ISRO PREPARATION FOR ECE GRADUATES
Clickhere full syallbi for ece graduates
THE TEST
Eligibility : BE/B.Tech or equivalent in First Class with an aggregate minimum of 65% (average of all semesters for which results are available). Final year B.Tech students can also apply. The "ELECTRONICS" test paper can be given by students who have done Electronics and communication, Applied Electronics &Instrumentation and Electrical Engineering. The Test consists of 80 questions (3 marks each) and there is negative marking (1 mark). The test duration is two hours.
Look for the advertisement and you need to apply online. The written test will be conducted at ten venues viz., Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Bhopal, Chennai, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, New Delhi and Thiruvananthapuram.
Those who are already employed under Central/State Govt/PSU/ Autonomous Bodies should produce ‘No objection certificate’ from the employer.
1. Previous year question papers are available in ISRO site
Going through each question paper will clearly give you an idea about pattern of exam. (take print out of all these papers, it always better than referring softcopy in PC). Questions are very direct compared to gate (be sure that no twisted or highly conceptual questions will be asked). I feel that there is also less time pressure during exam. But for each topic, syllabus is more advanced than gate and weightage of various topics are completely different.
Try to solve each question paper in stipulated time (atleast past 3 years), during the preparation time. If you are already preparing for gate, start ISRO test preparation directly by solving previous year. Note that you cannot use calculator. So don’t expect numerically difficult problems. Also more theory is asked compared to gate.
2. Previous year question paper(till 2013) with solution is available “BSNL DRDO ISRO: Electronic and Communication Engineering Previous Year Solved Papers 2nd Edition” published by Made Easy
This will save lot of time rather than you searching in different books for answers. If you are having touch with all topics, this book may not be that useful as questions are mostly direct only and solvable with the help of standard books. Doing yourself helps you understand better and is a good revision. So I recommend you to not buy this book if you are preparing for gate.
3. Syllabus different from gate
Officially in ISRO site, syllabus is not given but following are some general trends
More emphasis to communication, Electromagnetic & microwave theory, and digital electronics
(1) Electron Devices and ICs:
Energy bands in silicon, intrinsic and extrinsic silicon. Carrier transport in silicon: diffusion current, drift current, mobility, and resistivity. Generation and recombination of carriers. p-n junction diode, Zener diode, tunnel diode, BJT, JFET, MOS capacitor, MOSFET,LED, p-I-n and avalanche photo diode,integrated circuits fabrication process, oxidation, diffusion, ion implantation, photolithography, n-tub, p-tub and twin-tub CMOS process.
Straight forward problems are only asked, which can be solved with basic concepts in diode, BJT, JFET and MOSFET(less important). Expect theory questions also from other topics.
(2) Signals and Systems:
Classification of signals and systems; System modeling in terms of differential and difference equations; Fourier series; Fourier transforms and their application to system analysis; Laplace transforms and their application to system analysis; Convolution and superposition integrals and their applications; Z-transforms and their applications to the analysis and characterization of discrete time systems; Random signals and probability; Correlation functions; Spectral density; Response of linear system to random inputs.
Mostly direct but expect slightly indirect also
(3) Network Theory:
Network analysis techniques; Network theorems, transient response, steady state sinusoidal response; Network graphs and their applications in network analysis; Tellegen's theorem. Two port networks; Z, Y, h and transmission parameters. Combination of two ports, analysis of common two ports.
Only direct problems on networks with Inductor, Capacitor and resistors
(4) Electromagnetic Theory:
Analysis of electrostatic and magneto-static fields; Laplace's and Poisson's equations; Boundary value problems and their solutions; Maxwell's equations; application to wave propagation in bounded and unbounded media; Transmission lines: basic theory, standing waves, matching applications, Elements of antenna theory and microwave basics.
Expect majority questions from this topic. Study this topic really well, as many theory questions and problems are asked from this. Many questions from microwave is asked which is out of syllabus for gate. Study satellite communication link design and antenna theory also. Questions from topics which we don’t usually find important for GATE can come.
(5) Analog Electronic Circuits:
Transistor biasing and stabilization. Small signal analysis. Power amplifiers. Frequency. response. Wide banding techniques. Feedback amplifiers. Tuned amplifiers. Oscillators, Rectifiers and power supplies. Op Amp, 555 timer, PLL, other applications. Pulse shaping circuits and waveform generators.
Mainly circuits with BJT and OPAMPS only asked. Also learn Rectifiers with zener diode
(6) Digital Electronic Circuits:
Boolean algebra, simplification of Boolean function Karnaugh map and applications; IC Logic gates and their characteristics; IC logic families: DTL, TTL, ECL, NMOS, PMOS and CMOS gates and their comparison; Combinational logic circuits; Half adder, Full adder; Digital comparator; Multiplexer De-multiplexer; ROM and their applications. Flip-flops. R-S, J-K, D and T flip-tops; Different types of counters and registers. Waveform generators. A/D and D/A converters.
Lot of very straight forward questions asked. So brush up everything and study A/D converters which is not that important for gate.
(7) Control Systems:
Transient and steady state response of control systems; Effect of feedback on stability and sensitivity; Root locus techniques; Frequency response analysis. Concepts of gain and phase margins; Constant-M and Constant-N Nichol's Chart; Approximation of transient response from Constant-N Nichol's Chart; Approximation of transient response from closed loop frequency response; Design of Control Systems; Compensators; Industrial controllers.
Very few questions are asked, that too straight forward negative feedback question, system response etc. and related to concepts in root locus and other graphical methods.
(8) Communication Systems:
Random signals and noise: probability, random variables, probability density function, autocorrelation, power spectral density. Analog communication systems: amplitude and angle modulation and demodulation systems, spectral analysis of these operations, superheterodyne receivers; signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) calculations for amplitude modulation (AM) and frequency modulation (FM) for low noise conditions. Digital communication systems: pulse code modulation (PCM), differential pulse code modulation (DPCM), digital modulation schemes: amplitude, phase and frequency shift keying schemes (ASK, PSK, FSK), matched filter receivers, bandwidth consideration and probability of error calculations for these schemes. Basics of TDMA, FDMA, CDMA and GSM. Coding theory
Compared to gate syllabus, this is having lot of advanced topics. Study each and every heading in this. Anything can be asked (mostly direct but expect little tricky questions here). Even questions from coding theory have been asked even though not in GATE syllabus.
(9) Computer Engineering:
Number Systems. Data representation; Programming; Elements of a high level programming language PASCAL/C; Use of basic data structures; Fundamentals of computer architecture; Processor design; Control unit design; Memory organization, I/o System Organization. Microprocessors: Architecture and instruction set of Microprocessor's 8085 and 8086, Assembly language Programming. Microprocessor Based system design: typical examples. Personal computers and their typical uses.
This topic you will find difficult to study, as it is not for GATE and from previous year paper it is not easy for pin pointing even the correct syllabus. Many topics electronics students are not studying(mostly computer science people only knows the answers so get their help in finding answers in the previous year papers). Better don’t waste too much time in this. Study only basic concepts in computer networks, computer organization and microprocessor (study if you have done it as part of university syllabus and leave the more advanced topics in this and devote more time on to gate syllabus part)
4. Some general tips
1. Calculator not allowed, so that means numerically easier problems and lot of theory questions. Compared to gate, questions are more direct but syllabus is vast and expect some unexpected questions..;)
2. Majority of questions from electromagnetic theory, digital systems and communication systems. This is a standard trend in previous year. The weightage to other topics change drastically from one year to other (unlike in gate where there is a more consistent trend in mark distribution among the topics)
3. Don’t waste time in the studying new things in computer engineering part.
4. Always few questions from Maths is also asked. But syllabus is again very vast compared to number of questions you get, but again every year few easy questions are asked. Brush up the things which you know well. Syllabus appears to be same as that of

