It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with electrical and electronics engineering. (Discuss)

Electronics engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the emission, behavior, and effects of electrons (as in electron tubes and transistors) and with electronic devices, systems or equipment. The term also now covers the larger part of electrical engineering degree courses as studied at most European universities. Its practitioners are called electronics engineers in Europe. In the Americas and some other parts of the world, the term electrical engineer is used to describe the same work. Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Electrical and electronics engineering may refer to: Electrical engineering: a field covering mainly the study and application of electricity and electromagnetism. ... Engineering applies scientific and technical knowledge to solve human problems. ... Electrical engineers design power systems. ... An engineers degree is an academic degree which is intermediate in rank between a masters degree and a doctorate; it is occasionally to be encountered in the United States in technical fields. ...

History of electronics engineering

It could be said that the modern discipline of electronics engineering was to a large extent born out of radio and television development and from the large amount of second world war development of defence systems and weapons. In the interwar years, the subject was known as radio engineering and it was only in the late 1950s that the term electronics engineering started to emerge. Broadcast engineering is the field of electrical engineering, and now to some extent computer engineering, which deals with radio and television broadcasting. ...

In the UK, the subject of electronics engineering became distinct from electrical engineering as a university degree subject around 1960. Students of electronics and related subjects like radio and telecomms before this time had to enrol in the electrical engineering department of the university as no university had departments of electronics. Electrical engineering was the nearest subject with which electronics engineering could be aligned, although the similarities in subjects covered (except mathematics and electromagnetism) lasted only for the first year of the three-year course. Electrical engineers design power systems. ... A university is an institution of higher education and of research, which grants academic degrees at all levels (bachelor, master, and doctor) in a variety of subjects. ... Electrical engineers design power systems. ...

The name electrical engineering is still used to cover electronics engineering amongst some of the older (notably American) universities and electronics engineering graduates there are sometimes called electrical engineers. In Europe, graduates of electronics engineering are known properly as electronics engineers, and the term electrical engineer is reserved for those having specialised in power and heavy current or high voltage engineering. Electrical engineers design power systems. ... Electrical engineering is an engineering discipline that deals with the study and application of electricity and electromagnetism. ...

Early radio

In 1893, Nikola Tesla made the first public demonstration of radio communication. Addressing the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia and the National Electric Light Association, he described and demonstrated in detail the principles of radio communication. In 1896, Guglielmo Marconi made a wireless radio transmission and went on to develop a practical and widely used radio system. In 1905, John Fleming invented the first radio tube, the diode. One year later, in 1906, Robert von Lieben and Lee De Forest independently developed the amplifier tube, called the triode. Nikola Tesla (July 10, 1856 – c. ... Guglielmo Marconi Guglielmo Marconi, GCVO (25 April 1874 – 20 July 1937) was an Italian electrical engineer and Nobel laureate, known for the development of a practical wireless telegraphy system commonly known as the radio. Marconi was President of the Accademia dItalia and a member of the Fascist Grand Council... Wireless is an old-fashioned term for a radio receiver, referring to its use as a wireless telegraph; now the term is used to describe modern wireless connections such as in cellular networks and wireless broadband Internet. ... John Fleming is a writer born in Campbeltown, Argyll, Scotland on July 28, 1950, brought up in Campbeltown, Aberdeen and Ilford in East London. ... In electronics, a vacuum tube (U.S. and Canadian English) or (thermionic) valve (outside North America) is a device generally used to amplify, or otherwise modify, a signal by controlling the movement of electrons in an evacuated space. ... ... Robert von Lieben (September 5, 1878 in Vienna – February 20, 1913 in Vienna) was a notable Austrian physicist. ... Lee De Forest patented a three-electrode version of the Audion. ... Simplified diagram of a triode. ...

In the interwar years the subject of electronics was dominated by the worldwide interest in radio and to some extent telephone and telegraph communications. The terms 'wireless' and 'radio' were then used to refer anything electronic. There were indeed few non-military applications of electronics beyond radio at that time until the advent of television. The subject was not even offered as a separate university degree subject until about 1960.

Prior to the second world war, the subject was commonly known as 'radio engineering' and basically was restricted to aspects of communications and RADAR, commercial radio and early television. At this time, study of radio engineering at universities could only be undertaken as part of a physics degree.

Later, in post war years, as consumer devices began to be developed, the field broadened to include modern TV, audio systems, Hi-Fi and latterly computers and microprocessors. In the mid to late 1950s, the term radio engineering gradually gave way to the name electronics engineering, which then became a stand alone university degree subject, usually taught alongside electrical engineering with which it had become associated due to some similarities.

Before the invention of the integrated circuit in 1959, electronic circuits were constructed from discrete components that could be manipulated by humans. These discrete circuits consumed much space and power and were limited in speed although they are still common in some applications. By contrast, integrated circuits packed a large number—often millions—of tiny electrical components, mainly transistors, into a small chip around the size of a coin. This allowed for the powerful computers and other electronic devices we see today.

Tubes or valves

A tube is hollow cylindrical shape. ... A valve is a mechanical device that regulates the flow of fluids (either gases, fluidised solids, slurries or liquids) by opening, closing, or partially obstructing various passageways. ...

The vacuum tube detector

The invention of the triode amplifier, generator, and detector enabled audio radio. On Christmas Eve, 1906, Reginald Fessenden (using his heterodyne principle) transmitted the first radio audio broadcast in history from Brant Rock, Massachusetts. Ships at sea heard a broadcast that included Fessenden playing O Holy Night on the violin and reading a passage from the Bible. The first known radio news program was broadcast 31 August 1920 by station 8MK, the unlicensed predecessor of WWJ (AM) in Detroit, Michigan. Regular wireless broadcasts for entertainment commenced in 1922 from the Marconi Research Centre at Writtle near Chelmsford, England.

While some early radios used some type of amplification through electric current or battery, through the mid 1920s the most common type of receiver was the crystal set. In the 1920s, amplifying vacuum tubes revolutionized both radio receivers and transmitters.

Phonographs and radiograms

This is the early name for record players or combined radios and record players that had some presence in the inter war years.

Television

In 1931 Manfred von Ardenne introduced the cathode ray tube and thus the electronic television. In the same year, the first successful transatlantic television transmission was made from London to New York. The broadcast television system adopted by the BBC in the UK was the EMI system which was chosen over the inferior mechanical system of John Logie Baird.

Radar and radio location

During WW2 many efforts were expended in the electronic location of enemy targets and aircraft. These included radio beam guidance of bombers, electronic counter measures, early radar systems etc. During this time very little if any effort was expended on consumer electronics developments.

Computers

In 1942, Konrad Zuse presented the Z3, the world's first functional computer. In 1946, the ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer) of John Presper Eckert and John Mauchly followed, beginning the computing era. The arithmetic performance of these machines allowed engineers to develop completely new technologies and achieve new objectives. Early examples include the Apollo missions and the NASA moon landing. Konrad Zuse (June 22, 1910 – December 18, 1995) was a German engineer and computer pioneer. ... A computer is a machine capable of undergoing complex calculations. ... John Presper Eckert, a computer pioneer, was born April 9, 1919 in Philadelphia and died June 3, 1995 in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. ... John William Mauchly (August 30, 1907 – January 8, 1980) was an American physicist who, along with J. Presper Eckert, designed ENIAC, long held to be the first electronic digital computer, as well as EDVAC, BINAC and UNIVAC I, the first commercial computer made in the United States. ... Statue of Apollo at the British Museum Apollo (Greek: Απόλλων, Apóllōn; Απελλων) is a god in Greek and Roman mythology, the son of Zeus and Leto, and the twin of Artemis (goddess of the hunt), one of the most important and many-sided of the Olympian divinities. ... NASA logo Listen to this article · (info) This audio file was created from an article revision dated 2005-09-01, and does not reflect subsequent edits to the article. ...

Transistors

The invention of the transistor in 1947 by William B. Shockley, John Bardeen and Walter Brattain opened the door for more compact devices and led to the development of the integrated circuit in 1959 by Jack Kilby. Assorted component transistors The transistor is a solid state semiconductor device which can be used for amplification, switching, voltage stabilization, signal modulation and many other functions. ... William Bradford Shockley (February 13, 1910 – August 12, 1989) was a physicist and co-inventor of the transistor with John Bardeen and Walter Houser Brattain, for which he was awarded the Nobel Prize in physics. ... John Bardeen (May 23, 1908 – January 30, 1991) was an American physicist. ... Walter Houser Brattain (February 10, 1902 – October 13, 1987) was a physicist who, along with John Bardeen, invented the transistor. ... Jack Kilby holding an old calculator and one of the newest. ...

Microprocessors

In 1968, Marcian Hoff invented the microprocessor at Intel and thus ignited the development of the personal computer. Hoff's invention was part of an order by a Japanese company for a desktop computer, which Hoff wanted to build as cheaply as possible. The first realization of the microprocessor was the Intel 4004, a 4-bit processor, in 1969, but only in 1973 did the Intel 8080, an 8-bit processor, make the building of the first personal computer, the Altair 8800, possible. Dr. Marcian Edward Ted Hoff Jr. ... Microprocessors, including an Intel 80486DX2 and an Intel 80386 A microprocessor (sometimes abbreviated µP) is a digital electronic component with miniaturized transistors on a single semiconductor integrated circuit (IC). ... Intel Corporation (NASDAQ: INTC, HKEx: 4335), founded in 1968 as Integrated Electronics Corporation, is a U.S.-based multinational corporation that is best known for designing and manufacturing microprocessors and specialized integrated circuits. ... Altair (α Aql / α Aquilae / Alpha Aquilae / Atair ) is the brightest star in the constellation Aquila and the twelfth brightest star in the nighttime sky, at visual magnitude 0. ...

Electronics

The Pentium microprocessor is an example of an integrated circuit

In the subfield of electronics engineering, engineers design and test electrical networks (more commonly known as circuits) that use the electromagnetic properties of electrical components such as resistors, capacitors, inductors, diodes and transistors to achieve a particular functionality. The tuner circuit, which allows the user of a radio to filter out all but a single station, is just one example of such a circuit. Download high resolution version (800x605, 76 KB)Pentium MMX Picture taken by me on 22 March 2004 This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Download high resolution version (800x605, 76 KB)Pentium MMX Picture taken by me on 22 March 2004 This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Pentium logo, with MMX enhancement The Pentium is a fifth-generation x86 architecture microprocessor by Intel employee Vinod Dahm which first shipped on March 22, 1993. ... SEM image of an integrated circuit showing defects in the aluminium layer deposition (shown in cyan). ... An electrical network is an interconnection of electrical elements such as resistors, inductors, capacitors, diodes, switches and transistors. ... An electrical network is an interconnection of electrical elements such as resistors, inductors, capacitors, diodes, switches and transistors. ... Electromagnetism is the physics of the electromagnetic field: a field, encompassing all of space, composed of the electric field and the magnetic field. ... Hi!... ... Resistor symbols A pack of resistors A resistor is a two-terminal electrical or electronic component that resists the flow of current, producing a voltage drop between its terminals in accordance with Ohms law. ... A capacitor is a device that stores energy in the electric field created between a pair of conductors on which equal but opposite electric charges have been placed. ... An inductor is a passive electrical device employed in electrical circuits for its property of inductance. ... ... Assorted component transistors The transistor is a solid state semiconductor device which can be used for amplification, switching, voltage stabilization, signal modulation and many other functions. ... A tuner is a device to adjust the resonant frequency of an antenna or transmission line to work most efficiently at one frequency or band of frequencies. ... The term filter may refer to: A device to separate mixtures. ...

Electronics is often considered to have begun when Lee De Forest invented the vacuum tube in 1907. Within 10 years, his device was used by radio transmitters and receivers as well as systems for long distance telephone calls. Vacuum tubes remained the preferred amplifying device for 40 years, until researchers working for William Shockley at Bell Labs invented the transistor in 1947. In the following years, transistors made small portable radios, or transistor radios, possible as well as allowing more powerful mainframe computers to be built. Transistors were cooler, smaller and required lower voltages than vacuum tubes to work. This is a hub page for electronics. ... Lee De Forest patented a three-electrode version of the Audion. ... In electronics, a vacuum tube (U.S. and Canadian English) or (thermionic) valve (outside North America) is a device generally used to amplify, or otherwise modify, a signal by controlling the movement of electrons in an evacuated space. ... 1907 (MCMVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Wednesday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Antenna tower of Crystal Palace transmitter, London A transmitter (sometimes abbreviated XMTR) is an electronic device which with the aid of an antenna propagates an electromagnetic signal such as radio, television, or other telecommunications. ... A telephone call is a connection over a telephone network between the calling party and the called party. ... William Bradford Shockley (February 13, 1910 – August 12, 1989) American physicist, eugenicist and co-inventor of the transistor with John Bardeen and Walter Houser Brattain, for which he was awarded the Nobel Prize in physics. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Assorted component transistors The transistor is a solid state semiconductor device which can be used for amplification, switching, voltage stabilization, signal modulation and many other functions. ... 1947 (MCMXLVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... The Regency TR-4 shown here is similar in appearance to the original Regency TR-1 model, but the TR-1 has a gold tuning knob and lettering. ... A 1990 Honeywell-Bull DPS 7 mainframe Mainframes (often colloquially referred to as big iron) are large and expensive computers used mainly by government institutions and large companies for mission critical applications, typically bulk data processing such as censuses, industry/consumer statistics, ERP, and financial transaction processing. ... Potential difference is a quantity in physics related to the amount of energy that would be required to move an object from one place to another against various types of force. ...

Before the invention of the integrated circuit in 1959, electronic circuits were constructed from discrete components that could be manipulated by hand. These non-integrated circuits consumed much space and power, were prone to failure and were limited in speed although they are still common in simple applications. By contrast, integrated circuits packed a large number - often millions - of tiny electrical components, mainly transistors, into a small chip around the size of a coin. This allowed for the powerful computers and other electrical devices we see today. SEM image of an integrated circuit showing defects in the aluminium layer deposition (shown in cyan). ... 1959 (MCMLIX) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Electric power is the amount of work done by an electric current in a unit time. ... SEM image of an integrated circuit showing defects in the aluminium layer deposition (shown in cyan). ... Assorted component transistors The transistor is a solid state semiconductor device which can be used for amplification, switching, voltage stabilization, signal modulation and many other functions. ... A coin is usually a piece of hard material, generally metal and usually in the shape of a disc, which is issued by a government to be used as a form of money. ... A computer is a machine capable of undergoing complex calculations. ...

In designing an integrated circuit, electronics engineers first construct circuit schematics that specify the electrical components and describe the interconnections between them. When completed, VLSI engineers convert the schematics into actual layouts, which map the layers of various conductor and semiconductor materials needed to construct the circuit. The conversion from schematics to layouts can be done by software (see electronic design automation) but very often requires human fine-tuning to decrease space and power consumption. Once the layout is complete, it can be sent to a fabrication plant for manufacturing. A schematic of the Washington Metro. ... Very-large-scale integration (VLSI) of systems of transistor-based circuits into integrated circuits on a single chip first occurred in the 1980s as part of the semiconductor and communication technologies that were being developed. ... In science and engineering, conductors are materials that contain movable charges of electricity. ... A semiconductor is a material with an electrical conductivity that is intermediate between that of an insulator and a conductor. ... Computer software (or simply software) refers to one or more computer programs and data held in the storage of a computer for some purpose. ... Electronic design automation (EDA) is the category of tools for designing and producing electronic systems ranging from printed circuit boards (PCBs) to integrated circuits. ... It has been suggested that Fab (semiconductors) be merged into this article or section. ...

Integrated circuits and other electrical components can then be assembled on printed circuit boards to form more complicated circuits. Today, printed circuit boards are found in most electronic devices including televisions, computers and audio players. SEM image of an integrated circuit showing defects in the aluminium layer deposition (shown in cyan). ... ZX Spectrum PCB, showing conductive traces, through-hole pathes into the opposite side and element montage Close-up photo of one side of a motherboard PCB, showing conductive traces, vias and solder points for through-hole components on the opposite side. ... A computer is a machine capable of undergoing complex calculations. ... A hard-drive-based player (Apple iPod) An MP3 CD player (Philips Expanium) A flash-based player (iBox Mediaman) A digital audio player (DAP) is a device that stores, organizes and plays digital music files. ...

Typical electronics engineering undergraduate syllabus

Apart from electromagnetics and network theory, other items in the syllabus are particular to electronics engineering course. Electrical engineering courses have other specialisms such as machines, power generation and distribution. Note that the following list does not include the large quantity of mathematics (maybe apart from the final year) included in each year's study. A machine is any mechanical or electrical device that transmits or modifies energy to perform or assist in the performance of tasks. ... Itaipu Dam is a hydroelectric generating station Electricity generation is the first process in the delivery of electricity to consumers. ... Look up distribution in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Electromagnetics

Elements of vector calculus: divergence and curl; Gauss' and Stokes' theorems, Maxwell's equations: differential and integral forms. Wave equation, Poynting vector. Plane waves: propagation through various media; reflection and refraction; phase and group velocity; skin depth. Transmission lines: characteristic impedance; impedance transformation; Smith chart; impedance matching; pulse excitation. Waveguides: modes in rectangular waveguides; boundary conditions; cut-off frequencies; dispersion relations. Antennas: Dipole antennas; antenna arrays; radiation pattern; reciprocity theorem, antenna gain.

Network theory

Network graphs: matrices associated with graphs; incidence, fundamental cut set and fundamental circuit matrices. Solution methods: nodal and mesh analysis. Network theorems: superposition, Thevenin and Norton's maximum power transfer, Wye-Delta transformation. Steady state sinusoidal analysis using phasors. Linear constant coefficient differential equations; time domain analysis of simple RLC circuits, Solution of network equations using Laplace transform: frequency domain analysis of RLC circuits. 2-port network parameters: driving point and transfer functions. State equations for networks.

Electronic devices and circuits

Electronic Devices: Energy bands in silicon, intrinsic and extrinsic silicon. Carrier transport in silicon: diffusion current, drift current, mobility, resistivity. Generation and recombination of carriers. p-n junction diode, Zener diode, tunnel diode, BJT, JFET, MOS capacitor, MOSFET, LED, p-I-n and avalanche photo diode, LASERs. Device technology: integrated circuits fabrication process, oxidation, diffusion, ion implantation, photolithography, n-tub, p-tub and twin-tub CMOS process.

Analog Circuits: Equivalent circuits (large and small-signal) of diodes, BJTs, JFETs, and MOSFETs. Simple diode circuits, clipping, clamping, rectifier. Biasing and bias stability of transistor and FET amplifiers. Amplifiers: single-and multi-stage, differential, operational, feedback and power. Analysis of amplifiers; frequency response of amplifiers. Simple op-amp circuits. Filters. Sinusoidal oscillators; criterion for oscillation; single-transistor and op-amp configurations. Function generators and wave-shaping circuits. Power supplies.

Digital circuits: Boolean algebra, minimization of Boolean functions; logic gates digital IC families (DTL, TTL, ECL, MOS, CMOS). Combinational circuits: arithmetic circuits, code converters, multiplexers and decoders. Sequential circuits: latches and flip-flops, counters and shift-registers. Sample and hold circuits, ADCs, DACs. Semiconductor memories. Microprocessor(8085): architecture, programming, memory and I/O interfacing.

Signals and systems

Definitions and properties of Laplace transform, continuous-time and discrete-time Fourier series, continuous-time and discrete-time Fourier Transform, z-transform. Sampling theorems. Linear Time-Invariant (LTI) Systems: definitions and properties; casuality, stability, impulse response, convolution, poles and zeros frequency response, group delay, phase delay. Signal transmission through LTI systems. Random signals and noise: probability, random variables, probability density function, autocorrelation, power spectral density.

Control systems

Basic control system components; block diagrammatic description, reduction of block diagrams. Open loop and closed loop (feedback) systems and stability analysis of these systems. Signal flow graphs and their use in determining transfer functions of systems; transient and steady state analysis of LTI control systems and frequency response. Tools and techniques for LTI control system analysis: root loci, Routh-Hurwitz criterion, Bode and Nyquist plots. Control system compensators: elements of lead and lag compensation, elements of Proportional-Integral-Derivative (PID) control. State variable representation and solution of state equation of LTI control systems.

Communications

Analog communication systems: amplitude and angle modulation and demodulation systems, spectral analysis of these operations, superheterodyne receivers; elements of hardware, realizations of analog communication systems; signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) calculations for amplitude modulation (AM) and frequency modulation (FM) for low noise conditions. Digital communication systems: pulse code modulation (PCM), differential pulse code modulation (DPCM), delta modulation (DM); digital modulation schemes-amplitude, phase and frequency shift keying schemes (ASK, PSK, FSK), matched filter receivers, bandwidth consideration and probability of error calculations for these schemes.

Education and training

Electronics engineers typically possess an academic degree with a major in electronics engineering. The length of study for such a degree is usually three or four years and the completed degree may be designated as a Bachelor of Engineering, Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Applied Science depending upon the university. It has been suggested that part or all of double degree be merged into this article or section. ...

The degree generally includes units covering physics, mathematics, project management and specific topics in electrical engineering. Initially such topics cover most, if not all, of the subfields of electronics engineering. Students then choose to specialize in one or more subfields towards the end of the degree. A black hole concept drawing by NASA. Physics (from the Greek, φυσικός (physikos), natural, and φύσις (physis), nature) is the science of the natural world dealing with the fundamental constituents of the universe, the forces they exert on one another, and the results produced by these forces. ... Mathematics is often defined as the study of topics such as quantity, structure, space, and change. ... Project Management is the discipline of defining and achieving targets while optimizing the use of resources (time, money, people, materials, energy, space, etc) over the course of a project (a set of activities of finite duration). ... Electrical engineers design power systems. ...

Some electronics engineers also choose to pursue a postgraduate degree such as a Master of Engineering, a Doctor of Philosophy in Engineering or an Engineer's degree. The Master degree is being introduced in some European and American Universities as a first degree and the differentiation of an engineer with graduate and postgraduate studies is often difficult. In these cases, experience is taken into account. The Master and Engineer's degree may consist of either research, coursework or a mixture of the two. The Doctor of Philosophy consists of a significant research component and is often viewed as the entry point to academia. Quaternary education or postgraduate education is the fourth-stage educational level which follows the completion of an undergraduate degree at a college or university. ...

In most countries, a Bachelor's degree in engineering represents the first step towards certification and the degree program itself is certified by a professional body. After completing a certified degree program the engineer must satisfy a range of requirements (including work experience requirements) before being certified. Once certified the engineer is designated the title of Professional Engineer (in the United States and Canada), Chartered Engineer (in the United Kingdom, Ireland, India, South Africa and Zimbabwe), Chartered Professional Engineer (in Australia) or European Engineer (in much of the European Union).

Fundamental to the discipline are the sciences of physics and mathematics as these help to obtain both a qualitative and quantitative description of how such systems will work. Today most engineering work involves the use of computers and it is commonplace to use computer-aided design programs when designing electronic systems. Although most electronic engineers will understand basic circuit theory, the theories employed by engineers generally depend upon the work they do. For example, quantum mechanics and solid state physics might be relevant to an engineer working on VLSI but are largely irrelevant to engineers working with macroscopic electrical systems.

Licensure, certification, and regulation

Some locations require a license for one to legally be called an electronics engineer, or an engineer in general. For example, in the United States and Canada "only a licensed engineer may seal engineering work for public and private clients". [2] This requirement is enforced by state and provincial legislation such as Quebec's Engineers Act. [3] In other countries, such as Australia, no such legislation exists. Practically all certifying bodies maintain a code of ethics that they expect all members to abide by or risk expulsion. [4] In this way these organizations play an important role in maintaining ethical standards for the profession. Even in jurisdictions where licenses are not required, engineers are subject to the law. For example, much engineering work is done by contract and is therefore covered by contract law. In cases where an engineer's work fails he or she may be subject to the tort of negligence and, in extreme cases, the charge of criminal negligence. [5] An engineer's work must also comply with numerous other rules and regulations such as building codes and legislation pertaining to environmental law. Licensure refers (in the US) to the granting of a license, usually to work in a particular profession. ...

In locations where licenses are not required, professional certification may be advantageous. It has been suggested that Certification (software engineering) be merged into this article or section. ...

From the global positioning system , electronics engineers are responsible for a wide range of technologies. They design, develop, test and supervise the deployment of systems and electronic devices. For example, they may work on the design of telecommunication systems.

Professional bodies

Professional bodies of note for electrical engineers include the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and the Institution of Electrical Engineers (IEE). The IEEE claims to produce 30 percent of the world's literature in electrical/electronics engineering, has over 360,000 members worldwide and holds over 300 conferences annually. [6] The IEE publishes 14 journals, has a worldwide membership of 120,000, certifies Chartered Engineers in the United Kingdom and claims to be the largest professional engineering society in Europe. [7] [8] Not to be confused with the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. ... The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers or IEEE (pronounced as eye-triple-ee) is an international non-profit, professional organization incorporated in the State of New York, United States. ...

Modern electronics engineering

Electronics engineering in Europe is a very broad field that encompasses many subfields including those that deal with, electronic devices and circuit design, control systems, electronics and telecommunications, computer systems, embedded software etc. Many European universities now have departments of Electronics that are completely separate from or have completely replaced their electrical engineering departments. It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with resistor. ... A control system is a device or set of devices that manage the behavior of other devices. ... This is a hub page for electronics. ... BlackBerry 7100t Telecommunication refers to communication over long distances. ... A computer system is a set of hardware and software which processes data in a meaningful way. ... Computer software (or simply software) refers to one or more computer programs and data held in the storage of a computer for some purpose. ... Electrical engineers design power systems. ...

Subfields

Electronics engineering has many subfields. This section describes some of the most popular subfields in electronics engineering. Although there are engineers who focus exclusively on one subfield, there are also many who focus on a combination of subfields. For more information on each of the following, click the read more... link.

Download high resolution version (800x605, 76 KB)Pentium MMX Picture taken by me on 22 March 2004 This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ...

Overview of electronics engineering

Electronics engineering involves the design and testing of electronic circuits that use the electronic properties of components such as resistors, capacitors, inductors, diodes and transistors to achieve a particular functionality. An electrical network is an interconnection of electrical elements such as resistors, inductors, capacitors, diodes, switches and transistors. ... This is a hub page for electronics. ... Hi!... ... Resistor symbols A pack of resistors A resistor is a two-terminal electrical or electronic component that resists the flow of current, producing a voltage drop between its terminals in accordance with Ohms law. ... A capacitor is a device that stores energy in the electric field created between a pair of conductors on which equal but opposite electric charges have been placed. ... An inductor is a passive electrical device employed in electrical circuits for its property of inductance. ... ... Assorted component transistors The transistor is a solid state semiconductor device which can be used for amplification, switching, voltage stabilization, signal modulation and many other functions. ...

Before the invention of the integrated circuit in 1959, electronic circuits were constructed from discrete components. These non-integrated circuits consumed much space and power, and were limited in speed although they are still common in simple applications. By contrast, integrated circuits packed a large number - often millions - of tiny electrical components, mainly transistors, into a small chip around the size of a coin. This allowed for the powerful computers and other electronic devices we see today. Read more...

SEM image of an integrated circuit showing defects in the aluminium layer deposition (shown in cyan). ... 1959 (MCMLIX) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Electric power is the amount of work done by an electric current in a unit time. ... SEM image of an integrated circuit showing defects in the aluminium layer deposition (shown in cyan). ... Assorted component transistors The transistor is a solid state semiconductor device which can be used for amplification, switching, voltage stabilization, signal modulation and many other functions. ... A coin is usually a piece of hard material, generally metal and usually in the shape of a disc, which is issued by a government to be used as a form of money. ... A computer is a machine capable of undergoing complex calculations. ... Electrical engineering is an engineering discipline that deals with the study and application of electricity and electromagnetism. ... ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (1024x768, 276 KB) 4th Gen Ipod Source: [1]. File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...

Signal processing deals with the analysis and manipulation of signals. Signals can be either analog, in which case the signal varies continuously according to the information, or digital, in which case the signal varies according to a series of discrete values representing the information. In information theory, a signal is a flow of information. ... An analog or analogue signal is any variable signal continuous in both time and amplitude. ... A digital signal is a signal that is both discrete and quantized. ...

For analog signals, signal processing may involve the amplification and filtering of audio signals for audio equipment or the modulation and demodulation of signals for telecommunications. For digital signals, signal processing may involve the compression, error checking and error detection of digital signals. Read more... Generally, amplification is a basic process sometimes seen in nature, and often used in processes which involve a signal which must be made stronger. ... The term filter may refer to: Filter (chemistry) — a device to separate mixtures, e. ... Modulation is the process of varying a carrier signal, typically a sinusoidal signal, in order to use that signal to convey information. ... Demodulation is the act of removing the modulation from an analog signal. ... BlackBerry 7100t Telecommunication refers to communication over long distances. ... There are several types of compression: physical compression data compression multimedia compression image compression executable compression audio compression video compression bandwidth compression audio level compression compression (functional analysis) See also Arch bridge Compression arch suspended-deck bridge Compressor Compression ratio This is a disambiguation page, a list of pages that... In computer science and information theory, error correction consists of using methods to detect and/or correct errors in the transmission or storage of data by the use of some amount of redundant data and (in the case of transmission) the selective retransmission of incorrect segments of the data. ... In computer science and information theory, error correction consists of using methods to detect and/or correct errors in the transmission or storage of data by the use of some amount of redundant data and (in the case of transmission) the selective retransmission of incorrect segments of the data. ... File links The following pages link to this file: Communications satellite Military Strategic and Tactical Relay satellite Categories: United States government images ...

Telecommunications engineering deals with the transmission of information across a channel such as a coax cable, optical fibre or free space. In communications, transmission is the act of transmitting electrical messages (and the associated phenonomena of radiant energy that pass through media). ... Information as a concept bears a diversity of meanings, from everyday usage to technical settings. ... Channel, in communications (sometimes called communications channel), refers to the medium through which information is transmitted from a sender (or transmitter) to a receiver. ... Coaxial cable is an electrical cable consisting of a round, insulated conducting wire, surrounded by an insulating spacer, surrounded by a cylindrical conducting sheath, usually surrounded by a final insulating layer. ... Optical fibers An optical fiber (or fibre) is a transparent thin fiber, usually made of glass or plastic, for transmitting light. ... In physics, free space is a concept of electromagnetic theory, corresponding roughly to the vacuum, the baseline state of the electromagnetic field, or the replacement for the electromagnetic aether. ...

Transmissions across free space require information to be encoded in a carrier wave in order to shift the information to a carrier frequency suitable for transmission, this is known as modulation. Popular analog modulation techniques include amplitude modulation and frequency modulation. The choice of modulation affects the cost and performance of a system and these two factors must be balanced carefully by the engineer. A carrier wave, or carrier is a waveform (usually sinusoidal) that is modulated (modified) to represent the information to be transmitted. ... Carrier frequency is the fundamental frequency used in both amplitude modulation and frequency modulation i. ... Modulation is the process of varying a carrier signal, typically a sinusoidal signal, in order to use that signal to convey information. ... Amplitude modulation (AM) is a form of modulation in which the amplitude of a carrier wave is varied in direct proportion to that of a modulating signal. ... Frequency modulation (FM) is a form of modulation which represents information as variations in the instantaneous frequency of a carrier wave. ...

Once the transmission characteristics of a system are determined, telecommunication engineers design the transmitters and receivers needed for such systems. These two are sometimes combined to form a two-way communication device known as a transceiver. A key consideration in the design of transmitters is their power consumption as this is closely related to their signal strength. If the signal strength of a transmitter is insufficient the signal's information will be corrupted by noise. Read more...

Antenna tower of Crystal Palace transmitter, London A transmitter (sometimes abbreviated XMTR) is an electronic device which with the aid of an antenna propagates an electromagnetic signal such as radio, television, or other telecommunications. ... In radio terminology, a receiver is an electronic device that receives a radio signal from an antenna and decodes the signal for use as sound, pictures, navigational-position information, etc. ... A transceiver is a device that has a transmitter and a receiver which are combined. ... In electrical engineering, power consumption refers to the electrical energy over time that must be supplied to an electrical device to maintain its operation. ... In telecommunications, and particularly in radio, signal strength is the measure of how strong a signal is. ... In science, and especially in physics and telecommunication, noise is fluctuations in and the addition of external factors to the stream of target information (signal) being received at a detector. ... Electrical engineering is an engineering discipline that deals with the study and application of electricity and electromagnetism. ...

Control engineering has a wide range of applications from the flight and propulsion systems of commercial airliners to the cruise control present in many modern automobiles. It also plays an important role in industrial automation. An airliner is a large fixed-wing aircraft (an aeroplane/airplane) initially designed for the transport of paying passengers, and usually operated by an airline company (which owns or leases the aircraft). ... Cruise control (sometimes known as speed control or Autocruise) is a system to automatically control the speed of an automobile. ... A small variety of cars, the most popular kind of automobile. ... Automation (ancient Greek: = self dictated) or Industrial Automation is the use of computers to control industrial machinery and processes, replacing human operators. ...

Control engineers often utilize feedback when designing control systems. For example, in an automobile with cruise control the vehicle's speed is continuously monitored and fed back to the system which adjusts the motor's speed accordingly. Where there is regular feedback, control theory can be used to determine how the system responds to such feedback. Read more... For other uses, including Audio feedback, see Feedback (disambiguation) In cybernetics and control theory, feedback is a process whereby some proportion or in general, function, of the output signal of a system is passed (fed back) to the input. ... A control system is a device or set of devices that manage the behavior of other devices. ... A small variety of cars, the most popular kind of automobile. ... Cruise control (sometimes known as speed control or Autocruise) is a system to automatically control the speed of an automobile. ... Speed (symbol: v) is the rate of motion, or equivalently the rate of change of position, expressed as distance d moved per unit of time t. ... A motor is a device that converts energy into mechanical power, and is often synonymous with engine. ... Speed (symbol: v) is the rate of motion, or equivalently the rate of change of position, expressed as distance d moved per unit of time t. ... For the application to living systems, see perceptual control theory. ... Electrical engineering is an engineering discipline that deals with the study and application of electricity and electromagnetism. ...

Instrumentation engineering deals with the design of devices to measure physical quantities such as pressure, flow and temperature. These devices are known as instrumentation. Pressure (symbol: p) is the force per unit area acting on a surface in a direction perpendicular to that surface. ... The word flow has several different meanings: In fluid mechanics, the word flow is often used to mean a complete description of the motion of a fluid. ... Temperature is the physical property of a system which underlies the common notions of hot and cold; the material with the higher temperature is said to be hotter. ... There is also an article on the instrumentation amplifier, an integrated circuit sometimes used in measurement instruments. ...

The design of such instrumentation requires a good understanding of physics that often extends beyond electromagnetic theory. For example, radar guns use the Doppler effect to measure the speed of oncoming vehicles. Similarly, thermocouples use the Peltier-Seebeck effect to measure the temperature difference between two points. A black hole concept drawing by NASA. Physics (from the Greek, φυσικός (physikos), natural, and φύσις (physis), nature) is the science of the natural world dealing with the fundamental constituents of the universe, the forces they exert on one another, and the results produced by these forces. ... Electromagnetism is the physics of the electromagnetic field: a field, encompassing all of space, which exerts a force on those particles that possess the property of electric charge, and is in turn affected by the presence and motion of such particles. ... U.S. Army soldier uses a radar gun to catch speeding violators at Tallil Air Base, Iraq. ... Sound waves emanating from an ambulance moving to the right. ... In electronics, thermocouples are a widely used type of temperature sensor and can also be used as a means to convert thermal energy into electrical energy. ... The Peltier-Seebeck effect, or thermoelectric effect, is the direct conversion of heat differentials to electric voltage and vice versa. ...

Often instrumentation is not used by itself, but instead as the sensors of larger electrical systems. For example, a thermocouple might be used to help ensure a furnace's temperature remains constant. For this reason, instrumentation engineering is often viewed as the counterpart of control engineering. Read more...

To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Electrical engineering is an engineering discipline that deals with the study and application of electricity and electromagnetism. ... Image File history File links Palm IIIxe PDA. blabla File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...

Computer engineering deals with the design of computers and computer systems. This may involve the design of new hardware, the design of PDAs or the use of computers to control an industrial plant. Computer engineers may also work on a system's software. However, the design of complex software systems is often the domain of software engineering, which is usually considered a separate discipline. A computer is a machine capable of undergoing complex calculations. ... A computer system is an automated data-processing system that uses a programmable electronic device to store, retrieve, and process data. ... Hardware is the general term that is used to describe physical artifacts of a technology. ... This article is in need of improvement. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Computer software (or simply software) refers to one or more computer programs and data held in the storage of a computer for some purpose. ... Software engineering (SE) is the profession that creates and maintains software applications by applying technologies and practices from computer science, project management, engineering, application domains and other fields. ...

Desktop computers represent a tiny fraction of the devices a computer engineer might work on, as computer-like architectures are now found in a range of devices including video game consoles and DVD players. Read more... Desktop computer with several common peripherals (Monitor, keyboard, mouse, speakers, microphone and a printer) A desktop computer is an independent personal computer that is made especially for use on a desk in an office or home. ... A video game console is a dedicated electronic machine designed to play video games. ... This page relates to a hardware device used to play DVDs. ... Electrical engineering is an engineering discipline that deals with the study and application of electricity and electromagnetism. ...

Project engineering

For most engineers not involved at the cutting edge of system design and development, technical work accounts for only a fraction of the work they do. A lot of time is also spent on tasks such as discussing proposals with clients, preparing budgets and determining project schedules. Many senior engineers manage a team of technicians or other engineers and for this reason project management skills are important. Most engineering projects involve some form of documentation and strong written communication skills are therefore very important.

The workplaces of electronics engineers are just as varied as the types of work they do. Electronics engineers may be found in the pristine laboratory environment of a fabrication plant, the offices of a consulting firm or in a research laboratory. During their working life, electronics engineers may find themselves supervising a wide range of individuals including scientists, electricians, computer programmers and other engineers.

Obsolescence of technical skills is a serious concern for electronics engineers. Membership and participation in technical societies, regular reviews of periodicals in the field and a habit of continued learning are therefore essential to maintaining proficiency.

List of universities with separate electronics departments

• York, UK
• Queen Mary, UK
• Surrey, UK
• Dundee, UK
• Kent, UK
• Solent, UK
• Southampton, UK
• Electronica, Romania - warning: Java applet

Citations

• 1.Ryder, John and Fink, Donald; (1984). Engineers and Electrons, IEEE Press. ISBN 087942172X.
• 2.Why Should You Get Licensed?. National Society of Professional Engineers. URL accessed on 11 July 2005.
• 3.Engineers Act. Quebec Statutes and Regulations (CanLII). URL accessed on 24 July 2005.
• 4.Shuman, Ellis: “Joy turns to tragedy in collapse of Versailles wedding hall”, Israel Insider, May 27, 2001.
• 5.Codes of Ethics and Conduct. Online Ethics Center. URL accessed on 24 July 2005.
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• 10.Trevelyan, James; (2005). What Do Engineers Really Do?. University of Western Australia. (seminar with slides)
• 11.Electrical and Electronics Engineers, except Computer. Occupational Outlook Handbook. URL accessed on 16 July 2005.
• 12.Electrical and Electronics Engineers, except Computer. Occupational Outlook Handbook. URL accessed on 27 August 2005. and Computer Hardware Engineers. Occupational Outlook Handbook. URL accessed on 27 August 2005.
• 13.Electrical and Electronics Engineers. Australian Careers. URL accessed on 27 August 2005.
• 14.Electrical and Electronics Engineers (NOC 2133). Job Futures (National Edition). URL accessed on 27 August 2005.
• 15.National Science Foundation (2002), Science and Engineering Indicators 2002, Appendix 2-18.
• 16.Electrical and Electronics Engineers, except Computer. Occupational Outlook Handbook. URL accessed on 16 July 2005.
• 17.Electrical engineering degrees awarded, by degree level and sex of recipient: 1966–2001. Science and Engineering Degrees: 1966-2001. URL accessed on 27 August 2005.
• 18.Department of Education, Science and Training (2004), Australian Australian Science and Technology at a glance 2004 - Human Resources in Science and Technology, slide 10.
• 19.MEMS the world!. IntelliSense Software Corporation. URL accessed on 17 July 2005.
• 20.IEEE-USA, IEEE-USA Seeks to Substantiate Information in the H-1B Guest Worker Visa Policy Debate, January 30, 2003.
• 21.Forbes, Nushad (2003). "Higher Education, Scientific Research and Industrial Competitiveness: Reflections on Priorities for India." First Draft.
• 22.Engineering degrees awarded, by degree level and sex of recipient: 1966–2001. Science and Engineering Degrees: 1966-2001. URL accessed on 27 August 2005.
• 23.Atlas, Terry: “Bangalore's Big Dreams”, U.S. News, February 5, 2005.

See also

• Electronics
• History of radio
• Radio
• List of electrical engineering topics (alphabetical)
• List of electrical engineering topics (thematic)
• List of electrical engineers
• Electronic design automation
• Computer engineering
• IEEE Nikola Tesla Award