Syllabus for an Electronics Lab

[shehry]

Hi,

I recently started my teaching career as a Lab Engineer in my own
university and I wanted some help concerning the syllabus of an Analog
Electronics Lab. While I was a student, the lab consisted of simply the
companion manual of Boylestad which btw was very dull and boring. I
want to replace it. In other words I want to design my own manual and
design it from scratch.

By the time the lab commences, the students would be aware of KVL, KCL,
Thevenin and Norton, a little bit of op-amps and some other basic
circuit analysis stuff. They would also have done digital logic design
and would know how to use an oscilloscope and all that. They would NOT
know of:

1. Diodes
2. BJTs
3. FETs
4. Transducers etc.

Although I dont, as of yet, have a complete idea of what the lab should
look like. But I would love to include desgin problems which produce
some tangible product in the end. I want to give the students a very
strong base for their future lives and would appreciate any help in
this regard.

 

[Homer J Simpson]

Although I dont, as of yet, have a complete idea of what the lab should
look like. But I would love to include desgin problems which produce
some tangible product in the end. I want to give the students a very
strong base for their future lives and would appreciate any help in
this regard.

http://www.siliconchip.com.au/

 

[Michael]

http://www.siliconchip.com.au/

Get there hands really dirty and teach em heaps about design.
mick

 

[shehry]

Get there hands really dirty and teach em heaps about design.

mick

That is precisely what I want to do. But since I myself am just
starting teaching, I am having some difficulty (the course instructor
wont be much help either )

I want to know as to WHAT should I teach them about design. What kind
of design problems do I give. How do I make the lab more interesting. I
dont want them to just draw some circuits and find the amplification
and all that. I want them to be able to design some small interesting
product as well. I dont want them to simply cram the advantages of one
bias configuration over another. I want them to be able to apply the
knowledge in a real world scenario.

These are the topics that I will have to cover: Diodes, Transistors,
BJT, MOSFETS, JFETS, Small Signal Analysis and Large Signal Analysis.

I would lovvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvveeee any sort of help

 

[J.A. Legris]

That is precisely what I want to do. But since I myself am just
starting teaching, I am having some difficulty (the course instructor
wont be much help either )

I want to know as to WHAT should I teach them about design. What kind
of design problems do I give. How do I make the lab more interesting. I
dont want them to just draw some circuits and find the amplification
and all that. I want them to be able to design some small interesting
product as well. I dont want them to simply cram the advantages of one
bias configuration over another. I want them to be able to apply the
knowledge in a real world scenario.

These are the topics that I will have to cover: Diodes, Transistors,
BJT, MOSFETS, JFETS, Small Signal Analysis and Large Signal Analysis.

I would lovvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvveeee any sort of help

I've never actually looked at it, but I suspect the student lab
companion to Horowitz & Hill's Art of Electronics might be a good place
to get some ideas.

Also, I've always thought it would be fun to build the bad circuit
designs from the text (and fix them of course). You could devote a
whole class to things that smoke

 

[Winfield Hill]

J.A. Legris wrote...

I've never actually looked at it, but I suspect the student lab
companion to Horowitz & Hill's Art of Electronics might be a good
place to get some ideas.

Actually, it would probably work well. Although designed to go
with our book, it stands quite well on its own. I would say the
lab topics covered do help provide the students a "strong base
for their future lives," one of shehry's goals. Moreover, it's
entertainingly written and illustrated.

BUT, rather than concentrate on basic EE topics like Small Signal
Analysis and Large Signal Analysis, it concentrates on working
with and understanding some core circuits. In that sense, it
has covers practical, rather than theoretical, labs. However,
a good teacher always supplements with his own favorite material.

Also, I've always thought it would be fun to build the bad circuit
designs from the text (and fix them of course). You could devote a
whole class to things that smoke

Indeed!

 

[Rich, but drunk]

That is precisely what I want to do. But since I myself am just
starting teaching, I am having some difficulty (the course instructor
wont be much help either )

Ach! Kids these days!

First, find out what they know now.

You _do_ know your subject, don't you? So get some books and go through
them, and write a little quiz, that's actually more like a survey. Decide
what kind of hardware you'll need - should there be one proto-board per
kid, or one per study group of three of five or whatever?

Do you remember how your teachers approached the subject when you were
a kid?

Shouldn't you already know this stuff, if you've got a teaching cert?

Thanks,
Rich

 

[Rich, but drunk]

shehry wrote:

I've never actually looked at it, but I suspect the student lab
companion to Horowitz & Hill's Art of Electronics might be a good place
to get some ideas.

Also, I've always thought it would be fun to build the bad circuit
designs from the text (and fix them of course). You could devote a
whole class to things that smoke

If one of us talked you into convincing the admins to make it a mandatory
textbook, I wonder if we'd get a kickback from Win? ;-)

Cheers!
Rich

 

[joseph2k]

That is precisely what I want to do. But since I myself am just
starting teaching, I am having some difficulty (the course instructor
wont be much help either )

I want to know as to WHAT should I teach them about design. What kind
of design problems do I give. How do I make the lab more interesting. I
dont want them to just draw some circuits and find the amplification
and all that. I want them to be able to design some small interesting
product as well. I dont want them to simply cram the advantages of one
bias configuration over another. I want them to be able to apply the
knowledge in a real world scenario.

Well gee, there are about 2 to 5 labs to be done by comparing the advantages
and disadvantages of various bias circuits. Both large signal and small
signal.

Be sure to do one on differential pairs and Gilbert Cells.

Later on, small FPGAs. Say, 22v10 class.