Electronic Circuits

Learning Outcomes

Subject Specific Intellectual and Research Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• Select appropriate mathematical tools for the solution of problems in circuits.
• Confidently design, construct and test analogue circuits in the laboratory.
• Meet this module's contribution to the subject specific intellectual learning outcomes of ELEC1029.

Knowledge and Understanding

Having successfully completed this module, you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:

• Analyse transient behaviour in RC and RL circuits in the time domain.
• Analyse ideal analogue AC circuits, in the context of both single and three phase systems.
• Understand the ideal building blocks of circuit theory.
• Analyse AC circuits using complex numbers and phasors.
• Understand the key ideas in circuits, such as impedance, power and resonance.

Subject Specific Practical Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• Meet this module's contribution to the subject specific practical learning outcomes of ELEC1029.
• Analyse ideal analogue circuits.
• Build and undertake measurements of simple analogue circuits.

Transferable and Generic Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• Record and report laboratory work.
• Meet this module's contribution to the transferable and generic learning outcomes of ELEC1029.
• Undertake laboratory experiment as part of a small team.

Principles of Circuits

• Kirchhoff’s voltage and current laws
• Ideal circuit elements: resistors, inductors and capacitors, voltage and current sources
• Mutual inductance
• The superposition theorem and linearity.

Step Response of RL and RC Circuits

• Analysis of source-free RC and RL circuits
• Time constant of an RC and RL circuit
• The unit step forcing function
• Complete response of RL and RC circuits.

Complex Numbers

• Algebra
• Argand diagram
• Polar form
• Euler's formula

AC Theory

• Properties of sine waves
• Sinusoidal excitation of RL and RC circuits: phase and amplitude of 1st order lead and lag.
• Impedance and admittance AC analysis of RLC circuits
• Resonant RLC circuits, coupled resonators,
• Q factor
• Phasor diagrams
• Power in AC circuits, complex power,
• 3-phase circuits, phasors, instantaneous power in a balanced system.

Diode Circuits

• Diode as a non-linear device
• Loadline analysis of circuits
• Piecewise linear treatment of a diode
• Diode rectifier circuits.

Teaching and learning methods

Lectures, laboratories and tutorial sessions.

Resources & Reading list

Textbooks

Senturia S D, Wedlock B.D. (1975). Electronic Circuits and Applications. Wiley.

Hayt W H, Kemmerly J E (2002). Engineering Circuit Analysis. McGraw-Hill,.

Dorf R C, Svoboda J A (2006). Introduction to Electric Circuits. Wiley.

Nilsson J W, Riedel S A (2000). Electric Circuits. Prentice-Hall.

Assessment strategy

Weekly problem sheets and a mid-semester practice exam provide formative feedback.

Technical labs consider MATLAB and RC Filters and Frequency Response, addressing the above-listed learning outcomes. They are conducted under the umbrella of ELEC1029 but the marks contribute towards this module.

A design exercise considers circuits and programming, addressing the above-listed learning outcomes, as well as those of ELEC1201. It is conducted under the umbrella of ELEC1029 but the marks contribute towards this module and ELEC1201.

Skills labs are conducted under the umbrella of the zero-credit ELEC1029 module and address its learning outcomes. The marks contribute to a number of ELEC12xx modules, including this one.

Summative

This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.

Referral

This is how we’ll assess you if you don’t meet the criteria to pass this module.

Repeat

An internal repeat is where you take all of your modules again, including any you passed. An external repeat is where you only re-take the modules you failed.

Repeat Information

Repeat type: Internal & External