20.422 Electronics and Instrumentation

Topics

• Instrumentation Methodology
• Analog Electronics
• Sensors
• Analog/Digital Transitional Electronics
• Digital Electronics

Studio Activities

Graded Work

• Quizzes/Exams (50%)
  • Practical Quizzes (2%) -- To successfully apply the materials studied in this course, it is necessary for students to master a small number of practical skills. These include, but are not limited to, PSpice simulation, function generator and scope operation, protoboarding passive components, determining resonant frequencies, identifying logic gates, ... A few weeks into the term, a list of short (about one half hour) quizzes will be posted that address such practical skills. A minimum of 5 quizzes must be completed by each student. Quizzes, which will be taken individually (no partners), can be worked on in class if time allows or during open shop hours.
  • 4 Topical Quizzes (10%) -- There will be one quiz on each of the main topics of the course, except for Instrumentation Methodology, which will be addressed in the practical quizzes. All Quizzes will be closed book, but students are permitted to bring one 8.5" x 11" crib sheet. Specific topics to be addressed on each quiz will be announced at least one week before the quiz date.
• Homework (10%) -- Assignments are made in class. Problems will be posted on the webpage or on the bulletin board outside the studio. Each student must hand in the homework.
• 4 Design Projects (40%)
  • Experiments (P/F) -- Each of the experiments to be done in class find application in a project. When an experiment is completed, the Experiment Completion Sheet must be signed by one of the TAs or the Instructor. The results and any calculations called for are to be turned in with the Pre-Project Report. Pre-project reports will receive a grade of zero if all experiments are not completed. Experiments are to be done by each pair of partners (2 students). Experimental data are to be shared by the cooperating partners (4 students).
  • Pre-Project Reports (25%) -- A large fraction of the course grade is based on this report. The general issues to be addressed in each report include the following:
    • Introduction (5 pts): Introduce and describe the goals of the project.
    • Design (15 pts): Describe your project design, how it works, how you came up with this particular design, and discuss potential problems. This last item is very important. You should not expect your initial design to be a complete success. Remember that you will have the opportunity to make changes while you build and test your project.
    • Analysis (15 pts): Discuss why your project should work and support your discussion with calculations, graphs, PSpice simulations, and common sense reasoning.
    • Personal Responsibilities (5 pts): A short paragraph should be written describing what each group member contributed to the project design.
    • Appendix (20 pts): Include any background materials you used in the preparation of your design. Here, for example, is where you should attach the materials from the experiments done in in class. These points are essentially given if the required signature sheets are included. Be sure that you get your work signed off or include it with the report and ask that you be signed off for it.
    A list of specific issues to be addressed for each project will also be posted in the class announcements. A discussion of how your design deals with each of these issues must also be included at the appropriate place in your report.
  • Project Reports (15%) -- Your project report will describe how you implemented your designs, how well they worked, what changes you made and simulations, data, and calculations supporting your new designs, if any changes were made. All reports should include the following sections:
    • Introduction (10 pts) -- Problem statement and what was learned from this project.
    • Implementation (10 pts) -- Discuss what problems were encountered during the implementation of your project and how you solved them. Include advice you would offer to someone who wished to avoid these problems in the future.
    • Final Design (15 pts)-- Describe your final design, what needed to be changed and why. Show that the new design works with experimental data from your hardware and PSice simulations. Include your PSpice schematics.
    • Personal Responsibilities (5 pts) -- A short paragraph should be written describing what each group member did to develop and implement the final design.
  • Late Penalty -- The Design Project Proposals and Final Reports are due on the dates indicated below. If they are handed in late, the following penalty will be applied. For each school day late (weekends and vacations are not counted): 2 points per day for the first two days, 3 points per day for the next three days, 4 points per day for the next four days, and so forth. Thus, if the pre-project proposal is handed in 5 days late, the penalty is 13 points. Please note that there are 5 school days per week.

Schedule