Any electronics course would be expected to include a laboratory component. In
fact, some of the material here originated as background material for such a laboratory experience. It is recognized that each instructor has their own laboratory
priorities, and possibly a limited or specialized supply of laboratory equipment for
such a purpose. It is hoped that the presentation here is written in a manner suitable
for use in either the laboratory or classroom. The first obvious examples of laboratories that appear here are the sections related to the Wheatstone and Kelvin
bridges, both of which originated primarily as laboratory exercises. Along with
material in the last chapter, some practical experience using an embedded microcontroller—that is, some programming—is definitely useful. Programming varies
from device to device and is not really “electronics,” and so it is only included here
in a very general way.
The book includes three broad categories of electronics. Chapters 1–5 cover
passive linear electronics, Chaps. 6–11 look at nonlinear and active devices
including diodes, transistors, and op-amps, and Chaps. 12–14 consider the basics of
digital electronics and simplified computers.
This text originated as weekly handouts and laboratory write-ups for a course
designed primarily for second-year university physics students. The level of the
material here is appropriate for students who have successfully learned the material
in introductory electricity and magnetism as well as mathematics up to the first
course in integral calculus. As the extent of the material in the handouts expanded
over the years, it got to the point that some students started referring to the handouts
as “the book.” That reference served as one motivating factor to formalize those
course notes into a full volume. I thank those students for providing that inspiration,
and I hope this proves to be a useful exercise for both of us.