An informative, practical, and entertaining seminar on successful techniques for designing, debugging, and reducing noise
by Douglas C. Smith
P. O. Box 1457
Los Gatos, CA 95031
Tel: 1-800-323-3956
FAX: 1-408-358-3799
Web: http://www.dsmith.org
Email: doug@dsmith.org
Author of High Frequency
Measurements and Noise in Electronic Circuits
About The Instructor
Mr. Smith held an FCC First Class Radiotelephone license by age 16 and a General Class amateur radio license at age 12. He received a B.E.E.E. degree from Vanderbilt University in 1969 and an M.S.E.E. degree from the California Institute of Technology in 1970. In 1970, he joined AT&T Bell Laboratories as a Member of Technical Staff. He retired in 1996 as a Distinguished Member of Technical Staff. Recently, he was Manager of EMC Development and Test at Auspex Systems in Santa Clara, CA and is now an independent consultant. Mr. Smith is a Senior Member of the IEEE and a member of the IEEE EMC Society Board of Directors.
His technical interests include high frequency effects in electronic circuit design, including topics such as signal integrity, design reliability, Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC), Electrostatic Discharge (ESD), Electrical Fast Transients (EFT), and other forms of pulsed electromagnetic interference. He also has been involved with FCC Part 68 testing and design, telephone system analog and digital design, IC design, and computer simulation of circuits. He has been granted over 15 patents, several on measurement apparatus.
Mr. Smith has lectured at Oxford University, the University of California at Berkeley, Vanderbilt University, AT&T Bell Labs, and at many public and private seminars on high frequency circuit design, troubleshooting, measurements, ESD, and EMC. He is author of the book High Frequency Measurements and Noise in Electronic Circuits. He maintains a practical engineering website at http://www.dsmith.org containing nearly 100 useful technical articles.
Format
This course is given in both one and two day formats. The two day version adds more in-depth information on signal integrity design, measurement apparatus, and troubleshooting. The single day version hits the highlights of the material while preserving most of the laboratory demonstrations.
An Unusual Seminar
This seminar is unique. Demonstrations on real circuits are used to illustrate most of the concepts being taught unlike most seminars which are taught through the use of static visuals (overhead transparencies or images projected from a PC) as the main medium. About 50% of class time, 70% for the single day version, is spent in demonstrations. Complicated math is avoided. This format makes the seminar more interesting to the students and helps them to achieve a deeper understanding of the material covered. Many students have said that this was the best technical seminar they ever attended!
Emphasis is placed on delivering practical knowledge to circuit design, test engineering, and EMC engineers and technicians that can be used immediately on the job. Some class time is reserved to discuss problems and interests of those attending. Each seminar delivery is modified to fit the interests of the attending students.
Many of the design and troubleshooting
techniques presented were developed by Mr. Smith and originally published
in his book and papers. Some of the techniques covered are not published
elsewhere.
Description: This seminar describes in depth how to design, troubleshoot, and measure signals and noise in high speed digital and analog circuits. Measurements are then used to characterize high speed effects in electronic circuits including design verification and troubleshooting. Sources of measurement error are discussed. The measurement techniques are related to design issues to improve signal integrity, equipment EMC performance, and the overall reliability of electronic systems.
Objectives and Benefits:
Prerequisites: College level course on circuit analysis desirable although the seminar will be useful to those with two year technical degrees.
Instructional Mode: Lecture/laboratory. About 50% of class time is devoted to experiments and demonstrations.
Course length: One or two days.
Major Topics:
"Excellent
demonstrations, much easier to understand than lots of equations"
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