[SI-LIST] Re: DDR2 2-slot design preference...

  • From: "Lee Ritchey" <leeritchey@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: "Steve Weir" <weirsi@xxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Mon, 29 Oct 2007 15:17:04 -0700

Steve,

I have that paper and have read it.  It does not corellate from the tests
made to any real EMI failures.   It just shows that ground stitching
results in a difference.  There is a claim that this helpes solve a problem
with a real product, but no data was presented.  (There are many such
claims by EMI "Gurus" about their rules of thumb that turn out to be just
that and this paper shows one, the 20H rule for one.) 

Again, show me a real failure from cavity resonances, either functional or
EMI not a simulation.

Truman used to say  there are lies, damn lies and statistics.  In our
profession there are lies, damn lies and unvalidated simulations, and, no,
that paper does not demonstrate a direct correlation between the things
simulated and real failures, just before and after differences.

Lee


> [Original Message]
> From: steve weir <weirsi@xxxxxxxxxx>
> To: <leeritchey@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Cc: <Monji.Jabori@xxxxxx>; <si-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Date: 10/29/2007 10:27:21 AM
> Subject: [SI-LIST] Re: DDR2 2-slot design preference...
>
> Lee, the case at issue was a GND-GND cavity, but applies equally well 
> for mixed voltages.  The physics are indisputable.  The issue is how bad 
> does the problem have to be before we get:  a) EMI radiation, and EFT / 
> ESD susceptibility, or b) signal integrity issues. 
>
> The good news is that until we get to ultrafast edge rates the simple 
> remedy for the GND-GND case is simply stitch with sufficient density.  
> That is becoming tougher for GND-VCC cavities, but can still be done in 
> many cases.  It depends on just how much energy one wants injects into 
> the cavity and what the spectrum of that energy looks like.
>
> For an example of a real-life case where adding stitching fixed a real 
> problem get a hold of EMC2 / Ansoft paper delivered in Santa Clara just 
> last week.  There you will see good correlation between both the models 
> and the measurements demonstrating the phenomenon.  In their case the 
> stitch was good enough for signaling but was generating an EMI issue.
>
> In the past few years the speed and accuracy of various simulation 
> methods has improved immensely.  This permits designers to play what-if 
> and get excellent performance without becoming slaves to ad-hoc rules.
>
> Best Regards,
>
>
> Steve.
>
> Lee Ritchey wrote:
> > I have heard many times about cavity resonances between power and ground
> > planes being the source of problems.  However, I have yet to see any
clear
> > proof that such things happen and I have never seen a product fail from
> > this in the design of 3000+ PCBs.  Could those who claim this happens
> > please supply some evidence of this?  Not simulations, but actual
measured
> > results and not a statement that the last place it happened was at a
client
> > who has an NDA in place that prevents revealing the data.
> >
> > Lee Ritchey
> >
> >
> >   
> >> [Original Message]
> >> From: steve weir <weirsi@xxxxxxxxxx>
> >> To: <Monji.Jabori@xxxxxx>
> >> Cc: <si-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> >> Date: 10/27/2007 2:09:16 PM
> >> Subject: [SI-LIST] Re: DDR2 2-slot design preference...
> >>
> >> Jabori, the issue in each case will be the resonant frequency of the
GND 
> >> - GND cavity.  Stitch the cavity with an adequate via density to get
the 
> >> resonance well above your signal energy and either topology can be
made 
> >> to work well.
> >>
> >> Steve.
> >> Jabori, Monji wrote:
> >>     
> >>> Hi Experts,
> >>>  
> >>>
> >>> I am looking at two designs for a 2-slot DDR2-800 memory system. One
is
> >>> a butterfly design and the other has the slot on opposite sides of the
> >>> motherboard (top and bottom).
> >>>
> >>> I am looking at the GND reference for both designs and have the
> >>> following question knowing that I have to use GND referenced layers
for
> >>> each DDR2 channel.
> >>>
> >>>  
> >>>
> >>> For a butterfly design, my traces on an 8-layer design will flow from
> >>> the memory controller via 2 internal layers with 2 different GND
layers,
> >>> i.e., one slot will have to change GND reference while the other will
> >>> not.
> >>>
> >>>  
> >>>
> >>> In an opposite 2-slot design, however, we can make the traces that go
to
> >>> each internal layer have the same GND reference as the DIMM that is
> >>> closer to it. For example, the Top DIMM will have the same GND
reference
> >>> (L2) as its channel traces coming on L3 while the Bottom DIMM will
have
> >>> its GND reference (L7) as its channel traces coming on L6.
> >>>
> >>>  
> >>>
> >>> Having said the above, would you guys prefer one design over another
> >>> from an Signal Integrity point of view??
> >>>
> >>>  
> >>>
> >>> Thanks in advance.
> >>>
> >>>  
> >>>
> >>> Monji
> >>>
> >>>  
> >>>
> >>>  
> >>>
> >>>
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> >> -- 
> >> Steve Weir
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> -- 
> Steve Weir
> Teraspeed Consulting Group LLC 
> 121 North River Drive 
> Narragansett, RI 02882 
>
> California office
> (408) 884-3985 Business
> (707) 780-1951 Fax
>
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