Stand-alone Data Acquisition Board for optical links

Abstract: Data acquisition is one of the most important processes used in order to gather and digitize information. The purpose of this project is the design of a Stand-alone Data Acquisition Board specialized for optical communication. Printed Circuit Board (PCB) design is one of the most demanding fields in electronics system design, especially when it includes high speed signals such us the connection of a Double Data Rate RAM memory. Throughout this report we present in detail the steps that we followed so as to create a complete PCB design. The very first step in this process is to acquire the necessary background that one need to understand in order to create PCBs, background that is briefly covered in the report. In addition, there is a detailed description of the criteria based on which we chose the components of the board, as well as of the interconnection of each component. Finally throughout the report we present some of the basic rules that PCB designers need to follow in order to ensure signal integrity, which is vital for the proper operation of the system.