QUESTION BANK

(EDW and EDST)

A COMPONENTS
A1 RESISTORS

1. What are the peculiarities of following resistor types-

a) Carbon Composition b) Carbon Film c) Metal film d) Wire wound.
2. In what applications you prefer each of the above types?
3. How tolerance and series (like E6, E12 etc.) of a resistor are related to each other?
4. What is the difference between Power dissipation and Power dissipation rating?
5. What do you understand by temperature coefficient of resistance? What is its unit?
6. What will be the change in resistance value of 10k resistor having temperature
coefficient of 100 ppm/0C when temperature changes from 0 to 70 0C?
7. Why composition resistors are not used in precision measurements?
8. What is the typical range of values for following types of resistors-
a) Carbon Composition b) Carbon Film c) Metal film d) Wire wound
9. Indicate one decade of standard values in E12 series.
10. What kind of safety margin you will keep between power dissipated and power
dissipation rating?
11. What are resistor networks? In what application you prefer them?
12. What factors determine the choice between CFR and MFR?
13. What minimum specifications will uniquely specify the desired resistor type?
14. Which resistor type is characterized by low value and high wattage?
15. Why wire wound resistors are not used in high frequency applications?
16. The choice between single turn and mutiturn potentiometers depends on what
factors?
17. What are the PCB layout precautions in using horizontal multiturn potentiometers?
18. What is the significance of CW and CCW marking on multiturn potentiometer?
20. Multiturn (and variable resistors, in general) are not available in as many standard
values as in fixed resistors. Why? What are representative standard values for
potentiometers?

A2 CAPACITORS

1. What are the peculiarities of following types of capacitors-

a) Ceramic disc b) Electrolytic c) Tantalum d) Plastic film
2. In what applications you will use a given type preferably?
3. Why electrolytic capacitors cannot be used in critical applications? What are their
major advantages and disadvantages?
4. What is Self-healing property of plastic film capacitors?
5. What do you mean by ESR of electrolytic capacitor? How it affects the filtering
operation in power supplies? What is the remedy? What are other parasitic elements
associated with a practical electrolytic capacitor?

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6. How many types of plastic film capacitors are commercially available? What are
their peculiarities?
7. What are the recommended applications for each of the above types?
8. What are the available packaging styles for electrolytic and plastic film capacitors?
In a given situation what factors determine the choice between them?
9. What is dielectric absorption? How it affects the precision measurement?
10. What are the requirements that should be satisfied by capacitor used in Sample and
Hold application?
11. What are the minimum specifications that will uniquely specify desired capacitor
type?
13. Indicate the typical range of values for each type of capacitor. Why there is an
upper and lower limit on these values?
14. What are two relevant voltage ratings of electrolytic capacitors?
15. If theoretical calculation results in value C for an electrolytic capacitor, the designer
would actually select
a) A standard value greater than C b) A standard value less than C c) Nearest
standard value. Select correct option and justify your choice.
16. In what range of applications use of tantalum capacitor is justified in place of
electrolytic capacitors despite of high cost of tantalum capacitors.

A3 RELAYS

1. What are the relevant specifications of an Electromagnetic relay?

2. What do you mean by “Potential free contact”?
3. Which type of relay cannot provide you a potential free contact?
4. Electromagnetic relays have inherent isolation between control circuit and
controlled circuit. Justify.
5. What are SSRs? How many types of SSRs are commercially available?
6. What is the principle limitation of SSR compared to Electromagnetic relay?
7. How contacts are rated for both types of relays- Electromechanical and SSR?
8. Compare the input signals necessary for operation of Electromagnetic relay and that
of SSR.
9. What kind of supply an electromagnetic relay requires- a) Regulated b)
Unregulated? Why?
10. Why it is necessary to put a freewheeling diode across the relay coil?
11. What do you understand from- a) Form A contacts b) Form B contacts c) Form C
contacts?
12. Why electromagnetic relays are usually limited to 4 change over (c/o) contacts?
13. Why AC SSRs are more expensive compared to DC SSRs?

B DEVICES
B1 DIODES

1. How many diode types are available commercially? What are their peculiarities?
2. What is the essential difference between a rectifier diode and a signal diode?

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3. How Schottky diodes are different from switching diodes?
4. What are the selection parameters for a rectifier diode? State the order of
importance of these selection parameters.
5. What are the relevant specification in selection of- a) Signal diode and b) Switching
diode?
6. What do you understand by the rectifier diode specification- IFMsurge? What is its
significance in rectifier circuits?
7. Occasionally a small resistor is put in series with a rectifier diode.
8. What is the difference between PIV and “PIV rating” of the diode?
9. What will be the problem if one uses a rectifier diode in place of switching diode?
10. What is the term used in diode data sheets for PIV?
11. There are two generic categories of diode specifications. What are they and what is
their significance?
12. What is the essential difference between a) Fast recovery and b) Ultra-fast recovery
rectifiers?

B2 TRANSISTORS

1. How many transistor types are available commercially? What are their
peculiarities?
2. What factor determines the hFE of a transistor? Why small signal transistors exhibit
a 3:1 spread in hFE?
3. What is the representative range of values of hFE for a) Small signal transistors and
b) Power transistors?
4. Why hFE range of power transistors is much smaller? What kind of spread in hFE the
power transistors exhibit?
5. In amplifier applications what parameters determine the choice of a transistor?
6. In power amplifiers, what parameters determine the choice of a transistor?
7. What are relevant specifications for power transistors?
8. What are different thermal resistances associated with power transistors-heat sink
assembly? What is the source of getting their value in each case?
9. What factor ultimately limits the power dissipation capability of a power transistor?
10. What is the remedy to a situation where thermal calculations indicate the use of
very large heat sink?
11. What do you understand by de-rating of parameter?
11. In what situation one needs to de-rate the thermal resistance value of a heat sink
specified in data sheet?
12. In what situation one needs to de-rate the specified maximum power dissipation
value of a power transistor? How this de-rating is specified in the data sheet?
13. What do you understand by- Absolute Maximum Ratings? How will you make use
of the information given in this section of data sheet?
14. The data sheets provide parameter values for certain test condition. If the actual
operating condition is different, how can one obtain the relevant parameter value?
15. Why semiconductor data sheet specifications are given at 250C?
16. If hFE of a replaced transistor is more the previous faulty transistor in LED drive
circuit will the LED glow brighter?

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17. In transistor inverter circuit (Transistor used as a switch) the circuit is designed
using what value of hFE- a) Minimum b) Typical or c) Maximum? Why?
18. What are the design parameters for a transistor used as a – a) Switch and b)
Amplifier?
19. What do you understand by terms a) SOA and b) secondary breakdown for power
transistors? What are the bounds on SOA curve of a power BJT?

B3 OPAMPs

1. How many OPAMP types are available commercially? What are their peculiarities?
2. How General purpose OPAMPs are different from Precision OPAMPs?
3. Indicate representative values of following parameters fro above two categories of
OPAMPs- a) Offset voltage b) Bias current c) Drift of offset voltage d) Bias
current e) Drift of bias current
4. When do we say that the amplification is of precision type?
5. What is the limitation of Offset Nulling method in precision analog amplification?
6. What specifications of OPAMP become irrelevant in AC signal amplification?
7. Which amplifier configuration has higher input impedance- a) Inverting b) Non-
inverting? What are the actual values of input impedances for these configurations?
8. The gain of inverting OPAMP configuration under ideal conditions is given by –
Rf/Ri. What factors determine the absolute values of Rf and Ri? (Infinite
combination of Rf and Ri can satisfy required gain. How do we decide exact values
of Rf and Ri?)
9. How will you make use of parameter PSRR in actual design?
10. How following OPAMP non-idealities affect the accuracy performance in precision
applications- a) CMRR b) Finite open loop gain c) Offset voltage d) Bias current.
Which of these non-ideality has usually larger contribution?
11. Why CMRR is not an important consideration in inverting configurations?
12. What do you understand by the term Common mode signal?
13. What do you understand by the term Differential mode signal?
14. How Instrumentation amplifiers are different from Precision OPAMPs?
15. In what situations one must use an Isolation amplifier?
16. What is the difference between Comparator and OPAMP? Can you use an OPAMP
in open loop as comparator? If yes, why have Compartors as different IC?
17. What precautions are necessary related to grounding and shielding in high precision
applications?
18. What are ground loops? How will you avoid them?
19. What is the effect of tolerance of resistors in precision measurements?

B4 DISPLAYS

1. What factors decide the choice between LED and LCD?

2. What type of drive signal is necessary for these two types of display devices?
3. What do you understand by ½ digit in, say, 3-1/2 digit display? What will be a 4-1/2
digit display? What about 3-3/4 digit display? Do they exist?
4. Why large multi-digit LED displays are always multiplexed?

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5. What happens to LCD segment if you apply DC voltage to it?
6. How many types of LED display configurations you know? What are their
application areas?
7. What are bar graph displays? In what applications they are used?
8. How circuitry for Common Anode (CA) and Common Cathode (CC) is different?
9. Would you prefer a sourcing or sinking drive for LED segment? Why?
10. The drop across forward biased LED depends upon color of LED. TRUE or
FALSE? Comment.
11. Design an interface circuit to drive single LED from Microcontroller port line.
What are relevant port specifications for this situation?

B5 ADCs/DACs

1. What are different types of ADCs? What are their peculiarities?

2. In what applications integrating type ADCs are preferred?
3. What is the need for S/H circuit for integrating ADCs?
4. What is the principle limitation of Flash ADC in high-resolution applications?
5. How accuracy of measurement and resolution of ADC are related to each other?
6. What is the inherent error associated with Analog to digital conversion process
itself? How will you minimize it?
7. What type of ADC can give 16 to 24-bit resolution?
8. What type of ADC output is preferable in Microcontroller applications?
9. In parallel output ADCs what is the standard technique of reading, say, 12 bits into
8 bit Microcontroller?
10. What are the precautions to be taken in connecting analog and digital ground at
ADC pins?
11. What factors determine the choice of ADC in a given application?
12. Why PWM type of DAC is more popular than parallel output DAC in industrial
applications?
13. What is the specific advantage of PWM DAC with Microcontrollers?
14. What do you understand by Monotonocity of ADC?

C LINEAR POWER SUPPLIES

1. What factors determine the choice between a Linear power supply and a Switched
mode power supply?
2. What factors determine the choice of rectifier configuration in linear power supply?
3. How will you determine the current capability of a power supply?
4. What is Linear in a linear power supply?
5. What do you understand by CV, CC power supply?
6. What do you understand by the term Floating regulator? In what applications it is
necessary to use such a configuration?
7. What is a positive regulator, negative regulator?
8. What is the trade off involved in selection of filter capacitor in rectifier-filter
arrangement?
9. What are different protection circuits associated with three terminal regulators?

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10. How will you establish the need for heat sink for a regulator?
11. What is SOA for a linear regulator?
12. Why it is necessary to apply heat sink compound for a regulator-heat sink
assembly?
13. Why a diode is connected in reverse across a three terminal regulator?
14. Why it is necessary to connect a ceramic disc capacitor across filter capacitor?
15. What precautions are necessary when the regulator is mounted away from
unregulated supply?
16. What component in a linear regulator system is responsible from maximum
rejection of ripple?
17. How will you interpret the specification- Ripple rejection ratio?
18. What precautions are necessary in making PCB layout for rectifier filter section?
19. What situation calls for Fold back current limiting scheme of protection?
20. Why inductive filters are not popular in linear power supplies?
21. What is the significance of Dynamic resistance of Zener? How its effect can be
nullified?
22. Under what condition a linear regulator dissipates maximum power?
23. What are tracking regulators? In what application they are most desirable? Why?
24. What is the significance of input output voltage differential specification for linear
regulators?
25. What are low dropout (LDO) regulators? What specific advantage you will get
when you use them?
26. Which of the diode ratings is affected by filter capacitor? Explain.
27. How voltage references are different from voltage regulators?
28. Given a choice, why zeners around 6V are preferred in a design?
29. What sets an upper limit of maximum input voltage that can be applied to a three
terminal regulator? What is the representative value?
30. What factors determine the regulation of unregulated part of linear regulated power
supply?
31. What precautions are necessary in the design of linear regulator to handle
disturbances in AC mains?
32. What is remote voltage sensing in power supplies? When it is necessary?
33. What are the selection parameters for a series pass transistor used in discrete
regulator?

D DATA ACQUSITION SYSTEM

D1 THERMOCOUPLES

1. How many types of thermocouples are commercially available? What are their
peculiarities?
2. Why thermocouples need Cold Junction Compensation (CJC)?
3. What point is physically considered as Cold junction?
4. What is the order of magnitude of output voltage from typical thermocouple?
5. What factors determine the choice between RTD and Thermocouple as a
temperature sensor?

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6. How interface circuits for RTD and Thermocouple differ from each other?

D2 RTD

1. Which RTD is most commonly used? Why?

2. What kind of compensation an RTD requires?
3. What are three-wire and four-wire RTDs?
4. What is the temperature coefficient of PT100?
5. Draw a typical interface circuit for RTD.
6. What kind of errors are associated in Bridge measurements?

D3 STRAIN GAUGES/LOAD CELLS

1. What are the errors associated with strain gauge based Load cell measurements?
How will you compensate for them?
2. How a load cell reacts to- a) impact loading and b) Sustained overload?
3. What is the most common method of interfacing a Load cell?
4. How will you interpret the load cell sensitivity of say 2 mV/V?
5. What factors determine the excitation voltage for Load cell in bridge measurement?
6. What are different types of load cells? In what applications they are used? Which
type is suitable for weighing applications?

D4 LVDT

1. Draw the block schematic of LVDT measurement technique.

2. In what applications LVDT is particularly suitable?
3. What are the requirements that an excitation voltage must satisfy in LVDT
measurement?
4. What is the typical excitation signal used in LVDT measurements?

E ASM/FSM
1. What is the basis on which the need for Synchronous sequential circuits has arisen?
2. What are desirable characteristics of CLK signal used in synchronous circuits?
3. What is the difference between ASM and FSM?
4. Why Flip-flops used in realization of ASM are edge-triggered types?
5. What are different methods of realizing ASM? Compare their merits and demerits.
6. What do you understand by the term State?
7. What is the effect of finite propagation delay on behavior of a combinational
circuit?
8. What are glitches or Hazards? What are static and dynamic hazards?
9. Explain partitioning method of state reduction.
10. Why do we implement synchronous sequential circuits using state diagrams?
11. What is the difference between a Moore and Mealay type machine?
12. When do we conclude that two states are equivalent to each other?

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13. In an ASM having large number of states, what is approach taken to minimize the
number of states?
14. What is one-hot method of realizing ASM?
15. What factors determine the maximum clock frequency that one can use in
synchronous sequential circuit?
16. In a large synchronous sequential circuit CLK signal gets applied to large number
of ICs. What precaution is necessary to ensure proper circuit operation?
17. What is the significance of set up and hold time of FF with respect to changes that
may occur in inputs?
18. What is the disadvantage of synchronous sequential circuit due to presence of CLK
signal?
19. In synchronous sequential circuits why it is advisable to avoid use of logic gate(s)
to invert CLK signal?

F. AUDIO AMPLIFIER
1. What are two generic types of microphones? How their interface considerations are
different?
2. What are important microphone characteristics? Which characteristic determines
the application of particular type of microphone in given application?
3. What are additional considerations in interfacing condenser microphones?
4. Why equalization is necessary for tape heads?
5. What is the need for AC bias for tape heads?
6. Why multistage amplification is necessary in Audio amplification?
7. What are the design considerations for audio pre amplifier?
8. What are different types of noise? How they affect the design of audio pre
amplifiers?
9. What do you understand be the term EIN?
10. What are balanced and unbalanced microphone inputs? Which one is preferable in
low noise pre amplifiers?
11. In what situation an active tone control is preferred over a passive one?
12. What are important design parameters for audio power amplifiers?
13. Why slew rate of audio power amplifier is required to be high?
14. What is Motorboating? How can you avoid it?
15. What do you understand by the term- Low noise pre amplifier?
16. What is SPL? How it is related to microphone sensitivity?
17. How many types of distortions exist? Which ones are significant for audio amplifier
system?
18. Why potentiometers in audio amplifiers are of logarithmic type?
19. Which two quantities in human ear response are logarithmically related with each
other?
20. What do you understand by the term- Threshold of hearing? What is its typical
value?
21. What do you understand by the term- Threshold of pain? What is its typical value?
22. State importance of supply bypassing in Audio amplifier system?

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23. What are different standards used in tape head equalization?
24. How can you make use of a bar graph display in audio system? Which driver ICs
are commonly used to drive bar graphs?
25. How bar graphs for audio systems are different from the ones used in other
applications?
26. What kind of protection schemes are necessary with a) Power amplifier and b)
Loudspeakers?
27. Why do we use decibel unit (dB) in audio systems? What do you understand by unit
dBm?
28. What is the significance of term Octave in audio systems?
29. What is PMPO rating of audio system?