Let me commence with an acknowledgement of the co-inventors of the integrated circuit, Jack S. Kilby and Robert Noyce. Their initiative, followed by subsequent efforts at semiconductor fabrication facilities and R&D groups in the global semiconductor industry and academia have given the world a plethora of semiconductor-based consumer products and industrial systems. The world of digital components, such as processors, memories and peripheral ICs opening wider vistas for signal processing, cannot be overlooked, nor should there be less emphasis on analog signal conditioning and processing, data conversion, signal isolation, glue logic, power supplies and battery back-up. Though their development has been slower, modern non-linear devices also provide an important contribution to electronic systems. In modern electronics many function blocks implemented in the form of ICs have become building elements of products or systems. This may remain so for a decade or more in most cases, until the System on a Chip (SoC) concepts are fully matured.

This book provides a broad approach to “system design,” embracing many circuit blocks (from the power circuits to processing functions) going through the important mixed signal circuitry. In this work a large amount of published material from US industry and academia has been used and the organizations who deserve acknowledgments are:

(1) Harris Semiconductor, Linear Technology Corporation, Maxim Integrated Products, Motorola and Unitrode for information on power supply circuit blocks, voltage references and power management circuitry etc

(2) Analog Devices Inc., Burr Brown and Apex Microsystems for valuable information on op amps and related techniques in Chapter 2

(3) Analog Devices Inc. for almost 90% of the material used for Chapter 3 on Data Converters

(4) Intel, Zilog, Mips Technologies, Infineon Technologies (former Siemens Microelectronics) and EDN magazine for the information on microprocessors and microcontrollers in Chapter 4

(5) Analog Devices, Inc., and IEEE for information for Chapter 5 on digital Signal processors

(6) Infineon Technologies and International Rectifier for information on optoisolators in Chapter 6

(7) Allegro Microsystems Inc., Analog Devices Inc, Motorola, EG&G Sensors, Microswitch/Honeywell, NIST/IEEE working group on sensor integration and FiS Corporation, Japan for information on modern semiconductor sensors in Chapter 7

(8) Analog Devices Inc. and Bensys Corporation for information in Chapter 8 for non-linear devices

(9) Benchmarq Microelectronics, AER Energy Resources, NEC Moli Energy (Canada) and Unitrode and for information on batteries and battery management ICs in Chapter 9

(10) Texas Instruments for information on programmable logic devices for Chapter 10

I am always indebted to the editorial staff of industry magazines such as EDN, Electronic Design, PCIM, Electronic Engineering and many other IEEE and IEE journals for their valuable reporting on the new developments in the industry. In carrying out this exercise living in a small island in the Indian Ocean, I would not have completed this manuscript within a reasonable period of time, if not for the great support extended by the following personnel from such companies. They either assisted me with valuable publications, component samples, suggestions for chapter contents, or assisted me with copyright permissions.

(a) Dan Sheingold, Walt Kester, Ethan Boudeaux, John Hayes, James Bryant and Derek Bowers and Linda Roche of Analog Devices

(b) Benjamin Actranie and John Tran of Bensys Corporation

(c) Dorein Stein, and Sally Slemons from Infineon Technologies of USA and Simon N.G from Siemens, Singapore respectively.

(d) Patty Smith of Benchmarq Microelectronics and David Heacock of Unitrode Inc.

(e) Karen Bosco of Motorola

(f) Robert Donkins of Linear Technologies

(g) Edward Pawlock of Harris Semiconductors

(h) Mike Postula and Taka Ito of FiS, Japan

(i) Frank M. Harris of AER Energy Resources

(j) Kevin Self and Syd Coppersmith of Dallas Semiconductor, USA and Grace Tao of Dallas Semiconductor, Taiwan

(k) Peter Wood, Jonathan Adams, Kathy Frey and Judy Turner of International Rectifier

(l) Michael Markowitz and Kathy Leonard of EDN Magazine

(m) Kang Lee of NIST/IEEE committee on 1451 sensor standard

(n) Marie G. Riviera of Apex Microtechnolgies, USA

In this exercise I am very thankful for the tireless efforts by the ACCIMT staff, including Mrs. Chandrika Weerasekera, Miss Shayanika Rashikanganie and trainees Arosh Edirisinghe, Kapila Kumara and A.H.S. Chamara in the preparation of the manuscript text and the graphics. Also I am very grateful to engineering undergraduates from University of Moratuwa, Manoj Bandara and Sasiri Yapa, who volunteered to work at my residence and helped with the graphics at early stages. I am also very thankful to Ms. Indrani Hewage who prepared the first draft of the several chapters.

My special gratitude is extended to the Corporate staff of Metropolitan Group, J.J. Ambani, Dinesh Ambani, Erajh Gunaratne, Ivor Maharoof (Thank you, Ivor, for all the bulk copying at lightning speed!!). For my well maintained residential computing resources, Niranjan de Silva, Mohan Weerasuriya and their staff of the same company are gratefully acknowledged.

I am very grateful to Chairman of ACCIMT, Mr. Rohan Weerasinghe, former Chairman Prof. K.K.Y.W. Perera, Director Prof. S. Karunaratne and the Members of the Board of Governors and the management of ACCIMT for their encouragement.

Many friends encouraged me in this work, especially Mr. Keerthi Kumarasena, Sherani Godamunne, Padmasiri Soysa (our ACCIMT librarian who maintains and manages a vast array of industrial documentation) and my friends such as Mohan Kumaraswamy (who helped with my first technical paper in 1977), and many other friends and university colleagues such as Sunil, Kumar, Ranjith, Vasantha, Lakshman, Upali, Kithsiri, Lai, Shantha and Jayantha.

My most sincere appreciation is for Wayne Houser, formerly of Voice of America, for his support for information collection and copyright clearances. A thank you note to Dr. Fred Durant and Dr. Joe Pelton of Arthur C. Clarke Foundation of USA for their support and encouragement for my work. I appreciate the work of the editorial and production staff at Butterworth-Heinemann in Boston, with particular mention of Candy Hall, Pam Chester, Susan Prusak, and Tina Adoniou.

Sir Arthur Clarke, patron of the Clarke Institute … my most sincere gratitude to you for your great encouragement of my little works.

Last, but not least, to Priyani for shouldering most difficult family commitments including the workload of the children, Dulsha and Malsha, allowing me free time to complete this work successfully.

Thank you.