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RevisionRevision / N11UK · A-Levels
Electronics
A-Level Electronics is a quantitative engineering subject: it develops the analysis and design of real analogue and digital systems from the underlying physics of semiconductor devices, through operational amplifiers, filters, timing, sequential logic, data conversion and communication, to complete instrumentation, power-supply and audio systems built on the input-process-output systems approach. These notes anchor on the WJEC/Eduqas GCE Electronics specification, the only current A-Level in Electronics, regulated against the Ofqual common requirements.
0/68 Texts16 Chapters~259 min total
WJEC/Eduqas A Level Electronics — Unit 1 Analogue Electronics (semiconductor devices)WJEC/Eduqas A Level Electronics — Unit 1 Analogue Electronics (diode)WJEC/Eduqas A Level Electronics — Unit 1 Analogue Electronics (BJT switch)WJEC/Eduqas A Level Electronics — Unit 3 Analogue Design (small-signal amplifier)WJEC/Eduqas A Level Electronics — Unit 1/Unit 3 (MOSFET, device choice)WJEC/Eduqas A Level Electronics — Unit 1 Analogue Electronics (op-amp basics)+62 moreFoundationStandardAdvanced
Table of contents · 16 ChaptersT·16
- Semiconductor components
- Operational amplifiers
- AC circuits and passive filters
- Logic systems
- Sequential logic systems
- Timing circuits
- Signal conversion
- Instrumentation systems
- Mains power supply systems
- High power switching systems
- Audio systems
- Microcontrollers
- Communications systems
- Wireless transmission
- Digital communications
- Optical communication
- AS units: Analogue and Digital Electronics
- Two written papers at AS. Unit 1 Analogue Electronics (1 h 30 min, 80 marks) covers semiconductor devices, potential dividers, the operational amplifier, and basic signal processing. Unit 2 Digital Electronics (1 h 30 min, 80 marks) covers logic gates, Boolean algebra, combinational and sequential logic, timing and counters. Each AS unit is worth 20% of the full A-Level. Questions mix short recall, structured circuit calculations and short design tasks.
- A2 units: Analogue, Digital and Communication design
- Two longer written papers at A2. Unit 3 Analogue Design and Techniques (2 h, 100 marks) develops filters, instrumentation, power supplies and high-power switching. Unit 4 Digital and Communication Design and Techniques (2 h, 100 marks) develops data conversion, microcontrollers and analogue, digital and optical communication. Each is worth 20% of the A-Level, with extended-response design-and-evaluate questions carrying significant marks.
- Unit 5: Extended System Design and Realisation Task
- A non-exam assessment (coursework, 20% of the A-Level) in which candidates specify, design, build, test and evaluate a complete electronic system to a brief. It assesses the practical build-and-test element and the full analyse-design-evaluate strand, and rewards a systems approach that partitions a problem into input, process and output sub-systems.
- Assessment objectives and grading
- Three assessment objectives are assessed across the units: AO1 (demonstrate knowledge and understanding of electronic principles), AO2 (apply that knowledge to analyse circuits and select and calculate component values), and AO3 (analyse and evaluate systems, and make and justify design decisions, including in the realisation task). AO2 carries the largest share and AO3 is substantial, reflecting the design emphasis. The A-Level is graded A*-E; AS grades A-E. Calculations, correct units and clearly reasoned design choices are rewarded throughout.