• Length:
    7 Weeks
  • Effort:
    8–10 hours per week
  • Price:

    FREE
    Add a Verified Certificate for $169 USD

  • Institution
    MITx
  • Subject:
    Electronics
  • Level:
    Intermediate
  • Language:
    English
  • Video Transcripts:
    English, 中文
  • Course Type:
    Self-paced on your time

Associated Programs:

Prerequisites

You should have a mathematical background of working with calculus and basic differential equations, and a high school physics background in electricity and magnetism. You should also have taken Circuits and Electronics 1 and Circuits and Electronics 2, or have an equivalent background in basic circuit analysis and first order circuits.

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About this course

Skip About this course

Want to learn how your radio works? Wondering how to implement filters using resistors, inductors, and capacitors? Wondering what are some other applications of RLC and CMOS circuits? This free circuits course, taught by edX CEO and MIT Professor Anant Agarwal and MIT colleagues, is for you.

The third and final online Circuits and Electronics courses is taken by all MIT Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS) majors.

Topics covered include: dynamics of capacitor, inductor and resistor networks; design in the time and frequency domains; op-amps, and analog and digital circuits and applications. Design and lab exercises are also significant components of the course.

Weekly coursework includes interactive video sequences, readings from the textbook, homework, online laboratories, and optional tutorials. The course will also have a final exam.

This is a self-paced course, so there are no weekly deadlines. However, all assignments are due when the course ends.

What you'll learn

Skip What you'll learn
  • How to construct and analyze filters using capacitors and inductors
  • How to use intuition to describe the approximate time and frequency behavior of second-order circuits containing energy storage elements (capacitors and inductors)
  • The relationship between the mathematical representation of first-order circuit behavior and corresponding real-life effects
  • Circuits applications using op-amps
  • Measurement of circuit variables using tools such as virtual oscilloscopes, virtual multimeters, and virtual signal generators
  • How to compare the measurements with the behavior predicted by mathematical models and explain the discrepancies

Syllabus

Skip Syllabus

Week 1: Second-order circuits, damping in second-order systems

Week 2: Sinusoidal steady state analysis, frequency response, frequency response plots, impedance methods

Week 3: Filters, quality factor, time and frequency domain responses

Week 4: Op-amp abstraction, negative feedback, Op-amp amplifiers, Op-amp filters and other circuits

Week 5: Stability, positive feedback, oscillators, energy and power

Week 6: CMOS digital logic, breaking, the abstraction barrier

Meet your instructors

Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Anant Agarwal
CEO and Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, MIT
edX
Gerald Sussman
Professor, Electrical Engineering
MIT
Piotr Mitros
Former Chief Scientist
edX
Chris Terman
Senior Lecturer, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
MIT

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Learner testimonials

" Brilliant course! It's definitely the best introduction to electronics in Universe! Interesting material, clean explanations, well prepared quizzes, challenging homeworks and fun labs." - Ilya.

" 6.002x will be a classic in the field of online learning. It combines Prof. Agarwal's enthusiasm for electronics and education. The online circuit design program works very well. The material is difficult. I took the knowledge from the class and built an electronic cat feeder." - Stan

Frequently asked questions

Where can I buy the textbook for this course?
You may purchase the physical textbook or its ebook from Elsevier. An online version of the book will also be accessible for free to students who upgrade to the verified certificate track in the course.

Will the text of the lectures be available?
Yes, transcripts of the video lectures in the course will be made available.

Do I need to watch the lectures live?
No, you can watch the lectures at your leisure.

I don 't have the prerequisites, can I still take the course?
We do not check students for prerequisites, so you are certainly allowed to try. However, the course does rely on previous experience with the material in Circuits and Electronics 1 and Circuits and Electronics 2. If you do not know these subjects before taking the course, you will have to learn them in parallel with the new material.

Who can take this course?

Unfortunately, learners from one or more of the following countries or regions will not be able to register for this course: Iran, Cuba and the Crimea region of Ukraine. While edX has sought licenses from the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) to offer our courses to learners in these countries and regions, the licenses we have received are not broad enough to allow us to offer this course in all locations. edX truly regrets that U.S. sanctions prevent us from offering all of our courses to everyone, no matter where they live.

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