Reflection-optimized star topologies for automotive bus systems

In this work we present a promising methodology in order to diminish unwanted reflections at star points. The latter are widely used in modern automotive bus systems. Particularly, it is shown that signal integrity can be increased significantly by the inclusion of some conventional passive components. Further, simple rules for an adequate design as well as selection of these components are derived. The effectiveness of this approach is well confirmed by both measurements and simulations. Notably, simulations are based on accurate transmission line parameters, which have been determined as a function of frequency using a novel measurement setup.