The analog section needs (at least) dual +VE and -VE supplies.
Digital speed is fairly undemanding, but any advice if a particular option is preferred would be appreciated.
I am considering the following two layer stacks,
A)
– signals, smd components
– gnd fill
– crossing signals
– +VE and -VE power, and 3.3V digial – routed rather than fills, perhaps using star
advantage – both signals and crossing signals are routed adjacent on each side of the reference gdn plane.
disadvantage – inner signals are not visible – making it a bit harder to debug
B)
– signals + smd components
– gnd fill
– +VE fill
– -VE fill + some crossing signals
advantage – +VE is a plane, and -VE is mostly a plane, and signals are on the outside layers and visible
disadvantage
– crossing signals have to route through the +VE fill with a via to get to the bottom layer. And they are further away from gnd – and no longer referenced to gnd?.
I have read a lot about the importance of providing an unbroken reference plane for return current under the trace. Normally this is accomplished by the gnd reference.
However, I believe the reference can be another power plane, at which point capacitance between the planes supposedly becomes a lot more important. It is at this point that my knowledge/understanding is incomplete.
EDIT, ok I think I understand the principle. If we must route a high-speed signal across different reference planes with a via, and those planes are at different potential then we use stiching caps. Like this,