EEE272

CROSS-TALK IN TRANSMISSION
LINES
 Signal Integrity Problems
• Single net (reflection on interconnects – last
chapters)
• Between nets (crosstalk –this chapter!)
• Rail collapse in power and ground distribution
network (beginning of semester)
• EMI from component or system (microwave
classes)
 Cross talk
• The net with the source of noise -> active or
aggressor net
• The net on which the noise is generated -> quiet
or the victim net.
• Noise margin is typically 15% of the total voltage
swing (3.3V)
• About 1/3 is reserved for crosstalk (160mV)
• Goal -> learn how to design interconnect with
reduced cross talk
Noise on the victim line with two aggressors
on both sides
 Superposition
• The response of a linear system to two
independent voltages can be found by looking
at two voltages independently, then summing
the responses.
Example how superposition is used
• Noise generated on a quiet line is 150mV from
an 3.3V aggressor line.
• If the quiet line is now driven with a 5V driver,
the total voltage due to both driver and noise
will be 5V+150mV.
• If there is another source of noise, it would be
added to the quiet line as well.
• The noise voltage sees the same impedance as
the “intentional” signal voltage.
 Crosstalk or coupling
• When the signal propagates down the path
Electric and magnetic field lines are created

• Electric and magnetic file lines spread out into

the surrounding volume are called fringing
fields
Fringing Fields Interact With Second Net
 Origins of Coupling
• Capacitive coupling or crostalk is related to
electric fringe fields
• Inductive coupling or crosstalk is related to
magnetic fringe fields.
 Predicting Cross Talk Based on Geometry

• Cross talk happens because of capacitive and

inductive coupling
• When return path is a wide, uniform plane ->
Capacitive and inductive coupling are of the
same magnitude
• When return path is a single lead in a package
or single pin, inductive coupling is much
stronger.
Configuration to measure NEXT and FEXT
Modeling Cross Talk With Distributed Circuit
Model
SPICE/Maxwell Capacitance Matrix
Maxwell to Spice Capacitance Matrices

• Maxwell Capacitance matrix has negative off-

diagonal elements
• Off Diagonal elements -> Spice Cij = - Maxwell
Cij
• Diagonal elements -> Spice Cjj = Σ Maxwell Cij
Example of Spice Capacitance Matrix
 1-port network

Can be described
with:
1. Impedance
2. Admittance
3. Reflection
Coefficient
 2-port network
• We often use filters, amplifiers…
• These circuits have more than one port.
• One port devices we characterize with impedance,
admittance or reflection coeff.
• How can we describe multiple ports?
• We use Z, Y or S-parameters
• Instead of
– impedance Zin we use impedance matrix Z
– Admittance Yin we use admittance matrix Y
– Reflection coefficient Gamma we use S-parameters
Z-parameters for an N-port Network
2-port Z-parameters
How do we find 2-port Z-parameters
 Usefulness of Z-parameters
• When 2 networks are connected in series (series-
series feedback):

• By looking at Z-parameters you can tell if the

network is
– Reciprocal
 Reciprocal network
Most passive, linear networks are reciprocal.

Is symmetrical.
 Lossless Network

Power flowing into the network will not

be dissipated in the network.

Pin=Pout

Impedance matrix is purely reactive!

Z-parameters Example
Solution
 Z-parameters Equivalent Circuit
From Z-parameters we can draw an equivalent circuit
 Usefulness of Y-parameters
• When 2 networks are connected in parallel
(parallel-parallel feedback):
Y-parameters
 We will use ADS to find the capacitance
matrix
• Use coupled lines
• Attach two ports on the input
• Leave the lines open
• Find Y-parameters
• Divide each element of the Y-matrix
Equivalent Circuit for Y-parameters
 We will use ADS to find the inductance
matrix
• Use coupled lines
• Attach two ports on the input
• Short the output of the lines
• Find Z-parameters
• Divide each element of the Y-matrix
Capacitance Matrix Values - visually
Inductance Matrix
 Using HFSS to find the matrices
• Draw the coupled lines
• Attach sources (lumped element) between the
lines and return.
• Simulate the traces
• Use Y and Z parameters to extract the
parameters
Where will the current go? When?
Coupled current flows only in this region
Inductive Coupling
 Coupled voltage and current on quiet line
depend on
• signal strength in the active line
• Mutual capacitance and inductance per unit
length
• The velocity of the signal (the higher the
speed, the longer the extent of the signal)
Capacitively Coupled Currents
NEXT – Capacitive Coupling
FEXT Capacitive Coupling
Inductive Coupling
Induced Current Loop Propagation
NEXT when signal is linear ramp
NEXT as coupling length increases
Simulate Next and Fext in ADS
 Compare and contrast Next and Fext
NEXT
• If the coupling length is
longer than the extent of
the signal on the line, the
voltage will reach the
constant value
• If the coupling length is
shorter, the voltage will be
scaled by the coupling
length.
• It lasts 2*TD
• Turn on is the RT of signal.
FEXT
• Noise appears at TD
• It appears as a pulse
• The width of the pulse is RT
• The peak value of voltage
increases with increasing RT
• It increases with coupling
length
 Expressions for coupling
NEXT coefficient FEXT coefficient
• NEXT=Vb/Va • FEXT=Vf/Va
• Va-voltage on agressor • Vf-voltage on far end
• Vb-voltage in backward dir • Va-voltage on agressor
on quiet line
NEXT Coefficient as a function of spacing
NEXT for specific spacing – rule of thumb
Structures with no FEXT
FEXT as a function of separation
FEXT as a function of separation
 Decreasing FEXT
• Increase the spacing between the signal traces
• Decrease the coupling length
• Add dielectric material to the top of the
surface traces.
• Route the sensitive lines in stripline
Decreasing FEXT
Adding Guard Traces
Effects of Guard Traces
Effects of termination
Stripline with guard traces
Currents distribution with guard trace
EEE 272

DIFFERENTIAL PAIRS AND

DIFFERENTIAL IMPEDANCE
 What is differential signaling?
• Use two transmission lines
• Use two drivers, each one drives one line
• One line is carrying one bit
• The other line is carrying its complement
Advantages of differential signaling
• Decreased ground bounce, rail collapse and
potentially EMI
• Differential amplifier at the receiver can have
higher gain
• More robust to cross-talk and discontinuities
in the return path
• Twisted pair cable can be used to transmit a
differential pair over long distances.
 Disadvantages of differential signaling

• If not properly balanced creates EMI on

external twisted-pair cables.
• Twice the number of lines
• Learning curve is slow
• Few key design guidelines
• Many myths
 Where are differential signals used?

• Small computer scalable interface bus (SCSI)

• Ethernet
• Telecommunication optical carrier (OC)
protocols OC-48, OC-192, OC-768
• High-speed serial protocols
• Low voltage differential signals (LVDS)
Single-ended and differential signals
Low Voltage Differential Signal (LVDS)
 Universal Definition of Differential and
Common Signals
• ANY signal generated on a pair of transmission
lines can be described with differential and
common signal
• Example: two single ended voltages on lines
V1 and V2 can be written as:
Differential and common voltage in LVDS
 LVDS
• LVDS has:
– Very large common-signal component
– Teensy differential component
• Problems:
– If the common signal gets too high it can saturate
the differential receiver
– If any common signal makes it to the twisted-pair,
it can cause excessive EMI
 Requirements for lines that carry high-
bandwidth differential signals
• Uniform cross-section provides constant
impedance for difference signal
• The length of two lines must be the same.
Otherwise some conversion of diff. signal to
common signal
• The width and the cross-section of both lines
must be the same. If any test pads, they must be
on both lines
• Coupling improves noise immunity
Differential Pair Transmission Lines
Differential and common signal propagating
down the line
Differential Signal no coupling, unterminated
line
Differential Signal when the line is
terminated
Differential impedance (of uncoupled lines)
Real-life creates more complex problem

• Impact from coupling

• Role of the common signal
– Generation
– Control
 The impact of coupling
• If the traces are close together -> fringe fields
will overlap.
• What is the effect of mutual inductance and
capacitance?
Variation of self and mutual capacitance per
length
Coupling in Stripline
Variation of self and mutual inductance per
length
Relative Inductive and Capacitive Coupling
Single-ended characteristic impedance of on line
when the second is shorted to the return path
The characteristic impedance of one line
when the other is low, same, opposite
Differential Impedance
Calculating differential impedance on an FR4
substrate
• Microstip

• Stripline
Comparison of Differential Impedance found
by formulas and 2-D solver
 The return current distribution in a
differential pair with large line separation
Change in currents when the lines are close
 If the return conductor is far away
• The return differential currents will overlap and
cancel each other
• Return current of one signal is carried by the
other line
• We’ll look at the following examples:
– Edge-coupled microstrip with return plane far away
– Twisted-pair cable
– Broadside-coupled stripline
Differential and single-ended impedance of a
microstrip pair
Differential and single-ended impedances of a
shielded twisted pair
Differential and signle-ended impedance of
broad-side coupled stripline
Important principle with differential pairs

• Differential impedance of a differential pair:

– Does not depend on the return plane if the plane
is far away
• the coupling is large between the two traces and
• low between traces and return
– Does depend on the return plane if the plane is
close
• the coupling is large between the traces and the return
• Low between the traces
Odd and even modes
Voltage pattern one pegged low, one driven
by a 1V signal
Voltage pattern of two opposite signals
Odd-mode and even-mode fields
Forget about differential mode
Odd mode impedance
Even mode impedance
Microstrip line impedances
 Even and Odd
Mode Impedance
Differential Pair Termination