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Electronics Learning-Resources on the WWW

Introduction

The links on this page are to background information which students taking electronics courses (particularly PHY2028, PHY3128) may find helpful. The descriptors used in the tables are explained at the bottom of the page. Suggestions for new links, or reclassification of existing ones, are very welcome - send them to CDHW.

Circuit Analysis and Complex Variables

Level	Style	Author	Summary
0	Tutorial	SOSM	Complex numbers and variables
1	Informal	JL	Complex numbers in electronics
1	Formal	SWS	Complex numbers for electronics and DSP applications
2	Formal	DMG	AC circuit theory
2	Tutorial	JHU	Harmonic phasors and Fourier series with Java applets
2	Reference	CDHW	Lissajous Figures (pdf) and using them to find phase differences

Techniques and Good Practice

Level	Style	Author	Summary
0	Tutorial	JL	Circuit diagrams - how to interpret them
1	Reference	4QD	Component values and colour codes
1	Tutorial	EPE	Basic soldering and desoldering Guide
2	Informal	GAW	Keeping a professional notebook
2	Tutorial	CDHW	Troubleshooting op-amp circuits in the laboratory
2	Formal	DMG	Log-log plots and decibels
2	Informal	HH	How to draw schematic diagrams
2	Tutorial	BCGN	Bode plots and approximations
2	Reference	CDHW	Graph paper for Bode plots (pdf)
3	Tutorial	HP	Sources of Measurement Errors in Digital Multimeters
4	Informal	BOBP	What's all this breadboarding stuff, anyhow?

Oscilloscopes

Level	Style	Author	Summary
0	Tutorial	USYD	Introduction to the oscilloscope
1	Tutorial	TEK	Tektronix - XYZ's of oscilloscopes
2	Tutorial	LCRY	LeCroy - fundamentals of DSOs

Passive Components

Level	Style	Author	Summary
0	Informal	JL	Resistors
0	Informal	JL	Inductors
1	Tutorial	SATC	How do resistors work?
1	Tutorial	SATC	How do capacitors work?
2	Formal	DMG	Capacitance
2	Formal	DMG	Inductance
3	Notes	TH	Inductance of a straight wire
3	Reference	ENR	Introduction To Capacitors
3	Notes	BH	Mutual Inductance
4	Reference	RM	Considerations for a high performance capacitor
4	Tutorial	BOBP	Non-ideal capacitor behaviour

Diodes

Level	Style	Author	Summary
0	Tutorial	SATC	How do diodes work?
0	Tutorial	JL	Diodes
3	Tutorial	CVN	Photodiode technology
3	Formal	DMG	Diode circuits
4	Tutorial	AVT	The Unusual Diode FAQ.

Transistors

Level	Style	Author	Summary
0	Tutorial	SATC	How do transistors work?
0	Tutorial	JL	Field effect transistors
0	Tutorial	JL	Bipolar transistors
2	Informal	GAW	Transistors
2	Tutorial	IFET	Application notes for JFETs
2	Tutorial	MM	Design Guidelines for Bipolar Transistor Audio Preamplifier Circuits
2	Tutorial	MM	Design Guidelines for JFET Audio Preamplifier Circuits
3	Formal	DMG	Transistor circuits

Op-Amps

Level	Style	Author	Summary
0	Tutorial	JL	Op-amps and feedback
2	Informal	GAW	Op-amps
2-3	Textbook	TEXAS	Op Amps For Everyone
3	Formal	DMG	Operational amplifiers - analysis of ideal and non-ideal models
3	Tutorial	AD	Common Mode and Instrumentation Amplifiers
4	Tutorial	BRY	Why are there so many different types of operational amplifier?
4	Tutorial	NSC	The Monolithic Operational Amplifier: A Tutorial Study [pdf]

Filters

Level	Style	Author	Summary
0	Tutorial	JL	Virtual (Java) experiments on filters
2	Reference	AF	LC filter design - interactive package for designing passive analogue filters
3	Formal	DMG	Filter circuits
3	Tutorial	TW	Using ferrites for interference suppression
3	Tutorial	FDI	Filter design guide, also in pdf
4	Formal	BB	sbfa001.pdf (pdf) MFB low-pass filter design program
4	Formal	BB	sbfa002.pdf (pdf) Filter design program for the UAF42 universal active filter

Digital Signal Processing

Level	Style	Author	Summary
2	Notes	CDHW	Digital signal processing (pdf)
2	Formal	SWS	DSP Textbook (pdf).
2	Tutorial	BSP	BORES Signal Processing DSP course
3	Formal	NSC	An Introduction to the Sampling Theorem (pdf)

Applications and Circuits

Level	Style	Author	Summary
3	Tutorial	4QD	Audio signal (sinewave) generators
4	Tutorial	BOBP	Logarithmic amplifiers
4	Tutorial	NS	Phase-Locked Loops

Monostables and Astables

Level	Style	Author	Summary
1	Notes	JA	555 Tutorial and Information
2	Informal	GAW	555 timer
3	Tutorial	4QD	Multivibrator circuits using discrete components

Microcontrollers and PICs

Level	Style	Author	Summary
2	Tutorial	EPE	PIC 16F87 Mini tutorial (pdf)

Spice

Learning and using Spice

Level	Style	Author	Summary
2	Tutorial	JVDS	A brief overview of SPICE. A quick-start description for beginners .
2	Tutorial	CDHW	Quickstart Guide to Spice 3. A quick-start description for beginners .
2	Notes	GWN	Getting started with SPICE tutorial (pdf).
2	Tutorial	CDHW	Introductory Spice Examples.
3	Tutorial	CDHW	Advanced Spice Examples.
3	Tutorial	INTU	Solving Convergence Problems (pdf).
3	Tutorial	EDN	Step-By-Step Procedures for Solving Spice Convergence Problems (pdf).
3	Tutorial	CAD	SPICE Modeling Convergence Explored (pdf).
4	Reference	CDHW	SPICE3 User's Manual (html version).
4	Reference	BERK	The SPICE home page at Berkeley.
4	Reference	DAJ	Spice 2G User's Guide. (Useful for converting old source.)

Links to sources of Spice-based simulation software

Level	Style	Author	Summary
-	Reference	DAMP	Duncan's Amps list with brief descriptions.
-	Reference	CDHW	MacSpice. Free Spice for the Mac.
-	Reference	SF	NGSpice. Open source Spice.
-	Reference	KA	SuperSpice. Cheap Xspice based for Windows.
-	Reference	KA	SwitcherCAD III. Free Spice-compatible simulator for Windows.
-	Reference	KA	Winspice. Free Spice 3f4 for Windows.
-	Reference	OPUS	Spice Opus. Free Xspice-based for Windows and Linux.
-	Reference	JS	Spicepp Perl preprocessor for Berkeley Spice3f adds support for useful structures like .meas, .param, .lib, .globals, inline comments and equations.
-	Reference	AJB	Spiceprm Perl preprocessor for Berkeley Spice 3f supports passing parameters to subcircuits
-	Reference	FS	ps2sp.pl Perl preprocessor converts PSpice netlists to Spice 3f.

List of lists of manufacturers' Spice models

Level	Style	Author	Summary
-	Reference	DAMP	Duncan's Amps
-	Reference	ISFT	Intutsoft
-	Reference	HUT	Helsinki University of Technology
-	Reference	PH	Paul Hill's List

Special aspects of Spice models

Level	Style	Author	Summary
3	Tutorial	IFD	Simulate a neon lamp in Spice by using a hysteric resistor
3	Tutorial	IFD	A SPICE model for the ideal transformer.
3	Tutorial	MFK	Vacuum Tube SPICE parameters
4	Formal	BSRW	Skin effects models using generic SPICE (pdf)
4	Tutorial	AVT	Introduction to diode modeling.

General interest

Level	Style	Author	Summary
0	Tutorial	JL	Scot's Guide to Electronics - Table of contents
-	Reference	CDHW	Data-sheets for devices used in PHY2028
-	Reference	PM	Links to manufacturer's data-sheets
0	Informal	SFC	Analog Designers San Francisco Chronicle article about the breed.

Descriptors

The descriptors used in the above tables are as follows:

Level

The level of the document is a rough guide to the cognitive level expected of its intended audience:

Grade	Cognitive level
0	A'level (USA: Grade 12)
1	1st Year University
2	2nd Year University (USA: Junior Year)
3	3rd Year University
4	MSc/Professional

Style

The style descriptor for a document indicates its delivery mode:

Style	Explanation
Tutorial	Continuous prose presentation with didactic structure often including examples and exercises.
Notes	Resembling a set of lecture notes.
Informal	Using humour, analogy and cartoons to explain material.
Formal	Precise treatment including quantitative and mathematical analysis
Reference	Lists of useful formulae, charts, data, etc.

Author

The author descriptor facilitates identification of other documents from the same source.

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