sensitivity high Frequency high Low high/high,
e.g., TIA input

low high/low,
e.g., VCSEL driver outputs

low/high,
e.g., input side power

low/low,
e.g., output side power

Red = Challenging, Yellow =Care needed, Green = Easy

Different Types Need Different Treatment

High Frequency/High Sensitivity
Transmission lines, return path (decoupling), Shielding from high frequency

High Frequency/Low Sensitivity

Transmission lines, prevent coupling to sensitive

Low Frequency/High Sensitivity

Shielding from high frequency, return path (ground loops),

Low Frequency/Low Sensitivity

Low Frequency decoupling, Resistive Loss

High Frequency/High Sensitivity

Transmission line issues Signal return path issues (decoupling) Shielding from larger high Frequency signals

Transmission line issues

What is a Transmission line? What is not? How to avoid (short lines) How to use (50 ohms) Non traditional transmission lines (turns, tapers)

What is a Transmission line

1 wavelength =

c f r

= 20 cm @ 500 MHz,

r 3

EM wave

wavelength or greater = transmission line = 5 cm

1/10 wavelength or less = wire = 2 cm

Less that 1/10 of a wavelength use arbitrary geometry connections More that wave length use wideband RF design techniques for geometry (stripline, coplanar) In between use special angles, tapers, curves

What is a Transmission line

What frequency to use? Gbps data ~ 500 MHz sq wave (10101010)
Square Wave = 1st + 3rd + 5th Harmonics

Using up to 5th harmonic has eye closure ~15% Using up to 3rd harmonic has eye closure ~30% Using only 1st harmonic has eye closure ~50%

How to avoid Transmission lines?

Depending on eye you want chose appropriate harmonic length to be less than a 1/10th of a wavelength

First Harmonic = 1/10 * 20 cm = 2 cm

Second harmonic (present in real data) = 2 cm / 2 = 1 cm

Third Harmonic = 6.7 mm

Fourth Harmonic = 5 mm

Fifth Harmonic = 4 mm

How to avoid Transmission lines?

For Gigabit Ethernet
Nice eye for lines less than 4 mm not a transmission line OK eye for lines less than 7 mm not a transmission line Poor eye for lines less than 2 cm not a transmission line

How to use Transmission Lines

Terminate them in design impedance Ensure high frequency return path
Signal returns along the shield of Coax
50 ohms Signal arrives after sees 50 ohms immediately transmission delay. between core and shield - nothing else if terminated properly - echo after 2 x transmission delay otherwise

How to use Transmission Lines

Special Case for Balanced Differential Signals
Connect shields together
sees 50 ohms immediately between core and shield

+OUT
-OUT

+
GND

100 ohms

+
sees 50 ohms immediately between core and shield

Balanced = equal and opposite That is for AC components: (+OUT) = -(-OUT)

How to use Transmission Lines

Eliminate reflective features larger than 1/10th of a wavelength Avoid impendence changes
45 deg

OK

45 deg
1/10th wavelength

BAD
1/10th wavelength

Non traditional transmission lines (curves, tapers)

If you want to use these features either:
Do it in the transition region between 1/10th and wavelength Or use an RF design tool (e.g., ADS) to verify operation with finite element analysis

Signal return path issues (decoupling)

Every High Frequency input and output
All AC current out/in must return to both nearby supplies
VCC OUT

Load

VEE
Decoupling ground path minimum length! Capacitor Must be a short at signal frequency

Decoupling Capacitors
www.murata.com/cap/lineup
We are using 1.6 mm x 0.8 mm (0603) caps

Decoupling caps
10000 pF = 0.01 uF
S11 = reflected/incident power ratio when grounded S21 = ratio of power passed to 50 ohm load

Shielding from high Frequency

High Frequency/Low Sensitivity

Transmission line issues prevent coupling to sensitive

Low Frequency/High Sensitivity

Shielding from high frequency Return path (ground loops)

Low Frequency/Low Sensitivity

Low Frequency decoupling Resistive Loss

How to apply routing to PCB

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PCB design techniques

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