Chapter 4 PCB Design

4.1 Stackup and Thickness

The DDR2 channel can be implemented with microstrip or stripline traces. For a microstrip implementation, the outer two layers of the PCB are used for routing the signal and clock traces. For a stripline implementation, the channels high-speed traces are routed on internal signal layers sandwiched between ground planes. This construction improves impedance control and reduces crosstalk for better electrical performance over the microstrip layout. Since each routing layers characteristics differ from one another, the DDR2 high-speed signals, ideally, should be routed on as few routing layers as possible. In addition, to simplify layout, one structure type (microstrip or stripline) should be used for the DDR2 high-speed signals since microstrips and striplines trace propagation delay (ns/inch) differs.

4.1.1 Reference Plane Considerations

DDR2 drivers pull current through ground and the 1.8 v power planes (VDDIO and VDDQ). An ideal stackup would place the ground or 1.8 v plane as the reference plane for the DDR2 high-speed signals. For a microstrip structure with DDR2 signals, the adjacent plane should be either the 1.8 v or the ground plane. In the standard stripline structure (one signal layer between two power planes), at least one of the two surrounding planes should be a ground or 1.8 v plane. If the DDR2 signal layer is not equidistant from both planes of the stripline structure, the reference plane (ground or 1.8 v plane) should be the closer plane; making it the primary reference plane. As for a dual stripline structure, the surrounding planes should be ground and/or 1.8 v planes.

DDR2 signal layer VDDQ or Ground plane/island-L2

. .
VDDQ or Ground plane/island-L(n-1) DDR2 signal layer-Ln

Board Stackup for Microstrip Routing of DDR2 Signals

Figure 4-1: PCB Stackups for Microstrip DDR2 Signal Routing

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Other signals

Other signals

VDDQ or Ground plane/ island-Lx

VDDQ or Ground plane/island-Lx DDR2 signal layer-L(x+1)

DDR2 signal layer-L(x+1) DDR2 signal layer-L(x+2) VDDQ or Ground plane/ island-L(x+3)

VDDQ or Ground plane/ island-L(x+2)

Other signals

Other signals

Stripline Board Stackup for Routing of DDR2 Signals

Dual-Stripline Board Stackup for Routing of DDR2 Signals

Figure 4-2: PCB Stackups for Stripline DDR2 Signal Routing

Figure 4-1 and Figure 4-2 show example stackups for both microstrip and stripline PCBs. For any of the DDR2 reference planes, if the entire plane is not available, it is acceptable to use an island that covers only the DDR2 signal area of the PCB. If an island is used, the island must extend past all high-speed DDR2 signals on the adjacent layer(s) by a distance that is at least twice the dielectric thickness.

4.1.2 Microstrip Structure

Figure 4-1 example:

DDR2 signals routed on outer microstrip layers. Power distribution primarily on internal plane layers: L2, L(n-1) for power distribution
(VDDQ, VDDIO supplies, and ground). Planes should use 35 Pm (1 oz.) copper thickness if the planes must transport large currents. External layers, L1 and Ln, may be used additionally for power distribution.

Finished outer pre-preg thickness should be less than 150 Pm for impedance and crosstalk
control.

4.1.3 Stripline Structures

Figure 4-2 example:

DDR2 signals are routed on inner stripline layers. Power distribution on internal plane layers: Lx, L(x+2)/L(x+3) for power distribution, that Inner core thickness should be less than 150 Pm for impedance and crosstalk control.
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is, VDDIO, VDDQ supplies and ground. Planes should use 35 Pm (1 oz.) copper thickness if the plane must transport large currents.

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PCB Design

4.2 Dielectric Material

Standard FR-4 materials are recommended with the following specifications across system environmental operating conditions such as humidity and temperature:

Hr range of 4.1 to 4.6 at 1 GHz. Loss tangent not to exceed 0.025 at 1 GHz.

4.3 Impedance
Nominal impedance
 TBD : differential impedance for DDR2 clock signals ("CK", "CKN").  TBD : impedance for DDR2 high-speed signals.

Impedance tolerance of TBD%

 Applies to high-speed DDR2 signals on all applicable layers.

4.3.1 Impedance Test Coupons

The following test coupons should be included in the PCB layout. Each coupon must be at least 150 mm in length.
 Differential coupon designed to match TBD : differential impedance of clock

signals.
 Single-ended coupon designed to match nominal impedance of DDR2 high-speed

signals (TBD :).

The test coupons are used to test the boards manufacturing process. With test coupons, a designer can verify the boards impedance is within specifications. Test coupons should be placed on layers with critical, high-speed traces.

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Chapter 5 DDR2 Interface Layout

5.1 Component Placement

The layout consists of:
 Memory controller  DDR2 DRAMs  The routing between each of these components

5.1.1 Placement Guidelines

The placement of these parts affects:
 Path timing (meeting setup and hold times)  Signal integrity (amount of reflection, crosstalk, and simultaneous switching)  Routing (ability to route the board with limited number of layers)  Board space (amount of board space needed)  Manufacturing (what manufacturing technology can be used)

The DDR2 DRAMs should be placed close to the DDR2 pins of the memory controller. By doing this, the traces between the controller and memory will be short and any signal reflections that may develop on these traces will die out quickly. In addition, placing these parts close together will help in the areas of path timing and board space.

5.2 High-Speed Routing Requirements

5.2.1 Overview Reference plane for high-speed DDR2 signals.
 Reference only to the ground planes or 1.8 v planes. Place ground and/or 1.8 v

plane/island adjacent to each high-speed DDR2 signal layer.

Recommended PCB signal and reference plane assignment (see Figure 4-1 and Figure 42).
 Microstrip PCB: top DDR2 traces reference to L2 plane; bottom layer lines refer-

ence to L(n-1) plane/island.

 Stripline PCB: L(x+1) DDR2 traces reference to Lx and/or L(x+2) reference

planes/islands.

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 Dual-Stripline PCB: L(x+1) DDR2 traces reference to Lx reference plane/island;

L(x+2) traces reference to L(x+3) reference plane/island.

There is signal attenuation in the PCB trace at high frequency. The signal attenuation
increases with PCB length. In order to maximize system timing and voltage margin, it is HIGHLY recommended to limit the DDR2 PCB trace lengths to be less than TBD inches, if possible. The maximum DDR2 PCB trace length should not exceed TBD inches.

DDR2 signal lines must not be routed over plane splits or voids. Equalize routing density on available routing layers to avoid unnecessary congestion and
signal crosstalk.

5.2.2 Impedance
5.2.2.1 Microstrip Line Design

Figure 5-1 depicts the microstrip cross-section of high-speed DDR2 traces.

solder resist trace h1 dielectric GND S1 S2 W h2 trace trace trace

Figure 5-1: Microstrip Trace Cross-Section

Table 5-1: Example of Single-Ended Microstrip Parameters for DDR2 Channel Parameter Dielectric Thickness (h1) Solder resist+trace+plating thickness (h2) DDR2 trace+plating thickness DDR2 trace width (W) Spacing (S2) Value (Pm) TBD 75 (=25.4+16.6+33.3) 50 TBD TBD

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Table 5-2: Example of Differential Microstrip Parameters for DDR2 Channel Parameter Dielectric thickness (h1) Solder resist+trace+plating thickness (h2) DDR2 trace+plating thickness DDR2 trace width (W) Intra-pair spacing (S1) Inter-pair spacing (S2) Value (Pm) TBD 75 (=25.4+16.6+33.3) 50 TBD TBD TBD

Table 5-1 and Table 5-2 give microstrip trace parameters based on the four-layer reference
stackup of Figure 5-1.
 The parameters achieve TBD : single-ended and TBD : differential trace imped-

ance.
 A nominal finished dielectric thickness of 115 Pm is preferred. It should not

exceed ~150 Pm.

5.2.2.2 Stripline Design

Depicted below is the cross-section of the stripline trace.

GND h1 S1 t trace h1 dielectric GND trace trace trace S2 W

Figure 5-2: Stripline Trace Cross-Section Table 5-3: Example of Single-Ended Stripline Parameters for DDR2 Channel Parameter Dielectric thickness (h1) DDR2 trace thickness (t) DDR2 trace width (W) Spacing (S2) Value (um) TBD 15.24 TBD TBD

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Table 5-4: Example of Differential Stripline Parameters for DDR2 Channel Parameter Dielectric thickness (h1) DDR2 trace thickness (t) DDR2 trace width (W) Intra-pair spacing (S1) Inter-pair spacing (S2) Value (um) TBD 15.24 TBD TBD TBD

Table 5-3 and Table 5-4 give trace parameters for the example stripline traces shown
above.
 The parameters achieve TBD : single-ended and TBD : differential trace imped-

ance.
5.2.2.3 Dual Stripline Design

Figure 5-3 depicts the cross-section of dual stripline traces.

GND h1 dielectric trace

W dielectric S1 S2 W h2

h1

trace dielectric

trace

trace

trace GND

Figure 5-3: Dual Stripline DDR2 Trace Cross-Section

In this dual stripline configuration:

A separation between the two signal layers (h2) is greater than TBD times the distance
between the signal layer and the nearest reference plane (h1).

Intra-pair signal lines (or a differential pair) are routed on the same layer with an S1
spacing. Broadside differential pair routing is not recommended.

Spacing between unrelated traces on the same layer is set to S2. Differential pairs on adjacent layers should be staggered relative to each other to minimize
crosstalk.

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DDR2 Interface Layout

Table 5-5: Example of Dual Stripline Single-Ended DDR2 Trace Parameters Parameter Core dielectric thickness (h1) Internal pre-preg thickness (h2) DDR2 trace thickness DDR2 trace width (W) Inter-pair spacing (S2) Value (um) TBD TBD 15.24 TBD TBD

Table 5-6: Example of Dual Stripline Differential DDR2 Trace Parameters Parameter Core dielectric thickness (h1) Internal pre-preg thickness (h2) DDR2 trace thickness DDR2 trace width (W) Intra-pair spacing (S1) Inter-pair spacing (S2) Value (um) TBD TBD 15.24 TBD TBD TBD

Table 5-5 and Table 5-6 give dual stripline trace parameters based on the four-layer reference stackup of Figure 5-3.
 The parameters achieve TBD : single-ended and TBD : differential trace imped-

ance.
 A nominal finished core dielectric thickness of 100 Pm is preferred. The dielectric

thickness should not exceed 150 Pm.

5.2.2.4 Other Considerations

DDR2 signal traces should reference ground and/or 1.8 v. The DDR2 signal traces must not be routed over plane splits or voids. Vias have a significant effect on signal integrity at high frequency.
 Via separation and antipad rules are TBD.  No more than TBD through vias are allowed per DDR2 net.  Avoid placing stub vias on DDR2 microstrip lines.  Via stub length should not exceed TBD mm length in stripline and dual stripline

configurations.

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 For signal probing, use minimal-size pads embedded directly into signal trace.

Probe pad size and layout are TBD.

5.2.3 Trace Length Matching

* In a DDR2 design, the following signals must limit the amount of skew between them to within certain tolerances.

Between the clock signals, "CK" and "CKN", a TBD ps time of flight mismatch is tolerable on the PCB. To achieve this, a maximum trace length mismatch of TBD is allowed.

The Data Strobe ("xDQS") and "DQ" lines must be routed similarly and must match trace
lengths. The allowed mismatch between these signal traces is TBD.

The clock ("CK" and "CKN"), address lines ("A[13:0]" and "BA[2:0]"), "RASN",
"CASN", "WEN", and "CSN[1:0]" (if driven by the memory controller) traces must be routed similarly and have equal trace lengths with each other. The allowed trace length mismatch between these signals is TBD.

Data masks ("DM") must be routed similarly and have equal trace lengths to the "DQ"
bits. The allowed trace length mismatch between the data mask and the data bits is TBD.

Data strobe ("xDQS") has a setup and hold timing relationship with clock ("CK" and
"CKN"). As a result, data strobe must be delayed relative to clock.
5.2.3.1 Trace Propagation Delay

The above signals require matched trace lengths, that is, equal propagation delay between the controller die pads and the DDR2 DRAM on the channel. The propagation delay, Td, in picoseconds, for a stripline trace of length L mm can be calculated by
T d = 3.335L H r ps

(Eq 1)

where Hr is the relative permittivity of the dielectric. The approximate value for FR-4 is 6.69 ps/mm for a stripline trace. The per-unit-length delay of a microstrip trace is geometry-dependent and should be determined through a 2-D field simulation of the trace cross-section. A typical value for FR-4 dielectric is 5.91 ps/mm for a microstrip trace.
5.2.3.2 Accounting for Package Delay

The total electrical length of a net is the sum of the PCB and controller package propagation delay. It is this total delay that must be matched. The preferred method for calculating package delay is through a field solver and Spice simulation. This takes into account the substrate delay, the filtering effect of IO pad capacitance, and the inductive wirebonds, if present. Alternatively, the package delay can be estimated by multiplying the total length of the wiring in the packagewirebonds and substrate tracesby the appropriate per-unit-length delay.

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Bold circles indicate balls associated with IO

WB

x y

DO IO

WR

Figure 5-4: Variables for Estimating Package Wiring Length

If precise data is not available, the package wiring physical length Lpkg for a particular ball can be estimated with the equation
WR 2 L pkg | k y + x 1 ------- + D O W B
2

(Eq 2)

where:

WR is the width of the IO. WB is the approximate width of the array of ball pads dedicated to the IO. x is the horizontal distance from the center of the IO ball array to the particular ball. y is the vertical distance from the edge of the die to the particular ball. DO is the offset distance between the center of the IO and the center of the IO ball array
(refer to Figure 5-4).

The multiplier k is an empirical factor to account for the fact that package traces are
always longer than the straight-line distance from the die pad to the ball. A reasonable value for k is 1.1. It is always preferable to use precise propagation times if they are available. In this case, a spreadsheet can be used to tabulate per-pin skews providing the package delay and PCB trace length for each net.

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If possible, PCB and package length skews should compensate each other, as shown in Figure 5-5 below. This reduces the overall timing skew of the two traces.

Package
DQ DQN

PCB

Figure 5-5: Package/PCB Length Compensation

5.2.3.3 Zig-Zag Routing

Some PCB traces will have to be routed in a serpentine or zig-zag pattern, increasing their length so that the total propagation delay matches the other nets. When routing traces to achieve length matching, the board designer should use a serpentine pattern that minimizes the total number of bends. Using a large number of tight zig-zags will result in a trace with a smaller effective propagation delay than would be predicted by its length. Figure 5-6 illustrates the preferred style of length-matching. All the traces in the figure are of equal length, but the routing on the right is better than that on the left because fewer bends are used to achieve matching length. Right-angle bends should be avoided in favor of 45o bends. The minimum distance between bends should be no less than twice the trace width.

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..

Distance between turns should be no less than 2X the trace width

AVOID THIS

MINIMIZE TOTAL NUMBER OF BENDS

Figure 5-6: Length-Matching Routing

5.2.4 Crosstalk Control

These following actions can be taken to reduce crosstalk between traces.
5.2.4.1 General Considerations

Equalize routing density on available signal routing layers to avoid routing congestion and
associated crosstalk.

Where possible, closely positioned vias that contain sensitive or high-speed signals should
be shielded vertically by placing a ground via between them.

Separate fast edge rate, sensitive, adjacent traces by an appropriate distance. This distance
is determined by analyzing the systems noise budget and the coupling between the adjacent traces. This rule also applies to traces in adjacent layers.

Separate adjacent signal layers that contain fast edge rate, sensitive signals by an appropriate distance.

Set a minimum distance a critical trace is allowed to have between it and another trace. Use ground traces or vias to isolate critical traces. Reduce the separation between the critical signals trace and its return path. Make the critical signals return path a very low impedance path.

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5.2.5 Clearances
5.2.5.1 Metal Structures

The vertical separation between any DDR2 trace and a planar metal structure (floating or fixed potential) should be at least TBD times the microstrip dielectric thickness (that is, dimension "h1" in Figure 5-1). Adhesive material should not be applied directly to the PCB surface above or within TBD horizontal distance of any DDR2 trace. This rule applies to metal features such as heat sinks and mounting brackets, as illustrated in Figure 5-7.

Bad

OK

Greater than 4X h1 OK OK

Figure 5-7: Examples of DDR2 Vertical Metal Clearance

A minimum horizontal separation of 600 Pm should be maintained between DDR2 lines and metal shapes etched on the same PCB layer. This pertains to partial plane floods used for power distribution and component solder pads that run parallel to the DDR2 signal trace for greater than 2 mm.
5.2.5.2 PCB Through Holes

A 600 Pm or greater horizontal clearance should be maintained between DDR2 traces and large PCB through holes and metal capture pads, such as mounting holes and component rework holes. This requirement does not apply to PTH vias used for signal routing.

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