Parametric study on the effect of asymmetry in multi-channel differential signaling

The effects of geometric asymmetry on the electrical performance of multi-channel differential signaling in printed circuit boards are investigated in this paper. The asymmetry, which is the origin of noise coupled through mode conversion, is difficult to control in real channel structures, where a large number of vias and traces are populated. Supported by an efficient parametric simulation tool, this paper presents the effects of the asymmetry on mode conversion and differential mode crosstalk in real multi-channel structures. This extensive parametric study was used to define design guidelines to suppress this noise coupling by adding ground vias in strategic locations.