Elma Bustronic Backplane Signal Integrity Initiative (SII)
With gigabit per second signal rates across the backplane, signal integrity analysis is increasingly important. In short, simulation and characterization of the backplane helps us ensure the performance results of a design. For simulation, it gives us a chance to foresee the expected results of a particular backplane design with the option of viewing the results in relation with the system’s boards. This helps us perfect the design before going to fabrication. When performing backplane characterization, we can measure the real signal integrity of the backplane. This ensures the backplane perform as expected before being shipped to the customer.
Why is signal integrity analysis so important?
- Semiconductor technology continues to advance. It is expected that single path copper interconnect speeds on backplanes will exceed 10 Gbps within the next couple of years. New tools will be required to guide these designs and help make crucial decisions regarding materials, connectors and trace layout.
- Customers who are designing these high performance systems understand the critical role that the backplane occupies in their systems. Their architects and hardware engineers need to be sure that their backplane vendor does not represent a technical risk and that the backplane vendor can participate fully as a key member of their design team.
- It is often difficult for an integrator to identify the source of the problem within a backplane-based system. “Is it the backplane, the power supply, one of the cards or some other incompatibility?” These questions have always been a challenge to resolve and always take critical internal engineering resources even when the backplane is ultimately found not to be the problem. Accurate interconnect models of the backplane under examination, allow Elma Bustronic engineers to quickly demonstrate that the interconnect path is not the cause of the problem.
Elma Bustronic uses the following tools:
- HSPICE
- P-CAD signal integrity
- Iconnect
- HP 54750 TDR
Examples of possible simulation characteristics:
- Impedance
- Cross-Talk
- Propagation Delay
- Attenuation
- Insertion & Return Loss
- Eye Diagram
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Examples of possible measurement characteristics:
- Impedance for single ended and differential lines
- Cross-Talk
- Propagation Delay
- S-parameter
- Eye Diagram
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