A Graphical Approach to Teaching Amplifier Design at the Undergraduate Level

Current methods of teaching basic amplifier design at the undergraduate level need further development to match today´s technological advances. The general class approach to amplifier design is analytical and heavily based on mathematical manipulations. However, the students mathematical abilities are generally modest, creating a void in which basic design issues are lost. As a result, students are often puzzled when faced with advanced circuit design classes or design challenges presented by the industry. This paper recognizes the existence of such a void in the teaching of amplifier design at the undergraduate level, and proposes a novel graphical approach which presents the complete amplifier design in a visual form that is easy for the students to understand. Moreover, with the aid of computer-aided design (CAD) tools such as PSpice, this graphical approach promotes the students´ mastery of the subject. The design of a bipolar junction transistor common-emitter (BJT-CE) amplifier is used here as an illustration of this approach.