Physics 440

Spring 2002

 

Instructors: Maris Abolins and Valeri Petkov

TA's: Michael Crosser and Joel Piper

Lectures: MWF, 3:00 - 3:50 p.m. in 209 PA

Laboratory: 115 PA

Site maintained by Maris Abolins.

Last update: 11-Dec-2001 16:59
Check syllabus for links to HH problems.

Required Text:

Diefenderfer and Holton, Principles of Electronic Instrumentation, Third Ed. Saunders, 1994.

Required Reference:

Horowitz and Hill: The Art of Electronics, Second Ed. Cambridge University Press, 1995.
Section
Time
Instructor
1
 Tu 11:30 - 2:20 p.m.
MC
2
 Tu 6:00 - 8:50 p.m.
JP
3
 Th 11:30 - 2:20 p.m.
JP
4
 Th 3:00 - 5:50 p.m.
MC

Course Description:

Reading and Experiments:
The course is an introduction to electronics for scientists comprising three lectures and one three-hour lab per week. We start with simple DC and AC circuits and finish by using a computer to design complex logic circuits in Programmable Logic Devices. In between we gain familiarity with many of the devices encountered in modern electronic circuitry: diodes, transistors, FET's, operational amplifiers and various integrated circuits. The principles of wave form synthesis and acquisition are addressed in two experiments and, wherever possible, we use the LabView program for data acquisition and analysis.

Reading Assignments, problem assignments and the schedule of experiments and quizzes are given in the syllabus. Individual experiment descriptions as well as supplementary reading materials are available as .pdf files linked to the syllabus.

Students are required to have a lab notebook where all information from the experiments will be kept. The notebook should have numbered pages and quadrille ruling.

Students are expected to come to the lab sessions having read the description of the experiment and supporting material on the web or in the textbooks.

Laboratory Procedure and Grade Assignments:

All information resulting from an experiment should be entered in your lab notebook. It should be clearly labelled and organized sufficiently to permit your instructor to understand what you did and what your results were. The notebook will be picked up at the end of the laboratory session and returned to you graded at the beginning of the next one.

Your grade will be determined on the basis of your performance in the laboratory and on your performance on problem sets and weekly quizzes. Equal weight will be given to the laboratory and classroom work.