What is a primary consequence of a misaligned feed line impedance in a high-speed digital link?

• A. Increased reflections and potential bit errors.
• B. Reduced battery life.
• C. Faster data transfer.
• D. No effect.

Answer: (A)

When a feed line isn’t matched to the system’s impedance, reflections occur at the boundaries, sending part of the signal back toward the source. These reflected waves interfere with the forward-going signal, distorting the waveform, narrowing timing margins, and increasing jitter. In a high-speed digital link, where bits are defined by fast edges, that distortion can cause the receiver to sample the wrong value, leading to bit errors. That’s why proper impedance matching and termination are essential.

The other options aren’t about signal integrity: impedance mismatch doesn’t make data transfer faster, and it does have a real effect, not none at all. Battery life isn’t the primary concern here.