Power Archipelago for Filtering Power Plane Noise

Noise coupling in mixed-signal systems from shared power distribution networks (PDNs) can be a critical problem. Sensitive radio-frequency integrated circuits have to be isolated from voltage fluctuations caused by simultaneously switching drivers. This paper introduces the concept of the power archipelago, a new methodology for filtering the power plane noise. The power archipelago is essentially a lumped element microwave filter in which the discrete elements have been translated to embedded elements, effectively filtering out noise from the PDN. This paper demonstrates the increased isolation achieved by the power archipelago by hardware measurements and simulation correlations.