ELEC2420 Notes for Revision

Discrete components on motherboards are large in size

Analog signals are easily affected by noise

 Often converted into digital signals

Charge:
 Denoted as Q or q
o Q for constant, q for variable, though the rule is not definite.
o For variable, denote as q(t), a function of time
 SI unit: Coulomb (C)
 Another unit: mAh
o 1 Ah = 3600 C
o 1 mAh = 0.001 Ah = 3.6 C

Semiconductor: thermal agitation for partial conductivity

Charges move in the presence of a potential difference
 Hence, a current
Current:
 Denoted as I (for DC) and i(t) (for AC)
 Unit: Ampere (A)
 Current flows from high potential to low potential
∆Q
 Average current (DC) I =
∆t
T
1
 Average current (AC) I = ∫ i ( t ) dt
T 0
dq
 Instantaneous current i ( t )=
dt
dQ ( t )
 Instantaneous current I ( t )=
dt
 For AC, i(t) is usually like a sinusoidal curve
o i ( t )=I P sin ( ωt )
o IP is the peak current
Potential:
  Denoted as V or V(t)
 Unit: Volt (V)
 Potential difference between A and B: VAB = VA – VB = VA0 – VB0
o Must define zero-potential (ground level)
o VAB = – VBA
 Potential difference arises from the electric field strength, hence there is an electric
potential energy
Electric potential energy (EP)
 For a potential difference between A and B, EP = QVAB
 Unit: Joule (J) or Volt Coulomb (V C)

Resistor: component that obeys Ohm’s Law

 V = IR
Kirchhoff’s Circuit Law (KCL)
 At any given instant of time, the algebraic sum of the currents entering (or leaving) a
node of a circuit is equal to 0
 Basically just conservation of charge
 Need to define whether into or out of the node is positive
Kirchhoff’s Voltage Law (KVL)
 At any instant of time, the algebraic sum of the branch voltages around a loop of a circuit
is equal to 0
 Example in P. 14 of the lecture notes

Op amp in circuit: cannot apply KCL in ground.