General
This course is web-based
It is suitable for autonomous student activity.The exam is based on the main course text book and the web material. An exam is arranged as required when at least three participants show binding interest in it.
Preface
Well-known manufacturers provide intelligent instrumentation for a variety of measurements necessary in product development and scientific research within electronics. However, very often the usability of test equipment is severely limited by inadequate specifications or by lack of special features. More notably, work in universities and similar research institutions is hampered by the fact that commercial instrumentation can't be available for phenomena that are still under primary surveys and within basic research. Besides electronics, related challenges are frequently found in mechanical and constructional engineering, medical sciences and biology.
This web-based course focuses at two separate paths to solve
the problem. In many cases we can collect, compile and modify already existing
test gear so that with some added effort and patience we are able to meet our
target. This, of course, is possible only if we know exactly how those gadgets
are designed. As an ultimate solution we must sometimes consider creating specific
measuring devices from scratch - starting from the very fundamental electrical
processes in the equipment under test.
Issues to be covered in lectures and seminar presentations include measuring
uncertainties in electronics, types of instruments, time domain, modulation
domain and frequency domain tests, various physical processes in electronics,
computer automation in electronics testing, and measurements out in the field.
Special interest is on such measurement tasks in electronics where the problems
are connected to non-electrical features such as mechanical or biological
phenomena and ready-made commercial solutions don't exist at all or provide
completely unacceptable performance.
The course material comprises of lecture notes and thematic articles on selected special topics. Thus it is suitable for an autonomous self-study project.