SPICE applications to an undergraduate electronics program

A plan is presented for integrating SPICE (simulation program with integrated circuit emphasis) into an undergraduate electronics curriculum. Three design projects for students are described: a network theory project, an analog electronics design course, and a senior thesis project. In the first project used in a first course on network theory, the emphasis is on simple programs that can extend basic techniques (such as Thevenin's equivalent circuit) to cases where hand analysis is long and tedious. In the electronics course, the application of the bipolar-junction transistor and field-effect transistor is more clearly understood by the student when he/she constructs an analog amplifier according to a given set of specifications. Creativity is encouraged, since the design of the amplifier is flexible as long as the specifications are met. In the senior thesis project, SPICE, along with other computer design packages, enables the student to analyze and modify a project before it is constructed. This saves valuable construction time and allows for a more thorough theoretical analysis.<
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