Ken Patel asked:

>Can any one explain me what is Signal Integrity Analysis? What is being done
>and achieve here?
>
>For few may be a stupid question!!

As the term is used at our Company, it means a series of tests done on a
completed board once the prototypes are finished.

Digital signals are supposed to be a series of perfect little square waves
on a timing diagram in an ideal design.

In reality, you have a variety of transmitters and receivers, connected by
transmission lines (traces). These transmitters, receivers, and
transmission lines _should_ have matched impedances, so that there is a
minimum of signal reflections and noise (entering the realm of controlled
impedance jargon). So, in reality, those nice square waves are really kinda
nasty, with ripples and spikes, and maybe even some crosstalk, like noise
on the line.

So, signal integrity testing (from some perspectives) involves putting
scopes and logic analyers on the board and measuring what these effects are
like, trying so see the worst case; checking to see if the problem
threshold is above or below the noise found in the boards active circuit
with actual parts. It takes our development people weeks or months to
complete this. It may involve testing the product in its intended platform,
or its next level of packaging - for Interphase, a PC or workstation in
most cases.

The term likely has different meanings in various contexts. As a
generality, I'd say predicting or measuring the quality of digital signals
in a dynamic system environment, as opposed to the ideal realm of logic.


regards,

Jerry Cupples
Interphase Corporation
Dallas, TX USA
http://www.iphase.com

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