Parasitic modes on printed circuit boards and their effects on EMC and signal integrity

In this paper, parasitic modes, such as slotline, parallel plane, and surface wave (SW) modes, commonly found on printed circuit boards (PCBs) are analyzed and their effects on electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) and signal integrity are discussed. The analysis is based on numerical simulations using the finite difference time domain (FDTD) method which is shown to be very well suited for rigorous modeling of parasitic mode effects. The EMC and signal integrity problems discussed include power loss, crosstalk, ground bounce, and free space radiation. Design guidelines for improved EMC and signal integrity are derived from the results obtained. Comprehensive simulation and characterization of SWs using FDTD is presented for the first time.