Crosstalk simulation of multiple insulated twisted pairs based on transmission line theory

Crosstalk is a constantly growing problem especially for systems with a high wiring density like CAN-Bus-Systems utilized e.g. in the automotive sector. For the sake of cost efficiency twisted wire pairs (TWP) with a dielectric insulation only are commonly used in the industry leading to increased crosstalk compared to e.g. shielded wires. To reduce prototype costs, crosstalk simulations using 3D field solvers are indispensable but can become very time consuming depending on the number of TWPs and the complexity of the structure. Based on the cascaded transmission line (TL) theory of Paul and McKnight for bare wires above ground, this paper shows how insulation can be taken into account to provide a fast full system simulation containing a large number of TWPs. Measurement results are compared to predicted simulation results.