Electrical circuits using low frequency electrical power generate noise that is coupled through the power distribution system. That noise is generally detrimental. In the past, capacitors have been used to condition the electrical power propagating to and from devices. One type of device in which capacitors have been used to condition electrical power is an active circuitry. Capacitors have been used to in active circuitry to decouple noise from the power lines. Typically, in applications involving Large or Very Large Scale Integration (LSI or VLSI) Integrated Circuits (ICs), multiple rows of capacitors are arrayed on a PC board as close as feasible to the location of the IC in the PC board, given design constraints. This arrangement provides sufficient decoupling of the power and ground from the IC's active circuitry. The terms “bypass” and “decoupling” are used interchangeable herein.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds