ANALOG- Nay, DIGITAL -Yaaaay!!

“Oh, no! I am doomed, I am going to be questioned about MOS devices”

“Damn, why did I even choose to study electronic circuits”

“Life would have been much better without dealing with analog systems”

These were the banal statements I heard in my four years of engineering in Electronics and Communication. Students could easily be grouped into three categories-

1.      The ones who were indifferent to analog electronics.

2.       The ones who were scared to death, so much their knees started shaking when they were attempting an examination.

3.       The ones who thought they have grasped the fundamentals only to be doomed later.

I belonged to the third category. Whenever I opened the few classics of electronics like Electronic Circuits by Milman and Halkias, Sedra and Smith’s Microelectronic Circuits I realized that the transistor was just another conundrum that adds to the royal mess my life already was. In the end, I used to resign to a few substandard short notes meant for the eleventh-hour preparation, downloaded hastily from the internet and copied ditto to the grey cells, only to be erased once the test gets over.

Cut to the chase where I sat for internship examinations in my third year when a revelation of shame, hopelessness, and blunder washed my conscience. A dubious cloud of fear blinded me in hindsight, questioning the basic reason for pursuing a full-time professional degree. So, for the first time in my life, I tried to turn water to wine, taking control of what I can control.

 Pulling my socks up, rolling my sleeves, I set to work, only to find that I am not steering in the right direction. Firstly, I jotted down the “Wh” questions - What made me consider analog electronics as my nemesis in crime? Why did I have a problem with execution? Where was the problem- was it in my brain, or my attitude or in the subject itself (just kidding, I felt I could easily duel Satan than sit and tackle MOSFET’s characteristics), how can I overcome my phobia and “electronics” block? Seeking answers, I opened Quora. I was thoroughly confused by the overwhelming number of questions along the same lines and the muddled set of answers suggesting the different books to follow, a myriad of MOOCs, practice sets and rigorous schedule to adhere to.

What made me consider analog electronics as my nemesis in crime?

I felt let down every time I faced a problem in execution. Under the perception that I had a good grasp of the fundamentals, I failed terribly at applying them, or even getting them wrong after so many hours of mundanely reading the text, repeatedly. Hence, I developed bleak hatred towards the subject.

Why did I have a problem with execution?

The answer sought me. My heart shouted in front of my face- “ Dude, you got the basics wrong.” The statement killed me. I was teetering on the edge of a mental breakdown and this jerked me forward.

Where was the problem- was it in my brain, or my attitude or in the subject itself?

The problem I concluded was in my attitude and the subject equally. This gave me relief from the blame game where I always lost. It gave substantial assurance in this case of self- victimization. It gave me hope that the damage can be mended without any hint of a crack. This change in attitude and partly criminalizing the subject helped me redeem the long-lost perseverance after the JEE advanced gamble in 2015.

How I overcame my phobia and “electronics” block?

Here, we come to the redressal forum. I went back to my heart for some advice and reassurance. It gave me the route to the brain to seek sense and intellect sharpening sessions. I made a list of book suggestions I had gathered after a lot of discussions with seniors, the book worms and fellow Quorans. The list was extensive. Most of them felt redundant when compared to the books I already owned. This led to the unconquered conclusion that books are not my best friends when it comes to Analog Electronics. No, I am not accusing the authors- the effort and intellectual properties that went into making the classics are hands down commendable. But when a kid wants to know what light is - you do not explain photons or the EM spectrum. You start as simple as telling the kid that it is something which helps us to see. I am the kid in the playground of electronics.

I moved over to MOOCs, hunting every possible one to find the right course. All the while, I did not know that the solution was sitting right in front of me- Behzad Razavi’s simple yet empowering lectures available on YouTube - Electronic Circuits 1. I took my diary and sat down with my mind full of dedication, purpose, and will-power. I clicked on the first lecture to only be mowed down by the simplicity of delivery of one of the most abstract enigmas of my life. It was love at first sight. I binge-watched the entire course until single-stage amplifiers.

The experience was enlightening and satisfying- as satisfying one can get after eating one’s favorite dish, savoring every morsel of it, enjoying every gulp, as it slowly moves down the alimentary canal.

After watching the lectures, I wanted to test my execution skills and used Behzad Razavi’s book. I was astonished at the progress I had made. From there on, I started to read the standard classics, appreciating the effort, the aesthetics and the simplicity of things.

So here I am, giving the list of sources I had used-

1.      Behzad Razavi’s Electronic Circuits 1 available on YouTube

2.      Sedra and Smith’s Microelectronic Circuits which made a lot more sense after watching the lectures.

3.      Electronic Circuits and Circuit Theory by Robert L. Boylestad

4.      Design of Analog CMOS Integrated Circuits by Behzad Razavi

5.      Previous year’s GATE question papers to evaluate me on the front.

6.      Circuits and Networks by Sudhakar and Shyammohan S Palli(to learn circuit theorems and reductions)

7.      Engineering Circuit Analysis for Hayt and Kemmerly (only for transients)

Consequently, I got confident and humble looking at the subject. I started preaching about its goodness that people started shutting me out, but I am pretty sure I had imbibed a sense of longing in a few to learn the fundamentals of Digital Electronics- Analog electronics. I motivated my juniors who were either abashed or dreaded by textbooks. I started looking at the working of circuits from the “analog” perspective.

I am indebted to Behzad Razavi. I hope I get to meet him in person to show my gratitude for removing all the na?ve doubts lingering in my mind and sit in at least one of his lectures, only to be awed at his simplicity and intellect.

It is an ocean. The longer you swim, the bleaker the horizon becomes but if you realize the ocean is your home, boundaries become meaningless.