High-performance clock buffers are sensitive to noise on the power supply, which can dramatically increase the additive jitter of the buffer. Thus, it is essential to reduce noise from the system power supply, especially when jitter or phase noise is very critical to applications.

Filter capacitors are used to eliminate the low-frequency noise from the power supply, where the bypass capacitors provide the very low impedance path for high-frequency noise and guard the power-supply system against the induced fluctuations. These bypass capacitors also provide instantaneous current surges as required by the device and should have low equivalent series resistance (ESR). To properly use the bypass capacitors, they must be placed very close to the power-supply terminals and laid out with short loops to minimize inductance. It is recommended to add as many high-frequency (for example, 0.1 μF) bypass capacitors as there are supply terminals in the package. It is recommended, but not required, to insert a ferrite bead between the board power supply and the chip power supply that isolates the high-frequency switching noises generated by the clock driver; these beads prevent the switching noise from leaking into the board supply. It is imperative to choose an appropriate ferrite bead with very low DC resistance in order to provide adequate isolation between the board supply and the chip supply, as well as to maintain a voltage at the supply terminals that is greater than the minimum voltage required for proper operation.

Figure 23 illustrates this recommended power-supply decoupling method.

Figure 23. Power-Supply Decoupling

11.1 Thermal Management

Power consumption of the CDCLVP1212 can be high enough to require attention to thermal management. For reliability and performance reasons, the die temperature should be limited to a maximum of 125°C. That is, as an estimate, ambient temperature (T_A) plus device power consumption times R_θJA should not exceed 125°C.

The device package has an exposed pad that provides the primary heat removal path to the printed circuit board (PCB). To maximize the heat dissipation from the package, a thermal landing pattern including multiple vias to a ground plane must be incorporated into the PCB within the footprint of the package. The exposed pad must be soldered down to ensure adequate heat conduction out of the package. Figure 24 shows a recommended land and via pattern.