Electronic Systems

Introduction to Electronic Systems

• Recognise that an electronic system is a collection of integrated electronic devices working together to achieve a specific function.
• Understand that electronic systems can be categorised into analog, digital and mixed signal (both analog and digital on the same chip).
• Know that electronic systems are used in numerous applications, including computers, telecommunication, and industrial control systems.

Components of Electronic Systems

• Acknowledge that electronic systems are composed of several key components, such as resistors, capacitors, diodes, and transistors.
• Understand the functions of these components individually and how they are interconnected to perform complex tasks.
• Identify integrated circuits (ICs) as miniaturised electronic circuits manufactured in the surface of a thin substrate of semiconductor material.
• Recognise that ICs are the building blocks of modern electronic devices such as computers and mobiles.

Ohm’s Law and Circuit Analysis

• Understand the relationship between voltage, current and resistance in an electronic circuit as described by Ohm’s law.
• Ability to calculate either voltage, current, or resistance using Ohm’s law, when given the other two values.
• Familiarity with series and parallel circuits and their characteristics.
• Ability to analyse and determine the total resistance, voltage, and current in a series or parallel circuit.

Digital Electronics and Logic Gates

• Understand the principles of digital electronics - a form of electronics that uses discrete values, mostly zeroes and ones, to represent information.
• Identify logic gates as the basic building blocks of any digital system - circuits with one or more inputs and one output.
• Understand the seven basic logic gates, namely AND, OR, NOT, NAND, NOR, XOR, and XNOR gates, along with their symbols, truth tables, and applications.

Microcontrollers and Programmable Logic Devices

• Recognise microcontrollers as compact integrated circuits designed to govern specific operations in an embedded system.
• Understand that microcontrollers contain memory, processing unit, and peripherals all integrated on a single chip.
• Acknowledge the use of high-level programming languages, like C or Python, for writing the software for the microcontrollers.
• Recognize programmable logic devices (PLDs) as electronic components used to build digital circuits, which can be programmed to perform complex functions.

Feedback and Control Systems

• Learn that feedback in electronic systems is a process where a fraction of output is fed back to the input.
• Understand that a control system manages, commands, directs, or regulates the behaviour of other devices or systems to achieve a desired result.
• Familiarise with two types of control systems – open-loop control systems and closed-loop control systems, their characteristics and differences.
• Grasp the basics of PID control (Proportional-Integral-Derivative control), which is a control loop feedback mechanism widely used in industrial control systems.