EECS 413: An Introduction to Analog and Mixed Signal Design
(Monolithic Amplifier Circuits)
Ehsan Afshari
Fall 2016 Syllabus
Contact Information. I can be reached in a number of ways.
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 734-763-9305
Office: 3241 EECS
Office Hours: Monday 3–5 PM.
Feel free to make appointments to meet during other times.
Teaching Assistant. Amirahmad Tarkeshdouz, email: [email protected].
Saghar Seyedabbaszadehesfahlani, email: [email protected].
Office hours Tuesday 11 AM – 1 PM.
Course Description. An introduction to Analog Integrated Circuit design for electrical
engineering students already familiar with passive circuit analysis and transistor behavior.
This course will focus primarily on CMOS analog design and cover material including dynamic circuit analysis, feedback, stability, amplifiers, current mirrors, IC fabrication, and
noise analysis culminating in a final design project. Students taking this course are required to have taken EECS 311 or equivalent. Familiarity with engineering statistics and
Laplace/Fourier Transforms is highly recommended.
Time and Place. We meet on Mondays and Wednesdays from 11:30 AM–1 PM in 1311
EECS. Exams may be held in a different room—stay tuned!
Midterm The midterm exam will be on Friday October 21, 6 PM.
Website. Essential information will be posted on Ctools.
Textbook. Design of Analog CMOS Integrated Circuits, Behzad Razavi, McGraw-Hill.
Other Useful Book. Analysis and Design Of Analog Integrated Circuits, Gray, Hurst,
Lewis and Meyer, Wiley.
Prerequisites. EECS 311 or an equivalent is required. Some background in device physics
is also required (EECS 320 or equivalent)
1
Homeworks. Roughly every Wednesday, one homework will be assigned in class. It will
be due the following Wednesday in class just before lecture begins. My intention is that you
have a few days to attempt the problems. At that stage, if you need help, you may visit my
office hours on Monday afternoon.
Homework Policy. Late homeworks will NOT be accepted. If you must miss lecture,
please hand in your homework before lecture. Again, late homeworks will not be accepted,
graded, or noted down for any purpose. It is your responsibility to make sure you find out
how to solve the problems by asking about them in class, during office hours, or in TA
sessions after they have been turned in.
Grading. 25% Final, 20% Midterm, 20% Homework, 15% Labs, 20% Final Project. In
addition, there are a few optional in-class quizzes which will make 10% of your grade.
Class Participation. Attending lectures is not mandatory, but it is highly recommended.
Cheating Policy. Students are encouraged to discuss the content of a course among themselves and to help each other to master it, but no student should receive help in doing a
course assignment that is meant to test what he or she can do without help from others.
Representing another’s work as one’s own is plagiarism and a violation of this Code. This
means that when you get together to work on homeworks, you should each write up your own
solutions independently. The homework you hand in should reflect your understanding.
Collaboration. Having warned you of the dangers of cheating, let me end on a positive
note: we want you to learn the material properly and have fun doing so.
Please get together with your fellow students to discuss the lectures, work on homeworks,
and study for exams. Such activities are often extremely valuable for those interested in
learning efficiently. By interacting with your peers, you will discover different ways of looking
at the same problem. Those who already know some of the material will find their mastery
deepen when they explain the material to others. Finally, research is largely collaborative,
so your experience working with others will serve you well in the coming years.
Expected Background. Upon entering EECS 413, a student is expected to be able to:
• Frequency Domain Analysis
1. Derive the impulse Response of 1st and 2nd order systems (RC, RLC, LC)
2. Derive the step Response of 1st and 2nd order systems (time constants, delay,
overdamped, underdamped, critically damped, etc.)
3. Construct and read Bode Plots (poles, zeros, magnitude, phase, dB)
4. Take Laplace and Fourier transforms
2
• Devices
1. MOSFETs
– Plot above threshold behavior and recall defining equations
– Label and describe the regions of operation (subthreshold/weak inversion,
strong inversion, triode, saturation)
– Describe and draw small signal models (Cgs , Cgd , Csb , Cdb , Cgb , gm , gmb , rout ,
etc.)
• Amplifiers
1. For Common Source (describe and plot basic operation, derive input and output
impedance, gain, frequency response, and all of the above for cascode configuration, active loads?)
2. For Common Gate (describe and plot basic operation, derive input impedance,
output impedance, and gain)
3. For Common Drain (same as CG)
4. For Differential amplifier (same as CG)
5. Use the Miller Approximation to simplify analysis of a circuit
Goal. At the conclusion of EECS 413, a student will be able to:
1. Describe the basic operation of a MOSFET transistor, draw transistor curves for each,
write transistor equations for each, and identify regions of operation on transistor
curves for each.
2. Explain the concept of Gm and Rout and how these model parameters relate to transistor curves. Also apply these general concepts to determine gain in more complex
circuits such as differential circuits with active loads.
3. Explain the low frequency behavior of any single stage amplifier, or simple differential
amplifier and draw a curve of Vout vs. Vin for CS, CD, CG, and differential amplifier
configurations.
4. Construct a small signal model including parasitic capacitances for any single stage
or differential amplifier based on a common source, common drain, or common gate
configuration. Use this model to determine gain, input impedance, output impedance,
and frequency domain operation of this circuit. Draw Bode plots of circuit behavior
as a function of frequency.
5. Use Miller’s theorem to evaluate poles of an amplifier with feedback.
3
6. Layout and simulate a circuit using the Cadence design kit. Construct transient responses, DC transfer characteristics, and AC signal analysis. Based upon this data
you will be able to verify your hand-calculation analysis and apply these results to a
design project.
7. Differentiate between thermal, shot, and 1/f noise and write expressions for noise in a
resistor, diode, or MOS transistor. Explain potential causes for noise in a device.
8. Derive models for input and output referred noise in amplifiers. Explain noise bandwidth and how it may be calculated or derived as well as how it differs from circuit
bandwidth.
9. Identify feedback within a circuit and explain the class of amplifier (i.e. V-V, V-I, I-V,
I-I) and type of feedback used. Determine whether feedback is positive or negative.
10. Identify types of current mirrors and techniques to improve matching and output
impedance in a current mirror. Design robust biasing circuits.
11. List and derive gain and bandwidth expressions for single and 2 stage op-amp designs
including folded cascade, telescopic, and active mirror configurations. Be able to determine approximate Bode plots for these amplifiers, headroom limitations, and potential
trade-offs for each design. Compare performance of various op-amp topologies and
design for given gain and bandwidth requirements.
12. Describe and evaluate reasons for including common mode feedback as well as methods
for doing so including resistive sensing and use of triode MOSFETS.
13. Evaluate the stability of a system with feedback. Determine phase margin, degree of
stability, and construct graphical interpretations of the stability of a system using both
Bode plots and root-locus plots.
14. Design a stable single or two stage amplifier with a given phase margin or stabilize an
initially unstable amplifier.
Things To Do.
• Get a CAEN account
• Sign CAD usage agreements.
• Attend the Cadence Tutorial (covers schematic entry and simulation)
This is recommended especially for those new to Cadence. Tutorial material will be
posted on Ctools.
4