Electronics: A Systems Approach (4th Edition)

Book Preface

Electronics represents one of the most important, and rapidly changing, areas of engineering. It is used at the heart of a vast range of products that extends from mobile phones to computers, and from cars to nuclear power stations. For this reason, all engineers, scientists and technologists need a basic understanding of such systems, while many will require a far more detailed knowledge of this area.

When the first edition of this book was published it represented a very novel approach to the teaching of electronics. At that time most texts adopted a decidedly ‘bottom-up’ approach to the subject, starting by looking at semiconductor materials and working their way through diodes and transistors before eventually, several chapters later, looking at the uses of the circuits being considered. Electronics: A Systems Approach pioneered a new, ‘top-down’ approach to the teaching of electronics by explaining the uses and required characteristics of circuits, before embarking on detailed analysis. This aids comprehension and makes the process of learning much more interesting.

One of the great misconceptions concerning this approach is that it is in some way less rigorous in its treatment of the subject. A top-down approach does not define the depth to which a subject is studied but only the order and manner in which the material is presented. Many students will need to look in detail at the operation of electronic components and to understand the physics of its materials; however, this will be more easily absorbed if the characteristics and uses of the components are understood first.

A great benefit of a top-down approach is that it makes the book more accessible for all its potential readers. For those who intend to specialise in electronic engineering the material is presented in a way that makes it easy to absorb, providing an excellent grounding for further study. For those intending to specialise in other areas of engineering or science, the order of presentation allows them to gain a good grounding in the basics, and to progress into the detail only as far as is appropriate for their needs.

New in this edition

This fourth edition represents a substantial revision and expansion of the text. Previous editions have assumed that readers are already familiar with the operation of basic electrical components and circuits, and this assumption has, perhaps, made the text inappropriate for some first-level courses. However, this new edition sees the text divided into two parts. Part 1 is almost entirely new material and provides a thorough introduction to Electrical Circuits and Components. This makes very few assumptions about prior knowledge, and gives a gentle and well-structured introduction to this interesting and vital area. Part 2 then provides a thorough introduction to Electronic Systems, adopting the well-tried, top-down approach for which this text is renowned. This part includes all the major material from previous editions of the book, with revisions to account for developments in this rapidly changing field and to take advantage of the preparatory material now available within the new first part of the book. With the inclusion of the new material in Part 1, the book now offers a comprehensive introduction to both Electrical and Electronic Engineering, making it appropriate for a wide range of first-level courses in areas such as Electronic Engineering, Electrical Engineering and Electrical and Electronic Engineering.

New material within Part 1 includes:

• An introduction to Basic Electrical Circuits and Components.
• An outline of the Measurement of Voltages and Currents.
• Chapters dedicated to the basics of Resistance and DC Circuits, Capacitance and Electric Fields and Inductance and Magnetic Fields.
• An overview of Alternating Voltages and Currents, and the essential elements of Power in AC Circuits.
• The fundamentals of the Frequency Characteristics of AC Circuits and a description of the Transient Behaviour of first-, second- and higher-order systems.

New and revised material in Part 2 includes:

• Dedicated and separate chapters on Sensors and Actuators.
• A new chapter on the Internal Circuitry of Operational Amplifiers
– which provides useful insights into the design of sophisticated circuits, including Bipolar, CMOS, BiFET and BiMOS op-amps.
• A new chapter on Noise and Electromagnetic Compatibility.

The new edition also benefits from:

• A greatly increased number of worked examples within the text.
• Additional self-assessment exercises at the end of the chapters.