AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The main purpose of the theoretical part of the module is to provide students with basic knowledge on technologies for modern electronic embedded systems, on different types of sensor devices and sensing methods, on embedded electronic sensing systems for Internet of Things (IoT), specifically targeting environmental monitoring applications. The objective is also to enable students to acquire the ability to process basic knowledge and use it in real applications, through practical examples and questions/problems to solve.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

The course aims to introduce the basic principles of electronic systems and sensing technologies for distributed environmental monitoring. Starting from elementary electrical circuits, material properties and semiconductor devices, the course explains how environmental quantities can be transformed into electrical signals, conditioned, digitized and integrated into embedded and distributed monitoring systems.

At the end of the course, students will be able to:

• describe the complete measurement chain of an environmental monitoring system
• analyze simple resistive and RC circuits used for sensor readout;
• explain the role of materials and semiconductors in sensing technologies;
• describe the operation of basic devices such as diodes and photodiodes;
• compare the main sensor technologies used for environmental monitoring;
• understand the need for signal conditioning, calibration, filtering and noise reduction;
• explain the principles of analog-to-digital conversion;
• describe the basic architecture of embedded sensor nodes and distributed/IoT systems for environmental monitoring.

The lectures deal with topics such as the progress of electronics and sensing systems in the support of Society and Industry.

TEACHING METHODS

The module is based on class lectures (about 40 hours) and includes exercises sessions.

Students with valid certifications for Specific Learning Disorders (SLDs), disabilities or other educational needs are invited to contact the teacher and the School's contact person for disability at the beginning of teaching to agree on possible teaching arrangements that, while respecting the teaching objectives, take into account individual learning patterns. Contacts of the School's disability contact person can be found at the following link Comitato di Ateneo per l’inclusione delle studentesse e degli studenti con disabilità o con DSA | UniGe | Università di Genova.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

The course follows the complete measurement chain:

environmental quantity → sensor → electrical signal → signal conditioning → analog-to-digital conversion → embedded node → distributed monitoring system

The lecture plan is structured as follows::

• Introduction to environmental monitoring and electronic measurement chains;
• Basic electrical quantities and resistive circuits for sensing;
• Capacitors, RC circuits and dynamic response;
• Materials for electronic sensing;
• Semiconductors and basic solid-state devices;
• Environmental sensors: principles and technologies;
• Signal conditioning for sensor systems;
• Analog-to-digital conversion and digital representation of measurements;
• Electronic interfaces and embedded readout for sensors;
• Distributed electronic systems and IoT architectures for environmental monitoring.

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

The module material is published on Aulaweb.

Textbooks:

• Sedra/Smith, Microelectronic Circuits, Oxford University Press Inc, ISBN 9780199339143 ---- ANALOG PART
• Digital Circuits And Logic Design DCAP108 ---- DIGITAL PART
• Lecture notes

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

LESSONS

LESSONS START

https://corsi.unige.it/corsi/11921/students-timetable

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

Written Exam.

If the student wishes to improve the written exam grade, (s)he can request to take the oral exam. However, it's important to note that opting for the oral exam also carries the potential risk of lowering the grade from the written exam.

The opportunity to take the oral exam to improve the written exam grade is limited to a maximum of one attempt.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

The oral exam checks the knowledge of the students of the module's content.

The assessment of competences is certified in a progressive fashion: 

• a group of baseline questions aims to verify the minimal contents required to pass the exam (18-22)
• intermediate questions aim to validate the expected average of competence and notions (23-28)
• a group of challenging questions highlights the acquisition of original and high-level skills (29-30 e Lode)

FURTHER INFORMATION

Ask the professor for other information not included in the teaching schedule.