Training activity information
Details
Build and test an electrical circuit developed from a simulation to include:
- An analogue system
- A digital system
Type
Developmental training activity (DTA)
Evidence requirements
Evidence the activity has been undertaken by the trainee.
Reflection on the activity at one or more time points after the event including learning from the activity and/or areas of the trainees practice for development.
An action plan to implement learning and/or to address skills or knowledge gaps identified.
Considerations
- Signal measurements
- Construction and manufacturing techniques
- Troubleshooting
- Use of test equipment and tools
- Workshop health and safety
- Validation of CAD modelling
Reflective practice guidance
The guidance below is provided to support reflection at different time points, providing you with questions to aid you to reflect for this training activity. They are provided for guidance and should not be considered as a mandatory checklist. Trainees should not be expected to provide answers to each of the guidance questions listed.
Before action
- What are the specifications of the analogue and digital systems you will build?
- What were the expected performance characteristics from the simulation?
- What testing procedures will you use?
- What electronic components will you need?
- Do you have experience with circuit construction and testing?
- What safety precautions should you take when working with electrical circuits?
- What test equipment will you use?
- What insights do you hope to gain about the practical aspects of translating a circuit design from simulation to a physical implementation, and the challenges of testing and verifying its performance?
- What do you already know about electronics and circuit theory?
- Will you review your circuit design and simulation results?
- Will you gather all the necessary components and test equipment?
- Have you discussed your build and test plan with your training officer?
In action
- When building the circuit, what steps are you taking to ensure accurate wiring and component connections? Why are these steps important?
- As you test the circuit, what measurements are you taking to verify its functionality?
- How are you interpreting the results in real-time?
- If the circuit doesn’t perform as expected, what troubleshooting steps are you taking?
- Are you approaching this systematically or more intuitively based on your understanding of electronics?
On action
- Summarise the electrical circuit you built and tested, including the analogue and digital components.
- What did you learn about the practical aspects of building electrical circuits?
- How did the simulation inform your construction?
- How did you approach testing the functionality of both the analogue and digital parts of the circuit?
- Were there any discrepancies between the simulation and the physical circuit’s performance?
- What did you learn from these?
- How does hands-on experience with building and testing circuits contribute to understanding healthcare technology?
- What aspects of your circuit building and testing skills could be improved?
- How will you approach future electronics projects?
- What are your next steps in learning more about analogue and digital electronics?
- What resources (e.g., electronics textbooks, circuit design software) would be helpful?
Beyond action
- Have you built and tested other electrical circuits since this DTA?
- Have you compared the performance of the physical circuit with the initial simulation?
- Have you identified any discrepancies between the simulation and the physical build and understood the reasons for them?
- How has this experience influenced your understanding of electronic circuit design, simulation, and testing?
- Have you applied the skills of circuit building and testing in other technical activities?
- Has your appreciation for the practical considerations in implementing electronic designs grown?
- What practical electronics skills related to analogue and digital systems did you develop?
- How has this experience informed your approach to developing and troubleshooting electronic hardware?
- What actions will you take to further develop your skills in electronics design and testing?
Relevant learning outcomes
| # | Outcome |
|---|---|
| # 6 |
Outcome
Produce basic hardware and software for mechanical and electrical systems. |
| # 7 |
Outcome
Use suitable tools for measurement and analysis. |
| # 8 |
Outcome
Plan and perform verification and validation of solutions. |