Paul Eric Dahlen

Frequency-dependent losses on high-performance interconnections

This paper compares the major classes of chip-to-chip and on-chips interconnections used in high-performance computers and communication systems and reviews their electrical characteristics. Measurement results of dielectric loss are shown and the attenuation is compared for printed-circuit-board, glass-ceramic, thin-film, and on-chip wiring. Simulation results are shown with representative driver and receiver circuits, guidelines are given for when losses are significant, and predictions are made for the sustainable bandwidths on useful wiring lengths.

Evaluation of frequency-dependent transmission line model extraction methods based on laboratory measurements

Accurate transmission line modeling is an essential step in high-speed interconnect design. To achieve this goal, designers must develop methods for characterizing interconnects and developing models suitable for circuit simulation. We present an analysis of two methods used to extract frequency-dependent transmission line models from laboratory measurements. Each technique was found to produce accurate simulation models for typical signaling rates on interconnect geometries commonly found on printed circuit boards.