1.2 Reading Materials

1.2.1 an Advertisement

The new bachelor of engineering qualification has been designed with the needs of students and industry firmly in mind. It utilizes practical engineering examples and projects to enable students to place their knowledge in context. The degree includes the study of commercial, managerial and ethical topics as requested by the employers of professional engineers.

The faculty of Science and Engineering has a close relationship with a broad range of engineering companies. This relationship is invaluable in ensuring that the Bachelor of Engineering programmed is relevant to the present and future needs of engineering employers.

Facilities available include six computer labs including one of Australia's largest CAD/CAM Suites, electrical, electronic, telecommunications, instrumentation, mechanics, thermodynamics and pneumatics laboratories. Also available for student is a world class precision machine shop which has a wide range of up-to-date machine tools.

（这是一则国外大学的招生广告的摘录，所以它的用词十分简洁、生动。）

1.2.2 Do You Know These Electronic Systems?

Some electronic systems are familiar from everyday life. For example, we encounter radios,televisions, telephones, and computers on a daily basis. Other electronic systems are present in daily life, but are less obvious. Electronic systems control fuel mixture and ignition timing to maximize performance and minimize undesirable emissions from automobile engines. Electronics in weather satellites (Fig 1.2) provide us with a continuous detailed picture of our planet.

Still other systems are even less familiar. For example, a system of satellites known as the Global Positioning System (GPS) has been developed to provide three-dimensional information for ships, aircrafts and cars anywhere on earth. This is possible because signals emitted by several satellites can be received by the vehicle，by comparing the time of arrival of the signals and by using certain information contained in the received signals concerning the orbits of the satellites, the position of the vehicle can be determined.

Other electronic systems include the air-traffic control system, various radars, compact-disc (CD) recording equipment and players, manufacturing control systems, and navigation systems.

1.2.3 Domestic Power Plugs & Sockets

In most countries, household power is single-phase electric power, in which a single phase conductor brings alternating current into a house, and a neutral returns it to the power supply.

Domestic power plugs and sockets are devices that connect the home appliances and portable light fixtures commonly used in homes to the commercial power supply so that electric power can flow to them. Many plugs and sockets include a third contact used for a protective earth ground, which only carries current in case of a fault in the connected equipment.

Power plugs are male electrical connectors that fit into female electrical sockets. They have contacts that are pins or blades that connect mechanically and electrically to holes or slots in the socket. Plugs usually have a phase or hot or live contact, a neutral contact, and an optional earth or Ground contact. Many plugs make no distinction between the live and neutral contacts, and in some cases they have two live contacts. The contacts may be steel or brass, either zinc, tin or nickel plated.

Power sockets are female electrical connectors that have slots or holes which accept the pins or blades of power plugs inserted into them and deliver electricity to the plugs. Sockets are usually designed to reject any plug which is not built to the same electrical standard. Some sockets have one or more holes that connect to pins on the plug.

The domestic power variolls plugs and sockets used in some countries are shown in Fig 1.3.

1.2.4 More Courses

1. Signals and Systems

This unit aims to teach some of the basic properties of many engineering signals and systems and the necessary mathematical tools that aid in this process. The particular emphasis is on the time and frequency domain modeling of linear time invariant systems. The concepts learnt in this unit will be heavily used in many units of study (in later years) in the areas of communication, control, power systems and signal processing. A basic knowledge of differentiation and integration, differential equations, and linear algebra is assumed.

The following topics are covered. Continuous-time signals: classification and properties; Basic properties of systems: linearity, time-invariance, causality, and stability. Linear time-invariant (LTI) systems: characterization by differential equations (including state space formulation), and the convolution integral. Fourier series and Fourier Transform: definition, properties, frequency response and analysis of LTI systems based on Fourier transform, sampling, correlation and power spectral density; Laplace transform: definition, properties, and analysis of LTI systems based on Laplace transform, solution of state space equations using Laplace transform.

2. Circuit Theory and Design

This unit of study assumes a basic knowledge of elementary circuit theory and operational amplifiers provided by earlier units. One aim of the unit is to enhance understanding of key aspects of the theory of electric circuits. The main goal, however, is to equip students with the specialist knowledge to design active analog filters, to have an understanding of passive network design and to be in a good position to undertake further self study as required.

The specific topics covered include the following: Fundamental concepts in circuit theory:network functions, characteristic frequencies; Types of filter: lowpass, bandpass etc. Review of operational amplifiers: design of first and second order filters using operational amplifiers. cascade design. Filter characteristics: Butterworth, Chebyshev, frequency transformations in design, sensitivity design of passive LC ladder filters, a brief introduction to switched capacitor filters.

3. Control Theory

This unit is concerned with the application of feedback control to continuous-time, linear time-invariant systems. The emphasis is on fundamental theory rather than applications. Some background in linear systems theory and the Laplace transform is assumed. The prime aim of this unit of study is to develop a sound understanding of basics and a capacity for research and inquiry. Completion of the unit will facilitate progression to advanced study in the area and to work in industrial control.

The following topics are covered. History of control: Modeling of physical processes, state variables and differential equations, dynamic response, review of Laplace transform, transfer functions and block diagrams, poles and zeroes; Design specifications in the time domain: basic feedback principles, effect of feedback on sensitivity and disturbance rejection, steady state accuracy and stability, the Routh criterion, proportional integral and derivative control; Design using the root locus: rules for sketching root locus, lead and lag compensators, analogue and digital implementation of controllers; Frequency response: the Nyquist stability criterion, gain and phase margins, compensator design in the frequency domain; An introduction to state space design for single-input single-output systems: eigenvalues, zeroes and transfer functions, state variable feedback and design of estimators.

4. Communications Electronics and Photonics

This unit of study provides an introduction to the modeling and design of transmitters and receivers for electronic and optical communication subsystems. Students are expected to have a grasp of basic concepts related to electronics and circuits.

The following topics are covered: Electronic oscillators: RC, LC, crystal oscillators, tuned electronic amplifiers, frequency selectivity, feedback amplifiers; Electronic modulation and demodulation circuits: amplitude, frequency and phase modulation and demodulation, phase locked loops; Electronic mixers: high frequency, RF and microwave communication amplifiers; Photonic devices and models: semiconductor optical properties, semiconductor lasers and light emitting diodes, laser modes, output spectra, single-mode selection, distributed feedback lasers;Electro-optic modulation of light: optical amplifiers, photo detectors, avalanche photodiodes,optical receiver front-end circuit design, basic opto-electronic link.

5. Power Electronics and Drives

This unit of study is concerned with the operating principles of DC machines and DC power control techniques with particular reference to DC machine drives. A background in basic electrical and magnetic circuit theory is assumed. Completion of this unit will facilitate progression to advanced study or work in electrical power engineering.

The following topics are covered. electrical characteristics of separately excited, series, shunt and compound generators, voltage control of generators, electrical characteristics of separately excited, series, shunt and compound motors, starting and speed control of DC motors, static switches, diode rectifiers, AC-DC converters, DC-DC switching converters, Buck, Boost and Buck-Boost converters, flyback converters.