The Analog Brain Brian Bailey 5/24/2013 7 comments The human brain is a very effective and efficacious computer. The way it attains this efficacy differs from the digital computer.
PIC (& Software) 1, Op-Amps 0 Doug Grant 5/24/2013 10 comments General purpose voltage references, quad op-amps, and quad comparators are almost as cheap as dirt. Is it possible that a microcontroller plus software could compete economically?
3D Stacking Offers New Path to Optimum Integrated Analog Performance Steve Taranovich 5/23/2013 22 comments The techniques that are used to great advantage to integrate much digital functionality work far less well when attempting to integrate analog technology. Exciting new research opens the door to new ways of integrating analog building blocks for optimum performance.
Did You Say 'Programmable Analog'? Analog Angle 5/23/2013 10 comments As technology evolves, the definition of "programmable" analog/mixed-signal ICs has evolved as well; most users find the change to be a very good thing, despite any limitations it may impose.
Build or Buy? The Design Rules Remain the Same Vincent Biancomano 5/22/2013 4 comments Design engineers design and build things as part of product development. Sometimes, it's better to buy a subsystem already fabricated -- but which subsystem and when?
SiC Power Inversion Chips for PV & EVs Brian Coppa 5/21/2013 2 comments Silicon carbide (SiC) chips are gaining traction in photovoltaic (PV) solar inverters, but its future in electric vehicles remains cloudy.
Operations per Joule Brian Bailey 5/20/2013 17 comments Analog computers use far less power than digital ones. They are also less accurate and less capable of producing repeatable results. Still, since they're often good enough, perhaps more attention should be paid to the analog versions.
Using ICs in the Land Beyond Their App-Notes Derek Koonce 5/20/2013 7 comments Sometimes you can use an IC in a manner not contemplated by the IC's manufacturer. As long as you are not exceeding safe operating area specs, you are probably OK.
When Are You Done With Verification? Brian Bailey 5/17/2013 6 comments What metrics should be established to verify analog performance in general and integrated analog performance in particular? How much testing is not enough and how much is too much?
When the Going Gets Tough... Brian Bailey 5/16/2013 5 comments Pushing devices to smaller geometry produces some good consequences. But those come with other aspects that are less desirable. For integrated analog, there are significant challenges.
Crack Open One of These Books, Part 2 Brad Albing 5/16/2013 10 comments Following up on Bill Schweber's blog on technical books and Part 1 of this blog, we take a closer look at some important books that are an excellent source of information.
The REAL Cost for a Custom IC Scott Elder 5/14/2013 49 comments The actual cost of a custom IC is most likely more than you think. The total cost -- including amortized NRE -- must be considered.
Everything’s Better After the First Explosion Barry Harvey 5/13/2013 32 comments Bad events occur -- it's inevitable. Sometimes, it's best just to have the cacatological event happen and move on with the design's evaluation.
Crack Open One of These Books, Part 1 Brad Albing 5/13/2013 34 comments Following up on Bill Schweber's blog on technical books, we take a closer look at some important books that are an excellent source of information.
Cupcake IC'ing Reid Wender 5/10/2013 9 comments With the right perks, an engineer's job can be fun. If the perks involve food, some engineers would probably work for free.
The Cutting Edge May Be Moving Brian Bailey 5/9/2013 9 comments The challenges of product design are pushing leading-edge high technology down into lower-cost commodity products. As this process continues, integrated analog will play an important role in helping to take some of the cost out and improve reliability.
Smallest, Fastest, Lowest Power… Brian Bailey 5/9/2013 5 comments Unless someone finds a way to make the perfect op-amp, PLL, or power supply, we will continue to be subjected to the onslaught of marketing telling us that their product is better than anyone else's.
What Are the Limits to Integration? Dennis Feucht 5/8/2013 7 comments Are there any more general fundamental limits to electronics integration? How much smaller can processes get, and what are the consequences? Will this be the limiting factor for integrated analog?
Signal Chain Basics #77: Enjoying the VU: Real-World Implementations Signal Chain Basics 5/8/2013 12 comments In the previous part of this article on VU metering, we discussed metering standards and methods to convert the AC audio signal to DC so it could be used with a conventional meter. Now we look at more sophisticated readout methods.
Litz Wire & Other Component Cleverness Analog Angle 5/7/2013 35 comments Engineers and production people are very good at conceiving and implementing workarounds when the laws of physics introduce impediments, as this basic example shows.
Pick Your SPICE Models Carefully Scott Elder 4/29/2013 28 comments Use of older SPICE models can impair accuracy of the simulation (or even prevent it from running). What can you do to get around the problem?
Reclaiming Lost Knowledge Vincent Biancomano 4/26/2013 40 comments Education in science and technology topics should extend beyond the high-school and college years.
Where Art Thou Analog IP? Brian Bailey 4/22/2013 9 comments Analog IP is available, though certainly not to the extent that digital IP is. Designers have fewer choices regarding multiple sources of the IP they need.
Design Margins in Analog & Digital William Murray 4/19/2013 14 comments Design margin can sometimes be a vague concept. It's best to analyze a design carefully and sometimes you must be especially cautious with systems where safety is paramount.
PMBus – What the Heck Is It? Brad Albing 4/19/2013 10 comments Power supplies of various sorts make use of the PMBus to interconnect and control one another. Here is all you need to know.
How the Analog Challenge Has Changed Analog Angle 4/16/2013 2 comments Today's analog designs are easier than those of the past, due to greatly improved and more highly integrated components; now the design focus is on system-level issues of overall performance meeting power, cost, and time-to-market objectives.
General purpose voltage references, quad op-amps, and quad comparators are almost as cheap as dirt. Is it possible that a microcontroller plus software could compete economically?
The techniques that are used to great advantage to integrate much digital functionality work far less well when attempting to integrate analog technology. Exciting new research opens the door to new ways of integrating analog building blocks for optimum performance.
As technology evolves, the definition of "programmable" analog/mixed-signal ICs has evolved as well; most users find the change to be a very good thing, despite any limitations it may impose.
Design engineers design and build things as part of product development. Sometimes, it's better to buy a subsystem already fabricated -- but which subsystem and when?
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