LEARNING OUTCOMES

Basic concepts on technologies for modern electronic embedded systems. Introduction to sensor devices and sensing methods. Embedded electronic sensing systems for Internet of Things (IoT) and for distributed monitoring. Basic concepts of radio transceivers. Distributed wireless sensing networks for environmental monitoring. Application examples.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

Attendance and active participation in the proposed educational activities (lectures and laboratory activities) and individual study will enable the student to:

- understanding basic electrical variables e.g. current, voltage, power, energy

- understanding the behavior of a simple linear electric circuit

- understanding the behavior of a simple RC circuit

- understanding the classification of materials based on their electrical properties e.g. insulators, conductors and semiconductors

- learning how to analyze the behavior of an electric circuit

- understanding the behavior and application of the diode

- understanding the behavior of a MOS transistor as signal amplifier

- understanding the behavior of the CMOS inverter and of NOR and NAND gates circuits

- understanding the evaluation of time response and power/energy consumption of CMOS logic gate circuits

- understanding the behavior of an Operational Amplifier

PREREQUISITES

Basic mathematic skills

TEACHING METHODS

The course is based on class lectures (about 40 hours) and includes a lab exercise on the programming and usage of an IoT node for environmental monitoring

EXAM DESCRIPTION

-> For whom has attended the classes:
homework assigned along with the course (35%), a scientific paper discussion on topics related to the course or a project presentation (15%), and an oral exam on the topics of the course (50%)

-> Or, as an alternative, for any student:
an oral exam in which it is also required to solve some written exercises.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

The oral test checks the knowledge of the students of the course content.

Three examinations are planned in the summer session and three during the winter session

OFFICE HOURS FOR STUDENTS

On appointment

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

Course content:

1. Introduction to linear electric components and circuits: resistors, independent current and voltage generators, Kirchhoff current and voltage laws.
2. Capacitor and simple RC circuits
3. Classification of materials: insulators, conductors and semiconductors
4. Semiconductor materials as the basis of solid state (modern) electronics
5. Electronic devices: diodes and transistors.
6. The MOS transistor as signal amplifier
7. The CMOS inverter circuit
8. Power consumption, time response of the CMOS inverter
9. Static logic gates: NOR and NAND
10. Analog to Digital and Digital to Analog converters
11. Sensors
12. Moore’s law and technology scaling
13. Digital electronic circuits
14. Combinational logic circuits
15. Sequential logic circuits
16. Finite State Machines
17. Embedded data processing systems: microprocessors and microcontrollers.
18. Embedded radio transceivers
19. IoT systems for environmental monitoring

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

The course material is published on Aulaweb.

Textbooks:

Sedra/Smith, Microelectronic Circuits, Oxford University Press Inc, ISBN 9780199339143