Kontron - 2009 PCB TLA computer category winner

Kontron - 2009 PCB TLA computer category winner

This blog is part of a series talking about the 2009 Technology Leadership Awards competition and winners in each category. This time we’re highlighting Kontron Canada, who won the award in the ‘Computers, Blade & Servers, Memory Systems’ category.

End product use: Embedded ATX dual Xeon server motherboard

Stats:

Design challenges:

• Design for…signal & power integrity, cost, manufacturability, reliability and government compliance.

• DfSI:  Stub length, pair matching, min and max length, length matching, group length matching, length reference, group length reference, maximum via, impedance control and fiber weave effect, trace xtalk, group xtalk.

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• DfPI: Thermal sensor, thermal flow, voltage drop, current flow, voltage sense, copper weight.
• DfC: Find Asian parts and NA parts for prototype and Asian high volume capacity.  The low layer count and inexpensive RoHS and LF compliant FR4 material.  Using off-the-shelf parts.  5 year parts availability.
• DfM : Asian high volume ready, part to part, part to board and assembly equipment feature, panel ready, sticker location, connector location for integration ease.
• DfT: ~3900 test pads (100% of none JTAG pins, and more) giving 100% test coverage.
• DfR: Shock & vibration - HALT test and 50G shock test.
• DfG: RoHS, WEEE, UL, CE, FCC, CSA, and more.
• Other constraints: Rev0 100% functional, concurrent engineering with layout stage for design maturity, design layout around-the-clock with Asian subcontractor to realize short schedule and low cost resource usage.

• The most complex component from a layout perspective was the Intel Nehalem CPU of the latest Xeon family – mounted onto a 1366 pin socket.  It required consideration of tolerances for a heat sink mechanical attachment, and part proximities for the zero-in-force door. High current requirements (total 300A for the dual CPU) required close decoupling and made it a hot spot.
• Worst case rise time of 32ps and 6.4gbps data rates.
• 17,000+ connections on 4 layers - high density routing without microvias

Design tools:

• Expedition Enterprise flow
• Copy/Move Circuit to enable rotated any-angle fiberweave routing
• “Use of rule areas for the device breakouts does enable to have typical rule and tighter rules inside BGA areas.”
• XtremePCB: “improve development schedule and team management”

Judge’s comments:

• “Exceptionally good use of routing room. Odd angle routing very impressive. Fitting into eight layers quite a challenge, successfully accomplished. Well documented.”
• “Best In Category. The challenges of bringing this design to completion on 4 routing layer, with all of the class rules and constraint rules impressed me.”

Design images:

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