PCB via depth effect on SSN for FPGA

Abstract

This paper analyzes the effects of the PCB signal via depth on the simultaneous switching noise (SSN) in a field programmable gate array (FPGA) device. SSN consists of two distinct components: mutual inductive coupling noise and power distribution network (PDN) noise. This paper presents an experimental study of the PCB signal via depth effects on mutual inductive coupling noise using an Altera FPGA device. This paper also describes the return current path concept and the effect of the return current path on SSN in a multi-layer PCB. The results from this study assist electronic system designers in understanding the PCB signal via depth effects on SSN and identifying strategies for reducing and minimizing SSN.