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ECEN 2250 - Circuits/Electronics 1

Required - 5 credit hours
On-Line Course Materials

Catalog Description: This course introduces linear circuits analysis and design including extensive use of op amps. DC networks including node and mesh analysis with controlled sources are presented. Transient analysis of RL and RC circuits is studied as if analysis of circuits is sinusoidal steady-state using phasors. A laboratory is integrated into the course.

Textbook: Thomas and Rosa, The Analysis and Design of Linear Circuits, 4th Ed., Wiley, 2003. Svoboda, Pspice for Linear Circuits, Wiley, 2001.

Course objectives:

  1. To learn methods to analyze linear electrical circuits.
  2. To introduce general electrical engineering concepts and approach.
  3. To apply differential equations to solving real problems.
  4. To develop and exercise analytical skills.
  5. To develop independent thinking and collaborative learning.
  6. To enjoy learning an elegant and widely applicable discipline.
Prerequisite: APPM 1360, Calculus 2
Co-requisite: APPM 2360, Linear Algebra and Differential Equations

Lecture Topics Covered:

  1. Introductory concepts (8 hours)
  2. Current, voltage, power, resistive circuits, KVL, KCL, voltage and current dividers
  3. Circuit theorems (3 hours)
  4. Proportionality, superposition, equivalents
  5. Active circuits (4 hours)
  6. Dependent sources, OpAmps
  7. Circuit analysis (6 hours)
  8. Node & mesh equations
  9. Signal waveforms (2 hours)
  10. Trig, exponential waveforms, step & delta functions
  11. Reactive elements & first order circuits (9 hours)
  12. C, L & mutual L; RL, RC & OpAmp circuits
  13. Sinusoidal steady state (10 hours)
  14. Phasors, analysis with phasors, max power transfer
  15. Quizzes & exams (3 hours)
Lab Objectives:
  1. Labs #2, 4, 7, 8: Learn to debug: analyze what to expect, compare with experimental outcomes and fix. Learn about software and hardware tools, develop skills for using tools.
  2. Labs #1, 2, 3, 6: Design experiments & develop methodology to extract desired data.
  3. Labs #2, 5, 7, 8: Find and use information about parts and circuits.
  4. Labs #5, 7, 8: Observe and characterize differences between theory and practice.
  5. Labs #3, 4, 6: Comparison of theory, simulation, and implementation.
Lab Syllabus:
Week 1 Schematics, breadboard wiring
Week 2 i-v characteristics, graphs in Matlab
Week 3, 4 Introduction to PSpice
Week 5 Thevenin, Norton, linearity, superposition
Week 6, 7 Dependent sources
Week 8 Signal waveforms
Week 9, 10 Design Project, choose from 5 given topics
Week 11, 12 First order circuits

Class schedule: 3 hours of lecture and 4 hours of laboratory per week

Contribution of course to meeting the professional component: Contributes 5 semester hours to criterion 4(b) “one and one-half years of engineering topics, consisting of engineering sciences and engineering design appropriate to the student's field of study.”

Relationship of course to program outcomes:
3a 3b 3c 3d 3e 3f 3g1 3g2 3h 3i 3j 3k
H H M M H

Prepared by: : ECEN 2250 Team, Michael Lightner, Peter Mathys, Alan Mickelson, Garret Moddel (chair), Howard Wachtel, Won Park, and V. P. Heuring
May 16, 2005.