High-fidelity 3D electromagnetic simulation has been used in the design process by RF engineers for decades, and the same techniques can also be used to model high-speed serial channels, from individual elements such as vias and connectors to the full PCB and the entire channel. At the other end of the design process is the consideration of the entire channel and the need for signal processing such as emphasis / equalization to improve SI performance.
This whitepaper will show:
- How 3D electromagnetic simulation can be implemented in the design flow for SerDes channels.
- How to make early stage design decisions regarding via backdrilling and routing layer that are difficult to change at a later stage
- How unexpected causes of signal integrity (SI) problems overlooked by conventional simulation methods can be detected with 3D simulation.
- How eye diagrams can be simulated for complex channels, and how the entire channel can be simulated for post-layout verification.