Several of my private projects require VLSI of complicated analog and hybrid signal circuits. Since I am not a trained electrical engineer, finding the appropriate recources for free turned out to be rather difficult. But I eventually settled on learning Verilog AMS and SPICE for this purpose.

I don’t know what I don’t know yet and as such it may be helpful to look at what companies require from engineers. Apple for example requires following qualifications to be an analog IC design engineer:

  • Deep understanding of analog/mixed-signal design.
  • Solid understanding and expertise in crafting analog/mixed-signal circuit blocks including:
    • ADCs & DACs
    • PLLs
    • DLLs
    • filters
    • bandgap
    • biasing circuits
    • LDO regulators
    • amplifiers
    • comparators
    • switched-cap circuits
    • oscillators
  • In-depth knowledge of analog mixed-signal concepts like:
    • mismatch mitigation
    • linearity
    • stability
    • low-power techniques
    • low-noise techniques
  • Experience with high-speed digital circuits:
    • serializer
    • de-serializer
    • counters
    • dividers
  • Design experience in sophisticated CMOS technologies, design with FinFet technology.
  • Hands-on experience with AMS IC development from definition to high-volume production including:
    • layout supervision
    • bench evaluation
    • correlation
    • characterization
  • Experience in lab testing of mixed-signal circuits and experience in using:
    • spectrum analyzers
    • oscilloscopes
    • signal generators, etc. to validate analog designs
  • Able to build VerilogA/AMS behavioral models, analyze and lead characterization data from lab and volume testing.

To teach all of that and more to myself, I will be using the book The Designer’s Guide to Verilog-AMS by Kenneth S. Kundert and Olaf Zinke from Cadence Design Systems in 2004.

The book has around 250 pages in total. If we work through 10 pages / day, we can be done in a month.

1 Introduction