Electronics Technician Training Curriculum

Electronics is the field of applied physics that deals with the design and application of electronic circuits. All electronic devices depend on the flow and control of one of the most elementary particles in the universe—the electron. Electronics sounds pretty dull when it’s expressed this way, doesn’t it? Well, in reality, electronics is probably one of the most fascinating fields of science. There are few areas of our daily lives where electronics technology hasn’t made a significant impact. Electronics makes the products we use safer, more reliable, less expensive, and more readily available. It makes our lives more comfortable, more secure, more informed, and more rewarding.

By the end of this course, you’ll be able to do the following:

• Describe the functions of several common electronic components and identify their schematic symbols
• Name the units that are used to measure voltage, current, and resistance in circuits
• Explain the difference between direct current and alternating current
• Explain the operation of a simple electronic circuit
• Name four testing instruments that are commonly used by electronics technicians
• List several potential employers of electronics technicians
• Name several electrical shock hazards, and describe the techniques that are used to prevent electrical shocks
• List the steps in a lockout-and-tag procedure
• Explain the importance of using personal protective equipment (PPE), and name several types of PPE

Electricity is one of our most important forms of energy. Without electricity, no plant could operate as it does today, and industry as we know it wouldn’t exist. Every person who works in industry needs to know something about the nature of electricity; that is, what it is and how we use it. This lesson, your first in basic electricity, will introduce you
to many of the important fundamental concepts relating to electricity.

By the end of this course, you’ll be able to do the following:

• Explain the operation of a simple circuit
• Define the terms conductor, insulator, and resistor
• Demonstrate that unlike charges attract and like charges repel
• List some of the dangers and benefits of static electricity
• Define the terms volt, ampere, and ohm
• Describe some common notations and prefixes used to identify electrical and electronic values
• Identify carbon resistors, potentiometers, and rheostats, and explain how they work
• Identify some of the electrical symbols used in schematic diagrams
• Explain the difference between a series and a parallel circuit

You’ll start this course with an examination of the conductors that connect circuits together and the types of insulation used to cover conductors. Later in the text, you’ll learn about cells and batteries, the important storage devices used as both power supplies and backup power sources for many industrial devices and systems. Next, you’ll examine circuit resistance. Then, Ohm’s law will be used to identify the amount of current, voltage, or resistance that’s in a circuit. Finally, you’ll conclude with a study of power and how to take basic meter readings in circuits.

By the end of this course, you’ll be able to do the following:

• Describe the various types of conductors and discuss their conductivity
• Explain the American Wire Gage system of sizing copper conductors
• Determine the size of conductor needed for an application
• Identify the various types of insulating materials and list their temperature ratings
• Explain the difference between a dry cell and a storage battery
• Connect cells together to obtain more voltage, more current, or more of both voltage and current
• Describe the proper safety precautions used when working with storage batteries
• Describe how to properly clean and care for storage batteries
• Discuss the instruments used for testing storage batteries
• Explain how NiCad, lithium, and other types of special batteries operate, and describe their ratings
• Find the total resistance in series, parallel, and series-parallel circuits
• Use Ohm’s law to calculate the amount of current, voltage, or resistance in circuits
• Calculate the amount of power supplied and dissipated in a DC circuit
• List the steps for reading current, voltage, and resistance with a meter

In this course, you’ll be introduced to the use of basic multimeters. A multimeter can measure voltage, resistance, and current values in a circuit. Since volts, ohms, and milliamps can be measured by a multimeter, a multimeter is sometimes called a volt-ohm-milliameter or VOM. The first section of lesson 1 will provide a review of basic circuit properties and concepts. The second section will cover the features, controls, and uses of both analog and digital VOMs. Special accessory probes used with meters to measure current, temperature, and high voltages will also be covered.

You’ll study the connectors that join wire or cables to components, the sometimes electronic behavior of simple wires and cables themselves, and how the conductive properties of wire can be intentionally or inadvertently changed. You’ll learn how to mount components to various types of circuit boards (usually by soldering) and which particular types of components and boards require special attention.

All switching functions can be performed by mechanical (manual) switches or by electronic circuitry. You’ll learn about the advantages and disadvantages of using mechanical switches and electronic switches, how switches function, and
how they’re used in electronic circuits.

By the end of this course, you’ll be able to do the following:

• Identify the schematic symbols used to represent various reactive devices
• Define the terms voltage, current, and resistance, and explain their relationship in a circuit
• Discuss how voltage, current, and resistance is measured with a multimeter
• Describe the major features of analog and digital VOMs
• Explain how to use both analog and digital VOMs to measure voltage, resistance, and current in a circuit
• Discuss some of the important safety precautions you must take when using a multimeter
• Identify various connector and terminal types and their specific applications
• Identify many types of wire and cables and specify the applications for each type
• Determine the expected resistance of a wire
• Estimate the change in wire resistance with changing wire characteristics
• Select the proper soldering equipment and material for electronic component soldering jobs
• Outline the proper procedures for soldering components in both PC board and SMT applications
• Explain the special handling procedures required when working with SMT components
• List the advantages and disadvantages of various switch types
• Analyze basic relay ladder diagrams
• Explain how a diode can be used as a switch
• List some of the problems of diode switching
• Describe how very rapid electronic switching is accomplished
• Explain the circumstances in which a mechanical switch may be preferable to a rapid electronic switch

Magnets and electromagnets are important components in industrial controls and automation devices. Devices such as relays, contactors, motors, and transformers all use electromagnets in their operation. You’ll learn about all of these devices in this course.

By the end of this course, you’ll be able to do the following:

• Identify the north and south poles of permanent magnets and electromagnets
• List several magnetic and nonmagnetic materials
• Describe how to magnetize a piece of steel by induction
• Explain the difference between simple, compound, and closed magnetic circuits
• Determine the direction of magnetic lines of force around a conductor (if the direction of the current is known)
• Use the right-hand rule to locate the poles of a solenoid
• Calculate the total capacitance of a circuit containing capacitors connected in series or in parallel
• Calculate the time constant of a resistance-capacitance (RC) circuit
• Explain how inductors are constructed and describe their rating system
• Explain how different types of diodes function
• List a variety of diode uses in electronic systems
• List the characteristics that make a particular diode useful in a given situation
• Perform some basic troubleshooting measurements and calculations on circuits that contain amplifying devices

This course covers the most common form of electric power used in homes, businesses, and industry: AC current. AC current is used in industry to power computers, control systems, ovens, motors, and there are many more applications.

You’ll begin with a study of the basic characteristics of alternating current and the values used to describe AC cycles. You’ll then learn about single-, split-, and three-phase AC current; capacitors and how they function in AC circuits; how inductors operate in AC circuits; and how transformers are used in AC circuits.

By the end of this course, you’ll be able to do the following:

• Draw a graph of an AC voltage and describe how AC voltage is created
• Explain what an AC cycle is using the terms alternation, peak, positive, and negative
• Express the time period of an AC cycle in degrees
• Explain how changing the frequency of an AC signal changes capacitive reactance
• Calculate the resonant frequency of an RCL circuit
• Explain how an inductor is made and how it operates in a DC and AC circuit
• Define inductive reactance and impedance
• Apply Ohm’s law when calculating the current in an AC circuit that includes an inductor
• Calculate the impedance of a series and parallel RL circuit
• Explain why transformer cores are laminated (layered)
• Connect three single-phase transformers for three-phase operation
• Calculate line current (if phase current is known) in delta-connected transformers
• Explain the principle of operation of an autotransformer

Resistors, capacitors, and inductors are the basic building blocks of all electronic systems. And, in spite of the fact that there has been a radical change in amplifying devices—and a complete revision of the appearance of systems—these basic building blocks that make up all circuits are the same. You’ll learn about these building blocks in this course.

By the end of this course, you’ll be able to do the following:

• Explain how resistors, capacitors, and inductors work in DC (direct current) circuits
• Calculate time relationships in circuits
• Determine the reactance of a capacitor or inductor in an AC (alternating current) circuit
• Calculate the impedance of series RLC (resistive-inductive-capacitive) circuits
• Find the phase angle between the voltage and current in parallel RC (resistive-capacitive), RL (resistive-inductive), and series RLC circuits
• Calculate the resonant frequency of an LC (inductive-capacitive) circuit
• Calculate the value of the quality factor Q
• Describe the relationship between Q and bandwidth
• Describe some of the uses of tuned circuits in a radio
• Understand the results of distributed components
• Estimate voltages for troubleshooting both DC and AC circuits
• Describe the relation between the band-pass and the 3 dB (decibel) points on a filter’s characteristic curve
• Explain how transmission lines are related to resonant circuits and waveguides
• Explain how transmission lines can be used as components or tuned circuits

Industrial plants are usually supplied with power from AC voltage sources (such as the power that’s delivered by AC power stations). However, electronic equipment operates on DC voltage. As a result, it’s necessary to convert AC voltages to DC voltages that can be used by the equipment. Depending on the type of equipment involved, the voltages and currents required can be extremely high—thousands of volts or hundreds of amperes of current. Or, the requirements may be very low—perhaps only a few volts, and as little as one-millionth of one ampere of current.

By the end of this course, you’ll be able to do the following:

• Identify the basic types of electronic rectifiers
• List the advantages of different rectifier connections
• Describe how voltage-regulating devices and circuits operate
• Explain how current and voltage are regulated in power supplies
• Indicate the advantages of the various classes of transistor amplifier operations
• Calculate the dB gain of an amplifier
• Identify several types of transistor amplifier circuits
• Explain the methods that are used for biasing amplifiers
• Explain the principal differences between several types of oscillator circuits
• Describe the flywheel effect and how it’s produced
• Calculate the resonant frequency of a basic oscillator circuit
• Identify the modern theories of light and how they help you to understand optoelectronic applications
• Describe the basic theory of light communications
• Explain the basic theory and applications of bar codes
• Identify the advantage of using infrared light instead of visual light with intrusion alarms and television remote controls
• Describe the basic operation of electron microscopes and their advantages over optical microscopes

Electronic sensors are used to collect and process both physical and chemical information. Sensors are frequently used to solve problems not only in the engineering field but also in the social sciences, medicine, archeology, geology, astronomy, and many other sciences. Because it provides methods of accurate measurement and control, electronic instrumentation is increasingly exploited by industry to improve efficiency and reduce costs. Research institutes, colleges, hospitals, and government research and testing laboratories also rely on electronic instrumentation
to monitor and control thousands of processes. In this course, you’ll learn about the properties and devices that make electronic communication and control possible.

By the end of this course, you’ll be able to do the following:

• Describe some important thermoelectric effects
• Explain the importance of a bridge circuit in certain types of electronic instrumentation
• Calculate the bandwidth of AM and FM signals
• Describe the advantages and disadvantages of pulse-code modulation
• Determine amplifier gain when the input and output levels and impedances are known
• Convert voltage and power gains to decibels
• Determine the resistance values needed in an impedance-matching pad with a given amount of insertion loss
• Discuss how a single-ended amplifier can be interfaced to balanced lines, sources, and loads
• Describe how to perform measurements in SCR and TRIAC circuits
• Test both DC and AC servo motor controller circuits, as well as heater controller circuits
• Perform basic scope measurements on digital circuits

Lesson 1 covers audio frequency (AF), radio frequency (RF), and direct current (DC) signal transmission, placing emphasis on the types of transmission media that are suitable for industrial use. You’ll learn about telephone systems, hard-wired systems, and fiber-optic systems. In addition, you’ll learn about the sound systems used in industrial plants and about tone signaling—the technique for controlling devices using only a pair of wires as the transmission medium.

Lesson 2 covers oscillators. Oscillators are used in transmitters, receivers, mainframe computers, microprocessors, and signal generators. Actually, oscillators have applications in virtually every type of electronic device.

All electrical and electronic systems require a power source. The power that’s supplied to home and office receptacles is AC power. However, electronic components require DC power for their operation. So, in order for an electronic device or system to work, the AC input power must be converted to DC. In lesson 3, you’ll learn about some of the basic components and circuits that are used to produce DC power from available AC input sources.

By the end of this course, you’ll be able to do the following:

• Describe how sound intensity is measured
• Compare the advantages of AM and FM transmission
• Describe how narrow-band FM is used in industrial communications
• Explain the advantages of coaxial cable over copper wire as a transmission medium
• Discuss how feedback is obtained in an oscillator
• Recognize several different waveforms, and explain how they’re created
• Calculate the percent of voltage regulation in a power supply
• Explain the operation of filters and bleeder resistors in power supplies
• Describe the purpose of a voltage-divider network in a power supply
• Explain the operation of electronic voltage regulators
• Describe the operation of several commonly used industrial power supplies

This course covers resonant circuits, pulse circuitry, time constants and how time-constant equations are derived, clipping and limiting circuits and timers, and how to troubleshoot pulse circuits.

By the end of this course, you’ll be able to do the following:

• List all the conditions necessary for series and parallel resonance
• Identify the circuits for low-pass, high-pass, band-pass, and band-reject filters
• Identify two important power-supply filter designs
• Measure pulse width and settling time
• Determine pulse repetition rate from the period of a pulse waveform
• Explain the difference between frequency and time domains
• Explain the purpose of each internal part of the 555 IC (integrated-circuit) timer

This course will take you through a study of the design of logic circuits. Lesson 2 will acquaint you with the specific logic families common to commercial and industrial applications. You’ll become acquainted with their fabrication, operating qualities, specifications, advantages, and limitations. You’ll also learn how they’re combined into integrated circuit packages. Lessons 4 and 5 will take you through the various applications and troubleshooting methods of logic circuits.

By the end of this course, you’ll be able to do the following:

• Define terms commonly used in electronic logic
• Identify the symbols of electronic logic in system diagrams
• Explain those simple logic circuits used in industrial machinery
• Draw simple logic diagrams and interpret those that others have drafted
• Count in binary, octal, and hexadecimal numbers
• Recognize those binary patterns that produce a particular result in logic circuitry
• Describe IC packaging for logic components
• Understand such logic-device qualities as noise immunity and noise margin
• Explain the meaning of fan-in and fan-out
• Design a simple binary ladder for digital-to-analog conversion
• Compile truth tables for sequential logic devices

Modern electronic circuit technology has more or less split into two camps: linear (sometimes identified as analog) and digital. Each discipline has earned its own place in commercial and industrial electronic systems, and each has come under the influence of integration technology. Today, most active electronic components we buy, whether they are for linear or digital operation, are in the form of integrated circuits, or ICs.

To understand these IC devices and their applications, you must first understand the principles under which they operate. This lesson reviews the most important (and most familiar) of these principles and introduces several that may be new to you.

By the end of this course, you’ll be able to do the following:

• Draw transfer curves for functions of both linear and digital devices
• Explain the nature of analog operation as compared to digital
• List the advantages of digital operation and those of analog (linear)
• Describe the operation and uses of Hall-effect devices
• Identify circuits wired up from linear or digital ICs
• Discuss voltage and power parameters for digital and linear devices
• Draw diagrams of common linear and digital circuit hookups
• Recognize applications for the popular SSI (small-scale integration) and MSI (medium-scale integration) digital ICs

Almost every facet of modern manufacturing involves computers in one way or another. Computer tasks range from keeping cost records to ordering materials, from designing products to guiding their final assembly, from gauging quality to patrolling the plant, from directing shipment traffic to invoicing customers. From the receptionist’s desk up
front to the shipping dock in the rear, modern industry relies more and more heavily on computers.

It’s easy to think that a computer is a computer is a computer—in other words, that all computers are alike. Yet the vast spectrum of industrial jobs and the huge breadth of requirements have bred a variety of specialized computers. Some industrial computers differ from office computers only in the tasks they’re asked to do; others are unique—specially designed for highly distinctive applications.

This course will take you on a tour of industrial computers, in general and in particular.

By the end of this course, you’ll be able to do the following:

• Describe some of the limitations of early industrial computers
• Tell how analog computers evolved, and why their popularity has waned
• Explain the differences in the ways analog and digital computers are used
• Understand why digital computers have largely supplanted analog types
• List some important manufacturing tasks undertaken by modern computers
• Describe what it takes to write software programs for industrial computers
• List some of the sources of industrial software
• List the services that interface devices perform
• Describe the nature of serial and parallel data movements
• Draw a block diagram of a CAD/CAM system
• Describe the equipment needed for computer-aided graphics