Symmetry Is Central to Differential Pairs

by John Berrie EE Times, 21 Mar 2005 Differential pairs work by making the received signal the difference between two complementary parts that are referenced to each other, so the effects of their electrically noisy surroundings are minimized. By contrast, single-ended signals work by making the signal the difference between a received signal and power or ground, so noise that is on the signal or power system does not get canceled out. This is why differential signaling is so effective for high-speed signals and why it is used in fast serialized buses and double-data-rate memory. Read the article