The course is offered in a 10-CFU version (Industrial and Nuclear Electronics A + B), to which two 5-CFU courses (Industrial and Nuclear Electronics A and Industrial and Nuclear Electronics B) are offered jointly. The present detailed program defines aims, educational outcomes and syllabus for every joint course

Industrial and Nuclear Electronics A (5 ECTS)

The aim of this course is to provide a fundamental knowledge about electronic devices and electronic circuits for the processing of analog signals in the industrial and nuclear instrumentation. After a review of the Linear Circuit Theory, the Operational Amplifiers and related circuits are presented and applied to the nuclear chain. Laboratory sessions are foreseen.

Industrial and Nuclear Electronics B (5 ECTS)

The aim of this course is to provide an advanced knowledge about electronic devices and electronic circuits for the processing of analog signals in the industrial and nuclear instrumentation. Transistors and related circuits are presented and applied. Laboratory sessions are foreseen.

Industrial and Nuclear Electronics A

At the end of the course the student:

• knows the mathematical methods required to analyze the linear circuits and understands their forced and natural dynamic response in time- and frequency-domain
• knows the basic of semiconductor physics and understands the behavior of forward and reversed biased rectifying junctions
• knows and understands the induction of electric signals in nuclear detectors
• knows the Operational Amplifier basic configurations and understands the main feedback amplifier properties
• is able to exploit Operational Amplifier based circuits to process the analog signals in industrial and nuclear applications

Industrial and Nuclear Electronics B

At the end of the course the student:

• knows the physical principles of electronic devices and understands the electrical behavior of transistor-based circuits
• knows the main sources of noise in electronic devices and understands their effect in linear circuits
• knows the optimum filter theory to maximize the signal-to-noise ratio
• is able to apply the knowledge on basic circuits to synthesize an analog processing chain for nuclear signals (spectroscopy chain)

Industrial and Nuclear Electronics A

Linear Circuit Theory (16 lec+lab+Spice): Ohm and Kirchhoff laws, differential equations and transient analysis, Laplace transform and frequency analysis, transfer functions, Bode plots, feedback and stability

Industrial Electronics (18 lec): Amplifiers. Operational Amplifiers: basic feedback configurations. Operational Amplifier static and dynamic parameters: finite gain, input and output impedances, common mode rejection ratio, Gain-Bandwidth product, closed loop stability. Time invariant, linear and nonlinear applications of the Operational Amplifiers: Instrumentation Amplifiers, integrators and differentiators, current-voltage and voltage-current converters, impendence simulators, active filters.

Nuclear Electronics (13 lec+lab): Element of semiconductor physics, band diagram, mass action law, Schottky junction and PN junction, forward-biased and reverse-biased junctions, I-V and C-V junction characteristics. Signal induction in radiation detectors, Operational Amplifier based spectroscopy chain.

Industrial and Nuclear Electronics B

Semiconductor Electronic Devices and Circuits (19 lec): PN diode, Bipolar Junction Transistor and Field Effect Transistor. Transistors Biasing and Small Signal Analysis. Transistor-based configurations. High frequency model and analysis. Cascode configuration.

Electronic Noise (8 lec+lab): Main electronic noise mechanism: thermal noise, shot noise, Flicker noise. Noise modelling of passive and active devices. Noise in linear networks. Equivalent noise sources. Noise modelling of amplifiers.

Industrial Electronics (8 lec): Inverting amplifiers and differential amplifiers. Internal structure of the Operational Amplifier. OpAmp parameters: input bias currents, input offset voltage, input and output impedances, common mode rejection ratio, GBWP, slew rate, full power bandwidth. Large bandwidth amplifiers, current feedback OpAmps. Analogue to Digital and Digital to Analogue conversion, Linear and switching power supply

Nuclear Electronics (8 lec+lab): low noise charge preamplifier, signal to noise ratio and Equivalent Noise Charge, optimum filter theory, spectroscopy shaping amplifiers, peak stretcher, base line restorer.

Electronic Laboratory                                                  

A laboratory activity of breadboarding and testing is foreseen.

To attend the course the knowledge of Linear Circuit Theory foundamentals is required. To attend Industrial and Nuclear Electronics B a knowledge of the subjects contained in the programme of Industrial and Nuclear Electronics A is assumed.

The evaluation consists in a written and an oral examination.

The written test aims at verifying the ability to apply the knowledge of the course topics through the analysis of simple electronic circuits. Both formal and quantitative results are required.

In particular, for Industrial and Nuclear Electronics A the test verifies: i) the dynamic response of passive and active linear circuits in the time and frequency domains, ii) the forward and reverse biased behavior of the rectifying junctions and iii) the Operational Amplifiers.

For Industrial and Nuclear Electronics B the test verifies: i) the dynamic response of transistor based circuits and ii) the noise analysis and the signal-to-noise ratio in nuclear chains.

The oral test is a discussion on the written test and on the course topics: signal (and noise for part B) in nuclear and industrial electronic instrumentation.