20245 Electronics I

Credits: 6 intermediate credits in Electronics

Prerequisites: none

Required: Fundamentals of Physics (or Fundamentals of Physics I + Fundamentals of Physics II), The World of Electricity and Electronics, Differential and Integral Calculus I (or Infinitesimal Calculus I), and the ability to read scientific texts in English

The course is based on Electronics: Circuits and Devices (3rd ed.), by R.J. Smith (John Wiley & Sons, 1987).

Together with Electronics II (20339), this course is designed as an introductory course in Electronics. The courses focus on important circuits and devices, and discuss principles, usage and problem solution. The “microprocessor revolution” has resulted in a focus on digital electronics and microprocessors and they are presented in the early stages of learning.

Students are required to have a solid understanding of derivation and integration techniques, familiarity with work and energy, acquaintance with basic concepts in electricity (electric charge, voltage, current, Ohm’s law) and skills in solving simple electrical and electronic networks.

Topics: Review of DC circuits – basic principles, characteristics, network laws, non-linear circuits; Signal processing – signals, ideal amplification, ideal diodes, signal processing; Diode circuits and transistors – semiconductors, diodes, FET and junction transistors, thyristors; Digital electronics – switching and gates, memories, Boolean algebra, registers and counters; Introduction to microprocessors – 4-bit microprocessors, software programs and programming.