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High-Speed Board Designs

November 2001, ver. 4.0 Application Note 75

Introduction A successful high-speed printed circuit board (PCB) requires integration

of the device(s), PCB(s), and other elements into the design. Altera®
devices have fast I/O pins with fall times as low as 1 ns to 3 ns. Because a
fast slew rate can contribute to noise generation, signal reflection, cross-
talk, and ground bounce, designs must:

■ Filter and evenly distribute power to all devices to reduce noise

■ Use the recommended routing techniques for signals, including clock
and differential signals
■ Match impedance and evaluate termination schemes
■ Terminate signal and transmission lines to diminish signal reflection
■ Minimize cross-talk between parallel traces
■ Reduce the effects of ground bounce

Power Clean, evenly distributed power to VCC on all boards and devices can
reduce system noise.
Filtering &
Distribution Filtering Noise
To diminish the low-frequency (< 1 kHz) noise caused by the power
supply, filter the noise on the power lines at the point where the power
connects to the PCB and to each device. Altera recommends placing a
100-µF electrolytic capacitor adjacent to the location where the power
supply lines enter the PCB. If using a voltage regulator, place the capacitor
immediately after the final stage that provides the VCC signal to the
device(s). Capacitors not only filter low-frequency noise from the power
supply, but also supply extra current when many outputs switch
simultaneously in a circuit.

Another way to filter power supply noise is to place a non-resonant

surface-mount ferrite bead, big enough to handle the current, in series
with power supply. Place a 10-µF to 100µF bypass capacitor next to the
ferrite bead (see Figure 1). Proper terminations, layouts, and filtering in a
design eliminate the need for the ferrite bead. In this case, use a 0 Ω
resistor instead of the ferrite bead.

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Figure 1. Filtering Noise with a Ferrite Bead

PCB elements add high-frequency noise to the power plane. To filter high-
frequency noise at the device, Altera recommends placing decoupling
capacitors as close as possible to each VCC and ground pair.

Placing the power and ground planes in parallel and separated by

dielectric material provides another level of bypass capacitance. These
parallel planes reduce the power-related high-frequency noise, since this
type of capacitance has no effective series resistance (ESR) and no lead
inductance.

f See the Operating Requirements for Altera Devices Data Sheet for more
information on bypass capacitors.

Distributing Power
Power distribution also impacts system noise. Either a power bus network
or power planes can distribute power throughout the PCB.

Usually used on two-layer PCBs, the least expensive way to distribute

power is a power bus network, which consists of two or more wide metal
traces that carry VCC and ground to the devices. The density of the PCB
limits the trace widths, which should be as wide as possible. Power buses
have significant DC resistance; the last element on the bus may receive
VCC power degraded by as much as 0.5 V.

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Altera recommends using power planes to distribute power. Used on

multi-layer PCBs, power planes consist of two or more metal layers that
carry VCC and ground to the devices. Because the power plane covers the
full area of the PCB, its DC resistance is very low. The power plane
maintains VCC, distributes it equally to all devices, and provides very high
current-sink capability, noise protection, and shielding for the logic
signals on the PCB. Sharing the same plane between analog and digital
power supplies may be risky due to unwanted interaction of these two
circuit types.

For fully digital systems without separate analog power and ground
planes on the board, adding two new planes to the board may be
prohibitively expensive. Instead, the board designer can create
partitioned power islands (split plane). Figure 2 shows an example board
layout with phase-locked loop (PLL) power islands.

Figure 2. Board Layout for General-Purpose PLL Power Islands

To reduce system noise from power distribution:

■ For equal power distribution use separate power planes for the
analog power supply.
■ Avoid trace and multiple signal layers when routing the PLL power
supply.
■ Place a ground plane next to the PLL power supply plane.

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■ Place analog and digital components only over their respective

ground plane.
■ Use ferrite beads to isolate the PLL power supply from digital power
supply.

Transmission After establishing the PCB power network, Altera recommends

considering the layout of the devices and traces. Fast edge rates contribute
Line & Signal to noise, cross-talk, and ground bounce in varying degrees, depending on
the PCB construction material.
Routing
Each PCB substrate has a different relative dielectric constant (Er) that
compares the effect of an insulator on the capacitance of a conductor pair
to the capacitance of the conductor pair in a vacuum. The substrate
determines the length at which the signal traces must be handled as
transmission lines.

Table 1 lists Er values for various dielectric materials.

Table 1. Relative Dielectric Constants

Material Er
Air 1.0
PTFE/glass 2.2
Rogers RO 2800 2.9
CE/goreply 3.0
BT/goreply 3.3
GETEK 3.5
CE/glass 3.7
Silicon dioxide 3.9
BT/glass 4.0
Polymide/glass 4.1
FR-4/glass 4.1
Glass cloth 6.0
Alumina 9.0

The following equation shows how each material’s Er value determines

the velocity (VP) at which signals may flow. The constant (C) equals
3 × 108 m/s or 30 cm/ns:
C
V P = ---------
Er
Calculate the propagation delay (tPD) for a given length (l) with the
following expression:

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l
t PD = -------
VP
When driving a line, view the circuit as either a lumped or distributed
circuit depending on whether or not the signal edge rate (tR) is greater
than four times the tPD:

Lumped: t R > 4 × t PD

Distributed: t R < 4 × t PD

Model distributed circuits as transmission lines that exhibit ringing,

overshoot, and undershoot. In contrast, model lumped circuits as having
the same voltage across the line. Some lumped systems exhibit ringing,
especially those with large inductance, such as point-to-point wired
systems.

An Altera® device’s signal edge rate at the rising edge is a function of

device capacitance. Estimate this signal edge rate using the device’s
capacitive load. Altera device family data sheets include output drive
characteristics graphs that show the voltage/current relationship of the
output drives. Use these graphs to derive an equation for signal edge rate
at the rising edge as a function of capacitance. Figure 3 shows the output
drive characteristics for the MAX® 7000 device family that is also used to
determine the signal edge rate.

Figure 3. Output Drive Characteristics of MAX 7000 Devices

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The falling edge, represented by the IOL curve, has a sharper edge rate and
is more susceptible to transmission line effects. The curve is roughly linear
when it goes from 10% to 90% of the maximum IOL. The following
equation approximates the value of IOL:

IOL = 0.06 VO

Solving the charging capacitor equation for time (t) yields the following
equations:
∂V I
------- = ----O-
∂t C
C
∂t = ----- ( ∂V )
IO
Substituting the equation above for IOL yields the following equation:
C
∂t = -------------------- ( ∂V )
( 0.06 V)
Integrating and solving the integral from 10% to 90% yields the following
signal edge rate (tF) equation for the falling edge:
1 2.1
tF = C × ln(V) 0.2
= 39.19 × C
0.06

To calculate the output delay time, first determine the fall time of the
specified load. To drive a 35-pF load, the fall time is:
– 12
t F = 39.19 × ( 35 × 10 ) sec onds = 1.37 ns

Again, tPD is the length (l) of the line divided by the velocity (VP):
l
t PD = -------
VP
By solving for l using the equation below, calculate the length at which the
line must be treated as a transmission line:
tR × CO ( 1.37 × 10 ) ( 3 × 10 )
–9 8
l > ------------------ = ------------------------------------------------------- = 5.07 cm
4 ER 4 4.1
For example, when using a MAX 7000 device to drive a 35-pF load
through a glass cloth substrate line that is greater than 5.07 cm, treat the
line as a transmission line. Estimation from the curves in Figures 3 shows
IOL to have a faster edge rate and, hence, to be prone to transmission line
effects. However, if IOH has the faster edge rate, it would be more
susceptible, and its linear approximation would be used to calculate l.

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In the example above, the MAX 7000 device has a normal slew rate and a
VCCIO of 5.0 V. If the slow slew rate logic option is turned on or I/O pins
are connected to 3.3 V, the edge rate of the MAX 7000 device is slower.
When VCCIO is connected to 3.3 V, use the diagram of its output drive
characteristics to calculate tF.

If the slow slew rate option is turned on, the new tF increases. The new
expression for tF is:

tF = ( t OD3 – t OD2 ) + t F [calculated from the above equation for a normal

slew rate]

For example, if a device with a -10 speed grade is used where

tOD3 = 5.5 ns and tOD2 = 1.5 ns, (tOD3 – tOD2) = (5.5 – 1.5) ns = 4 ns, and the
new tF for a slow slew rate can be calculated as shown below:

4 ns + 1.37 ns = 5.37 ns

With the slow slew rate option turned on, the new length (l) used to
determine a transmission line is 19.89 cm.

Consult the appropriate device data sheet to see if a slow slew rate control
affects both the rising and falling edge rates of a device.

Signal Routing Microstrip or stripline routing are ways to route signals on a PCB.
Microstrip routing refers to a trace routed on an outside layer of the PCB
separated by a dielectric from the reference plane (GND or VCC). Stripline
routing refers to a trace routed on an inside layer with two reference
planes. See Figure 4.

Figure 4. Stripline & Microstrip Signal Routing

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Clock Signal Considering routing techniques can help to maximize the quality of clock
transmission lines. Use the following routing techniques for clock signals:
Routing
■ Avoid using serpentine routing; clock traces should be as straight as
possible.
■ Avoid using multiple signal layers for clock signals.
■ Avoid using vias in the clock transmission line, since vias can
contribute impedance change and reflection.
■ Route the clock trace on the microstrip (preferably top layer) to
minimize the use of vias and delays, since air is the dielectric material.
Air has the lowest dielectric constant (Er = 1).
■ Place a ground plane next to the outer layer to minimize noise. If
using the inner layer for routing the clock trace, sandwich the layer
by ground planes to reduce delay.
■ Terminate clock signals properly.

Differential For quality signal transmission, consider routing techniques of

differential signals in PCB designs. Use the following techniques for
Signal Routing differential signal routing:

■ Make D > 2S to minimize crosstalk. See Figure 5.

■ Route the two traces of a differential pair as close to each other as
possible after they leave the device to ensure minimal reflection.
■ Maintain a constant distance between the two traces of a differential
pair over their entire length.
■ Keep the electrical length between the two traces of a differential pair
the same. This minimizes the skew and phase difference.
■ To minimize impedance mismatch and inductance, avoid using vias.

Figure 5. Differential Signal Routing

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Impedance Mismatched impedance causes signals to reflect up and down the line,
which in turn causes ringing at the load. To eliminate reflections, the
Matching & impedance of the source (ZS) must equal the impedance of the trace (Z0),
as well as the load (ZL).
Termination
Schemes The load impedance is typically much higher than the line impedance,
which is higher than the source impedance. On an unmatched
transmission line, a signal reflects 100% at the load and approximately
80% at the source, bouncing back and forth until it dies out. To reduce
signal reflection, match the impedance either at the load (ZL) or at the
source (ZS) to the trace (Z0) by adding an impedance in parallel with the
load to reduce its input impedance.

The following examples of how parallel termination schemes diminish the

first reflection by matching the load impedance to the line impedance.
Altera recommends using either Thevenin or series-RC schemes. For the
matching to be effective, terminate each load, because any impedance
mismatch will result in a signal reflection.

Simple Parallel Termination

S L In a simple parallel termination scheme, the termination resistor (RT) is
RT = Z0 equal to the line impedance. The placement of the termination resistor
must be as close to the load as possible to be efficient. The current loading
GND of this termination is highest at a high-output state. Estimate the current
load (IL) with the following equation:
VO
I L = -------
RT
Calculate the driving voltage (VO) from the IOH curve (refer to Figure 3).
The equation for IOH is:

I OH = 0.15 – ( 0.038 ) × V O

( 0.15 – I OH )
V O = -----------------------------
-
0.038
Calculate the current load for a 1.0 kΩ termination:
0.15 – I OH 0.15 – I OH
I L = ---------------------------------- = -------------------------
0.038 × 1, 000 38
When driving high, IL = IOH, therefore:
0.15
I L = ---------- = 3.85mA
39

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The current load should not exceed the DC operating conditions of a

MAX 7000 device, which is 4 mA for IOH and 12 mA for IOL. In this case,
the 3.85-mA current load is less than the maximum IOH limit of 4 mA per
output pin for MAX 7000 devices.

VCC Thevenin Parallel Termination

R1 An alternative parallel termination scheme uses a Thevenin voltage
S L divider. The terminating resistor is split between R1 and R2, which equals
R2 the line impedance when combined. Although this scheme reduces the
current draw from the source device, it adds current drawn from the
GND power supply because the resistors are tied between VCC and ground.
R1 ll R2 = Z0

Active Parallel Termination

VBIAS
In an active parallel termination scheme, the terminating resistor (RT = Z0)
is tied to a bias voltage (VBIAS). The bias voltage is such that the output
RT = Z0
drivers are capable of drawing current from the high- and low-level
S L signals. However, this scheme requires a separate voltage source that can
sink and source currents to match the output transfer rates.

Series-RC Parallel Termination

S L In a series-RC parallel termination scheme, a resistor and capacitor
RT = Z0 network is the terminating impedance. The terminating resistor (RT) is
C equal to Z0; the capacitor must be greater than 100 pF. The capacitor
blocks low-frequency signals while passing high-frequency signals.
GND Therefore, the DC loading effect of RT does not have an impact on the
driver.

Series Termination
S L A series termination scheme matches the impedance at the signal source
RT instead of matching the impedance at each load. Because the output
impedance of Altera devices is low, add a series impedance to match the
signal source to the line impedance.

On an unmatched line, the source eventually reduces the reflections.

Adding the series termination helps attenuate secondary reflections. The
line impedance varies depending on the distribution of the load.
Therefore, a single resistor value cannot apply to all conditions. Altera
recommends using a 33-Ω series resistor to cover most impedances. This
method requires only a single component at the source rather than
multiple components at each load, but delays the signal path as it
increases the RC time constant.

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Differential Pair Termination

The differential signal I/O standard requires a termination resistor
between the signals at the receiving device. The termination resistor
should match the differential load impedance of the bus (typically 100 Ω).

See Application Note 134 (Using Programmable I/O Standards in MercuryTM

Devices) for different types of differential termination schemes, such as
LVDS, LVPECL, and PCML.

Cross-Talk Cross-talk is the unwanted coupling of signals between parallel traces.

Two types of cross-talk exist: forward (capacitive) and backward
(inductive). Figure 6 illustrates the effect of each type of cross-talk as a
function of the parallel length.

Figure 6. Cross-Talk as a Function of Parallel Length

Forward cross-talk has less effect than backward cross-talk. In forward

cross-talk, two long running parallel traces have a mutual capacitance
between them. A voltage change in one trace produces a capacitive effect
on the other trace. This effect appears as a small positive pulse shaped like
the derivative of the original voltage change.

Backward cross-talk occurs when the magnetic field from one trace
induces a signal in a neighboring trace. In logic systems, the current flow
through a trace is significant when the signals are switching or non-static.
The magnetic fields created by switching currents induce the coupling
transients.

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Cross-talk increases when two or more traces run parallel to one another
for some distance and also with decreased trace separation. As shown in
Figure 7, the center-to-center separation between the two traces should be
at least 4 times the trace width. Without disturbing the separation
between two traces, lowering the distance between the trace and the
ground plane to under 10 mils reduces the cross-talk.

Figure 7. Separation of Traces for Cross-Talk Prevention

Figure 8 shows the effect of height over GND plane on trace-to-trace

coupling. The dielectric material also plays an important role in reducing
the cross-talk. Low dielectric material helps to reduce the thickness
between the trace and ground plane.

Figure 8. Effect of Height over Ground Plane on Trace-to-Trace Coupling

Ground Bounce As digital devices become faster, their output switching times decrease.
Faster switching times cause higher transient currents in outputs as they
discharge load capacitances. These higher currents, which are generated
when multiple outputs of a device switch simultaneously from a logic
high to a logic low, can cause a board-level phenomenon known as
ground bounce.

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Many factors contribute to ground bounce. Therefore, no standard test

method predicts ground bounce magnitude for all possible PCB
environments. Determine each condition’s and each device’s relative
contributions to ground bounce by testing the device under these
conditions. Load capacitance, socket inductance, and the number of
switching outputs are the predominant conditions that influence the
magnitude of ground bounce in programmable logic devices.

Design Recommendations
Altera recommends the following design methods to reduce ground
bounce:

■ Add the recommended decoupling capacitors for as many

VCC/GND pairs as possible.
■ Place the decoupling capacitors as close as possible to the power and
ground pins of the device.
■ Add external buffers at the output of a counter to minimize the
loading on Altera device pins.
■ Configure the unused I/O pin as an output pin and then drive the
output low. This configuration acts as a virtual ground. Connect this
low driving output pin to GNDINT and/or the board’s ground plane.
■ For MAX 7000AE devices, any unused I/O pin may be driven to
ground by programming the “programmable ground” bit (one per
I/O cell). In doing so, the macrocell will not need to be sacrificed, but
can still be used as a buried macrocell.
■ When speed is not critical, turn on the slow slew rate logic option for
APEXTM II, APEXTM 20K, MercuryTM, ExcaliburTM, FLEX® 10K,
FLEX 8000, FLEX 6000, MAX 9000, MAX 7000A, and MAX 7000
designs.
■ Limit load capacitance by buffering loads with an external device,
such as the 74244 IC bus driver, or by reducing the number of devices
that drive the bus.
■ Eliminate sockets whenever possible.
■ Reduce the number of outputs that can switch simultaneously
and/or distribute them evenly throughout the device.
■ Move switching outputs close to a package ground pin.
■ Create a programmable ground next to switching pins.
■ Eliminate pull-up resistors or use pull-down resistors.
■ Use multi-layer PCBs that provide separate VCC and ground planes.
■ Add 10- to 30-Ω resistors in series to each of the switching outputs to
limit the current flow into each of the outputs.
■ Create synchronous designs that will not be affected by momentarily
switching pins.
■ Assign I/O pins to minimize local bunching of output pins.

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■ Place the power and ground pins next to each other. The total
inductance will be reduced by mutual inductance, since current flows
in opposite directions in power and ground pins.
■ Use a bigger via size to connect the capacitor pad to the power and
ground plane to minimize the inductance in decoupling capacitors.
■ Use the wide and short trace between the via and the capacitor pad
or place the via adjacent to the capacitor pad. See Figure 9.

Figure 9. Suggested Via Location That Connects to Capacitor Pad

■ Use surface mount capacitors to minimize the lead inductance.

■ Use low effective series resistance (ESR) capacitors. The ESR should
be < 400 mΩ.
■ Each GND pin/via should be connected to the ground plane
individually.
■ To add extra capacitance on the board, Altera recommends placing a
ground plane next to each power (VCC) plane. This placement gives
zero lead inductance and no ESR. The dielectric thickness between
the two planes should be ~5 mils.

f Search for “Slow Slew Rate” in the Quartus® II Software Help for more
information about this logic option.

These design recommendations, many of which are described in detail on

pages 17 and 18. in this application note, should help high-speed logic
design for operating over a range of PCB conditions.

Analyzing Ground Bounce

Figure 10 shows a simple model for analyzing ground bounce. The
external components driven by the device appear as capacitance loads to
that device (C1 to Cn). These capacitive loads store a charge determined
by the following equation:

Charge (Q) = [voltage (V) × capacitance (C)]

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Thus, the charge increases as the voltage and/or load capacitance

increases.

Figure 10. Ground Bounce Model

A device’s environment and ground path have intrinsic inductances

(shown in Figure 10 as L1, L2, and L3). L1 is the inductance of the bond
wire from the device’s die to its package pin, and of the pin itself. L2 is the
inductance of the connection mechanism between the device’s ground pin
and the PCB. This inductance is greatest when the device is connected to
the PCB through a socket. L3 is the inductance of the PCB trace between
the device and the PCB location where the power supply’s reference
ground is connected.

Ground bounce occurs when multiple outputs switch from high to low.
The transition causes the charge stored in the load capacitances to flow
into the device. The sudden rush of current (di/dt) exits the device
through the inductances (L) to board ground, generating a voltage (V)
determined by the equation V = L × (di/dt). This voltage difference
between board ground and device ground causes the relative ground
level for low or quiet outputs to temporarily rise or bounce. Although the
rush of current is brief, the magnitude of the bounce can be large enough
to trigger other devices on the PCB.

In synchronous designs, ground bounce is less often a problem because

synchronous outputs have enough time to settle before the next clock
edge. Also, synchronous circuits are not as likely to be falsely triggered by
a voltage spike on a quiet output.

Capacitive loading on the switching outputs and quiet outputs affect

ground bounce differently.

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Switching Outputs
When the capacitive loading on the switching outputs increases, the
amount of charge available for instantaneous switching increases, which
in turn increases the magnitude of ground bounce. Depending on the
device, ground bounce increases with capacitive loading until the loading
is approximately 100 pF per device output. At this point, the device output
buffers reach their maximum current-carrying capacity and inductive
factors become dominant.

One method of reducing the capacitive load and, consequently, ground

bounce is to connect the device’s switching outputs to a bus driver
integrated circuit (IC). The outputs of this IC drive the heavy capacitive
loads, reducing the loading on the device and minimizing ground bounce
for the device’s quiet outputs.

Some bus applications use pull-up resistors to create a default high value
for the bus. These resistors cause the load capacitances to charge up to the
maximum voltage. Consequently, the driving device produces a higher
level of ground bounce. Eliminate pull-up resistors in applications in
which ground bounce is a concern, or design bus logic that uses pull-
down resistors instead.

The number of switching outputs also affects ground bounce. As the

number of switching outputs increases, the total charge stored also
increases. The total charge is equal to the sum of the stored charges for
each switching output. Therefore, the amount of current that must sink to
ground increases as the number of switching outputs increases. Ground
bounce can increase by as much as 40 to 50 mV for each additional output
that is switching.

To counteract these effects, Altera devices provide multiple VCC and GND
pin pairs. Reduce ground bounce by moving switching outputs close to a
ground pin and distributing simultaneously switching outputs
throughout the device.

Besides placing switching pins next to a ground pin, create a

programmable ground pin by creating an output pin in the design that
drives only ground. By connecting this output pin to ground on the board,
the device ground has another connection to the board ground, which
helps reduce ground bounce.

Many Altera devices have slew rate options for the output drivers.
Turning on the slow slew rate option for all or most of the drivers slows
down the drivers, decreasing di/dt and reducing ground bounce.

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To further reduce ground bounce, limit the number of outputs that can
switch simultaneously in the design. For functions such as counters, use
Gray coding as an alternative to standard sequential binary coding,
because only one bit switches at a time.

In extreme cases, adding resistors (10 Ω to 30 Ω is usually adequate) in

series to each of the switching outputs in a high-speed logic device can
limit the current flow into each of the outputs and, thus, reduce ground
bounce to an acceptable level.

Quiet Outputs
An increase in capacitive loading on quiet outputs acts as a low-pass filter
and tends to dampen ground bounce. Capacitive loading on a quiet
output can reduce ground bounce by as much as 200 to 300 mV. However,
an increase in capacitive loading on a quiet output can increase the noise
seen on other quiet outputs when the capacitive-loaded pin does switch.

Minimizing Lead Inductance

Socket usage and PCB trace length are two elements of L2, as shown in
Figure 10. Sockets can cause ground bounce voltage to increase by as
much as 100%. Eliminating sockets can often reduce the ground bounce
on the PCB. The length of the PCB trace has a much smaller effect on
ground bounce as compared to sockets. For PCBs with a ground plane, the
voltage drop across the inductance (L3) of the PCB trace between the
device and the PCB location where other devices in the system reference
ground is negligible, because L3 is significantly less than L2. The
inductance in a 3-inch trace increases ground bounce for a quiet output by
approximately 100 mV. Therefore, keep trace length to a minimum. As
traces become longer, transmission line effects may cause other noise
problems.

Using multi-layer PCBs that provide separate VCC and ground planes can
also reduce the ground bounce caused by PCB trace inductance. Wire-
wrapping the VCC and ground supplies usually increases the amount of
ground bounce. To reduce unwanted inductance, use low-inductance
bypass capacitors between the VCC supply pins and the board ground
plane, as close to the package supply pins as possible. Altera requires low
ESR decoupling surface mount capacitors of 0.01 µF to 0.1 µF to be used in
parallel to reduce ground bounce. Adding a 0.001 µF capacitor in parallel
to these capacitors filters high frequency noise (>100 MHz).

f Refer to the Minimizing Ground Bounce & VCC Sag White Paper for more
information about ground bounce.

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References Knack, Kella. Debunking High-Speed PCB Design Myths. ASIC & EDA,
Los Altos: James C. Uhl, July 1993.

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