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Curriculum End Points

By the end of Year 11 students will competently be able to design and make a circuit and PCB which includes a range of subsystems which solves a problem for a given brief. Students will also be confident in being able to make more complex mathematical calculations which determine such things as Amplification, Frequency, Gain, timing ratios etc across a range of circuits. Students will be able to recognise how complex circuits can function by breaking them down into their subsystem elements and describe both the function of components in a circuit and how they impact on each other. Students will also have the capacity to edit, improve and evaluate existing circuits for a set purpose.

Curriculum Overview

C2 Sequential systems

  • Describe the action of rising- edge-triggered D-type flip-flops and complete timing diagrams
  • Complete a truth table for a common cathode 7-segment display
  • Describe the action of and draw timing diagrams for dedicated binary and BCD counters and  single digit decimal counting system and reset using logic
  • Design a sequencer using a 4017 decade counter and draw timing diagrams
  • C3 Practical and NEA

Coursework and practical design and make assignment

  • analyse the problem and derive a design specification;
  • develop and test a range of sub-systems;
  • develop, realise and test a final physical system;
  • evaluate the final system against the design specification and suggest improvements.

Revision for PPE

Y11 PPE

C2 Operational amplifiers

  • State that non-inverting and inverting amplifiers increase the power or voltage of signals and select and apply the equation and draw a gain-frequency graph
  • produce and interpret voltage- time graphs for the input and output signals of amplifiers
  • Understand clipping distortion
  • Apply the ‘gain’ equations and select resistors to produce a given gain

C3 Practical and NEA

Coursework and practical design and make assignment

  • analyse the problem and derive a design specification;
  • develop and test a range of sub-systems;
  • develop, realise and test a final physical system;
  • evaluate the final system against the design specification and suggest improvements.

C1 Switching circuits

  • Describe and analyse the operation of MOSFETs and NPN transistors in switching circuits and as an interface and read data sheets
  • Select and apply the MOSFET equation
  • Describe and analyse the operation and use of voltage comparator ICs
  • C1 Applications of diodes
  • Describe the I-V characteristics of a silicon diode
  • Describe the use of diodes for component protection in DC circuits and half-wave rectification of AC circuits
  • Describe the use of zener diodes in voltage
  • regulation circuits

C2 Interfacing digital to analogue circuits

  • Describe the action of a Schmitt inverter and its use in debouncing signals 
  • Compare the properties of transistors, comparators and Schmitt inverters as interfaces between analogue and digital systems
  • Design interface circuits using npn transistors, MOSFETs and comparators

C2 Interfacing digital to analogue circuits

  • Describe the action of a Schmitt inverter and its use in debouncing signals 
  • Compare the properties of transistors, comparators and Schmitt inverters as interfaces between analogue and digital systems
  • Design interface circuits using npn transistors, MOSFETs and comparators

Submission of C3 Practical and NEA

  • See Module 1-3

C1 -C2

  • Revision and embedding of necessary Units 

C1 and C2 Final Examinations (Possibly into Mod 6)

By the end of Year 10, students should be able to select from given subsystems and build their own circuits and PCBs for a purpose. Students will be able to use basic fault finding techniques to fix errors to ensure success. Students will be able to recognise components in a range of sub systems and be able to determine their function in the circuits. Students will be able to use basic formulas to work out current, voltage and resistance.

Curriculum Overview

C1 Electronic systems and sub- systems

Recognise that electronic systems are assembled from sub systems such as  

  • Sensing, (eg light, temperature etc)
  • Processing (eg logic gates, timers etc.)
  • Outputs (eg buzzer, led etc)

State the need for and use of transducer drivers

Design and test electronic systems

C1 Circuit concepts

  • Draw, communicate and analyse circuits 
  • Apply current and voltage rules in series and parallel circuits
  • Use test equipment to analyse circuits in terms of voltage, current, resistance, energy and power

C1 Resistive components in circuits

  • Use equations for series and parallel resistor combinations, current limiting resistors and select resistors using colour codes 
  • Design sensing circuits including digital and analogue inputs in potential dividers and use voltage divider equations

C1 Combinational logic systems

  • Identify and use NOT gates and 2-input AND, OR, NAND and NOR gates, singly and in combination and create truth tables
  • use Boolean algebra to represent the output of truth tables or logic gates and use the basic Boolean identities
  • Solve problems using logic gates and simplify logic circuits using NAND gate redundancy
  • Use data sheets to select a logic IC for given applications and to identify pin connections

C2 Timing circuits

Describe how a RC network can produce a time delay and may be changed by varying R and/or C,

Use the equation T = 1.1RC for a monostable, where T is the pulse duration

Describe the action of a 555 astable timer and apply equations for the frequency and mark-space ratio

Use an oscilloscope  to measure the amplitude and period of the output of an astable timer

C2 Control circuits (cont.)

  • Define a microcontroller as a programmable integrated circuit into which software can be loaded to carry out a range of different tasks
  • Interface sensing circuits and output devices with microcontrollers
  • Design and analyse flowchart programs to enable microcontrollers to perform tasks
  • Describe applications of microcontrollers and use in standard technology

C2 Control circuits (cont.)

Revision for PPEs.

End of Y10 PPE