DRAM Detective · Case File 1.10
Match the Driver to the Trace
The driver's output impedance must match the trace Z0, or the signal splashes back.
The driver's pipe and the trace must have the same diameter…
impedance = pipe diameter · mismatch = splash · calibrate = match the standard
splash = reflection
driver (DRAM)
trace Z0
mismatched diameters → the signal splashes back
240Ω standard
align diameter
driver (drifting)
trace Z0
ZQ calibration aligns the driver to the 240Ω standard
driver = Z0
trace = Z0
matched → smooth flow, no splash
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Step 1 of 3
Match the driver's impedance to the trace, and the signal pushes out without splashing.