School of Electrical and Information Engineering
University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg ELEN2001 Electronics I
Course Brief and Outline: 2014
Course coordinator
Dr. M. V. Shuma-Iwisi
Room CM4.234 Telephone:
011-717-7249
E-mail: Mercy.Shuma-Iwisi@wits.ac.za
Course Background and Purpose
Electronics is a crosscutting discipline. Over the years, it has grown until it permeates almost everything
we do! Electronic systems, devices and controls are all around us whether at home, work, or in our
automobiles. Satellite communications, cable TV, the Internet, cell phones, computerized data
communications, and Global positioning systems are all examples of digital communication systems
which were not thought possible just a few years ago.
Electronic security systems have become vital in all spheres domestic, industrial or commercial. In
manufacturing a myriad of industrial controls, computer-aided drafting and design (CADD), and
computer-aided manufacturing systems are used. There are also overwhelming applications of
electronics in industrial automation. Electronics is a fast changing field it is impossible to imagine what
tomorrow will bring!
To become competent in any specific area within the broad panorama of possibilities offered in
electronics, one must get a thorough grasp of the fundamentals. To succeed, the fundamentals must be
studied, learned, and applied. This course has been designed to: Familiarize the student with the
appropriate underlying vocabulary; give student a good basic understanding of different analogue and
digital electronics devices, their limitations, strengths and weaknesses; and to instill a proper design
approach to electronic systems. The course is anchored on analysis and design of real-world problems
and hands on experience through laboratory experimentation and project work. Another important skill
that a student needs is the ability to effectively communicate one’s ideas and results. Communications
skills will be re-enforced through project report writing.
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Course Outcomes
After successful completion of the course students should be ‘electronics literate’. They should be able
to understand basic electronic terminology and circuits, be able to design an electronic circuit from a
vague specification, and be able to avoid many of the design pitfalls that exist. In particular, on
successfully completing this course, students should:
Demonstrate knowledge of electronics terminology;
Have had experience using standard electronics simulation software;
Have had some exposure to basic electronic components, build some simple circuits and had
exposure to correct debugging and measurement techniques;
Be able to carry out correct circuit analysis using appropriate device models;
Be able to design basic electronic circuits that work;
Be able to present designs and testing results in a technical report
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Course Content
Diodes: Silicon diode: reverse breakdown and small signal models; rectifier circuits. Other diode types
Bipolar Junction Transistors: NPN and PNP transistors. Biasing, amplification and switching
Field Effect Transistors: Enhancement MOSFET’s; Biasing, amplification and switching
Op-Amps: The Ideal Op-Amp; Basic op-amps circuits with negative and positive feedback; Effects of
non-idealness of op-amps
Logic: Basic gates; Combinational logic; Logic reduction techniques; Sequential logic devices
Applications: Regulated dc power supplies, wave shaping circuits, bipolar junction transistor switch,
bipolar junction transistor amplifier, MOSFETS switch, non-linear op-amp applications e.g. comparators
and Schmitt triggers, instrumentation amplifiers, basic sequential logic circuits e.g. asynchronous
counters, synchronous counters, and registers
3.1
Knowledge Areas
There are four knowledge areas in this course namely:
 Diodes
 Transistors
 Operational amplifiers
 Logic
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Prior Knowledge Assumed
100% of work covered in ELEN1000 (Circuits I). Students need to be able to apply appropriate circuit
analysis techniques covered in ELEN 1000 in the analysis and design of electronic circuits.
5 Assessments
5.1 Components of the Assessment
See the School’s document entitled Application of Rule G 13 and calculator requirements in 2014 on the
School notice board.
5.2 Assessment Criteria
In assessing the student's performance, the ability to design simple circuits in a modular fashion will be
emphasized. The ability to successfully explain the design decisions and its limitations is also important.
Ability to logically analyze a circuit using appropriate device models, equivalent circuits and appropriate
circuit analysis techniques to obtain expected results is crucial.
For the project component, the prototype circuit, the engineering note book and the project report are
assessed.
The examination will be set with questions examining the knowledge areas listed in section 3.1. Failure
to demonstrate competency in one or more of the knowledge areas will result in failure of the course.
Students will have to be competent in all the knowledge areas to pass the course.
5.3 Satisfactory Performance (SP) Requirements
Rule G.13 and the School’s documents entitled Application of Rule G 13 and calculator requirements in
2014 and Satisfactory Performance Requirements and Late Submission Penalty (see the School notice
board) apply.
In addition, each student is required to attend and complete satisfactorily all labs, all tutorial sessions,
and all project work set out as part of the satisfactory performance requirement. A student failing to do
any of the above without good and justified reason will be deemed to have failed the satisfactory
performance criteria.
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5.4 Calculators and Information Sheets in Examinations
See the School’s document entitled Application of Rule G 13 and calculator requirements in 2014 on the
School notice board. A course information sheet will be provided and thus no handwritten A4
information sheet is allowed, this is also the case for the class test.
6 Teaching and Learning Process
6.1 Teaching and Learning Approach
Emphasis during lectures is upon understanding of the basic concepts. Interaction during lectures, labs,
project work and tutorials is encouraged. The prescribed text books represent the course notes. Tutorial
exercises are designed to complement and probe material currently being taught, and are not necessarily
designed as examination or test questions.
6.2 Arrangements
6.2.1 Lectures:
There will be five formal contact hours a week. Check the time table.
6.2.2 Tutorials:
There will be tutorial sessions running for the duration of the course. These tutorial sessions will be used
as a forum to discuss one on one matters relating to lectures, projects, and tutorial problems. Tutorial
problems for these sessions will be posted on the course homepage. Rooms for tutorial sessions are
indicated in the time table
As a school policy, answers to tutorial problems are not published nor circulated by the lecturer.
Students are encouraged to attempt tutorial questions and bring in their work for discussion during
tutorial sessions.
6.2.3 Laboratories:
Laboratory experimentation associated with this course will be held on Tuesdays at 14h00 to 17h00 in
the Electric Engineering Lab. There will be five laboratory sessions in the semester. Laboratory
sessions are supposed to give the students an opportunity to carry out experimentation on physical
circuits to be built.
There will also be circuit simulation laboratory sessions which include all the experimentation to be
done using simulation software. These sessions take place in the PC pool.
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Lab arrangements:
The class will be divided in two groups for the purposes of tutorial sessions and circuit simulation
sessions. Circuit simulation and tutorial sessions take place for one and a half hours each. On Tuesday
afternoons designated for these sessions, one group is in tutorials for half the afternoon whilst the other
group is in the PC pool for the circuit simulation session. The two groups exchange venues at 15h30.
You will be required to pair up with another student for laboratory experimentation sessions. Choose a
partner who you can successfully work with and register on the registration sheet at school reception.
Remember to make an informed and wise choice! Lab groups are expected to be finalized in the first
week of the semester.
On designated Tuesday afternoons, all laboratory groups attend the lab experimentation sessions in the
Electrical Engineering Laboratory. Each laboratory session takes 3 hours. Students are expected and
encouraged to buy and bring a pair of side cutters, wire strippers, and long nose pliers as their basic tools
for laboratory experimentation. With time it will become apparent that a small portable multi-meter is
also handy and indispensable for making measurements outside the lab.
Lab Exemptions: No laboratory exemptions are allowed. Students repeating the course must repeat
the entire laboratory experimentation work. Students will be informed in class when laboratory work
will begin.
Note:
Laboratory sessions alternate with the tutorials & circuit simulation sessions. Therefore, on every
Tuesday afternoon you are either occupied by laboratory experimentation work or by tutorials & circuit
simulation sessions.
Project:
There will be a project to be executed in this course. The project will be formally assessed, and
therefore students are expected to submit a prototype design, project report and their engineering
notebook for assessment. The School's policy on timely submission of project reports will be
enforced and must be read by each student.
Project Teams: To emphasize on teamwork, students will work in teams for the project work. Each
team should subdivide their work so that each student works on a specific component(s) of the project
design. Members of a team should meet regularly to appraise each other of their progress and to
exchange/share ideas. It is expected that each team will nominate a team leader whose responsibility will
be to coordinate the team activities and represent the team.
Project Report: Each team will submit a single project report. Each student will be responsible to
write on the project component(s) for which he/she was responsible for. Details on the project report
will be provided in due course.
Project Prototype Circuit: Students in the same team will be awarded the same mark for the
performance of the prototype circuit. This is to make sure that team members work towards the same
goal of a successful conclusion of the project.
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Engineering Notebook: Each student should keep an A4 hardcover notebook as an engineering
notebook. The notebook is provided by the school. You must obtain your notebook from the school
reception desk. All laboratory experimentation work i.e. relevant circuit diagrams, experimentation
results, calculations, answers to questions and conclusions should be documented in the notebook.
Your notebook will be signed by your laboratory tutor at the end of each laboratory session to indicate a
complete set of experimentation data and therefore a successful laboratory session.
For the project, all design notes, circuit diagrams, experimentation circuits, calculations, simulation
results and experimentation results, should also be well documented in the notebook. All entries in the
engineering notebook must be dated. It is the responsibility of each student to maintain their engineering
notebook.
The engineering notebook will be used as a component in grading your project and it will
therefore be submitted with the final project report.
Important Dates:
See the School’s schedule for tests and course homepage for important dates for the course.
7 Information to support the course
7.1 Prescribed Textbooks:
Boylestad R. L., & Nashelsky L, Electronic Devices and Circuit Theory, 11th Edition, Pearson Prentice
Hall
7.2 Other suggested references:
Horowitz and Hill, The Art of Electronics, Cambridge University Press
Rizzoni G., Principles and Applications of Electrical Engineering, Fourth edition, McGraw Hill
Rashid M., Microelectronics Circuits: Analysis and Design, PWS Publishing House
Neamen D. A., Microelectronics Circuit Analysis and Design, McGraw-Hill
Floyd T., Digital Fundamentals, Ninth Edition, Prentice Hall, New Jersey
Jain R. P. Modern Digital Electronics, McGraw-Hill
7.3 Course Home Page
For other information related to the course, please refer to the course homepage at:
http://dept.ee.wits.ac.za/~shumaiwisi/ and the official website for the textbook:
http://www.prenhall.com/boylestad .Visit the course homepage regularly for announcements
and new information regarding the course.
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8 Other Information
Although attendance at lectures is not compulsory, lectures will be used to supplement course textbooks
and this supplementary information is examinable. Announcements relating to the course will also be
made in lectures from time to time.
I have a great regard for the peer support system; you only really understand something if you can
explain it to your peers, so as much as possible work in groups.
Students can also use the email as a method of contact. Consultation appointments can be made either
by email or during contact hours.
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