DC power-bus noise isolation with power-plane segmentation

Abstract

Power-plane segmentation is often used for DC power-bus noise isolation in multilayer printed circuit board (PCB) designs. To achieve a desirable noise isolation, different power-plane segmentations can be used. A suitable modeling approach, as well as measurements, were employed in this work to study the noise isolation with several power-plane segmentation designs. The geometries studied include power islands, and totally segmented power planes. The effects of the power-bus noise isolation with different types of power island connections, locations of segmentation, and shapes were analyzed, and compared. The modeled and measured results show that suitable power-plane segmentation can result in significant power-bus noise isolation.