87946 - Applied Electronics

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course, the student will learn modern methods to design electronic circuits for analog and digital signals coming from experimental apparata. He/she will also acquire knowledge of the technological processes that are the basis of digital integrated circuits. In particular, in the laboratory sessions he/she will be able to design circuits with analog components and discrete programmable digital circuits (FPGA) and verify their operation. Also, the student will possess the knowledge to design relatively complex electronic circuits for high-speed data acquisition systems. The student will finally participate to specific laboratory sessions dedicated to FPGA implementations of digital architectures and signal transmissions via high-speed electro/optical lines.

Course contents

GENERAL CONTENTS

• The course provides the basic skills, in relation to modern methods of electronic design and processing analog and digital signals, to treat signals from devices used in experimental physics.
• Study of the n and p-channel MOS and BJT transistors and their model for small signals. Study of configurations of amplifiers with common drain andcommon source for the MOS, and common emitter for the BJT.
  
• Study of transmission lines with equations, constants and termination methods for good transmission of waveforms.
  
• Basics of Frequency modulation.
• Basics of transformers and resonant transformers.
• Solutions for resonant circuits: the antenna principle.
  
• The principle of the Tesla coil.

APPLICATIONS

• Mathematical algorithms used in high-energy and nuclear physics for particle tracking, implemented in FPGA devices. The example of the Hough transform.
  

LABORATORY EXAMPLES

• The laboratory session consists of a series of analog an circuits demos that will be showed in the classroom. Particular emphasis will be paid to the digital programming pf commercial FPGAs (Xilinx families).
• Mini-Tesla coil will be studiend, simulated and shown in a lab session.
  

Readings/Bibliography

The course will be provided with the slides of the lesson

Teaching methods

The course is divided into two cycles of 24 hours of lessons.

• A set primarily geared towards analog electronics focused on high frequency amplifiers and circuits.
• A set focused primarily on frontier FPGA implementations. Digital high frequencies, synchronization and reading processes will be covered.
• Each student will be shown some laboratory experiences.

Assessment methods

The overall evaluation consists in either in a:

• oral evaluation on all matters of the course

or

• a project/design made by the student according the the professor

 

Second option must be accomplished with a report of the work

Teaching tools

Students will have the transparencies related to topics covered in the course and the material covered during the laboratory experiments.

Office hours

See the website of Alessandro Gabrielli

See the website of Davide Falchieri