However, be aware of what the book does not cover:
Digital logic used to be simple. You had 5V (high) and 0V (low). Wires were just wires. But as clock speeds crossed 50MHz and edge rates (rise times) dropped into the nanosecond range, the rules changed. Wires stopped being wires and started being transmission lines. Vias became inductors. Bypass capacitors became resonators.
By following these recommendations, engineers and designers can benefit from the knowledge and expertise presented in "High-Speed Digital Design: A Handbook of Black Magic", and improve their skills and knowledge in the field of high-speed digital design.
The book is often referred to as a "handbook" because it provides a practical guide to high-speed digital design, with numerous examples, case studies, and design tips. The authors' approach is to provide a detailed understanding of the underlying principles, rather than simply presenting a set of rules or guidelines.
The "black magic" refers to phenomena that are invisible to standard digital test equipment (like a logic probe or oscilloscope with low bandwidth) but cause intermittent failures, excessive noise, radiated emissions, or unreliability. The book aims to replace superstition with measurement and calculation.
Disclaimer: This article is for educational purposes regarding technical literature. The author encourages readers to respect intellectual property laws and purchase legitimate copies of copyrighted works from authorized retailers.
The handbook provides practical guidance on identifying and solving common high-speed design hurdles: High-Speed Digital Design - A Handbook of Black Magic | PDF