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Anant Agarwal, Gerald Sussman, Piotr Mitros, Chris Terman, and Bonnie Lam

Want to learn how to construct an amplifier for mobile phones? Wondering how energy storage elements like capacitors and inductors work, or how to make microchips run faster? This free circuits course taught by edX CEO and MIT Professor Anant Agarwal and colleagues is for you.

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Want to learn how to construct an amplifier for mobile phones? Wondering how energy storage elements like capacitors and inductors work, or how to make microchips run faster? This free circuits course taught by edX CEO and MIT Professor Anant Agarwal and colleagues is for you.

This is the second of three online Circuits and Electronics courses and is taken by all MIT Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS) majors.

Topics covered include: MOSFET large signal and small signal analysis; amplifiers; energy storage elements like capacitors and inductors; and dynamics of first-order networks and circuit speed. Design and lab exercises are also significant components of the course.

Weekly coursework includes interactive video sequences, readings from the textbook, homework, online laboratories, and optional tutorials. The course will also have a final exam.

This is a self-paced course, so there are no weekly deadlines. However, all assignments are due when the course ends.

What you'll learn

  • How to build amplifiers using MOSFETs
  • How to use intuition to describe the approximate time and frequency behavior of first-order circuits containing energy storage elements like capacitors and inductors
  • The relationship between the mathematical representation of first-order circuit behavior and corresponding real-life effects
  • How to improve the speed of digital circuits
  • Measurement of circuit variables using tools such as virtual oscilloscopes, virtual multimeters, and virtual signal generators
  • How to compare the measurements with the behavior predicted by mathematical models and explain the discrepancies

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What's inside

Learning objectives

  • How to build amplifiers using mosfets
  • How to use intuition to describe the approximate time and frequency behavior of first-order circuits containing energy storage elements like capacitors and inductors
  • The relationship between the mathematical representation of first-order circuit behavior and corresponding real-life effects
  • How to improve the speed of digital circuits
  • Measurement of circuit variables using tools such as virtual oscilloscopes, virtual multimeters, and virtual signal generators
  • How to compare the measurements with the behavior predicted by mathematical models and explain the discrepancies

Syllabus

Week 1: Amplifiers, MOSFET large signal analysis, MOSFET small signal analysis
Week 2: Capacitors, first-order RC circuits
Week 3: Inductors, first-order step response, first-order circuit analysis, impulses, digital circuit speed
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Week 4: Impulse, step, ramp superposition, digital memory, state, ZIR, ZSR

Good to know

Know what's good
, what to watch for
, and possible dealbreakers
Provides a strong foundation for beginners in circuit analysis and electronics concepts
Develops intuition for understanding the behavior of circuits containing capacitors and inductors
Taught by renowned MIT professors with expertise in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Covers key topics for Electrical Engineering and Computer Science majors at MIT
Emphasizes practical applications through design and lab exercises
Requires students to have a basic understanding of circuit analysis and mathematics

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Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Circuits and Electronics 2: Amplification, Speed, and Delay with these activities:
Review Soldering Techniques
Ensures that students have the necessary skills to build and test circuits.
Browse courses on Soldering
Show steps
  • Watch a video tutorial on soldering.
  • Practice soldering on a scrap piece of wire.
  • Solder a simple circuit, such as an LED blinker.
Review Essential Math
Refreshes essential math skills needed for this course.
Browse courses on Algebra
Show steps
  • Review basic algebra concepts, including variables, equations, and inequalities.
  • Go over the basics of differential calculus, including limits, derivatives, and integrals.
  • Review the basics of integral calculus, including indefinite and definite integrals.
Read 'Fundamentals of Electric Circuits' by Alexander and Sadiku
Provides a comprehensive overview of the fundamentals of electric circuits.
Show steps
  • Read the assigned chapters in the textbook.
  • Take notes on the important concepts.
  • Solve the practice problems at the end of each chapter.
Nine other activities
Expand to see all activities and additional details
Show all 12 activities
Compile a List of Useful Resources
Provides a central location for students to access a variety of resources.
Show steps
  • Create a document or spreadsheet.
  • Include links to websites, tutorials, and other resources that are relevant to the course.
  • Share the document or spreadsheet with other students.
Form a Study Group
Provides an opportunity to collaborate with other students and learn from each other.
Show steps
  • Find a group of students who are also taking the course.
  • Meet regularly to discuss the course material.
  • Work together on problem sets and projects.
Analyze circuit behavior with SPICE
Use SPICE to analyze the behavior of circuits, helping you solidify your understanding of circuit concepts.
Browse courses on Circuit Analysis
Show steps
  • Learn the basics of SPICE syntax
  • Build circuit models in SPICE
  • Analyze circuit behavior using SPICE
Explore online tutorials on digital circuit optimization
Search and follow online tutorials to deepen your understanding of digital circuit optimization techniques.
Show steps
  • Identify online tutorials on digital circuit optimization
  • Follow the tutorials to learn optimization techniques
Solve Circuit Analysis Problems
Provides practice in solving circuit analysis problems.
Browse courses on Circuit Analysis
Show steps
  • Find practice problems online or in textbooks.
  • Solve the problems using the techniques learned in class.
  • Check your answers against the provided solutions.
Build a Simple Circuit
Provides hands-on experience in building and testing circuits.
Browse courses on Circuit Building
Show steps
  • Gather the necessary materials, including resistors, capacitors, transistors, and a breadboard.
  • Follow a tutorial to build a simple circuit, such as an LED blinker.
  • Test the circuit to make sure it works as expected.
Design and build a simple MOSFET amplifier
Design and build a simple MOSFET amplifier to demonstrate your understanding of amplifier circuits.
Browse courses on Circuit Design
Show steps
  • Research MOSFET amplifier design
  • Select suitable components
  • Build and test the amplifier
  • Evaluate the amplifier's performance
Design a Circuit for a Specific Application
Allows students to apply their knowledge of circuit analysis and design to a real-world problem.
Browse courses on Circuit Design
Show steps
  • Identify a specific application for which you want to design a circuit.
  • Research the different types of circuits that can be used for this application.
  • Design the circuit and simulate it using a circuit simulator.
  • Build and test the circuit.
Participate in a Circuit Design Competition
Provides an opportunity for students to showcase their skills and knowledge in a competitive environment.
Browse courses on Circuit Design
Show steps
  • Find a circuit design competition that is open to students.
  • Form a team and brainstorm ideas for a circuit design.
  • Design and build the circuit.
  • Submit the circuit to the competition.

Career center

Learners who complete Circuits and Electronics 2: Amplification, Speed, and Delay will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:
Computer Hardware Engineer
Computer Hardware Engineers design, develop, test, and supervise the installation of computer hardware. This course will be helpful as it teaches how to build amplifiers using MOSFETs and improve the speed of digital circuits, which are both essential skills for Computer Hardware Engineers. Additionally, the section on circuit dynamics can help engineers understand how computers process information.
Electronics Engineer
Electronics Engineers design, develop, test, and supervise the installation of electronic equipment. This course may be particularly helpful as it teaches the basics of working with electronic circuits, including amplifiers, energy storage elements, and circuit speed. These are all essential concepts for anyone working in the field of Electronics Engineering.
Electrical and Electronics Engineering Technician
Electrical and Electronics Engineering Technicians help engineers design, develop, test, and supervise the installation of electrical and electronic equipment. This course will be useful as it teaches the basics of how electrical and electronic circuits work, including amplifiers, energy storage elements, and circuit speed. These are all essential concepts for anyone working as an Electrical and Electronics Engineering Technician.
Biomedical Engineer
Biomedical Engineers design, develop, test, and supervise the installation of biomedical equipment. This course may be particularly helpful as it teaches how to build amplifiers using MOSFETs, which is an essential skill for Biomedical Engineers. Additionally, the section on circuit dynamics can help engineers understand how biomedical systems process information.
Broadcast Engineer
Broadcast Engineers design, develop, test, and supervise the installation of broadcast equipment. This course may be particularly helpful as it teaches how to build amplifiers using MOSFETs and improve the speed of digital circuits, which are both essential skills for Broadcast Engineers. Additionally, the section on circuit dynamics can help engineers understand how broadcast systems process information.
Mechanical Engineer
Mechanical Engineers design, develop, test, and supervise the installation of mechanical equipment. This course may be particularly helpful as it teaches how to improve the speed of digital circuits and how to use intuition to describe the approximate time and frequency behavior of circuits, which are both essential skills for Mechanical Engineers.
Nuclear Engineer
Nuclear Engineers design, develop, test, and supervise the installation of nuclear equipment. This course may be particularly helpful as it teaches how to improve the speed of digital circuits and how to use intuition to describe the approximate time and frequency behavior of circuits, which are both essential skills for Nuclear Engineers.
Aerospace Engineer
Aerospace Engineers design, develop, test, and supervise the installation of aerospace equipment. This course may be particularly helpful as it teaches how to improve the speed of digital circuits and how to use intuition to describe the approximate time and frequency behavior of circuits, which are both essential skills for Aerospace Engineers.
Audio Engineer
Audio Engineers design, develop, test, and supervise the installation of audio equipment. This course may be particularly helpful as it teaches how to build amplifiers using MOSFETs and improve the speed of digital circuits, which are both essential skills for Audio Engineers. Additionally, the section on circuit dynamics can help engineers understand how audio systems process information.
Electrical Engineer
Electrical Engineers design, develop, test, and supervise the installation of electrical equipment. This course may be useful as it teaches the fundamentals of how electrical circuits work, which is essential knowledge for any Electrical Engineer. In particular, the section on circuit dynamics is directly relevant to the work of an Electrical Engineer.
Robotics Engineer
Robotics Engineers design, develop, test, and supervise the installation of robots. This course may be useful as it teaches how to improve the speed of digital circuits and how to use intuition to describe the approximate time and frequency behavior of circuits, which are both essential skills for Robotics Engineers.
Mechatronics Engineer
Mechatronics Engineers design, develop, test, and supervise the installation of mechatronic systems. This course may be useful as it teaches how to improve the speed of digital circuits and how to use intuition to describe the approximate time and frequency behavior of circuits, which are both essential skills for Mechatronics Engineers.
Telecommunications Engineer
Telecommunications Engineers design, develop, test, and supervise the installation of telecommunications equipment. This course may be useful as it teaches how to build amplifiers using MOSFETs and improve the speed of digital circuits, which are both essential skills for Telecommunications Engineers. Additionally, the section on circuit dynamics can help engineers understand how telecommunication systems process information.
Civil Engineer
Civil Engineers design, develop, test, and supervise the installation of civil infrastructure. This course may be useful as it teaches how to use intuition to describe the approximate time and frequency behavior of circuits, which is an essential skill for Civil Engineers. Additionally, the section on circuit dynamics can help engineers understand how civil infrastructure systems process information.
Chemical Engineer
Chemical Engineers design, develop, test, and supervise the installation of chemical equipment. This course may be useful as it teaches how to use intuition to describe the approximate time and frequency behavior of circuits, which is an essential skill for Chemical Engineers. Additionally, the section on circuit dynamics can help engineers understand how chemical systems process information.

Reading list

We've selected 11 books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in Circuits and Electronics 2: Amplification, Speed, and Delay.
Gives a comprehensive overview of CMOS VLSI design, a topic covered in the course. It is commonly used as a textbook at academic institutions and by industry professionals.
Provides a comprehensive treatment of analog integrated circuit design, including topics such as amplifiers, energy storage elements, and circuit speed. It valuable reference for anyone interested in this field and is often used as a textbook at universities.
Delves into the design of analog CMOS integrated circuits, including amplifiers, energy storage elements, and digital circuits. It valuable reference for anyone interested in this field and is often used as a textbook at universities.
Provides a comprehensive overview of microelectronic circuits, including topics such as amplifiers, energy storage elements, and digital circuits. It widely used textbook for undergraduate courses and can serve as a useful reference for this course.
Provides a comprehensive treatment of electronic circuit analysis and design, including topics such as amplifiers, energy storage elements, and digital circuits. It valuable reference for anyone interested in this field and is often used as a textbook at universities.
Provides a comprehensive overview of solid state electronic devices, including topics such as MOSFETs, amplifiers, and digital circuits. It valuable reference for anyone interested in this field and is often used as a textbook at universities.
Provides a comprehensive overview of microelectronic fabrication, including topics such as MOSFETs, amplifiers, and digital circuits. It valuable reference for anyone interested in this field and is often used as a textbook at universities.
Provides a comprehensive overview of electronic circuits, including topics such as amplifiers, energy storage elements, and digital circuits. It valuable reference for anyone interested in this field and is often used as a textbook at universities.
Provides a comprehensive overview of microelectronic devices and circuits, including topics such as MOSFETs, amplifiers, and digital circuits. It valuable reference for anyone interested in this field and is often used as a textbook at universities.
Provides a comprehensive overview of electronic devices and circuit theory, including topics such as amplifiers, energy storage elements, and digital circuits. It valuable reference for anyone interested in this field and is often used as a textbook at universities.

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