Fixator-Norator Pairs Versus Direct Analytical Tools in Performing Analog Circuit Designs

Two analog circuit design approaches are introduced and compared. They are used for partial designs with certain given design criteria. The first approach, which is called direct analytical, works through the circuit conductance matrix, and it needs linearity to perform. The second approach uses fixator-norator pairs (FNPs), changing an analysis into a design problem. The two methods are shown to be theoretically identical, except that they use different tools to get the results. The advantage of using FNP over the direct analytical method is that it can simply handle nonlinearities, as it is done in a circuit analysis or simulation. The drawback, however, is the lack of fixator and norator components in a typical simulator; although, the closest components replacing them can be the controlled sources with very high gains.