Digital Electronics / ElectronicsTechnology
Electronics drive modern life -- keep the energy flowing with your troubleshooting skills!
If you are fascinated by today’s ever-morphing electronic devices, imagine learning how they work – and better still, how they can be developed or improved by YOU. Learn to install, customize, repair, and maintain today’s cutting edge electronics technology.First, learn to speak and read the language of electronics: symbols, data sheets, safety measures, and diagrams. Then begin electronic fabrication: the art of soldering, using assembly tools, and system testing procedures. You will build, test, and troubleshoot electronic circuits, using a digital storage oscilloscope to convert, observe and record constantly varying signal voltages. Understand the fundamentals of transformers, capacitors, inductors, and DC circuits.Hear students talk about the program!Note to Students and Counselors:
This program is for students interested in following either an electronics technology career pathway OR an engineering pathway.
1. Students interested in Electronics Technology may take this program one or two years, with the opportunity to earn college credit and an ET certificate through a partnership with College of DuPage.
2. Students interested in the PLTW Pathway to Engineering course sequence will take PLTW Digital Electronics first semester, followed second semester by followed by the PLTW capstone course Engineering Design & Development (EDD) -- more PLTW information here.Digital Electronics (DE - PLTW) *Specialized Course, PLTW Pathway to EngineeringTCD is a PLTW Certified School* Note to Students and Counselors:
Students interested in taking Digital Electronics (DE) as part of the the PLTW course sequence should enroll in TCD's Digital Electronics / Electronics Technology program. The semester-long PLTW - DE curriculum is housed within the Electronics Technology program. Second semester, DE students may continue the PLTW sequence with Engineering Design & Development (EDD).
Mark LindbergCURRICULUM TOPICSDigital Electronics (DE) -- one semester course in the Pathway to Engineering course sequenceAnalyze, design, and build your own digital electronic circuits, the technology that powers your cell phone, MP3 player, tablet, camera, and HD television. The demand for greater signal speed, storage capacity, and applications drives industry’s need for creative problem-solvers and innovators like you!
Start with terminology, communication methods, engineering standards, analog/digital circuits, soldering, and troubleshooting techniques. Then learn digital theory fundamentals: combination logic, sequential logic, process and control experiments, and microcontrollers. You will design and build a variety of projects: a random number generator (think “random quote of the day”), a tollbooth gate, a garage door opener’s circuit, and a 60-second timer circuit.l Before you know it, you will be diving into robotics: programming microchips and an Arduino microcontroller using VEX systems
Digital Electronics (DE), one of the specialized courses in TCD's PLTW Pathway to Engineering course sequence. This is a high school level course for students interested in electronics. This course assumes no previous knowledge, but students are expected to be concurrently enrolled in college preparatory mathematics and science courses at their high school. If you are not familiar with the list of topics below, don't worry -- that's the language of electronics and you will learn it one step at a time! Students who have completed the foundation courses Introduction to Engineering Design (IED) and Principles of Engineering (POE) at TCD or their high school can easily transition into this course.
This is not a comprehensive list of all available skills and goals, but given to show the scope of the curriculum. Changes may occur year to year based on industry input, change in focus, or other factors. Please contact the program instructor or coordinator for additional information.
The course of study includes:
Fundamentals of Analog & Digital Electronics
Foundations and Board Game
Introduction to Analog
Introduction to Digital
NAND / NOR Logic
Date of Birth Design
Combinational Logic Circuits
Latches and Flip Flops
State Machine Design
Introduction to Microcontrollers
Microcontrollers and the Boe-BotBoe-Bot Design ProjectsStudents who have successfully completed the foundation courses Introduction to Engineering Design (IED) and Principles of Engineering (POE) at TCD or their high school can easily transition to this course. For maximum recognition or credit from PLTW-affiliated colleges and universities, it is recommended that a student successfully complete the two foundation courses, one specialized course, and the capstone course. Some affiliates give credit or recognition on a course by course basis. For more information click here.
For additional PLTW course information:
Pathway to Engineering -- OverviewCivil Engineering & Architecture (CEA) -- specialized courseComputer Science Principles (CSP) -- specialized courseEngineering Design & Development (EDD) -- capstone course