>> It is the tight coupling between the signal traces and its=20 >> power/ground return path that will sustain your GHz signal. >No, we have two separate phenomena: The signal launch and the signal=20 >propagation. At the signal launch ( driver ) the signal can only be=20 >sustained when the driver power does not collapse. For the signal to=20 >get anywhere, the signal propagation path needs to be contiguous. A=20 >discontinuity through a junky power system will badly impair=20 >propagation. But even the most perfect propagation path cannot fix a=20 >starved driver. >> The overall loop inductance between the signal and its ground return, = >> when connected through a driver that is driving low, determines=20 >> whether you can sustain your I/O to go from high to low. The reverse=20 >> for I/O power from low to high. You can't use decoupling caps to=20 >> "decouple" your way out of this outside the package because you can't = >> decouple between the signal and its reference plane ! >The inductance determines whether we can initiate the edge, not whether = >we can sustain it. Remember Chris Rule B The signal consist of the signal trace AND its return path. While your = driver may not be switching, the return path that is most likely shared = between multiple drivers may not.=20 A classic example is your processor FSB or DDR1/2/3 during a write = cycle. The DQS is switching between the DQ data packet. While your DQS = may be quiet and not switching, the entire DQ bus can be switching and = raise or drop your return path high or low or ring like a gong. Your DQS = will not be in a steady state of voltage. >> Power is delivered through the I/O signal leads between I/O power for = >> low to high and I/O signal leads between I/O ground for high to low=20 >> transition.NOT between I/O power and ground (again assuming you don't = >> have large crowbar current). >No this is only partially true.=20 > >The wave propagates away through whatever the transmission path is. We = >can arrange the transmission path to be virtually entirely referenced = to=20 >either power rail or something else entirely. For the driver to be = able=20 >to launch a wavefront, it must be able to impress or remove charge at=20 >the launch. If we switch from high to low and are VCC referenced, then = >local capacitance connects the low side of the driver to the return = side=20 >of the launch. If we switch from low to high and are VSS referenced,=20 >local capacitance connects the high side of the driver to the return=20 >side of the launch. If we reference to something else, we have to=20 >couple both VSS and VCC to whatever that something else is.=20 > >As long as the driver has a sustained energy source / sink available it = >can maintain the switched level. The wiring that supplies that energy=20 >can be made almost entirely independent of the signal propagation path. = =20 >An example is the MOLEX Z axis powering scheme. Agree and the decoupling will be done by either I/O decoupling cap on = die or the plane capacitance of the reference plane that sandwich the = signal combined with the proper via that switch together with the signal = when it entires or leave a reference plane. ------------------------------------------------------------------ To unsubscribe from si-list: si-list-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with 'unsubscribe' in the Subject field or to administer your membership from a web page, go to: //www.freelists.org/webpage/si-list For help: si-list-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with 'help' in the Subject field List technical documents are available at: http://www.si-list.net List archives are viewable at: //www.freelists.org/archives/si-list or at our remote archives: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/si-list/messages Old (prior to June 6, 2001) list archives are viewable at: http://www.qsl.net/wb6tpu