Physics 240:  Electronics

Spring 2007

TR 10:00—11:15

Lab: TR 1:10—4:00

 

Instructor

Dr. Bret E. Crawford, Masters Hall, Rm. 203, x6054,

email: bcrawfor

 

Required Course Materials

An Introduction to Modern Electronics by W. L. Faissler

A pocket calculator with trigonometric functions, scientific notation, and exponential functions

Two non-spiral notebooks (e.g., National model 43-475)

 

Additional texts available from library

 

Office hours    In addition to the times below, meetings can be arranged by appointment.

 

Course Overview

 

This course is designed to train the student in the basic operation and design of electronic circuits. As we all know, our world has become increasingly technological, much of the technology electronic in nature. From telephones to computers, from audio equipment to laboratory instrumentation, from night vision glasses to hand held global-positioning systems, electronics is the prime mover of technological development. Even auto repair has become dependent on electronic interfaces between the car and a diagnostic computer. It is, therefore, of great benefit for those interested in technical fields to have a basic understanding of electronic devices and circuitry.

Some questions we will address this semester: how do digital clocks and timers work? how do simple computers make decisions? if the power company supplies alternating current (AC) at 120 V, how can I convert this into a 9-V direct-current supply to run my DC radio? why was Bell Labs (ATT) so interested in the 1940s in making a solid-state switching/amplifying device? how does an amplifier work and what's being amplified anyway?

The course is broad in scope, exploring the fundamentals of electronics and delving into the details of a few specific types of applications. With a firm foundation, however, you should be able to tackle new situations as they arise in the future.

There are a number of skills you should develop in this course. As with any physics course you will develop analysis techniques, including the systematic application of mathematics, that will help you solve increasingly complex problems. You will be expected to communicate your ideas to others through collaborative work and by keeping a laboratory notebook. Since this is a laboratory-based course, you will learn to use a number of standard laboratory tools.  Finally, building electronics circuits is a fantastic way to hone your trouble-shooting skills, so be prepared to face challenging circuits that do not work right away! By finding problems with your circuit and fixing them, you will perfect your de-bugging ability.

Course Components and Grading

 

 

In the lecture we will discuss concepts introduced in the text and laboratory.  You are expected to do the reading before attending lecture.  In addition to the reading, you will be assigned a pre-class quiz on Blackboard that must be completed by Monday noon (Sunday night might be a good goal).  We will discuss the quiz during the lecture.  You may notice on the schedule below that we will not meet during many of the scheduled Thursday class times.  This is an effort to recognize the significant time commitment of the course (9 class/lab hours per week).  However, Thursday mornings should remain available in your schedule for extra lectures if they are needed and exams.

The course relies heavily on the laboratory to cement your understanding and to give you the opportunity to make, trouble shoot and analyze real circuits. Most labs will take two sessions to complete, although there are several single-day labs. You will be required to keep a laboratory notebook. In fact you will keep two, alternating books when you turn in one for grading.  Our laboratory is designed such that each student can have their own workspace.   You are expected to keep your workbench clean and orderly, but you have the freedom to develop your own workbench style.

·         Homework

Working homework problems gives you a valuable opportunity to apply your knowledge. Often it is not until you struggle with a homework problem that you realize what it is that you do and do not understand. This is why it is important that you do the problems on your own. Discussing the problems with your colleagues is allowed, even encouraged, as long as after your consultation, you work through the problems yourself.

Homework assignments will be due about once per week. Late homework assignments will not be accepted unless there is a compelling reason (illness or emergency) in which case the assignment will be corrected but not graded.

As you are learning in your course work, really doing physics involves more than plugging numbers into an equation and chugging out the answer. Perhaps the most important step is conceptualizing a strategy for solving the problem. When working problems (homework and exams) describe your understanding of the problem and your strategy for solving it. Also give a brief analysis of whether the answer makes sense.

 

 

·         Exams

In addition to the cumulative final exam, there will be three exams during the semester.  Exams will cover topics from the lecture, homework assignments, and laboratory exercises.

·         Project

One of the highlights of the course is the culmination of much of what you have learned during the semester in a final project. You will work in groups of two. Start planning early so that the project has the appropriate scope and can be accomplished in the allotted time. You will have the opportunity to demonstrate your circuit to the class and the rest of the department at the end of the semester.  In addition to demonstrating the circuit, you will turn in a brief report describing the circuit’s construction and operation.  The combination of the project itself and the presentation will constitute 12% of the course grade.  The project proposal and initial project schematic (see schedule) will be counted as homework assignments.

·         Grading

Homework

8%

Pre-class Quizzes

5%

Laboratory

30%

Exams (10% each)

30%

Project

12%

Final Exam

15%

 

Honor Code

As in all of your courses, you are bound by the honor code.  As discussed earlier, consultation with peers is allowed while working homework problems as long as what you turn in is a product of your own work. In lab you will often work discuss the lab with others. However, any discussion, explanations, or answers to questions must be your own. Certainly all data must be the result of your own work in the laboratory.  Analysis must also be done by you (no sharing spreadsheets, etc.), but may be done outside of lab as allowed by the instructor.  While taking exams, you may discuss them only with me.

Special Considerations

 

Any student with physical or learning disabilities that requires special attention in lab or on exams is encouraged to discuss their needs with the instructor.

 

Physics 240:  Electronics

Course Schedule

Spring 2007

 

 

Date

Topic

Chapter

Laboratory

Homework (Fridays 1pm)

1/18—1/19

Introduction, Review of DC circuits R

 

 Intro (short meeting)

 

1/22—1/26

Review of DC Circuits T

1—4

#1 DC Circuits

#1 DC Circuits

#1: 2.3, 2.6, 2.13, 3.3, 3.6, 4.11

1/29—2/2

DC Circuit Models, Analysis Techniques T

5—6,12, 52

#2 RC Time Constant

#2 RC Time Constant

#2: 3.4, 4.13, 52.2, 52.24, 52.7, 5.1, 5.2

2/5—2/9

AC Circuits, reactance T

7—9, 51

#3 Capacitive Filters

#3 Capacitive Filters

#3: 6.7, 7.1, 7.4, 8.1, 8.5, 51.15

2/12—2/16

Resonance T

Exam 1 (1—9,12, 51—53)  R

9—10, 53

#4 RLC Resonance

 

#4: 51.17, 8.3, 9.2, 9.3

2/19—2/23

Operational Amplifiers T

 

28—29

#5 Op Amp Characteristics

#5: 29.2, 29.3, 29.4, 29.6

2/26—3/2

Binary Numbers, Digital Electronics T

Theremin Demo/Movie R

19—20

#6 Op Amp Circuits

#6 Op Amp Circuits

#6 handout

3/5—3/9

Digital Electronics T

21—23, 54

#7 Digital Devices

#7 Digital Devices

#7 handout

3/12—3/16

Spring Break

---------

--------------------------

-------------

3/19—3/23

Digital Electronics T

Review R

25, 34, 36

#8 Adders/Counters

#8 Adders/Counters

#8 handout

3/26—3/30

Exam 2 (19—25, 28—29, 54) T

 

Semiconductors R

 

40, 41, 38

#9 ADC  

or

#10 10-Note Sequencer

Project Proposal

4/2—4/5

Diodes, Power Supplies T

(Easter)

38, 11

handout

#11 Diode Circuits

#12 DC Power Supplies

#9 handout

4/10—4/13

Transistors T

R follow Monday Schedule

42, 43, 44 handout

#12 DC Power Supplies

Projects (free schedule)

#10 handout

4/16—4/20

Movie T

Transistors/Review R

handout

#13 Transistors

#13 Transistors

Project Schematic

4/23—4/27

Exam 3 (diodes, power supplies, transistors) T

Projects R

 

Projects

Projects

 

4/30—5/4

Course evals/Review T

Projects (lab) R

 

Projects

Project Demos

(5/3 or 5/4)

 

5/10

Final Exam

(Thursday 8:30—11:30)

Cumulative