Mike Resso, Business-Development Manager, Signal-Integrity Applications, Agilent Technologies
Dr. Thomas Gneiting, Founder, AdMOS B
Roland Mödinger, Senior Design Engineer, Development Department, ERNI Electroapparate GmbH
Jason Roe, Application Engineer, ERNI Electronics

Backplane technology is the foundation for today's telecommunication systems. The evolution of various backplane architectures has pushed system bandwidth from 100's of megabits per second to terabits per second. In the pursuit of the ultimate data throughput, the physical layer structures within the backplane take on critical roles. Pin density of connectors, via stubs and routing of traces create challenges for controlling the excess reactance throughout the channel. However, with the use of advanced microvia technology and surface mount connectors, digital designers can now extend the barrier of telecommunication systems. This paper will show design techniques for implementing and evaluating such physical layer structures.