Abstract
This paper discusses the effective contribution of a Learning Object (LO) to teach circuit theory based on research conducted with students of higher education, and their interaction with a teacher of Electronics. From the results of such research, it is pointed out which features one wants in the LO so that it successfully promotes learning. It is in this perspective that this work was conceived having as goal the development of LO, admitting that this may be a possible alternative to represent models of interactions, which occur within the area, thereby improving understanding of physical concepts, in particular those involved with the subject of electrical circuits. It has also as objective to characterize the learning process through a series of situations that are replicated leading to a set of behaviors from the students. It is assumed that the use of this tool can lead to acquiring a specific set of skills, a better practice and meaningful learning.

Abstract
With the development of synchronized phasor measurement technology in recent years, it gains great interest the use of PMU measurements to improve state estimation performances due to their synchronized characteristics and high data transmission speedThe ability of the Phasor Measurement Units (PMU) to directly measure the system state is a key over SCADA measurement system. PMU measurements are superior to the conventional SCADA measurements in terms of resolution and accuracy. Since the majority of measurements in existing estimators are from conventional SCADA measurement system, it is hard to be fully replaced by PMUs in the near future so state estimators including both phasor and conventional SCADA measurements are being consideredIn this paper, a mixed measurement (SCADA and PMU measurements) state estimator is proposedSeveral useful measures for evaluating various aspects of the performance of the mixed measurement state estimator are proposed and explainedState Estimator validity, performance and characteristics of the results on IEEE 14 bus test system and IEEE 30 bus test system are presented. © ADVANCES IN ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING.

Abstract
With the development of synchronized phasor measurement technology in recent years, it gains great interest the use of PMU measurements to improve state estimation performances due to their synchronized characteristics and high data transmission speedThe ability of the Phasor Measurement Units (PMU) to directly measure the system state is a key over SCADA measurement system. PMU measurements are superior to the conventional SCADA measurements in terms of resolution and accuracy. Since the majority of measurements in existing estimators are from conventional SCADA measurement system, it is hard to be fully replaced by PMUs in the near future so state estimators including both phasor and conventional SCADA measurements are being consideredIn this paper, a mixed measurement (SCADA and PMU measurements) state estimator is proposedSeveral useful measures for evaluating various aspects of the performance of the mixed measurement state estimator are proposed and explainedState Estimator validity, performance and characteristics of the results on IEEE 14 bus test system and IEEE 30 bus test system are presented. © ADVANCES IN ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING.

Abstract
In the classical model of the photovoltaic (PV) cell/module, based on the single-exponential or double-exponential representation of PV cell/module behavior, parasitic parameters are ignored. Their presence, however, has multiple effects, such as the maximum power point tracking on the current-voltage curve, the switching ON/OFF of the inverters for grid connection, and the electrical safety of persons against indirect contact due to ground leakage currents and lightning phenomena. The effects of parasitic parameters can be visualized in the experimental results gathered through the transient charge of an external capacitor connected to the PV generator terminals. The impact of the parasitic components is different when considering a single PV module or a PV array composed of several PV modules. At the module scale, an oscillation occurs in the initial part of the current waveform, which indicates the presence of some inductive components. At the array scale, the inductive phenomena are overdamped, and parasitic capacitive effects become predominant. This paper shows how to determine the parameters of an extended model of PV modules embedding the parasitic parameter effects. It starts from the experimental results obtained from the fast-sampled voltage and current waveforms during the transient charge of an external capacitor. Numerical examples taken from real cases with different PV technologies are provided.

Abstract
Automotive Safety Integrity Levels (ASILs) are used in the new automotive functional safety standard, ISO 26262, as a key part of managing safety requirements throughout a top-down design process. The ASIL decomposition concept, outlined in the standard, allows the safety requirements to be divided between multiple components of the system whilst still meeting the ASILs initially allocated to system-level hazards. Existing exhaustive automatic decomposition techniques drastically reduce the effort of performing such tasks manually. However, the combinatorial nature of the problem leaves such exhaustive techniques with a scalability issue. To overcome this problem, we have developed a new technique that uses a penalty-based genetic algorithm to efficiently explore the search space and identify optimum assignments of ASILs to the system components. The technique has been applied to a hybrid braking system to evaluate its effectiveness. © 2013 Springer-Verlag.

Abstract
This PhD work has the goal to develop an inexpensive, easily deployable and widely compatible localization system for indoor use, suitable for pre-installed public address sound systems, avoiding costly installations or significant architectural changes in spaces. Using the audible sound range will allow the use of low cost off-the-shelf equipment suitable for keeping a low deployment cost. The state-of-the-art presented in this paper evidences a technological void in low-cost, reliable and precise localization systems and technologies. This necessity was also confirmed by the authors in a previous project (NAVMETRO (R)) where no suitable technological solution was found to exist to overcome the need to automatically localize people in a public space in a reliable and precise way. Although research work is in its first steps, it already provides a thorough view on the problem while discussing some possible approaches and predicting strategies to overcome the key difficulties. Some experiments were already conducted validating some initial premises and demonstrating how to measure the signal's time-of-flight necessary to infer on distance calculations.