A high frequency bus system which insures uniform arrival times of
high-fidelity signals to the devices on the high frequency bus, despite
the use of the bus on modules and connectors. A high frequency bus system
includes a first bus segment having one or more devices connected between
a first and a second end. The first bus segment has at least a pair of
transmission lines for propagating high frequency signals and the devices
are coupled to the pair of transmission lines. The high frequency bus
system also includes a second bus segment which has no devices connected
to it. The second bus segment also has at least a pair of transmission
lines for propagating high frequency signals. The first end of the first
segment and second end of the second segment are coupled in series to
form a chain of segments and when two signals are introduced to the first
end of the second bus segment at the substantially the same time, they
arrive at each device connected to the first bus segment at substantially
the same time. Also, when two signals originate at a device connected to
the first bus segment at substantially the same time, they arrive at the
first end of the second bus segment at substantially the same time.
Uniform arrival times hold despite the use of connectors to couple the
segments together, despite the segments being located on modules, without
the need for stubs, despite the presence of routing turns in the segments
and despite the type of information, such as address, data or control,
carried by the signals.