Power Integrity DC/AC Analysis

Two major kinds of PI analysis:

DC (IR drop and Current Density)

AC(Frequency impedance plot)
AC analysis can be done in both time-domain and
frequency-domain

Why DC analysis in Pkg/PCB?

DC voltage is the most fundamental criterion for the
operation of the circuitry in the system
DC voltage drop or IR drop or ohmic loss is simulated
assuming uniform current or detailed map of actual
current in full activity across devices pins

Current across BGA used for board level sim

Current across pkg die footprint for Pkg+brd co-sim

What affects IR drop?

Power/ground plane copper shapes, copper thickness
and conductivity of the material
VRM and Load location
Load Transient Current
Presence of larger anti pad Via keep out, thermal relieve
Honeycombstructure hole pattern
Number of power/ground vias and via locations

DC contact resistance of connectors

Information needed for DC Analysis

Layer Stack-up
Voltage rails to be simulated and corresponding ground
net
Voltage regulator modules component
name,voltage,and tolerance.
Loads component name,transinet current , tolerance.
Current Tolerance for Vias.
DC Resistance of any series elements(FET,bead,Resistor)

PCB power supply input impedance AC analysis

Power Deliver systems impedance is an important
measure of power delivery design

To ensure power noise L(di/dt) is small, plane impedance

needs to be small.

Have to add decaps on the board to bring down

resonance and to achieve low Plane impedance

Information needed for AC Analysis

Voltage, Supply Tolerance
Load Transient Current or Maximum Load Current
Ripple
VRM and Load Location
Optional:VRM model and Package model

What affects PDN impedance?

Power plane and ground plane/Traces

Location of VRM and Load

Number of Decoupling
Decoupling capacitor.

capacitor

Fan out pattern of decaps

Location of Deacps
Mounting Pattern of Decaps.

and

Values

of

PI Methodology
DC Analysis
PI Tool
Sentinel-PSI /Cadence Sigrity
PowerDC
Power drop budget for +/- 5% supply
3% DC/DC
1% component
1% IR drop

Example[IR Drop]
Drop is more than 1% which is not acceptable, this can
be compensated either by adding more copper,
expanding shape, increasing copper thickness or by
using remote sense.
Some time when we use high DCR beads, the drop will
be more than expected due to high DC resistance.
Always use low DCR for high current rails.

Example[Density]
Excessive density is there at load and source location
which is not acceptable. This may leads to copper
migration. Density Can be compensated by increasing
copper thickness, by avoiding honeycomb structure.

PI Methodology (con't)
AC Analysis
PI Tool
PowerSI - Analysis

Example
This rail consumes 1.5Amps and target impedance is
calculated using traditional formula.
No impedance violation till 90MHZ which is fine. Note
that board coupling capacitor doesnt help much beyond
100MHZ.

Example
This rail has eight 0.1uF capacitor and the impedance
violates target at 5MHZ which is not acceptable.
Combination of four 0.1uF and four 1uF help to resolve
this problem.