ELECTENG 101 : Electrical and Digital Systems

Engineering

2024 Semester Two (1245) (15 POINTS)

Course Prescription

An introduction to electrical, computer and electronic systems and technology. Digital circuits and analysis techniques, computer organisation. Analog circuits and analysis techniques. Inductive power transfer, power systems and electric machines. Communication systems.

Course Overview

Electrical and Digital Systems is a foundation course in electrical and computer engineering. Electrical and digital systems are key underlying, rapidly changing technologies in our modern lives that are essential in all engineering disciplines. Every engineering professional must know something about the fundamentals of this discipline. This is a requirement for registration as a professional engineer in most countries. It is to meet this need that this course has been designed. The course is deliberately broad to reflect the very diverse nature of the field. Many of the topics presented cannot be covered in depth, the intention being to set in place the necessary foundations.

Electrical Systems Topic Summary
  • DC circuit concepts: current, voltage, resistance, power, Kirchhoff's laws.
  • AC circuit concepts: sinusoids, average values, root-mean-square values, capacitor, inductor, AC power characterisation.
  • Methods and theorems of circuit analysis: equivalent resistance, node-voltage analysis, superposition theorem, Thevenin's theorem.
  • Electrical devices: resistive input transducers, operational amplifiers, DC motors, three-phase generators, transformers.
Digital Systems Topic Summary
  • Number systems: Bases, conversion between bases.
  • Boolean algebra.
  • Digital devices: analog-to-digital converters, logic gates.

Course Requirements

Restriction: ELECTENG 202, 204, 208, 210

Capabilities Developed in this Course

Capability 3: Knowledge and Practice
Capability 4: Critical Thinking
Capability 5: Solution Seeking
Capability 6: Communication
Capability 8: Ethics and Professionalism

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to:
  1. Evaluate and apply fundamental direct current (DC) and alternating current (AC) circuit concepts to quantify and interpret behaviours of basic analog electronic systems. (Capability 3.1, 3.2 and 4.1)
  2. Evaluate and apply fundamental number systems, algebraic, and digital logic concepts to quantify and interpret behaviours of basic digital electronic systems. (Capability 3.1, 3.2 and 4.1)
  3. Understand, explain, and apply the operating principles behind modern electronic systems through the lens of monitoring, analysis, and response technologies that underpin them. (Capability 3.1, 4.1, 5.1, 6.1 and 8.2)
  4. Analyse and evaluate electricity supply systems in terms of their generation, transmission, and distribution stages. (Capability 3.1 and 4.1)

Assessments

Assessment Type Percentage Classification
Tests 30% Individual Test
Assignments 26% Individual Coursework
Laboratory 4% Individual Coursework
Final Examination 40% Individual Examination
Assessment Type Learning Outcome Addressed
1 2 3 4
Tests
Assignments
Laboratory
Final Examination

You must attempt the exam to be eligible for a passing grade. Not sitting the exam will result in a grade of DNS (Did Not Sit).

Workload Expectations

This course is a standard 15-point course and students are expected to spend 10 hours per week involved in each 15-point course that they are enrolled in.

For this course, you can expect 4 hours of lectures/lectorials, 3 hours of reading and thinking about the content, and 3 hours of work on assignments and/or test preparation.

Delivery Mode

Campus Experience

Attendance is expected at scheduled activities including labs to receive credit for components of the course.
Lectures will be available as recordings. Other learning activities will not be available as recordings.
The course will not include live online events.
Attendance on campus is required for the tests and the exam.
The activities for the course are scheduled as a standard weekly timetable.

Learning Resources

Course materials are made available in a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas which also includes reading lists and lecture recordings (where available).

Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.

The coursebook for ELECTENG 101 Semester 2, 2024 will be used extensively in the course. It is designed to accompany the delivery of the course content, and there are details that you will be encouraged to complete. Every student should have a copy available during lectures.

There is no prescribed textbook for this course. All additional learning materials will be provided digitally on Canvas. A printed coursebook will be available for purchase from the University's bookshop UBIQ.

Health & Safety

Students are expected to adhere to the guidelines outlined in the Health and Safety section of the Engineering Undergraduate Handbook.

Student Feedback

At the end of every semester students will be invited to give feedback on the course and teaching through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions.

Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students.

Class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.

  • Formative assignments are to be broken down into smaller (less) but more frequent (weekly) portions. 
  • Reinforce the pedagogy behind the content organisation (theory versus application) by adapting Canvas pages/usage to align with the concept maps used in the coursebook and during the lectures.
  • More frequent in-class interactivities are to be implemented for engagement and teaching-on-demand. This may include bi-weekly in-class guided group activities using team-based learning methods.

Academic Integrity

The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. This requirement also applies to sources on the internet. A student's assessed work may be reviewed for potential plagiarism or other forms of academic misconduct, using computerised detection mechanisms.

Class Representatives

Class representatives are students tasked with representing student issues to departments, faculties, and the wider university. If you have a complaint about this course, please contact your class rep who will know how to raise it in the right channels. See your departmental noticeboard for contact details for your class reps.

Inclusive Learning

All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor.

Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website http://disability.auckland.ac.nz

Special Circumstances

If your ability to complete assessed coursework is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due.

If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/academic-information/exams-and-final-results/during-exams/aegrotat-and-compassionate-consideration.html.

This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.

Learning Continuity

In the event of an unexpected disruption, we undertake to maintain the continuity and standard of teaching and learning in all your courses throughout the year. If there are unexpected disruptions the University has contingency plans to ensure that access to your course continues and course assessment continues to meet the principles of the University’s assessment policy. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. You will be kept fully informed by your course co-ordinator/director, and if disruption occurs you should refer to the university website for information about how to proceed.

Student Charter and Responsibilities

The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/forms-policies-and-guidelines/student-policies-and-guidelines/student-charter.html.

Disclaimer

Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about the course will be available for enrolled students in Canvas.

In this course students may be asked to submit coursework assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations for this course online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. In exceptional circumstances changes to elements of this course may be necessary at short notice. Students enrolled in this course will be informed of any such changes and the reasons for them, as soon as possible, through Canvas.