PCB Currents: How They Flow, How They React

12. Differential Current Flow

12.1. Concepts

In a typical circuit (Figure 12-1), the signal travels down a single conductor between a driver and a receiver. All such signals have a return, and the return is typically on a second “ground” wire (or circuit) or on a plane. We call such a circuit a single-ended circuit.

Figure 12-1 Typical single-ended circuit.

Differential circuits, on the other hand, are characterized by a pair of wires carrying complementary signals (i.e., signals that are equal and opposite) between a driver and a receiver ( ...