Signal Connection Considerations

The problem of how and when to combine digital and analog grounds arises from the large transients which the digital ground must handle. If the digital ground is not able to handle the large transients, the associated current can return to ground through the analog ground. It is this excess current overflowing into the analog ground which causes performance degradation by developing a differential voltage between the true analog ground and the microcontroller’s ground pins. The end result is that the ground observed by the analog circuit is no longer true ground and thus skews converter performance.

Two similar approaches to improving or eliminating the problems associated with grounding excess transient currents involve star-point ground systems. One approach is to star-point the different grounds at the power supply origin, thus keeping the ground isolated. Refer to Figure 27-49.

Another approach is to star-point the different grounds near the analog ground signal on the microcontroller by using small traces for connecting the non-analog grounds to the analog ground. The small traces are meant only to accommodate dc differences, not ac transients.

NOTE

This star-point scheme still requires adequate grounding for digital and analog subsystems in addition to the star-point ground.

Analog Power Supply

Digital Power Supply

+5 V

AGND

 

+5 V

PGND

+5 V

RH

RL

SSA

DDA

 

 

V

V

V

V

VSS

 

 

QADC

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

VDD

 

PCB

 

 

 

 

 

Figure 27-49. Star-Ground at the Point of Power Supply Origin

Other suggestions for PCB layout in which the QADC is employed include:

27-68

MCF5282 User’s Manual

MOTOROLA

Page 652
Image 652
Motorola MCF5282, MCF5281 user manual Star-Ground at the Point of Power Supply Origin