The Ground Conundrum

Assignment: Find and research

papers on this subject, be
prepared to defend research

1
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Grounding Thoughts
 Ground is only a convenience for a voltage
measurement reference
 The ground paradox
Ground is 0 volts
Ground is relative
 There is not an absolute ground
 Ground can be anywhere
 Any sources referenced to ground returns
power to ground
 All real sources have a reference to ground

The Ground Conundrum

 3

Reduced Ground Definition

 The reason for the reduced ground concept is
related to the modeling of transmission lines in any
spice-like simulator.
 We will develop the concept of reduced ground first
and subsequently illustrate why it is required.
 The reduced ground:
Collapses return path circuits to a single reference node.
Signal measurement accuracy of a network is then
preserved by incorporating the return path effects as
elements added into the signal path.
Measurement of ground bounce is hidden.
 Return path may be power or ground.
 We will only concern ourselves with ground for now.
Reduce Power is a good research and development topic.

The Ground Conundrum

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First Order View - Resistor Model

 This Simple model will be sufficient to
illustrate the ground reduction concept and
issues of creating multi-line reduced models
I2
-I2 I1

-I1

-I1
I1

Lets simplify a -strip to simple resistors

Signal path

Return path

The Ground Conundrum

 5

The lossless return path

 Calculate voltage at the load as a
reference

2V R_source=50 R_tline=2 R_load=50

The Ground Conundrum

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The lossy return path

 Calculate the voltage at the load
 Notice this is less that the voltage on the previous
slide because the return path is considered here.
 Now lets use this voltage a reference
 The goal is to create a circuit that produces the same
load voltage and current but only has one ground
node.

2V R_source=50 R_tline=2 R_load=50

Rg_tline=2

The Ground Conundrum

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The reduced ground circuit

 Thevinize the ground resistor into the
signal path.
 Both lossy ground circuit and the
reduced ground circuit produce 0.9615
volts at the loads.

One ground
node
The Ground Conundrum
 8

Add another line!

 Lets keep with a resistor model and a reduced
ground path
 Spice only allows a single node for return path for
multi conductor transmission line element.

Tline model:
•2 lines plus return in
•2 lines plus return out 2V
R_source=50 R_tline=2 Rg_tline=2 R_load=50

2V R_source=50 R_tline=2 Rg_tline=2 R_load=50

I2
I4
-I2
-I4
This seems OK so far but consider –I1,
-I2, -I3, and -I4 are combined

I1 I3
-I1 -I3

The Ground Conundrum

Take a closer look at where the current 9

are and the voltages are developed

It is possible to There’s can be a

collapse both voltage drop between
ground nodes into these two nodes
Z12
one node but that
creates issues Z1 Z2

Current in
plane
Z12g
Z1g Z2g

The Ground Conundrum 9

 10

Circuit Simulation Ground Rules –

Transmission Line Rules
1. Ground reference transmission lines
2. Include return currents in the
transmission path.
3. Do not use transmission line
reference node for return path
analysis

The Ground Conundrum

 11

Connectors and Transmission Lines

 Cascading transmission lines is accurate
if reduced grounds are used.

 Cascading a connecter (or package) is a

different story.
Like the T line, start with a simple
resistor model for a connector.

Green is assigned for

ground pins

The Ground Conundrum

 12

Matching up Connector and T-line signals

 The connector has 3 grounds
 The line model has 1 ground
 How do we connect ground?
? ?

? ?

? ?

The Ground Conundrum

Connector Model Usage
13

 Is this the model

usage for the
2V

connector?
Short all ground pins
together?
 Or is this the model
usage? 2V

Connect to ground
with a circuit.

The Ground Conundrum

 14

Connector Interface on PWB

• Case 1 is when:
 Impedance between ground
pins and transmission line
pins are very small. Less than
0.1% of line impedance
across frequency range.
• Case 2 is when:
Transmission line  Impedance between ground
ends here. So pins is significant. Greater
signal reference than 0.1% of line impedance
is defined here.
across frequency range

Connector ground
pin starts here.
Impedance
between ground
pins

The Ground Conundrum

 15

Circuit Simulation Ground Rules –

Between T and Connector Rule

3. Short grounds at connector if

impedance between pins < 0.001*z0
for relevant frequencies.
4. Use circuit to model return path if
impedance between pins > 0.001*z0
for relevant frequencies.
1. Or evaluate need

The Ground Conundrum

 16

Example of Reduce Ground Connector

1.007  .03247 0.975

Ground reduced
coupled model
produces same
results

The Ground Conundrum

 17

Reduced model connects to T line

 The connector’s 3 grounds have been
folded into the circuit.
 The T line model has 1 ground
 The following preserves crosstalk

 Most 2 D modelers can produce ground

reduced models for transmission lines
The Ground Conundrum
 18

Circuit Simulation Ground Rules –

Connector and packages
5. Ground reduce connector and package
models

The Ground Conundrum

 19

Reducing Ground: 3 Inductor Connector

I1 PIN 1
L11 L21 L31

I2 L12 L22 L32 PIN 2

-I1-I2 GND
L13 L23 L33

 Start with a 3 pin connector

 1nH self inductance
 0.2nH mutual between any leg

The Ground Conundrum

 20

Create Current loop matrix

Create a 3x3 inductance matrix and a current matrix

 L1  1 L2  1 L3  1   I1 
L  L1  2 L2  2 L3  2  I  I2 
   
 L1  3 L2  3 L3  3   I3 
   

Create current equations

 L1  1 L2  1 L3  1   I1    L1  1 I1  L2  1 I2  L3  1 I3  s 
L L L   I  s    L I  L I  L I  s 
 1 2 2 2 3 2   2   1 2 1 2 2 2 3 2 3 
 L1  3 L2  3 L3  3   I3    L1  3 I1  L2  3 I2  L3  3 I3  s 
    

The Ground Conundrum

 21

Use the return current definition

The current I3 is there return path for I1 and I2

I I  I
3 1 2

Substitute
 L1  1 L2  1 L3  1   I1   L1  1 I1 s  L2  1 I2 s  L3  1  I1  I2  s 
L L L  I  s   L  I  s  L  I  s  L   I  I   s 
 1  2 2  2 3  2  2   1 2 1 2 2 2 3 2 1 2 
 L1  3 L2  3 L3  3   I1  I2   L1  3 I1 s  L2  3 I2 s  L3  3  I1  I2  s 
    

The Ground Conundrum

 22

Equate to the voltage across the connector

Set up the new voltage relationships

 L1  1 I1  L2  1 I2  L3  1  I1  I2 
 V1 
 L  I  L  I  L   I  I    s  V2 
 1 2 1 2 2 2 3 2 1 2   
 L1  3 I1  L2  3 I2  L3  3  I1  I2   V3 
 

The Ground Conundrum

 23

The equivalent voltage at pin 1

 Remove s for now because its only common
factor
 Convert to columns with the matrix transpose
operation (T) and so we can use the column
function to extract V1 or column 0 minus V3
or column 2
0
  L  I  L  I  L   I  I  T 
  1 1 1 2 1 2 3 1 1 2  
  L  I  L  I  L  I  I  
  1  2 1 2  2 2 3  2  1 2      L  I  L  I  L   I  I   L  I  L  I  L   I  I  
 1 1 1 2 1 2 3 1 1 2 1 3 1 2 3 2 3 3 1 2 
  L  I  L  I  L   I  I   
  1 3 1 2 3 2 3 3 1 2  
2
  L  I  L  I  L   I  I  T 
  1 1 1 2 1 2 3 1 1 2  
 
 0   L1  2 I1  L2  2 I2  L3  2  I1  I2 
  
  L  I  L  I  L   I  I   
  1 3 1 2 3 2 3 3 1 2  

The Ground Conundrum

 24

Do the same for V2-V3

1
  L  I  L  I  L   I  I  T 
  1 1 1 2 1 2 3 1 1 2  
  L  I  L  I  L  I  I  
  1  2 1 2  2 2 3  2  1 2      L  I  L  I  L   I  I   L  I  L  I  L   I  I  
 1 2 1 2 2 2 3 2 1 2 1 3 1 2 3 2 3 3 1 2 
  L  I  L  I  L   I  I   
  1 3 1 2 3 2 3 3 1 2  
2
  1  1 1 2  1 2 3  1  1 2  
  L  I  L  I  L  I  I T 
 
 0   L1  2 I1  L2  2 I2  L3  2  I1  I2 
  
  L  I  L  I  L   I  I   
  1 3 1 2 3 2 3 3 1 2  

The Ground Conundrum

 25

Apply values to the connector example

Example with values

K
L21
K13 K12 K23 .2  L1  1 L2  1 L3  1 
 1nH .2nH .2nH 
L1 L2  L L L    .2nH 1nH .2nH 
 1 2 2 2 3 2   
 L1  3 L2  3 L3  3   .2nH .2nH 1nH 
 
Find reduced inductance matrix
 L1  1  L3  1  L1  3  L3  3  L2  1  L3  1  L2  3  L3  3   1.6 0.8 
   nH
 L1  2  L3  2  L1  3  L3  3  L2  2  L3  2  L2  3  L3  3   0.8 1.6 
 
Find new coupling factor for spice
.8
Kp 
2 Kp  0.5
1.6

The Ground Conundrum

 26

Evaluate methods with spice

 Use testckt.sp as starting point and create
return_path_reduction.sp
 Insert the previous 3 pin connector example for the package
model
 Replace the single node vss with two node for vss in and out

The Ground Conundrum

 27

Use library replacement

 Compare difference between received
voltage for the 3 pin model and the 2
pin return path reduced model.
 For the three pin case vss will only be
tied ground at the transmitter.

The Ground Conundrum

 28

Use 400 ps UI to exaggerate effects

Data generator

package

package
Printed Wiring
Buffers
Board
Data generator

package

package
Printed Wiring
Buffers
Board

The Ground Conundrum

 29

Main programs example

The Ground Conundrum

 30

No measure voltage difference

The Ground Conundrum

 31

Now look at vss and signal nodes

individually

These spikes can

cause simulator
instabilities. In
some circuits,
these spikes can
reach thousands
of volts.

The Ground Conundrum 31

 32

Generalized Return Path Reductions

 Many 3D modelers have this operation as a
feature
 Start with s parameters
This can be acquired from a modeling tool or
measurements

Convert s to Z

Z   
   1 
Zo  I  S  I S 

The Ground Conundrum

 33

Look at voltage measurements relative

to row k

Determine reduction row k (ground)

i k
 ZT   T
 Z

Convert Z back to s

S 
 
I  Z Zo
1   
 I  Z Zo
1 

The Ground Conundrum 33

 34

Lets look a elements required for a 3

pin resistor model

R1

R2

Rg
The Ground Conundrum 34
 35

Create the return path matrix equation

 R1 0 0   I1   V1 
 0 R1g 0    I2   V2 
    
 0 0 R2   I2  I1   Vg 

The Ground Conundrum 35

 36

Develop difference voltages

 0 2 
   R1 0 0     R1 0 0 T    I1 
T
   0 R2 0        
  0 R2 0   I2  R1 I1  Rg ( I2  I1)
      0 0 Rg     I2  I1 
   0 0 Rg       

 1 2 
   R1 0 0 T    R1 0 0 T    I1 
 
   0 R2 0      0 R2 0      I2   R2 I2  Rg ( I2  I1)
        
   0 0 Rg     0 0 Rg     I2  I1 

The Ground Conundrum

 37

Implement resistor matrix spice

 R1  Rg Rg   I1 
  
 Rg R2  Rg   I2 
- 0V + Rg*I2

R1 Rg
- 0V + Rg*I1

R2 Rg

The Ground Conundrum

 38

Part 2 Anatomy of 3D modeling

The Ground Conundrum

 39

3-D Aspects of Ground

• Current distribution in ground
I2
-I2
I4
plane is not at a point
-I4

• 3-D modeling accounts for

distribution.
I1 I3
-I1 -I3
• Defining a terminal port is
Terminals “point” assumption
 This point has the potential to
create circuit concatenation
issues

Voltage drop may exist across

reference nodes
The Ground Conundrum
 40

For TEM, Cutting Up the Geometry is OK

An
Interesting
thought”
“Where is
ground?”

Ground
Reduction still
works OK
The Ground Conundrum
 41

Multi-conductor T-Lines are Ground Reduced

A reasonably involved process that

Ansoft and other 2 D solvers can
do.

Ground
referenced
model

The Ground Conundrum

 42

For Non TEM, Cascading Models Introduces Errors

Wave propagation

TEM

Wave propagation
Non TEM

E-H Field vectors

Cascading elements does not account for

the non transverse components correctly

The Ground Conundrum

 43

Circuit Simulation Ground Rules -

Cascading Rule
6. Cut models on TEM or Quasi TEM
boundaries
Left and right half TEM need to match

The Ground Conundrum

 44

Assignment: Use Ansoft to create a

ground reduced spice model
100 mils

Er=3.8 100 mils

100 mils

Mated Connector
50 mils
• Green is ground, purple is signal Pins are 25 mil
• Board connect is on the bottom layer diameter Cu
centered posts
• Components insert on top layer of PWB
The Ground Conundrum