Module Specifications.
Current Academic Year 2024 - 2025
All Module information is indicative, and this portal is an interim interface pending the full upgrade of Coursebuilder and subsequent integration to the new DCU Student Information System (DCU Key).
As such, this is a point in time view of data which will be refreshed periodically. Some fields/data may not yet be available pending the completion of the full Coursebuilder upgrade and integration project. We will post status updates as they become available. Thank you for your patience and understanding.
Date posted: September 2024
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Repeat examination Resit assessment opportunity will include examination and/or reevaluation of lab based outcomes (through exercises given for the takeaway kit) based upon the learning outcomes required by the candidate. |
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Description The aim of this module is to support the student to develop knowledge and skills relating to electricity and electronics through a combination of lectures and practical learning. No prior knowledge of electricity or electronics is assumed. The learning on the module includes lab-based activities, but it is an explicit aim of this module that with access to a selected set of suitable tools and components students would be able to undertake self-directed learning activities outside the lecture theatre and outside the lab. This module will prepare the students who are going on to take more advanced electronic engineering modules with the necessary fundamentals. It also provides students entering other disciplines with a grounding in the technologies which enable the modern world. Topics include (i) an introduction to electricity and electrical concepts; (ii) an introduction to the concept of electrical resistance; (iii) fundamentals of direct current (DC) circuit analysis (e.g. Kirchoff’s laws); (iv) an introduction to components and their applications such as diodes, transistors, capacitors and inductors. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Learning Outcomes 1. Measure current, voltage, resistance and power dissipated in a circuit 2. Wire up and debug circuits involving standard passive and active components on a breadboard according to a circuit diagram 3. Demonstrate a capacity to use electronic components, circuits and tools with due regard to the health and safety of themselves and others 4. Apply Coulomb’s Law to small sets of point charges 5. Identify the main circuit elements and draw a circuit diagram corresponding to a physical combination of standard electronic components 6. Apply Kirchhoff’s Laws to calculate currents, voltages and powers in typical DC electric circuits using a variety of analytical methods 7. Analyse simple circuits that include components studied within the module such as, resistors, capacitors, inductors and diodes 8. Describe the operation and I-V characteristics of a diode and a transistor | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
All module information is indicative and subject to change. For further information,students are advised to refer to the University's Marks and Standards and Programme Specific Regulations at: http://www.dcu.ie/registry/examinations/index.shtml |
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Indicative Content and Learning Activities
Teaching & Learning Strategies/Assessment MethodologyThis module is delivered via a combination of lectures and practical sessions in an integrated manner. The lectures provide an understanding of underlying fundamental concepts which are applied in practical activities to reinforce learning. The materials used by students within this module and the practical exercises are designed to allow work to be completed in the laboratories. The individual take away component kit and tools allow for student self-study to support a range of student abilities and interests. The fortnightly assessments provide students feedback in their progress against the learning outcomes over the module, covering topics based upon lectures and/or practical content from that period. The class test and end-of-module written exam evaluate the extent to which understanding achieved by the students can be used to design and analyse simple electronic circuits.Indicative Syllabus: PracticalElectricity – its sources, conductors and measuring devices; Basic electronic components: resistors, LEDs, potentiometers, transistors, switches, relays, breadboard; Standard electronics tools and their safe usage; Using the transistor as a switch; Reading and drawing circuit diagrams; The nuances of measuring electrical signals.Indicative Syllabus: Lecture/seminarFundamentals of electricity and electric circuits. Units, standards and notation for electrical quantities. Electric charge, static electricity, First law of electrostatics. Coulomb’s law and force between electric charges. Electric fields. Work and energy in an electric context. Resistance and resistors, Ohm’s Law, Non-Ohmic components, Resistivity and conductivity. Kirchoff’s Laws, current and potential divider circuits, resistors in series and parallel. Power consumption, dissipation and delivery / supply. Node voltage analysis, mesh analysis. Diodes: forward/reverse bias, I-V characteristic. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Indicative Reading List
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Other Resources None | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||