Electronics is the study of the flow of charge through various materials and devices such as, semiconductors, resistors, inductors, capacitors, nano-structures, and vacuum tubes. All applications of electronics involve the transmission of power and possibly information. Although considered to be a theoretical branch of physics, the design and construction of electronic circuits to solve practical problems is an essential technique in the fields of electronic engineering and computer engineering.
The study of new semiconductor devices and surrounding technology is sometimes considered a branch of physics. This module focuses on engineering aspects of electronics. Other important topics include electronic waste and occupational health impacts of semiconductor manufacturing.
This course of electronics is intended for students enrolling for pre-service and in-service students registering for BSc with Education and BEd degrees. As you may be aware, Electronics forms one the back bone of modern physics. The module has six units: Diode Circuits; Transistor Circuits; Operational Amplifiers; Digital Circuits; Data acquisition and Process Control; and Computers and Device Interconnection.
In the first unit/activity i.e. diodes circuits, students are expected to explain charge carrier generation, intrinsic and extrinsic semi-conductors, formation and application of P-N junction, and to design and analyse diode circuits (e.g, power supply circuits).
In the second unit/activity i.e. Transistor circuits, the student is expected to explain how a Bipolar Junction Transistor (BJT) works; Design and analyse basic BJT circuits in various configurations (CE, EB, CB); Explain how a junction Field Effect Transistor (JFET) works ; Design and analyse JFET circuits in both configurations (CD, CS); Explain how MOSFET works and also be able to Design and analyse MOSFET circuits.
