>From: Gerhard Fiedler <lists@connectionbrazil.com>
>Reply-To: "Microcontroller discussion list - Public." <piclist@mit.edu>
>To: piclist@mit.edu
>Subject: Re: [EE] Split Emitter / Split Collector Transistors
>Date: Fri, 6 Jan 2006 20:33:41 -0200

>Yes, probably so :)  But even though they publish their "circuits"
>sometimes, they don't publish the components in those circuits :)  So those
>data sheets don't help a whole lot.
>
> > I'd really like to learn the theory behind what I'm doing, especially
> > since the components involved in discrete design can be so pricey and
> > there are so many opinions on the subject floating around. That having
> > been said, what you say seems believable.  Could you recommend a good
> > book or reference on the technical issues of discrete op-amp design?
> > I've found a few web sites, but that's it.
>
>I'm sorry, but I'm not really a discrete analog whiz :) and can't help you
>out here. Hopefully some of the others here with more analog design
>experience can jump in here and recommend something.
>
>Just out of curiosity: why do you insist on discrete? Just out of
>curiosity? :)
>
>Gerhard


  Gerhard,

  Honestly, it's mostly for the learning experience, by which I mean for the 
fun of it.  In my real job I design the embedded systems for toy prototypes 
for a think tank that works for Mattel and Hasbro.  Most of what I do is 
embedded C and assembly programming for PIC and Motorola 68k series chips.  
But I originally got that job because the people who ran the company saw 
some synthesizers I had built for an art piece that incorporated an analog 
RFID system (an LM324 is a lot cheaper than a TI RFID kit for a man on a 
budget like I was then) which is why I was really into engineering in the 
first place -- because it was fun.  So now that I sit around making Barbie's 
eyes blink all day I crave the good old times when I used to sit around 
(starving and shivering) with a scope and a big mess of OTAs and mosfets 
making weird noises.

  I feel like the op amp is sort of the holy grail of analog design -- I use 
them all the time but never *really* knew how they worked outside of the old 
Diff Pair, VAS, Output Stage.  So I figured the best way to get a good 
handle on the beast was to build one, with the added bonus that I could then 
use that op-amp in all my artsy-fartsy designs from here on out.

And I'd love to make that animal monolithic, but until I learn VHDL I'm 
afraid solder is the way I've got to go.

Thanks again,

Todd


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