INTHEWORKSHOPTip#15

TuningNetLengthsInteractively Summary
August2007 Author:PhilLoughhead

Twoofthecorechallengeswithroutingahighspeeddesignarecontrollingthe impedanceoftheroutes,andmatchingthelengthsofcriticalnets.Impedance controlledroutingensuresthatthesignalthatleavesanoutputpiniscorrectly receivedbythetargetinputpins.Matchingtheroutelengthsensuresthat timingcriticalsignalsarriveattheirtargetpinsatthesametime.

Complimentingthecontrolledimpedanceroutingcapabilities,the6.7releaseofAltiumDesignersawtheintroductionof aninteractivenetlengthtuningfeature.Seereferencearticle, http://www.altium.com/files/AltiumDesigner6/LearningGuides/AP0107%20ImpedanceControlled%20Routing.pdf Interactivelengthtuningprovidesadynamicmethodofoptimizingandcontrollingtheroutelengthofanetbyinserting variableamplitudepatterns,oraccordionsegments,inaccordancewiththeavailablespace,rules,andobstaclesinyour design. Tuningthelengthofanet TherealeleganceofAltiumDesignerslengthtuningfeatureisthatitcleverlycombinessophisticatedsoftware algorithmswithintuitiveusercontrol.Lengthtuningsegmentsareaddedbysimplywipingthecursoralongtheroutepath, withthedimensionsandpositionsofthevarioustracksandarcsthatmakeupthetuningsegmentsautomatically calculatedandinsertedbyAltiumDesigner.Keyboardshortcutsgivecompletecontroloverthestyleandpropertiesofthe tuningsegmentsastheyarebeingadded. LaunchedfromtheToolsmenu,theInteractiveLengthTuningcommandpromptsyoutoselectaroute.Afterclickingon anet(oranyfreelineortrackforthatmatter),yousimplyslide,orwipethecursoralongthepathoftheroute.Noneedto worryifyoudriftoffcourseeither,assoonasyoubringthecursorbackovertherouteAltiumDesignerwilladdtuning segmentsuptothatpoint.

Tuningsegmentsareautomaticallyaddedasthecursormovesalongtheroutepath.

2007AltiumLimited

TurningNetLengthsInteractively

Page1of5

Controllingthetuningstyleandsize Thereare2keyingredientstomasteringthelengthtuningtool:knowingtheshortcuts,andunderstandingtheNetLength Indicatordisplay.Letsstartwiththeshortcuts. Soyouvelaunchedthecommandandclickedonanet,andareproudlyshowingyourlengthtuningskillstoyourco workers.Trytheseshortcutsasyouslidethecursoralongtheroute,andyoullbesuretoimpress:

Shortcut Spacebar ,(comma) .(fullstop) 3 4 1 2 Y Tab

Function Cyclethroughthe3tuningpatterns:rounded,miteredwitharcs,andmiteredwith lines, Decreasetuningamplitude Increasetuningamplitude Decreasetuningpitch Increasetuningpitch Decreasecornermiter Increasecornermiter Togglestartingdirection OpentheInteractiveLengthTuningdialog.

Andifyouhavetroublerememberingshortcuts,dontworry.Youonlyactuallyneedtoremember1shortcut,Shift+F1. ThisistheshortcutforshortcutsuseitduringanyAltiumDesignerinteractivecommandtoseealistofshortcutsfor thatcommand.Thatsright,Shift+F1duringcomponentplacement,duringinteractiveroutingorduringtrackdragging,to getalistofshortcutsforthatcommand.

3tuningpatternsareavailable,pressShift+F1foralistofshortcutsthatcontrolthetuningpatternproperties.

2007AltiumLimited

TurningNetLengthsInteractively

Page2of5

Controllingthetargetlength Thelengthtuningoffers3approachesforspecifyingthetargetlength.Thelengthcanbe: 1. Manuallydefined 2. Basedonanetthathasalreadybeenrouted 3. Definedbydesignrules Tochoosewhichofthesemethodsisbeingused,pressTabduringlengthtuningtoopentheInteractiveTuningLength dialog.Thebottomofthedialogincludesoptionsthatdefinetheshapeanddimensionsofthetuningpattern,youalready knowhowtocontrolmostofthesewithshortcuts.OptionsforselectingfromthethreeTargetLengthmodesareatthe topofthedialog. Manual:Themanualmodeisexactlythat,youenterthelengthintheTargetLengthfield.Thelistontherightkeeps trackofthevaluesyouhavetypedin,incaseyouwanttouseoneagain. FromNet:AfterselectingFromNetyoucanchooseanetfromthelistontheright.Thelengthofthisnetwillbecomethe target,butitwillbeoverriddeniftherearemorerestrictivedesignrulesdefinedwelllookmorecloselyattherulesina minute. FromRules:YouneedtohaveoneorbothoftheLengthandMatchedLengthdesignrulesdefinedtousethismode. AltiumDesignerwillthenobeythemoststringentcombinationoftheserules. Onceyouveselectedthemode,checkoutthedescriptionregionofthedialog,thedescriptionisinvaluablefor understandinghowthelengthtuningtooliscurrentlyconfigured.

Thetargetlengthbeingdefinedbytherules.Notethatthemoststringentcombinationoftherulesisused,sotherange is52.106to56,andthetargetlengthissettohalfwaybetweenthesevalues. Configuringthedesignrules Ok,timetolookatthedesignrules.IllstartwiththeMatchedLengthdesignrule. TheMatchedNetLengthdesignrulespecifiesthatthetargetnetsmustberoutedtothesame length,withinthespecified tolerance.OlderversionsofAltiumDesignerincludedotherConstraintsettingsforthisrule,thesearenotusedbythe lengthtuningtool,soignorethem. Andwhatarethetargetnets,wellthatdependsontherulescope,orquery.Asyouknow,theobjectthateachrule targetsisdeterminedbythescope,orquery.Atypicalqueryforthistypeofrulewouldbe InNetClass(MyEqualLengthNets),whichmeansthattheruleappliestoallthenetsinthenetclassMyEqualLengthNets. SelectDesignClassestosetupanetclass. Thelengthtuningtoolwillthenfindthelongestnetinthesetoftargetnetsandgiveyouavalidrangeofthatlength,plus orminustheTolerancespecifiedintherule. ComplimentingtheMatchedLengthrule,theLengthrulespecifiestheoverallroutedlengthofanet,orsetofnets.Either orbothoftheserulesmaybeimportantinyourdesign,italldependsifyourpotentialissuesarerelatedtoskew(signals arrivingatdifferenttimesthinkMatchedLengthrule),ortheoverallsignaldelay(thinkLengthrule).

2007AltiumLimited

TurningNetLengthsInteractively

Page3of5

BoththeMatchedLengthruleandtheLengthrulearespecifiedasdistances,whereasyourdesignmindwillbethinking intermsoftimehowmuchlatercanthissignalarriveafterthatone?Thetimeittakesforasignaltopropagateacross aprintedcircuitboarddependsonanumberoffactors,includingtheboardmaterialsandthelayer(surfaceorinternal route).FortraditionalFR4,thedelaywillbeintheorderof4to6picosecondspermillimeter.Nowthatmightseemlikea prettysmalldelay,buttheproblemismorecomplexthansimplyconsideringthetimingconditionsofanindividualrouting connection.Youllbefactoringthesedelaysintoyouroveralltimingschemesoyoucancorrectlybudgetfortheminthe layout. Asmentionedearlier,thelengthtuningtoolconsidersbothoftheserulesandworksoutthetightestsetofconstraints.So ifthemaximumlengthspecifiedbytheLengthruleisshorterthanthelongestlengthtargetedbytheMatchLengthrule (plusthetolerance),thentheLengthrulewinsanditslengthisusedduringtuning.Ifthisisstartingtosoundlike gibberishthenjustkeepaneyeonthedescriptionregionoftheNetLengthTuningdialog,itwillletyouknowifthereare novalidrules,orwhichnumbersitisusingfromtherules. UsingtheNetLengthIndicator Wheneveryouareaddingtuningsegmentswiththelengthtuningtool,theNetLengthIndicatordisplays.TheNetLength Indicatorprovidesavisualgaugeofhowcloselythecurrentroutelengthmatchestherequiredlength. Theindicatorconsistsofawhitebox,2verticalyellowbars,andaverticalgreenbar.Withinthewhiteboxacolored sliderwillappear,indicatingthecurrentlengthofthenet,withtheexactlengthdisplayedintextontopoftheslider. Thewhiteboxindicatesthetotalrangeofpossiblelengths,themeaningofitsupperandlowerlimitsdependsonthe targetlengthmodeyouhavechosen. Ifthetargetlengthmodeis manual,thelowerlimitofthesliderboxwillbethelengthofthecurrentnet,andtheupper limitwillbethelengthofthecurrentnetplustwicethedifferencebetweenthecurrentnetlengthandthetargetlength. Ifthetargetlengthisbasedondesignrules,thelowerandupperlimitsofthesliderboxaretakenfromtheLengthrule.If thereisnoLengthrulethenthesliderboxisscaledfromthelengthofthecurrentnet,thesameasitisinmanuallength mode. ThegreenbarintheNetLengthIndicatormarksthetargetlength,andtheyellowbarsindicatetheminimumand maximumlengthsallowed.Theminimumandmaximumaredeterminedfromthetightestsetofconstraintsdefinedbythe designrules.

NetLengthIndicatorwiththematchedlengthbasedondesignrules,asconfiguredinthepreviousimage. NetLengthIndicatorexample

Indicatorminimumis40(fromLengthrule) Indicatormaximumis56(fromMatchedNetLengthrule) Targetminimumis55.1063=52.106(lengthoflongestnetinsetoftargetnets,minusthetolerancein MatchedNetLengthrule). Targetmaximumis56(fromLengthrule,sincethisislessthanlengthoflongestnetplusthetolerancein MatchedNetLengthrule) Targetlengthismidwaybetweentargetminimumandtargetmaximum(5652.106)/2+52.106= 54.053

2007AltiumLimited

TurningNetLengthsInteractively

Page4of5

WhatelsedoIneedtoknow? Boarddesignisaniterativeprocess,andgenerallyinvolvesplentyofpushingandshovingtoarriveatthefinalplacement androuting.Sowhatdoyoudowhenyoudecidethatyouneedtorelocatetuningsegments? Theeasiestwaytoremovetuningsegmentsistosimplyrouteoverthetopofthem.Aswithanyexistingrouting,select InteractiveRoutingfromthePlacemenu,thenclickandplaceastraightroutingsegmentstraightacrossthetopofthe tuningsegments.Assoonasyouhavecompletedtherouteandrightclickedtoescape,allthetuningsegmentswillbe removed. Andaretheredownsidestousingaccordionstyletuningsegments?Ofcourse,itisjustanothertechniqueusedinthe overallprocessofgooddesign.Iftheadjacentaccordionsectionsaretooclosetogetherfortoolong,thencrosstalk couplingcandistortthesignal.FormoreinformationreadthisinterestingarticleonSerpentine(accordion)Delaysbyan industryexpert,DrHowardJohnson[http://www.signalintegrity.com/Pubs/edn/serpentine.htm]. Otherusefullinks TRAININGcentervideoonusingtheLengthTuningfeature(searchforlengthtuning) http://www.altium.com/Community/TRAININGcenter/TrainingVideos/ WebsiteforEricBogatin,signalintegritylecturerandindustryexpert http://www.bethesignal.com/ WebsiteforDrHowardJohnson,highspeeddesignlecturerandindustryexpert http://www.signalintegrity.com/ WebsiteforLeeRitchey,lecturerandhighspeedPCBdesignexpert http://www.speedingedge.com/ Articleonthevalueofsignalintegritysimulation,byFredSaal,QuadDesignTechnology http://www.edn.com/archives/1995/120795/25df3.htm Complimentingthecontrolledimpedanceroutingcapabilities,referencetoarticle, http://www.altium.com/files/AltiumDesigner6/LearningGuides/AP0107%20ImpedanceControlled%20Routing.pdf

2007AltiumLimited

TurningNetLengthsInteractively

Page5of5