Schedule
Discussions start in Week 2. First assignment is due 1/31/2019.
| Week | Start | Topics (tentative) | Reading[1] | HW | Lab (Parts) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 |
1/21 |
AS 1.1-6; Python |
no lab |
||
2 |
1/28 |
AS 2.1-2, 2.4-6; MCU |
choose lab partner [2] |
||
3 |
2/4 |
INA219, WiFi, MQTT, Encryption |
AS 3.1-2, 4.1-6; WiFi |
||
4 |
2/11 |
Amplifiers |
AS 5.1-8, 5.10 |
||
5 |
2/18 |
AS 6 |
|||
6 |
2/25 |
Time domain analysis, GPIO |
AS 7.1-6, 7.9 |
||
7 |
3/4 |
Exam 1 (3/7, in-class) Fall 2018 exam |
no lab |
||
8 |
3/11 |
Phasors, Lab 6 Intro |
AS A-9, 9.1-5, 9.8.1 |
||
9 |
3/18 |
Sinusoidal steady state analysis |
AS 10.1-2, 10.4-7, LPF |
||
3/25 |
Spring Break |
no lab |
|||
10 |
4/1 |
AS 14.1-4, 14.7, 14.8.1 |
|||
11 |
4/8 |
Control, AC power |
AS 11.1-6 |
||
12 |
4/15 |
||||
13 |
4/22 |
||||
14 |
4/29 |
Exam 2 (5/2, in-class) Fall '18 exam[3] |
no lab |
Weekly Schedule
Monday |
Discussion (Homework), 2-3pm, 3108 Etcheverry |
Discussion (Homework), 3-4pm, 150 GSPP |
|
Prelab due |
|
Tuesday |
Lecture, 5-6:30pm, 277 Cory |
Lab 101, 11-2pm, 122 Hesse |
|
Wednesday |
Discussion (Lab), 2-3pm, 3108 Etcheverry |
Discussion (Lab), 3-4pm, 150 GSPP |
|
Lab 102, 8-11am, 122 Hesse |
|
Lab 103, 11-2pm, 122 Hesse |
|
Thursday |
Lecture, 5-6:30pm, 277 Cory |
Lab 104, 11-2pm, 122 Hesse |
|
Homework due & assigned (except exam weeks: Homework is due Tuesday.) |
Staff
Textbook & Notes
- Electronic Circuits
-
Alexander & Sadiku, Fundamentals of Electric Circuits, 5th edition, McGraw-Hill (AS).
This edition is available inexpensively on-line (Kindle version is <$6 as of this writing).
- IoT
-
IoT—Internet of Things—is a very new field and evolving rapidly. There are no textbooks, and many printed resources are outdated before they hit the shelves. Fortunately, a good part of the relevant information is available online, and many pointers will be provided in the lecture and lab instructions.
Searching the web is very effective for finding information on programming and wiring circuits, or getting help with errors. A quick search is also frequently the best way to deal with a broken web link—in documents posted in on this site and elsewhere.
Organization
Online Course Resources
-
Login to bCourses and follow the navigation menu to:
-
The course webpage which posts online content about the course include the schedule, course logistics, assignments and labs.
-
Gradescope, where you submit assignments (homework and prelab), check your scores, and ask for regrades.
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Piazza will be checked daily Monday to Friday and is your best chance to get timely help from peers and staff with questions about the homework, labs, and material presented in the lecture. You can also ask about course logistics, but please check this page first on the off chance that the answer is already available. Of course you are also welcome and encouraged to attend office hours!
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Homework
Weekly homework is due every Thursday. Assignments will be posted approximately one week before the due date and we strive to complete grading within two weeks after the due date.
Laboratories
Labs are arguably the most important part of the course and will give you practical experience with designing, building, and testing a broad range of electronic circuits. Labs are held weekly except in exam weeks. Many build fairly complicated circuits and you need to come very well prepared to finish in three hours. Every lab writeup has a prelab section with questions whose answers you submit online before the actual lab.
After completing the labs you have the experience and expertise to solve a wide range of problems using electronic circuits, including sensor interfaces, motors, and wired and wireless communication.
Discussions
Two discussion sessions are offered each week. Typically one focuses on the homework and the other on the lab, although this is flexible. Be ready to ask questions to steer the discussion towards topics you need help with!
Exams
There will be two in-class exams. Please consult the Schedule for the dates.
Policies
We strive to make our best effort to accommodate special situations. Unfortunately some situations consume disproportionate resources and staff time. Please be appreciative of the need to balance the requirements of all students in the course.
To accommodate birthdays, personal emergencies, illness, or any other situation that precludes you to submit assignments by the due date, the two lowest homework scores will be omitted from grade calculation.
Given the “hand’s on” nature of this course, passing the checkpoints of all laboratories mandatory for passing the course. Although we will offer limited make-up sessions for work not completed in the scheduled three hour window, it is your responsibility to attend the lab section you are assigned to.
If you need special accommodation for the exams, please inform Maruf Ahmed no later than Tuesday, February 5, 2019. Our ability to accommodate requests received after this date is limited.
Thank you for helping to make the class a good experience for everyone!
Grading
The course grade is computed from your scores in the homework, prelabs, and exams with the following weights:
Homework |
25% |
Labs |
25% |
Exam 1 |
25% |
Exam 2 |
25% |
The two lowest homework scores are dropped from the grade calculation. This is in lieu of special accommodations for absences, illness[6], birthdays, emergencies, etc. Please do not abuse office hours to ask for exceptions (which won’t be granted); reserve them for questions about the course material!
This policy does not apply to prelabs: showing up to the lab unprepared is ineffective and potentially dangerous.