Analysis of IBIS model performance in simulation of simultaneous switching noise

Input/Output Buffer Information Specification (IBIS) models are widely used in signal integrity analysis of digital devices. Advantages of using IBIS models include protection of proprietary information and reduction of simulation time. However, compared with Spice models, IBIS models have some inherent deficiencies, which can lead to inaccurate results in simultaneous switching noise (SSN) simulations. This paper investigates in detail how the deficiencies in the IBIS models translate to inaccurate results in SSN simulations. Methods to improve SSN are briefly discussed and validated. The investigations will be useful to further improve the accuracy of IBIS models and to enhance their wider acceptance.