COURSE UNIT (MODULE) DESCRIPTION

Course unit (module) title Code

Applied electronics 1

Lecturer(s) Department(s) where the course unit (module) is

delivered
Coordinator: prof. Vincas Tamošiūnas

Other(s): dr. Linas Minkevičius, Faculty of Physics

assoc. prof. Tomas Čeponis,
assoc. prof. Vidmantas Kalendra

Study cycle Type of the course unit (module)

First (bachelor studies) Compulsory

Mode of delivery Period when the course unit Language(s) of instruction

(module) is delivered
Lectures, seminars, laboratory works III (autumn) semester Lithuanian/English

Requirements for students

Prerequisites: Additional requirements (if any):
“Electricity and Magnetism” or similar general physics
course.

Course (module) volume Total student’s workload Contact hours Self-study hours
in credits
5 140 64 76

Purpose of the course unit (module): programme competences to be developed

To provide knowledge of applied electronics and ability to: apply theoretical knowledge for the development of
electronic circuits with required properties; efficiently analyze information in literature sources about electronics;
apply modern computer-based simulations of electronic circuit performance; explain the operation of electronics
circuit(s) based on semiconductor and general physics knowledge.
Learning outcomes of the course unit Teaching and learning Assessment methods
(module) methods
Ability of the student to apply theoretical Laboratory works Control questions, evaluation
knowledge for the investigation of properties of of results, reports, and
devices and electronic circuits; ability to conclusions.
understand the causes of the problems and
solution possibilities (1.1).
Ability to apply modern electronic circuit Seminars in computer classes Evaluation if student can
simulation methods, for example, within simulate independently the
LTSpice software package (10.1). operation of the given circuit.
Acquisition of theory knowledge required for Lectures Multiple choice test, exam in
solution of practical problems in electronics written form.
(1.1); ability to understand the literature about
electronics, to exchange information and to
present results (3.1 – 3.3); ability to understand,
interpret and apply knowledge in electronics
field (5.1); acquisition of knowledge required for
understanding the operating principles of the
circuits (12.1).
 Self-study work: time
Contact hours
and assignments

Self-study hours
Laboratory work

Internship/work

Contact hours
Content: breakdown of the topics
Assignments

Exercises

placement
Seminars
Tutorials
Lectures
1. Introduction. History of electronics and current 1 4 5
directions of research. Major circuit components
and their marking. Laboratory works:
Introduction with all work stands and equipment.
Work safety.

2. Basic circuits and methods of analysis. 3 2 4 9 11 Preparation for

Kirchhoff's circuit laws, Thévenin's and Norton's laboratory works,
theorems. Voltage divider, RC, RL, resonant reports writing.
circuits. Laboratory work: RC and RL circuit. Repetition for
Laboratory work defence. Seminars: get familiar exam.
with LTSpice circuit simulation program and to
simulate the basics circuits.

3. Diodes and their applications. Introduction to 2 4 6 9 Preparation for

semiconductors, valence and conduction bands, laboratory works,
semiconductor doping. p - n junction its’ current– reports writing.
voltage curve and capacitance. Half- and full- Repetition for
wave rectification circuits, Zener diodes. Other exam.
applications of diodes. Laboratory work:
rectification circuit and Zener diode. Laboratory
work defence.

4. Transistors and amplifiers. Bipolar transistor, 6 2 4 12 15 Preparation for

field effect transistors and amplifier stages with laboratory works,
them. A, B, AB class amplifiers, their properties, reports writing.
limitations and power. Laboratory work: Bipolar Repetition for
transistor or field effect transistors and amplifier exam.
circuit. Frequency dependence of gain and phase
of the transistor amplifier. Laboratory work
defence. Seminars: Amplifiers circuit simulation
using LTSpice program.
5. High-power applications. Switching with 2 2 4 Repetition for
transistors and operation of inverter circuits. exam.
High-power MOSFET, thyristors, application
peculiarities of silicon switched rectifiers and
diodes. Power supplies and DC-DC conversion.
6. Feedback role in amplifiers and generator. 3 2 4 9 11 Preparation for
Dependence of amplifier properties on the laboratory works,
feedback. Amplitude and phase balance reports writing.
conditions for signal generation. Wien bridge Repetition for
oscillator. Generator circuits based on op-amps. exam.
Transistor-based generators. Laboratory work:
two-stage RC - generator. Laboratory work
defence. Seminars: feedback influence simulation
in amplifiers circuits using LTSpice.
7. Applications of operational amplifiers (op- 9 2 4 15 17 Preparation for
amps). Properties of op-amps and simplified rules laboratory works,
for the analysis of op-amp based circuits. reports writing.
Comparator, inverting and non-inverting Repetition for
amplifiers, differential amplifier, electronic exam.
integrator and differentiator circuits, active filters
with op-amps. Laboratory work: Feedback in op-
amp circuits. Laboratory work defence.
Seminars: op-amps circuits’ simulation using
LTSpice program.
8. Pulse width modulation (PWM) and their 2 2 3 Repetition for
application in D class amplifiers. PWM signal exam.
generation using comparators.
9. Circuits for digital electronics. Base-2 numeral 1 1 2 Repetition for
system, basic operations of Boolean algebra and exam.
circuits for their implementation.
10. Analog to digital (ADC) and digital to analog 1 1 2 Repetition for
(DAC) conversion and information transmission. exam.
ADC and DAC conversion circuits.
11. Optoelectronic devices. Light emitting 2 2 2 Repetition for
diodes, photodiodes, data transmission through exam.
fiber optics systems.
Total 32 8 24 76

Assessment strategy Weight, % Deadline Assessment criteria

Evaluation in 10 scores system, the final score is
multiplied by the weight coefficient: preparation to answer
theoretical questions (up to 3 points), quality of work
Laboratory work rating 30* All course
performed and reports (up to 3 points), ability to defend
the results (up to 4 points).
* It is obligatory to finish and defend all laboratory works.
Ability to understand and accomplish the tasks during the
Seminar’s rating 10 All course
seminars
10 questions with multiple choices. Correct choice adds 1-
End of the point, incorrect choice – subtracts 1 point. It is possible not
Multiple-choice test 10
course to answer the question. Final score is multiplied by the
weight coefficient.
Middle of
Midterm and final exams semester, 5 open-ended questions in total. Assessment of answer
50
(written form) exam particularity, consistency, and mistakes.
session

Author Year Title Issue of a Publishing place and house

of periodical or web link
publi or volume of
catio a publication
n
Compulsory reading
D. E. Eggleston Basic electronics for Cambridge University Press,
2011
scientists and engineers (available at VU Library)
S.M. Sze Physics of semiconductor Wiley Interscience (available
2007
devices at VU Library)
Optional reading
Newnes; 4 edition
Starting Electronics (Fourth (September 23, 2011)
Keith Brindley
Edition) http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/B9
78-0-08-096992-3.00023-8
Electronics Simplified Newnes; 3 edition (May 31,
Previously published as 2011)
Ian Sinclair
Electronics Made Simple http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/B9
(Third edition) 78-0-08-097063-9.10022-6
McGraw-Hill Education
Paul Scherz, Simon Monk Practical Electronics for
TAB; 4 edition (March 24,
Inventors, Fourth Edition
2016)
http://www.electronics-
Electronics-Tutorials
tutorials.ws/