- Knowledge of the main sensor types. - Knowledge of sensor connections to signal conditioning circuits. - Knowledge of operational amplifier circuits for sensors signal conditioning. - Knowledge of Analog-to-Digital Converters for sensor acquisition. - Knowledge of noise types in sensor systems. - Knowledge of serial communication interfaces. - Knowledge of microcontrollers. - Knowledge of memories for embedded systems. - Knowledge of digital filters. - Understanding of the physical principles of the main sensor types. - Understanding of how to model the transfer function of a sensor and how to calibrate the sensor. - Understanding of how to design a sensor to minimize noise. - Understanding of how to design power supply sources in sensor systems. - Ability to identify the optimal solution when designing a sensor. - Ability to design electronic circuits considering mixed signal constraints. - Ability to choose the best interface for the sensor connection to the external world.

- Basic knowledge of RLC (resistive, inductive, capacitive) circuits. - Operational amplifiers. - Basics knowledge of analog-to-digital conversion and digital-to-analog conversion. - Basic knowledge of analog filters. - Basic knowledge of digital circuits. - Basic knowledge of microprocessor programming.

1) INTRODUCTION - Concepts of sensor, transducer and smart sensor (sensor module) - Sensor transfer functions - Sensor calibration 2) SENSOR ELEMENTS - Sensor characteristics - Dynamic models of sensor elements - Physical principles of sensing - Examples of sensors and their equivalent electric circuit 3) SIGNAL CONDITIONING (ANALOG ELECTRONICS) - Operational amplifier circuits for sensing - Sensor ratiometric and differentical connections, bridges and bridge operational amplifiers - Excitation circuits - Multiplexers - Analog-to-Digital Converters (ADC), Pulse Width Modulator Converters, Successive approximation (SAR). Resolution extension and ADC interfaces 4) DIGITAL ELECTRONICS - Microcontrollers - Serial busses, UART, I2C, SPI - Digital filters and signal processing

The course is structured with theoretical lessons and laboratory activities. The theoretical lessons will focus on the description of the different parts of a "smart sensor", and on the practical aspects of the design process. The laboratory activities instead will be focused on the hardware implementation of a "smart sensor". The laboratories will cover the main parts seen during the theory, from the design of a simple analog front end, to the programming of the microcontroller. At the end of the laboratories the students will be able to obtain a simple "smart sensor". The laboratory assignments must be done in groups. Few classes will be dedicated to an introduction to C language, in order to give to all students enough knowledge of this programming language to complete the laboratory and the project.

The main book used in this course is Jacob Fraden, "Handbook of Modern Sensors. Physics, Designs and Applications" - Fifth Edition, Springer Additional material will be uploaded on the Portale della Didattica by the teacher.

Lecture slides; Lab exercises; Video lectures (previous years);

Exam: Compulsory oral exam; Group essay;

The evaluation of the course is composed by two parts, the exam itself and the evaluation of the laboratory part. The oral exam consists of 3 to 5 questions. Three main parameters will be used to evaluate the students during the oral exam. - The knowledge of the different parts of a sensor (the sensor element, the analog front-end and the digital back-end) work; - The knowledge of how these parts are connected and how they interact; - The knowledge of what are the most important parameters of a sensor from a system level perspective. Simple exercises on the analog front end, in written form, may be asked during the oral exam. The evaluation of the laboratories is based on a report that must be submitted by the students by the end of january, and on simple tasks that must be done before the laboratories themselves. The text of the laboratories will be uploaded at least one week before the official date. Students must read it and do some simple tasks, like designing a simple analog circuit or drawing a state transition diagram for an algorithm, and upload it on the Portale della Didattica before the beginning of the laboratories. These short assignments will be part of the lab evaluation. The final report instead must contain the answers to the laboratory exercises and the results obtained. The report will be evaluated on the basis of different parameters: - How many exercises have been completed; - The correctness of the laboratory exercises; - The methodology used during the laboratories; - The structure and the quality of the report. The final mark of the exam will keep into account both the theoretical part (2/3 of the mark) and the project (1/3 of the mark).

In addition to the message sent by the online system, students with disabilities or Specific Learning Disorders (SLD) are invited to directly inform the professor in charge of the course about the special arrangements for the exam that have been agreed with the Special Needs Unit. The professor has to be informed at least one week before the beginning of the examination session in order to provide students with the most suitable arrangements for each specific type of exam.