Introductory Analog Electronics Laboratory

Syllabus

Course Meeting Times

Lectures: 3 sessions / week, 1 hour / session

Labs: Open hours during the semester

Course Overview

6.101 is an introductory experimental laboratory that explores the design, construction, and debugging of analog electronic circuits. This subject covers diodes, transistors, JFETs, op-amps, and basic analog circuit design as applied to audio and radio frequency circuits. Students spend the second half of the term designing their own projects. Projects vary in scope and breadth, depending on students’ level of prior background and interest. Past projects have ranged from simple power amplifiers to advanced noise canceling headphones.

6.101 aims to minimize math and emphasize visual and intuitive circuit understanding, to create a practical and useful design experience. In the process, students will learn to understand and use a wide variety of analog circuits. They will learn how to use books and periodicals to find circuit ideas and to supplement their textbook knowledge. Past final projects have included:

• Theremin (an electronic instrument that produces sounds based on how far the user’s hands are from a pair of metal rods)
• Audio mixer, effects engine, Dolby decoder, and multi-channel power amplifiers
• Noise cancelling headphones
• Beat detector and note finder
• FM modulated transmission over a power line
• Laser link audio transmitter and receiver
• 400W class D full range audio amplifier
• Analog computer

The laboratory satisfies either the institute laboratory requirement or the course 6 laboratory requirement. It gives 12 Engineering Design Points. Passable performance in 6.002 or 6.071 should provide sufficient background. However, students often find it valuable to have taken more advanced circuit design classes, as they allow for more ambitious (and more interesting) final projects.

Textbooks

Neamen, Donald. Microelectronic Circuit Analysis and Design. 3rd ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 2006. ISBN: 9780073285962.
The book comes with two free CD-roms and is the required textbook for this term.

Cathey, Jimmie J. Schaum’s Outlines Electronic Devices and Circuits. 2nd ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 2002. ISBN: 9780071362702.

Johnson, D. E., and V. Jayakumar. Operational Amplifier Circuits. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1982. ISBN: 9780136374473.

Horowitz, Paul, and Winfield Hill. The Art of Electronics. 2nd ed. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 1989. ISBN: 9780521370950.
We strongly recommend that you also purchase this book. This reference will be useful in other courses and after graduation.

Grading

The first half of the class accounts for 50% of the grade. The other 50% comes from the final project.

ACTIVITIES	PERCENTAGES
First half of course
Homework	10%
Two quizzes	15%
Labs	25%
Final project
Project presentation and operation	25%
Write-up	25%

Course Outline

I. Components

A. Resistors and capacitors standard values

B. Component symbols

C. Frequency response, bode plots, basics review

II. Diodes

A. Diodes, diode equation

B. Graphical/Load line analysis

C. Diode models

a. Ideal
b. Piecewise linear
c. AC
d. Other diode types

D. Zener diodes

E. Diode applications

a. Peak sample, power rectifier, clamps, regulator

III. Bipolar transistors

A. Definitions

B. V-I characteristics, breakdown

C. Common-emitter large signal model, graphical analysis

D. Common-collector

E. Common-emitter

F. Applications: current source, DC power supply regulator

IV. Bipolar transistors

A. Transistor biasing

B. Hybrid-pi equivalent circuit

C. High-frequency hybrid-pi

D. H-parameters

E. Common-emitter amplifier

F. AC load line

G. Common-collector (emitter-follower) amplifier

V. Junction field-effect transistors

A. Operation

B. Background and V-I characteristics: JFET

C. FET switch, chopper, MUX

D. Low frequency incremental model

E. Biasing

F. JFET current source

VI. Two-transistor amplifiers

A. Differential emitter-coupled pair

a. Current mirror

B. Complementary emitter-follower (Class B, AB)

C. Amplifier classes

D. Power amplifiers

VII. Operational amplifiers

A. Overview

B. Basic linear op-amp circuits

a. Inverting, non-inverting, addition, subtraction
b. AC amplifiers, inverting, and non-inverting
c. Cascading; Ideal impedances
d. I-V conv, V-I conv, difference amp, instrument amp

C. Integrator, differentiator

D. Lossy integrator

E. Negative feedback

VIII. Operational amplifiers

A. Limitations

a. Effect of finite open-loop gain
b. Differential and common mode input voltage limits
c. Common-mode rejection ration
d. Input resistance
e. Input bias current, input offset current
f. Non-zero output resistance
g. Frequency response, gain-bandwidth product
h. Output voltage swing, saturation
i. Output current limit
j. Compensation
k. Slew rate
l. Offset voltage and drift
m. Op-amp selection considerations

IX. Operational amplifiers

A. Non-linear op-amp circuits

a. Precision ½ wave rectifier, log and antilog amps
b. Comparator
c. Schmitt-trigger
d. Schmitt-trigger oscillator [astable multivibrator]
e. 555 IC timer

X. Practical matters

A. Physical layout; intercircuit coupling

B. V_cc, V_ee bypassing

a. Capacitors and resistors at very high frequencies

C. Interference and shielding

D. Grounding and ground sequencing

E. Optoelectronic isolators