Energy Efficient Electronic Circuits - 2025 entry

The shift towards electrification demands more electricity than ever. Many devices and systems have electronics, consuming electricity to perform various tasks such as power management, sensing, actuating, etc. Therefore, it is becoming more critical than ever for devices and systems to have high energy efficiency. This means they require less energy for their operation and energy security. Part of the effort has seen billions of network-connected sensor devices and systems deployed to monitor equipment, ensuring well-maintained conditions and optimal operation with reduced energy consumption by maintaining high energy efficiency. This module introduces the design of electronic circuits, such as data acquisition (sensing), power management and energy storage, required in many embedded systems, emphasising techniques to achieve adaptation, low power and energy-efficient circuits. New opportunities also arise when circuits have low power consumption and high energy efficiency. For example, a low-power and energy-efficient circuit can be powered for a longer time by batteries or using energy harvesting without drawing energy from the grid or requiring battery replacement.

This module aims to introduce essential knowledge and key concepts of achieving low-power and efficient circuits. You will understand the requirements and methods to design, build and test energy-efficient circuits for industrial applications through lectures and laboratory sessions. You will have hands-on experience on developing circuits based on modules from the state-of-the-art circuits, such as Analog Devices/Texas Instruments.

The learning outcomes for this module have been mapped to the output standards required for an accredited programme, as listed in the current version of the Engineering Council’s ‘Accreditation of Higher Education Programmes’ document (AHEP-V4).

This module maps to learning outcomes: M4, M5, M7, M12 and M13.

The AHEP document can be viewed in full on the Engineering Council’s website, at http://www.engc.org.uk/ahep

On successful completion of this module, you should be able to:

Module Specific Skills and Knowledge:

1. Understand the importance of energy-efficient electronic circuits towards Net Zero and the impact on the environment and society (M7) 

2. Formulate design strategies of energy-efficient circuits for practical applications (M5)

Discipline Specific Skills and Knowledge:

3. Use practical laboratory and workshop skills to investigate power consumption and efficiency of circuits (M12)

4. Analyse a specific application and produce the requirements for selecting suitable components (M13)

5. Interpret design parameters from datasheets (M4)

Personal and Key Transferable/ Employment Skills and Knowledge:

6. Plan for develop and demonstrate effective use of learning and lab resources (M13)

7. Apply innovative ideas based on scientific principles to solve engineering problems (M5)

The module will provide design, analysis and implementation and measurement knowledge and skills in energy harvesting powered systems. The syllabus plan is:

1. Introduction of the need for energy efficient electronic circuits

2. Low power system architecture

3. Energy-aware architecture

4. Sensor interfacing

5. Power management techniques

6. Software techniques

7. Techniques to improve circuit efficiency

Deferral – if you have been deferred for any assessment you will be expected to submit the relevant assessment. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of deferral will not be capped and will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment.

Referral – if you have failed the module overall (i.e. a final overall module mark of less than 50%) you will be expected to submit the relevant assessment. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of referral will be capped at 50%.

Basic reading:

• Lecture slides (compulsory)

• Academic papers recommended by the Module Convenor (compulsory)

• Recorded webinars recommended by the Module Convenor (compulsory)

• Handbook of energy harvesting power supplies and applications. 2013, Taylor & Francis Group: https://edisciplinas.usp.br/pluginfile.php/5089987/mod_resource/content/2/HandbookOfEnergy.pdf

All learning materials and resources will be provided before or during the course.

Further recommended books:

• F. Shearer, Power Management in Mobile Devices, Newnes, 2008.

• A. Bellaouar and M. I. Elmasry, Low-power Digital VLSI Design: Circuits and Systems, Springer, 1995.

• C. Piguet (Ed.), Low-power Electronics Design, CRC Press, 2004.

• T. J. Kamierski and S. Beeby, Energy Harvesting Systems: Principles, Modeling and Application, Springer, 2010.

• S. K. Kurinec and S. Walia (Eds.), Energy-efficient Computing & Electronics: Devices to Systems, CRC Press, 2019.

• S. Beeby, and N. White, Energy Harvesting for Autonomous Systems, Artech House, 2010.

• G. Keramidas, N. Voros, and M. Hbner, Components and services for IoT platforms: Paving the way for IoT standards, Springer Publishing Company, Incorporated, 2016

• R. W. Erickson and D. Maksimović, Fundamentals of Power Electronics, Springer Publishing Company, Incorporated, 2020.

Reading list for this module: