The goal of putting 'systems on a chip' has been a difficult challenge that is only recently being met. Since the world is 'analog', putting systems on a chip requires putting analog interfaces on the same chip as digital processing functions. Since some processing functions are accomplished more efficiently in analog circuitry, chips with a large amount of analog and digital circuitry are being designed. Whether a small amount of analog circuitry is combined with varying amounts of digital circuitry or the other way around, the problem encountered in marrying analog and digital circuitry are the same but with different scope. Some of the most prevalent problems are chip/package capacitive and inductive coupling, ringing on the RLC tuned circuits that form the chip/package power supply rails and off-chip drivers and receivers, coupling between circuits through the chip substrate bulk, and radiated emissions from the chip/package interconnects. To aggravate the problems of designers who have to deal with the complexity of mixed-signal coupling there is a lack of verification techniques to simulate the problem. In addition to considering RLC models for the various chip/package/board level parasitics, mixed-signal circuit designers must also model coupling through the common substrate when simulating ICs to obtain an accurate estimate of coupled noise in their designs. Unfortunately, accurate simulation of substrate coupling has only recently begun to receive attention, and techniques for the same are not widely known.
Simulation Techniques and Solutions for Mixed-Signal Coupling in Integrated Circuits addresses two major issues of the mixed-signal coupling problem — how to simulate it and how to overcome it. It identifies some of the problems that will be encountered, gives examples of actual hardware experiences, offers simulation techniques, and suggests possible solutions. Readers of this book should come away with a clear directive to simulate their design for interactions prior to building the design, versus a 'build it and see' mentality.
