ETERNALGOD

Presents Presents Presents Presents

Dr. Howard Johnson's
Signal Integrity Laboratory
SiLab Volume I
Lab Demos from the course
High-Speed Digital Design: A Handbook of Black Magic

1.1 Path of RF Current
At radio frequencies, current no longer follows the path of least resistance. Instead, it follows the
path of least inductance. (Practical demonstration)
1.2 Inductance of Bypass Capacitor
The pads and vias associated with a surface-mounted bypass capacitor exert tremendous
influence over its high-frequency performance. This laboratory session presents a simple
intuitive model of the electrical behavior of pad and via structures, illustrating in a direct way the
importance of good layout. (Measured data)
1.3 Metastability
What happens when you violate the setup or hold time of a flip-flip? Sometimes the output goes
to one, sometimes it goes to zero, and sometimes - this is the subject of metastability - it takes a
long time to make up its mind. (Live lab demonstration)
SiLab Volume II
Lab Demos from the course
High-Speed Signal Propagation: Advanced Black Magic

2.1 Via Inductance
A general theory of pcb via inductance, confirmed by direct measurements taken on a giant scale
model, reveals the importance of having good interplane connections near those spots where
high-speed signals traverse vertically through your layer stack. (Measured data)
2.2 Serial Link Architecture
See typical signals inside a working multi-gigabit serial link. Hear about practical tradeoffs
associated with differential trace geometry, connector crosstalk, and pcb vias. (Live
demonstration: RocketIO at 10 Gb/s)
Features and specifications shown may differ from those presently available.
2.3 Serial Link Budgeting
A link attenuation budget focuses your attention on the parts of your system that cause the
greatest signal degradation, like backplane connectors, pcb trace losses and DC blocking
capacitors. (Worked example: RocketIO at 6.25 Gb/s)
Features and specifications shown may differ from those presently available.
SiLab Volume III
Lab Demos from the course
High-Speed Noise and Grounding: More Black Magic

3.1 Mixed-Signal Isolation
Watch Dr. Johnson prove his rules for signal isolation at audio frequencies with concrete
laboratory demonstrations. At radio frequencies everything gets harder, but he still manages to
achieve isolation better than one part in a million (120 dB). (Measured data)
3.2 BGA Ground Ball Placement
Dr. Johnson modifies, in real time, the pattern of power and ground pins within a large BGA
package while observing the difference in crosstalk obtained with various patterns. (Measured
data)
3.3 RoHS (Joe Fjelstad)
Have doubts about lead-free solder? Joe Fjelstad, an expert in interconnection technology, drops
a bomb on the whole process, explaining why the RoHS lead-free solder initiative is not better
for the environment, it is actually worse. His argument, which comes straight from the U.S. EPA,
undercuts the whole basis of RoHS legislation.