Interactive Numerical and Symbolic Analysis: A New Paradigm for Teaching Electronics

Abstract

Analog Insydes, Mathematicaâ??s symbolic circuit analysis toolbox, uses modern algorithms of expression simplification depending on comparisons with a numerical reference solution of the circuit under investigation. Some insight is offered on how the complexity of an expression barrier is overcome followed by two classical examples, a BJT emitter follower and a MOSFET common-gate amplifier stage to illustrate the proposed method at work. A concluding section discusses that time spent teaching introductory electronics by computer-aided circuit analysis, interactive numerical and symbolic, is a worthwhile investment.