Principles of Analog Electronics

xvii

Preface

A

nyone who knows electronics can create new ideas, and this book explores

that possibility by focusing on analog electronics. This is because in the real

world, signals are mostly analog, spanning continuously varying values, so

that circuits interfaced with the physical world have an analog nature, to process

analog signals.

The fascinating area of analog “grows” to overlap fundamental areas (elds,

circuits, signals and systems, and semiconductors), here morphed into a

self-consistent comprehensive book. This approach leads to a text that captures

the big picture, while still providing the necessary details, to reduce knowledge

fragmentation and to improve learning outcomes.

The presentation is accurate and clear, including appropriate examples and

detailed explanations of the behavior of real electronic circuits.

The text is “humanized” not only because the important theorems and laws are

treated, but also because we look at the people who fundamentally contributed to

those. Curiosities (How did Google get its name? Why is it difcult to locate crickets

in a eld? Why does the violin bridge have that strange shape?, etc.), observations,

and real life application-oriented examples (electrocardiogram instrumentation,

active noise-canceling headphones, USB-powered charger, etc.) are provided to

contribute to a practical approach.

The rst part of the book includes a clear and thorough presentation of the

mathematical (Chapter 1), physical (Chapter 2), and chemical concepts (Chapter

3) that are essential to understanding the principles of operation of electronic

devices. This may be particularly useful for students with a limited background in

basic matters who want to take a serious approach to electronics.

The circuit approach is detailed with models (Chapters 4, 5, 10) and main

t

heorems (Chapter 6).

Passive and active electronic devices are described and analyzed, with specic

reference to the fundamental lters (Chapter 7), and to the most common Si-based

components such as diodes, BJTs, and MOSFETs (Chapters 4, 8). Semiconductor

devices are then used to design electronic circuits, such as rectiers, power sup-

pliers, clamper and clipper circuits (Chapter 9). The main topologies of ampliers

based on BJTs (Chapter 11), and on MOSFETs (Chapter 12), along with their vari-

ants and improvements (Chapters 13, 14), are also discussed. Relevant or curious

circuit applications are analyzed as well (Chapter 15).

At the end of each chapter, helpful summaries are provided, with key points,

jargon, terms, and exercises with solutions also included.

Practical tables, often missing in many books on electronics, are included here

to illustrate the coding schemes necessary to recognize commercial passive and

active components.

K18911_Book.indb 17 27/12/13 6:23 PM

Preface

xviii

MATLAB

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is a high-level language and interactive environment for numerical

computation, visualization, and programming. MATLAB

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K18911_Book.indb 18 27/12/13 6:23 PM