Introductory Circuit Theory

This book emerged from lecture notes of a course taught in the second year to students of Computer Science at the Federal Institute of Tech­ nology, Zurich. The topic of hardware design plays a relatively minor role in Compu­ ter Science curricula at many universities. Most courses concentrate on the various aspects of theory, software, and of information sys­ tems. Students therefore obtain few opportunities to deal with con­ crete engineering problems and physical devices. We consider this as rather unfortunate, particularly for technical universities. As a result, we observe a growing gap between interest in and understanding of design issues involving not only software but also hardware and inter­ faces. This is regrettable at a time when new and advanced solutions to many problems are often crucially influenced by recent hardware de­ velopments, at a time when the engineer needs to be competent in both software and hardware issues in order to fmd an optimally inte­ grated, competitive solution. It turns out that the hesitation of many students in Computer Science to take an active interest in hardware - his or her daily tool! - does not only stem from a preference of "clean", abstract concepts with a corre­ sponding distaste for dealing with concrete components, construction techniques, and the "dirty" realities inflicted by nature, but also stems from the lack of a bridge between the two realms.

This book is designed as an introductory course for undergraduate students, in Electrical and Electronic, Mechanical, Mechatronics, Chemical and Petroleum engineering, who need fundamental knowledge of electrical circuits. Worked out examples have been presented after discussing each theory. Practice problems have also been included to enrich the learning experience of the students and professionals. PSpice and Multisim software packages have been included for simulation of different electrical circuit parameters. A number of exercise problems have been included in the book to aid faculty members.

Compact but comprehensive, this textbook presents the essential concepts of electronic circuit theory. As well as covering classical linear theory involving resistance, capacitance and inductance it treats practical nonlinear circuits containing components such as operational amplifiers, Zener diodes and exponential diodes. The book’s straightforward approach highlights the similarity between the equations describing direct current (DC), alternating current (AC) and small-signal nonlinear behaviour, thus making the analysis of these circuits easier to comprehend.