GATE Electronics and Communication Syllabus and Exam Pattern

GATE Electronics and Communication Engineering (EC) tests the core subjects of an ECE degree. This page lists the full syllabus; every other lesson in this track covers one section of it, with key concepts, formulas, a worked example and GATE-style questions.

Exam pattern

Syllabus

Section 1: Engineering Mathematics (see the Engineering Mathematics track): linear algebra (vector spaces, matrix algebra, eigenvalues, rank, systems of equations); calculus (mean value theorems, integrals, partial derivatives, maxima and minima, multiple integrals, line, surface and volume integrals, Taylor series); differential equations (first order, higher order with constant coefficients, Cauchy's and Euler's equations, initial and boundary value problems, partial differential equations, separation of variables); vector analysis (gradient, divergence, curl, Gauss's, Green's and Stokes' theorems); complex analysis (analytic functions, Cauchy's integral theorem and formula, Taylor and Laurent series, residue theorem); probability and statistics (mean, median, mode, standard deviation, combinatorial probability, distributions, random variables, expectation, correlation and regression).

Section 2: Networks, Signals and Systems: circuit analysis (node and mesh analysis, superposition, Thevenin's and Norton's theorems, reciprocity; sinusoidal steady state, phasors, complex power, maximum power transfer; time and frequency domain analysis of linear circuits, RL, RC and RLC circuits, solution of network equations using the Laplace transform); linear 2-port network parameters, wye-delta transformation; continuous-time signals (Fourier series and Fourier transform, sampling theorem and applications); discrete-time signals (DTFT, DFT, z-transform, discrete-time processing of continuous-time signals); LTI systems (definition and properties, causality, stability, impulse response, convolution, poles and zeros, frequency response, group delay, phase delay).

Section 3: Electronic Devices: energy bands in intrinsic and extrinsic semiconductors, equilibrium carrier concentration, direct and indirect band-gap semiconductors; carrier transport (diffusion current, drift current, mobility and resistivity, generation and recombination of carriers, Poisson and continuity equations); P-N junction, Zener diode, BJT, MOS capacitor, MOSFET, LED, photo diode and solar cell.

Section 4: Analog Circuits: diode circuits (clipping, clamping and rectifiers); BJT and MOSFET amplifiers (biasing, AC coupling, small signal analysis, frequency response); current mirrors and differential amplifiers; op-amp circuits (amplifiers, summers, differentiators, integrators, active filters, Schmitt triggers and oscillators).

Section 5: Digital Circuits: number representations (binary, integer and floating-point numbers); combinatorial circuits (Boolean algebra, minimization of functions using Boolean identities and Karnaugh map, logic gates and their static CMOS implementations, arithmetic circuits, code converters, multiplexers, decoders); sequential circuits (latches and flip-flops, counters, shift registers, finite state machines, propagation delay, setup and hold time, critical path delay); data converters (sample and hold circuits, ADCs and DACs); semiconductor memories (ROM, SRAM, DRAM); computer organization (machine instructions and addressing modes, ALU, data path and control unit, instruction pipelining).

Section 6: Control Systems: basic control system components; feedback principle; transfer function; block diagram representation; signal flow graph; transient and steady-state analysis of LTI systems; frequency response; Routh-Hurwitz and Nyquist stability criteria; Bode and root-locus plots; lag, lead and lag-lead compensation; state variable model and solution of state equation of LTI systems.

Section 7: Communications: random processes (autocorrelation and power spectral density, properties of white noise, filtering of random signals through LTI systems); analog communications (amplitude modulation and demodulation, angle modulation and demodulation, spectra of AM and FM, superheterodyne receivers); information theory (entropy, mutual information and channel capacity theorem); digital communications (PCM, DPCM, digital modulation schemes (ASK, PSK, FSK, QAM), bandwidth, inter-symbol interference, MAP, ML detection, matched filter receiver, SNR and BER); fundamentals of error correction, Hamming codes, CRC.

Section 8: Electromagnetics: Maxwell's equations (differential and integral forms and their interpretation, boundary conditions, wave equation, Poynting vector); plane waves and properties (reflection and refraction, polarization, phase and group velocity, propagation through various media, skin depth); transmission lines (equations, characteristic impedance, impedance matching, impedance transformation, S-parameters, Smith chart); rectangular and circular waveguides, light propagation in optical fibers, dipole and monopole antennas, linear antenna arrays.

How to use this track

Work through the lessons in order, then the Engineering Mathematics and General Aptitude tracks. For number systems and logic minimisation, the Digital Logic track of GATE CS goes into more depth.