Page 52 - The Art and Science of Analog Circuit Design

Keifiro Sekine

at Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan (D3EJ), chaired by the author,
has been discussed about these problem. We thought at first use of "Expert
System" which installed many knowledge of experienced professional
designers as a element functional circuit. We tried to categorize analog
circuits by their function. However this idea did not work. Because of
above mentioned reason, each circuit has complex functions, it was very
difficult to find functional element circuit in a database format.
Analog systems can be described with a couple of differential equa-
tions and "analog computer" is a tool to solve differential equation.
Analog computer consist of some operational element such as integrator,
adder, multiplier, limiter etc. Recently we come to the conclusion that by
taking this operational circuit as an element we could compose any ana-
log circuit using them in principle, although the circuit compactness
should be lost. Several case studies in the committee show that this idea
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works . There needs further investigation before this idea would be real.

Analog Circuit Engineers in Japanese Industry

It is thought that rising digital technologies has been taking over analog
circuits technologies. A number of laboratories in Japanese universities
whose activities are in analog circuits fields, has been decreased recently.
Dr. Minora Nagata at Hitachi Ltd. questionnaired managers in several
electronics factories to investigate what leading electronics engineers
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thinking about .
The followings are the results of Dr. Nagata's questionnaires.

QUESTIONNAIRE 1
Q. How do you think about an ability of newcome electronics engi-
neers at your company? Please choice from the followings.
a) Newcomers know neither digital circuits nor analog circuit.
Nothing about circuits technology.
b) Newcomers know about digital circuit very well but nothing
about analog circuits.
c) Newcomers have average knowledge about either analog or digi-
tal circuits.
d) Newcomers know about analog circuit very well but nothing
about digital circuits.
e) Newcomers know about computer software very well but nothing
about hardware technologies.
RESULTS:
a).... 24 b) .... 16
c).... 11 d) .... 0
e),... 26

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