Jim Solomon was an analog integrated-circuit designer and EDA entrepreneur whose work connected analog circuit design with software automation. He helped develop early analog ICs, wrote a widely taught 1974 tutorial on monolithic op amps, founded the company that became part of Cadence, and oversaw development of Cadence’s Spectre analog simulator.
Who was Jim Solomon, the analog designer?
Solomon’s interest in electronics began with his father’s work in the telephone industry, amateur radio, and his own physics and electronics projects. He studied electrical engineering at the University of California, Berkeley, where he learned from IC-design pioneer Donald Pederson. Solomon later described Pederson as one of the most influential people in his life.
After Berkeley, Solomon spent seven years at Motorola designing analog integrated circuits, including a solid-state television receiver. He then joined National Semiconductor as a designer and design manager. There, his work broadened from analog circuits toward digital signal processing. Solomon said his team helped invent the BiFET operational amplifier and worked on other analog circuits, including early integrated telephone codec ICs.
What is Jim Solomon known for in analog IC design?
Explaining the potential of monolithic op amps
Solomon’s best-known technical publication is “The Monolithic Op Amp: A Tutorial Study,” published in the IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits in December 1974. The paper explained the capabilities and promise of analog circuits built as monolithic integrated circuits, helping engineers understand how the technology could develop.
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In a 2008 EE Times profile, Solomon said the paper remained among the top 20 most-referenced IEEE circuit-design papers for nearly three decades. The same profile’s curriculum vitae summary credits him with 23 patents and more than 50 technical papers.
Connecting circuit theory with practical design
Solomon’s advice to designers emphasized understanding a circuit before relying on simulation: “before you rush out to run your thousands of SPICE simulations, be sure you have a reasonable theoretical understanding of what your circuit should be doing.” His point was not to avoid simulation, but to use it with a sound expectation of how the circuit should behave.
What did Jim Solomon contribute to Cadence?
While at National Semiconductor, Solomon started a software company focused on automating analog-chip design. He founded Solomon Design Automation Systems (SDA Systems) and brought together specialists in areas such as databases, routing, and simulation. The work also involved Berkeley researchers and other engineers developing automated methods for analog layout and design.
SDA later merged with ECAD. The combined business became part of the company now known as Cadence Design Systems. Solomon subsequently founded and managed Cadence’s Analog/Custom Business Unit, extending his work from designing circuits to building tools for engineers who design them.
Rank #3
How did Spectre originate?
Solomon wanted a better simulator for analog circuit design and oversaw the project that produced Spectre. The EE Times profile described Spectre as the de facto standard for analog design simulation at the time of its 2008 publication; that is a historical characterization, not a statement about its present market position.
Spectre reflects the technical thread running through Solomon’s career: analog design depends on understanding circuit behavior, while effective software can help engineers model and develop increasingly complex designs.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Which Jim Solomon is this?
This profile concerns the analog IC designer, Cadence co-founder, IEEE Fellow, and former executive chairman of Gemini Design Technology. It is not about either of two photographers with the same name: a New Jersey photographer specializing in youth sports and portraits, or an Alabama-based nature and wildlife photographer who served 29 years in the Army.
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