Linear Electronics

Subject description

Two-port networks. Voltage, current, and power gain. Input and output admittance. Reciprocity, active and passive linear electronic circuits, absolute stability and potential instability. Systematic approach to writing down circuit equations.

Small-signal models of nonlinear electronic components. Operating point of nonlinear circuits. Nonlinear distortion. Small-signal circuit model. Bipolar junction transistor orientations: common emitter, common collector, and common base. Unipolar transistor orientations:common source, common drain, and common gate. Darlington pair,cascode amplifier, and differential amplifier.

Transfer function. Zeros and poles of a linear system. Bode diagram. Lower cutoff frequency. Nonlinear capacitances in linear electronics. Modelling transistors at high frequencies. Miller transformation. Upper cutoff frequency.

Linear feedback systems. Feedback in linear electronics. Characteristics of linear circuits with feedback. Stability and Nyquist criterion. Phase and gainmargin.

Sine wave oscillators. Transient response and the poles of a linear system. Oscillation startup, oscillation with constant amplitude. Barkhausen criterion. Analysis of oscillator circuits.

The subject is taught in programs

Objectives and competences

The objective of the course is to familiarize students with the basic knowledge required for linear circuit analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. Students are acquainted with linearization as the basic tool for analysis of linear circuits implemented with nonlinear components,transistor orientations and simple subcircuits used in linear circuits, the effect of capacitances on lower and upper cutoff frequency, the effects of feedback, and the notion of circuit stability. Practical experience is obtained by analyzing and measuring linear circuits. The subject provides basic theoretical knowledge for discrete and integrated analog electronic circuit design.

Teaching and learning methods

The lectures provide theoretical background and solutions of simple examples. Complete study material is available to students. As part of laboratory practice students analyze more advanced circuits and extend their knowledge with measurements of various linear circuits.

Expected study results

After successful completion of the course students should be able to:

-perform computations with two-port network parameters

-systematically write down equations of a circuit

-linearize nonlinear components

-build and analyse a linearized circuit model

-choose a transistor orientation/subcircuit suitable for implementing an amplifier, voltage source, or current source

-analyse the effect of capacitances on lower and upper cutoff frequency

-analyse the effect of feedback

-analyse linear oscillators

-measure the fundamental properties of linear circuits

Basic sources and literature

  1. Bürmen, Arpad, Linearna elektronika, Založba FE in FRI, 2012.
  2. Naemen, D. A, Microelectronics: circuit analysis and design, McGraw-Hill, 2010.

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