Comments on: My name is Chris…and I’m an analog engineer http://chrisgammell.com/2008/07/23/analog-engineer/ Combining renewable energy, analog design and some real life experience. A delicious stew of engineering! Sat, 06 Mar 2010 14:12:43 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Spec Sheet Dive: An Intro | Electricio.us http://chrisgammell.com/2008/07/23/analog-engineer/comment-page-1/#comment-1289 Spec Sheet Dive: An Intro | Electricio.us Fri, 11 Dec 2009 03:46:57 +0000 http://chrisgammell.com/?p=33#comment-1289 [...] Sheet Dive: An Intro In my job as an analog (system) engineer, I look at datasheets on a regular basis. There are few other ways that vendors can communicate how [...] [...] Sheet Dive: An Intro In my job as an analog (system) engineer, I look at datasheets on a regular basis. There are few other ways that vendors can communicate how [...]

]]> By: Fluxor http://chrisgammell.com/2008/07/23/analog-engineer/comment-page-1/#comment-810 Fluxor Tue, 17 Mar 2009 21:54:51 +0000 http://chrisgammell.com/?p=33#comment-810 Agree with Raul here. Unless one is working in "old" technology and re-using an existing design almost as is, rarely do an analog IC designer just plop one down from a CAD library. Analog IC CAD libraries are just not that common, if they exist at all for the technology node that you're working in. They may take a design architecture as a starting point (e.g folded cascode amplifier), but it is just that, a starting point. The analog IC designer doesn't just need to know how to use an op-amp, s/he needs to know how to build one from scratch. Discrete transistor devices also differ from the ones used to design ICs. One thing that IC designers don't do is to deal with pricing with vendors. That is done at very high levels of management as it can involve millions of dollars. With ICs, something as simple as changing a resistor value after the initial design is finished may cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. Agree with Raul here. Unless one is working in “old” technology and re-using an existing design almost as is, rarely do an analog IC designer just plop one down from a CAD library. Analog IC CAD libraries are just not that common, if they exist at all for the technology node that you’re working in. They may take a design architecture as a starting point (e.g folded cascode amplifier), but it is just that, a starting point.

The analog IC designer doesn’t just need to know how to use an op-amp, s/he needs to know how to build one from scratch. Discrete transistor devices also differ from the ones used to design ICs.

One thing that IC designers don’t do is to deal with pricing with vendors. That is done at very high levels of management as it can involve millions of dollars. With ICs, something as simple as changing a resistor value after the initial design is finished may cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.

]]> By: Raul http://chrisgammell.com/2008/07/23/analog-engineer/comment-page-1/#comment-688 Raul Fri, 09 Jan 2009 20:36:37 +0000 http://chrisgammell.com/?p=33#comment-688 I am an Analog IC Designer, you're right in saying you're mor like an Analog Systems designer. You can do system definition, you cannot do and are a world away from being able to do analog ic design. We don't plop down a cell from some library and tweak it for new specs, at least not when we are developing the next whiz bang IC. The innovation comes from many places, but transistor level design is a fundamental part that is not trivial and requires a lot of experience, creativity and understanding of the device physics. I agree with you that Systems is a growth area. I am an Analog IC Designer, you’re right in saying you’re mor like an Analog Systems designer. You can do system definition, you cannot do and are a world away from being able to do analog ic design. We don’t plop down a cell from some library and tweak it for new specs, at least not when we are developing the next whiz bang IC. The innovation comes from many places, but transistor level design is a fundamental part that is not trivial and requires a lot of experience, creativity and understanding of the device physics.
I agree with you that Systems is a growth area.

]]> By: Circuit Board Design (And How It Has Changed) | Chris Gammell's Analog Life http://chrisgammell.com/2008/07/23/analog-engineer/comment-page-1/#comment-539 Circuit Board Design (And How It Has Changed) | Chris Gammell's Analog Life Wed, 17 Dec 2008 04:29:48 +0000 http://chrisgammell.com/?p=33#comment-539 [...] decide to ingest it. In fact, the only people who speak the wonders of lead these days are cranky analog engineers such as myself, trying to solder something (I’m a 6 out of 10 on the cranky scale). Why do we love lead? [...] [...] decide to ingest it. In fact, the only people who speak the wonders of lead these days are cranky analog engineers such as myself, trying to solder something (I’m a 6 out of 10 on the cranky scale). Why do we love lead? [...]

]]> By: Best Free SPICE Program | Chris Gammell's Analog Life http://chrisgammell.com/2008/07/23/analog-engineer/comment-page-1/#comment-506 Best Free SPICE Program | Chris Gammell's Analog Life Fri, 05 Dec 2008 12:02:57 +0000 http://chrisgammell.com/?p=33#comment-506 [...] of the biggest conflicts of interest in the life of an analog engineer is that the best tool available to them is on a computer. SPICE is a program that was originally [...] [...] of the biggest conflicts of interest in the life of an analog engineer is that the best tool available to them is on a computer. SPICE is a program that was originally [...]

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