Automatic netlist extraction for measurement-based characterization of off-chip interconnect

An approach is presented for modeling board-level, package-level, and multichip module (MCM) substrate-level interconnect circuitry based on measured time-domain reflectometry (TDR) data. The time-domain scattering parameters of a multiport system are used to extract a SPICE netlist from standard elements to match the behavior of the device up to a user-specified cutoff frequency. Linear or nonlinear circuits may be connected to the model ports, and the entire circuit simulated in a standard circuit simulator. Two- and four-port microstrip-circuit examples are characterized, and the simulation results are compared with measured data. Delay, reflection, transmission, and crosstalk are accurately modeled in each case.