Analysis on the effectiveness of clock trace termination methods and trace lengths on a printed circuit board

Abstract

To analyze the effectiveness of various termination methods for clock traces related to signal functionality based on routed trace lengths and edge rates, the following is examined: (1) Effectiveness of termination methods which provides optimal performance for a given application; (2) Efficient termination technique for preventing ringing, overshoot and reflections; (3) Effects of various trace lengths based on clock edge rates; (4) Effects of dual (multiple) terminations. Results of this analysis are from measurements taken on a specially designed printed circuit board in the time domain. A companion paper, Analysis on the Effectiveness of Image Planes Related to Trace Lengths and Clock Edges on a Printed Circuit Board uses the same printed circuit board with radiated measurements in the frequency domain.