Johnni, In response to your original question, the ground planes will be automatically connected. Wherever a ground connection occurs in the schematic, your layout tool will connect it to both planes. Normally there are enough ground connections spread around a board (e.g. at least one per decap) that the planes are well stitched together just by this process. You might also add GND vias around the board edge every 1/2" for improved EMC, it seems to be beneficial. I have the feeling that there may be a better stackup plan for your project, unless you have very special thickness, impedance requirements, restriction to those 20-mil cores, etc. As it stands the inner routing layers are close to each other but far from their planes, for example. Could you get away with just one each of 3V3 and GND plane? (Is 1 ounce of each enough to carry the current you need?) Then you could couple power and ground tight in the middle. 1 routing 2 routing 3 3V3 4 GND 5 routing 6 routing (or GND fill) Here is another common 6-layer stackup: 1 routing (or GND fill) 2 3V3 3 routing 4 routing 4 GND 6 routing You could bury clocks and high-speed inside the 3V3-GND cavity. If you have that GND fill topside you get good power delivery for your high-speed chips on the top surface. Depending on your exact needs, there could be many optimal solutions. Regards, peter arnold -----Original Message----- From: si-list-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:si-list-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]On Behalf Of Stephane Tremblay Sent: Tuesday, October 29, 2002 11:01 AM To: johnni.friis@xxxxxxxxx; si-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxx; si-list-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [SI-LIST] Re: How to connect to GND planes Johnni, I have noticed in your stackup that you have 2 routing layers (#3= and #4). If you have signals that are switching from one routing layer to= the other, take care: Normally the current return path is the plane= underneath the signals (the path with the lowest inductance). So by= switching from layer 3 to layer 4 in your stackup, the return path as to= switch from one plane to another (in this example from layer 2 to layer 5).= This as the side effect of increasing impedance of the return path if you= don't provide vias near EACH discontinuity on signal layer.=20 If I were you I would place the two signal layers placed "top and bottom" of= a plane so the return path will not need to change plane whenever you= change layer with your signals. This way you minimize signal return path= impedance discontinuity. And you will not need to provide tons of GND vias= near each discontinuity. Steph. At 10:43 AM 10/29/02 +0100, johnni.friis@xxxxxxxxx wrote: >Hi > >I have a 6 layer stackup with 2 GND planes, how do I connect the 2 GND >planes together ? >E.g. what distance should I use between vias ? What is the best patter=3D >n to >use ? > >I have a MCU running at 100 MHz (C8051F126 until C8051F122 is relased, =3D >from >cygnal), a K6R1008V1D (10 ns RAM), and a GAL16LV8-5 (5 ns PLD). And a =3D >lol >of slower devices. >I don't know the edge rates. I don't have a simulator. >Address- and controlsignals are source terminated, datasignals are plan=3D >ed >to be routed as lumped elements. (Tr > 0,5 ns -->> flightlength =3D3D 2.= =3D >75 >inch, a faktor of 4, gives a max treaclength of 690 mills). > > >Stackup: > >Layer1: Components / routing >5.1 mill preprik >Layer2: GND plane >20 mill FR4 core >Layer3: routing >5.1 mill preprik >Layer4: routing >20 mill FR4 core >Layer5: GND plane >5.1 mill preprik >Layer6: 3V plane > > >Yours sincerely, > >Johnni Friis > > >VELUX A/S >Accessories > >B=3DE6kg=3DE5rdsvej 40 >6900 Skjern > > >Telephone Direct: +45 9980 6326 >Telephone Office: +45 9735 3511 >Office FAX: +45 9980 6260 > >e-Mail: johnni.friis@xxxxxxxxx >WWW: http://www.VELUX.com > >=3D > > >------------------------------------------------------------------ >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 archives are viewable at: =20 > //www.freelists.org/archives/si-list >or at our remote archives: > http://groups.yahoo.com/group/si-list/messages=20 >Old (prior to June 6, 2001) list archives are viewable at: > http://www.qsl.net/wb6tpu > =20 ______________________________________________ St=E9phane Tremblay Hardware project leader Matrox Graphics Inc. (MGI)=20 1025 St-Regis, Dorval (Quebec), H9P 2T4=20 Telephone : (514) 822-6300 #2930=20 Fax : (514) 685-7030=20 email : Stephane.Tremblay@xxxxxxxxxx=20 ______________________________________________ USA address : Matrox Graphics Inc.=20 625 State Route 3 #B=20 Plattsburg, NY, USA, 12901-6530=20 ______________________________________________ ------------------------------------------------------------------ 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 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 ------------------------------------------------------------------ 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 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