return current path

Why do cables radiate? Common mode currents are the culprit. Through four practical experiments, learn how return paths, grounding switches, and parasitic capacitances determine whether your current stays differential—or becomes a radiating common mode problem.

A 1988 study of current distribution in printed circuit boards reveals how return‑current paths, ground‑plane impedance, and trace coupling drive EMI and signal‑integrity issues. Its insights on low‑impedance ground structures remain foundational for today’s high‑speed digital designs.