[time-nuts] More on paralleling output gates

SAIDJACK at aol.com SAIDJACK at aol.com
Mon Apr 10 14:05:40 EDT 2006


Hi,
one of the problems with the PCB trick described in the previous email is  
that PCB substrates are not very accurate in terms of impedance matching: +-10%  
accuracy on the impedance is already asking a lot, especially when using 
Asian  manufacturers. Problems get worse when going inter-layer through vias. 
These  discontinuities and impedance mismatches cause signals to bounce around and 
 cause ringing etc.
 
It helps significantly to add a series resistor at the source since these  
ringing effects will then be terminated at both ends of the PCB trace, rather  
than only at the end of the line. Without the series terminator at the signal  
source, the reflected wave would reach the source again, be reflected again, 
and  end up at the end termination resistor a second time...
 
>It's a common trick on PCBs to series terminate point to point clock  lines 
with the >impedance of the transmission line.  You get a simple  2:1 divider 
from the source resistor >and the transmission line, so the  signal goes out at 
half height.  When the signal gets to >the far end  where there isn't any 
termination resistor, it bounces off resulting in a full  height >signal.  That's 
what the receiving chip sees.  When that  reflection gets back to the source, 
>it sees the source termination resistor  and there are no reflections.




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