1.4 Signal Integrity Training Introduction
The training course curriculum described in this paper is targeted toward both digital and analog
engineers with a few years of experience designing hardware. The training consists of theory, tool
usage, and signal integrity analysis methodologies that are used at Plexus. The primary tool used in this
training is a preroute signal integrity tool such as Cadence SigXplorer, Mentor Hyperlynx, or SISoft SI
Auditor combined with Synopsys HSPICE. Any of these tools would be appropriate to base a training
course like this around. In addition to software tool usage, the course also includes some instruction on
the use of signal integrity lab equipment such as high-speed oscilloscopes, TDRs, and VNAs. This
paper will describe the selection of a textbook for this course and go through the syllabus in detail.
2 Textbook Selection
There are several well-written books that cover topics ranging from beginner electromagnetics to
advanced modeling and simulation. When selecting a textbook for a signal integrity class it is important
to keep in mind what is relevant and applicable to the engineers participating.
2.1 Criteria
Our signal integrity course targets hardware engineers with 3 or more years of experience that have a
solid understanding of electronic principles and board-level design practices and have seen several
signal integrity related phenomenon in their own designs. Having this real-world experience allows for
a better understanding and greater appreciation for the topics covered in this course and helps
immensely in the learning process. This provides the baseline for our book selection criteria.
2.1.1 Coverage of Electronic Principles
Basic principles such as setup and hold time, voltage thresholds, noise margin, capacitance, impedance,
inductance, resistance, transmission line fundamentals, etc. are expected to be understood at a basic level
by participants in the course. The book need not cover the fundamentals of these topics in great detail,
but rather provide detail on how they affect signal integrity under specific conditions.
2.1.2 Coverage of Digital System-Level Issues
The participants are expected to be well aware of potential issues with board-level design. Decoupling,
ground and VCC bounce, power distribution, bus protocols, etc. should be understood to some level.
The main focus of this course is how to analyze these issues through simulation and calculation. The
ideal book need only cover the basics of these phenomena, methodologies for analysis and simulation,
and techniques to mitigate them.
2.1.3 Coverage of Interconnection
As it is generally the most controllable and flexible factor of a design, digital system engineers are often
most concerned and have the greatest influence over interconnection. We define interconnection as the
channel between the die on a driving device and the die on a receiving device. As an introductory signal
integrity course, this is the area that we would like our book to focus on. Key subjects in our selection
criteria include flight delay, timing analysis, stack-up design, reflection, crosstalk and coupling, skin
effect, via and IBIS modeling, and simulation. Not only must these subjects be well covered, they must
be written in a way that is easy to understand and flow well from one topic to the next.
2.1.4 Depth of Coverage
As a final selection criterion, our book must not cover topics in excruciating detail. Our signal integrity
course is not a course on developing a simulation engine or writing simulation models, thus we do not
need cover the theoretical detail and equations but need more of a conceptual understanding.