Course Update

New Courses | 2025
Upgrade Your Learning Experience - Click to join now >> JDO Test Series | JDO ENotes | JDO Chapterwise PYQs EBooklet | Join our WhatsApp Channel & Telegram Channel

TNPSC Electrical Engineering / Electrical and Electronics Engineering (Code 400) Syllabus: A Comprehensive Study Guide

TNPSC Electrical Engineering / EEE (Code 400) Syllabus: A Comprehensive Study Guide

"For aspirants preparing for the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission (TNPSC) examinations in Electrical Engineering / Electrical and Electronics Engineering (Degree Standard, Code 400), a thorough understanding of the official syllabus is critical. This detailed guide breaks down each unit of the Code 400 syllabus, highlighting essential topics and providing a structured approach to preparation. Success in this competitive examination necessitates a strong grasp of fundamental concepts, meticulous problem-solving skills, and consistent revision."

"Official Syllabus Breakdown: TNPSC Code 400"

"The following details the TNPSC Electrical Engineering / Electrical and Electronics Engineering (Code 400) syllabus. This breakdown will assist aspirants in systematically covering all required topics for comprehensive examination readiness."

"UNIT – I: ELECTRICAL CIRCUITS"

  • "Circuit Elements: Resistors, Inductors, Capacitors."
  • "Kirchhoff’s Laws: Current Law (KCL) and Voltage Law (KVL)."
  • "Mesh and Nodal Analysis."
  • "Network Theorems and Applications (for DC and AC circuits):"
    • "Thevenin’s Theorem."
    • "Norton’s Theorem."
    • "Superposition Theorem."
    • "Maximum Power Transfer Theorem."
    "
  • "Sinusoidal Steady State Analysis of RL-RC-RLC Circuits."
  • "Resonant Circuits: Series and Parallel Resonance."
  • "Natural and Forced Response of Circuits."
  • "Transient Response of RL-RC-RLC Circuits (First and Second Order)."
  • "Two-port Networks: Z, Y, h, ABCD parameters."
  • "Three-Phase Circuits: Star-delta transformation, real and reactive power, power factor calculations."

"UNIT – II: ELECTRIC AND MAGNETIC FIELDS"

  • "Coulomb's Law."
  • "Electric Field Intensity ($\mathbf{E}$)."
  • "Electric Flux Density ($\mathbf{D}$)."
  • "Gauss's Law and its applications."
  • "Divergence Theorem."
  • "Electric Field and Potential due to Point, Line, Plane, and Spherical Charge Distributions."
  • "Effect of Dielectric Medium."
  • "Capacitance of Simple Configurations (e.g., parallel plate, coaxial cable, spherical)."
  • "Magnetic Circuits: Magnetomotive force (MMF), reluctance, permeability."
  • "Faraday’s Laws of Electromagnetic Induction."
  • "Lenz’s Law."
  • "Biot–Savart’s Law."
  • "Ampere’s Law (Circuital Law)."
  • "Fleming’s Left-Hand and Right-Hand Rules."
  • "Lorentz Force Equation."
  • "Inductance: Self and Mutual Inductance."
  • "Dot Convention for Mutually Coupled Coils."
  • "Coupled Circuits."

"UNIT – III: MEASUREMENTS AND INSTRUMENTATION"

  • "Units and Standards of Measurement."
  • "Static and Dynamic Characteristics of Instruments."
  • "Types of Errors: Gross, Systematic, Random."
  • "Error Analysis."
  • "Measurement of Electrical Quantities:"
    • "Current and Voltage (Ammeters, Voltmeters)."
    • "Power (Wattmeters)."
    • "Power-factor (Power Factor Meters)."
    • "Energy (Energy Meters)."
    "
  • "Indicating Instruments: Moving iron, moving coil, dynamometer type."
  • "Measurement of Resistance (Wheatstone bridge, Kelvin bridge), Inductance (Maxwell, Hay bridge), Capacitance (Schering bridge), and Frequency (Wien bridge)."
  • "Instrument Transformers: Current Transformers (CT) and Potential Transformers (PT)."
  • "Electronic Measuring Instruments: Multi meters, True RMS meter, Spectrum Analyser, Power Quality Analyser."
  • "Recording Instruments: X-Y Recorder, Magnetic Recorders, Digital Data Recorder."
  • "Oscilloscopes: Cathode Ray Oscilloscope (CRO), Digital Storage Oscilloscope (DSO)."
  • "Display Devices: LED and LCD Displays."
  • "Transducers and their applications to the Measurement of Non-Electrical Quantities: Temperature (RTD, Thermocouple, Thermistor), Pressure (Strain gauge, Piezoelectric), Flow-rate (Orifice, Venturi), Displacement (LVDT), Acceleration (Accelerometer), Noise level (Microphone)."
  • "Data Acquisition Systems (DAS)."
  • "A/D and D/A Converters."
  • "Data Transmission Systems."
  • "Programmable Logic Controllers (PLC)."
  • "Smart Meters."

"UNIT – IV: CONTROL SYSTEMS"

  • "Mathematical Modelling of Physical Systems (Mechanical, Electrical, Electromechanical)."
  • "Transfer Function."
  • "Block Diagrams and Signal Flow Graphs (SFG) and their Reduction using Mason’s Rule."
  • "Time Domain Analysis of Linear Time-Invariant (LTI) Systems: Step, Ramp, Impulse responses, transient response specifications (delay time, rise time, peak time, settling time, overshoot)."
  • "Frequency Domain Analysis of LTI Systems."
  • "Errors for Different Type of Inputs (Steady-state errors for Type 0, I, II systems)."
  • "Stability Criteria for Feedback Systems."
  • "Stability Analysis Using Routh-Hurwitz Array."
  • "Nyquist Plot."
  • "Bode Plot."
  • "Root Locus Technique."
  • "Gain Margin and Phase Margin."
  • "Basic Concepts of Compensator Design: Lag, Lead, Lag-Lead Compensators."
  • "Controllers: Proportional-Integral (PI), Proportional-Derivative (PD), and Proportional-Integral-Derivative (PID) Controllers."
  • "State Variable Formulation: State space representation."
  • "State Transition Matrix."
  • "Eigenvalues and Eigenvectors."
  • "Free and Forced Responses of Time-Invariant Systems."
  • "Controllability and Observability."

"UNIT – V: ELECTRICAL MACHINES"

  • "D.C. Machines:"
    • "Constructional features."
    • "Excitation methods: Separately excited, self-excited (shunt, series, compound)."
    • "Armature Reaction and Commutation."
    • "Characteristics and Performance Analysis of Generators and Motors."
    • "Starting methods (3-point, 4-point starters), Speed Control techniques, and Braking."
    • "Testing: Swinburne’s test, Hopkinson’s test, Field test."
    • "Losses and Efficiency calculation."
    "
  • "Transformers:"
    • "Types: Core type, Shell type, Distribution, Power."
    • "Construction and Principle of Operation."
    • "Testing: Open Circuit (OC) and Short Circuit (SC) tests."
    • "Equivalent Circuits."
    • "Losses and Efficiency, All-day efficiency."
    • "Voltage Regulation."
    • "Parallel Operation of single-phase transformers."
    • "Three-Phase Transformers: Connections (Star-Star, Delta-Delta, Star-Delta, Delta-Star, Scott connection)."
    • "Auto-transformer: Principle and applications."
    "
  • "Induction Machines:"
    • "Construction: Stator and Rotor (squirrel cage, slip ring)."
    • "Principle of Operation."
    • "Rotating Magnetic Field."
    • "Performance Characteristics, Torque-Speed Characteristics."
    • "No-load and Blocked Rotor tests."
    • "Equivalent Circuit."
    • "Starting methods, Speed Control techniques, and Braking."
    • "Single-Phase Induction Motors: Double revolving field theory, starting methods."
    • "Special Machines: Linear Induction Motors, Hysteresis Motors, Reluctance Motors."
    "
  • "Synchronous Machines:"
    • "Constructional features: Salient pole, Cylindrical rotor."
    • "Operating characteristics and Performance analysis."
    • "Efficiency and Voltage regulation (EMF, MMF, Potier methods)."
    • "Parallel operation of alternators: Synchronising conditions, load sharing."
    • "V and Inverted V curves of synchronous motors."
    • "Power factor improvement using synchronous motors."
    • "Special Machines: Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor (PMSM), Permanent Magnet Brushless DC (BLDC) Motor, Stepper Motor."
    "

"UNIT – VI: POWER SYSTEMS"

  • "Single Line Diagram of Power System."
  • "Per Unit Quantities."
  • "Power Generation Types:"
    • "Hydroelectric Power Stations."
    • "Thermal Power Stations."
    • "Nuclear Power Stations."
    • "Pumped Storage Plants."
    • "Co-generation."
    "
  • "Economic and Operating Factors in Power Generation: Load curves, diversity factor, plant capacity factor."
  • "Modelling and Performance Characteristics of Power Transmission Lines and Cables: Short, Medium, and Long transmission lines (ABCD parameters)."
  • "High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) Transmission: Advantages and disadvantages."
  • "Mechanical Design of Transmission Lines: Sag and Tension calculations."
  • "Insulators: Types and String Efficiency."
  • "Z-Bus and Y-Bus Formulation."
  • "Load Flow Studies: Gauss-Seidel, Newton-Raphson methods."
  • "Shunt and Series Compensation."
  • "Fault Analysis: Symmetrical and Unsymmetrical Faults (Symmetrical Components method)."
  • "Power System Stability: Transient and Steady State Stability, Equal Area Criterion."
  • "Voltage and Frequency Control."
  • "Power System Transients."
  • "Power System Protection:"
    • "Circuit Breakers: Types (Oil, Air Blast, SF₆, Vacuum)."
    • "Relays: Classification of protection schemes (Overcurrent, Distance, Differential, Carrier)."
    • "Equipment Protection: Transformer, Generator, Motor, Busbars, and Transmission line protection."
    "
  • "AC and DC Distribution Systems."
  • "Deregulation of Power Systems."
  • "Energy Conservation and Energy Auditing."

"UNIT – VII: ANALOG AND DIGITAL ELECTRONICS"

  • "Semiconductor Devices:"
    • "PN Junction Diodes: Characteristics and applications."
    • "Transistors: Bipolar Junction Transistors (BJTs) - characteristics, configurations."
    • "Field Effect Transistors (FETs): JFET, MOSFET - characteristics."
    • "Special Diodes: Zener Diode, Photodiodes and their applications."
    "
  • "Rectifier Circuits: Half-wave, Full-wave (centre-tapped, bridge), and Filter circuits."
  • "Voltage Regulators: Zener diode regulator, Series and Shunt regulators."
  • "Multipliers: Voltage multipliers."
  • "Biasing Circuits for BJTs and FETs."
  • "Small Signal Amplifiers: CE, CB, CC configurations - Frequency response."
  • "Multistage Amplifiers: Cascading of amplifiers."
  • "Coupling Methods: RC, Transformer, Direct Coupling."
  • "Large Signal Amplifiers: Class A, Class B, Class AB, Class C."
  • "Push-Pull Amplifiers."
  • "Feedback Amplifiers: Negative feedback characteristics, types of feedback."
  • "Oscillators: Barkhausen criterion, RC phase shift, Wien bridge, LC, Crystal oscillators."
  • "Operational Amplifiers (Op-Amps) and its Applications: Inverting, Non-inverting amplifiers, Summing amplifier, Subtractor, Integrator, Differentiator, Comparators."
  • "Precision Rectifiers."
  • "Multivibrators: Astable, Monostable, Bistable (using Op-Amp and 555 Timer)."
  • "Voltage Controlled Oscillator (VCO)."
  • "Timer IC 555 and its applications."
  • "Digital Logic Gate Families: DTL (Diode-Transistor Logic), TTL (Transistor-Transistor Logic), ECL (Emitter-Coupled Logic), MOS (Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor), CMOS (Complementary MOS)."
  • "Logic Gates: AND, OR, NOT, NAND, NOR, XOR, XNOR."
  • "Simplification of Logic Functions: Boolean algebra, Karnaugh Maps (K-Maps)."
  • "Design of Combinational Circuits: Adders, Subtractors, Decoders, Encoders, Multiplexers, Demultiplexers."
  • "Sequential Logic Circuits: Latch, Flip-flops (SR, D, JK, T)."
  • "Counters: Asynchronous and Synchronous Counters."
  • "Registers: Shift Registers."
  • "Schmitt Triggers."
  • "Memories: Read-Only Memory (ROM), Programmable Logic Array (PLA), Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA)."

"UNIT - VIII: POWER ELECTRONICS AND DRIVES"

  • "Power Semiconductor Devices: Principle of Operation, Static and Dynamic Behaviour of:"
    • "Power Diode."
    • "DIAC (Diode for Alternating Current)."
    • "SCR (Silicon Controlled Rectifier)."
    • "TRIAC (Triode for Alternating Current)."
    • "GTO (Gate Turn-Off Thyristor)."
    • "MOSFET (Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistor)."
    • "IGBT (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor)."
    "
  • "AC to DC Converters (Rectifiers):"
    • "Single-Phase and Three-Phase uncontrolled rectifiers."
    • "Single-Phase and Three-Phase controlled rectifiers."
    • "Performance parameters of rectifiers."
    "
  • "AC to AC Converters: Single-Phase and Three-Phase AC voltage controllers (Cycloconverters)."
  • "Switched Mode Power Supplies (SMPS): Buck, Boost, and Buck-Boost Converter Topologies."
  • "Switching Losses in Power Semiconductor Devices."
  • "Inverters: Single-Phase and Three-Phase Inverters (Voltage Source Inverters - VSI, Current Source Inverters - CSI)."
  • "Voltage Control Techniques for Inverters."
  • "Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) techniques for inverters (e.g., Sinusoidal PWM)."
  • "Harmonic Elimination Techniques in Inverters."
  • "Uninterrupted Power Supplies (UPS): Types (Online, Offline)."
  • "Electrical Drives:"
    • "Motor-Load Dynamics."
    • "Load Torque Characteristics."
    • "Speed Control of DC Drives: Converter/Chopper fed DC motor drives (single-phase, three-phase, buck, boost choppers)."
    • "Speed Control of AC Drives:"
      • "Induction Motor Drives: Stator voltage control, V/f control."
      • "Synchronous Motor Drives: V/f control, Self-control, Margin Angle Control, Power Factor Control."
      "
    "

"UNIT – IX: DIGITAL PROCESSORS AND COMMUNICATION"

  • "Microprocessors and Microcontrollers:"
    • "Architecture of 8085 Microprocessor."
    • "Architecture of 8086 Microprocessor."
    • "Architecture of 8051 Microcontroller."
    • "Instruction Sets and Assembly Language Programming for 8085, 8086, 8051."
    • "Interfacing for Memory and I/O Devices:"
      • "8255 Programmable Peripheral Interface (PPI)."
      • "8253 Programmable Interval Timer (PIT)."
      • "8279 Programmable Keyboard/Display Interface."
      • "8257 Direct Memory Access (DMA) Controller."
      "
    • "Embedded Processors: Basics of ARM and PIC microcontrollers."
    "
  • "Digital Signal Processing (DSP) Fundamentals:"
    • "Classification of Signals and Systems."
    • "Properties of Discrete Fourier Transforms (DFT)."
    • "Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) Computation algorithms."
    • "FIR (Finite Impulse Response) Filters: Design techniques."
    • "IIR (Infinite Impulse Response) Filters: Butterworth Filters, Chebyshev Filters."
    "
  • "Digital Communication Systems:"
    • "Pulse Code Modulation (PCM) and Demodulation."
    • "Adaptive Delta Modulation (ADM)."
    • "Multiplexing: Frequency Division Multiplexing (FDM), Time Division Multiplexing (TDM)."
    • "Data Communication Network Topologies (Bus, Star, Ring, Mesh)."
    • "7-layer OSI (Open Systems Interconnection) Protocol Model."
    • "Internet of Things (IoT) concepts."
    "

"UNIT – X: RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES AND STORAGE DEVICES"

  • "Renewable Energy Sources:"
    • "Sources and Features of various renewable energies."
    • "Solar Energy:"
      • "Solar Radiation Spectrum."
      • "Radiation Measurement techniques."
      • "Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Cell: Principle of operation, types (mono-Si, poly-Si, thin film)."
      • "Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) for PV systems."
      "
    • "Micro-hydel Power: Operating principle."
    • "Wind Energy:"
      • "Components of a wind energy conversion system."
      • "Wind Power Turbine types (HAWT, VAWT)."
      • "MPPT for wind energy systems."
      • "Site Selection criteria."
      • "Types of Wind Generators (DFIG, PMSG)."
      "
    • "Smart Grid Concepts: Architecture, benefits."
    • "Electric Vehicles (EVs): V2G (Vehicle-to-Grid) and G2V (Grid-to-Vehicle) technologies."
    "
  • "Energy Storage Devices:"
    • "Fuel Cells: Principle, types, applications."
    • "Batteries: Types (Lead-acid, Li-ion, Ni-Cd), characteristics (capacity, energy density, power density)."
    • "Supercapacitors (Ultracapacitors): Characteristics and applications."
    "
"Important Note for Aspirants: This comprehensive guide is based on the official TNPSC Electrical Engineering / Electrical and Electronics Engineering (Code 400) syllabus. Aspirants are strongly advised to meticulously cover all topics, focusing on conceptual clarity, rigorous problem-solving practice, and the application of precise technical definitions and formulae. Regular revision and mock tests are highly recommended to ensure thorough preparation for the examination."

"Success in the TNPSC Electrical Engineering / Electrical and Electronics Engineering (Code 400) examination is attainable through a strategic, unit-wise preparation approach. By dedicating sufficient time to each core area, understanding the interconnections between topics, and consistently practising with previous year questions, aspirants can build the strong foundation required to excel and achieve their career objectives."