Our Three New Distinguished
Lecturers for 2012

Professor Christian Schuster, Sam Connor, Professor Madhavan Swaminathan, and Professor Jong-Gwan Yook will begin their two-year terms as the newest Distinguished Lecturers (DLs) of the IEEE EMC Society on 1 January 2012. They replace Professor Giulio Antonini, Professor Omar Ramahi and Mark Steffka, whose terms expired at the end of 2011 after many successful presentations to local Chapters around the globe. Our other three DLs, Professor Chuck Bunting, Jerry Meyerhoff, and Professor Wen-Yan continue their terms through December of 2012.
     Before introducing the newest DLs, I want to acknowledge the contributions of Giulio, Omar and Mark over the past two years. During their terms, they volunteered to spend many days away from home, family, familiar food, and familiar people. They traveled by airplane, car, and busses in order to give presentations in the Unites States, Americas, Asia and Europe. Our Society’s local Chapter meetings have benefited from the in-person contributions of these bright and learned volunteers. For those of you who have attended one of their presentations, I am sure you know what a very fun and educational experience these folks provide. Please join me in thanking our retiring DLs, and welcoming our new expert speakers.
     If you haven’t seen a DL at your Chapter meeting, you are really missing one of the most popular benefits that our Society offers. I am certain that this year’s new speakers will continue the DL tradition of offering excellent technical education, advice, and entertainment. Chapter Chairs can request any of the Distinguished Lecturers to come to their local Chapter meeting. Once the schedule details are agreed upon by both parties, the EMC Society pays for the travel costs, so the local Chapter gets expert speakers, on a wide range of topics, at no cost to the local Chapter!
     Below are our new Distinguished Lecturers for 2012–2013. Please feel free to contact them directly by phone or email to discuss hosting them at your next Chapter meeting, university class, or other special event. You can find contact information under the Distinguished Lecturer section of the EMC Society web site (www.emcs.org).

 

Christian Schuster is a Professor and head of the Institute of Electromagnetic Theory at the Hamburg University of Technology (TUHH), Germany. Prior to that he was with the IBM T. J. Watson Research Center, Yorktown Heights, NY, where he was involved in high-speed optoelectronic package and backplane interconnect modeling and signal integrity design for new server generations. Christian’s topics will be:

  1. Fundamentals of Signal Integrity and Power Integrity
    This presentation gives an introduction to the fundamentals of signal and power integrity engineering for high-speed digital systems with a focus on packaging aspects. It is intended for an audience that has little or no formal training in electromagnetic theory and microwave engineering. Topics that will be addressed include lumped discontinuities, transmission line effects, crosstalk, bypassing and decoupling, power plane effects, return current issues, and measurement techniques.
  2. Physics and Modeling of Vias in Printed Circuit Boards
    This presentation gives an overview of the current understanding and simulation of electromagnetic fields around vias in printed circuit boards with a focus on the so called physics based via model. It is intended for an audience that has a basic knowledge of electromagnetic theory and network theory. Topics that will be addressed include the physics of parallel plane modes and their impact on via behavior, equivalent circuit models for signal vias, effect of ground vias, and the impact of floating planes on signal transmission.
  3. Using the Contour Integral Method for EMC Problems
    This presentation summarizes recent advances in the application of the so called contour integral method to EMC problems with a focus on the modeling of wave propagation in parallel plane structures. It is intended for an audience that has some knowledge of electromagnetic theory and its numerical methods. Topics that will be addressed include a review of the basic formulation of the contour integral method, the application to via coupling within parallel planes, the combination with the so called physics based via model, and the hybridization with the method of moments for computation of radiation effects.

 

Sam Connor is a Senior Technical Staff Member at IBM in Research Triangle Park. He has published many papers in the area of EMC research and computational modeling. Sam’s topics include:

  1. Automated EMC Design Rule Checking: Past, Present, and Future
    The complexity of circuit boards and systems has risen dramatically over the last couple decades, along with the data rates of the signals being used. At the same time, development cycles have compressed, and teams have been divided across time zones and continents. In the past, manual reviews of circuit boards and system wiring were possible in the time available, and EMC engineers could share design guidelines with board designers down the hall. Nowadays, design guidelines must be accessible worldwide, instantaneously, and they need to be checked in a repeatable manner to ensure quality. As technology changes, new rules must be developed quickly based on lessons learned and simulation results. These demands have driven the need for automated, customizable rule checking applications. Up until now, these applications have focused on electrical designs, as this is typically viewed as the source of EMC problems. Looking ahead, though, this methodology needs to be applied to all aspects of a system design if it is going to identify the system-level integration issues that often derail products during certification testing.
  2. Differential Signaling is the Opiate of the Masses
    A large concern with the proliferation of differential signaling is the false sense of security that comes along with its usage. Differential signals are hailed for their immunity to noise coupling and for their propagation characteristics. Differential receivers have great common mode rejection, and with equalization, receivers can pull meaningful signals out of a closed eye diagram. But with all of these benefits, the often forgotten drawback is that differential signals on PCBs are not truly differential and they do not perfectly cancel. The various asymmetries in the routing of the differential pair and the impedance discontinuities of vias and connectors and the imbalance and skew of the drivers all create a common mode signal on the differential pair that can cause serious EMC problems when coupled to other nets or radiated from cables and connectors.
  3. Effective Use of Full-wave Models to Evaluate Design Tradeoffs
    The demands of schedule and cost for most electronic products do not allow for multiple design iterations, so EMC engineers can no longer wait for hardware to be built and measured in the EMC lab before making design change recommendations. EMC engineers can participate sooner in the product development process if they are comfortable with the full-wave modeling tools available today and if they understand the tools’ limitations. This presentation discusses various modeling approaches and gives many practical examples of how simulations can help one understand the impact of specific design features on the overall EMC performance of a system. It will also show how the results can add credibility to their design change

Madhavan Swaminathan is a Professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta. He is well known for his work in Power Integrity and Signal Integrity. He has published numerous papers and received a number of professional awards. Professor Swaminathan’s topics include:

  1. Designing for Power Integrity: Status, Challenges and Opportunities
    Since the mid-1990s, designers have been developing sophisticated methods for managing power integrity in packages and printed circuit boards which has had a direct impact on the signal integrity of systems. These have included items such as developing design parameters, for example target impedance, developing repeatable frequency domain characterization methods, pushing the EDA vendors to improve the capability of the design tools, developing new devices such as EBGs to improve isolation, and developing embedded capacitance layers, to name a few. However, the designers are continuing to face challenges where the noise on the power distribution is beginning to overshadow the signals in fast switching environments arising in high speed computing systems. These challenges are opportunities for university research that can lead to interesting and often times innovative solutions. This talk will cover a review of the past developments in this area and will focus on the present challenges and potential solutions in the area of power delivery.
  2. Multi-scale and Multi-physics Modeling: Their Role in 3D Integration

    More about Technical Resources for EMC Chapters: Distinguished Lecturers, Respected Speakers Bureau, Video DL Program

    The EMC Society’s Distinguished Lecturer Program provides speakers for Society Chapter meetings and similar functions. Each Distinguished Lecturer (DL) can offer one of several pre-prepared presentations on various EMC topics. DLs are appointed by the EMC Society Board of Directors for a two-year term. In 2012, the Society will have six Distinguished Lecturers serving on alternating terms.
         Distinguished Lecturers may give up to six talks per year under the program, which reimburses the DL for their approved traveling expenses up to a recommended limit of $1,500 per engagement within the region where they reside, or $2,500 for external region travel. To provide as many opportunities to as many members as possible, the Society encourages hosting Chapters whenever possible to absorb some part of the speaker’s costs, such as by providing or paying for local transportation, meals, and lodging.
         For more information about the EMC Society’s Distinguished Lecturer Program, visit our web site at https://www.emcs.org/dl-main.html. You can also contact Bruce Archambeault at 919-486-0120, or via email at bruce.arch@ieee.org.
         Please also note the Respected Speakers Bureau (RSB) which is comprised of past DLs and other notable speakers. Information on the RSB can be found on the DL web site.
         Also, remember to take a look at the Video DL program information. These DVDs can be used at Chapter meetings. Information is available on www.emcs.org.


    Over the last several years, the buzzword in the electronics industry has been “More than Moore”, referring to the embedding of components into the package substrate and stacking of ICs and packages using wire bond and package on package (POP) technologies. This has led to the development of technologies that can lead to the ultra-miniaturization of electronic systems with coining of terms such as SIP (System in Package) and SOP (System on Package). More recently, the semiconductor industry has started focusing more on 3D integration using Through Silicon Vias (TSV). This is being quoted as a revolution in the electronics industry by several leading technologists. 3D technology, an alternative solution to the scaling problems being faced by the semiconductor industry, provides a third dimension for connecting transistors, ICs and packages together with short interconnections, with the possibility for miniaturization, as never before. The semiconductor industry is investing heavily on TSVs as it provides opportunities for improved performance, bandwidth, lower power, reduced delay, lower cost and overall system miniaturization. A major bottleneck today for 3D system implementation is in the Electronic Design Automation (EDA) area. In this talk, challenges in the design of 3D ICs and packages with a focus on design automation relating to multi-scale and multi-physics effects will be presented.
  3. Micro and Nano Miniaturization of Systems
    The main driver for the semiconductor industry has been Moore’s law where the doubling of transistors has led to a phenomenal increase in functionality of the integrated circuit (IC). Today, microprocessors support a billion transistors, run at a frequency that is 250X higher than two decades ago and provide performance close to a super computer in a handheld device. However, integrating a System on Chip (SOC) has still not been possible due to technical and business reasons. This has led to highly integrated ICs but bulky systems. Today, the need for including sensing and energy harvesting devices for biomedical and other electronic applications is becoming necessary. These require the integration of nano-materials, nano-sensors and nano-generators into the SOP platform.

Jong-Gwan Yook is a Professor at Yonsei University in Seoul, Korea. He has published numerous technical papers and is well known for his work in the areas of computational electromagnetics, electromagnetic modeling of high speed mixed signal circuits, and signal and power integrity issues for GHz printed circuits and systems. Professor Yook’s topics include:

  1. Computational Electromagnetics Tools for EMI/EMC/PI/SI Problems
    There are various computational electromagnetics tools around for EMI/EMC/PI/SI analysis and each tool has its own pros and cons. In this talk, time as well as frequency domain tools are introduced with their capabilities and limitations.
  2. Electromagnetic Modeling of High Speed Mixed Signal Circuits and Interconnects
    Accurate and real time modeling of high speed mixed signal circuits and systems as well as high performance interconnects are crucial for system design. In this talk, systems level simulation schemes are introduced for high frequency mixed signal analysis.
  3. Signal and Power Integrity Issues for GHz Printed Circuits and Systems
    EMC regulations now reach a few Giga hertz region while conventional discrete component approaches for SI/PI problems met big hurdles. Thus, new innovative approaches are absolutely necessary for PCB level SI/PI improvement. This issue and some new ideas will be discussed in this talk.
  4. Localized EBG/meta-material for Improvement of Signal and Power Integrity
    There are various ideas to minimize PCB level SSN by employing the meta-material concept. However, the majority are not suitable for practical applications. Recently, it is demonstrated that localized meta-material-inspired geometries greatly improve SI/PI performances and these ideas will be discussed in this talk.
                EMC
Outgoing Distinguished Lecturers Ji Chen (left photo) and Sergui Radu (right photo) received Certificates of Appreciation from EMC Society President Francesca Maradei at the Annual Awards Luncheon held during the 2011 IEEE International Symposium on EMC in Long Beach, California. Joungho Kim also received a certificate in absentia as an outgoing Distinguished Lecturer. Outgoing Distinguished Lecturer Joungho Kim is shown at the APEMC 2011 conference he helped organize on Jeju Island, Korea. We missed you in Long Beach, Professor Kim!

 

 

 



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