Clock shear

Clock shear is a term in electronic circuit design that refers to the accumulation of the signal integrity factors that pertain to the validity of differential signaling, particularly differential clocks. There are several important parameters of electronic devices or Integrated Circuits that rely on minimizing clock shear to maintain proper functionality of those devices, particularly those involving the arrival time of data as compared with the incoming clock edges (setup time, hold time, and propagation delay).

Signal Integrity factors that contribute to clock shear include:

• Jitter
• Length/Impedance matching
• Crosstalk
• Electromigration
• Clock Edge Distortion
• Non-Monotonicity
• Electromagnetic Interference
• Return Path to Ground
• Ground bounce
• Drift