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DesignCon Fall 2022 Webinar Series
DesignCon presents this five-part, live webinar series presented by expert engineers from the electronics chip, board, and systems industries. These free to attend LIVE 5-60 minute sessions walk attendees through use cases, propose various tools for solving a range of design problems, and expand viewers’ understanding of key engineering principles. All attendees will receive a discount code for the upcoming in-person DesignCon event.
Benjamin Dannan
James Kuszewski
Improved Methodology to Accurately Perform System Level Power Integrity Analysis Including an ASIC Die
Monday, November 7, 2022 at 1 p.m. Eastern Standard Time
Speakers:
Benjamin Dannan, Technical Fellow, Northrop Grumman
James Kuszewski, Consulting Engineer, Northrop Grumman
Modern ASIC-based systems can no longer be designed by rules of thumb when it comes to power integrity. The traditional methods of evaluating power integrity for an ASIC die on a substrate are generally lacking sufficient accuracy. The key element for system-level Power Distribution Network (PDN) analysis is a chip die model, which requires specialized EDA tools to create. These Electronic Design Automation (EDA) solutions typically create chip models using either vector-based or vectorless dynamic current profiles. Vector-based chip model solutions are challenging to create and typically do not cover the complete ASIC die use cases. In addition, the benefits of models created for the die, substrate, and PCB have multiple possible configurations such as lumped, distributed, looped and partial. This paper provides a novel workflow on the benefits of using lumped-looped models to improve efficiency, while achieving accuracy, and reducing the overall risk to a given system PDN. Lastly, this paper provides an improved methodology to determine if the voltage ripple at the die bumps on a substrate is violating the defined specification of the ASIC, and shows a method of evaluating the PDN target impedance across a system.
Shawn Tucker
PCB Stackup & Launch Optimization in High-speed PCB Designs
Tuesday, November 8, 2022 at 1 p.m. Eastern Standard Time
Speaker: Shawn Tucker, Signal Integrity Engineer, Samtec
Validation of next generation systems requires high frequency instrument test access with system bandwidth needs exceeding 100 GHz. Compression mount vertical launch connectors are widely used for these applications due to the advantages of precision impedance, shielding, and standardization that coaxial designs offer, so this will be our focus. Balance trade-offs with material selection, stackup design, and RF launch optimization techniques being covered. With the help of engineering principles, mathematical equations, simulation, and measurements, we'll show theory and more importantly practical solutions for many of the issues encountered in high performance designs in a real-world system.
Mike Resso
Rick Rabinovich
Exploring the Requirements for 224Gbps Channel Characterization Using Simulations & Measurements
Wednesday, November 9, 2022 at 1 p.m. Eastern Standard Time
Speakers:
Mike Resso, Signal Integrity Scientist, Keysight Technologies
Rick Rabinovich, Distinguished Engineer, Keysight Technologies
The pandemic has shifted many digital modernization projects within the internet infrastructure to occur more swiftly. Similar to the way cloud architectures have changed networking in the past decade, we now see rapid transitions to new technologies. In the next 2-3 years the future ethernet speed will evolve toward the 224 Gbps per lane. Consider, at this serial data rate, transition times are about 4 picoseconds and unit intervals are below 10 picoseconds for PAM-4 modulation. The development of reliable end-to-end copper communications channels require careful examination of semiconductor devices, packages, PCBs, connectors, and cable assemblies within this context.
Ensuring proper equalization schemes at both transmitter and receiver ends is a critical step of this strategic goal. This work highlights significant aspects and provides reasonable solutions for achieving feasible channel performances. This includes post-DFE eye opening at a given BER for an actual physical channel and compares to channel operating margin (COM). The objective is to present fine measurement techniques for accurately characterizing the channel, and for adequately developing equalization schemes at both TX and RX sides. This also includes the parametric adjustments to COM methodologies. These techniques are necessary for effectively exploring feasible design solutions.
Ransom Stephens
How to Optimize TxFFE & What We Can Learn From the Optimization
Thursday, November 10, 2022 at 1 p.m. Eastern Standard Time
Speaker: Ransom Stephens, Consulting Senior Scientist at BitifEye Digital Solutions and Sage at Ransom’s Notes
Ever-increasing data rates demand more powerful transmitter feed-forward equalization (TxFFE): more taps and better simultaneous optimization of inter-symbol interference (ISI) correction and of noise. The complexity of tap optimization increases exponentially, each new tap introduces another dimension to the optimization equation. Multi-level modulation schemes like PAM4, PAM8, etc. add yet another level of complexity; since tap granularity is limited by the transmitter's digital to analog converter (DAC) resolution, the more symbols, the fewer available tap values per symbol. We begin by reviewing techniques for tuning taps in practice, called link training, and for calibration of TxFFE signals for compliance and diagnostic tests. We then address three important issues: First, the best test points for calibrating TxFFE taps – the transmitter output, the test fixture output, or the input to a compliance board. Second, the most effective patterns for analyzing the properties of TxFFE signals; we'll show the pros and cons of a simple step response versus test patterns that produce ISI to make the TxFFE effect explicit, and the impact of finite DAC resolution for both. And, finally, we consider what optimized TxFFE taps can tell us about the channel, a question pivotal for understanding link training.
Michael Steinberger
Donald Telian
Proper Ground Return Via Placement for 40+ Gbps Signaling
Friday, November 11, 2022 at 1 p.m. Eastern Standard Time
Speakers:
Michael Steinberger, Consultant Software Engineer, MathWorks
Donald Telian, SI Consultant, SiGuys
As signaling rates move beyond 40 Gbps a proper understanding of Ground Return Vias (GRVs) is imperative. For decades engineers have placed GRVs next to signal layer transitions based on best practices, with little understanding of relevant quantity and spacing. Place GRVs too far away or pinout a BGA's GRVs incorrectly and a signal via's insertion loss (IL) can drop 40dB. This paper explains the science behind GRVs using practical examples confirmed by measurement and simulation. GRV placement's relationship to data rate and impact on IL, RL, Via Impedance, and Crosstalk are described.
Spring Break Webinar Series
Join DesignCon for Spring Break 2021 with a five-part webinar series presented by expert engineers from the electronics chip, board, and system industries. These free sessions will walk through use cases, propose various tools for solving a range of design problems, and expand your understanding of key engineering principles. Attendees will also hear updates on DesignCon 2021 and receive a discount code for the upcoming in-person conference.
PCB Fabrication: What SI/PI Engineers Need to Know for First Time Modeling Success
Speaker: Lambert (Bert) Simonovich, President, Lamsim Enterprises
A PCB stackup drawing is the first step in the fabrication process. A poorly designed stackup and lack of detailed fabrication notes can result in degraded signal & power integrity, manufacturability, and reliability of the finished product. Often SI/PI engineers make wrong design assumptions, leading to inaccurate modeling and simulation results. Because of this, they need to understand the PCB design and fabrication nuances to avoid pitfalls in achieving first time modeling success. This webinar will delve into the PCB design best practices that SI/PI engineers need to follow for optimum performance.
Sponsored by: 
400 Gbps & Beyond Optical Transceiver Design Considerations
Speakers: Sanjeev Gupta, R&D Manager, Intel and Sunil Priyadarshi, Sr. Director, Intel
Hyper-scale data centers (HSDC) typically require millions of optical transceivers, creating a huge demand for 400G/800G products. The exponential growth in data communication driven by HSDC due to cloud computing, cloud storage, Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), Video on Demand (VoD), 5G, Internet of Things (IoT), and autonomous driving are the dictating factors for much higher bandwidth and lower power consumption. Optical transceiver design is a complex process as it requires multiple disciplines such as electrical, mechanical, optical, and firmware to come together precisely to provide the required electro-optical performance. The designer faced significant challenges in the design of 800-Gbps transceivers due to their form factor, high-speed, high power consumption, and channel density. Now that 800-Gbps transceivers are in their early sampling stage, the optical industry has already started the discussion on the next generation of optical transceivers providing a bandwidth of 1.6 Tbps and 3.2 Tbps. Designing these new generations of transceivers will require a much higher level of integration and many technological and packaging breakthroughs. This webinar will introduce the basics of optical transceivers and discuss the design consideration of 400-Gbps, 800-Gbps, and next-generation transceivers.
Sponsored by: 
Power Integrity: Analyze Impedance to Improve Power Delivery, SI & EMI
Speakers: Heidi Barnes, SI and PI Applications Engineer, Keysight Technologies and Steve Sandler, Managing Director, Picotest
Power Integrity is all about delivering the appropriate power to maintain the Signal Integrity of dynamic loads. All with power delivery design margins that allow for reliable product performance. The key challenge for the PI engineer is that the dynamic load can operate from DC to GHz resulting in extreme bandwidths of power delivery and the potential for EMI. Target Impedance vs. frequency is a great tool for designing for power delivery over the full bandwidth of the dynamic load, but designers often fail to use its full benefit. This webinar will cover the basics of target impedance, and then go beyond to show the benefits of advanced impedance analysis techniques for power delivery.
Sponsored by:
Controlling the Waves: A Field-based Perspective on High-speed PCB Design
Speaker: Daniel Beeker, Senior Principal Engineer, NXP
Good signal integrity and EMC start with a good PCB design philosophy. It is critical for design engineers to understand the behavior of EM fields. Proper design of the spaces these fields follow through the board is critical. Creating transmission lines that will meet the needs of the PDN and the fast switching ICs in today’s high-performance products can be a challenge. There are certain questions that need to be answered to define the PCB geometry that will lead to a successful design. This webinar will present an easy to understand science-based approach for PCB design.
Sponsored by:
OEM Roundup 2021: The New ADAS
Speaker: Danny Kim, Director of Advisory Services, VSI Labs
In its OEM Roundup last year, VSI reported that automotive OEMs pushed hard to debut new and improved L2+ ADAS systems utilizing improved software algorithms, additional sensors, and more scalable platforms. A few OEMs seemed to be interested in demonstrating L3 reliability in their new systems, while most others were enhancing features of their L2+ systems. While six levels of driving automation reveal that the biggest gap is between Level 2 and 3, OEMs are pushing to market L2+ and L2++ systems, namely "The New ADAS." This webinar will investigate the latest trends and systems in OEMs’ consumer ADAS as we look further into 2021 in lieu of the industry extending the definition of L2+ to embrace a certain configuration of ADAS systems hosting additional key enabling components.
Sponsored by:
Back-to-School Webinar Series
Join DesignCon and Design News in this fall 2020 Back-to-School webinar series presented by expert engineers from the electronics chip, board, and system industries. These sessions walk through several use cases, illustrate how to use various tools to solve a range of design problems, present practical workshops, and provide attendees an understanding of why some design looks good on paper but fails once implemented.
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