• Earlier announcements
Hello, and welcome! This is the home page of the course. All updates and communications with the students will be done through this website.

Lectures are every Tuesday and Thursday 10:00-11:30, in TH259 starting January 7.

Textbook: It is possible to take a class without a textbook, relying on the internet resources, or with any of the textbooks listed in the References. However, Robert E. Simpson, Introductory Electronics, 3rd ed. Allyn and Bacon, Inc., is highly recommended. It is an example of a "keeper" book, useful as a reference in later years. The book is out-of-print and cannot be ordered through the Campus Store. Students are encouraged to look for a used copy, or order online. Several copies are available to borrow from the Physics Office, B210.

Homework: Expect a homework assignment every two weeks or so; full marks will be given for demonstrated effort. This is different than for the midterm and final, where full marks will require a correct answer. Assignments are to be submitted on paper, in class.

Labs are Monday (L1), Tuesday (L2) and Wednesday (L3), 14:00-17:00, in H300, starting January 13.

The reading week is February 17-21, 2025.

An in-class midterm is tentatively scheduled for the first lecture day after the reading week (February 25, 2025).

Assignment 1 has been posted, it's due by 10:00 on January 28.

Assignment 2 has been posted, it's due by 10:00 on February 11.

Assignment 3 has been posted, it's due by 10:00 on February 25.

An in-class midterm is scheduled for the first lecture day after the reading week, February 25, 2025. The midterm will cover all of the material up to the reading week.

Assignment 4 has been posted, it's due by 10:00 on March 20.

Assignment 5 has been posted, it's due by 10:00 on April 3.

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• Attending via video: If you are unable to attend the class because of an ilness, or inclement weather, notify the instructor in advance and a Lifesize link will be made available. The link can be used with a Chrome/Edge browser without installing an app; make sure to allow the browser access to your camera and microphone, and quit other teleconferencing software (Zoom,Teams) left running in the background that tend to lock those for their own exclusive use.
• The final exam in the course is scheduled for April 15, 2025, 19:00-22:00, in MCH300 (our lab).
• Snow days (April 7 and 8) will be used to discuss solutions to homework problems, and student proposals for the final exam.
• April 7 lecture was attended by two students. April 8 lecture (had to be moved to the Department because Th259 was being prepared for exams) was attended by none.
• As the sinking cap of 15% per day applies to all homework and lab reports, no late submissions of any kind will be accepted after April 9, six days after the last due date in the course.

This is only an approximate listing, some topics may not get covered this year. As time allows, other topics not listed here may be included.

• Basic physical concepts
• charge, voltage, current, resistance, power
• DC circuits
• circuit reduction
• Kirchhoff's rules
• equivalent circuits
• Transient currents
• capacitors, inductors
• generalization of Ohm's Law
• MATH: simple differential equations
• resonance phenomena
• Sinusoidal currents, simple AC circuits
• MATH: complex numbers
• phasors
• time- and frequency-domain descriptions of AC circuits
• Fourier transform
• resonant circuits and their analysis, Q factor
• RC and RL circuits as filters; decibels
• AC equivalent circuits
• transformers
• Non-linear circuit elements
• elementary physics of semiconductors, pn-junction
• diodes and rectifiers
• transistors and their use as switches and amplifiers
• bipolar transistors and JFETs
• Operational amplifiers
• general amplifier theory; feedback
• op-amp concepts: virtual ground, summing point
• simple op-amp circuits
• math operations using op-amps
• signal modulation and de-modulation
• lock-in amplifier
• Noise
• Mathematics of Digital Circuits
• binary and other encodings
• Boolean algebra
• truth tables
• basic logic gates
• logic families
• Combinatorial Logic Devices
• encoders/decoders
• bus drivers
• 7-segment displays
• Sequential Logic Devices
• flip-flops
• synchronous and asynchronous counters
• Digital I/O and Communications
• serial vs. parallel
• Complex Digital Circuitry
• computer architecture
• microprocessors
• DSPs
• Programmable Logic Arrays
• Analog-to-Digital and Back
• A-to-D and D-to-A converters
• sensors and transducers
• control and time sequencing
• Microcontroller-Based Devices
• microcontroller architecture
• PIC microcontrollers
• assembly-language programming