SNLS638B December 2018 – January 2025 DP83825I
PRODUCTION DATA
A general best practice is to have a solid return path beneath all MDI signal traces. This return path can be a continuous ground or DC power plane. Reducing the width of the return path can potentially affect the impedance of the signal trace. This effect is more prominent when the width of the return path is comparable to the width of the signal trace. Breaks in return path between the signal traces must be avoided at all cost. A signal crossing a split plane can cause unpredictable return path currents and can impact signal quality and result in emissions issues.
Figure 7-6 Differential Signal Pair and Plane Crossing