From KCL to Class D Amplifier

From a circuit point of view, the starting point of the students coming out of the secondary school is roughly limited to describing the flow of electrical charges through a simple loop. Nevertheless, one and a half years later, they can design, simulate, build and test the core of a Class D amplifier while meeting demanding learning objectives. This paper relates the story of a project conducted in the context of an undergraduate electrical engineering program. Circuits and system concepts are introduced from the beginning of the first year in a physics course, and are applied to a project during the second term. A circuit theory course and the Class D amplifier project are run in parallel during the second term of the second year. Effective learning is facilitated by a mixture of lectures covering the necessary concepts and self-directed laboratory experiments allowing active acquisition of problem solving skills. At the end of the project, enthusiastic students can listen to the sound of their MP3 player through the amplifier that results from their teamwork. A survey indicates that the outcomes of the project are in line with the expected results of a problem- and project-based learning environment.