Although adding termination at each node works for the 4-node network, it is logical to wonder if it performs well with a system with many more nodes. To mimic the load of multiple nodes, a 3-Ω resistor represents the lumped load of 40 terminated nodes (Figure 2-7). The lumped load is placed near the transmitter to minimize the impact of long cable.

From the GUI and signal integrity check, the communication still works. To conserve space, the GUI looks the same as Figure 2-6 and is omitted for this test. However, it is noticeable that the amplitude of the received signal is significantly reduced (Figure 2-8) due to heavy load and is near the threshold of the THVD8000’s receiver. The small signal has poor signal-to-noise ratio that could create problems in noisy real-world environment.