FR-4 microstrip transmission lines behavior in high frequency range

Abstract

The consequences of the current electronic equipment market demands is causing designers to develop ever faster circuits in ever smaller devices. The miniaturization of circuits together with increased operating speeds shows several functional difficulties, which require skills and knowledge of the designer so that the final product fits into operation standards and can be produced. The objectives of this research are to address the adverse effects on the operation of electronic equipment, demystifying the network of influences present when a circuit is in operation and find methodologies to identify and reduce critical problems on these devices. The study was done on hypothetical printed circuit boards, created specifically to simulate and demonstrate the desired effects. Although hypothetical, part of its settings can be found in commercially produced plates. The results were obtained through numerical models, computational simulations and measurements in physical prototypes. Through these, it was possible to identify critical topologies, asymmetries to be avoided and develop methodologies to avoid adverse problems. Another important point was the validation of theories and the comparison of the results measured in physical prototypes with the results originated by simulation and numerical modeling in order to trace its fidelity with real models.