Courses in Basic Analog Electronics
James Bryant
Consultant Engineer - Analog Electronics

I was Head of European Applications at Analog Devices for nearly 30 years. During that time I was responsible for the technical training, throughout Europe, and for over ten years worldwide, of new applications, sales and marketing staff at Analog Devices and our distributors; I was also responsible for technical training of our customers' engineers when requested; and for fifty or sixty technical seminars per year throughout Europe, and occasionally elsewhere. During this time Analog Devices had the reputation of giving the best technical seminars in the industry.

I also gave an annual one-day background course entitled "High Tech for Low Techs" intended for support staff ranging from finance and human resource managers to secretarial and supervisory staff which explained the background to electronic technology so that they would understand what their technical colleagues were doing and not be completely mystified by their technical vocabulary. I can still give this course at quite short notice.

Consequently I am an experienced lecturer and traveller and have over forty years experience in speaking in English to audiences whose first language is not English. In my retirement I have developed a family of courses in Basic Analog Electronics based on my experience, and I am prepared to give them and the above-mentioned "High Tech for Low Techs" course, in English, anywhere in the World.

These Basic Analog Electronics courses are intended for analog electronic engineers in need of a refresher course, post-graduate and final-year undergraduate engineering students, electronic engineers working with digital circuitry who need to improve their background knowledge of analog electronics, engineers in any discipline (including advanced electronic hobbyists) who wish to learn the uses and pitfalls of analog electronics, and project managers who oversee analog electronic development.

Courses
The three usual1 Basic Analog Electronics courses are

  1. Single day background course (the timing of "High Tech for Low Techs" is the same).
    (09:00 - 17:00 with two 30 minute breaks and one 60 minute break)
  2. Three day detailed course with more detail on all the topics.
    (09:00 - 16:00 with two 30 minute breaks and one 60 minute break)
  3. Five day detailed course with time for detailed discussion of students' own analog circuit issues and problems.
    (09:00 - 16:00 (15:00 on the last day) with two 30 minute breaks and one 60 minute break)

The topics covered in these Basic Analog Electronics courses include

The courses discuss the basics of precision analog circuitry and the architecture of the commonest types of analog integrated circuits (ICs) and spend a lot of time reviewing potential causes of trouble when designing analog and mixed-signal systems. All three courses allow time for questions, and students are encouraged to interrupt during the presentations to ensure both that they do not misunderstand anything the speaker has said, and that topics of particular interest to them are adequately covered.

Courses other than the single day can include a short multiple choice examination, and there are electronic hand-outs for students of all courses containing course slides and notes (in PowerPoint format) and various additional reading (in a variety of formats) on the topics covered. These courses do not discuss detailed system design, digital interfaces, or circuit simulation tools.Students from any course are welcome to contact me at any time afterwards to discuss technical issues arising from the course.

I am perfectly prepared to present a course to a single person, and can present to up to three people at one time in an office or small meeting room, or even at my home near Southampton on the South Coast of England. More usually I would expect to be invited to give it to an audience of between four and two hundred in a lecture or conference room, equipped with a computer with PowerPoint projection display, and with refreshment and lunch facilities provided for myself and my audience. The course prices do not depend on the number of students, and larger audiences are certainly possible.

1 I am prepared to tailor-make a course to your needs, but this may incur additional preparation charges.