Electronics

Higher education teachers: Jarm Tomaž
Collaborators: Kramar Peter

Subject description

Prerequisits:

• Inscription to 2nd year study.
• Positive grade for lab work is a prerequisite to enter the final exam.
• The majority of practical lab assignments must be successfully finished and defended (a report) to get a positive grade.

Content (Syllabus outline):

Electronic circuit theory. Passive linear and nonlinear elements. Semiconductor devices: diodes, bipolar and unipolar transistors, switching devices. Rectifiers and other circuits with diodes. Special types of diodes. Signal amplifiers with bipolar and unipolar transistors: transistor DC operating point, amplifications, input and output resistance, temperature effects, stability, thermal run-away. AC amplifiers: frequency response, principle of negative feedback. Operational amplifier and its applications: signal amplifiers, followers, adders, differentiators, integrators, comparators, current and voltage sources, bridge amplifiers. Frequency-dependent circuits: passive and active filters, sine oscillators, other wave generators. Power amplifiers: classes, different implementations, power losses.

Objectives and competences:

• To understand the fundamentals of operation of building blocks in electronic circuits (passive and active linear and nonlinear elements), especially of discrete semiconductor and integrated electronic components;
• To use of these elements in useful circuits for various applications (amplifiers, power supplies, frequency-dependent circuits etc.);
• To be able to analyse and design electronic circuits from theoretical and practical point of view.

Intended learning outcomes:

• Knowledge and understanding: Knowledge about properties and performance of electronic components and frequently encountered basic circuits. Knowledge and and understanding of terminology and of quantities used to describe and evaluate electronic elements and circuits. Theoretical understanding of methodology of circuit application and design.
• Application: practical analysis and design of circuits. Use of measurement equipment. Safe work with potentially dangerous electric currents. To be able to evaluate the performance of built circuits and to search for errors in circuit design.
• Reflection: To analyse a problem individually or in a small group a problem, to chose the most appropiate electronic element, circuit and/or tool and measurement method in order to complete a practical assignment. To be able to explain and justify the solution.
• Transferable skills: To be able to work as a member of a small team. To search for additional information if it is not available in the basic literature. To be able to write and present (in text and figures) a technical report of the work dobne, including all the requested results and a critical evaluation of the results.

Learning and teaching methods:

• The next teaching methods will be used: lectures and practical lab work.
• Lectures: Formal transfer of fundamental knowledge and data using theoretical and mathematical explanations and supported with graphical tools (images, movies) and computer simulations. Exercises in solving the circuit analysis and design problems.
• Lab vork: practical assignments to support the material covered in lectures, on which the students work in pairs. Some of the lab work may be conducted in a form of larger mini-projects on topics not neccessarily covered in lectures. Practical work consists of building and testing of electronic circuits. The students are requested to self-study and to prepare for the assignment. Reports must be written for all practical assignments.

Study materials

Readings:

1. N. Storey: Electronics, A Systems Approach, 5th Ed., Pearson/Prentice-Hall, 2013.
2. T.L. Floyd: Electronic Devices: Conventional Current Version, 9th ed., Pearson, 2013.
3. T.L.Floyd, D. Buchla: Electronics fundamentals: circuits, devices and Applications, 8th Ed., Pearson, 2013.