Tektronix

In its traditional definition, the term "integrity" means "complete and unimpaired." Therefore, a digital signal with good integrity would have clean, fast transitions; stable, valid logic levels; accurate placement in time; and it would be free of transients. For reasons that will be explained in this paper, it is getting more difficult to produce and maintain complete, unimpaired signals in digital systems. Digital signal integrity has become a pressing concern for system developers.

The purpose of this primer is to provide some insight into the causes, characteristics, effects, and solutions for signal integrity-related problems in digital systems.