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Managing PCB Crosstalk

Author: Donald Telian , SI Guys - Guest Blogger Crosstalk occurs when energy in one signal often called an aggressor couples onto another signal the victim adversely affecting the victim signal’s performance. The aggressor/victim language associated with crosstalk indicates danger is lurking, provoking a hardware engineer to consistent vigilance. How can we tame this foe? Or, more specifically, what causes crosstalk? …when does it become problematic? …and what can you do to ens...

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Donald Telian, SiGuys - Guest Blogger 1/16/2019 Comments(0)

7 Steps to Successful Serial Link Layout - Part 3

Author: Donald Telian , SI Guys - Guest Blogger This is the final installment in our 7 Steps series. If you’re just now tuning in, Part 1 detailed the primary problems we need to solve when implementing serial links: loss and discontinuities. In Part 2 we examined the pragmatic side of how those problems are handled during the layout process. Now in Part 3 we focus on issues that arise in manufacturing as well as opportunities related to software configuration – both important topics...

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Donald Telian, SiGuys - Guest Blogger 11/30/2018 Comments(0)

7 Steps to Successful Serial Link Layout, Part 2

Author: Donald Telian , SI Guys - Guest Blogger This is a continuation of my previous post detailing the 7 Steps required to successfully implement a serial link. While all 7 steps aim at controlling discontinuities and loss concepts introduced in Steps 1 and 2 , this post ventures into the pragmatic aspects of managing loss and discontinuities during the routing process. Ever wonder how a tiny via stub can destroy your signal? Read on. Step 3: Route Using Best Practices While it would seem self...

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Donald Telian - Guest Blogger, SiGuys 11/5/2018 Comments(0)

7 Steps to Successful Serial Link Layout, Part 1

Author: Donald Telian , SI Guys - Guest Blogger Over the past 15+ years I’ve been accumulating a checklist of items required for successful serial link layout. I refer to the list when a customer requests a design review of their implementation, without simulation. The swelling list also regularly appears as an Appendix in reports I write for other customers. So when we began developing our Pragmatic Signal Integrity course often co-taught by SiSoft and SiGuys at DesignCon , I thought Woul...

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Donald Telian - Guest Blogger, SiGuys 10/4/2018 Comments(0)

When Should I Simulate?

Author: Donald Telian , SI Guys - Guest Blogger This question is not asked as much as it should be. Companies that simulate routinely or never at all can both benefit by asking it. As a Consultant, asking and answering this question for my customer is part of my value add; defining effort and expense commensurate with the task at hand – no more, no less. Learning how to answer this question is one of engineering’s soft skills and the subject of this post. To be sure, inventors and pu...

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Donald Telian - Guest Blogger, SiGuys 9/5/2018 Comments(0)

Fixing Signal Integrity Issues in Software?

Author: Donald Telian , SI Guys - Guest Blogger Yes, you read that right. Unheard of? Read on. The history of electronics is checkered with many things that should have caught on, and others – like the internet – that surprised us with their ubiquity. This post is about something I expected to become one of the greatest boons for Signal Integrity SI : SerDes Equalization Settings SES, only accessible through software . I was wrong. You’d be surprised to learn how many of my cus...

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Donald Telian, SiGuys - Guest Blogger 8/9/2018 Comments(0)