01OUX… - Advanced Design for Signal Integrity and Compliance.  F.

Canavero, 2015

01OUXOQ, 01OUXOT, 01OUXOV, 01OUXPE

Advanced Design for Signal Integrity and

Compliance

6. Cables & Crosstalk

Flavio Canavero
Politecnico di Torino, Italy
flavio.canavero@polito.it

01OUX… - Advanced Design for Signal Integrity and Compliance.  F.Canavero, 2015

Outline

• Crosstalk phenomenology
 Elementary model at low frequencies
 Wide-bandwidth model
 Crosstalk in time-domain

• Crosstalk reduction
 Shielded wires
 Twisted wires

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01OUX… - Advanced Design for Signal Integrity and Compliance.  F.Canavero, 2015

CROSSTALK

• Fact of life
In a wire bundle, it is common
experience to find traces of a
signal on wires other than the
one used for transmission

• Definition
Crosstalk refers to the unintended
electromagnetic coupling between wires and PCB
lands that are in close proximity
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01OUX… - Advanced Design for Signal Integrity and Compliance.  F.Canavero, 2015

Crosstalk: electromagnetic interaction of circuits

Simplest structure to understand and model electromagnetic
interaction: minimum 3 conductors required

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01OUX… - Advanced Design for Signal Integrity and Compliance.  F.Canavero, 2015

Examples of physical structures

(common cross-sections of 3-conductor lines)

G R
R G
G
R

3 wires 2 wires above ground shielded

R G R G
R
G

stripline microstrip coplanar strips

01OUX… - Advanced Design for Signal Integrity and Compliance.  F.Canavero, 2015

Elementary explanation of crosstalk (i)

Approximations:
• Low-frequency (the line is short wrt wavelength, L</10)
• weak coupling (wires are well separated)

1.st step: generator circuit alone

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01OUX… - Advanced Design for Signal Integrity and Compliance.  F.Canavero, 2015

Elementary explanation of crosstalk (ii)

2.nd step: inductive coupling
Faraday Law  magnetic flux produced by the current of the
generator circuit couples with the victim circuit
j l m L IˆG

L m  lm L

L
Line cross-section Equivalent circuit
Closed-form expressions of
mutual inductance lm for Example:
simple geometries
(otherwise, numerical 0  dG d R 
lm  ln  
solution!) 2  d GR rw 0 
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01OUX… - Advanced Design for Signal Integrity and Compliance.  F.Canavero, 2015

Elementary explanation of crosstalk (iii)

3.rd step: capacitive coupling

Capacitor Law  voltage difference induces charges
proportional to capacitance between two circuits

j c m L VˆG
L
Line cross-section Equivalent circuit C m  cm L
Closed-form expressions of
mutual capacitance cm for Example:
simple geometries
(otherwise, numerical cm 
lm
solution!) v (lG l R  l m2 )
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01OUX… - Advanced Design for Signal Integrity and Compliance.  F.Canavero, 2015

Elementary explanation of crosstalk (iv)

4.th step: superposition of inductive & capacitive effects

Computation of terminal voltages on the victim circuit

01OUX… - Advanced Design for Signal Integrity and Compliance.  F.Canavero, 2015

Elementary explanation of crosstalk (v)

5.th step: equations manipulation

• use of voltage
and current of the
generator circuit
• extraction of 

• definition of
Inductive and
Capacitive
coupling
coefficients

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01OUX… - Advanced Design for Signal Integrity and Compliance.  F.Canavero, 2015

Elementary explanation of crosstalk (vi)

Result # 1:
v
Crosstalk increases with frequency f max 
10 L
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01OUX… - Advanced Design for Signal Integrity and Compliance.  F.Canavero, 2015

Elementary explanation of crosstalk (vii)

Which coupling is prevailing?
• Inductive effect is dominating if MIND > MCAP i.e.

In fact, small terminations impedances  large current 

large magnetic induction

• Capacitive effect is dominating if MCAP > MIND i.e.

>1 >1

In fact, large terminations impedances  large voltage 

large electric induction
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01OUX… - Advanced Design for Signal Integrity and Compliance.  F.Canavero, 2015

Elementary explanation of crosstalk (viii)

Result # 2: Crosstalk dominance

Low termination impedance High termination
impedance

Capacitive crosstalk

Inductive crosstalk

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01OUX… - Advanced Design for Signal Integrity and Compliance.  F.Canavero, 2015

Elementary explanation of crosstalk (ix)

6.th step: coupling via common return conductor

Voltage drop (due to ohmic losses in the return conductor)
acts as a source for the victim circuit

Result # 3:
Common-wire Xtalk is
frequency
independent
(ohmic [dc] losses only)
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01OUX… - Advanced Design for Signal Integrity and Compliance.  F.Canavero, 2015

Elementary explanation of crosstalk (x)

7.th step: Summary - superposition of inductive, capacitive

& resistive effects

resistive Xtalk
inductive & capacitive
Xtalk
log10 f

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01OUX… - Advanced Design for Signal Integrity and Compliance.  F.Canavero, 2015

Validation of the elementary crosstalk model (i)

Ribbon cable:
wires radii: 7.5 mils
wires separation: 50 mils
wires losses: 0.194 /m
dielectric (r=3.5) thickness: 10 mils
characteristic impedance of each circuit: 173 

R = 50  R = 1 k
VˆNE VˆNE
 j M NE
IND
 M NE
CI
 j M NE
CAP
 M NE
CI

VˆS VˆS
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01OUX… - Advanced Design for Signal Integrity and Compliance.  F.Canavero, 2015

Validation of the elementary crosstalk model (ii)

?
inductive & capacitive coupling

resistive coupling

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01OUX… - Advanced Design for Signal Integrity and Compliance.  F.Canavero, 2015

Validation of the elementary crosstalk model (iii)

Microstrip (2 traces):
conductors losses: negligible
characteristic impedance of each circuit: approx 50 

For R = 50 , inductive and

capacitive crosstalk contributions
are of same order of magnitude

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01OUX… - Advanced Design for Signal Integrity and Compliance.  F.Canavero, 2015

Validation of the elementary crosstalk model (iv)

inductive & capacitive coupling

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01OUX… - Advanced Design for Signal Integrity and Compliance.  F.Canavero, 2015

Outline

• Crosstalk phenomenology
 Elementary model at low frequencies
 Wide-bandwidth model
 Crosstalk in time-domain

• Crosstalk reduction
 Shielded wires
 Twisted wires

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01OUX… - Advanced Design for Signal Integrity and Compliance.  F.Canavero, 2015

Wideband crosstalk model (i)

• line is subdivided in a cascade of cells
(finite length z << min)
• full model: self and mutual electromagnetic effects

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01OUX… - Advanced Design for Signal Integrity and Compliance.  F.Canavero, 2015

Line parameters (per unit length)

• Self parameters (single conductor wrt reference conductor),
e.g. lG, lR, cG, cR
• Mutual parameters (between any two conductors), e.g. lm, cm
• Parameters are organized in matrices, e.g. L, C (and R and
G if losses are considered)
• If the filling dielectric is homogeneous, the relation C =  L-1
must hold
• Closed-form expressions are available only for simple
geometries (e.g., all round wires; round wires above ground;
round wires in a shield)
• Numerical solution required for complex geometries
(educational and commercial simulation tools available)

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01OUX… - Advanced Design for Signal Integrity and Compliance.  F.Canavero, 2015
Wideband crosstalk model (iii)
1.st alternative: cascade of N cells implemented in SPICE
Example: the ribbon cable

5 cells

1 cell

Drawbacks:  very slow convergence at high frequencies

 circuit size grows and SPICE simul. impractical
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01OUX… - Advanced Design for Signal Integrity and Compliance.  F.Canavero, 2015

Wideband crosstalk model (iv)

2.nd alternative: use multiconductor transmission line eq’s
Taking the limit z  0, Telegrapher’s equations are derived

Telegrapher’s equations are

very general: for n+1 wires,
the coupled diff’l system will
be 2n x 2n
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01OUX… - Advanced Design for Signal Integrity and Compliance.  F.Canavero, 2015

Wideband crosstalk model (v)

Change of variables ... V ( z ,  )  TV Vm ( z ,  )

I ( z ,  )  TI I m ( z ,  )

... such that the system of equations becomes diagonal, i.e.

d
Vm   j TV1LT I I m
dz
d
I m   j TI1CTV Vm
dz

The “suffix m” variables are called Modal Variables

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01OUX… - Advanced Design for Signal Integrity and Compliance.  F.Canavero, 2015

Wideband crosstalk model (vi)

The variable transformation is a bright idea, since

• telegrapher’s equations become uncoupled
• solution of modal lines is separated
• SPICE implementation is enabled
d
VmG   j l mG I mG
dz
Of course, modal solutions must be
d
linearly combined eventually, to obtain I mG   j c mG V mG
the physical (i.e., measurable)
dz
solutions
d
VmR   j l mR I mR
dz
d
I mR   j c mR V mR
dz
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01OUX… - Advanced Design for Signal Integrity and Compliance.  F.Canavero, 2015

Wideband crosstalk model (vii)

SPICE implementation

real wires
real wires

terminal single modal lines terminal

combination (non physical) combination
block block
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01OUX… - Advanced Design for Signal Integrity and Compliance.  F.Canavero, 2015

The SPICE Model for Multiwire Lines

• Distributed lossless
model based on the
knowledge of the PUL
parameters
– Measured
– Numerically computed
– Computed by means of
analytical formulas (circular
cross-section)
It enables a system-level
simulation, i.e. the
integration of cable-bundle
effects in Industry standard
design flows based on
SPICE
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01OUX… - Advanced Design for Signal Integrity and Compliance.  F.Canavero, 2015

The SPICE Model for Multiwire Lines (ii)

Application Example: Complex Cable

• 1 shield
• 1 wire
• 4 twisted pairs

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01OUX… - Advanced Design for Signal Integrity and Compliance.  F.Canavero, 2015

Outline

• Crosstalk phenomenology
 Elementary model at low frequencies
 Wide-bandwidth model
 Crosstalk in time-domain

• Crosstalk reduction
 Shielded wires
 Twisted wires

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01OUX… - Advanced Design for Signal Integrity and Compliance.  F.Canavero, 2015

Crosstalk in time-domain (i)

Approximations:
• Low-frequency (the line is short wrt wavelength, L</10)
• weak coupling (wires are well separated)
since

then

Result # 4:
Crosstalk appears as time derivative of the source
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01OUX… - Advanced Design for Signal Integrity and Compliance.  F.Canavero, 2015

Crosstalk in time-domain (ii)

Experimental verification

zoom

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01OUX… - Advanced Design for Signal Integrity and Compliance.  F.Canavero, 2015

Crosstalk in time-domain (iii)

Impossibile v isualizzare l'immagine.

The derivative model is valid

for “slow” signals, i.e.
rise-time > 10 L/v

When propagation along the

line is not negligible, simulation
is needed.
Here is an example: SPICE
simulation of NE xtalk of two
bare wires (4.6 m in length)
excited by a trapezoidal signal
(amplitude 1 V) with 12.5 ns
rise-time

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01OUX… - Advanced Design for Signal Integrity and Compliance.  F.Canavero, 2015

Outline

• Crosstalk phenomenology
 Elementary model at low frequencies
 Wide-bandwidth model
 Crosstalk in time-domain

• Crosstalk reduction
 Shielded wires
 Twisted wires

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01OUX… - Advanced Design for Signal Integrity and Compliance.  F.Canavero, 2015

Shielded wires (i)

Approximations:
• Low-frequency (the line is short wrt wavelength, L</10)
• weak coupling (wires are well separated)

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01OUX… - Advanced Design for Signal Integrity and Compliance.  F.Canavero, 2015

Shielded wires (ii)

A) capacitive coupling

R FE

+
Result # 6:
Shield-to-Ground VˆG
avoids capacitive
coupling  R NE

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01OUX… - Advanced Design for Signal Integrity and Compliance.  F.Canavero, 2015

Shielded wires (iii)

B) inductive coupling

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01OUX… - Advanced Design for Signal Integrity and Compliance.  F.Canavero, 2015

Shielded wires (iv)

B) inductive coupling (cont’d)

IˆR
IˆS Magnetic flux compensation allows
IˆG
simplification; hence
 S   RS
G

Effect of shield:

Result # 7:
Shield-to-Ground at both ends
limits inductive coupling
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01OUX… - Advanced Design for Signal Integrity and Compliance.  F.Canavero, 2015

Shielded wires (v)

Summary: Crosstalk in shielded wires
(with grounded shield!)

Vˆ NECAP
, FE
0

for f < fSH

for f > fSH

v
f max 
10 L
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01OUX… - Advanced Design for Signal Integrity and Compliance.  F.Canavero, 2015

Experimental validation of Shielding effect (i)

Setup:
line length: 3.657 m
all terminations: resistance R
R values: 50  and 1 k 
shield resistance: 89.8 m 
shield break frequency: 5.8 kHz
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01OUX… - Advanced Design for Signal Integrity and Compliance.  F.Canavero, 2015

Experimental validation of Shielding effect (ii)

Impossibile v isualizzare l'immagine.

R = 1 k

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01OUX… - Advanced Design for Signal Integrity and Compliance.  F.Canavero, 2015

Outline

• Crosstalk phenomenology
 Elementary model at low frequencies
 Wide-bandwidth model
 Crosstalk in time-domain

• Crosstalk reduction
 Shielded wires
 Twisted wires

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01OUX… - Advanced Design for Signal Integrity and Compliance.  F.Canavero, 2015

Twisted wires (i)

Approximations:
• Low-frequency (the line is short wrt wavelength, L</10)
• weak coupling (wires are well separated)

Simplification:
• compress in 2D
• abrupt changes

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01OUX… - Advanced Design for Signal Integrity and Compliance.  F.Canavero, 2015

Twisted wires (ii)

1.st step: coupling description

inductive coupling
capacitive coupling

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01OUX… - Advanced Design for Signal Integrity and Compliance.  F.Canavero, 2015

Twisted wires (iii)

2.nd step: computing inductive contribution

Ê1 and Ê2 contributions
compensate between two
untwisted line consecutive cells

VˆNE
IND
R NE 1
worst case for

 j (l m1  l m 2 ) LHT
odd # of cells

VˆS R NE  R FE RS  R L
VˆFEIND R FE 1
 j (l m1  l m 2 ) LHT
VˆS R NE  R FE RS  R L
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01OUX… - Advanced Design for Signal Integrity and Compliance.  F.Canavero, 2015

Twisted wires (iv)

3.rd step: computing capacitive contribution

Only current sources

acting on the gounded wire
are short-circuited
untwisted line
VˆNE
CAP
R NE R FE RL
 j c m L
VˆS R NE  R FE RS  RL
VˆFE
CAP
R NE R FE RL
 j c m L
VˆS R NE  R FE RS  RL
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01OUX… - Advanced Design for Signal Integrity and Compliance.  F.Canavero, 2015

Twisted wires (v)

Summary: inductive & capacitive contributions

Result # 8:
Twisted lines effectively v
f max 
suppress inductive coupling 10 L
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01OUX… - Advanced Design for Signal Integrity and Compliance.  F.Canavero, 2015

Twisted wires (vi)

4.th step: balancing terminations

Inductive coupling is
unaffected
untwisted line with balanced loads
Compensation of
capacitive currents
VˆNE 1
worst case for

CAP
R NE
odd # of cells

 j ( c m1  c m 2 ) LHT
VˆS R NE  R FE RS  RL
VˆFE
CAP
R FE 1
 j ( c m1  c m 2 ) LHT
VˆS R NE  R FE RS  RL
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01OUX… - Advanced Design for Signal Integrity and Compliance.  F.Canavero, 2015

Twisted wires (vii)

Summary: inductive & capacitive contributions
with balanced terminations

Result # 9:
Twisted lines effectively
suppress capacitive coupling v
only if terminations are f max 
10 L
balanced

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01OUX… - Advanced Design for Signal Integrity and Compliance.  F.Canavero, 2015

Summary
• At low frequencies, crosstalk is growing by 20
dB/decade
• capacitive coupling dominates for high load impedance
• inductive coupling dominates for low load impedance
• common-wire crosstalk is frequency independent and
dominates only at very very low frequencies
• At high frequencies, influence of line resonances
• In time domain, crosstalk manifests itself as time
derivative of the source signal
• Crosstalk suppression:
• shielding avoids capacitive xtalk and limits inductive xtalk
• twisting avoids inductive xtalk (capacitive xtalk is suppressed
only with balanced terminations)
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