What should I consider when designing a system board using Schmitt trigger inputs on MAX® 10 FPGAs?

Description

When designing a system board that uses Schmitt trigger inputs on MAX® 10 FPGAs, board-level noise, power integrity, and signal integrity can significantly affect the effective hysteresis behavior. Factors such as power supply noise, input signal noise, and PCB layout practices may cause the observed switching thresholds to deviate from their typical values. This article outlines key considerations to help minimize noise sensitivity when using Schmitt trigger inputs in a system-level design

Resolution

When designing a system board that uses Schmitt trigger inputs, consider the following:

• Follow the recommendations in the MAX® 10 FPGA Design Guidelines, especially sections related to power distribution network (PDN) and signal integrity.
• Minimize power supply noise by using proper decoupling, grounding, and PCB layout practices.

Note: The MAX® 10 FPGA 10M08 Evaluation Kit is intended for low-cost application testing and is not designed for DC or PDN characterization. It should not be used to measure intrinsic transistor switching thresholds.