Page 59 - The Art and Science of Analog Circuit Design

Thoughts on Becoming and Being an Analog Circuit Designer

Why should anyone want to become an analog designer? Aside from
the large amounts of money you earn, the hordes of attractive members
of the opposite sex that are drawn to you by the heady smell of solder,
the ability to simulate circuits in your head, and the undying respect of
all other engineers, there is one really important advantage to this line of
work: it's fun!
In fact, designing circuits can be absolutely wonderful. You create,
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from scratch, a complete working circuit that accomplishes a function
you (or your boss) desire. Once you get some experience, you can visual-
ize how the circuit building blocks you know can be combined to get
what you want. Sometimes you realize that you need to invent something
really new to do a particular function. Creativity and a bit of insanity
really helps with that.
You don't need big power tools, a yard full of old cars up on blocks, or a
trip to the Himalayas to build analog circuits. Actually, what you do need
are small power tools, a garage full of old oscilloscopes up on blocks, and
a trip to some surplus stores in Mountain View. In any case, once you reach
some level of "analog enlightenment," it is really addictive. This is good,
because the majority of engineers have gotten so seduced by digital circuits
and software that some very big electronics companies exist that do not
have a single decent analog circuit designer in house. In other words, if you
learn analog circuit design, you can get a job!
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"I've heard enough! Sign me up!" If that's what you are thinking, you
may want to know how you can become an analog designer. One way is
to learn "on the street" ("Hey buddy, wanna pick up some transistors
cheap? . .. They've got high betas and they're clean!"). That works even-
tually (the word "eventually" is key), but most people go to a university
and learn there. If you are remotely interested in the latter option, please
read on .. .

Analog Boot Camp: One Way to Become an
Analog Designer

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I teach analog circuit design at Stanford, along with my colleagues in
the Department of Electrical Engineering. In recent years, we have
taken great pains to upgrade the electronics courses to include more
practical, design-oriented material. My own courses are considered
"analog boot camp" for undergraduates who think of transistors only in

3. (eventually)
4. (if not, please put this book down and read that biography of Bill Gates over there to the left)
5. The opinions and/or other crap in this chapter are completely the fault of the author and do not
reflect the opinions and/or other crap of Stanford University in any way.
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