Electronic Fundamentals

Intrinsic and doped semiconductor material; N-type and P-type majority carriers; the PN junction, depletion region and barrier potential; forward and reverse bias.

Diode symbols, characteristics and properties; half-wave and full-wave rectification; smoothing; clippers and clampers; Zener, Schottky, photodiode, varactor, LED, thyristor and varistor devices.

Transistor symbols, construction and orientation; PNP and NPN devices; base, collector and emitter configurations; current gain; amplifier classes; oscillators, multivibrators and flip-flops.

Description and operation of logic and linear circuits; introduction to operational amplifiers used as integrator, differentiator, voltage follower, comparator and summing amplifier.

Description and use of printed circuit boards, substrate, tracks, pads and vias; single, double and multilayer construction; through-hole and surface-mount components; conformal coating and ESD precautions.

Open and closed loop systems, feedback, follow-up and analogue transducers; principles of operation and use of synchro, resolver, differential, LVDT and E- and I-type transducers; servomechanism terminology, hunting and damping.

Timed EASA-style papers stratified across all sub-sections, Cat B1 20 questions in 25 minutes, Cat B2 40 questions in 50 minutes, 75% to pass. Category A does not sit Module 4.