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Many engineering technology programmes use industry-standard computer-aided design (CAD) tools to enhance traditional teaching methods and to provide students with the necessary CAD skills as required by industry. In addition, technology driven initiatives such as e-learning and virtual laboratories provide the educator with an exciting range of tools and instruments intended to bring about a deeper understanding of complex phenomena. These tools are commonly used in conjunction with traditional classroom lecturers, laboratory sessions and demonstrations. This paper investigates the range of CAD / e-learning tools available to students and the impact that these initiatives have had within an electrical engineering technology programme.

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Purpose – This paper aims to report the modelling and simulation work that predicts the behaviours of both a Josephson junction (JJ) and a dc superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID). It is pertinent to predict the SQUID magnetometers’ behaviours via simulations, before subjecting them to real experiments because they are quite expensive to acquire, and can be easily damaged during test analysis. Design/methodology/approach – To achieve this, power simulation (PSIM) was used to model and simulate a JJ, using the basic equation that describes the effective current through it. A dc SQUID magnetometer, which is composed of two JJs, was then modelled and simulated using the modelled JJ. Thermal noise simulation is also included, to observe its effects on the magnetometer’s output. A directly coupled flux-locked loop circuit was later included in the simulation to amplify and linearise the SQUID’s output, which is usually sinusoidal. Findings – When steady bias currents were applied to the JJ, the resulting voltage across it was seen to oscillate. The JJ’s and SQUID’s voltage–current characteristics, and voltage–flux characteristics were also observed in the simulations, and the results respectively agree with the behaviours of a typical JJ and dc SQUID magnetometer. Originality/value – A way of simulating SQUIDs, without a superconducting simulation tool, is presented. The work provides a much simpler way of studying the behaviour of dc SQUID magnetometers, due to the easy accessibility and fast simulation capability of the software used, with an added advantage of being able to simulate the thermal noise effects, without having to import this facility from secondary software.