UNIT 1 Electronics

I. Reading 1 What is electronics

1. What is the electron? Which generation of the lepton particle does it belong
to?
- The electron is a subatomic particle, symbol e − or β − , whose electric charge is
negative one elementary charge.
4. In which applications are electrons involved?
- Electrons are involved in many applications such as electronics, welding, cathode
ray tubes, electron microscopes, radiation therapy, lasers, gaseous ionization detectors
and particle accelerators.
5. Where is electronics widely used?
- Electronics are widely used in information processing, telecommunication, and
signal processing.
6. What does electronics comprise?
- Electronics comprises the physics, engineering, technology and applications that deal
with the emission, flow and control of electrons in vacuum and matter.
7. What branches does electronics have?
- Electronics has branches including Digital electronics, Analogue electronics,
Microelectronics, Semiconductor devices, Embedded systems, Audio electronics,
Telecommunications.
II. Reading 2 Electronic engineering
1. What do engineers do in the field of electronic engineering? And why do they
have to do so?
- In the field of electronic engineering, engineers design and test circuits that use the
electromagnetic properties of electrical components such as resistors, capacitors,
inductors, diodes and transistors to achieve a particular functionality.
2. What is electronic engineering ?
- Electronic engineering( also called electronics and communications engineering) is
an electrical engineering discipline which utilizes nonlinear and active electrical
components (such as semiconductor devices, especially transistors, diodes and
integrated circuits) to design electronic circuits, devices, VLSI devices and their
system, usually based on printed circuit boards.
3. What does electronics engineering deal with?
- Electronics engineering deals with implementation of applications, principles and
algorithms developed within many related fields, for example solid-state physics,
radio engineering, telecommunications, control systems, signal processing, systems
engineering, computer engineering, instrumentation engineering, electric power
control, robotics, and many others.
III. Reading 3 Education and training of Electronic engineering
1. What does a degree in electronics generally include?
-A degree in electronics generally includes units converging physics , chemistry,
mathematics, project management and specific topics in electrical engineering.
2 What other specialisms do electrical engineering courses have?
Electrical engineering courses have other specialisms such as machines, power
generation and distribution including Electromagnetic; Network analysis; Electronic
devices and circuits; Electronic devices: Analog circuits, Digital circuits; Signals and
systems; Control systems; Communications: Analog communication systems, Digital
communication systems.
6. How long does it take electronics engineers to get an academic degree with a
major in electronic engineering?
-The length of study for such a degree is usually three or four years and the completed
degree may be designated as a Bachelor of Engineering, Bachelor of Science,
Bachelor of Applied Science, or Bachelor of Technology depending upon the
university.
IV. Reading 4 Digital and analogue Electronics
1. What is the difference between digital electronics and analogue electronics?
-Digital electronics, digital technology or digital (electronic) circuits are electronics
that operate on digital signals. In contrast, analog circuits manipulate analog signals
whose performance is more subject to manufacturing tolerance, signal attenuation and
noise.
7. What is the difference between digital circuits and analog circuits?
- In digital circuits, the signal is regenerated at each logic gate, lessening or removing
noise. In analogue circuits, signal loss can be regenerated with amplifiers.
8. How is an analogue circuit usually designed?
- An analogue circuit is usually designed by hand, and the process is much less
automated than for digital systems.
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UNIT 2 Electronic components
I. Reading 1 What is an Electronic component
1. How can electronic components be classified?
Components can be classified as passive, active, or electromechanic.
2. What is the MOSFET? What are its advantages?
The MOSFET (MOS transistor) was invented by Mohamed Atalla and Dawon Kahng
at Bell Labs in 1959. The MOSFET was the first truly compact transistor that could be
miniaturized and mass-produced for a wide range of uses. Its advantages include high
scalability, affordability, low power consumption, and high density.
3.
4. What is an electronic component?
- An electronic component is any basic discrete device or physical entity in an
electronic system used to affect electrons or their associated fields.
5. What is the difference between passive component and active component?
· Active components rely on a source of energy (usually from the DC circuit, which
we have chosen to ignore) and usually can inject power into a circuit, though this is
not part of the definition. Active components include amplifying components such as
transistors, triode vacuum tubes (valves), and tunnel diodes.
· Passive components can't introduce net energy into the circuit. They also can't rely
on a source of power, except for what is available from the (AC) circuit they are
connected to. Passive components include two-terminal components such as resistors,
capacitors, inductors, and transformers.
II. Reading 2 A transistor
1. Who invented the MOS transistor? When was it invented ? What is its
importance?
- The MOS transistor was invented by Egyptian engineer Mohamed Atalla with
korean engineer Dawon Kahng at Bell Lads in 1959.
- The MOSFET was the first truly compact transistor that could be miniaturized and
mass-produce for a wide range of use.(k cần)
2. How many types of transistor? What are they? What is the difference between
them?
There are two types of transistors, which have slight differences in how they are used
in a circuit. A bipolar transistor has terminals labeled base, collector, and emitter. A
small current at the base terminal (that is, flowing between the base and the emitter)
can control or switch a much larger current between the collector and emitter
terminals. For a field-effect transistor, the terminals are labeled gate, source, and
drain, and a voltage at the gate can control a current between source and drain.
3. What are most transistors made from?
Most transistors are made from very pure silicon, and some from germanium, but
certain other semiconductor materials can also be used.
4. What does the essential usefulness of a transistor come from?
The essential usefulness of a transistor comes from its ability to use a small signal
applied between one pair of its terminals to control a much larger signal at another
pair of terminals.
7. What is a transistor? What is it composed of?
- A transistor is a semiconductor device used to amplify or switch electronic signals
and electrical power.
- It is composed of semiconductor material usually with at least three terminals for
connection to an external circuit.
III. Reading 3 Integrated circuits
2) What advantages do integrated circuits have over discrete circuits? Does they
have any disadvantages ? If yes, what are they?
ICs have two main advantages over discrete circuits: cost and performance. Cost is
low because the chips, with all their components, are printed as a unit by photo-
lithography rather than being constructed one transistor at a time.
Furthermore, packaged ICs use much less material than discrete circuits. 36
Performance is high because the IC’s components switch quickly and consume
comparatively little power because of their small size and proximity. The main
disadvantage of ICs is the high cost to design them and fabricate the required photo
masks. This high initial cost means ICs are only practical when high production
volumes are anticipated.
3. How are integrated circuits classified?
Integrated circuits can be classified into analog, digital and mixed signal, consisting of
both analog and digital signaling on the same IC.
4. What equipment are integrated circuits used now?
ICs are now used in virtually all electronic equipment and have revolutionized the
world of electronics.
6.
 IV. Reading 4 Passive electronic components
1.How many passive electronic components are mentioned in the passages? What
are they?
They’re resistors, capacitors, and inductors.
2. What is a capacitor? What do most capacitors contain? Where are capacitors
widely used? What are they used for?
+ A capacitor is a device that stores electrical energy in an electric field.
+ Most capacitors contain at least two electrical conductors often in the form of
metallic plates or surfaces separated by a dielectric medium.
+ Capacitors are widely used as parts of electrical circuits in many common electrical
devices.
3. What is an inductor? What does an inductor typically consist of?
An inductor, also called a coil, choke, or reactor, is a passive two terminal electrical
component that stores energy in a magnetic field when electric current flows through
it. An inductor typically consists of an insulated wire wound into a coil around a core.
4. What is a resistor? How is its electrical function specified?
+ A resistor is a passive two-terminal electrical component that implements electrical
resistance as a circuit element.
+ The electrical function of a resistor is specified by its resistance: common
commercial resistors are manufactured over a range of more than nine orders of
magnitude.
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UNIT 3 Telecommunication
I. Reading 1 What is telecommunication
1. What was the early means of long-distance communication? Give some
examples.
- Early means of communicating over a distance included visual signals, such as
beacons smoke signals, semaphore telegraphs, signal flags and optical heliographs.
Other examples of pre-modern long-distance communication included audio 52
messages such as coded drumbeats, lung-blown horns, and loud whistles
4. What is telecommunication? When does it occur?
- Telecommunication is the transmission of signs, signals, messages, words, writings,
images and sounds or information of any nature by wire, radio, optical or other
electromagnetic systems. Telecommunication occurs when the exchange of
information between communication participants includes the use of technology.
6. Where does the word telecommunication derive from? Who adapted its
modern use and why?
The word telecommunication is a compound of the Greek prefix tele, meaning distant,
far off or afar, and the Latin communicare, meaning to share. Its modern use is
adapted from the French, because its written use was recorded in 1904 by the French
engineer and novelist Edouard Estaunié.
7. How are signs, signals, messages, words, writings, images and sounds or
information transmitted?
It is transmitted through a transmission media, such as over physical media, for
example, over electrical cable, or via electromagnetic radiation through space such as
radio or light.
8. Other Impacts
In cultural terms, telecommunication has increased the public's ability to access music
and film.
Telecommunication has also transformed the way people receive their news.
Telecommunication has had an equally significant impact on advertising.(k cần)

II. Reading 2 A brief history of telecommunication

1. When and where did the Dutch government use homing pigeons?
- In the early 19th century, the Dutch government used the system in Java and Sumatra,
to fly stock prices between Aachen and Brussels.
3. When were Pigeon post born? Who used it later and why was it used for?
Pigeon post had Persian roots, and was later used by the Romans to aid their military.
7. What medium become an important home entertainment broadcast
medium after World War II?
- After World War II, the experiments in television that had been interrupted were
resumed, and it also became an important home entertainment broadcast medium
III. Reading 3 Basic elements of a telecommunication system
1. What basic elements or parts of a telecommunication system are mentioned in
the text?
They’re transmitter, transmission medium, radio receiver.
2. What is a transmitter in electronics and telecommunications?
In electronics and telecommunications a transmitter or radio transmitter is an
electronic devices which produces radio waves with an antenna.
3.What is a radio receiver in radio communications?
In radio communications, a radio receiver, also known as a receiver, wireless or
simply radio is an electronic device that receives radio waves and converts the
information carried by them to a usable form.
4. What is a transmission medium?
A transmission medium is something that can mediate the propagation of signals for
the purposes of telecommunication.
8.
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UNIT 4 Transmission and switching
I. Reading 1 Packet switching
2. What is packet switching? What components does a packet switch have?
+ Packet switching is a method of grouping data that is transmitted over a digital
network into packets.
+ A packet switch has four components: input ports, output ports, routing processor,
and switching fabric
3. What is transmission in telecommunications? Which types of transmission are
mentioned in the text?
+ In telecommunications, transmission (abbreviations: TX, Xmit) is the process of
sending and propagating an analogue or digital information signal over a physical
point-to-point or point-to-multipoint transmission medium, either wired, optical fiber
or wireless.
+ Normally there are Two-Wire Transmission, Four-Wire Transmission, Operation of
a Hybrid.
4.What are packets made of?
Packets are made of a header and a payload.
5. Why did Paul Baran develop the concept Distributed Adaptive Message
Block Switching?
In the early 1960s, American computer scientist Paul Baran developed the concept
Distributed Adaptive Message Block Switching with the goal to provide a fault-
tolerant, efficient routing method for telecommunication messages as part of a
research program at the RAND Corporation, funded by the US Department of
Defense.

6. Which physical layer protocol duties do transmission technologies and

schemes typically refer to?
-Transmission technologies and schemes typically refer to physical layer protocol
duties such as modulation, demodulation, line coding, equalization, error control, bit
synchronization and multiplexing, but the term may also involve higher-layer protocol
duties, for example, digitizing an analog signal, and data compression.
II. Reading 2 Transmission mediums
1.What is one of the most common physical medias used in networking?
(k cần) One of the most common physical medias used in networking is copper wire.
3. How can a transmission medium be classified?
In general, a transmission medium can be classified as Linear medium, if different
waves at any particular point in the medium can be superposed; Bounded medium, if
it is finite in extent, otherwise unbounded medium; Uniform medium or homogeneous
medium, if its physical properties are unchanged at different points; Isotropic medium,
if its physical properties are the same in different directions.
4. How can electromagnetic radiation be transmitted?
Electromagnetic radiation can be transmitted through an optical medium, such as
optical fiber, or through twisted pair wires, coaxial cable, or dielectric slab
waveguides.
6. How many main types of transmission media? What are they?
There are two main types of transmission media: Guided (or bounded)—waves are
guided along a solid medium such as a transmission line; Wireless (or unguided)—
transmission and reception are achieved by means of an antenna.
III. Reading 3 Fiber-optic communication
3. Why is electrical transmission often preferred in short distance and relatively
low bandwidth applications?
In short distance and relatively low bandwidth applications, electrical transmission is
often preferred because of its
· Lower material cost, where large quantities are not required
· Lower cost of transmitters and receivers
· Capability to carry electrical power as well as signals (in appropriately designed
cables)
· Ease of operating transducers in linear mode.
4. Why have optical fibers largely replaced copper wire communications
in core networks in the developed world?
Because of its advantages over electrical transmission, optical fibers have largely
replaced copper wire communications in core networks in the developed world.
5. Why may fiber be used even for short distance or low bandwidth applications?
In certain situations fiber may be used even for short distance or low bandwidth
applications, due to other important features:
· Immunity to electromagnetic interferenc
· High electrical resistance
· Lighter weight
· No sparks
· Not electromagnetically radiating, and difficult to tap without disrupting the signal
· Much smaller cable size
· Resistance to corrosion due to non-metallic transmission medium
6. What is fiber-optic communication?
Fiber-optic communication is a method of transmitting information from one place to
another by sending pulses of light through an optical fiber.
7. What basic steps are performed in the process of communicating using fiber-
optics involves ?
The process of communicating using fiber-optics involves the following basic steps:
1. Creating the optical signal involving the use of a transmitter, usually from an
electrical signal
2. Relaying the signal along the fiber, ensuring that the signal does not become too
distorted or weak
3. Receiving the optical signal
4. Converting it into an electrical signal
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 UNIT 5: RADIO COMMUNICATION
READING 1: RADIO COMMUNICATION

READING 2: RADIO WAVES

2. Who first predicted radio waves and when?
Radio waves were first predicted by mathematical work done in 1867 by British
mathematical physicist James Clerk Maxwell.
4. What is the difference between infrared waves and radio waves?
unlike infrared waves, which are mainly absorbed at the surface of objects and cause
surface heating, radio waves are able to penetrate the surface and deposit their energy
inside materials and biological tissues.
5. What are radio waves?
Radio waves are a type of electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths in the
electromagnetic spectrum longer than infrared light.
6. Where are radio waves very widely used?
Radio waves are very widely used in modern technology for fixed and mobile radio
communication, broadcasting, radar and other navigation systems, communications
satellites, wireless computer networks and many other applications.
8.
READING 3: APPLICATION OD RADIOIN BROADCASTING
2. What is the difference between the DRM30 mode and and the DRM+ mode?
The DRM30 mode uses the AM broadcast bands below 30 MHz and is intended as a
replacement for AM and shortwave broadcasting, and the DRM+ mode uses VHF
frequencies centered on the FM broadcast band and is intended as a replacement for
FM broadcasting.
3.
4. Why can different channels have different audio quality?
(k cần)Broadcasters can transmit a channel at a range of different bit rates, so different
channels can have different audio quality.
5. What is the disadvantage of digital audio broadcasting?
Disadvantage of digital audio broadcasting is that it is incompatible with previous
radios so that a new DAB receiver must be purchased.
6. What is broadcasting? What types of broadcasting are mentioned in the text?
Broadcasting is the one-way transmission of information from a radio transmitter to
receivers belonging to a public audience.
7. Why will so much of the equipment in existing radio stations not have to be
replaced?
The DRM system is designed to be as compatible as possible with existing AM and
FM radio transmitters, so much of the equipment in existing radio stations will not
have to be replaced.
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UNIT 6: EMBEDDED SYSTEMS
READING 1: INTRODUCTION TO EMBEDDED SYSTEMS
3. Since when have embedded systems been used?
Embedded systems have been used for almost a half century since the microprocessor
was developed. The first Intel microprocessor chip was designed for calculators and
other simple systems in 1960’s.
4. What do the networked embedded systems connect and why?
The networked embedded systems connect to a network with network interfaces to
access resources.
6. Why is the embedded software usually called firmware?
The embedded software is usually called firmware because this type software is
loaded to ROM, EPROM, or Flash memory, and once it is loaded it will never be
changed unless it needs to be reloaded or replaced.
7. How many categories can embedded systems be classified based on the
functional and performance requirements?
Stand-alone embedded systems: A stand-alone embedded system works by itself.
Real-time embedded systems: A system is said to be real-time if the response time is
critical.
Networked embedded systems
8. What hardware does an embedded system have?
The hardware includes a microprocessor or microcontroller with additional attached
external memory, I/O, and other components such as sensors, keypad, LEDs, LCDs,
and any kind of actuators
READING 2: CHARACTERISTICS OF EMBEDDED SYSTEMS
2. Why can most embedded systems not be shut down for maintenance?
It is very difficult to repair, such as aerospace systems. Some systems will lose large
amounts of money when they are shut down.
3. Where are embedded systems often embedded?
Embedded systems are often embedded in machines that are expected to run
continuously for years without faults, and tolerate the errors by themselves if an error
occurs.
5. Why can embedded systems be designed for fire safety?
For fire safety, the systems can be designed to have greater ability to handle higher
temperatures and continue to operate.
7. Why are embedded systems used in transportation, fire safety, safety and
security, medical applications and life critical systems?
Embedded systems are used in transportation, fire safety, safety and security, medical
applications and life critical systems, as these systems can be isolated from hacking
and thus, be more reliable, unless connected to wired or wireless networks via on-chip
3G cellular or other methods for IoT monitoring and control purposes.
8. How long should the lifetime of the embedded system be?
The lifetime of the embedded system should be long more than 5 years.
READING 3: OVERAL ARCHITECTURE OF EMBEDDED SYSTEMS
PART1:
1. What is a CPU? What is a CPU composed?
A CPU is composed of an Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU), a Control Unit (CU), and
many internal registers that are connected by buses.
2. What does a microcontroller typically include? What controls them?
In addition to the CPU, a microcontroller typically includes small amounts of RAM,
PROM, timers, and I/O ports.The CU is responsible for directing the flow of
instruction and data within the CPU and continuously running program instructions
step by step.
3. What internal registers are mentioned in the passage?
There are many internal registers such as:
The accumulator (Acc)
The Program Counter (PC
The Data Buffer Registers
The Address Register
4. What does ALU stand for? What does it perform?
ALU stands for Arithmetic Logic Unit.
The ALU performs all the mathematical operations (Add, Sub, Mul, Div), logical
operations (AND, OR), and shifting operations within CPU.
5. What does every embedded system consist of? How are most embedded
systems built?
Every embedded system consists of customer-built hardware components supported
by a Central Processing Unit (CPU), which is the heart of a microprocessor (mP) or
microcontroller (mC).
Most embedded systems are built on microcontrollers, which run faster than a custom-
built system with a microprocessor, because all components are integrated within a
single chip.
7. What is a microprocessor? What are two popular microcontrollers
mentioned in the passage?
A microprocessor is a stand-alone CPU chip, and memory and I/O ports can be
custom designed and expanded.
Two popular microcontrollers used for embedded systems, the Intel 8051 and
Motorola , are shown in the following block diagrams.
8. What does CU stand for? What does it control? What is it responsible for?
The timing and sequencing of all CPU operations are controlled by the CU, which is
actually built of many selection circuits including latches and decoders. The CU is
responsible for directing the flow of instruction and data within the CPU and
continuously running program instructions step by step.
PART 2:
2. What read-only type memories are mentioned in the passage?
The ROM, EPROM, and Flash memory are all read-only type memories often used to
store code in an embedded system
5. What is the difference between on-chip memory and off-chip memory?
On chip memory access is much fast than off-chip memory.
The size of on-chip memory is much smaller than the size of off-chip memory.
READIG 4: EMBEDDED SOFTWARE DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT
2. Why is software engineering methodology recommended for the software
design and development?
In order to reduce the time-to-market and guarantee the reliability of the embedded
system product, software engineering methodology is recommended for the software
design and development.
3. What project is SDLC in software engineering recommended for?
The Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) in software engineering is
recommended for a complex embedded system software development project.
5. What must the software developers guarantee?
The software developers must guarantee the reliability, safety, and correctness of the
embedded software.
8. How many stages can the SDLC of an embedded system project be divided?
What do embedded system software designers and developers have to do on each
each stage?
On the first stage, embedded system software designers and developers need to set up
the model, map the model to code, and implement and test the code in a cross platform
development environment with the simulation development tools.
On the second stage, the developers must load the host image into the target machine
to run this target image on the target machine for the integration testing.
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UNIT 7: COMPUTER-AIDED DESIGN
READING 1: WHAT IS COMPUTER-AIDED DESIGN?
2. What may CAD be used for?
CAD may be used to design curves and figures in two-dimensional (2D) space; or
curves, surfaces, and solids in three-dimensional (3D) space.
CAD is also used for the accurate creation of photo simulations that are often required
in the preparation of environmental impact reports.
4. What does CAD software for mechanical design use? Why?
CAD software for mechanical design uses either vector-based graphics to depict the
objects of traditional drafting, or may also produce raster graphics showing the overall
appearance of designed objects.
8. Which applications is CAD extensively used?
CAD is an important industrial art extensively used in many applications, including
automotive, shipbuilding, and aerospace industries, industrial and architectural design,
prosthetics, and many more.

READING 2: Overview of computer-aided design software

1. Where is CAD technology used?

CAD technology is used in the design of tools and machinery and in the drafting and
design of all types of buildings, from small residential types (houses) to the largest
commercial and industrial structures (hospitals and factories). CAD is mainly used for
detailed engineering of 3D models or 2D
7. How can CAD models be generated?
CAD models can be generated by a computer after the physical prototype has been
scanned using an industrial CT scanning machine.
8. What is CAD mainly used for?
CAD is mainly used for detailed engineering of 3D models or 2D drawings of
physical components, but it is also used throughout the engineering process from
conceptual design and layout of products, through strength and dynamic analysis of
assemblies to definition of manufacturing methods of components.

READING 3: 3D COMPUTER GRAPHICS

1. What basic phases of 3D computer graphics creation are mentioned in the

text?
3D computer graphics creation falls into three basic phases:
- 3D modeling – the process of forming a computer model of an
object's shape
- Layout and animation – the placement and movement of objects
within a scene
- 3D rendering – the computer calculations that, based on light
placement, surface types, and other qualities, generate the image
2. What is computer animation?
Computer animation is the process used for digitally generating animated images
4. What is 3D modeling?
3D modeling is the process of developing a mathematical representation of any
surface of an object (either inanimate or living) in three dimensions via specialized
software
5. What is 3D rendering?
3D rendering is the 3D computer graphics process of converting 3D models into 2D
images on a computer. 3D renders may include photorealistic effects or non-
photorealistic styles

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UNIT 8: ROBOTICS
READING 1: WHAT IS ROBOTIC ?

2. What basic similarities do all robots have?

- Robots all have some kind of mechanical construction, a frame, form or shape
designed to achieve a particular task.
- Robots have electrical components which power and control the machinery.
- All robots contain some level of computer programming code
3. Why is robotics a rapidly growing field today?
Today, robotics is a rapidly growing field, as technological advances continue;
researching, designing, and building new robots serve various practical purposes,
whether domestically, commercially, or militarily
6. What areas is robotics applied?
Robotics is applied in different fields including military, industrial, construction,
argriculture, medicine, domestics, aviation, sports, arts, cinema, ect.
8. What does robotics deal with according to the passage?
Robotics deals with the design, construction, operation, and use of robots, as well as
computer systems for their control, sensory feedback, and information processing.