I. Things to memorize (will be tested closed-book, 2 nd and 3 rd days of class):
Term Units Unit Abbrev Symbol
Voltage Volts V
Current
Resistance
Amperes A
Ohms 
Power
Frequency
Watts
Hertz
W
Hz
E
I
R
P f
Meaning
ElectroMotive Force (EMF)
Flow of electrons
Opposition to electron flow
Energy/unit time – Joules/sec
Cycles/sec
Capacitance Farads F C
1 F = 1 Coulomb (6.24 x 10
18 electrons) at 1 Volt
Note: the Meaning column will not be tested, but is there for your understanding.
Prefix Name milli micro nano m
µ n
Symbol Multiplier Prefix Name
10
-3 kilo
10
-6
10 -9
Mega
Giga k
M
G
Symbol pico femto p f
10
-12
10
-15
10
-18
Tera
Peta
T
P atto a Exa E zepto z 10
-21
Zetta Z yocto y 10 -24 Yotta Y
Note: only from 10
-18 to 10
18
will be tested; the others are there for your reference.
Resistor Color Code:
0 = Black 5 = Green 1% = Black five stripes
1 = Brown 6 = Blue 2% = Red
2 = Red 7 = Violet 5% = Gold
3 = Orange 8 = Gray 10% = Silver four stripes
4 = Yellow 9 = White 20% = No stripe
Mnemonic: Better Boys Realize Our Young Girls Become Very Great Women
Examples:
47kΩ ±5% = yellow, violet, orange, gold
10Ω ±20% = brown, black, black, (blank)
100Ω ±10% = brown, black, brown, silver
82MΩ ±5% = gray, red, blue, gold
Orange, white, yellow, silver = 390kΩ ±10% Green, blue, green, gold = 5.6MΩ ±5%
Ohm’s Law:
I = E/R R = E/I E = I*R
Multiplier
10
3
10
6
10 9
10
12
10
15
10
18
10
21
10 24
Power Formula:
P = I*E I = P/E E = P/I P = I²R P = E²/R

II. Key Concepts from each section - Things to really understand:
1.
Chapter 1 of packet:
Voltage is pressure, and all loads drop some voltage.
Current is the flow of electrons; all the current that leaves a source must return to it to complete a circuit.
For series circuits:
The sum of the voltage rises must equal the sum of the voltage drops. (Kirchoff’s voltage law)
Total resistance is simply the sum of the resistances. Each resistor added in series increases the total resistance, and thus decreases the total current.
Voltage sources in series simply add; however, the total ampacity is equal to the lowest ampacity of the voltage sources.
If one part of the circuit becomes disconnected, all elements in the circuit are disconnected.
For parallel circuits:
The sum of the currents entering a node must equal the sum of the currents leaving the node.
(Kirchoff’s current law)
Total resistance is: 𝑅
𝑇
=
1
1
𝑅1
+
1
𝑅2
+⋯
1
𝑅𝑛
Each resistor added in parallel decreases the total resistance, and thus increases the total current.
Voltage sources in parallel have a total voltage equal to the lowest of the voltages in parallel; however, the total ampacity is equal to sum of the ampacities.
If one part of the circuit becomes disconnected, none of the other elements in the circuit are affected at all.
2.
Electronic Measuring Equipment
No meter is 100% accurate. All meters affect the circuit being measured to some degree.
Voltage must be measured in parallel; current must be measured in series. Resistance must be measured with the circuit power turned off .
Oscilloscopes have 3 main sections; the trickiest to understand it the triggering section, which permits stable images on the screen.
3.
Fixed and Variable Resistors
Understand these desirable characteristics for fixed resistors:
Low age drift Low cost
Can handle current surges
High reliability
Low temperature drift
Wide range of values
Low parasitics
Small size
Low (tight) tolerance

4.
Chapter 2 of packet:
V p
= 1.414 * V
V p-p
= 2 * V p rms
V rms
= 0.7071 * V p
V p
= ½(V p-p
)
Vector addition & subtraction: line them up in rectangular form and simply add or subtract the magnitudes:
3 + j 4
+ 6 – j 3
3 + j 4
- 6 – j 3
9 + j 1 -3 + j 7
Vector multiplication & division: must be done in polar form.
Multiplication: multiply the magnitudes, add the phase angles: 5/30° * 3/45° = 15/75°
Division: divide the magnitudes, subtract the phase angles:
5/30°
3/45°
= 1.6/−15°
Inductance: the magnetic field produced by current opposes changes in the current; this is inductance. Therefore, in inductive circuits, the current changes lag the voltage changes, or vice versa (ELI). This type of opposition to current flow is known as inductive reactance, and its symbol is X
L
; units are Ohms (Ω). X
L
= 2πfL.
Capacitance: the electrostatic field produced by voltage opposes changes in the voltage; this is capacitance. Therefore, in capacitive circuits, the voltage changes lag the current changes, or vice versa (ICE). This type of opposition to voltage change is known as capacitive reactance, and its symbol is X
C
; units are Ohms (Ω). X
C
=1/(2ΩfC).
5.
Fixed and Variable Capacitors
Understand these desirable characteristics for fixed resistors:
Low leakage
High dielectric strength
Wide useful frequency range
Wide value range
Small size
Low dissipation factor
Wide value range
Tight tolerance
Low cost
Low parasitic inductance and resistance
Excellent temperature stability
Low dielectric absorption
6.
Transformers
V s
/V p
= N s
/N p
Step UP means V s
>V p
Step DOWN means V s
<V p
Transformers depend on Faraday’s law of electromagnetic induction: v i
α dφ/dt
, so if dφ/dt
= 0 (DC voltage), NO voltage is induced on the secondary.
In other words, transformers DON’T work with DC.
7.
Impedance
Z = R ± j X; Z is ALWAYS a vector, and is the vector sum of the resistance and the total reactance of the circuit.

8.
Resonance
Essential for tuned circuits.
Occurs at the frequency when X
L
= X
C
, and results in Z
Total
= R, Θ = 0°, I = maximum, X
Total
= 0
Ohms.
High Q in inductors is very desirable but difficult to achieve. It is also frequency dependent.
9.
Motors
All motors require commutation or they won’t keep moving. In universal and DC brushed motors the commutation is built onto the rotor; in AC induction and AC synchronous motors, the AC itself provides the commutation; in DC brushless and stepper motors the commutation is provided through external electronics.
The type and size of motor for each application is totally dependent on the application. All motors have distinct advantages and disadvantages.
10.
Safety
Indirect dangers:
Explosions and fires; surprise reactions
Direct dangers:
Burns; cardiac fibrillation
Current is what kills, and Ohm’s law of safety says that the current that flows through your body is a function of the voltage you accidentally contact, and the resistance of your body. Keep your resistance high and you have a very good chance of not being harmed by accidental contact with 120 V or 240 V; above 5 kV, it’s all lethal – never contact it.
11.
IC Manufacturing
Understand photolithography and how it works.
Understand selective deposition and removal and how they are used with photolithography to build integrated circuit structures.
12.
IC Packaging (level 1)
Understand each of the desirable characteristics of an IC package:
Provides large # of I/O pins Very low cost
Allows for dissipation/removal of all the heat generated by the circuit
Structurally supports the circuit
Protects the circuit from the environment
Allows the circuit to be tested economically
Occupies very little real estate
Very low weight
Adds no parasitic devices
Can be easily mass-produced Very high reliability
Understand each of the 3 lead-connection mechanisms and their respective advantages and disadvantages: wirebonding, C4, TAB.

13.
Hybrids (level 1½)
Understand the advantages and disadvantages of hybrids, and why they are often referred to as packaging level 1½.
14.
PWB Manufacturing (level 2)
Understand each of the functions of PWBs:
Mechanically fix components in place (solder depended upon, primarily)
Electrical connections formed (solder depended upon, primarily)
Electrically separate individual signals, voltages (dielectric)
Remove heat and spread it out
Provide testability
Understand the function and desirable properties of the three main components of PWBs:
Conductive material Resin Fiber
15.
PWB Assembly (the rest of level 2)
Understand and be able to describe the primary technologies of through-hole mount and SMT.
Understand and be able to describe the processes of pick-and-place and reflow or wave soldering.
16.
Computers (Walters, Chap 1)
Understand what a computer is, how it is organized, what an instruction cycle is, and the storage hierarchy used by computers.
Understand the true nature of computer multitasking and how interrupts fit into this.
17.
Computers (Walters, Chap 2)
Understand disk fragmentation on hard-disk drives.
Understand and be able to describe several ways to make a computer go faster.
18.
Digital Communications (Walters, Chap 10)
Understand the 4 types of modulation and their characteristics.
Understand Shannon’s Law, the equation used to describe it, and each of the variables in it.
Understand analog and digital and how to convert between them.
Understand how data compression and error detection & correction work with digital data.
19.
Industrial Networking (Walters, Chap 11)
Understand and be able to define the terms: Internet, protocol, packet, frame, router, latency, jitter, packet loss ratio.
Understand the characteristics of these media types: RF wireless, Microwave wireless, Infrared wireless, twisted-pair wire, coaxial cable wire, optical fiber.

Understand and be able to give examples of the 4 types of multiplexing: FDM, TDM, SDM, and
CDM.
20.
Networks (Walters, Chaps 12, 14)
Understand the differences between LANs, CANs, and WANs.
Be familiar with the origins of the Internet and the basics of how it operates.