Expertly designed analog is always in high demand. But it takes engineers that are savvy, smart, and have a firm grasp of fundamental electronics principles, including circuit analysis, circuit design, and semiconductor physics.
Besides the ABCs of electrical engineering, it’s important to be well-versed in using simulation tools to verify that analog circuits meet system-level requirements and optimize the circuit-level design. It pays to be proficient in the principles of analog PCB layout design, too. Choosing analog components for a new design also requires a carefully trained eye for characteristics such as signal frequency, signal amplitude, noise, linearity, power, and temperature.
While engineers with analog expertise are in constant demand, they are under constant pressure to stay on top of the latest innovations. It also never hurts for even veteran engineers to brush up on the basics of the profession.
In this roundup, we review everything from key concepts in circuit design to the basics of analog signal-path design and how to solve the unique challenges that arise when implementing analog and mixed-signal designs on a PCB.
