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IXP43X Product Line of Network Processors—Hardware Design Guidelines
Intel
®
IXP43X Product Line of Network Processors
HDG April 2007
60 Document Number: 316844; Revision: 001US
5.0 General Layout and Routing Guide
5.1 Overview
This chapter provides routing and layout guides for hardware and systems based on the
IXP43X network processors.
The high-speed clocking required when designing with the processors requires special
attention to signal integrity. In fact, it is highly recommended that the board design be
simulated to determine optimum layout for signal integrity. The information in this
chapter provides guidelines to aid designers with board layout. In cases where it is too
difficult to follow a design rule, engineering judgment must be used.
5.2 General Layout Guidelines
The layout guidelines recommended in this section are based on experience and
knowledge gained from previous designs. Layer stacking varies, depending on design
complexity, however following standard rules helps minimize potential problems
dealing with signal integrity.
The following recommendations help to route a functional board:
• Provide enough routing layers to comply with minimum and maximum timing
requirements of the IXP43X network processors and other components.
• Connectors, and mounting holes must be placed in a ways that will not interfere
with basic design guidelines in this document.
• Provide uniform impedance throughout the board, specially for high speed areas
such us clocking, DDRII/I-SDRAM, PCI, device bus, and so forth.
• Place analog, high-voltage, power supply, low-speed, and high-speed devices in
various sections of the board.
• Decoupling capacitors must be placed next to power pins.
• Series termination resistors must be placed close to the source.
• Analog and digital sections of the board must be physically isolated from each
other. No common ground, power planes, and signal traces are allowed to
cross-isolation zones. Use appropriately sized PCB traces for larger enough to
handle peak current. Keep away from high-speed digital signals.
• Keep stubs as short as possible (preferably, the electrical length of the stub less
than half of the length of the rise time of signal).
• All critical signals should be routed before all other non-critical signals.
• Do not route signals close to the edge of the board, power or ground planes. Route
signal at least 50 to 100 mils away from the edge of the plane.
• Try to match buses to the same trace length and keep them in groups adjacent to
each other, away from other signals.
• Route processor address, data and control signals using a daisy-chain topology.
• Minimize number of vias and corners on all high speed signals.
• Do not route under crystals or clock oscillators, clock synthesizers, or magnetic
devices (ferrites, toroids).
• Maintain trace spacing consistent between differential pairs and match trace length.
• Keep differential signals away from long and parallel, high-speed paths, such as
clock signals and data strobe signals.