Analogue-digitalASICs: circuit techniques, design tools and applications

The inexorable increase in levels of integration of electronic circuits has most often been exploited using digital signals. So much so that design engineers have sought to digitise analogue signals as early as possible in the signal processing chain, and performed digital processing wherever practicable.

However it is increasingly being accepted that such an approach is not appropriate for many applications, and that circuits which combine analogue and digital signals can provide superior solutions. There are at least three factors which support this trend. Firstly improved process technology giving better dimensional and parametric control and the availability of BiCMOS and CMOS processes able to support both analogue and digital components. Secondly the maturing of discrete time circuit techniques giving competitive high performance solutions. Thirdly the gain in terms of reliability and reduction in cost achieved by mixing analogue and digital signal processing and hence implementing 'systems' on a single substrate.

It is therefore timely that wide ranging books such as this one, on the subject of mixed analogue digital ASICs should appear. It comprises eighteen chapters contributed by leading academics and practising engineers in industry. The chapters are arranged in four sections: Processing technology; Circuit Techniques and Building Blocks; Design and Applications; and CAD and Supporting Tools.

Randeep Singh Soin is a technology specialist with GenRad, Fareham. His main responsisibilities are in the area of validation of advanced digital and mixed-mode simulation and synthesis tools. He has had papers published on computer-aided tolerance design, switched capacitor circuit design and simulation, and on field-programmable gate arrays. He is co-author with R. Spence of the book 'Tolerance Design of Electronic Circuits', and he is a Series Editor for the IEE's book and Systems.

Franco Maloberti received the Laurea degree in physics from the University of Parma in 1968. He joined the University of Aquila, then the University of Pavia in 1969. From 1975-79 he was technical co-ordinator of the Engineering School at the University of Mogadishu, Somalia. His professional expertise is in the design, analysis and characterisation of integrated circuits and analog(ue) applications. Dr Maloberti has written more than 80 published papers, and holds 11 patents. He is a member of the AEI (Italian Electrotechnical and Electronic Society) and a Senior Member of the IEEE. He is currently Professor of Components and Integrated Circuits Design at the University of Pavia, and is also head of the university's microelectronic laboratory.

José Epifânio Franca is head of a research group at the Instituto Superior Técnico in Lisbon, working on circuit techniques, methodologies and computer-assisted design tools for mixed analogue-digital integrated circuits. Some of this activity is being carried-out in the framework of the European Community Esprit Programme and in cooperation with various European companies. He has published on switched-capacitor circuits and systems, especially for multirate signal processing, data convertors, where he holds one USA patent for a mixed analogue-digital building block combining data conversion and filtering, and high-level automated synthesis tools. He is co-author with M. Ismail of 'Introduction to analog VLSI design automation'. He is a member the Editorial Board of Analog Integrated Circuits and Signal Processing, and a Senior Member of the IEEE.