Welcome to PHYSICS 337
25 August 1999
Time:
Lecture 12:30-1:50 Tuesday and Thursday in Room 249, Optics Bldg
Lab: 2:00-4:00 Thursday
Instructor:
Rob Sheldon
Office Hours:
9-11 Tue-Thurs and TBA, Room 348 Optics Bldg
Phone:
UAH:890 6276 x348 MSFC:544 1652
Course Description:
This is an introductory course in electronics for all science majors. We will study
basic DC and AC circuits, transistor circuits, operational amplifiers, power supplies,
feedback and oscillators. We'll also get you started on digital electronics and integrated
circuit (IC) chips.
The goal of this course is to help you to apply and use electronic instruments and
circuits and especially the electronics associated with physical transducers used in measurements
and experimentation. We want you to learn how to apply electronic instruments properly in
scientific experimentation. In order to do that, it will be necessary to study the details of
electronic devices and circuits. I plan on using a significant portion of class time for
demonstrations and for individual hands-on work with devices and circuits. There is also a lab period that
we must schedule that will give you even more time for hands-on work.
Hopefully, this course should help demystify electronics and give you some beginning
insight into how scientific electronics work. You will become very familiar with circuits and
begin to design simple ones. You will learn the functioning and proper use of standard lab
instruments that are already designed and available. Finally, this course should help expose and
correct any misconceptions that you have about electronics, electricity and
electromagnetic theory.
Grading:
The final grade will be derived from:
- Exam #1----------25%
- Exam #2----------25%
- Exam #3----------25%
- Lab--------------10%
- Homework---------15%
Text:
Principles of Electronics, Analog and Digital, Lloyd Fortney, Harcourt, Brace and
Jovanovich
The text is somewhat mathematical in it's presentation, but that makes it
general. We'll look at many specific examples to illustrate the text
material. I plan to cover selected topics from the first 10 chapters according
to the following tentative schedule.
Several handouts are based on Forest Mims book:
Getting Started in Electronics
Tentative Lecture Schedule:
Week | Date | Topic | Chap | Homework | Solutions |
1 | Aug 25 | DC Circuits | 1 | 6,9,14,15,16,23,27 |
2 | Aug 31 | DC Circuits | 1 | | Chap 1 |
2 | Sep 2 | AC Circuits | 2 | 1,3,6,8,11,12 |
3 | Sep 7 | AC Circuits | 2 | | Chap 2a |
3 | Sep 9 | AC Circuits | 2 | 17,18,20,23,25,30 |
4 | Sep 14 | AC Circuits | 2 | | |
4 | Sep 16 | AC Circuits | 2 | | Chap 2b |
5 | Sep 21 | Signals,Filters,Amps | 3 | 5,6,9,20,23,25 | |
5 | Sep 23 | Signals,Filters,Amps | 3 | | |
6 | Sep 28 | Signals,Filters,Amps | 3 | | Chap 3 |
6 | Sep 30 | Transformers | 4 | See handout | |
7 | Oct 5 | ****Review #1**** | | | Chap 4 |
7 | Oct 7 | ***Fall Break*** | | | |
8 | Oct 12 | ****EXAM #1**** | 5 | | Test 1 |
8 | Oct 14 | Diodes | 5 | 3,5,6,8,11,16 | |
9 | Oct 19 | Transistors | 6 | 6,10,12,18,26,30 | Chap 5 |
9 | Oct 21 | Transistors | 6 | | |
10 | Oct 26 | More Transistors | 7 | Handout | |
10 | Oct 28 | Operational Amplifiers | 8 | 2,4,5,6,10,15 | Chap 6 |
11 | Nov 2 | Operational Amplifiers | 8 | | |
11 | Nov 4 | Operational Amplifiers | 8 | | |
12 | Nov 9 | Operational Amplifiers | 8 | | Chap 8 |
12 | Nov 11 | ****EXAM #2**** | | | |
13 | Nov 16 | Digital Basics | 9 | 8,11,13,15,18,21 | Handout |
13 | Nov 18 | Digital Basics | 9 | | |
14 | Nov 23 | Digital Basics | 9 | | |
14 | Nov 25 | ***Thanksgiving*** | | | Chap 9 |
15 | Nov 30 | Acquisition&Process Ctl | 10 | 10-2,14,16,20; 11-9,10 | |
15 | Dec 2 | Acquisition&Process Ctl | 11 | | |
16 | Dec 7 | Review | | Last chance for HW/Labs! | Chap 10,11 |
16 | Dec 9 | ***FINAL EXAM*** | @ | 11:30 AM |
Tentative Lab Schedule
Homework:
Assigned for each chapter. Due the following period after completing the chapter or when
the next homework is assigned.
To receive full credit, answers must be submitted on time. Doing these problems is
part of the process and I know that you will often work with other students. Do so
as a participant, not just a passenger! Late homework will be assessed a penalty of 30% past
due date.
Reply to sheldon*r@uah.edu
(due to spamming, please delete the asterisk)