ECE U401/U211-Introduction to Electrical and Computer Engineering Lab
Syllabus

Prerequisites: GEU111 (Engineering Problem Solving and Computation), PHYU155 (Physics for Engineering 2), or equivalent.

Course Description: This course will consist of 6 lab experiments conducted during 13 2.5-hour laboratory sessions. It is intended as a hands-on introduction to electrical engineering. You will design, build, and test a wireless remote control switching system. This course will challenge you by going beyond what you learn in your circuit theory and other courses. The approach is to learn by doing. You will not be expected to master all the underlying concepts or to perform a detailed analysis of every part of the systems you build and use, but you will be expected to understand the basic functioning of the parts of the system as well as some of the design tradeoffs involved. Along the way you can expect to learn something about a variety of electrical enginnering subjects such as analog and digital electronic circuits and devices, communication via electromagnetic signals, analog signal processing, and standard techniques for building and debugging prototype circuits. The final project will be a remote control that uses an infrared light emitting diode transmitter, an phototransistor receiver and additional digital and analog interface circuitry to remotely control a lamp using an electromechanical relay.

Text: On line ECE U401/U211 lab manual (this website)

Lab Notebooks: You are required to purchase a quad-ruled spiral-bound or other suitable lab notebook (available from the University Bookstore or elsewhere). This notebook will be used at all laboratory sessions. You should record in the notebook your answers to pre-lab questions, circuit diagrams of all circuits developed, your experimental observations, and your interpretation of your results. You do not have to write down a detailed experimental procedure as in a formal lab report; however you are expected to record your observations, results, successes, and problems in your notebook. Reading your notebook should give someone who knows the lab experiments an understanding of how the labs worked for your team. Although you work in teams, you are individually responsible for your own notebook. The original notebook (not reworked!) should be turned in at the end of the term. The lab notebook should be a complete record of your work, but is not meant to be a polished presentation of results.

Expectations: This course has no exams and the homework is limited to prepartation for the labs, including answering the pre-lab questions. An average of one to two hours of work per week in addition to lab meetings will generally be sufficient. The emphasis is on participation, and we do not want you to worry about getting wrong answers or to be grade-driven. You are encouraged to share methods and answers with your fellow students--the goal is for everyone to learn. All students will be assumed to start off with a good grade, and there is no reason except lack of effort for anyone to receive less than a B+ for the lab!

There is, of course, a "catch". For this approach to work you will each have to take the course seriously and do your part. In particular, you are expected to:

1. Read each experiment carefully well before the lab, think about it, and answer the designated "pre-lab" questions in your lab notebook. You must come to the lab with these answers already in your notebook. We will be glad to help you answer these questions, by e-mail or in office hours. This means that if you start preparing several days before the lab, you will have time to figure out what you find confusing and get help. On the other hand, if you start a few hours before the lab, or at midnight the previous night, you may well be out of luck.
2. Show up to each lab, and be there on time. Let us know as soon as possible if you cannot make a lab. Make up missed labs. Do each experiment seriously and thoroughly while in the lab, and behave in a responsible fashion.
3. Understand what you are doing and why you are doing it. If you do not understand, you should ask.
4. Read the Lab Rules.

The grading scheme, described below, is designed to reflect these expectations.

Grading: There will be no exams. Your grade will depend on four criteria.

1. Attendance. The expectations are that you will be on time, and that if you absolutely must miss a lab that you will contact us and make arrangements in advance.

2. Answers to "pre-lab" questions should be written in your book before you come to lab. We will look these over in the lab.

3. Laboratory notebooks will be collected and graded at the end of the term.

4. We will circulate during the labs and both ask you what you are doing and offer you help as needed. If it is clear you do not understand what you are doing and have not made the expected effort, this will count against you.

Other useful links:

	Lab Rules
	Circuit Debugging Hints

In summary: have fun; take some risks; take notes; be prepared; be careful in the lab.

Credits: Earlier versions of this lab and syllabus were developed by Professors McLaughlin, Brooks, McGruer, Hopwood, DiMarzio, and Dokmeci.

Department of Electrical Engineering, Northeastern University.
Last updated: 1/6/07 by S. W. McKnight.