Analog Design Engineer
Engineers who design circuits that handle continuous voltages and currents, such as amplifiers, data converters and power circuits, with attention down to transistor characteristics and layout.
What the job involves
Analog design engineers design circuits such as amplifiers for sensor signals, ADCs and DACs that convert between analog signals and digital values, LDOs and DC-DC converters that generate supply voltages, and PLLs (phase-locked loops) that generate clocks. They often work on mixed-signal circuits combined with digital logic as well. They choose a circuit architecture from the specification, size the transistors and set bias currents, and use circuit simulation such as SPICE to check performance across temperature, supply voltage and manufacturing variation. They may also measure prototype chips to evaluate whether the performance matches the design.
Who they work with and what they handle
Analog performance depends heavily on layout, the placement of shapes on the chip, so they work closely with layout engineers. They also work with device engineers who provide the device models, digital designers who integrate the whole chip, the people who evaluate prototypes, and test engineers who build the production tests. What they handle: schematics, simulation results, device models including manufacturing variation (provided in the PDK), layouts and their verification results (DRC and LVS), and measurement data from prototypes.
Knowledge and skills
The foundation includes MOSFET operation and small-signal models, op-amps and differential amplifiers, stability through negative feedback and phase margin, and noise. For ADCs and DACs you need to understand the sampling theorem, quantization and the trade-off between resolution and speed. The ability to sanity-check simulation results with hand calculations, rather than taking them at face value, is highly valued. Knowledge of layout, such as placing transistors symmetrically and being aware of parasitic capacitance and resistance, also reduces surprises at the prototype stage.
Where to start
Start with the “Analog and electronic circuits” field to build the basics of op-amps, negative feedback and filters. Then learn converter architectures and how their performance is specified in “A/D and D/A conversion”, and transistor characteristics in “MOSFET”, so you can explain circuit behavior from the properties of the transistors. For the design flow and tools, “IC design flow and EDA” is useful; for power circuits, “Power semiconductors”; and for reading product specifications, “How to read datasheets”. Among the courses, “Circuits, design and memory” and “Understanding devices” are recommended.
Fields to learn
Analog and electronic circuits 50 questions A/D and D/A conversion 50 questions MOSFET 50 questions IC design flow and EDA 50 questions Power semiconductors 50 questions How to read datasheets 50 questions
10 starter questions for this role
Ten basic questions from the fields this role uses
Recommended courses
Circuits, design and memoryLearn what goes inside a chip and how it is designed: logic and analog circuits, AD/DA conversion, CPUs, memories and the design flow.Understanding devicesLearn how devices work, from physics fundamentals through transistors and advanced transistors to power, compound semiconductors and sensors.
Key terms
Operational amplifier (op-amp) Differential amplifier Phase margin 1/f noise (flicker noise) Bandgap voltage reference LDO DC-DC converter PLL (phase-locked loop) Successive-approximation ADC Delta-sigma ADC SPICE LVS
FAQ
Can I become an analog design engineer without a technical background or industry experience?
Analog design draws deeply on specialist knowledge of electronic circuits and devices, and in general an electrical or electronics background is usually expected. If you are starting without that experience, one possible path is to build experience in related work such as circuit evaluation or test first and move over later. Hiring requirements differ by company and change over time.
How is it different from digital design?
Digital circuits treat signals as 0s and 1s, and their design is highly automated with hardware description languages and EDA tools. Analog circuits handle continuous voltages and currents and are directly affected by noise, variation and temperature, so the designer more often decides the size and placement of individual transistors. Real chips use both together, so knowing the basics of the other side is valuable.
Do I need any license or certification?
In general, no specific license or certification is required. In practice, understanding of electronic circuits, experience designing with circuit simulation and experience confirming designs through measurement count most. As a student, designing a circuit in classes or research and checking it by simulation and measurement is good preparation.