Subject: IBIS Users Group Minutes 3/19/99

From: [email-masked]
Date: Thu, 25 Mar 1999 16:30:33 -0600

IBIS Users Group Minutes 3/19/99

Participants on 3/19/99

Greg Edlund, IBM
Bob Haller, Compaq
Bob Ross, Mentor Grpahics
Fabrizio Zanella, EMC
Dima Smolyansky, TDA Systems

Next conference call:

Date:  4/9/99
Time:  8:00 - 9:55 am PST
Phone number:  to be announced
Pass code:  to be announced

CHECK-IN

There were no announcements, corrections to previous meeting's minutes, or
additions to the agenda.

GENERAL BUSINESS

Kellee Crisafulli provided an update from the Connector Group via email and
Fabrizio Zanella provided an update during the call.  The Connector Group
has met since DesignCon99.  They are currently discussing the topic of
frequency-dependent losses and are currently leaning toward not including
them in the first version of the connector BIRD.  This question needs to be
settled before issuing a BIRD.

Ed Sayre requested a discussion of the need for future face-to-face Users
Group meetings.  Bob Haller said he thought the last meeting was
well-attended and productive.  He goes on record as being in favor of a
face-to-face meeting.  Bob Haller will call Ed Sayre to set up the next
meeting.

PART I:  IBIS ACCURACY SUBCOMMITTEE

IBIS ACCURACY SPECIFICATION 1.2 REVISIONS

Greg Edlund will distribute version 1.2 of the spec in MS Word format
during the week of March 29.  IBIS Accuracy participants should review
version 1.2 and come prepared to discuss the changes during the next Users
Group conference call.

The group discussed what the version number should be.  Bob Haller reminded
us that the IBIS Accuracy Subcommittee had decided last year to make the
version of the IBIS Accuracy Spec track the version of IBIS itself.  Bob
Haller is in favor of keeping this convention.  Greg Edlund argued that we
may someday be mixing features from IBIS 2.1 and 3.2 in the same version of
the IBIS Accuracy spec, which might add confusion if we say we're tracking
with IBIS.  Bob Ross suggested that we keep bumping the version from 1.1 to
1.2, etc. until we are ready to take the spec to the Open Forum for a vote.

ACCURACY-RELATED BIRD(S)

There was some productive feedback from the IBIS users list regarding the
possibility of issuing a new BIRD that would describe the test loads
outlined in the IBIS Accuracy Spec.  Several people expressed opinions in
favor of a machine-readable format.  This is ultimately the direction in
which the IBIS Accuracy Subcommittee would like to go because it would
facilitate automated computation of behavioral vs. golden waveform
correlation metrics.  However, a new BIRD would entail more discussion at
the Open Forum.  Since we want to focus on approval of the IBIS Accuracy
Spec first, we decided to put off an new BIRD until later this year.  In
the meantime, we can use the existing VT capabilities of IBIS to capture
our new golden waveforms.

APPROVAL  PROCESS

Getting approval of the IBIS Accuracy Specification is a two-step process,
according to Bob Ross.  First, we need to bring the document before the
Open Forum for a vote.  Second, we proceed with formal approval by the EIA.
The group decided to take version 1.2 of the spec to the Open Forum, which
will be ready for review before the next Users Group conference call.

IBIS ACCURACY SPECIFICATION DEVELOPMENT

The group decided to put off any work on the next generation of the IBIS
Accuracy Specification until the first version is well into the approval
process.  Greg Edlund already sent an email to the users reflector on this
topic; this was a bit premature.  Action item #7 will remain open until it
is appropriate to bring this topic up for discussion again.

TEST BOARD

Bob Haller and Greg Edlund discussed the test board in a private
conversation and concluded that they did not have the bandwidth to pursue
changes in the test board at this time.  However, the changes that need to
be made are very minor and would probably only take 1-2 days of board
design time.  If National is able to volunteer some design (and/or fab)
resources, Bob and Greg would put in the necessary effort to help turn the
board design.  Greg Edlund notes that the test board tar file on the web
contains a list of errata.

ACCURACY ACTION ITEMS:  5 open, 3 closed

Review list and add new items.

1.  Status: open.  Opened: 2/26/99  Owner: Greg Edlund.  Edit measurement
and correlation sections of the IBIS Accuracy Specification and distribute
the new document.

2.  Status: CLOSED.  Opened: 2/26/99  Owner: Greg Edlund.  Write email to
the reflector soliciting input on the contents of an accuracy-related BIRD.
At issue is whether or not to include a machine-readable description of the
test loads described in the IBIS Accuracy Specification.

3.  Status: open.  Opened: 2/26/99  Owner: Peter LaFlamme.  Make VCX16244
SPICE model and IBIS datasheet available on the accuracy web page.

4.  Status: CLOSED.  Opened: 2/26/99  Owner: Bob Haller, Greg Edlund.
Discuss test board changes off-line.

5.  Status: open.  Opened: 2/26/99  Owner: Milt Schwarz.  Get quote for
building revision 3 of the test board.

6.  Status: open.  Opened: 2/26/99  Owner: Greg Edlund.  Write test board
application note.

7.  Status: open.  Opened: 2/26/99  Owner: Greg Edlund.  Send out a note to
the reflector suggesting possible candidates for accuracy development in
1999.

8.  Status: open:  Opened 3/19/99  Owner:  Bob Haller.  Call Ed Sayre to
set up next face-to-face Users Group meeting.

PART II:  EDUCATION SUBCOMMITTEE

There was no discussion about education as Ed Sayre was not present for the
call.

Greg Edlund
Advisory Engineer, Critical Net Analysis
IBM
3650 Hwy. 52 N, Dept. HDC
Rochester, MN 55901
[email-masked]