Julian, Please see below.
JaMi ----- Original Message ----- From: "Julian Higginson" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "'Protel EDA Forum'" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Tuesday, June 03, 2003 1:28 AM Subject: Re: [PEDA] eight-layer stackup > > > From: JaMi Smith [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > While there may be some way somewhere to make Protel ignore > > those dogbones > > and vias, DRC wise, I don't think that there is a way to do > > it easily short > > of putting them on the schematic, possibly as test points, so > > that each of > > them actually becomes a real "net" it the netlist. You could > > turn off some > > of your Design Rules, but that would really just be asking > > for more trouble. > > > yeah there is a way: > > Don't use synchronisation in the ddb, use NETLIST GENERATION and NETLIST > LOADING. > > In the netlist generation in schematic, you can tell it to include unnamed > single pin nets. You will then get nets assigned to all your unused pins on > your BGA. > You have kind of lost me here on this one. It appears that no matter what you do you have to go back and screw around with the schematic somehow so that you can actually get a real live net in the netlist that will represent the little "dogbone" trace and the via. It also sounds like I have to have make a rule to allow a single pin net, and then actually put that connection into the schematic that would become a single pin net. Kinda sounds just about like I said but without the testpoint. Why on earth would I not want to keep synchronization intact? All in all, it sounds like I am doing more work and asking for more problems then necessary, and then opening the door for some real errors to sneak in undetected. Once again, I would rather have the little DRC "error" starring me in the face. At least this way I would not miss any other "errors" due to the fact that I was tricking Protel. I would still like to see a Protel 99 SE "server" to "handle" DRC "errors" like I discussed in my post to you regarding your "split plane" problem earlier this week, and I would like to see Protel DXP incorporate the "solution" to the issue that I discussed. > > I would also suggest that you definitely look into using separate > > complete layers for power and ground under your BGA as opposed > > to trying to juggle split planes. > > Jeez. How many layers does he have spare for power planes?? my BGA needed 3 > of the buggers. Split planes are the only way to go. Just be really careful > not to bridge them with a through hole pin like I did... > > Julian > (who got his BGA board not reporting errors, and the BGA part of it is fine) > I'd first like to thank John Haddy and Tom Reineking for the very important points that they both brought up along this line in there related responses to your post. I have spent too many hours out on an FCC OATS (Open Area Test Site) or in an Screen Room or Anacoic Chamber trying to track down EMC / Signal Integrity problems in equipment that I was trying to get certified for FCC or CISPR (or even CTIC) compliance requirements to let this one slide by. It has been my experience that a majority of the emissions problems I have ever seen can be tracked down to a high speed signal or clock line that has crossed a split in a plane. In addition to the reflection issue that was brought up by Tom, there is an even worse problem that has not been discussed. Simply stated, any signal that is traveling along a conductor over a plane will generate currents in the plane that are a mirror of those in the conductor. When you cross a gap in between two different planes, you will generate seperate currents in both of those planes. Those two different currents in each of the two planes will then travel throughout those two planes until they get to a common point and where they can cancel each other out. This may mean that they will travel to a common point on the board to cancel, or it may mean that they will travel all the way back to the power supply to cancel. Whatever the case, these currents will have to travel throughout the planes, affecting everything that is connected to the planes, until they can cancel. While decoupling caps will help the problem somewhat, they will not eliminate it. This is referred to as "infecting" the planes and supplies with "noise". Once you get this noise into a plane or power supply, it gets into everything, and there is no way to get rid of it. The only way to get this kind of noise out of a plane or supply is to keep it out of the plane or supply in the first place. Period. That is why rule number one in PCB Design is to never ever under any circumstance cross a split in a plane with a signal. Period. Rule number two is to never ever forget about or ignore or violate rule number one. I don't care what any of the "so called" experts have to say on this issue, you simply should not do it. This is such a fundamental rule in the industry that even Protel has this one down right, and will flag this as a DRC "error". Respecting your comment that you are the person (who got his BGA board not reporting errors, and the BGA part of it is fine), I would say that there is a very vast and monumental difference between getting a board to pass Protel DRC, and correctly function at high speed from a real world electrical perspective (which not only means correctly operating, but also includes EMC and Signal Integrity issues). Two additional points that I would bring up here respecting having separate planes as opposed to split planes, are these: 1) Planes are relatively cheap in terms of stack up height. By that I mean you can add another plane (or pair) into a stack up for the thickness of the copper and a few mils of prepreg, as opposed to the additional spacing that may be required between planes if you are going to add another signal layer that may need certain spacings due to impedance or other requirements such as crosstalk. 2.) In an area such as under a BGA, having a separate solid plane that extends entirely under the BGA will allow you to add a tremendous amount of "decoupling" caps (both ceramics for high frequency and tantalums for good ESR and low inductance) around the periphery of the BGA, which will insure much better electrical performance of the BGA. This is especially helpful (if not absolutely necessary) when you have to mount BGAs back to back on both sides of the board and it is impossible to get any decoupling caps into the center of the BGA pattern. To somewhat complete the topic, I would once again bring up the issue of "thermal reliefs" when connecting power and ground pins on a BGA to the planes underneath the BGA, and once again state that one should NOT use any "thermal relief", which will decimate the planes, but rather make all of those connections to the planes DIRECT, since the "dogbone trace", properly sized, will provide all of the thermal isolation that is necessary to properly solder on the BGA. Rather than cover that subject again here, I would simply refer anyone who missed the discussion to my post in response to your problem earlier this week. One final note, If I understand your statement above correctly, your board has only 3 plane layers in the stackup. This is another "no no" in that it is what is called "unbalanced construction", but I will not digress here about it since it has been adaquately covered here in the forum. JaMi * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * To post a message: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] * * To leave this list visit: * http://www.techservinc.com/protelusers/leave.html * * Contact the list manager: * mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] * * Forum Guidelines Rules: * http://www.techservinc.com/protelusers/forumrules.html * * Browse or Search previous postings: * http://www.mail-archive.com/[EMAIL PROTECTED] * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
