Si5345-44-42-D-RM
68
Rev. 1.0
12. Crystal and Device Circuit Layout Recommendations
The main layout issues that should be carefully considered include the following:
1. Number and size of the ground vias for the Epad
2. Output clock trace routing
3. Input clock trace routing
4. Control and Status signals to input or output clock trace coupling
5. Xtal signal coupling
6. Xtal layout (See “12.1.2. Si5345 Crystal Guidelines” and “12.2.2. Si5342/44 Crystal Guidelines” for important
crystal layout guidelines.)
If the application uses a crystal for the XAXB inputs a shield should be placed underneath the crystal connected to
the X1 and X2 pins (4 and 7) to provide the best possible performance. The shield should not be connected to the
ground plane and the planes underneath should have as little under the shield as possible. It may be difficult to do
this for all the layers, but it is important to do this for the layers that are closest to the shield.
12.1. 64-Pin QFN Si5345 Layout Recommendations
This section details the recommended guidelines for the crystal layout of the 64-pin Si5345 device using an
example 8-layer PCB. The following are the descriptions of each of the eight layers.
Layer 1: device layer, with low speed CMOS control/status signals, ground flooded
Layer 2: crystal shield
Layer 3: ground plane
Layer 4: power distribution, ground flooded
Layer 5: power routing layer
Layer 6: ground input clocks, ground flooded
Layer 7: output clocks layer
Layer 8: ground layer
Figure 40 is the top layer layout of the Si5345 device mounted on the top PCB layer. This particular layout was
designed to implement either a crystal or an external oscillator as the XAXB reference. The crystal/ oscillator area
is outlined with the white box around it. In this case, the top layer is flooded with ground. Note that this layout has a
resistor in series with each pin of the crystal. In typical applications, these resistors should be removed.
12.1.1. Si5345 Applications without a Crystal
For applications that do not use a crystal, leave X1 and X2 pins as “no connect”. Do not tie to ground. There is no
need for a crystal shield or the voids underneath the shield. The XAXB connection should be treated as a high
speed critical path that is ac-coupled and terminated at the end of the etch run. The layout should minimize the
stray capacitance from the XA pin to the XB pin. Jitter is very critical at the XAXB pins and therefore split
termination and differential signaling should be used whenever possible.
12.1.2. Si5345 Crystal Guidelines
The following are five recommended crystal guidelines:
1. Place the crystal as close as possible to the XA/XB pins.
2.
DO NOT
connect the crystal's GND pins to PCB gnd.
3. Connect the crystal's GND pins to the DUT's X1 and X2 pins via a local crystal GND shield placed around and
under the crystal. See Figure 40 at the bottom left for an illustration of how to create a crystal GND shield by
placing vias connecting the top layer traces to the shield layer underneath. Note that a zoom view of the crystal
shield layer on the next layer down is shown in Figure 41.
4. Minimize traces adjacent to the crystal/oscillator area especially if they are clocks or frequently toggling digital
signals.