Crosstalk Reduction in High-Speed Microstrip Interconnects Using a Greek Key Guard Trace

Authors

Keywords:

crosstalk reduction, Greek key guard trace, High-speed PCB, Microstrip interconnects, Near-end crosstalk, Far-end crosstalk, Signal integrity

Abstract

This work presents a method for suppressing near-end crosstalk (NEXT) and far-end crosstalk (FEXT) in high-speed microstrip interconnects using a Greek key patterned defective microstrip guard trace. The structure increases effective capacitance and modifies the inductive path between coupled lines, improving electromagnetic isolation without increasing line spacing. A full parametric study is carried out in HFSS to evaluate the effect of defect width and unit-cell spacing on crosstalk behavior. The results show that a defect width of 0.01 mm with a spacing of 1.0 mm provides the strongest suppression, achieving NEXT of −57.53 dB and FEXT of −51.70 dB at 10 GHz. When compared with conventional guard traces, the proposed design delivers more than 60% improvement in NEXT and over 80% improvement in FEXT. Analysis shows saturation after 0.025 mm defect width, beyond which no significant improvement can be achieved. The proposed structure provides an optimal and compact method to reduce coupling effects in high-speed PCB designs with high density.

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Author Biographies

Gobinath Arumugam, Velammal College of Engineering and Technology

Gobinath A. received the B.E. and M.E. degrees in electronics and communication engineering from Velammal College of Engineering and Technology, Madurai, India. He is currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering at Velammal College of Engineering and Technology. He has over 13 years of teaching and research experience. His research interests include signal integrity, electromagnetic interference and compatibility (EMI/EMC), and high-speed PCB design. He has published and presented research papers in peer-reviewed journals and international conferences and is a Life Member of SEMCE (I)

Suresh Kumar Natarajan, RMK College of Engineering and Technology

Dr. Suresh Kumar N. received the B.E. degree in electronics and communication engineering from Thiagarajar College of Engineering, Madurai, India, the M.E. degree from Alagappa Chettiar College of Engineering, Karaikudi, India, and the Ph.D. degree from Madurai Kamaraj University, Madurai, India. He is currently a Professor in the Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering at RMK College of Engineering and Technology, Chennai, India. He has more than 38 years of teaching and research experience. His research interests include electromagnetic interference and compatibility (EMI/EMC), signal integrity, and high-speed PCB design. He has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals and international conferences and is a Life Member of IEEE, ISTE, IETE, and IE.

Rajeswari Packianathan, Velammal College of Engineering and Technology

Dr. Rajeswari P. received the B.E. degree in electronics and communication engineering from Madurai Kamaraj University, Madurai, India, the M.E. degree from Anna University, Chennai, India, and the Ph.D. degree in electromagnetic interference and compatibility (EMI/EMC) from Anna University, Chennai. She is currently a Professor in the Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering at Velammal College of Engineering and Technology, Madurai, India. She has more than 22 years of teaching and research experience. Her research interests include EMI/EMC, signal integrity, and wireless communication systems. She has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals and international conferences and has contributed to several funded research projects. She is a Life Member of ISTE, IETE, and the Society of EMC Engineers (India)

Mohamed Salah Karoui, Higher Institute of Applied Sciences and Technology of Mateur (ISSATM), University of Carthage, Tunisia

Dr. Eng. Karoui M.S. is an Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering at the Higher Institute of Applied Sciences and Technology of Mateur (ISSATM), University of Carthage, Tunisia. He obtained his Engineering Degree in Electrical Engineering from the National Engineering School of Sfax (ENIS) in 2003, followed by a Master’s degree in Electronics in 2004. He earned his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering in 2010 and later received his HDR (Habilitation to Supervise Research) in 2021, both from ENIS. Dr. Karoui began his academic career at ISSATM as a Contractual Assistant in 2004. He then served as Assistant (2006–2010), Assistant Professor (2010–2013), and was promoted to Associate Professor in May 2022. His international experience includes a decade-long tenure as a Trainer (Assistant Professor) at Hail College of Technology in Saudi Arabia (2013–2023), and a subsequent position as Associate Professor at ICAM – Institut Catholique d'Arts et Métiers, Grand Paris Sud, France (2023–2024). In terms of research, Dr. Karoui was a member of the LETI Laboratory at ENIS from 2002 to 2024, and is currently affiliated with the Microwave Electronics Research Laboratory (MERLAB) at the Faculty of Sciences of Tunis. His research interests include wideband antenna design, bandwidth enhancement, RFID systems, and smart sensors for telemetry and IoT applications. He has supervised numerous Master’s and undergraduate theses, contributed to both national and international research projects, and serves as a reviewer for IEEE journals and conferences. Dr. Karoui is the author and co-author of 13 peer-reviewed journal articles and 9 international conference papers. An active contributor to the global scientific community, Dr. Karoui is a Senior Member of IEEE and a member of IEICE Japan. He also holds several leadership roles within IEEE, including Counselor of the IEEE ISSATM Student Branch, Advisor of the IEEE WIE ISSATM Student Chapter, Secretary of the IEEE MTT-S Tunisia Chapter, and Vice-Chair of the IEEE CRFID Tunisia Chapter.

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Published

2026-05-21

How to Cite

Arumugam, G., Natarajan, S. K. ., Packianathan, R., & Karoui, M. S. (2026). Crosstalk Reduction in High-Speed Microstrip Interconnects Using a Greek Key Guard Trace. IEEE Latin America Transactions, 24(7), 724–734. Retrieved from https://latamt.ieeer9.org/index.php/transactions/article/view/10483

Issue

Vol. 24 No. 7 (2026): Ordinary Issue

Section

Electronics