Understanding Microelectronics: A Top-Down Approach

This book starts with processing functions and signals and their properties, and then analyses the features of many electronic systems. It studies building blocks like transistors and passive components at a functional level, with special attention on their practical limitations and associated realization problems. This study encourages learning at increasing levels of detail while it is covered in both analog and digital solutions. The validity of the theory described is proved in numerous examples, simulations, exercises, and verification results. The author is well-known and respected in academia, as well as being an award-winning practitioner. This title teaches with a unique ‘top-down’ method that begins with processing functions, then describes signals and their properties before analyzing the features of many systems; it explains a global view before going into specifics. State-of-the-art in that this method follows the evolution of CAD tools that are focusing more on high-level design. A useful balance of theory, example and verification of results, this work supplies a number of computer examples whose source code will be available for download on a supplementary website.