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DO YOU EXCEL IN ELECTRONICS?

Part 1: Learning the Basics of Excel
by Aubrey Kagan

Start ý Data Acquisition and Analysis ý Autofill ý Copying Formulas ý Relative and Absolute ý Naming Cells ý Determining the Cost ý Sorting ý Using Look Up ý Figuring the Total ý Sources and PDF

DATA ACQUISITION AND ANALYSIS

By way of initiation into some of the more advanced tools, let me describe a simple example. Despite its simplicity, I use this type of application extensively to save me time and effort.

During the development of a product, a number of prototypes are produced and then the performance is measured to create or verify the product specifications. Based on raw data, product specifications like accuracy and linearity are derived for different operational points. This data is analyzed for later publication. Letýs assume you have a product that is a voltage amplifier with a 0- to 1-V input and a 0- to 10-V output (see Figure 1). The nonlinearity is defined as the difference between the desired value and the actual value, divided by the full-scale output and expressed as a percentage. The finished product can be seen in Example1.xls (download excel files).

Figure 1ýHere you can see a block diagram of a simple amplifier.

Enter the information shown in Photo 1 in cells A1, B1, and A4 to E4. As you enter the text in cell A4, it will overlap into cell B4. When you enter the text in B4, it will obscure part of the text in A4. A simple way to spread the column width to the widest entry in the column is to move the cursor to the point between the column letters (e.g., between column A and column B) where the cursor changes to a bar with a bidirectional arrow. Double left click when the cursor is in this shape and presto, itýs done. Incidentally, this technique works in many Windows applications as well, including Windows Explorer. Of course, itýs possible to drag the column width from the same point.

(click here to enlarge)

Photo 1ýThis screen shot shows that the initial layout has been done and preparation has been made for autofill. The blocked area provides the seed for the autofill.

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