EE462G Electronic Circuits Laboratory, Spring Semester 2007

Instructor: K.D. Donohue

Phone: 859-257-4004

Email: donohue@engr.uky.edu

Office: 453E Anderson Hall

Hours:  Tue. 9-11AM and Wed. 2-4PM or by appointment.  (Send email to request appointment and time)

WebPage: http://www.engr.uky.edu/~donohue/

Teaching Assistants:   Piao Liu

 

Office Hours: (Rm 591 FPAT) Wed. 11-1PM and Thr. 12:30-2:30PM,

Email:  pliu2@uky.edu

 

Expected Student Outcomes:

A student who has successfully completed this course should be able to:

1.       Analyze circuits with nonlinear elements using semiconductor characteristics.

2.       Measure relevant quantities and parameters in electronic circuits using oscilloscopes, multimeters, function generators, power supplies, and curve tracers.

3.       Analyze electronic circuits with computer simulation programs (SPICE).

4.       Describe an experimental procedure involving circuits with semiconductor devices.

5.       Interpret experimental measurements involving circuits with semiconductor devices.

 

Text: Microelectronic Circuits and Devices, Horenstein, Prentice Hall, Second Edition, 1996 or any other book you may have used for EE461G.

 

Supplies:  Student will have to purchase their own electronic components for the lab exercises.  The list of parts is available on my web site at:  http://www.engr.uky.edu/~donohue/courses.html  Go to EE462G and click the supplies link.  You can purchase these parts anywhere and substitutions can be made as long as the parts are functionally the same and parameters are close.  These parts are also sold at the IEEE parts store in Room 560 AH.  Only one set of parts is required between lab partners.   For each lab meeting you will also need to bring at least one 3.5 inch floppy disk to store data from the oscilloscope and curve tracer.

 

Class Email List: Important information and files will be emailed to the class.  Students must register for the class email at:  http://lists.engr.uky.edu/mailman/listinfo/ee462g

 

Grading:

Pre-lab assignments (8)     

32%

 

Lab Effort Plan (1)

  2%

 

Laboratory data sheet (8)

  4%

 

Lab Reports (8)

40%

 

Special Assignments (3)

10%

 

Final Lab (1)

12%

 

Laboratory Reports          Each laboratory assignment is made up of two parts, the pre-lab (analysis and simulation) and corresponding lab exercise (build, measure, and interpret).  New assignments will be posted on the web at http://www.engr.uky.edu/~donohue/ee462G/labee462g.html prior to your laboratory session. The lab report will be due at the beginning of the next laboratory section meeting.  Late assignments will be accepted with a 0.25 point per day penalty. You may work in groups up to 3 students in the laboratory; where the group turns in a single pre-lab assignment and a single lab report and data sheet.  The report is graded on organization, completeness, clarity, and accuracy.  All lab reports must be prepared in a word processor and printed out.

 

Pre-Lab Assignments:  Pre-lab assignments typically involve an analysis of circuits used in the experiments so measured values can be predicted to some degree.  This includes direct analytical work with the device models and circuit laws, as well as analysis with circuit simulation (SPICE).  The pre-lab questions are included in the lab assignments.  The responses to the pre-lab questions must be handed in at the end of the lab period where the lab assignment was performed.  You can hold on to the pre-lab assignment during the lab to use as a reference.  There will not be enough time to do the pre-lab and the lab in the 3 hour allotted period.  If you do not finish the experiment in the 3 hour time period, you will not be allowed extra time.  The pre-lab assignments can be handwritten, but must be legible and organized.  The pre-lab is graded on completeness, clarity, and accuracy.  This assignment primarily develops and assesses Course Outcomes 1 and 3.

 

Laboratory data sheet: The data sheet must be handed in at the end of the lab session where the data was measured.  Only one data sheet per group is required.  Put the names of all group members on the sheet.  Also make sure you have a copy to take with for preparing your report.  It recommended that you use a standard laboratory notebook with carbon paper.  The data sheet will be graded on neatness, completeness, and organization.  A complete data sheet will have a sketch of the circuit and instrument hookup from which the data was taken (grounds should be clearly labeled), and if applicable, a table with circuit and/or instrument setting associated with measured values or a sketch of resulting waveforms.  All entries on the datasheet must be hand written with the exception data collected with an automated system such as with a LabVIEW program.  In this case, the text file with multiple entries should be pasted into a word processing or spreadsheet program so labels and column headings can be added and the table printed out.  The printout must be clearly labeled, associating it with the sketch of the circuit that generated it, and attached to the datasheet  Don’t forget to print a copy to take with you and save the data to a file on the floppy, memory stick, or network drive that you can access later.  All members of the group associated with the datasheet will receive the same grade.  The data on the sheet handed in at the end of the lab exercise must match the data analyzed in the lab report.   Finally, data must be collected in the time allowed for the lab, which is 3 hours.  If you do not finish in the time allotted, you will loose points on the data sheet and lab report. This assignment primarily develops and assesses Course Outcome 2.

 

Final Lab:  The final lab will be an individual presentation in the lab where each student builds a circuit and makes measurements at the instructor's request.  The requested circuit and measurements will be similar to what was done in previous laboratory assignments.  The final lab will be given during the last week of class.  The final lab grade depends on having the correct circuit, using the instruments properly, measuring values accuracy, and discussing issues related to the measurement.  This assignment primarily assesses Course Outcome 2.

 

Lab Report Format:  Lab reports must be prepared with a word processor and organized according to the following format:

·         Title Page: This includes your name, lab partner's name, title of lab experiment, date of experiment, and date of completing the final write up. (0 out of 5 points)

·         Objectives: Restate (copy) objectives from the lab assignment (0 out of  5 points).

·         Procedure Description: Do not simply cut and paste sentences from the lab assignment text.  Procedures must be described in your own words.  Be brief but complete!  The reader should be able to repeat your results based on the description provided (with out reference to the original assignment).  Each lab assignment will have multiple procedures and you need to describe each one.  For each procedure, start a new section with a descriptive title.  You should always start out by stating what you want to demonstrate or measure.  As a rule of technical writing, tell the reader what you want to accomplish with the procedure before going into details.  The experimental description includes the equipment, the circuits, their settings and connections.   For all circuits show a figure with actual component values clearly labeled.  Label circuit nodes so probe/instrument connections can easily be described in the text.  Clearly indicate ground nodes associated with the instrumentation and power supplies.  Indicate what was measured (typically referred to as dependent variables), what was varied over the set of measurements (typically referred to as independent variables), and what was held constant during your experiment.  You should clearly give a title to or label each procedure so you can refer directly to it in the results section and discussion sections.  Start each procedure description with a new descriptive heading in your report.  The "how" questions for obtaining the results are answered in this section. When grading this section the reader will ask the question, "Can I repeat these measurements from the information given?" If it is not clear (resulting from missing, poorly organized, or ambiguous information), then points will be lost.  This assignment primarily develops and assesses Course Outcome 4. (2 out of 5 points)

·         Presentation of Experimental Results: After each procedure description, present the results.  A subheading must separate the procedure description from the presentation of results.   For each procedure efficient methods and statistics must be used for presenting the data.  This may include tables, figures, mean values, standard deviation, error bars … All axes must be labeled as well as table columns and rows.   All figures and tables should be numbered and referred to in the text.  Do not include a table or figure without introducing it within the text.  The actual data measured must be presented in this section along with any analysis (formula or description of code) used to estimate parameters or functions of direct measurements.  The “what” questions concerning the measurements are answered in this section.  This component primarily develops and assesses Course Outcome 2. (1 out of 5 points).

·         Discussion of Results: This section can vary significantly in length and analysis depending on the experiment.  It typically includes a comparison of experimental results with the pre-lab predictions, a comparison between procedures, and/or a performance analysis of a circuit.  There are discussion questions in the lab assignment to help direct your writing.  Make sure you address these questions in your report, in addition to whatever other issues you, as an engineer, consider significant or important.  The primary propose of this section is to interpret and explain the results.  The "why" questions concerning the results are answered in this section.    This assignment primarily develops and assesses Course Outcome 5.  (1.5 out of  5 points).

·         Conclusions: Summarize your results relative to the lab objectives.  Assess how well the lab met the objectives.  If applicable, suggest ways to improve the experiment, or how things could be done differently if experiment was repeated.  This assignment primarily develops and assesses Course Outcome 5. (0.5 out of 5 points).

 

Lab Effort Plan:  The first lab group activity is to determine how the work load should be divided up and agree on what is expected of each other.  The main tasks are connecting up the components, making measurement, recording data, maintaining the data sheet, completing the pre-lab assignment, organizing and writing the lab report, and proofreading and editing the lab report.  For each lab clearly delineate responsibilities.  Also schedule time outside of the lab and lecture meetings to work on the pre-lab and lab write-up.  Since this is a 2 credit hour lab, 4-6 hours per week should be scheduled outside of class time to complete pre-lab and lab write-up assignments.  A good lab plan lists the major components for each lab assignment, the person responsible, and the tentative time in the week that will be devoted to it over the whole semester.  Make sure all 8 labs are covered by this plan.  This will be handed in at the lecture following the first lab.  This is a tentative plan and can change with mutual agreement between lab partners.

 

Unethical behavior (cheating): The following acts are unethical:

·         Using data you did not measure

·         Recording a value you did not observe

·         Copying a portion of work belonging to someone else

Any of these will result in an E for the course and the university may pursue further disciplinary actions (see http://www.uky.edu/StudentAffairs/Code/ ).

Lab assignments can be made up only in the case of excused absences.   The lab reports are due in the next lab meeting after the lab where measurements are made.

Tentative schedule:

Week

Date      

Topics

Assignments Due

1

1-11 (lec)

(no lab section meetings)

Lab and course policies, Course overview, Laboratory equipment.  Equipment and Measurement modeling assignment

 

2

1-18 (lec)

(no lab section meetings)

Data Analysis, Experimental Design, and Matlab.  Data Analysis Assignment

Due: Equipment and Measurement Modeling Assignment (1-18)

3

1-25 (lec)

1-30,31 (lab)

(Lab 1 Lecture) Measure Capacitance (Lab 1) Measure Capacitance, transfer function (frequency sweep) using LabVIEW and GPIB

Due: Data Analysis Assignment (1-25)

In Lab: Lab1-DataSheet, Pre-lab 1.

4

2-1 (lec)

2-6,7 (lab)

(Lab 2 Lecture)  Characterizing Diodes and FETs, model parameters, transfer characteristics (amplitude sweep)

In Lab: Lab1 Report, Lab2-DataSheet, Lab2 PreLab.

5

2-8 (lec)

2-13,14 (lab)

(Lab 3 Lecture) Diode Clipping Circuits

Lab Effort Plan (2-8), In Lab: Lab2 Report, Lab3-DataSheet, Lab3 PreLab.

6

2-15 (lec)

2- 20,21 (lab)

(Lab 4 Lecture) DC Power Supply

In Lab: Lab3 Report, Lab4-DataSheet, Lab4 PreLab.

7

2-22 (lec)
2-27,28 (lab)

(Lab 5 Lecture) Biasing N-Channel MOSFET Transistor

In Lab: Lab4 Report, Lab5-DataSheet, Lab5 PreLab.

8

3-1 (lec)
3-6,7 (lab)

(Lab 6 Lecture) MOSFET Common Source Amplifier

In Lab: Lab5 Report, Lab6-DataSheet, Lab6 PreLab.

9

3-8

3-20,21 (lab)

(Lab 7 Lecture) CMOS Logic Gates

In Lab: Lab6 Report, Lab7-DataSheet, Lab7 PreLab.

10

3-12-16

SRING BREAK

 

11

3-22 (lec)

3-27,28 (lab)

(Lab 8 Lecture) AC BJT Amplifier

In Lab: Lab7 Report, Lab8-DataSheet, Lab8 PreLab.

12

3-29 (lec)

4-3,4 (open lab)

Differential Amp and SPICE (Individual Homework)

Implement Differential Amp in SPICE and compute amplifier parameter from SPICE output.

13

4-5 (lec)

4-10,11 (open lab)

Homework/Review/Final Lab Exam Topics

Open Labs – Practice for Final Lab Exam (no lecture)

Homework Assignment Due in Lecture Period

14

4-17,18
(open lab)

Open Labs – Practice for Final Lab Exam (no lecture)

 

15

4-24,25,26

Final Lab Exam (Individual Demonstrations)