Course Outline for Electronic Systems Technology 50
Introduction to Electronic Systems Technology

Effective: Spring 2021
SLO Rev: 04/30/2020
Catalog Description:

ESYS 50 - Introduction to Electronic Systems Technology

4.00 Units

Introduction to electronic systems and circuits. Overview of career opportunities and job duties with electronic systems technology. Direct current and alternating current circuits including Ohm's law and Kirchhoff's laws. Measurement and characterization of electronic systems at the block diagram level. Laboratory practice includes the proper use of standard test instruments.
Strongly Recommended: INDT 74.
0934.00 - Electronics and Electric Technology*
Letter Grade Only
Type Units Inside of Class Hours Outside of Class Hours Total Student Learning Hours
Lecture 3.00 54.00 108.00 162.00
Laboratory 1.00 54.00 0.00 54.00
Total 4.00 108.00 108.00 216.00
Measurable Objectives:
Upon completion of this course, the student should be able to:
  1. name the four major segments of the electronics industry, explain the organization and operation of the electronics industry and identify career opportunities for technicians in industry;
  2. define systems as it applies to electronics, list and explain the operation of the main building blocks and circuits of electronics systems;
  3. describe, compare, and contrast voltage, current, power, efficiency, energy, resistance, impedance, capacitance and inductance as each relates to a basic circuit;
  4. make common circuit measurements such as voltage, current and resistance with a multimeter;
  5. explain meter loading and define precision and accuracy, and calculate accuracy and error;
  6. make common AC circuit measurements such as voltage and frequency with an oscilloscope;
  7. collect, organize, and present measurement data in tabular and graphic form.
Course Content:

Course Content, Lecture:

  1. Overview of electronic systems technology careers
  2. Basic electronic systems and circuits 
    1. Electron contrasted to Conventional Current Flow
  3. Measuring direct voltage, direct current, and resistance
    1. Proper use of digital multimeter, connections & settings
  4. Ohm’s law in basic circuit analysis
    1. Series circuit analysis
    2. Parallel circuit analysis
    3. Parallel-Series circuit analysis
    4. Series-Parallel circuit analysis
  5. Kirchhoff’s Current Law in DC (direct current) circuits 
  6. Kirchhoff’s Voltage Law in DC circuits
  7. Multiple Voltage Source Circuits
    1. Series-adding voltage sources
    2. Series-opposing voltage sources
    3. Superposition Theorem
  8. Magnetism and Inductance
    1. Series vs parallel inductors
    2. DC generators and DC motors
  9. Introduction to AC (alternating current)
    1. AC generators and AC motors
  10.  Comparison of DC and AC circuits 
  11.  Electric fields and capacitance 
    1. Series vs parallel capacitors
    2. Deciphering coded capacitor values
  12.  Digital multimeter measurements of AC circuits 
    1. What is True RMS (root mean square) voltage?
  13.  AC voltage measurements with the oscilloscope 
  14.  Time measurements with the oscilloscope
  15.  RC (resistor/capacitor) DC circuits and RC time constants
  16.  RL (resistor/inductor) DC circuits and RL time constants
  17.  RC and RL components in AC circuits
    1. Phase shift between voltage and current in AC circuits
  18.  Mnemonic: ELI the ICE Man to explain phase relationships
  19.  Mnemonic: SOH CAH TOA to explain trigonometry of AC circuits
  20.  Low Pass, High Pass, Band Pass & Band Stop Filters
    1. Filter applications in audio and radio/TV/cellular broadcasting
  21.  Thevenin, & Norton's Theorems
  22.  Opto-Electronics and Photovoltaics

Course Content, Laboratory:

  1. Overview of electronic systems technology careers
  2. Basic electronic systems and circuits 
    1. Electron contrasted to Conventional Current Flow
  3. Measuring direct voltage, direct current, and resistance
    1. Proper use of digital multimeter, connections & settings
  4. Ohm’s law in basic circuit analysis
    1. Series circuit analysis
    2. Parallel circuit analysis
    3. Parallel-Series circuit analysis
    4. Series-Parallel circuit analysis
  5. Kirchhoff’s Current Law in DC (direct current) circuits 
  6. Kirchhoff’s Voltage Law in DC circuits
  7. Multiple Voltage Source Circuits
    1. Series-adding voltage sources
    2. Series-opposing voltage sources
    3. Superposition Theorem
  8. Magnetism and Inductance
    1. Series vs parallel inductors
    2. DC generators and DC motors
  9. Introduction to AC (alternating current)
    1. AC generators and AC motors
  10.  Comparison of DC and AC circuits 
  11.  Electric fields and capacitance 
    1. Series vs parallel capacitors
    2. Deciphering coded capacitor values
  12.  Digital multimeter measurements of AC circuits 
    1. What is True RMS (root mean square) voltage?
  13.  AC voltage measurements with the oscilloscope 
  14.  Time measurements with the oscilloscope
  15.  RC (resistor/capacitor) DC circuits and RC time constants
  16.  RL (resistor/inductor) DC circuits and RL time constants
  17.  RC and RL components in AC circuits
    1. Phase shift between voltage and current in AC circuits
  18.  Mnemonic: ELI the ICE Man to explain phase relationships
  19.  Mnemonic: SOH CAH TOA to explain trigonometry of AC circuits
  20.  Low Pass, High Pass, Band Pass & Band Stop Filters
    1. Filter applications in audio and radio/TV/cellular broadcasting
  21.  Thevenin, & Norton's Theorems
  22.  Opto-Electronics and Photovoltaics
Methods of Instruction:
  1. Lecture/Discussion
  2. Laboratory
  3. Distance Education
  4. Online learning objects
Assignments and Methods of Evaluating Student Progress:
  1. From a schematic drawing of a simple circuit, identify the source and the load. Calculate current and power for given values of source voltage and load resistance. For a change in any one quantity, describe the effect on all other electrical quantities.
  2. Connect a 10x probe to the oscilloscope input. Use the probe calibration circuit to compensate the probe. Match waveforms to over, under, and properly compensated probes.
  3. Demonstrate confidence and competence in both DC and AC circuit analysis using various online electronic circuit simulation software such as National Instruments' MultiSIM and ELVIS along with Texas Instruments' TINA-TI
  1. Exams/Tests
  2. Quizzes
  3. Class Participation
  4. Home Work
  5. Lab Activities
  6. Midterm Examination
  7. Observation and critique of laboratory exercises
Upon the completion of this course, the student should be able to:
  1. describe and analyze the operation of basic electronic circuits using appropriate electronic terminology, theory, and mathematical relationships;
  2. use test and measurement equipment to perform basic voltage, current, resistance, and timing measurements on electronic circuits;
  3. build a wide range of electronic circuitry on prototyping boards for comparing and contrasting physical analysis to provide results consistent with theory analysis.
Textbooks (Typical):
  1. Herman, Stephen L. (2016). Delmar's Standard Textbook of Electricity (6th). Cengage Learning.
  1. Lessons in Electric Circuits, Vol. 1 & 2, 2013, T. Kuphaldt, open source, hosted on ibiblio.org.
  • Computer with Internet access.
  • Scientific calculator similar to Sharp EL-531 series available in our Chabot College Bookstore.
  • Composition Book or similar for note taking.
Abbreviated Class Schedule Description:
Introduction to electronic systems and circuits. Overview of career opportunities and job duties with electronic systems technology. Direct current and alternating current circuits including Ohm's law and Kirchhoff's laws. Measurement and characterization of electronic systems at the block diagram level. Laboratory practice includes the proper use of standard test instruments.
Strongly Recommended: INDT 74.