EMI Prediction of Slew-Rate Controlled I/O Buffers by Full-Wave and Circuit Co-Simulation

In this paper, a modeling and co-simulation methodology is proposed to predict the radiated electromagnetic interference (EMI) from on-chip switching I/O buffers. The output waveforms of I/O buffers are simulated including the on-chip I/O buffer circuit and the RC extracted on-chip interconnect netlist, package, and printed circuit board (PCB). In order to accurately estimate the EMI, a full-wave 3D simulation is performed including the measurement environment. The simulation results are compared with near-field electromagnetic scan results and far-field measurements from an anechoic chamber, and the sources of emission peaks were analyzed. For accurate far-field EMI simulation, PCB power trace models considering IC switching current paths and external power cable models must be considered for accurate EMI prediction. With the proposed EMI simulation model and flow, the electromagnetic compatibility can be tested even before the IC is fabricated.