-Review of basic concepts in electronics
-Laplace transform analysis, input and output impedance in linear systems
-Electronic noise and applications
-Negative feedback systems and their applications
-Operational amplifiers
-Photodetection circuits
-Applications of operational amplifiers (including PID control)
-Elements of radiofrequency electronics
-Phase locked loops
-Laboratory sessions
Lecture notes and other material, provided by the teachers.
Learning Objectives
The course has the goal of introducing the student to control systems and to their applications in physics. At the end of the course, the student will have acquired mathematical tools and experimental abilities for the analysis of linear systems, control systems and noise in physical systems. The student will be able to conduct measurements with electronic devices being aware of their specifications. The student will be able to design simple electronic analog circuits.
During the course, the following aspects will be developed:
- knowledge and understanding;
- ability ti apply knowledge and understanding;
- autonomous judgment;
- communications skills;
- learning skills.
Prerequisites
Analysis of simple electronic circuits with voltage/current sources, resistors, capacitors and inductors.
Teaching Methods
Lectures and lab sessions on selected topics. Total number of hours: 56
Further information
Reception by appointment: nicola.poli@unifi.it
davide.bacco@unifi.it
leonardo.salvi@unifi.it
Type of Assessment
Written reports on laboratory experiences and oral exam, based on the presentation of experimental data and subsequent discussion and verification of the whole program.
Course program
- Linear time-invariant systems, response, transfer function in Laplace domain, poles and zeros, applications to systems of first and second order, input and output impedance in linear networks, examples and applications.
- Electronic noise, stationary and ergodic processes, variance, power spectral density, common noise sources, noise at the output of a linear system with noisy input, adding noise sources, Johnson and shot noise and applications, phase and frequency noise in oscillators, Allan variance and applications to noise sources, discrete Fourier transform.
- Negative feedback systems, closed loop transfer function, desensitivity, effects of noise and nonlinearities, application to a current controller, dynamics of feedback systems, systems of first, second and third order, stability and Nyquist test, relative stability and compensation, phase and gain margin, building feedback systems, non-inverting operational amplifier connection, static and dynamic properties of operational amplifiers.
- Detection of optical signals, photodiodes, circuit with load resistor, reverse bias of photodiodes, transimpedance amplifier, bandwidth and noise, differential photodiodes and photodiodes with bootstrapping, laboratory session.
- Single-ended and differential signals, differential and instrumentation amplifiers, Howland pump, comparator circuits and Schmitt trigger, integrators, differentiators, adders and PID control, laboratory session on temperature control, all-pass filters and non-minimum phase systems.
- Elements of radiofrequency electronics, transmission lines, transformers, mixers, spectrum analyzers, voltage-controlled oscillators, frequency counters, phase detectors and phase-frequency detectors, laboratory session on phase locked loops.