To become familiar with a range of circuit analytical techniques.

To be able to apply the most appropriate technique for a given circuit.

To understand and be able to analyse transient phenomena in circuits containing reactive elements.

To understand the basic principles of operational amplifiers and analyse circuits containing them.

To introduce students to AC circuits.

To provide a method for AC circuit analysis for fixed frequency supplies.

To extend the AC circuit analysis for variable frequency circuits (ie simple filters).

To extend the analysis from passive frequency dependent circuits to active circuits.

(LO1) Understand Ohms Law and other fundamental principals

(LO2) Understand how circuits can be simplified using resistor combinations

(LO3) Understand the difference between real and ideal components

(LO4) Understand how to apply advanced circuit analysis techniques  (Nodal Analysis, Superposition, thevenin and Norton theorems) to  solve simple DC and AC circuit problems.

(S1) On successful completion of a module, students should be able to show experience and enhancement of the following key skills: Independent learning, problem solving and design skills.

(S2) On successful completion of a module, students should be able to show experience and enhancement of the following discipline-specific practical skills: Use of CAE tools for designing and simulating analogue systems, to determine the frequency response of simple active filter circuits, to analyse and present results, to provide interpretation of those results.

(S3) On successful completion of the module, students should be able to demonstrate: Competence in solving d.c. circuit problems using a number of techniques, ability to recognise the most appropriate solution technique for solving any given problem, competence in solving simple transient circuit problems, an appreciation of the difficulties associated with solving transient problems involving more than one reactive component, convert from time to phasor domain quantities and back to the time domain, analyse simple ac circuits with phasor to calculate current, voltage and impedance, calculate RMS and average quantities, calculate the conditions for maximum power transfer in ac circuit.

(S4) On successful completion of the module the student is expected to have: An understanding of the basic laws of electrical circuit theory and how they are applied, an understanding of operational amplifier systems, understanding of the transformation voltages and currents from the time domain in to the phasor domain, knowledge of the concept of phasors and the approach to solving ac circuits, knowledge of transfer function for simple filter circuits, understanding an ideal operational amplifier and simple active circuits, knowledge of bode plots and their meaning.

DC ELECTRICAL CIRCUITS

Basics of Electrical Circuit Theory
Introduction, basic definitions: a circuit, the ampere, potential drop, power and energy, elements, nodes or junctions, branches and loops. Basic laws of circuit theory: Kirchhoff's current and voltage laws. Definition of conductance. Resistance combination in series and in parallel, voltage and current division.

Methods of circuit analysis
Real rather than ideal voltage and current sources; source conversion. Direct method of circuit analysis. Introduction to nodal analysis. Other methods of circuit analysis. Controlled sources. The superposition theorem applied to circuits containing both independent and dependent sources. Thevenin and Norton's theorem.

Transient response of circuits
Differential laws relating current and voltage for capacitors and inductors. The transient response of simple CR and LR circuits. Use of Thevenin's theorem. Illustration of the difficulty of solv ing circuits with more than one reactive element.

Basic op-amps
Inverting and non-inverting amplifiers with ideal op-amp model.

AC ELECTRICAL CIRCUITS

Introduction to phasors
Waveforms: step, ramp, exponential and sinusoidal. Amplitude, frequency and phase of a sinewave; rms value. Addition and subtraction of sinusoids; representation of a sinusoid as a phasor; graphical addition of phasors; multiplication, division of phasors using complex numbers. Kirchhoff's laws in phasor form; phasor relationship between voltage and current for resistors, capacitors, and inductors; complex impedance.

Methods of solution of a.c. circuits with phasors
Nodal analysis and other circuit theorems in phasor form. Power in a.c. circuits; power factor. Maximum power transfer theorem. Frequency response using Bode plots for first order circuits.

The operational amplifier as an a.c. filter
Ideal operational amplifier characteristics, open loop gain, inpu t and output impedance. Application of feedback, definition of feedback fraction, non-inverting and inverting cases. Bode plots of frequency response of specific examples.

Due to Covid-19, one or more of the following delivery methods will be implemented based on the current local conditions.
(a) Hybrid delivery, with social distancing on Campus
Teaching Method 1 - On-line asynchronous lectures
Description: Lectures to explain the material
Attendance Recorded: No
Notes: On average one per week

Teaching Method 2 - On-line synchronous tutorials
Description: Tutorials on the Problem Sheets
Attendance Recorded: Yes
Notes: On average one per fortnight

Teaching Method 3 - Campus based Laboratory
Description: Laboratory Session to undertake Experiment X
Attendance Recorded: Yes
Notes: 1 day laboratory

(b) Fully online delivery and assessment
Teaching Method 1 - On-line asynchronous lectures
Description: Lectures to explain the material
Attendance Recorded: No
Notes: On average one per week

Teach ing Method 2 - On-line synchronous tutorials
Description: Tutorials on the Problem Sheets
Attendance Recorded: Yes
Notes: On average one per fortnight

Teaching Method 3 - on-line Laboratory Work
Description: On-line laboratory Session to undertake Experiment X
Attendance Recorded: Yes
Notes: 1 day laboratory

(c) Standard on-campus delivery with minimal social distancing
Teaching Method 1 - Lecture
Description: Lectures to explain the material
Attendance Recorded: Yes
Notes: On average one per week

Teaching Method 2 - Tutorial
Description: Tutorials on the Assignments and Problem Sheets
Attendance Recorded: Yes
Notes: On average one per fortnight

Teaching Method 3 - Laboratory Work
Description: Laboratory Session to undertake Experiment X
Attendance Recorded: Yes
Notes: 1 day laboratory