Time domain analysis of microstrip discontinuities

Simulating high speed digital interconnect systems in time domain is of primary importance to ensure that the product meets electrical performance metrics. Circuit simulators, such as SPICE, have been developed to solve nodal equations for electrical networks and obtain currents and voltages given initial conditions and excitation sources. These simulators are also extended to handle transistor circuits. For digital circuits, simulating the output buffer stage with the transmission line interconnect system is the goal for signal integrity analysis. The signal integrity analysis aims to ensure that digital signals, modeled as analog waveforms, have good signal quality and arrive at their receiver within its allotted time window.