Recent developments of via and return current path modeling

This paper reviews solutions for the modeling of vias in printed circuit boards. The focus is on two approaches: multiple scattering methods and equivalent circuit models. For each approach, the general concept is described, followed by examples of recently improved or newly developed implementations. The applicability to several kinds of via modeling tasks is summarized. Finally, a closer look is taken at the different ways of return current path modeling in the two approaches. The analysis also illustrates the frequency-dependent behavior of the return current.