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ECEn 313 Electronic Circuit Design

Winter 2008


Instructors & Times

Stephen Schultz
Associate Professor
CB 444
(801) 422-1693

schultz@ee.byu.edu

 

 

Weston Hullinger Teaching Assistant
wjhullinger@gmail.com

  Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
8:00 am Class (254 CB) Class (254 CB) Class (254 CB)   Class (254 CB)
9:00 am          
10:00 am Office Hours   Office Hours   Office Hours
11:00 am

 

   

 

 
12:00 am       Lab (428 CB)  
1:00 pm

 

     
2:00 pm   Office Hours   Office Hours  
3:00 pm Recitation (381 CB) Lab (428 CB) Recitation (381CB)    
4:00 pm        
5:00 pm Recitation (406 CB) Recitation (406 CB)    

 

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Syllabus

Text

Comer & Comer, Fundamentals of Electronic Circuit Design, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2003, ISBN 0-471-41016-0.

Textbook errata

 

Prerequisites

The prerequisite for this course are ECE 212.

 

Introduction

This course discusses the basics of modern microelectronic devices and their application in analog and digital circuit design. Emphasis is placed on analog amplifier applications, but digital applications will be covered as well. ECEn 212 is an essential prerequisite. Familiarity with SPICE is presumed. You should either be concurrently enrolled in ECEn 317 (Electronics Lab I) or plan to take it as soon as possible after this course.

 

Grading

Final grades in the course will be based on the following distribution:

Homework 25%
Lab 20%
Midterm 1 15%
Midterm 2 15%
Final  25%

 

Homework

Homework assignments will be placed on the class web site. You should check this site regularly for updated information.  Assignments will be due on Friday at 5:00 PM, in the box marked ECEn 313, outside CB 413.   The solution to the homework will be posted on BLACKBOARD.  Because the homework solutions will be posted this way, late homework will not be accepted. 

 

Circuit Design cannot be mastered without working problems. Since this course is about not only teaching you new material, but exercising problem solving skills, completion of your homework assignments will be taken very seriously - and counts towards a significant portion of your grade. Homework is one of the primary methods to learn the material in this class.  DO NOT START ON THE HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT ON THE DAY THAT IT IS DUE.

Cooperative group study on the homework is encouraged, but simply copying someone else's work is unethical and will leave the student unprepared for exams. Much insight can be gained by studying with one or more groups, if you discipline yourself to find your own solutions first before comparing results. Rely on other's help only when you have exhausted all of your own ideas or have made no progress for 15 or 20 minutes. Remember, the exams will be totally your own work and constitute the greater portion of the grade. One of the biggest contributors to excessive time spent on homework is failure to read the text material for understanding prior to attempting problems.

Some questions have answers printed in the back of your text to serve as checkpoints. Remember that you are studying to be professional engineers and will be paid to solve problems without known solutions. Not only will no one give you the answers, but you will be the expert expected to know if the solution is correct. That is why it is important to solve many of our homework problems "blind," without a published answer.

Questions on homework grading should first be addressed to the TA who grades the homework. Unresolvable differences may be discussed with the professor during office hours.

 

 

Laboratory

The lab meets at a fixed time in room 428 and is divided into two sections. This is a closed lab so it is expected that you will finish all of your work in the allotted time.

 

Midterm Exams

We will have two midterm exams. The exams will be in the testing center and have a three hour time limit.  You can use a graphing calculator and bring one 3x5 inch note card.  The exams will be given in the testing center on the following dates.

Exam 1: Feb. 5-10

Exam 2: March 26-31

 

Final Exam

The final exam will be given in class on Wednesday, April 22 from 11:00-2:00 PM.

The final will be a comprehensive exam.  You will be allowed to bring one 8" x 11" sheet of notes.

 

 

 

Miscellaneous

Office Hours

Please respect my office hours. Just as taking this class is not the only thing that you are doing this summer, teaching this class is only a small part of what I do. While I desire to see you succeed in this class, constant interruptions make it difficult to accomplish my other obligations. If you have questions, please come during my office hours. If they are not accommodating, please set up an appointment with me via email.

Honor Code

I expect you to live the honor code. Cheating of any kind will result in a failing grade in the course.

 

Calculators

You will find a good scientific calculator extremely useful during your engineering career. The minimum recommended calculator must have trig, log, root, and exponential functions, rectangular to polar conversion, complex number capability, and the ability to invert matrices.  This may be the time to invest in a reasonably expensive engineering calculator.

 

Preparation for Lectures.

Reading assignments will be given, and students are expected to come to class having completed the assigned reading. Students will be called on randomly to demonstrate their knowledge of the material by working problems on the board to assist the class in understanding the current discussion topic. The assigned reading pages for each day of lecture are listed below in the lecture schedule.

 

Preparation for Exams.

If you would like to do well on exams, I suggest that you do the following:
(1) Daily: Come to class prepared. Read the assignment before the lecture and try working the Drill Exercises before class.
(2) Weekly: Make sure you understand how to do every homework problem.
(3) Before the exam: Review the text and your notes and make a one page summary of all of the important formulas and ideas.
(4) Before the exam: Rework all Drill Exercises and homework problems.
(5) Night before exam: Get a good night sleep.

 

Preventing Sexual Harassment.

Title IX of the Educational Amendment of 1972 prohibits sex discrimination against any participants in an educational program or activity that receives federal funds. The act is intended to eliminate sex discrimination in education. Title IX covers discrimination in programs, admissions, activities, and student-to-student sexual harassment. BYU's policy against sexual harassment extends not only to employees of the university but to students as well. If you encounter unlawful sexual harassment or gender based discrimination, please talk to your professor; contact the Equal Employment Office at 378-5895 or 367-5689 (24-hour); or contact the Honor Code Office at 378-2847.

 

Students with Disabilities.

Brigham Young University is committed to providing a working and learning atmosphere which reasonably accommodates qualified persons with disabilities. If you have any disability which may impair your ability to complete this course successfully, please contact the Services for Students with Disabilities Office (378-2767). Reasonable academic accommodations are reviewed for all students who have qualified documented disabilities. Services are coordinated with the student and instructor by the SSD Office. If you need assistance or if you feel you have been unlawfully discriminated against on the basis of disability, you may seek resolution through established grievance policy and procedures. You should contact the Equal Employment Office at 378-5895, D-282 ASB.


 

Maintained by Stephen Schultz.