
Zynq-7000 PCB Design Guide
20
UG933 (v1.8) November 7, 2014
Chapter 3:
Power Distribution System
moves at a different rate. Because momentum (stored magnetic-field energy) is associated
with this charge, some amount of time and energy is required to slow down or speed up the
charge flow. The greater the inductance, the greater the resistance to change, and the
longer the time required for the current level to change. A voltage develops across the
inductance as this change occurs.
The PDS, made up of a regulator and multiple stages of decoupling capacitors,
accommodates the device current demand and responds to current transients as quickly as
necessary to maintain the voltage within the specified limits. When these current demands
are not met, the voltage across the device's power supply changes. This is observed as
noise. Inductance in the current path of the capacitors should be minimized, because it
retards the ability of decoupling capacitors to quickly respond to changing current
demands.
Inductances occur between the AP SoC device and capacitors and between the capacitors
and the voltage regulator (see
). These inductances occur as parasitics in the
capacitors and in all PCB current paths. It is important that each of these parasitics be
minimized.
Capacitor Parasitic Inductance
The capacitance value is often considered to be a capacitors’s most important
characteristic. In power system applications, the parasitic inductance (ESL) has the same or
greater importance. Capacitor package dimensions (body size) determine the amount of
parasitic inductance. Physically small capacitors usually have lower parasitic inductance
than physically large capacitors.
Requirements for choosing decoupling capacitors:
• For a specific capacitance value, choose the smallest package available.
- or -
• For a specific package size (essentially a fixed inductance value), choose the highest
capacitance value available in that package.
Surface-mount chip capacitors are the smallest capacitors available and are a good choice
for discrete decoupling capacitors:
• For values from 100 µF to very small values such as 0.01 µF, ceramic X7R or X5R type
capacitors are usually used. These capacitors have a low parasitic inductance and a low
ESR, with an acceptable temperature characteristic.
• For larger values, such as 47 µF to 1000 µF, tantalum capacitors are usually used. These
capacitors have a low parasitic inductance and a medium ESR, giving them a low Q
factor and consequently a very wide range of effective frequencies.