Introductory Circuits

Compact but comprehensive, this textbook presents the essential concepts of electronic circuit theory. As well as covering classical linear theory involving resistance, capacitance and inductance it treats practical nonlinear circuits containing components such as operational amplifiers, Zener diodes and exponential diodes. The book's straightforward approach highlights the similarity between the equations describing direct current (DC), alternating current (AC) and small-signal nonlinear behaviour, thus making the analysis of these circuits easier to comprehend. Introductory Circuits explains: the laws and analysis of DC circuits including those containing controlled sources; AC circuits, focusing on complex currents and voltages, and with extension to frequency domain performance; opamp circuits, including their use in amplifiers and switches; change behaviour within circuits, whether intentional (small-signal performance) or caused by unwanted changes in components. In addition to worked examples within the text a number of problems for student solution are provided at the end of each chapter, ranging in difficulty from the simple to the more challenging. Most solutions for these problems are provided in the book, while others can be found on the accompanying website. Introductory Circuits is designed for first year undergraduate mechanical, biomedical, materials, chemical and civil engineering students who are taking short electrical engineering courses and find other texts on the subject too content-heavy for their needs. With its clear structure and consistent treatment of resistive, reactive and small-signal operation, this volume is also a great supporting text for mainstream electrical engineering students. Introductory Circuits......Page 4 Contents......Page 10 About the Author......Page 14 Preface......Page 16 1 The Design Process......Page 18 2.1 Voltage and Current......Page 22 2.2 Power......Page 26 2.3 Circuit Diagrams......Page 27 Overview: DC Circuits......Page 28 3.1 Components......Page 30 3.2 Interconnections......Page 37 3.3 Equivalence......Page 40 3.4 Simple Circuit Analysis......Page 42 3.5 Problems......Page 45 4.1 Nodal Analysis......Page 52 4.2 Superposition......Page 59 4.3 Thevenin Equivalent Circuit......Page 61 4.4 Norton Equivalent Circuit......Page 66 4.5 Problems......Page 67 5.1 Voltage-controlled Current Source......Page 72 5.2 Analysis of Circuits Containing VCCSs......Page 75 5.3 Nonlinear Components......Page 79 5.4 Problems......Page 81 Overview: Operational Amplifiers......Page 86 6.1 Properties of the Operational Amplifier......Page 88 6.2 Large-signal Operation......Page 90 6.3 Problems......Page 98 7.1 Virtual Short-circuit......Page 102 7.2 The Inverter......Page 105 7.3 Noninverting Connection......Page 108 7.4 Other Opamp Circuits Operating in the Linear Region......Page 111 7.5 Problems......Page 116 8.1 The Capacitor......Page 122 8.2 The Integrator......Page 124 8.3 Dynamic Opamp Circuits......Page 126 8.4 Problems......Page 130 Overview: AC Circuits......Page 134 9.1 Reactive Components......Page 136 9.2 The Phasor Diagram......Page 145 9.3 Constructing a Phasor Diagram......Page 148 9.4 Problems......Page 154 10.1 Euler’s Theorem......Page 158 10.2 Component Relations......Page 160 10.3 Interconnection......Page 162 10.4 AC Circuit Analysis......Page 163 10.5 Observations......Page 167 10.6 Problems......Page 172 11 Frequency Domain Behaviour......Page 178 11.1 Asymptotic Behaviour......Page 179 11.2 Extreme Frequencies......Page 184 11.3 Opamp Limitations......Page 185 11.4 Problems......Page 189 Overview: The Analysis of Change......Page 194 12.1 Voltage Stabilization......Page 196 12.2 The Analysis of Change......Page 200 12.3 Problems......Page 206 13.1 The Extension of Change Analysis......Page 208 13.2 The Calculation of Incremental Resistance......Page 209 13.3 Problems......Page 215 Appendix: Answers to Problems......Page 218 Index......Page 254

Compact but comprehensive, this textbook presents the essential concepts of electronic circuit theory. As well as covering classical linear theory involving resistance, capacitance and inductance it treats practical nonlinear circuits containing components such as operational amplifiers, Zener diodes and exponential diodes. The book's straightforward approach highlights the similarity between the equations describing direct current (DC), alternating current (AC) and small-signal nonlinear behaviour, thus making the analysis of these circuits easier to comprehend.

Introductory Circuits explains:

• the laws and analysis of DC circuits including those containing controlled sources;
• AC circuits, focusing on complex currents and voltages, and with extension to frequency domain performance;
• opamp circuits, including their use in amplifiers and switches;
• change behaviour within circuits, whether intentional (small-signal performance) or caused by unwanted changes in components.

In addition to worked examples within the text a number of problems for student solution are provided at the end of each chapter, ranging in difficulty from the simple to the more challenging. Most solutions for these problems are provided in the book, while others can be found on the accompanying website.

Introductory Circuits is designed for first year undergraduate mechanical, biomedical, materials, chemical and civil engineering students who are taking short electrical engineering courses and find other texts on the subject too content-heavy for their needs. With its clear structure and consistent treatment of resistive, reactive and small-signal operation, this volume is also a great supporting text for mainstream electrical engineering students.

To the uninitiated, electric circuits can intimidate. Ohm's Law, Kirchhoff's Laws, Thevenin equivalents. Mysterious symbols on schematic diagrams. Resistance, voltage, wattage, and inductance. Important concepts that many people outside of the traditional electric engineering field need to know. Robert Spence provides a pretty good initiation to the mysteries of electric circuits. With plenty of depth for a beginner, the book starts out in the shallow end of the pool and takes the reader closer to the deep end. There's plenty of depth and breadth for a beginning text. Even, if you hunt for them, some hints of humor. (British humor, it must be said.) It's not an easy book to study. In places, Spence did not provide enough guidance. I still have trouble, for example, figuring out the direction (plus or minus) of currents and voltages. Getting the sign right is crucial. A little more help there would have helped greatly. The price tag on this book, like most of its type, is steep. So I was disappointed to find that you need to contact the publisher to get access to the supplemental website. The book has a lot of problems for each chapter (which is good), but answers in the back to only about a third of them. The supplemental website is supposed to have more. But I never received the promised email giving me the password, something that was supposed to happen "shortly." Compact but comprehensive, this textbook presents the essential concepts of electronic circuit theory. As well as covering classical linear theory involving resistance, capacitance and inductance it treats practical nonlinear circuits containing components such as operation amplifiers, Zener diodes and exponential diodes. Its straightforward approach highlights the similarity between the equations describing direct current (DC), alternating current (AC) and small-signal nonlinear behaviour, thus making the analysis of these circuits easier to comprehend 'Introductory Circuits' begins with circuit design, electrical variables (including an overview on DC circuits) and circuit laws and equivalence. Exercises, problems and more challenging problems are presented to help consolidate learning