Understanding Microelectronics – A Top–Down Approach A TOP-DOWN APPROACH

The microelectronics evolution has given rise to many modern benefits but has also changed design methods and attitudes to learning. Technology advancements shifted focus from simple circuits to complex systems with major attention to high-level descriptions. The design methods moved from a bottom-up to a top-down approach.

For today's students, the most beneficial approach to learning is this top-down method that demonstrates a global view of electronics before going into specifics. Franco Maloberti uses this approach to explain the fundamentals of electronics, such as processing functions, signals and their properties. Here he presents a helpful balance of theory, examples, and verification of results, while keeping mathematics and signal processing theory to a minimum.

Key features:
* Presents a new learning approach that will greatly improve students' ability to retain key concepts in electronics studies
* Match the evolution of Computer Aided Design (CAD) which focuses increasingly on high-level design
* Covers sub-functions as well as basic circuits and basic components
* Provides real-world examples to inspire a thorough understanding of global issues, before going into the detail of components and devices
* Discusses power conversion and management; an important area that is missing in other books on the subject
* End-of-chapter problems and self-training sections support the reader in exploring systems and understanding them at increasing levels of complexity
* A supporting website (http://www.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-047074555X,descCd-relatedWebsites.html) presents the interactive student lab, ElvisLAB, where students can conduct virtual experiments on circuits together with PowerPoint slides for lecturers.

Inside this book you will find a complete explanation of electronics that can be applied across a range of disciplines including electrical engineering and physics. This comprehensive introduction will be of benefit to students studying electronics, as well as their lecturers and professors. Postgraduate engineers, those in vocational training, and design and application engineers will also find this book useful.

This book starts with processing functions and signals and their properties, and then analyses the features of many electronic systems. It studies building blocks like transistors and passive components at a functional level, with special attention on their practical limitations and associated realization problems. This study encourages learning at increasing levels of detail while it is covered in both analog and digital solutions. The validity of the theory described is proved in numerous examples, simulations, exercises, and verification results. A balanced amount of information on computer aided design (CAD) is given in the introductory chapter. This enables a profitable use of CAD for design experiments, without getting the reader lost in unnecessary details. Mathematics and signal processing theory is kept to a minimum. The fundaments of sub-functions, basic circuits, and basic electronic components and devices are considered in detail, but only after the global view has been established. Data conversion is covered in one chapter, as is feedback later on in the book. Important issues such as power management and quality testing and measurements are discussed extensively towards the end of the book. The book will include 600 figures, 90% of which will be diagrams and the rest, pictures and tables. A source code for design exercises in SPICE will be given on a complimentary website. With the aid of these pedagogical features, the effectiveness of the new learning process presented in this book will greatly improve the students ability to retain key concepts.

The microelectronics evolution has given rise to many modern benefits but has also changed design methods and attitudes to learning. Technology advancements shifted focus from simple circuits to complex systems with major attention to high-level descriptions. The design methods moved from a bottom-up to a top-down approach. For todays students, the most beneficial approach to learning is this top-down method that demonstrates a global view of electronics before going into specifics. Franco Maloberti uses this approach to explain the fundamentals of electronics, such as processing functions, signals and their properties. Here he presents a helpful balance of theory, examples, and verification of results, while keeping mathematics and signal processing theory to a minimum. Key features: Presents a new learning approach that will greatly improve students ability to retain key concepts in electronics studies Match the evolution of Computer Aided Design (CAD) which focuses increasingly on high-level design Covers sub-functions as well as basic circuits and basic components Provides real-world examples to inspire a thorough understanding of global issues, before going into the detail of components and devices Discusses power conversion and management; an important area that is missing in other books on the subject End-of-chapter problems and self-training sections support the reader in exploring systems and understanding them at increasing levels of complexity  A supporting website (www.wiley.com/go/maloberti_electronics) presents the interactive student lab, ElvisLAB, where students can conduct virtual experiments on circuits together with PowerPoint slides for lecturers. Inside this book you will find a complete explanation of electronics that can be applied across a range of disciplines including electrical engineering and physics. This comprehensive introduction will be of benefit to students studying electronics, as well as their lecturers and professors. Postgraduate engineers, those in vocational training, and design and application engineers will also find this book useful.