Inside the lab: Mastering Analog Circuit Design
Published:
During my Master’s program, one of the most rewarding experiences was taking the Analog Circuit Design Lab. It offered the perfect blend of theory and hands-on practice, allowing me to engage deeply with essential hardware tools and analog principles that power real-world electronics.
What I worked on:
Computer-based simulations:
- Simulated transistor and OpAmp circuits in PSpice for noise analysis.
- Compared noise behavior and spectral characteristics of inverting vs. non-inverting topologies.
Electronic Lab Experiments:
- Active Bandpass Filter:
- Designed a 2nd order active bandpass filter using the LM4562 op-amp.
- Used a multiple-feedback topology and Butterworth filter specs.
- ADC Driver + Anti-Aliasing Filter:
- Built a single-ended to differential driver for the AD7626 ADC with a 2nd-order low-pass filter.
- Compared simulation and lab-based signal responses; calculated SNR and ENOB.
- Switched Capacitor Filter with Preamplifier stage:
- Developed a 5th-order clock-tunable SC filter using LT1063 with a preamp stage.
- Examined tuning effects, input-output behavior, and output noise.
Skills Demonstrated:
- Analog circuit design and manual dimensioning
- Advanced SPICE simulation and frequency domain analysis
- Precise use of test equipment (oscilloscope, function generator, signal analysis tools)
- Noise measurement, signal fidelity analysis, and performance comparison between simulation and real-world data
- Systematic preparation of lab reports, calculations, and MATLAB-based data visualization