Demystifying Auto-Zero Amplifiers—Part 1 - Analog Devices

Editor’s Notes
We are pleased to note the introduction
of Dr. David Smart as new
Fellow at our 2000 General Technical
Conference. Fellow, at Analog
Devices, represents the highest level
of achievement that a technical
contributor can achieve, on a par
with Vice President. The criteria
for promotion to Fellow are very
demanding. Fellows will have
earned universal respect and recognition from the technical community
for unusual talent and identifiable innovation at the state
of the art. Their creative technical contributions in product or
process technology will have led to commercial success with a
major impact on the company’s net revenues.
Attributes include roles as mentor, consultant, entrepreneur,
organizational bridge, teacher, and ambassador. Fellows must also
be effective leaders and members of teams and in perceiving
customer needs. Dave’s technical abilities, accomplishments, and
personal qualities well qualify him to join Bob Adams (1999),
Woody Beckford (1997), Derek Bowers (1991), Paul Brokaw
(1979), Lew Counts (1983), Barrie Gilbert (1979), Roy Gosser
(1998), Bill Hunt (1998), Jody Lapham (1988), Chris Mangelsdorf
(1998), Fred Mapplebeck (1989), Jack Memishian (1980), Doug
Mercer (1995), Frank Murden (1999), Mohammad Nasser (1993),
Wyn Palmer (1991), Carl Roberts (1992), Paul Ruggerio (1994),
Brad Scharf (1993), Jake Steigerwald (1999), Mike Timko (1982),
Bob Tsang (1988), Mike Tuthill (1988), Jim Wilson (1993), and
Scott Wurcer (1996) as Fellow.
NEW FELLOW
Dave Smart is the chief technologist
behind ADICE, our highly
successful analog and mixed-signal
circuit simulator, which is widely
used by chip designers in Analog
Devices. Dave joined ADI in 1988,
assuming responsibility for ADICE.
He made numerous contributions to
the robustness, accuracy, and features
of the simulator, winning the praise
of Analog Devices’ demanding analog IC designers. To meet the
challenges of designing large mixed-signal chips in the 1990s, Dave
led a small team in the development and deployment of a completely
new version of ADICE with innovative techniques for the
effective simulation of mixed-signal circuits using mixed levels of
modeling abstraction. He is currently working on tools and methods
for the design of RF and high-speed ICs. The work of Dave and
his team has been a key element of the design of nearly every analog
and mixed-signal product developed by Analog Devices in the
past decade.
Dave developed an interest in analog circuits as a teenager growing
up in Skokie, Illinois. Before receiving any formal education in
electronics, he and a friend designed and built an audio mixing
board for their high school auditorium to be used in theatrical
productions. While pursuing his study of circuits as an undergraduate
at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in the early 1970s,
he became aware of the power of digital computers and imagined
their use to take some of the tedium and guesswork out of circuit
design. Once he met Professor Tim Trick, who was active in the
field of computer-aided design of circuits, Dave’s career direction
was set. After receiving BS and MS degrees from the University of
Illinois, he worked on circuit simulation at GTE Communication
Systems for seven years. He returned to the University of Illinois,
researching parallel algorithms for circuit simulation with Professor
Trick, and he obtained his PhD degree prior to joining ADI in 1988.
THE AUTHORS
Rick Blessington (page 7) rejoined
ADI as a Business Development
Manager in April of 1999, after 15
years in the sales and marketing of
communication products for major
electronics companies. At present,
he is involved in development of
inventive new products under a
contract collaboration between
Sierra Telecom (So. Lake Tahoe) and
Analog Devices. Rick holds BA and MA degrees in Technology
from California State University at Long Beach. In the early years
of his career, Rick taught electronics in Southern California. He
and his family now live in Walpole, MA; his hobbies include sailing
and skiing.
Kevin Buckley (page 40) is a Senior
Applications Engineer in the High-
Speed Converter Division, in
Wilmington, MA, working on analog
front ends for imaging applications.
He joined Analog Devices in 1990 as
a technician for the Microelectronics
Division and received a BSEE in
1997 from Merrimack College,
North Andover, MA. In his spare
time he plays hockey and soccer, coaches his son’s soccer team, and
enjoys chasing his baby daughter around the house.
Paschal Minogue (page 10) is the
Engineering Manager of the Digital
Audio Group in Limerick, Ireland.
He graduated from University
College Dublin, with a B.E.
Electronic Engineering degree (First
Class Honors) and joined the
Design Department at Analog
Devices in Limerick, Ireland, in
1981. Since then, he has worked on
standard converters, noise cancellation, communication products,
and most recently audio-band and voice-band products.
Reza Moghimi (page 28) is an
Applications Engineer for the
Precision Amplifier product line in
Santa Clara, CA. He is responsible
for amplifiers, comparators,
temperature sensors, and the SSM
audio product line. He holds a BS
from San Jose State University and
an MBA from National University
(Sunnyvale, CA). His leisure
interests include playing soccer and
traveling with his family. [more authors on Page 53]
2 ISSN 0161–3626 Analog Dialogue Volume 34 ©Analog Devices, Inc. 2000