The aim of the course is to introduce the student to the fundamental electronic technologies that support the supply chain for the development of advanced goods and services, including integrated circuits, processing systems, sensors, actuators and programmable systems. In addition, the course aims to develop an integrated view of the technological and organizational challenges of the innovative enterprise, with a focus on the specific dynamics of the electronics sector, preparing the student to analyze the complexities arising from interaction with suppliers and partners, dependence on raw materials and global sociopolitical conditions
Curriculum
teacher profile teaching materials
Module 0 – Fundamentals of circuits and signals.
Electrical quantities: charge, current, voltage, energy and power. Ohm's law. Resistors, capacitors, inductors and sources. Kirchhoff's laws. Node and mesh analysis. Thévenin and Norton equivalents. Impedance. Source and load concepts and signal and power transfer. Time- and frequency-domain representation of signals. Spectrum and Fourier transform. Linear systems, impulse response, convolution and frequency response. Interpretation of a linear circuit as a signal-processing system.
Module 1 – Analog information processing.
Nonlinear electronic devices: diodes, BJT and MOS transistors. Transistor operation as an amplifier and as a switch. Feedback. Operational amplifiers. Amplifier circuits, analog filters and oscillators.
Module 2 – From analog to digital information.
Analog and digital signals. Sampling and quantization. Analog-to-digital conversion. Binary number systems. Boolean algebra. Logic gates and their transistor-level implementation. Combinational and sequential circuits. Analysis of a signal acquisition and conditioning chain, from the physical quantity to its digital representation.
Module 3 — Technologies and architectures for embedded processing
Architectures for digital information processing. Microprocessors, microcontrollers and embedded systems. Peripherals, interfaces, and data acquisition and processing. Programmable logic, FPGAs and ASICs. Differences between programmable, reconfigurable and dedicated solutions. Distributed processing, edge computing and elements of Edge AI.
Module 4 — Process technologies and electronic-system integration
Semiconductor materials and principles of microelectronic technologies. General principles of fabrication processes for integrated circuits and MEMS devices. Packaging, miniaturization and heterogeneous integration. Printed circuit boards, component assembly technologies and system-level integration.
Throughout the different modules, and particularly in Modules 3 and 4, technological aspects will be related to the challenges involved in the development and management of innovation within companies, considering technological and organizational choices, in-house development and outsourcing, interaction with suppliers and partners, and the role of the different players in the supply chain. Selected topics will be further explored through seminars given by experts from industry and academia, including speakers with experience in startups and technology transfer.
- D. Halliday, R. Resnick, J. Walker, Fundamentals of Physics.
- D. Crecraft, S. Gergely, Analog Electronics: Circuits, Systems and Signal Processing.
- T. Ndjountche, Digital Electronics 1: Combinational Logic Circuits.
- T. Ndjountche, Digital Electronics 2: Sequential and Arithmetic Logic Circuits.
Programme
The course is organized into five modules following the flow of information within an electronic system: from the fundamentals of circuits and signals, through analog and digital representation and processing of information, to programmable systems and the technologies used for the design and realization of electronic devices and systems.Module 0 – Fundamentals of circuits and signals.
Electrical quantities: charge, current, voltage, energy and power. Ohm's law. Resistors, capacitors, inductors and sources. Kirchhoff's laws. Node and mesh analysis. Thévenin and Norton equivalents. Impedance. Source and load concepts and signal and power transfer. Time- and frequency-domain representation of signals. Spectrum and Fourier transform. Linear systems, impulse response, convolution and frequency response. Interpretation of a linear circuit as a signal-processing system.
Module 1 – Analog information processing.
Nonlinear electronic devices: diodes, BJT and MOS transistors. Transistor operation as an amplifier and as a switch. Feedback. Operational amplifiers. Amplifier circuits, analog filters and oscillators.
Module 2 – From analog to digital information.
Analog and digital signals. Sampling and quantization. Analog-to-digital conversion. Binary number systems. Boolean algebra. Logic gates and their transistor-level implementation. Combinational and sequential circuits. Analysis of a signal acquisition and conditioning chain, from the physical quantity to its digital representation.
Module 3 — Technologies and architectures for embedded processing
Architectures for digital information processing. Microprocessors, microcontrollers and embedded systems. Peripherals, interfaces, and data acquisition and processing. Programmable logic, FPGAs and ASICs. Differences between programmable, reconfigurable and dedicated solutions. Distributed processing, edge computing and elements of Edge AI.
Module 4 — Process technologies and electronic-system integration
Semiconductor materials and principles of microelectronic technologies. General principles of fabrication processes for integrated circuits and MEMS devices. Packaging, miniaturization and heterogeneous integration. Printed circuit boards, component assembly technologies and system-level integration.
Throughout the different modules, and particularly in Modules 3 and 4, technological aspects will be related to the challenges involved in the development and management of innovation within companies, considering technological and organizational choices, in-house development and outsourcing, interaction with suppliers and partners, and the role of the different players in the supply chain. Selected topics will be further explored through seminars given by experts from industry and academia, including speakers with experience in startups and technology transfer.
Prerequisiti
Basic knowledge of mathematical analysis, physics, and computer science is required. No previous knowledge of electronics is required.Core Documentation
Given the broad and interdisciplinary nature of the course, no single textbook covers the entire syllabus. The following textbooks are recommended for the different topics:- D. Halliday, R. Resnick, J. Walker, Fundamentals of Physics.
- D. Crecraft, S. Gergely, Analog Electronics: Circuits, Systems and Signal Processing.
- T. Ndjountche, Digital Electronics 1: Combinational Logic Circuits.
- T. Ndjountche, Digital Electronics 2: Sequential and Arithmetic Logic Circuits.
Reference Bibliography
Additional topic-specific references will be indicated during the lectures. Lecture slides will be made available on the course Moodle page as an outline of the topics covered and as support for organizing individual study.Attendance
Attendance is not mandatory but is strongly recommended, particularly for exercises, application examples and seminars given by experts from academia and industry. No distinction is made between attending and non-attending students in terms of syllabus or examination requirements. Mid-term tests may also be taken by students who do not regularly attend classes.Type of evaluation
Learning outcomes may be assessed either through two mid-term tests held during the teaching period or through the examination in the regular examination sessions. The mid-term tests consist of multiple-choice and open-ended questions covering the topics addressed during the course, including the contents of seminars given by external experts. The final grade is calculated as the average of the grades obtained in the two tests. Passing the examination requires students to take both tests, obtain a score of at least 15/30 in each test, and achieve an overall average score of at least 18/30. Students obtaining an average score of 28/30 or higher may optionally take an oral examination. For students who do not take or do not successfully complete the mid-term tests, the examination during the regular examination sessions consists of a written test, including multiple-choice and open-ended questions, followed by a compulsory oral examination. Both the written and oral examinations cover the entire course syllabus, including the contents of seminars given by external experts. teacher profile teaching materials
Module 0 – Fundamentals of circuits and signals.
Electrical quantities: charge, current, voltage, energy and power. Ohm's law. Resistors, capacitors, inductors and sources. Kirchhoff's laws. Node and mesh analysis. Thévenin and Norton equivalents. Impedance. Source and load concepts and signal and power transfer. Time- and frequency-domain representation of signals. Spectrum and Fourier transform. Linear systems, impulse response, convolution and frequency response. Interpretation of a linear circuit as a signal-processing system.
Module 1 – Analog information processing.
Nonlinear electronic devices: diodes, BJT and MOS transistors. Transistor operation as an amplifier and as a switch. Feedback. Operational amplifiers. Amplifier circuits, analog filters and oscillators.
Module 2 – From analog to digital information.
Analog and digital signals. Sampling and quantization. Analog-to-digital conversion. Binary number systems. Boolean algebra. Logic gates and their transistor-level implementation. Combinational and sequential circuits. Analysis of a signal acquisition and conditioning chain, from the physical quantity to its digital representation.
Module 3 — Technologies and architectures for embedded processing
Architectures for digital information processing. Microprocessors, microcontrollers and embedded systems. Peripherals, interfaces, and data acquisition and processing. Programmable logic, FPGAs and ASICs. Differences between programmable, reconfigurable and dedicated solutions. Distributed processing, edge computing and elements of Edge AI.
Module 4 — Process technologies and electronic-system integration
Semiconductor materials and principles of microelectronic technologies. General principles of fabrication processes for integrated circuits and MEMS devices. Packaging, miniaturization and heterogeneous integration. Printed circuit boards, component assembly technologies and system-level integration.
Throughout the different modules, and particularly in Modules 3 and 4, technological aspects will be related to the challenges involved in the development and management of innovation within companies, considering technological and organizational choices, in-house development and outsourcing, interaction with suppliers and partners, and the role of the different players in the supply chain. Selected topics will be further explored through seminars given by experts from industry and academia, including speakers with experience in startups and technology transfer.
- D. Halliday, R. Resnick, J. Walker, Fundamentals of Physics.
- D. Crecraft, S. Gergely, Analog Electronics: Circuits, Systems and Signal Processing.
- T. Ndjountche, Digital Electronics 1: Combinational Logic Circuits.
- T. Ndjountche, Digital Electronics 2: Sequential and Arithmetic Logic Circuits.
Programme
The course is organized into five modules following the flow of information within an electronic system: from the fundamentals of circuits and signals, through analog and digital representation and processing of information, to programmable systems and the technologies used for the design and realization of electronic devices and systems.Module 0 – Fundamentals of circuits and signals.
Electrical quantities: charge, current, voltage, energy and power. Ohm's law. Resistors, capacitors, inductors and sources. Kirchhoff's laws. Node and mesh analysis. Thévenin and Norton equivalents. Impedance. Source and load concepts and signal and power transfer. Time- and frequency-domain representation of signals. Spectrum and Fourier transform. Linear systems, impulse response, convolution and frequency response. Interpretation of a linear circuit as a signal-processing system.
Module 1 – Analog information processing.
Nonlinear electronic devices: diodes, BJT and MOS transistors. Transistor operation as an amplifier and as a switch. Feedback. Operational amplifiers. Amplifier circuits, analog filters and oscillators.
Module 2 – From analog to digital information.
Analog and digital signals. Sampling and quantization. Analog-to-digital conversion. Binary number systems. Boolean algebra. Logic gates and their transistor-level implementation. Combinational and sequential circuits. Analysis of a signal acquisition and conditioning chain, from the physical quantity to its digital representation.
Module 3 — Technologies and architectures for embedded processing
Architectures for digital information processing. Microprocessors, microcontrollers and embedded systems. Peripherals, interfaces, and data acquisition and processing. Programmable logic, FPGAs and ASICs. Differences between programmable, reconfigurable and dedicated solutions. Distributed processing, edge computing and elements of Edge AI.
Module 4 — Process technologies and electronic-system integration
Semiconductor materials and principles of microelectronic technologies. General principles of fabrication processes for integrated circuits and MEMS devices. Packaging, miniaturization and heterogeneous integration. Printed circuit boards, component assembly technologies and system-level integration.
Throughout the different modules, and particularly in Modules 3 and 4, technological aspects will be related to the challenges involved in the development and management of innovation within companies, considering technological and organizational choices, in-house development and outsourcing, interaction with suppliers and partners, and the role of the different players in the supply chain. Selected topics will be further explored through seminars given by experts from industry and academia, including speakers with experience in startups and technology transfer.
Prerequisiti
Basic knowledge of mathematical analysis, physics, and computer science is required. No previous knowledge of electronics is required.Core Documentation
Given the broad and interdisciplinary nature of the course, no single textbook covers the entire syllabus. The following textbooks are recommended for the different topics:- D. Halliday, R. Resnick, J. Walker, Fundamentals of Physics.
- D. Crecraft, S. Gergely, Analog Electronics: Circuits, Systems and Signal Processing.
- T. Ndjountche, Digital Electronics 1: Combinational Logic Circuits.
- T. Ndjountche, Digital Electronics 2: Sequential and Arithmetic Logic Circuits.
Reference Bibliography
Additional topic-specific references will be indicated during the lectures. Lecture slides will be made available on the course Moodle page as an outline of the topics covered and as support for organizing individual study.Attendance
Attendance is not mandatory but is strongly recommended, particularly for exercises, application examples and seminars given by experts from academia and industry. No distinction is made between attending and non-attending students in terms of syllabus or examination requirements. Mid-term tests may also be taken by students who do not regularly attend classes.Type of evaluation
Learning outcomes may be assessed either through two mid-term tests held during the teaching period or through the examination in the regular examination sessions. The mid-term tests consist of multiple-choice and open-ended questions covering the topics addressed during the course, including the contents of seminars given by external experts. The final grade is calculated as the average of the grades obtained in the two tests. Passing the examination requires students to take both tests, obtain a score of at least 15/30 in each test, and achieve an overall average score of at least 18/30. Students obtaining an average score of 28/30 or higher may optionally take an oral examination. For students who do not take or do not successfully complete the mid-term tests, the examination during the regular examination sessions consists of a written test, including multiple-choice and open-ended questions, followed by a compulsory oral examination. Both the written and oral examinations cover the entire course syllabus, including the contents of seminars given by external experts.