A unique hands-on opportunity to characterize interconnects to 50 GHz, sponsored by the IEEE P370 Standards group and Samtec.

The IEEE P370 Standards Group and Samtec Corp are hosting a Plug Fest on Monday, Jan 29, 2018, from 1 pm- 5 pm, the day before DesignCon officially opens. This unique hands-on event will be held at the Santa Clara Convention Center.

The IEEE P370 Group has developed a draft specification for de-embedding PCB interconnect structures, suitable for up to 50 GHz, using VNA measurements. This plug-fest is a chance for interested parties to try out the proposed specification with your fixtures and devices under test. VNA vendors will have their VNA instruments available to measure your test boards. De-embed software vendors will have their software available to de-embed your DUT from your fixture S-parameters measurements. This is a hands-on event.

The P370 recommended process is well suited if your board has a 2x through Fixture structure, and a Fixture-DUT-Fixture composite structure. These are the two important structures to measure. To use the VNA instruments, the connectors on the board should be SMA, 3.5 mm, 2.92 mm, 2.4 mm or 1.84 mm coax connectors. The VNA instruments will be calibrated with 2.4 mm or 1.85 mm. The VNA vendors will have any required adaptors from their instruments to your boards. 

The P370 Group is offering four ways to participate:

1. Bring your own board and fixtures and use a supplied VNA to perform measurements and apply the P370 methods to de-embed your DUT.
2. Bring your measured S-parameters and test drive the fixture de-embed software and methods of P370
3. Borrow a P370 designed test board and test drive measurements and fixture de-embedding software
4. Use a P370 test board S-parameter file to test drive fixture de-embedding software.

Due to the limited number of tables with vendor tools, you must sign up ahead of time and select the option you would like to try. The real purpose of this event is to get user feedback on the methods proposed by the IEEE P370 Group before the draft  specification is officially release. It is NOT to compare vendor tools. Because of the public nature of this event, the IEEE P370 Group recommends participants do not bring any devices with confidential information. 

There is no charge for participation. If interested, and for more information, sign up online here: http://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f0444a4af2ea7f85-plugfest

The results of this Plug Fest will be presented at the EDI CON China conference and in the Signal Integrity Journal.