Analogue Digital Asics

For many applications, circuits that combine analog and digital signals can provide superior solutions to those produced with digital signals alone. Eighteen contributions in four sections--processing technology, circuit techniques and building blocks, design and applications, and CAD and supporting tools--detail and support this new approach. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

The book comprises 18 chapters dealing with the following subjects: technology and modeling aspects of an advanced BiCMOS ASIC process; high performance operational amplifiers and comparators; switched capacitor filters; switched current techniques for analogue sampled data signal processing; data converters; oversampling converters; self-callibrating and algorithmic converters; a high flexibility BiCMOS standard cell library for mixed analogue-digital ASICs; practical aspects of mixed analogue-digital design; some applications of mixed signal ASICs; a video communication application of an analogue-digital ASIC; high level simulation and hardware description languages; circuit level/gate level mixed-mode simulation; testing mixed analogue-digital circuits; towards high level synthesis of mixed signal ASICs; automated high level synthesis of data conversation; and automated analogue design

Hurst, an editor at the Microelectronics Journal, analyzes common problems that electronics engineers and circuit designers encounter while testing integrated circuits and the systems in which they are used, and explains a variety of solutions available for overcoming them in both digital and mixed circuits. Among his topics are faults in digital circuits, generating a digital test pattern, signatures and self-tests, structured design for testability, testing structured digital circuits and microprocessors, and financial aspects of testing. The self- contained reference is also suitable as a textbook in a formal course on the subject. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

A Guide to Analog ASICs is a working reference for the engineer who regularly uses analog custom technology or plans to use it in a product. The book includes a detailed analysis of analog and digital application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), the vendor selection process, cost trade-offs, and design-options (in-house, design center, use of vendor design resources). After introducing the development of analog ASICs, ASIC vendors, development cycles, and cost considerations, the text reviews basic global semiconductor technology, IC fabrication techniques, and the limitations of linear IC design. The components found inside the chip are integrated resistors, capacitors, transistors, diodes, and metal connections. The text explains building block circuits, how these are used to construct complex circuitry, and how the Simulation Program with Integrated Circuit Emphasis (SPICE) can check for circuit performance. The selection of the chip's package is important and depends on several factors, such as thermal size, physical size, PC board technology, number of pins, die size. When tested, a typical product should have a failure rate that follows a curve composed of a failure rate (X-axis) versus time (Y-axis). The book also provides suggestions on vendor selections including vendor identification, site visitation, and price negotiations. The book is suitable for computer engineers, designers of industrial processes, and researchers involved in electrical, computer, or other devices using integrated circuits.

It is a great honor to provide a few words of introduction for Dr. Georges Gielen's and Prof. Willy Sansen's book "Symbolic analysis for automated design of analog integrated circuits". The symbolic analysis method presented in this book represents a significant step forward in the area of analog circuit design. As demonstrated in this book, symbolic analysis opens up new possibilities for the development of computer-aided design (CAD) tools that can analyze an analog circuit topology and automatically size the components for a given set of specifications. Symbolic analysis even has the potential to improve the training of young analog circuit designers and to guide more experienced designers through second-order phenomena such as distortion. This book can also serve as an excellent reference for researchers in the analog circuit design area and creators of CAD tools, as it provides a comprehensive overview and comparison of various approaches for analog circuit design automation and an extensive bibliography. The world is essentially analog in nature, hence most electronic systems involve both analog and digital circuitry. As the number of transistors that can be integrated on a single integrated circuit (IC) substrate steadily increases over time, an ever increasing number of systems will be implemented with one, or a few, very complex ICs because of their lower production costs.

High-Level Synthesis for Real-Time Digital Signal Processing is a comprehensive reference work for researchers and practicing ASIC design engineers. It focuses on methods for compiling complex, low to medium throughput DSP system, and on the implementation of these methods in the CATHEDRAL-II compiler. The emergence of independent silicon foundries, the reduced price of silicon real estate and the shortened processing turn-around time bring silicon technology within reach of system houses. Even for low volumes, digital systems on application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) are becoming an economically meaningful alternative for traditional boards with analogue and digital commodity chips. ASICs cover the application region where inefficiencies inherent to general-purpose components cannot be tolerated. However, full-custom handcrafted ASIC design is often not affordable in this competitive market. Long design times, a high development cost for a low production volume, the lack of silicon designers and the lack of suited design facilities are inherent difficulties to manual full-custom chip design. To overcome these drawbacks, complex systems have to be integrated in ASICs much faster and without losing too much efficiency in silicon area and operation speed compared to handcrafted chips. The gap between system design and silicon design can only be bridged by new design (CAD). The idea of a silicon compiler, translating a behavioural system specification directly into silicon, was born from the awareness that the ability to fabricate chips is indeed outrunning the ability to design them. At this moment, CAD is one order of magnitude behind schedule. Conceptual CAD is the keyword to mastering the design complexity in ASIC design and the topic of this book.

Focuses on the design and production of integrated circuits specifically designed for a particular application from original equipment manufacturers. The book outlines silicon and GaAs semiconductor fabrication techniques and circuit configurations; compares custom design style; discusses computer-aided design tools; and more.