If the day/time is changed, the students will be informed in the class and the new arrangement will be posted on MyUni.

To provide student with a good understanding of some important electronic components, their circuit behaviours, and applications in the analogue processing of electronic signals and to show how these circuits have been used in various real-life applications. On completion of the course, students should:

Text book:

• Hambley, A.R., Electrical Engineering – principle and applications, 4th edition (International edition), Prentice Hall, 2007 or later edition (available from Unibooks);
• Lecture notes available as printed copy from the Image & Copy Centre at the beginning of the semester and electronic copy available via MyUni.

Wesley, A., Electronics – A System Approach, 2nd edition, 1998.

Course related materials including announcements, lecture notes, tutorial materials, practical information and so on will be made available in MyUni. Students are asked to access MyUni regularly (preferred at least once a week) for the course related information and materials throught out the semester.

• Lectures to cover the contents described in Section 1.1 course description and enhanced by tutorial questions, circuit simulations and practicals.
• Tutorials to support the covered contents adopting problem-solving principles.
• Assignments for students to exercise the knowledge learned.
• Simulations and practicals to integrate and apply the contents covered in the lectures to realise functional circuits.

In addition to averaged about five hours a week for lectures, tutorial and practical activities, averaged three hours per week are estimated to be necessary to review the contents learned and work on assignments, tutorial questions and practical reports to achieve good learning results.

Ideal amplifiers (12%) (3 hours lectures, 2 hour tutorial, 3 hours practical)

• ideal amplifier models
• cascaded amplifiers
• voltage and current gains in decibels
• amplifier frequency response
• differential amplifiers
• common mode rejection ratio

Operational amplifiers (20%) (5 hours lectures, 2 hour tutorial, 3 hours practical)

• ideal operational amplifier
• summing-point constraint
• inverting amplifier – negative feedback
• inverting amplifier – positive feedback
• schmitt trigger circuit
• non-inverting amplifier
• voltage follower
• amplifier design using op amps
• op amp imperfections
• large signal operation
• understanding specifications

Diodes and diode circuits (16%) (4 hours lectures, 2 hour tutorial, 3 hours practical)

• diode characteristics
• load-line analysis
• ideal diode model
• assumed state analysis
• rectifier circuits
• wave-shaping circuits
• clamp circuits
• linear small-signal equivalent circuits
• DC circuit equivalent
• small AC signals

Bipolar junction transistors (16%) (4 hours lectures, 2 hour tutorial, 3 hours practical)

• common emitters
• secondary effects
• load-line analysis
• quiescient operating point
• inverting amplifier
• distortion and three regions
• models for three regions
• forward and inverted modes
• large signal DC circuit model
• BJT small-signal equivalent circuits
• BJT circuit analysis
• circuit bias and analysis
• common emitter amplifier and circuit analysis
• the emitter follower
• BJT as digital logic switch

Field-effect transistors (16%) (4 hours lectures, 2 hour tutorial, 3 hours practical)

• FET characteristics
• regions and boundary for operation
• channel-length modulation
• FETs load-line analysis
• FET quiescient operating point
• drain to source voltage and current
• distortion
• FET circuit analysis
• fixed plus self bias circuit
• gate loop
• FET bias circuits
• graphical solution for Q point
• fixed plus self bias circuit design
• FET small-signal equivalent analysis
• Q point in three regions
• complex equivalent circuits
• four example FET amplifier circuits and analysis

PSPICE (10%) (2 hours lectures, 1 hour tutorial, 3 hours practical)

• basics of PSPICE
• simple circuit design and analysis
• op amp circuit simulation
• diode circuit simulation
• BJT circuit simulation
• FET circuit simulation

Analog filters and resonant circuits (7%) (1.4 hours lectures, 1 hour tutorial)

• ideal active filter
• active filters
• butterworth filters
• filter circuit design and analysis
• resonant circuit analysis

Examples of practical circuits (3%) (0.6 hours lectures)

• simple circuits using the learned electronic components

Not applicable.

• Assignments 20%: to exercise and apply the individual topic knowledge learned; learning outcomes addressed 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7;
• Practicals 10%: to integrate, exercise and apply the learned knowledge to simulate and realise various circuits as well as to learn the use of electronic instruments; learning outcomes addressed 1,3 4, 5, 6 and 8;
• Final exam 70%: to test how well students have learned the knowledge covered and how well the knowledge could be applied to solve relevant engineering problems; objectives addressed 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8;

Continuous assessment is required which needs the students to pass the assignments (averaged) and practicals (averaged) to sit for the final examination.

• Assignments: Assignments will be set and related to the topics described in Section 4.3 learning activity summary.
• Practicals/Simulations: The use of electronic instruments, RC circuits, operational amplifiers, diode circuits, BJT circuits, FET circuits, and PSPICE simulations will be carried out.
• Final exam: The final exam will be set to test the electronic knowledge learned.

Assignments and project report (hardcopy) need to be submitted with cover sheet to the submission box, which has the correct course label, located on level 2 of Engineering South Building before the deadline. Electronic copies of practical reports as well as simulation files (PSPICE .sch files) need to be submitted to the email address that will be specified at the beginning of the semester. Every one day late submission (both assignments and practical reports) will incur 10% mark deduction. Due dates may be extended with genuine reasons which needs to communicate with the lecturer face-to-face or by emails. The turn-around timeline on assessments and the provision of feedback is two weeks after the submission deadline.