28 October 2011

Halfway there!

With Wednesday's post about App Note 49, I have now covered 31 of Jim's 62 app notes (but only 40% by page count). I thought that it would be a good time to take a quick look back.

Top five app notes (so far):
  1. App Note 47, High speed amplifier techniques: A designer's companion for wideband circuitry (the crown jewel, of course: absolutely required reading).
  2. App Note 25, Switching regulators for poets: A gentle guide for the trepidatious (the advice, the cartoon, and the lack of equations).
  3. App Note 43, Bridge circuits: Marrying gain and balance (mostly for the low-distortion sine-wave oscillator development).
  4. App Note 28, Thermocouple measurement (the history lessons and discussions of errors).
  5. App Note 45, Measurement and control circuit collection: Diapers
    and designs on the night shift (for the baby-bottle rating system and Figure 36).
Two other app notes that would have been contenders are App Note 10 and App Note 13, but the good parts of those notes were updated and incorporated into App Note 47. App Note 49 would also get an honorable mention, but it's quickly going to be buried by its successors, App Notes 55 and 65.

Top five best circuits (so far):

  1. App Note 43 Figure 48 (Sine wave oscillator with 3ppm distortion)
  2. App Note 14 Figure 1 (King-Kong V-to-F)
  3. App Note 23 Figure 16 (The Zoo Circuit V-to-F)
  4. App Note 21 Figure 12 (Son of Godzilla Amplifier)
  5. App Note 47 Figure 116 (Complete AM Radio Station)
Top five best quotes (so far):
  1. "Mother Nature loves throwing a surprise party. Technologically driven arrogance is a dangerous brew, as any Titanic passenger will assure you." (p.103 in Chapter 13, "Should Ohm's Law be repealed" in Jim's first book)
  2. "The author acknowledges Carl Nelson's abundance of commentary, some of which was useful, during preparation of this work" (p.13, App Note 25)
  3. "While I certainly wouldn't wish lifetime employment on a digital circuit board to anyone, the reality is that the need exists. (Footnote: I suppose it's not all that bad. Some of my best friends are digital circuits. If I had a daughter, I'd even consider letting her go out with one.)" (p.1, App Note 31)
  4. "History records that Hewlett and his friend David Packard made a number of these type oscillators. Then they built some other kinds of instruments." (p.29, App Note 43)
  5. "The translation of this statement is to hide the probe when you are not using it. If anyone wants to borrow it, look straight at them, shrug your shoulders and say you don't know where it is. This is decidedly dishonest, but eminently practical. Those finding this morally questionable may wish to re-examine their attitude after producing a day's worth of worthless data with a probe that was unknowingly readjusted." (p.12, App Note 49)
Also, I've updated the bibliography again. Onward!

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