Compaq BL10e - HP ProLiant - 512 MB RAM Specification page 3

As signal speeds increase additional effects inherent in the transmission media environment emerge
as inhibitors to successful signal delivery. These effects include:
• the physical characteristics of the material used for transmission, including materials adjoining the
transmission media
• the interference caused by the interaction of multiple simultaneous signals
• the noise introduced at connection points as the signal passes from one component to another
While in the 2002 (and earlier) timeframe, effective signal analysis calculations required using Ohm's
Law, but in the 2008 (and beyond) timeframe these calculations require a more sophisticated
approach using Maxwell's Equations. Figure 3 depicts how fundamental design considerations have
increased in complexity as transmission speed has increased. To better manage this increased
complexity, a dedicated signal integrity research group is tasked to create, develop, and publish
design guidelines. These guidelines illustrate design implementation techniques necessary to avoid the
pitfalls created by increased transmission speed. These guidelines are then made available to the
product design specialists to apply as necessary. Strict adherence to these guidelines is required.
Figure 3. This figure contrasts signal integrity analysis in 2008 versus 2002 (and earlier)
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