Electronic Systems Technology Program

This course is designed to provide beginning students with a degree of proficiency in basic electrical and electronic skills. Emphasis is placed on basic atomic theory, conductors and insulators, the concept of direct current in a conductor, series and parallel resistive circuits, series/parallel circuits and digital technology. Students in this quarter will be trained in basic soldering and de-soldering skills as specified by the ANSI J-STD-001 Training and Certification Program.

This course is designed to provide students with a degree of proficiency in the study of Basic Digital Circuitry and Digital Devices. The students will also pick a research project during this course, which will be presented during the final week of the course.

This course is designed to provide students with a degree of proficiency in the study of reactive circuits, tuned circuits, filters and resonant circuits. Students will gain a degree of proficiency in vector analysis as well as resonant circuit analysis. This course will also focus on the purpose and function of standard and switching power supplies.

Radio frequency communications is part of everyday life, from AM/FM radio transmitters and receivers, TV stations, cell phone technology and now two-way video communications. All of these items use some form of RF communications technology. This course will help the student understand the technology utilized to make these systems work. The student will build an AM/FM RF receiver as part of their lab experience to emphasize the importance of this area of electronics.

The video system is one of the most widely used devices produced by the industry today. Video monitors are used in the computer, bio-medical, industrial, security and avionics fields. All of these applications utilize the same basic video display circuitry. The student with basic video system knowledge will be able to test, adjust, troubleshoot, install and repair any of the above receivers or any device that uses a video display. A person who knows basic electronics, can read schematic diagrams, block diagrams and service manuals, use basic test equipment and have a good foundation of troubleshooting, can enter into a field of electronics and be successful. The video system is one of the most sophisticated devices that can be used for many other applications in part or whole. The video receiver lends itself well as a training vehicle in the lab for students to learn complete circuitry and troubleshooting techniques associated with electronics technology that can be applied to many other areas in the electronics industry. The student will also become familiar with video surveillance systems (CCTV). This class will provide an introduction to security systems, along with structured cabling used in these systems. The students will also pick a research project during this course, which will be presented during the final week of the course.

The student will begin learning about power generation, using fossil fuels, hydro-electric, nuclear and renewable sources such as solar and wind. Students will follow the power from the power generation plant through the transmission line to the wall outlet. Motors in manufacturing industries consume the majority of the power generated in the world, therefore students will learn about both AC and DC motors and motor control circuits and ways to maximize motor efficiencies.

This course is designed to introduce the student to automated control systems used in factory and manufacturing environments. Programmable Logic Controllers (PLC’s) are one of the primary components of an automated industrial system. Focus will be on Allen-Bradley Control Logix processor based PLC’s and students will learn how to program and troubleshoot these devices. The student will learn programming languages such as Allen Bradley’s RS Logix 5000 programming software. The PLC’s will then be interfaced with Panel View (Human Machine Interface) HMI’s.

This course is designed to introduce the student to fluid and air power systems such as hydraulic and pneumatic systems. PLC control units will create a fully automated control system incorporating Human Machine Interface (HMI) and Variable Frequency Drives (VFD’s). Understanding how fluid and air can be pressurized to move mechanical devices such as fluid and air powered pistons and motors is key to understanding these types of systems. The students will also pick a research project during this course, which will be presented during the final week of the course.