What's Good About Allegro Differential Pair Updates? Look to SPB16.5 and See!

The 16.5 Allegro PCB Editor release adds differential pair phase tuning as an alternative to using the mouse guided delay tune command, and also quality improvements for transitions at region boundaries.

I’m providing a quick summary this week of these enhancements.

Differential Pair phase tuning

Phase Tuning is an alternative to using the mouse guided delay tune command and offers the precision of finite length adjustment to differential signals that are length/phase constrained. It is especially effective on static or dynamic phase-constrained Differential Pairs where iterative etch compensation may be required at various points along the path of either member of the pair. Simply make a mouse click at any point on the cline path to add in a single-parameterized phase bump.

The command is located in the Route Menu of the PCB Editor. When invoked, parameters can be set in the Options panel form. Select a style of Line or Arc then define its respective length/size parameters. The form will compute the added compensation for each bump before applying it:

 

Differential Pair phase tuning

Quality improvements have been made to both Add Connect and Slide in the area of Constraint Region transitions. They include:
•    Symmetrical gathering of Diff Pairs at the boundary when crossed orthogonally or at 45 degrees.
•    Maintain Diff Pair line width and gap during slide or from being shoved.
•    Remove the hinge effect at the region boundary.

 

Please share your experiences with this new 16.5 capability.

Jerry "GenPart" Grzenia