Undergraduate Curriculum Learning Objectives
MCEN 3017 - Circuits and Basic Electronics
1. Analog Circuit Analyses
- Understand circuit quantities and components: voltage, current, power, resistance, capacitance, inductance, impedance.
- Analyze and reduce resistive circuit networks with Ohm’s law and Kirchoff’s laws.
- Determine output characteristics for First Order resistor-capacitor (RC) and resistor-inductor (RL) circuits.
- Determine frequency response of RC circuits used as filters.
- Determine output characteristics for Second Order response of RLC circuits and relate to mechanical analogs.
2. Semiconductor Elements
- Understand basic physics underlying operation of polar semiconductor devices – junction diodes and bi-polar junction transistors.
- Analyze circuits containing diodes and transistors.
- Understand transistor operational modes and methods for operating in saturated mode.
- Analyze operational amplifier (op-amp) circuits and real limitations of actual op-amp integrated circuits (ICs).
- Analyze and design amplifiers for specific applications using real op-amp ICs.
- Analyze and design amplifiers for analog to digital conversion applications using real comparator ICs.
3. Digital Logic
- Analyze combinatorial and sequential logic circuits to determine functionality.
- Synthesize combinatorial and sequential logic using prescribed input and output parameters.
- Design and build projects with combinatorial and sequential logic integrated circuits to perform specified functions – e.g. monitoring and response of simple sensors, counters, timers, clocks.
4. Hands-on Labs and Projects
- Set-up circuits and perform measurements with typical electrical bench-top measurement devices – oscilloscope, digital multi-meter, function generator.
- Troubleshoot circuit designs: identify common and likely errors, compare schematics with breadboard designs and identify variances.
- Obtain datasheets for specified integrated circuits and other electrical components and understand key operating parameters affecting design.
- Design and build projects combining mechanisms, circuits, electrical sensors and electrical actuators.
- Perform multi-system integration into cohesive and functional project, identify and correct issues arising during integration.
- Design for, mitigate and troubleshoot sources of noise and electro-magnetic interference.
- Develop intuition for electrical systems and appreciation for electrical power scale and complexity.
- Understand and appreciate benefits and drawbacks of various circuit prototyping techniques: breadboards, solder-boards, printed circuit boards, etc.