Maharashtra HSC Electronics (Bifocal) study plan

Define voltage, current, resistance and power, and compute each from the other two using Ohm's law and P = VI on at least 15 numerical problems.

Read resistor colour codes and E-series values without a chart, converting between colour bands, numeric value and tolerance for 20 sample resistors.

Calculate series and parallel combinations of up to four resistors, and solve two-resistor divider problems for output voltage and branch current.

Describe the working of capacitors and inductors in DC and AC circuits, and compute reactance and series/parallel equivalent values at a given frequency.

Explain the formation of a PN junction, draw its depletion region and barrier potential, and state the difference between forward and reverse bias with typical silicon and germanium cut-in voltages.

Sketch the V-I characteristic of a PN diode and mark knee voltage, reverse saturation current and breakdown region on the same graph.

Solve at least 10 circuits using the ideal, constant-drop and piecewise-linear diode models, and justify which model fits each case.

Compare half-wave, centre-tap full-wave and bridge rectifiers on PIV, ripple frequency, transformer requirement and efficiency, and compute ripple factor and output DC voltage for each.

Explain the role of the filter capacitor in reducing ripple and calculate the ripple voltage for a given load current and capacitance.

Describe Zener diode operation in the breakdown region and design a simple Zener shunt regulator for a stated load current and input range.

Explain the need for regulation and differentiate a Zener regulator from a three-terminal IC regulator such as the 78xx series, listing pinout and typical input-output headroom.

Draw the constructional cross-section of NPN and PNP transistors and explain the doping and area differences among emitter, base and collector.

State the relationships among alpha, beta and gamma, and convert between them for at least 10 given values.

Sketch input and output characteristics of a BJT in common-base, common-emitter and common-collector configurations, and mark the active, saturation and cut-off regions.

Draw and explain the DC load line, locate the Q-point, and calculate it for a fixed-bias and a voltage-divider-bias circuit.

Explain the operation of JFET and MOSFET, sketch their transfer and drain characteristics, and identify the pinch-off and ohmic regions.

Compare BJT and FET on input impedance, control type, noise and thermal behaviour in a short written table.

Explain the function of coupling and bypass capacitors and the meaning of input and output impedance in a single-stage amplifier.

Calculate voltage gain, current gain, power gain and decibel equivalents for given amplifier inputs and outputs.

Describe the classification of amplifiers by class A, B, AB and C, and state the conduction angle and typical efficiency of each.

Explain the Barkhausen criterion and identify the feedback network in RC phase-shift, Wien-bridge, Hartley and Colpitts oscillators.

Calculate the frequency of oscillation for an RC phase-shift and a Wien-bridge oscillator from given component values.

Distinguish between positive and negative feedback and state two effects of negative feedback on gain, bandwidth and distortion.

Convert numbers among binary, decimal, octal and hexadecimal, and perform binary addition and subtraction including 2's-complement subtraction.

State the truth tables, Boolean expressions and logic symbols of AND, OR, NOT, NAND, NOR, XOR and XNOR gates.

Apply De Morgan's theorems and Boolean algebra rules to simplify at least 10 expressions, verifying each result with a truth table.

Construct and read Karnaugh maps of up to four variables and derive minimised sum-of-products expressions.

Explain the working of half adder, full adder, multiplexer, decoder and flip-flop, and draw the logic diagram of a half adder and a JK flip-flop.

Differentiate combinational and sequential circuits and state the function of a shift register and a counter.

Explain the working principle of a moving-coil and a moving-iron meter, and state which is used for AC and which for DC, with reasons.

Describe how a multimeter measures voltage, current and resistance, and list the correct range and polarity setting for five given measurement situations.

Explain the use of a CRO, including time-base, deflection sensitivity, and how to measure amplitude, period and frequency from a displayed waveform.

Calculate frequency and peak voltage from a given CRO screen description using time per division and volts per division.

Describe the procedure for testing a diode, transistor and continuity path with a multimeter, and state the expected readings for a good and a faulty component.

List safety practices for handling mains-powered equipment, soldering irons and electrolytic capacitors, and identify the colour code of earth, live and neutral wires.

Draw the block diagram of a communication system and state the function of each block from source to destination.

Differentiate amplitude modulation from frequency modulation on bandwidth, noise immunity and sideband content, and calculate modulation index and sideband frequencies for given values.

Explain the need for modulation and describe the basic operation of a superheterodyne receiver, naming the mixer, local oscillator and IF stage.

List the characteristics of an ideal op-amp and explain the inverting and non-inverting amplifier configurations with gain formulas.

Describe the architecture of a microcontroller, naming CPU, RAM, ROM, I/O ports, timers and serial interface, and distinguish a microprocessor from a microcontroller.

Write and explain a simple assembly or C program for a microcontroller that reads a digital input and switches an output, identifying the port registers used.

Revise every domain using the formula sheet and comparison charts produced in weeks 1 to 7, marking any formula still unclear.

Complete a full-length timed mock paper covering all ten domains and score it against the marking scheme.

Re-solve every mock question answered incorrectly and write the corrected reasoning beside each one.

Recall from memory the pinout and key parameters of the 78xx regulator, the BJT and FET terminal names, and the logic symbols of all seven gates.

State the safety and measurement steps for a practical examination in the correct order without referring to notes.