Serpentine Routing - Gaps

When a design requires equal-length traces between the source and multiple loads, you can bend some traces to match trace lengths (see Figure 11–20). However, improper trace bending affects signal integrity and propagation delay. To minimize crosstalk, ensure that S ≥ 3 × H, where S is the spacing between the parallel sections and H is the height of the signal trace above the reference ground plane (see Figure 11–21).

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Source Altera: High-Speed Board Layout Guidelines.


Also see: A New Slant on Matched-Length Routing - Barry Olney

This article compares the delay (tpd) for serpentine, spiral, and straight traces.

The results show that a signal will travel faster in a microstrip serpentine trace compared to a straight trace of the same length. And the stripline serpentine trace will lag the straight trace.