Measurement-Based Modeling and Worst-Case Estimation of Crosstalk Inside an Aircraft Cable Connector

Abstract

Crosstalk within cable bundles can degrade system performance. In aircraft systems that use shielded twisted pairs, the crosstalk occurs primarily in the connector where individual signal wires are not shielded or twisted. In many cases, the parameters which determine crosstalk within the connector are unknown because the connector is closed and wires cannot be easily accessed. Expanding on prior research [14], a methodology for measuring coupling parameters and modeling crosstalk within aircraft cable connectors at low frequencies (<400 MHz) was developed. The values of mutual inductance and capacitance were extracted from measurements made with a vector network analyzer (VNA). The characteristics of the individual wires were extracted from VNA-measured TDR response. The accuracy of the model was evaluated through comparison of simulated and measured results. Additionally, a closed-form solution was developed to estimate the worst-case envelope of the differential crosstalk. The calculated results match the measured peak values well. This worst-case crosstalk estimate allows effective evaluation of the impact of crosstalk within different connectors. The developed method can be effective for analyzing complex aircraft cable assemblies and connectors without requiring extensive knowledge of the assembly procedure.

Department(s)

Electrical and Computer Engineering

Research Center/Lab(s)

Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) Laboratory

Keywords and Phrases

Cables; Complex networks; Electric network analyzers; Electromagnetic induction; Inductance; Models; Wire; Cable bundles; Capacitive couplings; Closed form solutions; Differential crosstalk; Inductive couplings; Measurement based model; Shielded twisted pairs; Vector network analyzers; Crosstalk; worst-case crosstalk

International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)

0018-9375

Document Type

Article - Journal

Document Version

Citation

File Type

text

Language(s)

English

Rights

© 2015 Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), All rights reserved.

Publication Date

01 Aug 2015

Link to Full Text

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