Ask Me Anything with Eric Bogatin

Have a question about signal integrity? Ask Prof. Eric Bogatin!

How does layer stack up effect high speed signal integrity? Are there preferred stack ups for signal integrity?

Hi Eric. What do you think of AI-powered design tools and do you think these can actually help with designing for high speed, SI, etc.? Is there an AI design tool you’ve tried and would recommend?

Can you give a physical solution to creating a return path on a pcb design? I learned that one should add a parallel return copper trace along the signal trace and shot it to the lower ground plane at both ends. Is that true?

How crucial is selecting the right copper profile for high-speed applications, and Is it really necessary to consider roughness factor of copper foils.

In high-speed designs, how does the choice of materials for transmission lines affect stub behavior?

What techniques can be employed to minimize signal losses in RF transmission lines?

Are there specific considerations for controlled impedance in RF designs operating at millimeter-wave frequencies?

What testing methodologies are commonly employed to validate RF boards’ performance, especially in signal integrity and antenna characteristics?

Are there any regulatory guidelines specifying minimum separation distances between antennas in 5G RF boards to avoid interference and distortions?

How can circuit balancing be achieved through termination routing?

What is the maximum trace length I can have in a PCB without termination?

Is there any specific rule to terminate differential pairs and single-ended traces?

How to reduce the effects of trace stubs created by a parallel termination resistor?

Can tightly coupled differential pairs reduce crosstalk? How much distance between two traces in a differential pair is ideal?

How can signal integrity be optimized in mixed-signal PCBs with analog, digital, and RF components?

When optimizing differential pair routing for signal integrity, what design practices do you follow to maintain balanced impedance and minimize skew?

What specific parameters should I look for when analyzing eye diagrams?

What simulation tools do you find most effective in predicting high-frequency behavior?

How is propagation delay in a transmission line affected by varying frequencies?