Product Description

Tim Williams' Circuit Designer's Companion provides a unique masterclass in practical electronic design that draws on his considerable experience as a consultant and design engineer. As well as introducing key areas of design with insider's knowledge, Tim focuses on the art of designing circuits so that every production model will perform its specified function and no other unwanted function - reliably over its lifetime.

The combination of design alchemy and awareness of commercial and manufacturing factors makes this an essential companion for the professional electronics designer. Topics covered include analog and digital circuits, component types, power supplies and printed circuit board design.

The second edition includes new material on microcontrollers, surface mount processes, power semiconductors and interfaces, bringing this classic work up to date for a new generation of designers.

· A unique masterclass in the design of optimized, reliable electronic circuits
· Beyond the lab - a guide to electronic design for production, where cost-effective design is imperative
· Tips and know-how provide a whole education for the novice, with something to offer the most seasoned professional

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #30288 in Books
• Published on: 2004-12-21
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 368 pages

Review
"Listed as noteworthy book by Bill Schweber from EDN Magazine. This broad-ranging book teaches considerations you wish you knew about when you finished school and had a real project to work on but doesn't assume a simplistic problem-solution approach." - EDN Feb 2005

Download Description
Tim Williams' Circuit Designer's Companion provides a unique masterclass in practical electronic design that draws on his considerable experience as a consultant and design engineer. As well as introducing key areas of design with insider's knowledge, Tim focuses on the art of designing circuits so that every production model will perform its specified function and no other unwanted function - reliably over its lifetime. The combination of design alchemy and awareness of commercial and manufacturing factors makes this an essential companion for the professional electronics designer. Topics covered include analog and digital circuits, component types, power supplies and printed circuit board design. The second edition includes new material on microcontrollers, surface mount processes, power semiconductors and interfaces, bringing this classic work up to date for a new generation of designers. A unique masterclass in the design of optimized, reliable electronic circuits Beyond the lab a guide to electronic design for production, where cost-effective design is imperative Tips and know-how provide a whole education for the novice, with something to offer the most seasoned professional

From the Publisher
Electronic circuit design can be divided into two areas: the first consists in designing a circuit that will fulfill its specified function; the second consists in designing the same circuit so that every production model of it will fulfill its specified function reliably over its lifetime. Designers who can appreciate the techniques and tools used in the latter area are becoming increasingly rare. The aim of this guide is to help such people. The subjects covered include grounding, printed circuit design and layout, the characteristics of practical active and passive components, cables, linear ICs, logic circuits and their interfaces, power supplies, electromagnetic compatibility, safety and thermal management. Throughout, the implications of manufacturability and cost are stressed. The style is direct and lucid, providing straightforward practical advice. This is the ideal guide to real world design for both students and practitioners.

Customer Reviews

A great and practical guide
This book are a great help in theory and practice for circuit designs.
Covering all aspects of the field, with a strong enphasys in solving the real circuit
problems and nuissances.

Practical Circuit Info
Haven't finished reading it, but so far appears to have practical info that you likely won't learn in school untill you get some experience in the field.

Great source of practical knowledge and rules of thumb
As other reviewers have already pointed out this book is a great source of practical design information that is not covered in engineering theory courses. One can read and re-read chapters highlighting great rules of thumb that apply to every-day design challenges. The book is really a must-have reference for any circuit/PCB/product designer.

That said, I have to suggestions to improve the book:

1. Analog domain is covered very well in this book, but the chapter on digital circuits is lacking in several important areas in my opinion.

a. I2C and SPI interfaces should be included alongside RS232, CAN and USB interface descriptions. Trade-offs of using I2C and SPI should be highlighted.

b. Digital interface timing parameters like setup, hold, edge rate, etc. should at least be mentioned. Here's why:

c. A discussion of digital bus topologies as it relates to timing parameters and PCB layout should be discussed. How to connect a multi-device bus, and make sure it satisfies interface timing specifications? Discuss star and daisy-chain topologies for layout. Fan-out and loading are already covered, but add examples of how those derate timing parameters on a shared bus.

2. The book is called a "companion". Unfortunately, in my experience the book's construction does not stand up to even moderate use. Sections of pages in my book have separated from the binding.

For someone thinking about buying the book these criticisms should not be taken alone. I chose not to cover all the wonderful parts of this book because other reviews here do a great job of it. I would not hesitate to recommend this insightful and well-written reference to anyone looking to improve their practical electronics design knowledge or to refresh skills lost to memory.