Uploaded June 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Altium Develop unites design, sourcing, and manufacturing in one cloud platform so your high-speed SFP boards move from schematic to fabrication without the friction: altium.com/develop?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=high-speed-design&utm_content=sfp-connector-routing-high-speed-differential-pair-design-tips
SFP connector routing is where a lot of high-speed PCB designs run into trouble, and most vendor app notes only cover the fundamentals like impedance control and differential pair matching. In this Altium Academy tutorial, host Zach Peterson answers a real question from the Altium subreddit and digs into the practical tips that actually move the needle on SFP and SFP+ routing: how aggressive your serpentine length tuning can be, how to avoid impedance discontinuities in tight meanders, and how meandering drives mode conversion at 10G and beyond.
Working through two example designs in Altium Designer, this differential pair routing walkthrough covers trace width and spacing selection, why a thinner outer-layer dielectric reduces impedance deviations, and live impedance simulation in Simbeor. You'll also learn the truth about via stubs and back drilling, why mechanically spread glass makes 15° zigzag routing largely obsolete, and how to handle the fiber weave effect, via impedance, and 25G NRZ channels. Whether you're routing a 1G, 10G, or faster SFP interface, these signal integrity best practices will help you design a connector route that performs the first time.
👉 Resources from this video:
- Custom Ethernet Switch Powers Up: Assembly to Working Hardware Test: youtu.be/D6VnsDINE04?si=Bz8ks0flCP9zVvRb
- A Guide to Mode Conversion, Its Causes, and Solutions: resources.altium.com/p/guide-mode-conversion-its-causes-and-solutions
- Your Complete Guide to Via Stub Analysis: resources.altium.com/p/your-complete-guide-stub-analysis
- Why Via Impedance Calculators Can Be Inaccurate: youtube.com/watch?v=Mt5roii44qk
💡 Stay Connected:
Don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more in-depth tutorials and tips from @AltiumAcademy Share your thoughts and questions in the comments below!
👉 Subscribe for more: youtube.com/@AltiumAcademy?sub_confirmation=1
Don't forget to follow us on social to stay up-to-date on the latest Altium Academy content.
👉 Follow Altium on TikTok: tiktok.com/@altiumdesigner
👉 Follow Altium on Twitter: twitter.com/altium
👉 Follow Altium on Linkedin: linkedin.com/company/altium
👉 Follow Altium on Facebook: facebook.com/AltiumOfficial
The Altium Academy is an online experience created to bring modern education to PCB Designers and Engineers all across the world. Here you can access a vast library of free training and educational content covering everything from basic design to advanced principles and step-by-step walkthroughs. Join industry legends as they share their career knowledge, review real-life design projects, or learn how to leverage one of Altium's leading design tools. No matter your level of experience, the Altium Academy can help you become a better Designer and Engineer!
About Altium LLC
Altium LLC (ASX:ALU), a global software company based in San Diego, California, is accelerating the pace of innovation through electronics. From individual inventors to multinational corporations, more PCB designers and engineers choose Altium software to design and realize electronics-based products.
#Altium #SignalIntegrity #HighSpeedPCB
0:00 Intro
1:19 SFP Connector Routing Question
2:49 Altium Designer Examples
4:24 Differential Pair Design
5:46 Via Design Importance
6:59 Impedance, Length Tuning
8:19 Trace Width Guidance
9:50 Dielectric Thickness
11:41 Thicker Dielectric
13:14 Standard vs Spread
14:37 Spread Glass Benefits
16:08 Stub Resonance
17:37 Ethernet Project Stubs
19:01 Via Stub Analysis
20:21 10G Interface Stubs
21:50 Differential Via Z
Altium Develop unites design, sourcing, and manufacturing in one cloud platform so your high-speed SFP boards move from schematic to fabrication without the friction: altium.com/develop?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=high-speed-design&utm_content=sfp-connector-routing-high-speed-differential-pair-design-tips
SFP connector routing is where a lot of high-speed PCB designs run into trouble, and most vendor app notes only cover the fundamentals like impedance control and differential pair matching. In this Altium Academy tutorial, host Zach Peterson answers a real question from the Altium subreddit and digs into the practical tips that actually move the needle on SFP and SFP+ routing: how aggressive your serpentine length tuning can be, how to avoid impedance discontinuities in tight meanders, and how meandering drives mode conversion at 10G and beyond.
Working through two example designs in Altium Designer, this differential pair routing walkthrough covers trace width and spacing selection, why a thinner outer-layer dielectric reduces impedance deviations, and live impedance simulation in Simbeor. You'll also learn the truth about via stubs and back drilling, why mechanically spread glass makes 15° zigzag routing largely obsolete, and how to handle the fiber weave effect, via impedance, and 25G NRZ channels. Whether you're routing a 1G, 10G, or faster SFP interface, these signal integrity best practices will help you design a connector route that performs the first time.
👉 Resources from this video:
- Custom Ethernet Switch Powers Up: Assembly to Working Hardware Test: youtu.be/D6VnsDINE04?si=Bz8ks0flCP9zVvRb
- A Guide to Mode Conversion, Its Causes, and Solutions: resources.altium.com/p/guide-mode-conversion-its-causes-and-solutions
- Your Complete Guide to Via Stub Analysis: resources.altium.com/p/your-complete-guide-stub-analysis
- Why Via Impedance Calculators Can Be Inaccurate: youtube.com/watch?v=Mt5roii44qk
💡 Stay Connected:
Don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more in-depth tutorials and tips from @AltiumAcademy Share your thoughts and questions in the comments below!
👉 Subscribe for more: youtube.com/@AltiumAcademy?sub_confirmation=1
Don't forget to follow us on social to stay up-to-date on the latest Altium Academy content.
👉 Follow Altium on TikTok: tiktok.com/@altiumdesigner
👉 Follow Altium on Twitter: twitter.com/altium
👉 Follow Altium on Linkedin: linkedin.com/company/altium
👉 Follow Altium on Facebook: facebook.com/AltiumOfficial
The Altium Academy is an online experience created to bring modern education to PCB Designers and Engineers all across the world. Here you can access a vast library of free training and educational content covering everything from basic design to advanced principles and step-by-step walkthroughs. Join industry legends as they share their career knowledge, review real-life design projects, or learn how to leverage one of Altium's leading design tools. No matter your level of experience, the Altium Academy can help you become a better Designer and Engineer!
About Altium LLC
Altium LLC (ASX:ALU), a global software company based in San Diego, California, is accelerating the pace of innovation through electronics. From individual inventors to multinational corporations, more PCB designers and engineers choose Altium software to design and realize electronics-based products.
#Altium #SignalIntegrity #HighSpeedPCB
0:00 Intro
1:19 SFP Connector Routing Question
2:49 Altium Designer Examples
4:24 Differential Pair Design
5:46 Via Design Importance
6:59 Impedance, Length Tuning
8:19 Trace Width Guidance
9:50 Dielectric Thickness
11:41 Thicker Dielectric
13:14 Standard vs Spread
14:37 Spread Glass Benefits
16:08 Stub Resonance
17:37 Ethernet Project Stubs
19:01 Via Stub Analysis
20:21 10G Interface Stubs
21:50 Differential Via Z
