Course Outline for Electronic Systems Technology 250
Introduction to Electronic Systems Technology

Effective: Fall 2022
SLO Rev: 12/15/2020
Catalog Description:

ESYS 250 - Introduction to Electronic Systems Technology

108.00 Hours

May be repeated 99 time(s)
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. This course is a noncredit course that is equivalent to the ESYS 50 credit course of the same title. Both options cover the same content and students will be enrolled in the same class at the same time. If a student chooses to move from noncredit to credit courses, please meet with ESYS faculty to discuss assessing equivalency and credit by exam. This course is part of a Certificate of Completion. Available Certificates can be found in the Chabot College Catalog.
0934.00 - Electronics and Electric Technology*
Pass/No Pass/Satisfactory Progress
Type Hours
Lecture 54.00
Laboratory 54.00
Total 108.00
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:
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. Homework
  5. Lab Activities
  6. Final Examination or Project
  7. Oral Presentation
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. (2019). Delmar's Standard Textbook of Electricity (7th). Cengage Learning.
  2. Kuphaldt, T. (2013). Lessons in Electric Circuits, Vol. 1 & 2 open source, hosted on ibiblio.org.
  • Scientific calculator similar to Sharp EL-531 series available in our Chabot College Bookstore.
  • Composition Book or similar for note taking.
  • Computer with Internet access.
Abbreviated Class Schedule Description:
This course is a great opportunity to build a solid foundation of understanding electronics technology. This course is free and students may repeat this course until mastery of the skills is met.