Transmission Line Synthesis

Abstract

RLC transmission line synthesis is a difficult problem because minimal net delay cannot be achieved or accurately predicted unless: 1) a termination scheme is chosen and properly implemented, and 2) output driver transition rates are constrained at or below the net's capability. This paper describes a method to concurrently find, for any RLC net, an optimal termination value, a maximum source transition rate, and an approximate net delay using the first few response moments. When optimal termination is accomplished and transition rates do not exceed the capabilities of the net, the resulting delay metrics are an interesting extension of the popular Elmore delay metric for RC interconnects. The task of physical RLC interconnect design is facilitated by the ease with which these first few moments are calculated for generalized RLC lines.