ABSTRACT
This chapter aims to present an overview of robust analog and mixed-signal system-level and circuit-level design methodology, and be doing so, help establish a collection of best practices toward the development of integrated circuits for extreme environment applications. It reviews the most common applications of analog/mixed-signal electronics. The paradigm for most modern instrumentation and control systems—including those used in space applications—is to transform the analog signals being monitored to the digital domain early in the signal path. For analog circuit design, the most notable effects are threshold voltage shift, mobility variation, and noise variation. The proposed current reference circuit generates a well-controlled current that minimizes analog performance variation over wide temperature range. The circuit is resistor-free and its output current depends on reproducible process parameters to minimize variation over manufacturing fluctuations. The core of the current reference is comprised of two sub-circuits: a proportional-to-absolute temperature voltage generator and a transconductor.
