Stray capacitance

      Stray capacitance is similar to a parallel-plate capacitor and is generated when two conductors are very close to each other (especially when they are parallel to each other). Stray capacitance typically occurs between parallel conducting strips on a printed circuit board or between conducting strips or planes on opposite sides of a printed circuit board. The existence and effects of stray capacitance are often overlooked in circuit design, particularly at high frequencies, which can result in serious performance issues during system board manufacturing and installation, such as increased noise, reduced frequency response, and even system instability.