Ian Andrew Grout

By Alexandre César Rodrigues da Silva and Ian Andrew Grout

Part of the book: Engineering Education and Research Using MATLAB

By Ian Grout and Abu Khari Bin A’ain

Part of the book: MATLAB

By Tiago da Silva Almeida, Ian Andrew Grout and Alexandre César Rodrigues da Silva

Part of the book: MATLAB

By Muhaned Zaidi, Ian Grout and Abu Khari A’ain

Today, digital circuit cores provide the main circuit implementation approach for integrated circuit (IC) functions in very-large-scale integration (VLSI) circuits and systems. Typical functions include sensor signal input, data storage, digital signal processing (DSP) operations, system control and communications. Despite the fact that a large portion of the circuitry may be developed and implemented using digital logic techniques, there is still a need for high performance analogue circuits such as amplifiers and filters that provide signal conditioning functionality prior to sampling into the digital domain using an analogue-to-digital converter (ADC) for analogue sensor signals. The demands on the design require a multitude of requirements to be taken into account. In this chapter, the design of the operational amplifier (op-amp) is discussed as an important circuit within the front-end circuitry of a mixed-signal IC. The discussion will focus on the design of the op-amp using different compensation schemes incorporating negative Miller compensation and designed to operate at lower power supply voltage levels. A design case study is included which utilises the g m /I D ratio design approach to determine the transistor sizes. The simulation approach is focussed on the open-loop frequency response performance of the op-amp.

Part of the book: Very-Large-Scale Integration

By Yong Sheng Ong, Ian Grout, Elfed Lewis and Waleed Mohammed

Extrinsic optical fibre sensor (OFS) systems use a fibre optic cable as the medium for signal propagation between the sensor and the sensor electronics using light rather than electrical signals. A range of different optical fibre sensors have been developed and electronic hardware system designs interfacing the sensor with external electronic systems devised. In this chapter, the use of the field programmable gate array (FPGA) is considered to implement the circuit functions that are required within a portable optical fibre sensor system that uses a light emitting diode (LED) as the light source, a photodiode as the light receiver and the FPGA to implement the system control, digital signal processing (DSP) and communications operations. The capabilities of the FPGA will be investigated and a case study sensor design introduced and elaborated. The OFS system will be based on the FPGA and will provide wireless communications to an external supervisory system. The chapter will commence with an overview of OFS systems and the typical architecture of the system. Then the FPGA will be introduced and discussed as a hardware alternative to a software programmed processor that is currently widely used. A case study will then be presented with a discussion into design considerations.

Part of the book: Selected Topics on Optical Fiber Technologies and Applications