This module presents the learner with the knowledge and understanding of the theory, design criteria, and typical applications, of diodes, bipolar devices and op-amps. This information will enable the student to design, analyse and test analogue circuits using these devices.
Review of Basic Electrical Quantities, Network Theorems, AC Signals and Ethics: Ohm’s law, series circuits, and parallel circuits. Kirchoff’s voltage and current laws. Basic AC signal analysis including: cycle, period, frequency and amplitude. Ethical considerations.
Introduction to Semiconductors: Structure of an atom. Types of semiconductor materials. Covalent bonding. Electron current and hole current. N-Type and P-Type semiconductors. Characteristics of a forward and reverse biased PN Junction.
Diode Theory: Characteristics of bias, analysis of operation, diode approximations, typical circuits, and applications of rectifier diodes. Characteristics of bias, analysis of operation, typical circuits, and applications of special purpose diodes including: Zener diodes, light emitting diodes (LED’s), and photodiodes. Troubleshooting of diodes.
Rectification: Introduction to the transformer operation and use in DC power supplies. Half wave rectifier. Full wave bridge rectifier. Filtering the output from either a half wave or full wave bridge rectifier using a capacitor filter. Voltage regulation using a Zener diode. Fault finding and diagnosis of rectifier circuits.
Bipolar Devices: Structure of Bipolar Junction Transistors BJT’s: NPN and PNP junctions. Relationships between transistor voltages and currents, DC current gain DC. The BJT as a switch. Fault finding and diagnosis of a BJT device and BJT switch circuits.
Amplification Using Bipolar Junction Transistors (BJT’s): DC biasing of a BJT for operation as an amplifier. Voltage divider bias. BJT Class A amplifier: Transistor characteristics curves, cutoff and saturation, DC load line and Q point. Signal (ac) operation of an amplifier and signal voltage gain of an amplifier. The common-emitter amplifier.
Op-Amps: Introduction to the op-amp, including simple applications i.e voltage follower, summing amplifiers, scaling amplifiers, averaging amplifiers etc. Fault finding and diagnosis op-amps.
