Course description
Circuits and Electronics 1: Basic Circuit Analysis
Want to learn about circuits and electronics, but unsure where to begin? Wondering how to make computers run faster or your mobile phone battery last longer? This free circuits course taught by edX CEO and MIT Professor Anant Agarwal and colleagues is for you.
This is the first of three online Circuits & Electronics courses offered by Professor Anant Agarwal and colleagues at MIT, and is taken by all MIT Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS) majors.
Topics covered include: resistive elements and networks; circuit analysis methods including KVL, KCL and the node method; independent and dependent sources; linearity, superposition, Thevenin & Norton methods; digital abstraction, combinational gates; and MOSFET switches and small signal analysis. Design and lab exercises are also significant components of the course.
Weekly coursework includes interactive video sequences, readings from the textbook, homework, online laboratories, and optional tutorials. The course will also have a final exam.
This is a self-paced course, so there are no weekly deadlines. However, all assignments are due when the course ends.
Upcoming start dates
Suitability - Who should attend?
Prerequisites
High school mathematical background of working with algebraic equations and basic calculus, and a high school physics background including the basics of electricity and magnetism.
Outcome / Qualification etc.
What you'll learn
- How to design and analyze circuits using the node method, superposition, and the Thevenin method
- How to employ lumped circuit models and abstraction to simplify circuit analysis
- How to use intuition to solve circuits
- Construction of simple digital gates using MOSFET transistors
- Measurement of circuit variables using tools such as virtual oscilloscopes, virtual multimeters, and virtual signal generators
Training Course Content
- From physics to electrical engineering; lumped abstraction, KVL, KCL, intuitive simplification techniques, nodal analysis
- Linearity, superposition, Thevenin & Norton methods, digital abstraction, digital logic, combinational gates
- MOSFET switch, MOSFET switch models, nonlinear resistors, nonlinear networks
- Small signal analysis, small signal circuit model, dependent sources
Course delivery details
This course is offered through Massachusetts Institute of Technology, a partner institute of EdX.
5-7 hours per week
Expenses
- Verified Track -$169
- Audit Track - Free