Electronics and Instrumentation Course Information

Fall 2004

Last Updated 28 August 2004
The syllabus for last semester offers a guide for what you can expect this term.

ENGR-4300
Electronic Instrumentation

Goals

Provide engineering and science students with practical, hands-on experience in the application of electronic instrumentation methodology (modeling, analysis and design) and tools (sensors, instruments, basic electronic hardware and simulation software). Course pedagogy is primarily discovery-based.

Background

MATH-2400: Differential Equations and PHYS-1200/1260: PHYSICS II are the formal prerequisites for this course.
We also use concepts from most required math courses, physics courses, and basic engineering courses.

Topics

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

Studio Activities

This is a studio course and, thus, it combines lectures, problem solving, simulation, laboratory experiments, and laboratory projects in the same classroom and timeslots. We meet for a total of 6 hours each week. Each class meeting will be divided up in to activities (lecture, lab, etc.) that will last anywhere from 10 minutes to the entire class period. Homework problems, lab experiments, project reports, etc. will still have particular due dates, which will be listed in the calendar below. Since this document is electronic, it will be continuously modified throughout the semester.

Class Materials

Standard Texts
The Essence of Analog Electronics by Colin Lunn of Southbank University (England).
Lunn is a smaller book intended for students studying electronics for the first time. It is available at the RPI bookstore or from several online stores for less than $25. It does a relatively good job with basic circuits and op-amps, but has no in formation on digital electronics.
Supplementary Material
1. Electronics class notes by D.M. Gingrich of the University of Alberta Physics Department
It is best to make use of some online supplementary material for most students to learn the fundamental circuits and electronics concepts needed for this course. The class notes by Gingrich are an excellent source of online supplementary material.
2. Additional Online Supplementary Material
Additional links for each experiment and project are located on the links page.
Software
OrCad Capture/PSpice 10 Lite
One of the most important tools we will be using in this class is the circuit analysis software from OrCAD -- Capture for schematic capture and PSpice for analysis. Both programs are available for free download directly from OrCAD or you can order a free copy of the demo CD at the same site.
Electronics Kit
All students are required to purchase a kit consisting of electronic components, a protoboard, some tools and a storage box. These kits will be available soon (probably during the second week of class) for a cost of around $50. Thus, the combination of the notes, notebooks, and the kit is still less than many textbooks. Please check out the parts list to be sure your kit is complete when you receive it. You MUST buy at least two kits per group. After the fisrt experiment, all groups that do not have two kits will no longer be given grades for experiments they hand in. You may use a kit from a previous semester, provided it is well stocked. Your instructor can verify this for you.
Recommended text
The Art of Electronics by Horowitz and Hill.
This is an outstanding book on the practical use of electronics that we recommend as an additional reference. It is probably the best source available for practical electronics advice and information. It also has some good introductory material on circuit analysis, op-amps and digital electronics.
Additional texts
There are several additional books that cover many more subjects than we do, but do have most of the background information needed to do the homework, experiments and projects. They are available from online bookstores and are relatively expensive. If you want to order one, but would like to look them over first, copies are available.
(1) Electrical Concepts and Applications by Boctor, Ryff, Hiscocks, Ghorab and Holmes of Ryerson Polytechnic University (Toronto) is written for nonelectric al engineering students. (2) Fundamentals of Electrical Engineering by Leonard Bobrow of UMass is intended for a first course in electrical engineering.

Check Weekly Schedule For Suggested Reading

Graded Work

Following long-standing traditions, topical quizzes will be graded on a 100 point scale while homework, experiments, and project reports will be graded according to the percentage of the overall course grade.

4 Quizzes (30%) There will be one quiz on each of the four main topics of the course. 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. Check the syllabus for last semester to see the kind of questions you can expect to see on the quizzes.

10 Homeworks (10%) -- All homework assignments are on webct. There are ten homeworks graded out of 10 points each; one for each experiment. They are generally due a few days before the experiment is due. For the exact dates, check webct or your class schedule. You have three chances to take the homework. If you miss the due date, you will have two chances to get a maximum score of 8 points in three days time. If you miss this deadline, you will still be able to take the homework for a maximum score of 5 points. The answers will be posted on webct.

10 Experiments (30%) -- Part of your grade will be based on class attendance and participation. For full credit,the results, discussion and any calculations called for are to be turned in on the date announced in class. This date will also be posted next to the assignment schedule below.. Usually, this section can be completed as the experiments are being done. If the Experiment report is not handed in by the posted date, it can be handed in anytime before the following project report deadline for half credit. A participation grade will be assigned for each of the experiments, based on attendance and contribution to the classwork involved in each activity. You will earn 5 points for each experiment if you are in attendance and doing your share. You can make up class time missed during open shop and give the following form to your instructor: makeup.PDF. The late penalty for experiment write ups is as follows: For each school day late (weekends and vacations are not counted): 1 point per day for the first two days, 2 points per day for the next three days, 3 points per day for the next four days, and so forth. Thus, if the report is handed in 5 days late, the penalty is 8 points. Please note that there are, at most, 5 school days per week.
4 Design Projects (25%) Please check each project write up for specific instructions.
- Project Reports (25 pts) -- The general issues to be addressed in each report include (but are not necessarily limited to) the following. Please note that the guidelines are somewhat different for each project.
  - Introduction (2 pts): Introduce and describe the goals of the project. Usually, you will be asked to list at least two issues from the course that have an impact on the project.
  - Design (5 pts): Describe your project design, how you came up with this particular design, and discuss potential problems you will look for when you build and test your circuits and other apparatus. Develop a plan for testing your design.
  - Analysis (4 pts): Discuss why your project should work and support your discussion with calculations, graphs, PSpice simulations, and common sense reasoning.
  - Implementation (3 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 and Testing (4 pts): Describe your final design. Demonstrate the operation of your apparatus to a TA or instructor and have them sign off that you have done so. Have your experimental data signed by a TA or instructor.
  - Personal Responsibilities (1 pt): A short paragraph should be written describing what each group member contributed to the project design, analysis and testing.
  - Extra Credit (0-2 pts):
  - Appendix (1 pt): Include any background materials you used in the preparation of your design.
  - Practical Skills (5 pts)-- The participation grade for the projects will be based on individual skills observed by your instructor or a TA. These skills will be clearly listed in the project writeup. You will be required to demonstrate these skills as an individual either during class or during open shop hours sometime before the experiment deadline.
- A list of specific issues to be addressed for each project may 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.
- Late Penalty -- The Design Project 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): 1 point per day for the first two days, 2 points per day for the next three days, 3 points per day for the next four days, and so forth. Thus, if the report is handed in 5 days late, the penalty is 8 points. Please note that there are, at most, 5 school days per week.
Participation (5%) -- Five percent of your grade will be based on participation. This will include class attendance, your active participation during class, and a fair contribution to writeups. This assessment will be based on the observances of the TA's, the instructors and your fellow students. More information about attendance and participation is available here.

Weekly Schedule
Please Note That This is approximate and exact due dates may be adjusted slightly as the semester progresses. The pdf files for each of the experiments, projects and homework assignments will be posted on the links page ( http://hibp.ecse.rpi.edu/~connor/education/EILinks.html) about the same time as paper copies will be distributed in class. Older versions of experiments are available on last semester's syllabus. To be sure that you have the correct assignments for this semester, check the revision date on the bottom of each page.

Week One (8/30-9/3): Introduction to Studio Instrumentation
- function generator, dc power supplies, protoboards, components, digital multimeter, oscilloscope.
- Introduction to PSpice.
- Experiment 1: Introduction to Instrumentation, Basic Circuit Concepts and Capture/PSpice
- Experiment 1 Power Point Notes
- Reading Assignment: Read Lunn Chapter 1 (most important: p 1-10, p16-21)
- Also practice simple electronic problems in unit 11 at: http://www.physics.cornell.edu/courses/p101-102/demo/
- Download Equipment Emulator and install on your laptop.
- Download Capture/PSpice and install on your laptop.
- If you are having trouble understanding the experiment or the homework, look through the links for experiment 1 on the links page: http://hibp.ecse.rpi.edu/~connor/education/EILinks.html.
Week Two (9/6-9/10): Circuits, Filters and the Transfer Function
- Monday holiday. No class.
- Experiment 2: Basic Circuits and Electronics
- Experiment 2 Power Point Notes
- Homework 1 due Tuesday (posted on webct)
- Experiment 1 due Thursday
- Reading Assignment: Read Lunn Chapter 2 (most important: p32-40, p44-48, p51-57)
- Also read about bridge circuits at: http://civil.colorado.edu/courseware/struct_labs/wheatstone.html
Week Three (9/13-9/17): AC Circuits
- Experiment 3: Introduction to AC Circuits
- Experiment 3 Power Point Notes
- Homework 2 due Tuesday
- Experiment 2 due Thursday
- Reading Assignment: Review Chapter 2 in Lunn (most important: p10-16)
- Also read sections 3.8 and 3.9 in Boyce and DiPrima
- Also review oscillation at : http://pathfinder.esu2.org/java/physics/physengl/pendulum.htm
Week Four (9/20-9/24): Op Amps
- Experiment 4: Introduction to Op Amps
- Experiment 4 Power Point Notes
- Homework 3 due Tuesday
- Experiment 3 due Thursday
- Reading Assignment: Lunn Chapter 3 (most important: p60-76) and p 99-105 in Chapter 4, especially analysis at bottom of p102.
- Also read Lunn Chapter 5 (most important: p117-118, p120-126)
Week Five (9/27-10/1): Project 1 and Quiz 1
- Project 1: Build an Accelerometer
- Project 1 Power Point Notes
- Review for Quiz 1 Wednesday
- Quiz 1 on Thursday
- Homework 4 due Tuesday
- Experiment 4 due Wednesday
Week Six (10/4-10/8): AC Steady State & Filters
- Experiment 5: Introduction to AC Steady State
- Experiment 5 Power Point Notes
- Project 1 due Friday
- No homework due this week
- Reading Assignment: Gingrich Notes on AC Circuits : http://www.phys.ualberta.ca/~gingrich/phys395/notes/node20.html
- Also read handout on AC Steady State
Week Seven (10/11-10/15): Diodes, LED's, and 555 Timers
- Monday class will be held on TUESDAY of this week
- Experiment 6: Introduction to Diodes, Voltage Limitation and Regulation
- Experiment 6 Power Point Notes
- Homework 5 due Tuesday
- Experiment 5 due Thursday
- Reading Assignment: Lunn Chapter 7 (most important: p150-155, p162-169, p173-182, p182-187)
Week Eight (10/18-10/22): 555 Timers, LED's and Photodiodes
- Experiment 7: Introduction to the 555 Timer, LEDs and Photodiodes
- Experiment 7 Power Point Notes
- Homework 6 due Tuesday
- Experiment 6 due Wednesday
- Read 555 Timer data sheet: http://www.national.com/ds/LM/LM555.pdf
- Also look at LED's and Photodiodes
Week Nine (10/25-10/29): Project 2 and Quiz 2
- Project 2 : Optical Transmitter-Receiver
- Project 2 Power Point Notes
- Review for Quiz 2 on Wednesday
- Quiz 2 on Thursday
- Homework 7 due Tuesday
- Experiment 7 due Wednesday
Week Ten (11/1-11/5): Op-amp Integrators and Differentiators
- Experiment 8 : Op-Amp Configurations -- Integrator, Differentiator, Voltage Follower
- Experiment 8 Power Point Notes
- Project 2 due Friday
- No homework this week
- Reading Assignment: Lunn Chapter 4 (most important: p88-99)
- Also review Chapter 5 (p109-118, p127-128) and Chapter 3 (p76-80)
Week Eleven (11/8-11/12): Circuit Components and Magnetic Fields
- Experiment 9 : Circuit Components and Magnetic Fields - Inductors, Transformers, and ...
- Experiment 9 Power Point Notes
- Homework 8 due Tuesday
- Experiment 8 due Thursday
- Reading Assignment: Review chapter 7 (p170-173) and review chapter 1 (p13-16)
- Also look at Faraday Inductance Experiment 1 : http://micro.magnet.fsu.edu/electromag/java/faraday/
  and Transformer Circuit Applet : http://micro.magnet.fsu.edu/electromag/java/transformer/
Week Twelve (11/15-11/19): Project 3 and Quiz 3
- Project 3: Instrumented Beakman's Motor.
- Project 3 Power Point Notes
- Review for Quiz 3 on Wednesday
- Quiz 3 on Thursday
- Homework 9 due Tuesday
- Experiment 9 due on Wednesday
Week Thirteen (11/22-11/26):Introduction to Digital Electronics
- Experiment 10 : Introduction to Digital Logic
- Experiment 10 Power Point Notes
- Reading Assignment: Lunn Chapter 6 (most important: p131-134, p140-145) and Chapter 8 (most important: 197-209)
- Also read Gingrich on Digital Electronics : http://www.phys.ualberta.ca/~gingrich/phys395/notes/node117.html
Week Fourteen (11/29-12/3): Project 4
- Project 4 : Digital Electronics Project
- Project 4 Power Point Notes
- Project 3 due Wednesday
Week Fifteen (12/6-12/10): Quiz 4
- Review for Quiz 4 on Wednesday
- Quiz 4 on Thursday
- Experiment 10 due Monday
- Homework 10 due Tuesday
- Project 4 due Friday
- There is NO FINAL in this course
Printable Calendar

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