Book recommendation for circuit analysis of medium-high complexity - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: jonsikul
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: June 02, 2022, 10:04:39 am
content: Hi,I am wondering if you have recommendations of books or youtube channels that break down rather complex circuits (e.g. the insides of an OpAmp etc.) and explain the purpose of each "block" and why this was chosen and why that?What I am aiming for is like when you know the current mirror and differential input stage etc. stand-alone but would like to step up the more practical knowledge of combining the "basic" building blocks.I am currently most interested in power electronics, DCDC, Load Switches etc. but all suggestions are welcomed.BRjonsi

author: jeremy
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 02, 2022, 12:42:52 pm
content: "The Signal Path" on youtube has some good stuff related to the deeper workings of some of these devices.If you'd like to know what goes into an op-amp on a detailed level, you will need to find a book on transistor amplifiers or analog integrated circuit design, likely a university textbook. An opamp is basically just a series of cascaded transistor amplifiers with feedback; everything else is used to compensate or correct for some inherent weaknesses of building a real device as opposed to an ideal one (temperature coefficients, noise, offset, drift, heat generation, etc). So a lot of the extra stuff is very application specific and/or trade secret. I think if you can understand an 741 opamp like here:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operational_amplifier#Internal_circuitry_of_741-type_op_ampthen you are a good chunk of the way there, beyond that you will start to reach the point of diminishing returns pretty fast unless you have a more specific application in mind.

author: Doctorandus_P
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 04, 2022, 12:12:23 pm
content: The two books below go quite deep into design of audio power amplifiers.And in the end, those are not much different from Op Amps, except for higher voltages and currents.But these books are also much more universal. Much of the techniques and design ideas are applicable to other analog circuit design.Audio Power Amplifier Design Handbook,Douglas SelfISBN 0 7506 56360Designing Audio Power Amplifiers,Bob CordellISBN: 978-0-07-164025-1MHID: 0-07-164025-8The material in this eBook also appears in the print version of this title: ISBN: 978-0-07-164024-4,MHID: 0-07-164024-X.The old service manuals of the high (6+) digit count DMM's also lots of details about their circuit design.And maybe you like the "Low Level Measurements Handbook"https://chem.uiowa.edu/sites/chem.uiowa.edu/files/groups/glass-facility/files/LowLevelHandbook_7Ed.pdf

author: PushUp
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: June 04, 2022, 12:33:04 pm
content: ...nothing fancy, but a classic one to start with..."op-amp"-search with results:Cheers!

author: TimNJ
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 04, 2022, 02:28:13 pm
content: If you care specifically about op-amps, this is a good one:https://archive.org/details/intuitiveicopamp00fred

author: free_electron
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 04, 2022, 03:08:26 pm
content: get the texas instruments opamp handbook. and read bob pease's stuff. also the books from jim williams

author: Picuino
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 04, 2022, 05:30:37 pm
content: Analysis and Design of Analog Integrated CircuitsPaul R. Gray, Paul J. Hurst, Stephen H. Lewis, Robert G. MeyerSimple and complete. Very good for what you are interested in.The book includes:Small signal model of the transistors1 and 2 transistor amplifiersCurrent sourcesOperational amplifiersFeedbackFrequency response and stabilityNoise in integrated circuitshttps://books.google.com/books?id=6aXvOF4coukC&printsec=frontcover&dq=gray+meyer+google&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=gray%20meyer%20google&f=false

author: exmadscientist
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 04, 2022, 10:52:54 pm
content: If it is more carrying out the actual analysis you are interested in, the most advanced text I have ever seen isFast Analytical Techniques for Electrical and Electronic Circuits by Vatché Vorpérian. (Apologies for crappy official publisher website. Also be warned there are POD copies out there that are basically illegible for the math, sadly.) It goes farther into the analytical weeds than most anyone else, which can be helpful. It's still not very useful for nontrivial nonlinear circuits, though (not like anything really is).

author: srb1954
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 05, 2022, 03:01:28 am
content: The Burr-Brown book:Operational Amplifiers - Design and Applications (Tobey, Graeme, Huelsman)provides a good explanation of the internal design of an op amp and also covers basic op amp applications.Two further volumes in the set:Designing With Operational Amplifiers - Application Alternatives (Graeme) andApplications of Operational Amplifiers (Graeme)provide extensive coverage of op amp applications.

author: emece67
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 05, 2022, 09:21:30 am
content: .

author: RJSV
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 05, 2022, 05:23:37 pm
content: This book request is reminding me, of that whole deal when Radio Shack stores closed.Forrest Mims published about half-dozen smaller size (paperback) books, I will look for a couple of my copies for you today.In school, the lectures often mentioned, the history around Ron Widlar, with OP AMP internal methods:With a 'current source' as load, instead of a load resistor, the OP AMP could 'pretend' to be using an infinite resistor as load, a very clever and 'smile-inducing' approach. (I'm assuming that was at National Semiconductor, late '60 s).Other analog circuit innovations involved feedback circuitry, surrounding an OP AMP IC, with assumption, often contradicting 'common sense'. That's, maybe, part of the whole romantic appeal, of the history, there, in, say, 1965-1970 time frame.Think about it:'Infinite Gain',...'Zero input current'...'Zero differential input voltage'...Those parameters were, almost, present. The whole thing, building an Op Amp circuit, having a gain setat 'X 10' for example, was the outcome, using just a handful of external components to the IC. (See '741 op amp, LM 324 op amp, LM 1458, etc.)So, hearing a lecture, given in Ron Widlar's innovative approach, to both internal IC, and external circuit, was extremely riveting, and shockingly clever !

author: RJSV
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 05, 2022, 05:30:51 pm
content: The Forrest Mims books might be somewhat on beginer to medium level, but still worthwhile. Might be something offered on ebay...

author: RJSV
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 05, 2022, 05:43:26 pm
content: Here is a sample, of what I would consider low or medium complexity;A 'cricket' circuit clicks, according to temperature...If you could get this thing in, with an answering machine, you could dial-up your 'remote cabin's temperature, before you head out there, for the weekend.

author: RJSV
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 05, 2022, 05:47:23 pm
content: Sorry, about blurred photo...

author: RoGeorge
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 05, 2022, 06:05:25 pm
content: Found recently the YouTube channel of Prof. Sam Ben-Yaakov. His channel has very high quality, often teaching about power converters and SMPS aspects, but not only.Not sure if there are any classes dedicated to opamp internal stages, that would be rather taught in analog electronic than in power electronic classes. Even so, he still have OpAmps classes, some about generic aspects, other about opamps used in power electronics and converters.https://www.youtube.com/user/sambenyaakov/videosLATER EDIT:To find about opamp stages explained, you may want to search about 741 University classes, chances are there might be more than 741 discussed in such classes. Random search result (from Google, I didn't watch it):ECE 3110 - Lecture 19 - Part 1 - 741 Operational Amplifier

author: bunnyThief
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: June 06, 2022, 01:32:34 pm
content: Not sure if this is what you're looking for but Dave recommended this one in #1270 - Electronics Textbook Shootout.Electronic Devices, Thomas L FloydThe book goes into diodes, transistors amplifiers then it covers some circuits that use them.https://youtu.be/m08EqBTeg4Ihttps://www.pearson.com/us/higher-education/program/Floyd-Electronic-Devices-Conventional-Current-Version-10th-Edition/PGM332732.html?tab=contents