This document provides practical, common guidelines for incorporating PCI Express interconnect
layouts onto Printed Circuit Boards (PCB) ranging from 4-layer desktop baseboard designs to 10-
layer or more server baseboard designs. Guidelines and constraints in this document are intended
for use on both baseboard and add-in card PCB designs. This includes interconnects between PCI
Express devices located on the same baseboard (chip-to-chip routing) and interconnects between
a PCI Express device located “down” on the baseboard and a device located “up” on an add-in
card attached through a connector.
This document is intended to cover all major components of the physical interconnect including
design guidelines for the PCB traces, vias and AC coupling capacitors, as well as add-in card
edge-finger and connector considerations. The intent of the guidelines and examples is to help
ensure that good high-speed signal design practices are used and that the timing/jitter and
loss/attenuation budgets can also be met from end-to-end across the PCI Express interconnect.
However, while general physical guidelines and suggestions are given, they may not necessarily
guarantee adequate performance of the interconnect for all layouts and implementations.
Therefore, designers should consider modeling and simulation of the interconnect in order to
ensure compliance to all applicable specifications.
The document is composed of two main sections. The first section provides an overview of
general topology and interconnect guidelines. The second section concentrates on physical layout
constraints where bulleted items at the beginning of a topic highlight important constraints, while
the narrative that follows offers additional insight.
The LTP5900 includes sufficient power supply filtering and decoupling capacitancesuch that additional filtering should not be necessary for most battery-powereddesigns. Care must be taken to avoid large transient voltages on the supply as theM2510 steps up its current consumption (see the section on Supply Design below).
Abstract: This application note details a step-by-step design process for the MAX16833 high-voltagehigh-brightness LED driver. This process can speed up prototyping and increase the chance for firstpass
Abstract: This document details the Oceanside (MAXREFDES9#) subsystem reference design, a 3.3V to 15V input,±15V (±12V) output, isolated power supply. The Oceanside design includes a high-efficiency step-up controller, a36V H-bridge transformer driver for isolated supplies, a wide input range, and adjustable output low-dropout linearregulator (LDO). Test results and hardware files are included.
Abstract: Uses the MAX641 switching controller and an external discrete charge pump to step up the input voltage. This circuitcan service low loads and is efficient when the output is two, three, four times the input voltage. Adding the MAX627 MOSdriver can further increase the output current capability.
Abstract: Some types of loads require more current during startup than when running. Other loads can be limited to a lower-powercurrent during startup but require a higher operating current. This article describes an application circuit that automatically adjusts apower circuit’s overcurrent protection level up or down after startup is complete.
Abstract: It is critically important that lithium-ion battery stacks have a good battery-management system for monitoring many cellvoltages and cell temperatures. Without that monitoring, thermal runaway can lead to a battery explosion. This design idea presentsa low-power circuit that measures the temperature of up to 12 thermistors. It powers and configures the multiplexers, and also putsthe muxes into shutdown to save power when not measuring temperatures.
The LTC®3414 offers a compact and efficient voltage regulatorsolution for point of load conversion in electronicsystems that require low output voltages (down to 0.8V)from a 2.5V to 5V power bus. Internal power MOSFETswitches, with only 67mW on-resistance, allow theLTC3414 to deliver up to 4A of output current with efficiencyas high as 94%. The LTC3414 saves space by operatingwith switching frequencies as high as 4MHz, enabling theuse of tiny inductors and capacitors.
