Circuits

Learning Outcomes

Subject Specific Intellectual and Research Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• Analyse transient behaviour in RC and RL circuits in the time domain.
• Analyse AC circuits using complex numbers and phasors.
• Select appropriate mathematical tools for the solution of problems in circuits.

Knowledge and Understanding

Having successfully completed this module, you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:

• Ideal analogue AC circuits.
• The building blocks of circuit theory.
• Key concepts in circuits, such as impedance, power and resonance.

Subject Specific Practical Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• Design ideal analogue circuits.
• Construct and test analogue circuits in the laboratory (shared with ELEC1300).

Transferable and Generic Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• Record and report laboratory work (shared with ELEC1300)

Principles of Circuits

• Kirchhoff’s voltage and current laws
• Ideal circuit elements: resistors, inductors and capacitors, voltage and current sources
• Mutual inductance
• The superposition theorem and linearity.

Step Response of RL and RC Circuits

• Analysis of source-free RC and RL circuits
• Time constant of an RC and RL circuit
• The unit step forcing function
• Complete response of RL and RC circuits.

Complex Number Representation

• Argand diagram
• Euler's formula

AC Theory

• Properties of sine waves
• Sinusoidal excitation of RL and RC circuits: phase and amplitude of 1st order lead and lag.
• Impedance and admittance AC analysis of RLC circuits
• Resonant RLC circuits, coupled resonators,
• Q factor
• Phasor diagrams
• Power in AC circuits, complex power,

Diode Circuits

• Diode as a non-linear device
• Loadline analysis of circuits
• Piecewise linear treatment of a diode
• Diode rectifier circuits.

The content of this module is delivered through lectures, module website, directed reading and tutorials.

Students work on their understanding through a combination of independent study, preparation for timetabled activities, tutorials and problem classes, along with formative assessments in the form of problem sheets.

Students work on their practical skills, professional skills and technical understanding in technical laboratories.

Summative

This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.

Referral

This is how we’ll assess you if you don’t meet the criteria to pass this module.

Repeat

An internal repeat is where you take all of your modules again, including any you passed. An external repeat is where you only re-take the modules you failed.