Electronics engineering
Sub-discipline of electrical engineering using active components.
Electronics engineering is a sub-discipline of electrical engineering that emerged in the early 20th century. It is distinguished by the additional use of active components such as semiconductor devices to amplify and control electric current flow, whereas previously electrical engineering only used passive devices. The field covers analog electronics, digital electronics, consumer electronics, embedded systems, and power electronics, and is involved in many related fields including solid-state physics, radio engineering, telecommunications, control systems, signal processing, systems engineering, computer engineering, instrumentation engineering, electric power control, photonics, and robotics.
- field
- Electronics engineering
- sub-discipline_of
- Electrical engineering
- key_professional_body_US
- Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)
- key_professional_body_UK
- Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET)
- standards_organization
- International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC)
- emerged
- Early 20th century
Lore & Background
Electronics engineering as a profession emerged following Karl Ferdinand Braun's development of the crystal detector, the first semiconductor device, in 1874, and the identification of the electron in 1897, and the subsequent invention of the vacuum tube which could amplify and rectify small electrical signals. Practical applications started with the invention of the diode by Ambrose Fleming and the triode by Lee De Forest in the early 1900s, which made detection of small electrical voltages such as radio signals possible with a non-mechanical device. The growth of electronics was rapid; by the early 1920s, commercial radio broadcasting and communications were becoming widespread, and electronic amplifiers were being used in long-distance telephony and the music recording industry. The discipline was further enhanced by the large amount of electronic systems development during World War II in such as radar and sonar, and the subsequent peace-time consumer revolution following the invention of the transistor by William Shockley, John Bardeen, and Walter Brattain.
Reader's Guide
Electronics engineering is significant as it enabled the amplification and control of electric current using active components, transforming electrical engineering from a passive-device field into one capable of modern communications, computing, and automation. Its legacy includes the development of radio, television, radar, sonar, and the transistor, which sparked the consumer electronics revolution. The field's subfields—such as telecommunications engineering, control engineering, instrumentation engineering, computer engineering, and VLSI design—underpin nearly all modern technology, from aircraft avionics to industrial automation and embedded systems in mobile phones. Professional bodies like the IEEE and IET certify engineers, and standards from the IEC ensure global interoperability. Education typically requires a bachelor's degree in electronics engineering, with options for postgraduate study, and certification as a Professional Engineer or Chartered Engineer is needed for projects affecting public safety. The discipline continues to evolve, integrating with solid-state physics, photonics, and robotics, and remains essential for innovation in signal processing, power control, and system design.
Did You Know?
- Electronics engineering emerged as a profession following Karl Ferdinand Braun's development of the crystal detector in 1874.
- The vacuum tube, which could amplify and rectify small electrical signals, inaugurated the field of electronics.
- The transistor was invented by William Shockley, John Bardeen, and Walter Brattain.
- The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) is one of the most important professional bodies for electronics engineers in the US.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Electronics engineering?
Electronics engineering is a sub-discipline of electrical engineering that first took shape in the early twentieth century. It is set apart from its parent field by relying on active components—most notably semiconductor devices—to amplify and regulate the flow of electric current, rather than depending solely on passive elements.
What are Electronics engineering's powers and role?
Its core ability is using active semiconductor devices to boost, shape, and control electrical signals, which passive-only circuits cannot do. In practice this spans analog and digital circuit design, consumer electronics, embedded systems, and power electronics.
How does Electronics engineering's story end?
It does not have a fixed ending; the discipline is still expanding, with ongoing work in solid-state physics, radio engineering, telecommunications, control systems, and signal processing. New semiconductor technologies and embedded-system applications keep extending its narrative well into the present day.
Why is Electronics engineering important to the wider world?
Because virtually every modern communication, computing, and control system depends on the active-component circuits it designs, it underpins industries from telecommunications to aerospace. Without its methods for amplifying and processing signals, the digital and wireless infrastructure we rely on daily would not exist.
Who are Electronics engineering's key professional allies and governing bodies?
In the United States the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) serves as its principal professional society, while the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) plays that role in the United Kingdom. Internationally, the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) sets the standards that guide the field's practices.
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