Midterm Exam ABE425

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NAME:__________KEY_____________

1 (4) What is the Gibbs phenomenon, make a small drawing to illustrate it.



The Gibbs phenomenon shows that while approximating a function with a jump discontinuity (
for instance a square wave) by a Fourier Series, at the discontinuities the approximation forms
spikes for go to a finite limit.


2 (3) Explain the difference between a measurand (give an example) and a measurement

A measurand is the physical property that is measured (for instance temperature) and a
measurement is a numerical representation of the value of that measurand.


3 (6) Given is the Laplace transform of a sine function: ( )
2 2
sin
a
L at
s a
=
+

Also given is the Laplace transform of a derivative:
( )
( ) ( ) 0
df t
L sF s f
dt
| |
=
|
\ .


Use these two equations to calculate ( ) cos L at

( )
( ) ( ) ( )
( )
( )
2 2
2 2
sin cos
sin cos sin 0 cos
cos
cos
d
at a at
dt
d
L at L a at aL at
dt
a
aL at s
s a
s
L at
s a
=
| |
= =
|
\ .
=
+
=
+


Midterm Exam ABE425

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4 (15)
a) Explain what takes place when one calibrates an instrument.

Calibration means that an instrument of lesser accuracy is compared to an instrument of higher
accuracy and, if needed, adjusted so that they give the same results.

b) Explain the concept of traceability in metrology (measurement science)

Traceability shows that a measured value can be traced through calibration documentation to
through higher echelons to the highest authority in the land: in the USA this is the NIST.

Traceability requires the establishment of an unbroken chain of comparisons to stated
references each with a stated uncertainty

c) What does the acronym NIST stand for?

National Institute for Standards and Technology.

d) The traditional definition for the Ampere was impossible to realize. Therefore, instead
two realizations for Volt and Resistance were developed that soon will become standards
in the metric system. Name one of the two Nobel laureates that laid the foundations for
one of these two standards.

Josephson (Josephson Junction for the Volt), Von Klitzing (Quantum Hall Effect for resistance).

e) Name two of the fundamental problems with the English Unit system.

Firstly, the English unit system has many units for the same quantity (for instance length,
weight) which make is cumbersome, but the most fundamental problem is that it has no
standards.


( ) ,
i i i
e y f x u =
Midterm Exam ABE425

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5 (16) Shown is a composite signal containing an AC square wave with a peak-peak value of
20Volt, superimposed on a DC offset of 10Volt.



a) Calculate the RMS value of the AC component

The mean value of the squared AC signal is 100 and the RMS is 100 10 =

b) Calculate the RMS value of the DC component

The RMS value of a DC signal is the value of the DC signal itself, here 10 Volt.

c) Calculate the RMS value of the composite signal (as shown)

The mean value of the squared composite signal is 200, and the RMS = 200 10 2 =

d) Explain why the sum of the first two a) and b) is not equal to the third c).

You cannot add these directly since
2 2 2 2
10 10 10 2
Composite RMS
RMS AC DC = + = + =

e) Calculate the power that the AC component would produce in a 50O resistor

2 2
10
2
50
AC
U
P Watt
R
= = =

f) Calculate the power that the DC component would produce in a 50Oresistor

2 2
10
2
50
DC
U
P Watt
R
= = =

g) Calculate the power that the composite signal (as shown) would produce in a
50Oresistor
( )
2
2
10 2
4
50
AC
U
P Watt
R
= = =

h) Explain why you CAN add the power produced by the components of the signals.

20V
0V
10V
Midterm Exam ABE425

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The concept of the RMS value is based on equalized power for AC and DC signals. This means
that if the
RMS
AC DC = value they will produce the same power in a resistor


6 (20) Given is an inverting OpAmp circuit where
1 2
1 , 10 R k R k = = and 1 C = nF.
1 2
, Z Z are
impedances related to
1
R and the combination
2
, R C respectively. The transfer function of this
circuit is given as
( )
( )
2
1
O
i
V j
Z
V j Z
e
e
=





a) First calculate the impedances:



1 1
Z R =

2
Z =

2
2 2 2
2
2
1
1
/ /
1
1
R
j C
Z R C R
j CR
R
j C
e
e
e
| |
= = =
|
+
\ .
+



1
Z =
Midterm Exam ABE425

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Write down the transfer function here:

2
2
2 2
1 1 1 2
1
1
1
*
1
OUT
IN
R
j CR V Z R
V Z R R j CR
t
e
e
| |
| |
|
| + | |
\ .
= = =
| |
+
\ .
|
\ .


b) If the input of this circuit is 500mV DC, what is the output voltage?


For DC you need to set 0 e = and the output becomes

2
1
10, 000
0.5 5
1, 000
OUT IN
R
V V V V
R
| |
| |
= = =
|
|
\ .
\ .


c) Calculate the corner frequency of this filter in Hz.

The corner frequency ( in radian per second) is the reciprocal value of the time constant.

9 5
2
10, 000*10 10 sec R C t

= = =

5
5
1
10
sec
10
15.91
2 2
C
C
C
rad
f kHz
e
t
e
t t
= =
= = =


d) Draw the Bode plot of this active filter

Midterm Exam ABE425

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Midterm Exam ABE425

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7 (4) The foundation for the Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) approach is the following equation:

( ) ,
i i i
f x y e u =



a) Identify the model, the error and data vectors (draw arrows).


b) Explain what a parsimonious model is.

A parsimonious model is a model that explains most of the data with the most compact model.


8 (6) In Fourier series, the OLS expression
( )
1

T T
A A A y u

= becomes much simpler:
2
2
2
T
N
A y
N
N
u
| |
|
|
=
|
|
|
\ .
. Here the Fourier coefficients are simply the inner products between
the basis functions and the data vector.

a) Explain the reason why the estimator equation becomes so simple in Fourier series.

The model becomes so simple because the basis functions form an orthogonal function set.

The Fourier series on the interval
| |
0, 2t are given as follows:

( )
( )
( )
( )
0
1
2
0
0
2
0
2
0
cos sin
1
2
1
cos
1
sin
n n
n
n
n
f t c a nt b nt
c f t dt
a f t ntdt
b f t ntdt
t
t
t
t
t
t

=
= + +
=
=
=

a) Write down the integrals that show how constant factors
1
2t
and
1
t
came into being.

Midterm Exam ABE425

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2
0
2
0
2
0
2 1
cos *cos
sin *sin
dt
nt ntdt
nt ntdt
t
t
t
t
t
t
=
=
=

b) Explain in words what these integrals represent in terms of the basis functions.

The factors are in fact the inner products of the basis functions with themselves.


9 (10) shown is a light emitting diode (LED).



The LED takes about 10 mA to light up properly. The
voltage drop at the top is 5V. The LED drops about 1.5 volt
in forward bias (this is when it lights up).

a) Calculate the value of the resistor in series with the
LED in order to obtain the 10mA in the branch.

1
1 1 1 1 2
1
5 1.5
350
10
R
R
U V
U i R R
i A

= = = = O


b) If
2
500 R = O, calculate the total current i flowing
into the circuit.

2
2
2
1 2
5
10
500
10 10 20
R
U V
i mA
R
i i i mA mA mA
= = =
O
= + = + =



5V
2
R
1
R
1
i
2
i
i
Midterm Exam ABE425

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10) (10)

Shown is a sensor on the left that drives an OpAmp. The OpAmp itself drives a load. Using this
drawing, explain the concept of input resistance
IN
R and the output resistance
OUT
R and explain
in detail what the ideal values are in order to avoid loading errors.







Ideal
IN
R :




Ideal
OUT
R :

Explanation (hint: write out the voltage divider equation)

Ideally you want to measure the value of
IN
U at U
+
. The resistances form a voltage
divider as follows:
1
1
IN
IN IN
OUT
IN OUT
IN
R
U U U
R
R R
R
+
= =
+
+
. To make the factor
1
1
OUT
IN
R
R
+
unity, either 0
OUT
R = or
IN
R = . An OpAmp attempts to achieve both.

IN
R
OUT
R
OUT
R
OUT
R
IN
R
IN
R
U
+

U

IN
U
Midterm Exam ABE425

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11) (4) Imagine that you have to drive a device of which you know that he input impedance is
low. What can you do in this case to avoid loading errors?


Place a buffer (voltage follower) in between the driver and the circuit being driven.

















12) (4) a) Name the component shown on the right.



This is a variable resistor, or potentiometer (sometimes called rheostat)





b) What is the nominal value? 1k

Midterm Exam ABE425

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