ECE 2100: Introduction to Circuits for ECEs (COVID-edition labs)
Professor El-Ghazaly taught the laboratory sessions of the introductory circuits class during the hybrid-teaching semester of Spring 2021 amidst the COVID pandemic. For the purposes of remote access to lab exercises, Professor El-Ghazaly reconfigured aspects of the labs and created remote kits.
Remote Kit Supplies
| Budget Category | Item | Quantity | Item Price | Total Price Per Student | Notes |
| Power Supply | SoulBay 48W Universal AC/DC Power Converters (20V max) | 2 | $18.99 | $37.98 | 2 per student (for positive and negative supply). |
| Oscilloscope and Function Generator | DS212 Mini Oscilloscope | 1 | $145.00 | $145.00 | 1 per student. Comes with 2 probes for both scope channels only. |
| Oscilloscope and Function Generator | DS212 Extra Probe | 1 | $6.99 | $6.99 | 1 per student. Extra probe for function generator port of the DS212. |
| Digital Multimeter | AstroAI Digital Multimeter | 1 | $9.49 | $9.49 | 1 per student. |
| Digital Multimeter | Banana plug to Alligator clip cables | 1 | $11.99 | $11.99 | 1 set per student. |
| Digital Multimeter | AmazonBasics 9V batteries | 0.125 | $7.46 | $0.93 | 1 (out of a pack of 8) per student as spare battery. |
| Breadboards | Solderless breadboard | 1 | $5.23 | $5.23 | 1 per student. |
| Wiring | Adjustable Wire Stripper and Cutter | 1 | $12.99 | $12.99 | 1 per student. |
| Wiring | Spools of wire | 0.1 | $12.99 | $1.30 | 1/10 of each spool per student. Comes with 30 ft of each spool color, i.e. 3 ft of each color per student. |
| Wiring | Screwdriver | 1 | $2.25 | $2.25 | 1 per student. For connections to terminal block. |
| Audio Components | Aux cable | 0.5 | $4.96 | $2.48 | 1/2 per student (i.e., cable is cut in half). |
| Audio Components | Speaker 8 Ohm | 1 | $1.20 | $1.20 | 1 per student. |
| Electronic Components | Including RGB discrete LEDs, resistors, capacitors, inductors, diodes, op amps, MOSFETs, terminal blocks | – | – | – | Based on needs of lab exercises (below) and extra resistor and capacitor values for design problems. |
| Total Cost Per student | $237.83 |
Lab 1: Simple DC Circuits
Students build and test basic voltage and current divider circuits. Then construct an LED driver circuit for RGB color control.
| In-Person Students use a desktop power supply, digital multimeter, and source measurement unit (SMU) to characterize and drive their circuits. |
Remote Students use an AC-DC converter with adjustable voltage output level as a DC power supply and a portable digital multimeter to characterize and drive their circuits. |
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Lab 2: Complex DC Circuits
Students design and build a simple digital to analog converter (DAC) using resistors to achieve a Thevenin equivalent resistance of RTH=50 Ω and a voltage of VTH=(16V4+8V3+4V2+2V1+V0)/32
| In-Person Students connect chosen resistance to a dual-in-line package (DIP) switch where where each voltage can be connected/disconnected from the voltage rail. |
Remote In LTspice, students select resistor values and cycle through setting the voltages high/low to observe Vout. |
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Lab 3: Op Amps
Students build inverting amplifiers using operational amplifiers then design and test a differential amplifier (instrumentation amplifier).
| In-Person Students use a desktop power supply (with bipolar voltage output) and source measurement unit (SMU) to characterize and drive their circuits. |
Remote Students use two AC-DC converters (connected to the circuit with opposite polarity) as DC power supplies for each of the opposite voltage rail polarities. Students also use a portable oscilloscope with an embedded function generator output port to characterize their op amp circuit. |
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Lab 4: Transient Response
Students determine the behavior of a mystery circuit that combines an RLC circuit with a MOSFET and a diode.
| In-Person Students use desktop function generator and oscilloscope to observe behavior of mystery circuit. |
Remote Students use portable, handheld device with integrated function generator and oscilloscope to observe behavior of mystery circuit at home. |
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Lab 5: Black Boxes
Students solve (identify type and value of components) in a passive component network in the form of a T-network (left) and π-network (right) placed in black boxes.
| In-Person Students wire and test black boxes with secret, hidden circuits inside. |
Remote In LTspice, students wire up and test encrypted schematic files with the same secret circuits hidden inside. |
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Lab 6: Equalizer Circuit Design
Students select the component sizes for an equalizer circuit that compensates for a pole in a “channel” with a low cut-off frequency.
| In-Person Students wire up the channel and equalizer to test if their component values improve the bandwidth. |
Remote In LTspice, students wire up the channel and equalizer to test if their component values improve the bandwidth. |
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