Page 28 - The Art and Science of Analog Circuit Design

Barry Harvey

they need more people to get more work done. Anyway, young people
really do add vitality to our aging industry.
It behooves us all, then, to create a professional growth path where the
company can get the most out of its investment, and the new grad can
also get the most lifelong result from his or her college investment. I have
a practical plan. I didn't invent it; the Renaissance tradespeople did. It's
called "apprenticeship."
The "crafts" were developed in the 1400s, mostly in Italy. The work
was the production of household art. This might be devotional paintings,
could be wondrous inlaid marble tables, might be gorgeous hand-woven
tapestries to insulate the walls. In most cases, the artistic was combined
with the practical. Let me amplify: the art was profitable. There was no
cynicism about it; beauty and commerce were both considered good.
We have similar attitudes today, but perhaps we've lost some of the
artistic content. Too bad: our industrial management has very little imagi-
nation, and seldom recognizes the value of beauty in the marketplace. At
Elantec, we've made our reputation on being the analog boutique of
high-speed circuits. We couldn't compete on pure price as a younger
company, but our willingness to make elegant circuits gave us a lot of
customer loyalty. We let the big companies offer cheap but ugly circuits;
we try to give customers their ideal integrated solutions. We truly like our
customers and want to please them. We are finally competitive in pricing,
but we still offer a lot of value in the cheaper circuits.
Do college grads figure into this market approach? Not at all. You
can't expect the grad to immediately understand the marketplace, the
management of reliable manufacturing, or even effective design right out
of college. Just ain't taught. The Renaissance concept of the "shop" will
work, however. The shop was a training place, a place where ability was
measured rather than assumed, where each employee was assigned tasks
aimed for success. Professional growth was managed.
An example: the Renaissance portrait shop. The frame was con-
structed by the lowliest of apprentices. This frame was carved wood, and
the apprentice spent much of his or her time practicing carving on junk
wood in anticipation of real product. The frame apprentice also was
taught how to suspend the canvas properly. Much of the area of the can-
vas was painted by other apprentices or journeyman painters. They were
allowed to paint only cherubs or buildings or clouds. The young painters
were encouraged to form such small specialties, for they support deeper
abilities later. So many fine old paintings were done by gangs; it's sur-
prising. Raphael, Tintoretto, and even Michelangelo had such shops. The
masters, of course, directed the design and support effort, but made the
dominant images we attribute to them alone. Most of the master painters
had been apprentices in someone else's shops. We get our phrase "state
of the art" from these people.
Today's engineers do practice an art form. Our management would
probably prefer that we not recognize the art content, for it derails

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