Measuring IC switching current waveforms using a GMI probe for power integrity studies

IC switching current is the main noise source of many power integrity issues in printed circuit boards. Accurate measurement of the current waveforms is critical for an effective power distribution network design. In this paper, using a giant magnetoimpedance (GMI) probe for this purpose is studied. A side-band detection and demodulation system is built up to measure various time-domain waveforms using an oscilloscope. It is found that the GMI probes are potentially suitable for this kind of time-domain measurements, but probe designs and measurement setups need further improvements for this application.