Electronics Department
Courses:
The Year 11 Electronics (NCET) course
2021sees a much revised Year 11 course with the introduction of a de-emphasized Level 1. This is largely a basic course which allows the students to develop an understanding of the basic electrical principles and concepts used in Electronics and will involve a large amount of prototyping on breadboard. Other topics covered include a knowledge of the various components used and the interaction between components in several sub-systems. The remainder of the course is largely practical comprising of several small projects which reinforce the theory. The students will also be introduced to the functioning of a basic microcontroller and incorporate this into their project. The topics covered will prepare the students for Electronics in Years 12 and 13.The Year 12 Electronics (NCET) course
Year 12 Electronics is a mix of Unit Standards and Achievement Standards. The Unit Standards used in the course are supported by the Electronics ITO. The entire course is internally assessed. The topics cover basic electrical principles used in Electronics, knowledge of components and the interaction of components in basic sub-systems. There is a strong practical component which introduces the student to the principles behind the making of printed circuit boards (PCBs) and the construction of basic electronic devices. The main project of the year involves the use of a microcontroller to develop an electronic outcome that displays the use of advanced techniques and interfaces. Students can gain credits towards a NCET Level 2 qualification. This is a useful course for those students wishing to enter the electrical sector.
The Year 13 Electronics course
This is a systems based course involving both the theoretical and practical aspects of Electronics. The 2021course consists of internally assessed Unit Standards supported by the ITO Skills Organisation, with students also gaining credits towards a NCET Level 3 qualification. There is also an Achievement Standard which involves the use of a microcontroller.
Students develop their knowledge of micro-controllers leading to the construction of an electronic product which features advanced techniques and interfacing. They are also introduced to the basics of robotic systems. The project for 2021 will be the development of an autonomous vehicle which will be required to follow a line or manoeuvre through a maze. Other topics include the functioning of semi-conductor devices and basic knowledge of digital electronics. All Standards have a strong practical component.
This course has been found to be useful by those students entering the electrical sector or going on to study Mechatronics.
AS 91904- Use complex techniques to develop an electronics outcome
This gives the students an opportunity to further develop their understanding and use of a microcontroller. You are required to use a functional combination of hardware and software to produce an outcome that performs to the specifications given.
This involves the prototyping, testing and analysing of functional subsystems to ensure that the outcome is reliable. The student will be required to write well annotated software that is easily understood by the reader.
You will be required to build a solution for the brief you are given and report on the development and operation of your solution.