April 24: PCB/Interconnect/EMC-EMI Sessions

October 23: Radar/Automotive/SATCOM Sessions

PCB/Interconnect/EMC-EMI – April 24, 2024

KEYNOTE: The Road from 1Gbps-NRZ to 224Gbps-PAM4

Augusto Panella

Semiconductor signal conditioning and signal recovery innovations have extended data rates by managing allowable signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) at progressively higher Nyquist frequencies. We have experienced how each successive signaling technology increases the electro-mechanical design resolution needed to address the channel physics while respecting the SNR capability of the chips.

As we move through the speed grades, the physical layer design of PCBs, cables assemblies, and connectors evolves. The latest data throughput and latency-driven signaling updates challenge previously acceptable design trade-offs. We’ll review interconnect design progression from 1Gbps transmission line data rates to the 224Gbps rates to highlight the on-going refinement of design goals.

FEATURED TALK: How to Navigate Chiplet Design Complexities with Electronic Design Automation

Tim Wag-Lee

The massification of high-computational applications, such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), is steering the semiconductor industry from monolithic to chiplet-based design architectures. In this new design philosophy, various chip functions once housed within a single large die are now segregated into modular smaller dies, called chiplets, that can be combined in a larger system. Chiplets offer improved scalability, flexibility, and cost-effectiveness but pose new challenges, especially in terms of die-to-die (D2D) communication and system management. This presentation discusses the chiplet-based design workflow and how Electronic Design Automation (EDA) tools can help overcome these challenges.

Visualization of PCB Via Breakouts for Layout and Crosstalk Control

Scott McMorrow

Signal integrity engineers are rarely skilled at the art of layout, often designing “optimized” via breakouts that are tough, if not impossible to route in a layout environment. On the other hand, layout artists are good at their craft of insuring that all signals are routed and meet manufacturing requirements, but rarely consider signal integrity requirements. Since signal integrity engineers often make the job of layout more difficult with their fancy designs, and humongous antipad openings, it is our responsibility to at least make the process less painful for all involved. This session shows how to use a free tool that can easily visualize via breakouts for arrays of high performance signals, so that several constraints are met simultaneously:

Acceptable insertion loss, return loss and impedance control
Acceptable routing ability in the layout preferred direction
And the ability to enhance the design with additional crosstalk guarding ground vias

Mitigating EMC Risks Early – Before the First Prototype

Marek Jableka and Gilad Shapira

EMC challenges are often uncovered late in product development, leading to major delays and expenses. Identifying EMC risks early is critical for companies today.

This presentation will explore modern EDA solutions that support the design process. Attendees will learn techniques to spot design choices prone to EMC issues without a prototype. Finding these risks early allows quick, low-cost mitigation. The focus will be on practical methods and tools usable by both electronics and layout designers in their daily workflows, without requiring deep EMC expertise. We’ll also prioritize solutions that yield rapid results.

We’ll demonstrate solutions for verifying schematics and harnessing the power of modern AI/ML-based analysis against component datasheets. Discover techniques to tackle EMC challenges in PCB design and delve into PCB verifications paired with a simulation-driven approach, unveiling strategies for addressing power and signal integrity concerns.

Things Not Seen on the Schematic

Patrick G. André

With the best intentions to have a great design that will pass EMI testing, the results are at times disappointing. The reasons are often not well understood, and the solutions are a mystery. The reasons for this can be related to the parasitic issues of the components and layout. These issues and techniques on how to avoid them will be discussed.

Near Field EMI Measurement & Simulation Correlation for Mixed Reality Rigid Flex Designs

Kundan Chand, Raul Stavoli and Pedro El Awar

One of the major design challenges for MR/VR devices is to meet electromagnetic interference and compatibility (EMI/EMC) standards while also implementing high density routing in small form factors. It is critical to capture these issues early in the design cycle to minimize design iterations and to have more flexibility with routing, component placement, etc. This workshop introduces a novel approach to modeling EMI/EMC analysis with a simulation flow that targets a system comprising complex packages (PKGs) and rigid-flex PCBs (RFPCs), which are designed for MR/VR applications. Using Cadence’s Clarity 3D Solver, near-field distribution caused by high-speed clock (CLK) signals will be extracted. The modeling includes cross-hatched planes, multiple stackups, and current excitations. In addition, the challenges faced while correlating EMI for various bending angles of the RFPC will be shared. Excellent correlation between simulated and measured data will be demonstrated when comparing the H-near fields in near-field tests. The presented EMI/EMC simulation flow will enable engineers to pinpoint potential EMI/EMC issues via the field propagation throughout the system and simplify the challenge of meeting EMI/EMC compliance for designers.

Empowering Careers in Electronics: Navigating Interconnects and PCB’s

Tara Dunn

Uncover the pivotal role of networking and continuous education in the dynamic world of electronics interconnects and printed circuit boards (PCBs). Explore the profound impact of training initiatives on career advancement and job performance, emphasizing the need for professionals to leverage available educational opportunities. Understand the relationship between industry and workforce development, shedding light on how the flourishing electronics sector propels career growth and is attracting a new generation to electronics manufacturing. Addressing current industry trends, the talk will spotlight the top technical topics capturing attention. Join us to discover the keys to success in this rapidly evolving field.

5G-6G/Wi-Fi/IoT Sessions

KEYNOTE: Towards an AI-native Air Interface for 6G

Andreas Roessler

Machine learning (ML) has achieved tremendous success in a wide range of applications, such as image and video recognition, object detection and natural language processing. Over the last few years, researchers and key industry players have been investigating the native support of AI/ML-based models and algorithms for signal processing in the future 6G air interface. The initial focus will be on the receiver part as the concept of a neural receiver is introduced. Simulations show a performance gain compared to traditional concepts, but open questions remain about computational complexity, power consumption and lifecycle management.

FEATURED TALK: Multiphysics Modeling of High-Speed Communication Devices

Andrew Strikwerda

In this session, we will explore the use of the finite element method (FEM) for multiphysics modeling in high-speed communication technologies, such as phased antenna arrays and 5G millimeter-wave filters. The performance of microwave and millimeter-wave antennas and circuits is pivotal for 5G, the internet of things (IoT), and satellite communications. By employing electromagnetic simulation software to assess these devices before physical fabrication and testing, the design process can be streamlined significantly, saving both time and effort throughout the development cycle.

We will introduce an efficient modeling workflow for microwave and millimeter-wave devices and demonstrate how to incorporate additional physical phenomena such as electromagnetic heating. The session will conclude with a comprehensive overview of the advantages of multiphysics couplings that account for heating, mechanical deformations, and other physical effects.

Key Insights from Ericsson Microwave Outlook

Mikael Öhberg

The introduction of 5G has seen E-band spread to most parts of the world, in this the 10th edition of the report, we see that the E-band spectrum fulfills the capacity needs for most deployments even beyond 2030. Driven by advancements in microwave technology, the antenna toolbox has expanded to provide diverse options and possibilities. Operational costs for managing a microwave network can be significantly reduced by applying network automation. To find out more about this and other interesting topics, download Ericsson Microwave Outlook 2023. In this year’s edition we continue providing insights and trends up until 2030 in the wireless backhaul industry.

Solve RF Design Challenges to Achieve Low EVM with 5G Modulation

Daren McClearnon

Digitally modulated 5G signals demand wider bandwidth and higher linearity from RF transceiver circuits, which then require more advanced design techniques. However, many RF designers continue to design using only CW signal in their design software, which leads to ambiguity about the true design margin of their components, and the effectiveness of their design approaches. Error vector magnitude (EVM) has emerged as the key figure of merit for circuit design and optimization, going beyond traditional analog measures such as P1dB and IP3. It’s well known in measurement equipment, but how to apply it effectively and inexpensively in simulation, as a design tool?

This webinar will highlight a variety of practical simulation techniques for not only creating realistic 5G waveforms and calculating EVM, but also overcoming design challenges that affect poor EVM.

Who should attend? RF designers in the Wireless, Aerospace/Defense, and Automotive industries, as well as their Managers and Communications System Architects will benefit from this presentation.

Ambient IoT: The Journey Towards Connecting Trillions of Things

Eric Casavant

Ambient IoT was established with an ambitious mission: to tackle society’s most pressing challenges by seamlessly connecting trillions of devices to the internet using small, low cost IoT tags. Already, hundreds of millions of these tiny IoT tags have been made, automating food safety, carbon monitoring, supply chain optimization, and enhancing consumer experiences.

At the core of Ambient IoT’s value proposition is maintenance-free operation and continuous communication. To achieve this goal, these devices are often designed to be battery-less, instead relying on energy harvesting, and communicate through pre-existing channels. Therefore, the effectiveness of Ambient IoT hinges on the robustness of energy and communication networks.

To support this rapidly growing ecosystem, key standards bodies such as 3GPP for cellular, IEEE for hardware infrastructure, and Bluetooth SIG for IoT connectivity are actively shaping the standards to support mass adoption. This presentation will explore the unique approaches and strengths of each ecosystem within the context of Ambient IoT. We will outline how these standards complement and compete with each other, while also highlighting the growing opportunities in this rapidly evolving landscape.

Impairing a 5G Non-Terrestrial Network Using a Real-Time Satellite Link Emulator

Bob Muro

5G non-terrestrial networks (NTN) are the latest technology designed to enable a 5G terrestrial or low-altitude device to communicate with non-terrestrial satellites or airborne base stations. These networks will augment existing 5G terrestrial systems, particularly in areas unsuitable for traditional base station deployment due to geographic challenges, such as open ocean or large, unpopulated desert regions.

A major design challenge for these networks is the proper evaluation of electromagnetic and environmental effects on the signal path, including noise, Doppler shift, latency, and multi-path and fading issues, all within a laboratory environment. The explosive growth of low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellites has intensified the need for a flexible, COTS satellite link emulation (SLE) system to accurately emulate the wireless path before satellite deployment. The physical layer is the starting point for the entire radio system, and recent additions of 5G technology for NTN have increased demand for these test capabilities.

This webinar will review 5G NTN basics and the value of using a COTS SLE to model the effect of naturally occurring disturbances that can affect your communications link.

The Dawn of 5G Advanced

Chris Pearson

As we embark on the era of 5G-Advanced, the telecommunications landscape is witnessing rapid network deployments and a burgeoning subscriber base. That success is underpinned by the crucial interplay of advanced technologies, and the need for efficient spectrum allocation and harmonized 3GPP standards. The success of 5G-Advanced hinges on key factors including robust infrastructure, innovative service offerings, and a collaborative ecosystem supported by proactive regulatory processes. As we delve into this transformative phase, it’s imperative to foster regulatory environments that encourage fair competition, innovation, and equitable access to next-generation connectivity for all.

Wi-Fi 7 Testing Challenges

James Rankin

Wi-Fi 7 brings in exciting new technologies to address challenges in today’s environment; including higher application demands e.g. Extended Reality (XR), increasing client numbers and interference. We will review those technologies, how they increase demands on the Access Point intelligence, and the increased complexity of testing especially with the new Multi-Link Operation (MLO).

August 21: SI/PI Sessions

KEYNOTE: Free SIPI Tools Every Engineer Needs

Prof Eric Bogatin

You are not going to design a 224 Gbps system using a free tool, but you may gain insight into how to solve a problem at 224 Gbps using a free tool. I will share my top five favorite free SIPI tools, which I think every engineer needs to have to help them accelerate up the learning curve. These include S-parameter viewers, 2D field solvers, 3D field solvers, and circuit simulators. I might even throw in a bonus tool or two.

FEATURED TALK: The Challenges of Designing 224G PAM4 Interconnects

Jignesh Shah

The explosion of computing combined with the slowing down of Moore’s Law has brought a need for high-density, high-speed, short-reach interconnectivity between chipsets running at 224G PAM4. Doubling the data rate, doubling the number of I/O, as well as increased signal integrity and thermal challenges, makes interconnect design a critical part of the overall system architecture. In this talk, we will discuss the evolution of interconnects over the past decade and the challenges and solutions when designing 224G PAM4 passive interconnects for datacenter, AI and HPC applications.

Design and Analysis Challenges as Chips Transform Into 3D Systems

John Park

As the electronics industry begins to pivot from Moore’s Law to “More-than-Moore,” we are witnessing a convergence of technologies across ICs and systems design. This fundamental shift in how we design today’s products requires new advanced design and analysis flows that combine tools across the spectrum of EDA solutions. One of the most critical capabilities of these system-level designs and flows is to enable seamless cross-domain co-design and co-analysis, allowing engineers to achieve the highest performance and lowest cost products. The days of IC and package designers ‘throwing data over the wall’ are over. Heterogeneous Integration (HI) is ushering in a new era of electronic product design with collaboration at its core – one that lives or dies on the seamless interaction between analog/digital IC teams, package design teams and the electrical/thermal characterization/analysis teams, that need to validate these complex 3D systems.

The use of advanced packaging technologies to combine smaller, discrete chiplets into one system-in-package (SiP) not only pushes the need for more advanced multi-die packaging but it also makes packaging part and parcel of the process. Doing so significantly reduces dependence on Moore’s Law at a time when building advanced monolithic system-on-chip (SoC) is no longer the best option from a cost and technology perspective.

This presentation will describe the challenges engineering teams face when pivoting from monolithic SoC design to 3D multi-die/chiplet package design and how EDA can help in addresses these challenges.

Demonstrating Simulation-Measurement Correlation to 50 GHz and Beyond

John Phillips and Alfred P. Neves

While working with a host of customers this last year we continue to hear “simulation-measurement is a bit of a black art,” or “no, we don’t really close the loop on our high-speed design process,” or “we thought our measurements were really good, no we have not questioned that…,” etc.

Senior veterans from Cadence and Wild River Technology (WRT) have teamed up the last two years to address fundamental problems of practical electromagnetics using the Cadence Clarity 3D EM Solver and the WRT CMP-50 Advanced Channel Modeling Platform signal integrity tool. This webinar highlights this effort and covers topics such as the influence of measurements techniques and fabrication on the physical side and boundary conditions and material identification for simulations. Whether de-embedding measurements ensure good simulation to measurement correspondence will be discussed, as well as other options. An endemic little-known issue is measurements, which will be discussed in terms of correspondence. The webinar will conclude with guidelines to improve physical measurements and recommendations to ensure correlated Clarity EM simulations. This discussion is relevant to all folks using a host of EDA tools and test hardware.

The Intersection of Signal Integrity and Electromagnetic Compatibility

Joseph C. (Jay) Diepenbrock

Signal Integrity (SI) and Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) have traditionally been thought of as separate fields of engineering. However, as the speed of high speed interfaces increase, many of the parameters of interest have become increasingly common to both fields. This talk will discuss some of those parameters and how problems in one field can bleed over into the other and cause problems there. They include impedance discontinuities, rise/fall time, skew, crosstalk, plane splits, return paths, and cable shield termination.

How to Fully Verify SerDes-based Designs Before Prototype Manufacture

Todd Westerhoff

“Right first time” is a goal we all aspire to, but how often does it really happen? Even when we follow layout rules as closely as possible, problems creep into layouts that cause issues during lab testing and result in costly, time-consuming respins.

Why is that? We maintain there are two big contributors:

We often don’t simulate what we actually build
We don’t verify ALL our serial channels– we only analyze a few

In this presentation, we’ll dig into these two issues and show you how to address them:

We’ll discuss how small details of board fabrication (e.g. off-the-shelf vs. pressed prepreg thickness) can significantly impact design performance. We’ll show why it’s critical to model a board as it will be manufactured – instead of how you wish it could be manufactured.
We’ll discuss post-layout verification and how to verify operating design margins for ALL of your serial channels, instead of just a select few. We’ll discuss what it takes to create an automated analysis methodology and how it can be coupled with Protocol Compliance Analysis (e.g. PCIe-5) to assess your design’s operating margins.

Correcting Ground Loop Errors in Multi-Channel Oscilloscope Measurements with Power Rail and other Single-Ended Probes

Benjamin Dannan

Power rail probes are hugely popular for measuring voltage noise. As core current increases and voltage falls the margins get smaller. Placing more than one probe, in different locations on the printed circuit board (PCB), will add ground loop noise to your measurements. This is true for power rail probes, but also for all single ended voltage probes. Multi-channel oscilloscopes have become ubiquitous solutions to support voltage noise measurements in multiple power domain applications. When acquiring signals and making low-noise measurements, engineers often focus on the oscilloscope’s key features, such as bandwidth and dynamic range. However, as voltage compliance requirements become more stringent, understanding the noise impact of our ground loop from our probing solutions is critical, especially when assessing voltage ripple in power systems.

Unfortunately, ground loops are common in real-world measurement setups and pose a significant challenge when performing multi-channel measurements on the same Device Under Test (DUT). These ground loops introduce additional noise errors into measurement results, rendering even high-bandwidth oscilloscopes and expensive probing solutions ineffective. This presentation will show how to mitigate the impacts of ground loop by adding a coaxial isolator to significantly improve measurement accuracy. The isolator improves the CMRR performance of the probes, greatly improving the accuracy of multi-channel oscilloscope measurements using power rail probes and other single-ended probing solutions.

Addressing ground loop errors is paramount for achieving reliable, accurate multi-channel measurements. Engineers must be aware of these challenges and take appropriate steps to mitigate their impact on measurement accuracy.

Radar/Automotive/SATCOM – October 23, 2024

KEYNOTE: How Raytheon’s Advanced Technology Team Turns Next-generation Technologies into Real-world Warfighting Capabilities

Matt Tyhach

Raytheon’s Advanced Technology business is a capability incubator, fueling the future of defense. They work diligently, quietly, and behind the scenes to understand the future threat landscape, shape our technology development approaches to meet those future needs, and ultimately advance and deliver next-generation systems our warfighters rely on.

During this keynote session, Matt Tyhach, Director for Next Generation Sensors and Microelectronics for Raytheon Advanced Technology, will discuss the foundational building blocks the team relies on when developing next-generation radars and weapons, and the integrated modeling and simulation tools they leverage to expand the scope and scale of defense analysis to drive mission success.

Master the Signal Integrity Challenges of Automotive Ethernet

Jithu Abraham

Automotive ethernet enables cost-effective data communications. Its different standard versions scale from low digits Megabits serving low-speed applications, including sensors and actuators, up to Multi-Gigabits for higher data throughput demanding systems such as ADAS or entertainment.

To verify the physical layer functionality and interoperability, respective compliance test specifications have been established. Compliance test options automate testing and control of respective T&M instruments, such as oscilloscopes or vector network analyzers.

But what to do if testing fails?

This presentation will introduce effective Signal Integrity Debugging approaches. You will learn how to use Advanced Eye and Advanced Jitter Analysis tools for PAM signals and how to move test points by cable (embedding) and equalizer emulation.

Low Cost Phased Array Radar at Commercial Scale

Bob Broughton

Phased array radar has been fielded for military systems since the second world war, for many years the sole domain of government funded defense primes due to high cost and limited access to technology. As semiconductors have advanced into millimeter wave territory, the economics are shifting from government funded technology to a commercially funded model that enables production of phased arrays in high volume and at low cost. This talk will examine the commercial leverage and scale that is fueling non-traditional suppliers of phased array radar technology.

Design Guidance Essentials for Thick Film Circuits in RF & Microelectronics Applications

Chandra Gupta

In this presentation (titled Design Guidance Essentials for Thick Film Circuits in RF & Microelectronics Applications), Chandra Gupta will delve into key design principles and best practices for developing robust thick film circuits. These circuits — whether configured as single substrates, complex assemblies, or high-density multilayer solutions – can be pivotal assets in applications where performance, reliability and cost are paramount. This presentation will cover design considerations and practical implementations in thick film ceramic boards, such as Alumina, Aluminum Nitride and Beryllium Oxide. Incorporation of resistors, RF hybrids, filters and other structures. Chandra will next address critical challenges posed by the environmental conditions at the board level and provide insights that help ensure performance and durability. Finally, the presentation will also emphasize the importance of achieving high repeatability and consistency in the manufacturing process and touch on applicable industry standards. Attendees will gain valuable knowledge to enhance the design and production of thick film circuits for demanding RF and microelectronics applications.

Automotive Imaging Radar Status and Outlook

Asif Anwar

Electrification and ADAS are underpinning semiconductor growth in the automotive sector. The value of ADAS content per vehicle continues to grow with distance warning continuing to drive demand with radar sensors central to these applications. Imaging radar is emerging as the improved performance provides benefits in their use for distance warning applications as well as providing potential use cases for driver and occupant monitoring. This TechInsights presentation will explore the current status and future outlook for imaging radar, and the part it will play in automotive safety and automation over the next five to ten years.

Selecting Materials for AESAs Based on Volume, Cost, and Reliability Requirements

John Coonrod

Active electronically scanned arrays (AESAs) are sophisticated phased array antennas typically used in military applications such as land, sea and air-based radars and commercial applications like LEO terminals, 5G basestations, and high performance automotive radars. The requirement for beam steering multiple signals at different frequencies places stringent demands on the high frequency PCB materials contained within. Electrical and mechanical properties needs to be stable over a range of frequencies and temperatures to ensure phase accuracy. Low CTE is important for long term reliability, and high thermal conductivity enables the best thermal management. This presentation will explore these concepts in more detail, with accompanying data obtained in a range of environmental conditions, with a view to helping design engineers understand the critical parameters and optimal material choices for AESA applications.

5G in Non Terrestrial Networks, Opportunities and Challenges

Wim Rouwet

Satellite communications are quickly evolving from proprietary waveforms to being 5G centric. This opens the NTN ecosystem to leverage terrestrial components and subsystems to accelerate time-to-market and improve features and performance. This presentation summarizes use-cases, architectures, challenges and opportunities that are opened by this change in the industry.

Critical Radar Transmitter Measurements Ensure Range Maximization

Bob Buxton

Many types of radar or EW system require high-power transmitters. Although some still use traveling wave tubes, solid state power amplifiers (SSPA) are increasing being used. Many of these use GaN technology. Key benefits from the use of SSPAs are improved reliability, greater efficiency, reduced size, and lower cost of ownership. However, GaN SSPAs can exhibit characteristics when used in long-pulse radar which, if uncorrected, can impact radar target range performance.

This session will describe how performance-limiting pulse fidelity degradations can occur and how they impact radar range. Critical pulse characterization measurements made on a 40 kW pulsed L-band transmitter will be presented. The results will show pre- and post-correction transmit pulse profiles.

Characterizing radar transmitter pulse impairments and verifying that they have been corrected is a crucial step in ensuring range maximization by enabling the transmitter to be operated with higher average pulse power levels, without resorting to a higher power SSPA. An estimate of the post-correction improvement in range will be provided.

GaN-on-Diamond in Satellite Radio Systems

Martha (“Marty”) Yarborough

In downlink space satellite communications, high speed (~ Gbps per channel) is critical to closing the link. Yet transmitting vast amounts of data from space satellites to Earth via scarce narrow bandwidths has always been a challenge. Traditional downlinks struggle to surpass 1Gbps within a 400 MHz bandwidth with several Watts of linear power. The reason for this hurdle is heat. Traditional semiconductor materials (Silicon Carbide, Silicon) exhibit thermal conductivities in the 150-400 W/mK which limits their heat dissipation, in turn leading to the current thermal ceiling of the radio. Akash engineers have found that boosting the substrate thermal conductivity to 1600 W/mK enables the downlink data-rate to exceed 800 Mbit/s over a 140 MHz bandwidth channel, or 1.6 Gbps over a 400 MHz band – all the while emitting 2-5W of linear power to support a ground antenna with modest gain.

At Akash Systems, we have pioneered a new solution that redefines communication capabilities in space.

Our state-of-the-art satellite radio for Earth Observation utilizes a “Diamond Cooling” technology, where diamond (1600 W/mK) is brought to within tens of nanometers of the heat source in the semiconductor (gallium nitride) RF power amplifier chip within the Radio. Diamond Cooling enabled unparalleled efficiency and gigabit data speeds all in a very compact form factor (0.3U) and bandwidth. The Akash radio consumes less than 56 W of power at peak data rates at 500 km altitude. This means more capable missions (e.g. hyperspectral imaging, or low-power SAR) without the traditional high cost.

This talk will explain our use of GaN-on-diamond in powering a high speed satellite radio system.