Academic year 2014-15

Means of Transmission and Electronic Circuits

Degree:	Code:	Type:
Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science	21462	Optional subject
Bachelor's Degree in Telematics Engineering	21302	Compulsory subject, 1st year
Bachelor's Degree in Audiovisual Systems Engineering	-	-

 

ECTS credits:

4

Workload:

100 hours

Trimester:

3rd

 

Department:	Dept. of Information and Communication Technologies
Coordinator:	Rafael Pous
Teaching staff:	Rafael Pous, Ausias Vives, Laura Becerra, Xavier Lario
Language:	Catalan and Spanish
Timetable:
Building:	Communication campus - Poblenou

 

Introduction

Transmission Media and Electronic Circuits is an introductory course, both theoretical and practical, covering the basics of electronic circuits.

It covers the following blocks:

• Analysis of basic circuits
• Analysis and design of logic gates
• Nonlinear circuits and amplifiers
• Sinusoidal steady state and filters
• Operational Amplifiers

 

Prerequisites

To be able to follow the course properly a solid foundation in mathematics and physics is required (high school level).

The skills and knowledge required are:

• Operations with complex numbers
• Algebra of vectors and matrices
• Calculation of basic derivatives and integrals.
• Solving equations and systems of linear equations
• Basics of electromagnetism: electric and magnetic fields
• The international system of units and scientific notation

 

Associated competences

Basic competences:

Instrumental

1. Analysis
2. Problem resolution
3. Creativity

Interpersonal

1. Teamwork
2. Written communication

Systemic

1. Capacity to estimate and schedule work
2. Transfer of theoretical knowledge to practical
3. Responsibility for the quality of task performance

 

Specific competences

1. Using basic lumped circuit models for resistors, sources, inductors, transistors and capacities.
2. Analyzing circuits that include linear lumped elements. Specifically, analysis of circuits containing resistors and independent sources using techniques such as the node method, Thevenin, and superposition.
3. Using Boolean algebra to describe the function of logic circuits.
4. Designing circuits that represent digital logic expressions. Specifically, the digital circuit abstraction (gate-level) to implement a Boolean function.
5. Checking the specifications of static circuits. For example, to determine whether a logic gate represented by a circuit provides adequate noise margins.
6. Determining the output of a circuit for a given set of inputs using a resistive MOSFET model.
7. Conducting analysis of small signal amplifiers using small signal models for all elements of the circuit.
8. Analytically describing the temporal behavior of first and second order circuits containing resistors, inductors and capacities.
9. Building resistive circuits, amplifiers and simple gates in the lab.
10. Determining the frequency behavior of circuits with resistors, inductors and capacities in the lab.
11. Using models of operational amplifier circuits with negative feedback.
12. Designing, building and testing an electronic system which includes analog and digital components.

Apart from the specific competencesderived from content, the Transmission Media and Electronic Circuits course is designed to give students a range of skills that will be very useful throughout the degree. Therefore, in this course we want to achieve:

• Understanding the basic principles of electrical engineering and abstractions used in the design of electronic systems. These include models with lumped circuit models, sinusoidal steady state, digital circuits and operational amplifiers.
• Using engineering abstractions to analyze and design basic electronic circuits.
• Formulating and solving differential equations describing the temporal behavior of circuits containing energy storage elements.
• Using intuition to describe the temporal behavior of circuits containing energy storage elements.
• Understanding the concept of using a simple model to represent nonlinear and active elements found in circuits such as MOSFET transistors.
• Building circuits and measuring variables of the circuit using tools such as oscilloscopes, multimeters and signal generators. Comparing and analyzing the experimental measurements with the behavior predicted by mathematical models.
• Understanding the relationship between the mathematical representation of the behavior of a circuit and the corresponding real effects.
• Appreciating the practical significance of the electronic systems developed throughout the course.

 

Assessment

For the evaluation of the course there is only one itinerary, in which the note is calculated based on:

• Laboratory (20%): There will be 8 deliverables (4 previous studies and 4 reports). The pass grade is 5. Laboratory attendance is an essential requirement to pass the course. Only in exceptional and justified cases there will be an option to make up the lab session, always before the final exam. A Laboratory grade below 5 or failure to attend a lab session makes it impossible to pass the course, because there is no lab make up exam.
• Problems (20%): There will be three individual deliverables. Each deliverable will include at least 4 problems, of which at least 2 will be graded. The pass grade is 5. A problems grade below 5 makes it impossible to pass the course, because there is no problems make up exam.
• Final Exam (60%): Will include all the course contents. The minimum final exam grade to pass the course is 5.

If the lab and problems have a passing grade, but the final exam has been failed, you will be eligible for the July Make up Exam which replaces, to all effects, the Final Exam.

 

Contents

The Transmission Media and Electronic Circuits course considers a number of contents that will help to achieve the competencies outlined in the previous section. The course consists of five main blocks:

Content block 1. - Basic ciurcuit analysis

• Introduction and lumped elements
• Basic Circuit Analysis Method (KVL and KCL)
• Superposition, Thevenin and Norton

Content block 2 - Analysis and design of logic gates

• Digital abstraction and inside the logic gate
• Capacitive transients of first order and speed of digital circuits

Content block 3. - Nonlinear circuits and amplifiers

• Nonlinear Analysis
• Incremental analysis
• Dependent sources and amplifiers
• Large signal analysis of MOSFET amplifiers
• Small signal model of amplifiers

Content block 4 - Sinusoidal steady state and filters

• Sinusoidal steady state and the impedance model
• Transfer function and filters

Blog content 5. - Operational amplifiers

 

Methodology

The Transmission Media and Electronic Circuits course has 4 ECTS credits corresponding to 100 hours of work, of which only 36 are attending. These 36 hours are divided in: theory (18 hours), seminars (10 hours) and lab (8 hours).

Theory

• In the lectures we will cover the basic concepts of the course.
• The lectures will be in large groups (all groups together).
• Attendance is in principle mandatory.
• For each hour of theory, there are background readings from the textbook, that must be read before each class.

Seminars

• The seminars are intended for discussion of problems previously solved by the students. The teacher will resolve the doubts that have arisen.
• The seminars will be divided in medium size groups.
• Attendance is in principle mandatory.
• Course materials will be published weekly in the course space of the Global Classroom.
• Every two weeks the students will have to deliver to the teacher all the problems announced in the Global Classroom. The teacher will correct at least two randomly chosen that will count towards the problems grade.
• The delivery of the problems will count as part of the entire course grade (problems grade).
• The Global Classroom will include information of the delivery deadlines. Submissions after this date will be considered null. All deliveries must be made during the lectures, in hand to the professor.

Laboratory

• Laboratory sessions are aimed at solving practical exercises using electronic measuring equipment.
• Laboratory classes will be in small groups.
• Attendance is absolutely mandatory and an essential requirement to pass the course.
• Course materials will be published weekly in the space of the subject of the Global Classroom.
• Before each laboratory session the student will deliver to the teacher the previous studies.
• The Global Classroom will inform of the delivery deadlines. Submissions after this date will be considered null. All deliveries must be made through the Global Classroom.

Office hours

Hours available for resolving doubts in the place and times announced in the Global Classroom.

 

Resources

Basic bibliography

• Anant Agarwal and Jeffrey Lang, course materials for 6.002 Circuits and Electronics, Spring 2007. MIT OpenCourseWare (http://ocw.mit.edu/), Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
• Agarwal, Anant, and Jeffrey H. Lang. Foundations of Analog and Digital Electronic Circuits . San Mateo, CA: Morgan Kaufmann Publishers, Elsevier, July 2005. ISBN: 9781558607354.

Additional bibliography

• Tipler, P. A., Física , vol. I i II, Editorial Reverté.
• Giró, A., Canales, M., Rey, R., Sesé, G:, Tullàs, J., Física per a estudiants d’informàtica, Edicions de la UOC – Edicions UPC.