Patent ID: 8560296

Claim:
A method comprising: (a) generating a simulation of a Printed Circuit Board (PCB) via model by: representing an input pad coupled with an input stub, wherein the input pad has an input pad diameter value and the input stub has an input stub length value; representing an output pad coupled with an output stub, wherein the output pad has an output pad diameter value and the output stub has an output stub length value; and representing a transmission line segment coupled with the input pad and the output pad, wherein a signal path is defined from the input pad to the output pad along the transmission line segment; (b) generating frequency dependent input impedance values at the input pad based on at least one of the input pad diameter value, the output pad diameter value, the input stub length value, and the output stub length value; and (c) estimating a high frequency performance of the via model based on the frequency dependent input impedance values at the input pad by: generating a simulated output signal from the output pad by modifying a simulated input signal applied to the input pad based on the input impedance values at the input pad; and determining that the estimated high frequency performance is not acceptable when differences between the output signal and the input signal exceeds a threshold.