The Importance of Introducing the OCTC Method to Undergraduate Students as a Tool for Circuit Analysis and Amplifier Design
The open-circuit-time-constant (OCTC) method is an approximate analytical computationally simple approach applicable to baseband amplifiers and cascades of them. It has a dual purpose: a) to estimate the dominant pole, and the −3dB bandwidth frequency, and b) to identify actual or parasiti...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2020-01-01
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| Series: | Technologies |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7080/8/1/7 |
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| author | Nikolaos Voudoukis Christos Dimas Konstantinos Asimakopoulos Dimitrios Baxevanakis Konstantinos Papafotis Konstantinos Oustoglou Paul Peter Sotiriadis |
| author_facet | Nikolaos Voudoukis Christos Dimas Konstantinos Asimakopoulos Dimitrios Baxevanakis Konstantinos Papafotis Konstantinos Oustoglou Paul Peter Sotiriadis |
| author_sort | Nikolaos Voudoukis |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The open-circuit-time-constant (OCTC) method is an approximate analytical computationally simple approach applicable to baseband amplifiers and cascades of them. It has a dual purpose: a) to estimate the dominant pole, and the −3dB bandwidth frequency, and b) to identify actual or parasitic component values primarily responsible for this bandwidth guiding the designer in optimizing component values and circuit architecture. The present study focuses on the teaching of OCTC and the analysis of students’ depth of understanding. The OCTC module is part of the course “Electronics III” aimed towards advanced undergraduate students who are asked to solve two sets of problems analytically and simulate the circuits using LTspice and compare the results. The paper discusses students’ misconceptions and the evaluation of students’ performance via assignment grades, an anonymous sampling test and final exams (four exams during two academic years). A quantitative evaluation of the students’ perspective of the course is also presented based on two anonymous surveys, at the beginning and the end of the semester. According to the evaluation results, the proposed way of introducing the OCTC method along with the simulation exercises was beneficial for the students and improved their academic performance and attitude towards the course. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-10T17:09:34Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-3509573593514fbdb6a5a8ffd7a2c11c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2227-7080 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-10T17:09:34Z |
| publishDate | 2020-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Technologies |
| spelling | doaj.art-3509573593514fbdb6a5a8ffd7a2c11c2022-12-22T01:40:22ZengMDPI AGTechnologies2227-70802020-01-0181710.3390/technologies8010007technologies8010007The Importance of Introducing the OCTC Method to Undergraduate Students as a Tool for Circuit Analysis and Amplifier DesignNikolaos Voudoukis0Christos Dimas1Konstantinos Asimakopoulos2Dimitrios Baxevanakis3Konstantinos Papafotis4Konstantinos Oustoglou5Paul Peter Sotiriadis6Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, 15780 Athens, GreeceDepartment of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, 15780 Athens, GreeceDepartment of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, 15780 Athens, GreeceDepartment of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, 15780 Athens, GreeceDepartment of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, 15780 Athens, GreeceDepartment of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, 15780 Athens, GreeceDepartment of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, 15780 Athens, GreeceThe open-circuit-time-constant (OCTC) method is an approximate analytical computationally simple approach applicable to baseband amplifiers and cascades of them. It has a dual purpose: a) to estimate the dominant pole, and the −3dB bandwidth frequency, and b) to identify actual or parasitic component values primarily responsible for this bandwidth guiding the designer in optimizing component values and circuit architecture. The present study focuses on the teaching of OCTC and the analysis of students’ depth of understanding. The OCTC module is part of the course “Electronics III” aimed towards advanced undergraduate students who are asked to solve two sets of problems analytically and simulate the circuits using LTspice and compare the results. The paper discusses students’ misconceptions and the evaluation of students’ performance via assignment grades, an anonymous sampling test and final exams (four exams during two academic years). A quantitative evaluation of the students’ perspective of the course is also presented based on two anonymous surveys, at the beginning and the end of the semester. According to the evaluation results, the proposed way of introducing the OCTC method along with the simulation exercises was beneficial for the students and improved their academic performance and attitude towards the course.https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7080/8/1/7octc−3db frequencybandwidthamplifiersltspicemisconceptionscircuit analysisamplifier design |
| spellingShingle | Nikolaos Voudoukis Christos Dimas Konstantinos Asimakopoulos Dimitrios Baxevanakis Konstantinos Papafotis Konstantinos Oustoglou Paul Peter Sotiriadis The Importance of Introducing the OCTC Method to Undergraduate Students as a Tool for Circuit Analysis and Amplifier Design Technologies octc −3db frequency bandwidth amplifiers ltspice misconceptions circuit analysis amplifier design |
| title | The Importance of Introducing the OCTC Method to Undergraduate Students as a Tool for Circuit Analysis and Amplifier Design |
| title_full | The Importance of Introducing the OCTC Method to Undergraduate Students as a Tool for Circuit Analysis and Amplifier Design |
| title_fullStr | The Importance of Introducing the OCTC Method to Undergraduate Students as a Tool for Circuit Analysis and Amplifier Design |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Importance of Introducing the OCTC Method to Undergraduate Students as a Tool for Circuit Analysis and Amplifier Design |
| title_short | The Importance of Introducing the OCTC Method to Undergraduate Students as a Tool for Circuit Analysis and Amplifier Design |
| title_sort | importance of introducing the octc method to undergraduate students as a tool for circuit analysis and amplifier design |
| topic | octc −3db frequency bandwidth amplifiers ltspice misconceptions circuit analysis amplifier design |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7080/8/1/7 |
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