10 Symptoms of a Bad PDN

At face value, DC power integrity seems to be a simple enough topic -- you just need to make sure that every component on your PCB has the power (current and voltage) it needs when it needs it. But that’s just on the surface. The new reality is a bit more complicated. When you start to work with fine-pitch device packages, the manufacturing constraints and power requirements of said devices are almost completely at odds with each other. Not only is it difficult to get the required current to all the power pins, but you are also working with multiple supply voltages. This means that, unless you want a high-layer-count PCB, you will have to get power to your devices through various split planes, and that’s where the trouble begins.