Electromagnetics Design & Verification Blogs

Via modeling - what do I really need?

The whole via simulation issue is admittedly complicated, and I think really boils down to whether the vias are single-ended or differential, and at what speeds you are running. When the vias are differential, the return current is basically self-contained around the vias since they have equal but opposite signals on them. Because of this, the built-in analytical model in HyperLynx models differential … Read More

Tags: vias, 3D field solver, HyperLynx, 3D EM, SERDES, via, IE3D, PDN

How can we obtain the s-parameters data with non-50 normalization?

On IE3D, we obtain the 50-ohm normalized s-parameters automatically. However, we would like to obtain non-50 ohm normalized s-parameters. For example, for differential pair design, we may want the 100-ohm normalized s-parameters. IE3D saves s-parameters into Touchstone format with default 50-ohm normalization impedance. To get the s-parameters not normalized to 50-ohm, you can do the following: On … Read More

The effects of different bends on performances of wideband digital circuits.

Bends presenting on a SERDES channel introduce discontinuity effects. Normally, such effects are caused by the extra capacitance at the corner of a bend. It will add reflections to the channel signal and can generate radiation at higher frequencies. Minimizing discontinuity effects of SERDES channels has become an issue channel designers need to consider. In RF design applications, engineers have … Read More

Tags: EM Simulation, IE3D, Electromagnetic Simulation, RF

What is full-wave EM simulation?

Macro electromagnetic phenomenons are governed by the Maxwell’s Equations or a set of differential equations with some boundary conditions. People solve such equations numerically. Such techniques are called EM simulations. Due to the complexity of the problems, some people try to simply the problems by introducing some approximations. One most frequently used approximuation is assuming the frequency … Read More

Design for obfuscation!

A couple of weeks ago, two things happened. First, I changed television/Internet suppliers. Second, AT&T, who had initiated flat-rate service for both voice and data on their cell network, stopped taking orders for the data portion. So, how do these items go together, and how am I going to tie this to a Mentor product? Here’s the answer to the first question; I hope to figure out how I’m going to … Read More

Tags: HyperLynx, Signal Integrity, IE3D, high speed design, fast networks, Power Integrity, AT&T