Design of analogue integrated circuit blocks

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Course details

  • Duration: 12.5 hours, spread over 6 weeks
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Presented by Prof. Willy Sansen Emeritus Professor of the K.U.Leuven, Belgium and Visiting Professor, Imperial College London.

The insight in the operation of analogue circuit blocks is essential to understand how most electronic circuits operate. Examples are mixed-signal circuits such as analogue-to-digital converters, sensor interfaces, digital processors, biomedical systems, etc. Such insight allows the design and the optimisation towards low power consumption, for certain speed and noise requirements.

This master class will provide students with an understanding of the operation of electronic circuits. They will be able to apply the knowledge and learning experience to design, and optimise the most important circuit blocks.

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Course content

Topics covered include:

  •  Single-transistor RC circuits

After an introduction of first-order RC-circuits, MOST transistors are described. A single-transistor amplifier is then analysed and designed, followed by source followers and cascode stages.

  • Multiple-MOST circuit blocks

Two-transistor circuits are analysed, such as a current mirror and a differential pair. Cacodes are added to both of them, for better performance. Finally a CMOS inverter amplifier is analysed in great detail, including both class-A as class-AB operation.

  • Feedback systems

Feedback is used to improve the precision of CMOS analogue circuits, and to increase their bandwidth. 2nd-Order circuits with operational amplifiers (opamps) suffer from stability issues.  The conditions for a flat frequency response are analyzed for 2nd- and higher-order feedback systems.

  • Opamp circuit configurations

Operational amplifiers can be realized with only a differential pair but preferably with a symmetrical or folded-cascode configuration.  sensing and robotics. In addition negative resistors are used to considerably improve the Figure-Of-Merit. Finally a CMOS Miller opamp is analysed an optimised.

  • Filters

Filters are used in all Analogue-to-Digital converters and transmission systems. Noise and distortion are their main limitations. Continuous-time and switched-capacitor filters are analysed and compared. A Figure-Of -Merit (FOM) is used for optimum filter selection.


Benefits of attending?

On completion of this masterclass, students will be able to:

  • Understand the basic knowledge of analogue MOST circuits
  • Apply the knowledge and experience gained to optimise circuit blocks for low power
  • Design and develop analogue signal processing interfaces

Who should attend?

This masterclass is designed for undergraduate students studying degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering or other related disciplines. 

 Students are expected to have a good level of English proficiency as well as the following technical knowledge:

-          Use of the laws of Ohm and Kirchoff

-          First-order Bode diagrams

Presenters