The calendar below provides information on the lecture and lab sessions for the course.
Week 1
Labs: Lab 1: Course Introduction
Topics:
- Course Mechanics
- Goals of Subject
- Safety Orientation
- Fundamental Notions
- Current is flow of discrete charges
- Voltage is a measure of the (potential) energy of each charge
- Ohm’s Law
- Voltage and Current Dividers
- Kirchoff’s Voltage and Current Laws
New Components:
- Power Supply
- Banana Cables and Alligator Clips
- DMM
- White Protoboard
Applications:
- Scaling Signals
Key Dates: Homework 1 out
Week 2
Lectures: Lec 1: Resistors and Diodes
Labs: Lab 2: Resistors and Diodes
Topics:
- Power Dissipation
- Resistors, Color Code, Power Rating
- Discuss diodes as one-way valves, introduce voltage drop
- Demonstrate exceeding the current limit on an LED!
- How to specify current-limiting resistors for diodes
- Note that reversed LEDs in parallel indicate the direction of current flow
- Three-pin Regulator (7805)
New Components:
- Resistors (show resistors of same value but different power ratings)
- LEDs
- Potentiometers
- 78xx Series Voltage Regulators
Applications:
- Indicators
- Power Supplies
Key Dates: Homework 2 out, Homework 1 due
Week 3
Lectures: Lec 2: Switches, Rectifiers and Function Generators
Labs: Lab 3: Bridge Circuits
Topics:
- Discuss Switches
- DPDT Knife Switch as to make AC “square” wave from DC
- Introduce Bridge Rectifier
New Components:
- DPDT Knife Switch
- Function Generator
- Oscilloscope
- 9V Cell
Applications:
- Rectifiers for AC-to-DC Conversion
Key Dates: Homework 3 out, Homework 2 due
Weeks 4–5
Lectures:
- Lec 3: Capacitors
Lec 4: RC Circuits
Labs:
- Lab 4: Oscilloscopes and Capacitors
Lab 5: Filters
Topics:
- Introduce Capacitors
- Water Analogy to Storage Tank
- Describe their Composition
- Discuss Charge Storage and E-field
- State q = CV and E = CV/2
Derive differential equations for RC and show exponentials are solutions
New Components:
- Capacitors
Applications:
- Filters for: Ripple, Noise Removal, Sig. Detection, Equalization
- Regulated Power Supply
Key Dates: Homework 3 due
Week 6
Lectures: Lec 5: Relays and Transistors
Labs: Lab 6: Relays and Transistors
Topics:
- Electromechanical Relay
- How it works
- Specifications for Driving Coil
- State need for Flyback Diode
- Motors and their operation Bipolar Transistors as switches NPN only, properties under
- No Bias
- Linear Regime
- Saturation
New Components:
- DC Motor
- E-M Relay
- NPN Transistor
Applications:
- Control of Lighting, Motion, the Universe, and Everything
Key Dates: Homework 4 out
Week 7
Lectures: Lec 6: Op-Amps
Labs: Lab 7: Op-Amps
Topics:
- Op-Amps
- Golden Rules
- Analyze Inverting Amp
- Discuss Behavior Near Rails
- Some Limits on Applicability of Golden Rules
- Comparators
- Rules of Operation
- Inverting Circuit
- Non-Inverting
New Components:
- 741 Op-Amp as Amplifier
- 741 Op-Amp as Comparator
Applications:
- Signal Conditioning, etc.
Key Dates: Homework 4 due
Week 8
Lectures: Lec 7: Flip-Flops and the 555 Timer Circuit
Labs: Lab 8: 555 Timer Circuit
Topics:
- 555 Timers
New Components:
- 555 Timer
Week 9
Lectures: Lec 8: Final Project Overview
Labs: Lab 9: Sensors
Topics:
- CdS Cells as Sensors
New Components:
- CdS Cell
Applications:
- Many Robotic and Electro-mechanical Applications!
Week 10
Lectures: Lec 9: Final Project Concepts
Weeks 11–14
Key Dates: Final Presentations Due
