28651 - Electronics T-A

Course contents

- Prerequisites/Recommended Courses
A prerequisite for understanding the topics covered is basic knowledge of linear electric circuit theory. In particular, students should be able to analyze the behavior of a linear circuit under both steady-state and transient conditions.

- Semiconductor devices
p-n junction. MOS transistor. Description of the operation of the n-MOS transistor and the p-MOS transistor. Operating regions and constitutive equations.

CMOS inverter. Operating regions of transistors, calculation of currents and the static input-output characteristic. Power consumption. Transient behavior of the CMOS inverter. Calculation of the duration of the rising and falling transients.

Parasitic components of n-MOS and p-MOS transistors: calculating the input capacitance of a CMOS inverter.

CMOS logic. General characteristics of pull-up and pull-down networks. Gate topology, analysis, and synthesis of logic functions.

Switching times and sizing of MOS transistors in CMOS logic.

- Signal theory and digital processing.
Analog signal, digital signal, and binary signal. Analog-to-digital and digital-to-analog conversion processes. Digital processing.

- Binary numbering system and logic gates.
Binary and hexadecimal representations. Decimal-to-binary conversion. Binary-to-decimal conversion. Binary number operations: addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and two's complement.

- Combinational circuits.
Introduction to switching algebra. Logic variables and logical expressions. Synthesis of logic functions based on canonical expressions. Karnaugh maps: adjacency rules and groupings. Coverage and normal expressions. Network analysis using Karnaugh maps. Examples of combinational circuits.

- Sequential circuits.
Bistable circuit. D-type latches and D-type flip-flops. Examples of sequential circuit implementations. Analysis and synthesis of finite-state machines. Timing of sequential circuits. Temporal parallelism.

- Arithmetic circuits.
Implementation of a full-adder. Description of the operation of a carry-propagation adder circuit. Subtractor circuit. Operation of a multiplier: carry-propagation serial multiplier and parallel multiplier.

- Memories.
Classification of memories: volatile and non-volatile memories. Matrix structure with row and column decoders. Description of the operation of a 6-transistor SRAM cell. Reading and writing an SRAM memory. Structure of DRAM memory. Reading and writing a DRAM cell and related issues. Introduction to non-volatile memories. ROM, PROM, and Flash memories. NOR and NAND matrix architecture. Operation of Flash memory, electron injection into the floating gate.

- Microcontroller Systems.
Main low-power characteristics of microcontrollers.

Readings/Bibliography

M. Rudan, Tavole di Microelettronica, Pitagora, 3ª Ed., 2001.

M. Rudan, Physics of Semiconductor Devices, Springer, 1a edizione 2015, 2a edizione 2018 (l’errata corrige di questo libro è pubblicata in «Virtuale»).

D. M. Harris, S. L. Harris, Sistemi digitali e architettura dei calcolatori, Zanichelli, 2017, ISBN: 9788808920737

J. M. Rabaey, A. Chandrakasan, B. Nikolic, Circuiti integrati digitali, L’ottica del progettista, 2ª Ed, Pearson, 2020.

A. S. Sedra, K. C. Smith, Circuiti per la Microelettronica, EdiSES, 2019, ISBN: 978-88-3319-054-9

P. Spirito, Elettronica Digitale, McGraw-Hill, 2006.

F. Fummi, M. Sami, C. Silvano, M. Lora, Progettazione digitale, McGraw-Hill, 2007.

https://www.zanichelli.it/ricerca/prodotti/sistemi-digitali-e-architettura-dei-calcolatori

Diapositive e altro materiale, insieme con la registrazione audio delle lezioni, sono disponibili sulla piattaforma "Virtuale".

Teaching methods

The course introduces the fundamental concepts of electronics, with particular emphasis on digital electronic circuits and their role in modern electronic systems. The theoretical treatment of each topic is complemented by dedicated sessions on exercises and problem solving, emphasizing the applied nature of the discipline and providing students with the tools and methodologies needed to analyze and design simple digital circuits.

Assessment methods

Student learning is assessed through a final examination designed to verify the acquisition of the expected knowledge and skills. The examination is written and lasts two hours.

The written examination typically consists of a combination of exercises and multiple-choice questions on theoretical topics, covering the material presented in the course. The examination assesses students’ ability to analyze circuits based on MOS transistors, understand the operation of the main circuit blocks comprising an ALU, analyze the operation of semiconductor memories, and distinguish between different types of computers and evaluate their characteristics in terms of performance, cost, and power consumption.

Students must register online for the examination by the specified deadline. Students who are unable to register by the deadline must promptly notify the academic office and, in any case, before the official registration deadline.

Students may review their examination paper and request clarifications on the designated review date immediately following the examination session.

Teaching tools

Except for copyrighted material, all teaching materials presented during the course will be made available to students in electronic format through the course’s “Virtuale” platform.

Office hours

See the website of Martin Eugenio Omana