Due to the faster data transfer rate required in today’s consumer electronics market, interconnect design, such as Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA) to PCB interface, can no longer be ignored. Designers must include electromagnetic effects (coupling, crosstalk, etc.) of SATA connectors with board traces for accurate signal integrity analysis. In this episode, a SATA connector is analyzed with FDTD EM simulation. Then the simulation file is exported as a design kit into a channel simulator so that the connector data can be re-used for signal integrity design along with other lumped circuit components.
Problem: How to bring a model of a SATA connection into a circuit simulator in order to optimize system performance around it?
Action: In the FDTD, we import the MCAD drawings, assign material properties, and define the mesh. Then we define the ports and excitation source and run the simulation. The multi-port frequency response is then exported as a DesignKit into the channel simulator where it can be combined with other lumped and distributed elements. The eye diagram and ultra-low BER contours are used as an optimization goal while tuning parameters such controlled impedance trace geometry, and equalizer settings.
Result: The impairments due to the connector can be optimally mitigated using the design variables available. Various connector types can be compared and the most cost effective one selected. Both tasks can be completed without expensive and time consuming cut-and-try spins.
Read the full details in our presentation EM Insights Series – Episode 7 – High Speed SATA Connector Modeling
See the full series at EM Insights Series
2 responses so far ↓
1 Saujit Bandhu // Mar 16, 2010 at 12:55 am
The Example SATA connector model in EMPRO uses all the conductors are perfect conectors. But in actual case the conductors all have finite conductivity. Why this assumption is made ? There are differences in using conductors as Perfect conductor and conductor with finite conductivity.
2 HEESOO LEE // Mar 23, 2010 at 7:10 pm
Hello, Saujit
The PEC can be changed to a material with a conductivity. This example was simply developed to demonstrate FDTD simulation technology for high speed digital connectors such SATA and some TDR simulations. The material can be set to copper which has 5.8e7 S/m for the conductivity.
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