Centre Candidate

Surname
Number Number
First name(s) 0

GCSE
O21-C490UA0-1

C490UA0-1

TUESDAY, 16 NOVEMBER 2021 – AFTERNOON

ELECTRONICS – Component 1
Discovering Electronics
1 hour 30 minutes
For Examiner’s use only
Maximum Mark
Question
Mark Awarded
1. 6

C 49 0UA01
2. 9
3. 13

01
4. 4
5. 14
6. 6
7. 9
8. 13
ADDITIONAL MATERIALS
9. 6
A calculator and a ruler.
Total 80

INSTRUCTIONS TO CANDIDATES
Use black ink or black ball-point pen. Do not use gel pen or correction fluid.
You may use a pencil for graphs and diagrams only.
Write your name, centre number and candidate number in the spaces at the top of this page.
Answer all questions.
Write your answers in the spaces provided in this booklet. If you run out of space, use the additional
page(s) at the back of the booklet, taking care to number the question(s) correctly.

INFORMATION FOR CANDIDATES

The number of marks is given in brackets at the end of each question or part-question.
The assessment of the quality of extended response (QER) will take place in question 9.

OCT21C490UA0101 © WJEC CBAC Ltd. MK*(Y20-C490UA0-1)

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INFORMATION SHEET

This information may be of use in answering the questions.

Resistor Colour Codes

The fourth band colour
Black 0 Green 5
gives the tolerance as
Brown 1 Blue 6 follows:

Red 2 Violet 7 GOLD ± 5%

Orange 3 Grey 8 SILVER ± 10%

Yellow 4 White 9

Resistors E24 series values

10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 27, 30, 33, 36, 39, 43, 47, 51, 56, 62, 68, 75, 82, 91.

Useful equations

V2 RF
P= G = 1+
R R1

R2 RF
VOUT = V G=−
R1 + R2 IN RIN

V V
I D = g M (VGS − 3) VOUT = −RF ⎛ 1 + 2 +!⎞
⎝ R1 R2 ⎠

IC = h FE I B T = 1.1RC

1
A + B = A.B f=
T

1.44
A.B = A + B f=
(R1 + 2R2 )C

VOUT TON R1 + R2
G= =
VIN TOFF R2

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Answer all questions.

1. The diagram shows the pinout diagrams for a number of logic ICs (integrated circuits).

A B C
1 14 1 14 1 16

2 13 2 13 2 15
3 14
3 12 3 12
4 13
4 11 4 11
5 12
5 10 5 10
6 11
6 9 6 9
7 10
7 8 7 8 8 9

D E F
1 14 1 14 1 14
2 13 2 13 2 13
3 12 3 12 3 12
4 11 4 11 4 11
5 10 5 10 5 10
6 9 6 9 6 9
7 8 7 8 7 8

(a) Which IC (A to F) contains:

(i) AND gates ...........................................................

(ii) NOT gates ........................................................... [2]

(b) (i) Which logic IC (A to F) contains logic gates with the following truth table? [1]

B A Q

0 0 1

0 1 1

1 0 1

1 1 0

Answer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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(ii) Which logic IC (A to F) contains logic gates with the following truth table? [1]

B A Q

0 0 0

0 1 1

1 0 1

1 1 1

Answer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(c) Complete the following truth tables for:

(i) a logic gate in package F. [1]

B A Q

0 0

C 49 0UA01
05
0 1

1 0

1 1

(ii) a logic gate in package A. [1]

B A Q

0 0

0 1

1 0

1 1

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2. (a) A number of electronic sub-systems are listed below.

OR gate Transistor switch unit Buzzer unit

Temperature sensing unit Delay unit Switch unit

Light sensing unit Solenoid unit Comparator unit

Write each sub-system into the correct column in the table below. [3]

Input sub-systems Processing sub-systems Output sub-systems

(b) The highways agency uses battery-operated flashing lights

on traffic cones to warn drivers of roadworks.

SPECIFICATION

• The light should flash on and off to alert drivers of roadworks.

• To preserve battery life, the light should flash only when it
gets dark and stop when it gets light.
• There should be a test switch that allows workers to test the
light during the daytime.

The following sub-systems are available.

OR gate Temperature sensing unit Light sensing unit Lamp unit

Moisture sensing unit Latch unit Pulse generator Switch unit

AND gate Transistor switch unit Comparator unit NOT gate

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The sensing units behave as follows:

• The moisture sensing unit outputs logic 1 when wet.

• The light sensing unit outputs logic 1 in the dark.
• The temperature sensing unit outputs logic 0 when cold.

Select the correct sub-systems to complete the block diagram design. [6]

Lamp unit

C 49 0UA01
07
9

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Examiner
3. (a) The diagram shows part of a circuit. only

30 mA
12 V
I1 10 mA

V1
R1 R2 = 900 Ω V2

I3

V3
R3 = 100 Ω

0V

(i) Determine the values of the following: [2]

I1 = ....................................................................

I3 = ....................................................................

(ii) Calculate the value of V3. [3]

(iii) Calculate the value of V1. [2]

(iv) Calculate the total resistance of the circuit. [3]

(b) What is the colour code on resistor R3? The tolerance band colour has been completed.
[3]

.................................... .................................... .................................... .......... GOLD. . . . . . . . . . . 13

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4. The AC output from a transformer needs to be half-wave rectified and connected to a load
resistor of 2.7 kΩ.

(a) Complete the circuit diagram of this arrangement. [2]

Transformer

AC Input

(b) Sketch a graph of the voltage across the load resistor on the graph below. The transformer
output is shown as a dashed line. [2]

Voltage (V)

10

C 49 0UA01
5

09
0
Time

–5

– 10

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5. (a) The specification for a logic system is:

• X = A.C
• Y=B
• Output Q = X + Y

(i) Add the appropriate logic gates and connections to the diagram below to meet the
specification: [3]

A
X

B Q
Y

(ii) Complete the following truth table for the specification. [3]

C B A X Y Q

0 0 0

0 0 1

0 1 0

0 1 1

1 0 0

1 0 1

1 1 0

1 1 1

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(b) Here is a different logic system.

Q
E

(i) Redraw this logic circuit using NAND gates only. [3]

(ii) Cross out all redundant NAND gates. [2]

(c) In modern cars microcontrollers are used instead of discrete logic gates.

(i) Give one use of a microcontroller in a modern car. [1]

(ii) Describe one advantage of using a microcontroller for this use. [2]

14

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6. A greenhouse manufacturer has designed a warning system to let gardeners know when the
outside temperature falls below 4 °C.

An amber warning LED should come on when the outside temperature falls below 4 °C.

(a) Add the temperature sensing sub-system to complete the circuit. [2]

12 V

10 kΩ

_
R

10 kΩ

0V

(b) (i) The amber warning LED has a forward voltage of 2.15 V. The high output voltage
of the comparator is 11.5 V. Calculate the ideal value of the resistor R to limit the
current through the LED to 19 m A. [3]

(ii) Select an appropriate resistor value from the E24 series to ensure that the current
through the LED does not exceed 19 m A. [1]

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7. A regulated power supply recharges a mobile phone from a 9 V battery. The maximum charging
current for the mobile phone is 280 m A.

The circuit is shown below. The 5.1 V zener diode requires a minimum holding current of 12 m A.

9V
IR = 300 mA

VR R
ILOAD

IZ
Mobile
5.1 V phone VOUT

0V

(a) Determine the voltage VR across resistor R. [1]

(b) Calculate the current IZ through the zener diode when the power supply is providing the
maximum charging current. [2]

(c) The mobile phone is disconnected from the circuit.

(i) What is the new current through the zener diode? … … … … … . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . … … [1]

(ii) Calculate the power dissipated in the zener diode. [3]

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(iii) Choose the most suitable 5.1 V zener diode from the following. [1]

Max power rating Cost

500 mW £0.05

1.3 W £0.07

2W £0.20

5W £0.31

(d) The 9 V supply battery is replaced with a 12 V battery. What is the new value of VOUT?
[1]

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8. The following diagram shows a transistor switching circuit.

12 V

M 12 V, 400 mA

R = 1.5 kΩ
Input hFE = 100

VIN

0V

(a) The transistor is just saturated. Calculate:

(i) the base current flowing through the 1.5 kΩ resistor. [4]

(ii) the voltage across the 1.5 kΩ resistor. [2]

(iii) the value of VIN. [2]

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(iv) the power dissipated in the motor. [3]

(b) Add a component to the circuit diagram opposite to protect the transistor when the motor
switches off. [2]

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9. A student was given the task of designing a set of basic traffic lights to produce the outputs
shown in the truth table.

B A Green Yellow Red

0 0 0 0 1

0 1 0 1 1

1 0 1 0 0

1 1 0 1 0

The student’s design for the circuit is shown below.

Red

Yellow

Green

C B A

1Hz Binary counter R

Evaluate the design and its suitability for the task given. Suggest any modifications required.
[6 QER]

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Question Additional page, if required. Examiner

number Write the question number(s) in the left-hand margin. only

20 © WJEC CBAC Ltd. (C490UA0-1)