The Dangers of Rounded Numbers, Typical Specifications, and Simulations

The Dangers of Rounded Numbers, Typical Specifications, and Simulations: MAXIM Tutorial. This tutorial emphasizes the importance of designing circuits with care and thinking through all aspects of a design. All too often, engineers are led astray by a data sheet's specs, either because they have been rounded or because the engineer only kept the typical specifications in mind. With either pitfall, there can be disastrous results in a design. This document explains why relying on rounded numbers and typical specifications, and favoring simulations over physical prototypes can cause a circuit to fail.