The Design Analysis Handbook : A Practical Guide to Design Validation

Rating:
Summary: Quality of design
Review: N. Edward Walker, The Design Analysis Handbook. A Practical Guide to Design Validation. Newnes, 1998 A Review This is a very daring and matter-of-fact book. It deals with a very important issue: how to handle the uncertainty involved in the design of electronic circuits. This uncertainty has several sources: 1. The equations one uses in design are based on assumptions that simplify the real life situation; 2. The actual values of the electronic components differ from their nominal values; 3. The human error in handling the complex equations can seldom be avoided. The effects of these uncertainties often become visible in the late stages of product development, when correction measures are costly, if not ineffective, so that the final product does not meet the quality requirements. Ed. Walker's approach is consistent with the principles of concurrent engineering. He advocates the cooperation within a team of design and quality engineers, in order to get the product right the first time, by avoiding the bugs in the R&D and design phases. The first chapter examines the state-of-the-art of the design and Q&R engineering practices, pointing to the extending gulf between the two disciplines. The importance of robust design validation is emphasized and the disadvantages of the present tools and methods are mentioned. These will be examined in detail with some excitingly polemic overtones in chapter 5, under the heading "bad science". In the second chapter, a new kind of worst-case analysis is introduced, more efficient than the classical Monte Carlo simulation approach. The outcome of this analysis is a procedure for risk assessment and a methodology for design correction and optimization. Next, in the third chapter, several design validation topics are considered and computer-aided solutions are presented, notably the software tool Design Master that accompanies the book. I used this software in a teaching environment and I was impressed by its high quality. The author practices what he preaches, so that the software product he delivers has all the "abilities" involved by the "total" quality concept: usability, reliability, supportability, portability and so on. However, quality validation of software products is a topic not examined in-depth. The safety analysis presented in chapter 4 introduces in simple and straightforward manner methods like FMEA and FTA, which are extensively dealt with elsewhere, but within an excessively sophisticated framework. The last chapter offers useful and interesting tips for electronic circuit quality analysis. The "difficult" subjects, such as Power and Thermal analysis, Grounding and Layout and EMI / Noise control, usually avoided in textbooks, are duly examined in detail. The case studies concerning Rectifier Circuits, Power Supplies, Digital circuits are completely worked-out, so that everyone can use them as an available guide. The appendices provide templates for analysis reports, a framework for the application of the original methods proposed in the book and a whimsical overview of engineering projects. Th book is a no-nonsense, straightforward approach to difficult and sophisticated quality issues that can arise in an engineering environment. It provides useful guidelines, powerful tools and effective methods for total quality improvement and assurance.

Rating:
Summary: Quality of design
Review: N. Edward Walker, The Design Analysis Handbook. A Practical Guide to Design Validation. Newnes, 1998 A Review This is a very daring and matter-of-fact book. It deals with a very important issue: how to handle the uncertainty involved in the design of electronic circuits. This uncertainty has several sources: 1. The equations one uses in design are based on assumptions that simplify the real life situation; 2. The actual values of the electronic components differ from their nominal values; 3. The human error in handling the complex equations can seldom be avoided. The effects of these uncertainties often become visible in the late stages of product development, when correction measures are costly, if not ineffective, so that the final product does not meet the quality requirements. Ed. Walker's approach is consistent with the principles of concurrent engineering. He advocates the cooperation within a team of design and quality engineers, in order to get the product right the first time, by avoiding the bugs in the R&D and design phases. The first chapter examines the state-of-the-art of the design and Q&R engineering practices, pointing to the extending gulf between the two disciplines. The importance of robust design validation is emphasized and the disadvantages of the present tools and methods are mentioned. These will be examined in detail with some excitingly polemic overtones in chapter 5, under the heading "bad science". In the second chapter, a new kind of worst-case analysis is introduced, more efficient than the classical Monte Carlo simulation approach. The outcome of this analysis is a procedure for risk assessment and a methodology for design correction and optimization. Next, in the third chapter, several design validation topics are considered and computer-aided solutions are presented, notably the software tool Design Master that accompanies the book. I used this software in a teaching environment and I was impressed by its high quality. The author practices what he preaches, so that the software product he delivers has all the "abilities" involved by the "total" quality concept: usability, reliability, supportability, portability and so on. However, quality validation of software products is a topic not examined in-depth. The safety analysis presented in chapter 4 introduces in simple and straightforward manner methods like FMEA and FTA, which are extensively dealt with elsewhere, but within an excessively sophisticated framework. The last chapter offers useful and interesting tips for electronic circuit quality analysis. The "difficult" subjects, such as Power and Thermal analysis, Grounding and Layout and EMI / Noise control, usually avoided in textbooks, are duly examined in detail. The case studies concerning Rectifier Circuits, Power Supplies, Digital circuits are completely worked-out, so that everyone can use them as an available guide. The appendices provide templates for analysis reports, a framework for the application of the original methods proposed in the book and a whimsical overview of engineering projects. Th book is a no-nonsense, straightforward approach to difficult and sophisticated quality issues that can arise in an engineering environment. It provides useful guidelines, powerful tools and effective methods for total quality improvement and assurance.

Rating:
Summary: An outstanding alternative to monte carlo simulation
Review: The Design Analysis Handbook combines the best aspects of Design Validation methods, Worst Case Analysis and lessons learned I've seen in one text. Ed sucessfully captured and explained information and techniques that many companies fail to pass-on to new Engineers. This text should be a must read for new engineers.

Rating:
Summary: The Design Analysis Handbook
Review: The Design Analysis Handbook combines the best aspects of Design Validation methods, Worst Case Analysis and lessons learned I've seen in one text. Ed sucessfully captured and explained information and techniques that many companies fail to pass-on to new Engineers. This text should be a must read for new engineers.

Rating:
Summary: An outstanding alternative to monte carlo simulation
Review: The first four or five chapters of this book explain in detail the statistical analysis technique WCA+. The text is easy to read and requires only a limited probability and statistics background to understand how to apply the technique. The remaining chapters give concrete examples from the electrical engineering field. As a mechanical engineer I found the first few chapters very helpful and I have applied the technique successfully many times. Statistical design engineering is a must today and the WCA+ method is an excellent alternative monte carlo simulation. If you are concerned with the response of your system at the extreme values of the inputs then, this book is a must because monte carlo simulation just doesn't suffice.