Virtual Electronics Textbook
(AKA -- Online Supplements for Gingrich)
This is definitely a work in progress. Please send any comments or suggestions you might have to me at connor@rpi.edu. Thank you -- KC.
Revised 2 October 2000
Supplementary materials are suggested in the comments in red. EOAD refers to Engineer on a Disk -- Electrical Engineering. ACEE refers to Elements of AC Electricity from Sweethaven. Both of these references are listed in the Helpful Info section of the course webpage. Please also check the Supplementary Materials list at the bottom of this page. There are some excellent resources to help develop and test your understanding of the fundamental circuits and electronics concepts needed to do well in this course. Comments in magenta indicate topics of lesser importance. It is not necessary to read these to do the work of this course.
- Chapter 1. Direct Current Circuits
This section gives basic introductory concepts and is reasonably complete.
1.1 Basic Concepts
- 1.1.1 Current
- 1.1.2 Potential Difference
- 1.1.3 Resistance and Ohm's Law
1.2 The Schematic Diagram
- 1.2.1 Electromotive Force
- 1.2.2 Ground
From this point on, some supplementary materials are useful.
1.3 Kirchoff's Laws: These two laws are the fundamental conservation laws for voltage around a loop and current into a node. Be sure that you understand how to apply them to a simple circuit. EOAD 2.1
- 1.3.1 Series and Parallel Combinations of Resistors EOAD 2.1.1 shows how Kirchoff's Laws are used to derive the formulas for series and parallel combinations of resistors.
- 1.3.2 Voltage Divider EOAD 2.1.4.1 shows how Kirchoff's Laws are used to derive the formula for a voltage divider.
- 1.3.3 Current Divider Of lesser importance
- 1.3.4 Branch Current Method Of lesser importance
- 1.3.5 Loop Current Method Of lesser importance
Example
1.4 Equivalent Circuits This is a very important concept. Usually, we will try to simplify the circuit diagrams for the circuits we use to make them easier to understand. This concept is discussed in any circuits book, so it might be a good idea to find one and read it over.
- 1.4.1 Thevenin's and Norton's Theorems
- 1.4.2 Determination of Thevenin and Norton Circuit Elements The first method presented by Gingrich in which the equivalent circuits are found by finding the open circuit voltage and the short circuit current is addressed in EOAD 2.2 where you can also find an example. The second method presented by Gingrich is generally simpler, but can only be used for simple circuits with no dependent sources. Dependent sources are used to model devices like transistors, so, as long as we have only DC sources and resistors we can use it. Here, for example, the Thevenin equivalent (which is the only one we will be concerned with in this course) is found by finding the open circuit voltage to get VTH while the Thevenin resistance RTH is found by shorting out the voltage source(s) and finding the net resistance across the output terminals.
- Chapter 2. Alternating Current Circuits
This and the next chapter contain some of the more difficult concepts of the course, since they involve the use of complex arithmetic. It is very important to grasp the basic ideas involved.
2.4 Resonance and the Transfer Function EOAD 5.1.4 There is also a short discussion of transfer functions and how to measure them in the webpage for ELEC 241 Lab at Rice University.
2.5 Four-Terminal Networks EOAD 6 The key issue here is the transfer function, so most of the details are not very important for this course.
2.6 Single Term Approximations of H
- Chapter 3. Filter Circuits
3.1 Filters and Amplifiers Only the general expression for a transfer function is significant in this short discussion.
3.2 Log-Log Plots and Decibels Of lesser importance
3.3 Passive RC Filters EOAD 5.1.3 and the corresponding RL filters are presented in EAOD 5.1.2
- 3.3.1 Low-Pass Filter
- 3.3.2 Approximate Integrator
- 3.3.3 High-Pass Filter
- 3.3.4 Approximate Differentiator
3.4 Complex Frequencies and the s-Plane Of lesser importance
- 3.4.1 Poles and Zeros of H Of lesser importance
3.5 Sequential RC Filters Of lesser importance
3.6 Passive RCL Filters EOAD 5.1.4
- 3.6.1 Series RCL Circuit
3.7 Amplifier Model Of lesser importance
- 3.7.1 One-, Two-, and Three-Pole Amplifier Models Of lesser importance
- 3.7.2 Amplifier with Negative Feedback Of lesser importance
- Chapter 4. Diode Circuits
- Chapter 5. Transistor Circuits We will use very little of this chapter.
- Chapter 6. Operational Amplifiers
These are the fundamental components of any amplifier circuit we will be building in this course. They are discussed in EOAD 4.1
6.1 Open-Loop Amplifiers
The key topics in this section are the op-amp symbols, how op-amps are powered and the two conditions for linear operation. These general properties of op-amps are found in EOAD 4.1.1 It is not necessary to read the discussion of equations 6.1 - 6.3.
6.2 Ideal Amplifier Configurations
This section includes the properties of ideal op-amps. since we will be almost exclusively using this model, it is important to understand this material. Keep these properties in mind when trouble-shooting circuits that you build. These properties and rules should be met at least approximately for your circuits to be working correctly. The first two sections below and the discussion of the differential amplifier in the beginning of 6.2.5 can be understood without using the complex impedance concepts developed in the AC Circuits chapter. However, the remaining materials should not be read in detail until after chapters 2 and 3.
- 6.2.1 Non-inverting Amplifiers
See EOAD 4.1.2.7 and EOAD 4.1.2.2
- 6.2.2 Inverting Amplifiers
See EOAD 4.1.2.1
- 6.2.3 Mathematical Operations
- 6.2.4 Active Filters
- 6.2.5 Differential Amplifiers
See EOAD 4.1.2.6
6.3 Analysis Using Finite Open-Loop Gain
- 6.3.1 Output Impedance
- 6.3.2 Input Impedance
- 6.3.3 Voltage and Current Offsets
- 6.3.4 Current Limiting and Slew Rates
- Chapter 7. Digital Circuits
- Chapter 8. Data Acquisition and Control Of lesser importance
- Chapter 9. Computers and Device Interconnections Of lesser importance
Supplementary Materials
- Basic Circuit Info from Swarthmore.
- Circuit Elements - Basic circuit elements and the equations governing them.
- Circuit Analysis Methods - The methods used to analyze circuit behavior.
- System Behavior - How systems behave, and tools for observing that behavior.
- Sample Problems - If you feel unsure about things, try these problems.
- Design Lab and DC Tutor from Prof. James Svoboda at Clarkson. These applets provide an excellent opportunity to test your knowledge of important fundamental topics. Note: These materials (and some others) are also presented in his Electronic Teaching Assistant.
Design Lab
The Circuit Design Tutor consists of several Java applets, each providing an opportunity to experiment with the design of a particular circuit:
- Voltmeters and Ammeters
- Voltage Divider
- Current Divider
- Series Resistors
- Parallel Resistors
- Equivalent Resistance
- Thevenin and Norton Equivalent Circuits
- Superpostion
- Amplifier using a VCVS
- The Inverting Amplifier
- The Noninverting Amplifier
DC Tutor -- Several Java applets providing exercises in circuit analysis topics.
Each applet generates a series of circuit analysis problems. Each circuit analysis problem includes a meter that measures a voltage or current. The user is asked to predict the the voltage or current measured by the meter. The user's answer is checked by the program. If it is correct, that fact is announced and the meter displays the answer. If not correct, use user is given another chance to answer. The program keeps track of the number answers and of the number of correct answers. At any time the user can ask to see the correct answer.
- Ohm's and Kirchoff's Laws
- Series and Parallel Resistors
- Equivalent Resistance
- Superposition
- Node and Mesh Equations
- Dependent Sources
- More Dependent Sources
- Op Amp Circuits
- Electric Circuits from Innovatia. This is part of their Inventor's Design Center. Much of the materials provided in the Design Center are beyond the scope of this course, but the Electric Circuit material is a good summary.
A General Summary of Basic Concepts
- Electrical Quantities
- Ohm's Law
- Sources and Equivalent Resistances
- Kirchoff's Voltage and Current Laws
- DC and AC
- Frequency and Period
- Voltage and Current Dividers
- Thevenin's and Norton's Theorems
- Superposition
- Unit Prefixes
- Basic Measurement Instruments
- Digital Logic from Ken Bigelow. Some excellent Javascript demonstrations of digital logic concepts. You can control the input levels to the logical configurations and see what the outputs look like. A good set of tools to test your understanding of basic concepts.
Combinational Logic
- Basic Gates
- Derived Gates
- The XOR Function
- Binary Addition
Sequential Logic
- RS NAND Latch
- Clocked RS Latch
- RS Flip-Flop
- JK Flip-Flop
- D Latch