Electronics

Applied Electronics & Instrumentation Engineering

Applied Electronics has succeeded beyond all expectations in making a mark in the life of modern man. Every household depends on several products. The scope of application is so vast that one cannot think of any other field where Electronics does not find it's utility.

The Bachelor of Applied Electronics & Instrumentation Engineering degree program in Silicon prepares its Graduates in the areas of applied electronics to learn the changing needs of the first changing technology of the world.

Technical expertise is not only the objective of the curriculum; appreciation of the wider humane and financial consideration that Engineers in the industry have to take into account is also highly sought. Engineering Economics, Applied Psychology, Communication Skills, Human Resource Management, Entrepreneurships are subjects that all students have to take at various stages of the course.

Career Prospects: The demand for Applied Electronics is growing rapidly and job opportunities for graduates are multi-faceted. The graduates can work as Manufacturing Engineers in MNCs like Sony, LG, Samsung, Philips, Quality Controller, Research, Design & Development Consultants, Entrepreneurs and Teachers.

Deci-bels (dB) are a logarithmic measure of system/network amplification or gain (G). The logarithms are taken to the base 10 and multiplied by 20:

dB = 20logG (where G is the gain of the system)

To give an example of what this means:

G = 0.01, so dB gain = 20log0.01 = 20 * -2 = -40dB

G = 0.1, so dB gain = 20log0.1 = 20 * -1 = -20dB

G = 1, so dB gain = 20log1 = 20 * 0 = 0dB

G = 10, so dB gain = 20log10 = 20 * 1 = 20dB

G = 100, so dB gain = 20log100 = 20 * 2 = 40dB

G = 10000, so dB gain = 20log10000 = 20 * 4 = 80dB

There are other uses for dB in electronics, where logarithms are useful they are preferred. The reasons logs can be useful is because the natural log of an exponential curve is a straight line, allowing for easier ways of understanding the behaviour of a system.

Kirchoff's current law states that the current at every point in a series circuit is the same. If the radio is drawing 200 mA, then so will the resistor.

Kirchoff's voltage law states that the sum of the signed voltage drops in a series circuit all add up to zero, or that the voltage across parallel elements is the same. If the battery is providing 12 V, and the radio is using 9 V, then the resistor must be using 3 V.

Ohm's law states that resistance is voltage divided by current. If the voltage across the resistor is 3 V, and the current is 200 mA, then the resistor must be 15 ohms.

A consequence of the definition of voltage, current, and power is that power (joules per second) is voltage (joules per coulomb) times current (coulombs per second). The power dissipated by the resistor must then be 600 mW, so it should be rated at least one watt.

If the current drawn by the radio is not constant, a better solution might be to place a reverse biased 3 V zener diode in series with the radio, instead of a resistor. This will ensure that the voltage drop is always 3 V. Power across the diode will still be about 600 mW, for the 200 mA case.

Accident? Accident?

• If you mean Konrad Zuse's Z3, it was blown up in a WW2 allied bombing raid.
• If you mean John Vincent Atanasof's ABC it was cut in little pieces because it was too big to fit through a doorway when the university needed to move it to make room for more classrooms.
• If you mean the Colossus cryptanalytic machines at Bleechley, Winston Churchill ordered them smashed into pieces no bigger than a man's fist for security.
• If you mean Charles Babbage's Analytical Engine, it died of no funding and no interest in its abilities. Human computers worked just fine and didn't need the temperamental/argumentative/unreliable Babbage to make them work.