Eric Bogatin S-parameter seminar for High Speed Digital and Power Integrity engineers

This workshop is suitable for all engineers who touch S-parameters and deals with High Speed Digital Applications and Interconnects, as it applies to the Power distribution network. The math will be minimized to show the underlying principles and build engineering intuition. Most importantly, the patterns in the S-parameters will be related to the interconnect features.

S-parameters are the de facto standard in characterizing the high bandwidth properties of interconnects. While they are often considered a behavioral, “black box” model, there is a wealth of information available inside the model.

In this intensive 2-day workshop, we will open the lid to the black box of S-parameters from both measurements and simulations and learn how to read S-parameters like a book to data mine valuable information.

This will be a lecture-demonstration using free, open-source tools which will be given out to all attendees so they can perform the same analysis back in their labs. With the proliferation of poor-quality S-parameter models it is always important to perform consistency tests to reduce the chance of measurement or simulation artifacts.

The most important principle introduced is to look at ALL the S-parameters in both the frequency and time domain, as single ended and as mixed mode. Each of the terms tells a different chapter in the interconnect’s story. Each chapter is important. Tools will be provided to make this process straight forward.

After this workshop, you will never be intimidated by S-parameters again!

The free tools made available include:

• QUCS: Quite Universal Circuit Simulator
• HFSS student version
• Teledyne LeCroy WavePulser S-parameter viewer for frequency and time domain
• The AICC de-embedding tool

Live demonstrations will be performed with a network analyzer and TDR. Other tools demonstrated in this workshop include Ansys Electronic Desktop, Polar SI9000, Keysight ADS, and Siemen’s Mentor Graphics HyperLynx.

An S-parameter “clinic” will be held at the end of each day.

This is a chance for any attendee to bring their own S-parameter files for the class to analyze and interpret. Test boards or interconnects can be measured with the TDR and WavePulser Network Analyzer and the measurements reviewed with the class. All measurements can be saved to a thumb drive and taken back. Samples to measure must have either 3.5 mm or 2.92 mm connectors and no more than 4-ports. All S-parameters and measurements will be shared with the class, so do not bring anything proprietary.