Practical Aspects of Script-Based Analog Design Using Precomputed Lookup Tables

Ratio- and lookup-table based sizing methods were created to eliminate the need for SPICE-based iterative tweaking and to achieve a good match between theoretical analysis and simulated performance. Following such approaches can be gratifying for seasoned designers who have experienced the large mismatch between textbook hand calculations and simulation results firsthand. However, the circuit design novice may fall into the trap of tweaking sizing scripts iteratively and abandoning the connection to the analytical underpinnings of the target design. In this paper, we summarize the best practices for script-based analog circuit design toward the development of analog generators. These methods are illustrated using a two-stage amplifier as an example.