AS and A2 level Electronics

AS and A2 level Electronics

Electronics fills our everyday lives! At home we see hi-fis, computers, telephones, washing machines, radios, TVs, cameras, etc. Outside we encounter electronics in trains, planes and automobiles, traffic systems, hospital equipment, and so on.

Clearly the field of Electronics has made, and will continue to make, a huge impact on the quality of our lives and the prosperity of the country. The skills and knowledge are clearly needed in this technological age.

WHAT WILL I BE STUDYING ON THE COURSE?
For AS you will study:

·Simple Systems
â€" provides you with the basic building blocks for your study in Electronics. In this unit you will learn about logic gates and chips, and how to combine them to make logic systems. You will also learn about analogue components, such as resistors, capacitors and op-amps, and how to generate pulses for timing circuits.

·Signal Processors
â€" applies the knowledge gained from above. You will learn about how to use logic gates to store information and generate time-dependent sequences. You will also learn about audio amplifier and filter circuits and be introduced to simple microcontroller programming.

·Coursework
(27% of AS mark) â€" you will carry out three investigations based on: a simple digital system; an op-amp amplifier circuit; a simple microcontroller circuit. These will be built on prototype board.


For A2 you will study:

·Communication Systems
â€" covers the theory behind radio (AM, FM and PWM signalling), video displays, and digital signalling (for telephones and computers).

·Control Systems
â€" both analogue and digital systems are covered, from â€-on-off†and â€-proportional†analogue systems to â€-microprocessor†systems. You will also learn how microprocessors and memory systems work, and many applications for MOSFETs.

·Coursework
(27% of A2 mark) â€" design, build, test and explain a system based on the understanding that you have gained from the course. This will be built on prototype board.



WHAT WILL I BE DOING IN LESSONS?
·studying circuit theory

·calculating component values, current, etc.

·learning the techniques of Boolean algebra

·building and testing circuits on prototype board

·undertaking practical tasks and using test equipment

·using laptop computers with â€-Crocodile Technology†software to design and test circuits

The emphasis of this course is on the understanding of the operation of circuits and systems.

HOW WILL THE COURSE BE ASSESSED?
By a combination of examination and coursework.

WHAT OTHER SUBJECTS COULD I DO WITH ELECTRONICS?
Mathematics, Physics and Computing combine particularly well with Electronics. Other sciences and technology related subjects would also make suitable combinations.

AND AFTER THE COURSE?
A pass in Electronics is a valuable asset for those wishing to pursue electronics as a career, or any science, engineering and technology related careers.