NEEI-6351 Analysis and Design of VLSI Analog-Digital Interface Integrated Circuits (IC 776) 

Note: The following provides a suggested course description, objectives, and an outline. These may be modified pending discussion with the Faculty Chairs, proposing faculty, and other curriculum reviewers.

Course Description: This course covers many aspects of the design of integrated analog and analog-digital interface electronics in CMOS technology at the block and system level. Specific topics include continuous-time and sampled data filters; oversampled A/D converters; and Nyquist rate A/D- and D/A- converters. Problem-specific CAD tools such as MATLAB (filter design), Simulink (conversion system simulator), and HSPICE will be used extensively. It covers the specification, design, and test of analog-to-digital and digital-analog converters. Both system and circuit level issues are addressed and several sample converter implementations will be analyzed in detail. Extensive use will be made of system and circuit level simulations in assignments.

Course Objectives: The goal of this course is to give the student a stimulating and thorough introduction to theory and practice of mixed-signal A/D and D/A interface, as well as develop the skills required to analyze the design trade-offs to be made in such design.

Course Outline by Topical Areas:

• Principles of A/D and D/A conversion, sampling, aliasing, amplitude quantization, quantization error.
• Design and performance limits (speed, accuracy, power) of ADC building blocks including sample and hold amplifiers, comparators, gain blocks and integrators.
• In-depth discussion of the implementation and comparison between basic ADC architectures: serial, algorithmic, parallel, pipelined and oversampling converters. Trimming and self-calibration.
• Behavioral and circuit-level simulation, converter performance specifications and testing.