Power Distribution Design

Course 053

Summary:

This course focuses on working design solutions, explaining tradeoffs between performance, cost and design complexity. The material is conveyed with minimal mathematics, building on the understanding of the physical behavior of power distribution components and networks. Live simulations and hardware demonstrations illustrate key points. Participants receive a set of illustration software items and a copy of the book.

Learning Objectives:

Upon completing the course, the participant will be able to:

model components related to power distribution
create flat impedance response
predict DC drop on power planes and optimize plane voltage drop
understand stackup and layout considerations
measure and simulate PDN's

Target Audience:

Board, circuit, and layout designers, as well as system architects and managers, will benefit from this course. The prerequisite for this course is a basic understanding of electronic circuits.

Outline:

Day One

Signal Spectrum, bandwidth of power-distribution noise
Interaction of power integrity, signal integrity and electromagnetic compatibility
Network matrices
• impedance • admittance • scattering • transfer matrix
Linear network characteristics
• time and frequency-domain solutions • moving between the domains
Simultaneous switching noise (SSN)
Models
• Models of vias and pads • capacitors • power planes
DC drop on power planes, optimization of plane voltage drop
DC-DC converters in the power distribution network
• transfer functions • output impedance • Creating flat impedance response, conditions for smooth impedance profiles
Bypass capacitor selection
• multi-pole • Big-V • Flat impedance profile synthesis • area capacitors • 'capacitor sprinkling'
Stackup/layout considerations
• proper location and placement of capacitors
High-frequency response, plane modal resonances
Designing PDN filters
• low-Q transfer functions • lossy ferrites
Transient analysis of PDNs with SPICE and with network functions
Finding worst-case transient response of PDNs, optimization of bypass network
Measurement and simulation of PDNs, selection of probes and instruments

Subject Areas Covered

Signal Integrity of High-Speed Digital Design

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