Preface
In the modern-day world, our lives are influenced beyond measure by electronics and its applications. It has stolen its way into our day-to-day activities, and even a brief disruption in its comforts puts us to great inconvenience.
In this scenario, an engineering undergraduate is expected to be familiar with the basics of electronics. This book, the second edition of Electronic Devices and Circuits, aims to provide the student with information on the core concepts governing the subject, with emphasis laid on the principles of electronic engineering. It will serve as an ideal text for students of electronics and its allied fields, and a good source of reference to those in the electronics industry as well as students of associate member certificate and diploma courses. Students preparing for competitive examinations like GATE and IES also stand to be benefited by this book.
The need for a comprehensive book on electronic devices and circuits has been felt for long, with a wide range of topics being included in the syllabi and courses of study of various universities across the country. We present a concise text that can be understood by an average student, and that which meets his requirements. We have dealt with the subject in a lucid language and introduced the concepts in simple logical sequence. A new chapter (Chapter 13) on operational amplifiers has been added in this edition to help the learner gain an insight into this widely used electronic device that has a myraid of consumer, industrial, and scientific applications. Complex problems are explained with a clarity that is sometimes found lacking in other contemporary works on the subject. This will enable students to obtain the information they seek effortlessly. The narrative style of the book, its clear illustrations, and ample number of strategically placed worked-out problems and review questions will aid the student in quick recapitulation and a better understanding.
Chapter 1 deals with ‘what is electronics?’ and articulates upon the immense range of applications of electronic devices and circuits. This makes the student feel comfortable with the subject and proceed with confidence. Chapter 2 deals with the physics of electronic devices and discusses their operations to a minute level. Chapter 3 explains at length the principle, features, types and applications of the P-N junction. Chapter 4 analyses the circuits using diodes, while Chapter 5 discusses about a popular electronic component—the transistor—the invention of which revolutionized the world of electronics.
If a transistor is to be used for a given application, it is to be biased properly. Various types of biasing circuits and the thermal stability of the transistor circuits are discussed in Chapter 6. A major application of the transistor is in amplification. The design, analysis and applications of transistor amplifier circuits are presented in Chapter 7. Field Effect Transistors are introduced in Chapter 8, while power electronic devices like TRIAC, DIAC and UJT are dealt with in detail in Chapter 9. Feedback amplifiers and sinusoidal oscillators which form an essential part of most electronic gadgets are examined in Chapters 10 and 11, respectively.
Chapter 12 looks at amplifiers that can handle large signals. The concept of narrowband tuned amplifiers is also covered in this chapter. Chapter 13, as mentioned earlier, is on operational amplifiers. As the name suggests, this device can perform all possible operations in the field of electronics and any electronic circuit can be built using it. We take a close look at the principles and operations that work behind this component. Chapter 14, the concluding chapter of the book, is devoted to the CRO, which displays any voltage or current visually on a screen. The electronics relevant to the understanding of the oscilloscope is elaborately explained here.
The solved examples in this edition have been revised to expose the student to an array of problems of varying complexities. Further, solutions to all exercise problems can be accessed at www.pearsoned.co.in/dharmarajcheruku. Comments and feedback on the contents of the text are also welcome.