Blackmer’s VCA Cell Implemented Using Subthreshold MOSFETs and Field Programmable Analog Arrays

[jaymz168]

Aaron Lanterman of Georgia Tech just posted this video on youtube explaining a paper that he and another colleague have written:



AES Paper here: https://aes2.org/publications/elibrary-page/?id=22781

This is pretty cool, FPAAs have intrigued me ever since I learned about them. I've always wondered if you could do a reconfigurable analog "multi fx" with them and then McDSP came out with the APB which I'm guessing involves FPAAs given what the blocks look like.

 

[ruffrecords]

Seriously inspirational

Cheers

Ian

 

[jaymz168]

Seriously inspirational

Cheers

Ian

Abusing CMOS in largely unexplored ways is pretty darn cool!

 

[ruffrecords]

Abusing CMOS in largely unexplored ways is pretty darn cool!

To me it is not abuse. The dominance of digital has merely concentrated attention on one part of the characteristics of FETs to the detriment of other, equally useful, parts. The best innovation occurs in the forgotten regions of component characteristics.

Cheers

Ian

 

[JohnRoberts]

I didn't watch the video but read the AES paper extract (and no, reading the actual paper is not worth $33 to me, the abstract also included a spoiler about what doesn't work).

This looks like an educational project for some college students to investigate. Analog VCAs are pretty much obsolete (IMO).

JR

PS: back in the day I had fun making trick circuits with CMOS 4007 (uncommitted CMOS gates)