Home Canvas

ECE 110 Fall 2023 Calendar

This is the "staging" ground for the Fall 2023 semester. Students will only receive the updated weekly schedule on Canvas as we make the final changes.

Welcome to ECE 110!

ECE 110 is a lecture-plus-laboratory course with 100 minutes of lecture and 170 minutes of lab in a "normal" 5-day work week.

With this time allotment and a design element within the lab, you can anticipate some concepts will be introduced in lecture but many other concepts will be introduced in lab where the hands-on environment can be a better venue for learning. The two aspects of this course, lab and lecture, are complimentary in their roles to enable you to analyze and design electronic circuits. In fact, no student will pass the course unless earning better than 50% in both the lab and non-lab components separately!

Read and know the Absence and Late-Submission Policy.

There is no face-to-face lab meeting in Week 1. Don't go to lab. No one is there.

You need to order your kit in Week 1. Order Window: Aug 14 - Aug 25

You have until September 12 to report any issues with your kit contents.



Back to top

Week Task Resources Comments
1 Aug 21-25
Reading: Required in the Canvas Textbook
  • Introduction
  • Measurements/Significant Digits
  • Ethics/Professionalism
 Recommended
In-Lab: No in-person Lab meeting in Week 1.
Lecture:
  • Lecture #1. Intro and Professionalism
  • Lecture #2. Current and Voltage
  • Lecture meets Monday and Wednesday as scheduled in your classroom.
  • Lecture slides available on Canvas
  • Important technical content is covered from "Day 1" in lecture
  • Please read the textbook materials ahead of each lecture. We look forward to meeting you!
Homework: Each homework is a divided assignment.
  • PrairieLearn is generally numeric-short-answer and auto-graded.
  • GradeScope is typically two questions where the grade is dependent not upon your answer, but your ability to provide a detailed solution
Prelab for Week 2: Prelabs are to be done at home and are due before the usual start time of your lab each week. "Prelabs" (also thought of as at-home labs) may be assigned even if an in-person meeting may not happen the following week.
  • Always check GradeScope for deadlines of submission of Pre-lab and Lab materials.
  • How to Use Gradescope
  • Electronics Kit pickup window:
    Aug 21-Sep 1, 10am-2pm ONLY.
Week Task Resources Comments
2 Aug 28-Sep 1
Textbook:
  • Energy
  • Resistance (and Ohm's Law)
In-Lab: Team Contracts.

Enter 1005 ECEB through the door on the East hallway. You will recevie 15-30 minutes of instruction before moving into the main laboratory space in 1001 ECEB. You will complete as a team these activities... 		The lab kit will not be used in-person in Week 2.

  • Always check GradeScope for submission of Pre-lab and Lab materials.
Extra Credit Opportunity: Engineering Ethics [.pdf] [.docx] There is a limited 4-week window to complete and submit this extra credit material.
Lecture:
  1. Measuring and Modeling
  2. Power and Energy; Efficiency
Homework:
Prelab: At-home exercises to be completed before Week 3
Week Task Resources Comments
3 Sept 4 - Sept 8
Textbook:
  • Energy
  • Resistors and Ohm's Law
In-Lab: No lab meeting (for any section this entire week due to Labor Day.
  • On weeks that include a University holiday, we cancel all lab sections to keep all sections aligned M-F.
  • Have any questions for your TA? Link to TA contact emails
Lecture: Monday, Sept 4, is a Holiday. Enjoy your day off from school.
  1. Electronic Devices. Meets Wednesday as scheduled.
Do you have any religious observances that might interfere with course activities? Be sure to contact your instructor(s) right away!
Homework:
Prelab for Week 4: Last day to request any missing parts: Sept 12

See these GradeScope submission instructions for prelab.
Week Task Resources Comments
4 Sept 11 - Sept 15
Textbook:
  • Kirchhoff's Voltage and Current Laws
  • Circuit Analysis Tools (Shortcuts)
In-Lab: Always bring your kit to Lab! Right now, you don't yet need your car, but you do need the small breadboard and small kit components. Submit the procedure "markup" after lab (24 hour grace period).

Your Team also needs to submit a Weekly Team Report due before next week's lab.
Extra Credit Opportunity: What is Resistance? [*.pdf][*.docx] There is a limited 4-week window to complete and submit this extra credit material.
Lecture:
  1. Kirchhoff's Circuit Laws
  2. Series and Parallel, Power Ratings, Divider Rules
Homework:
Prepare for Week 5:
  • Extech MN35 Multimeter [Video] [.pdf] [.docx]
  • Kirchhoff's Laws on a Breadboard [.pdf] [.docx]
  • Make the wire "adapters" for your MN35 probes as described in the video. Consider bringing your DMM to class for measurements.
 Due before Lab.
Week Task Resources Comments
5 Sept 18 - Sept 22
Quiz 1: At CBTF Sep. 18-20
Textbook:
  • Textbook: Circuit Analysis Tools (Shortcuts)
  • Textbook: Waveforms
In-Lab:
  • Every student must come to lab prepared by completing all prelab activities. Unprepared students will lose points.
  • If you must miss lab for any reason, you need to notify your TA as soon as possible (before lab!) to minimize the likelihood of points lost. TA contact link is at the Home page of Canvas.
  • Submit the procedure "markup" right after lab.

    Your Team also needs to submit a Weekly Team Report due before next week's lab.
Extra Credit Opportunity: Plotting with Python [.pdf] [.docx] There is a limited 4-week window to complete and submit this extra credit material.
Lecture:
  • Meets Monday and Wednesday as scheduled.
Homework:
Prelab for Week 6:
Week Task Resources Comments
6 Sep 25 - Sep 29
Textbook:
  • Textbook: Power
  • Textbook: Current-Voltage Characteristics
In-Lab:
  • Remember to submit the procedure "markup" after lab (24 hour grace period).

    Your Team also needs to submit a Weekly Team Report due before next week's lab.
  • You may have noticed that the RC time constant (2.2 RC) does not give the exact period of oscillation for your circuit. Why not? Here is an extra-credit exercise on that explores the charging and discharging cycles of the capacitor taking into account the upper and lower threshold values of the Schmitt Trigger.
Lecture:
  • Meets Monday and Wednesday as scheduled.
Homework:
Prepare for Week 7: Assemble Your Car Chassis: Due before Lab.

If you have a faulty motor, DO NOT BUILD the car. They are very difficult to disassemble and you may break it. Go to lab to get a replacement motor first.
Week Task Resources Comments
7 Oct 2-Oct 6
Textbook:
  • Textbook: Current-Voltage Characteristics
  • Textbook: Thevenin Equivalent
In-Lab:
Extra Credit Opportunity: Lissajous: The Oscope XY Mode [.pdf] [.docx] There is a limited 4-week window to complete and submit extra credit material.
Lecture:
  • Meets Monday and Wednesday as scheduled.
Homework:
Prepare for Week 8: GradeScope Quiz due before Lab.
Week Task Resources Comments
8 Oct 9-Oct 13
Textbook:
  • Textbook: Norton and IV Tools
  • Textbook: Node Method
In-Lab:
Extra Credit Opportunity: IV Characteristics of a Motor [*.pdf] [*.docx] There is a limited 4-week window to complete and submit this extra credit material.
Lecture:
  • Meets Monday and Wednesday as scheduled.
Homework:
Prepare for Week 9: Due before Lab.
Week Task Resources Comments
9 Oct 16-Oct 20
Textbook:
  • Textbook: Diodes
  • Textbook: Diode Circuits
Quiz 2: At CBTF Oct. 16-18
In-Lab:
Lecture:
  • Meets Monday and Wednesday as scheduled.
Homework:
Prepare for Week 10: Due before Lab.
Week Task Resources Comments
10 Oct 23-Oct 27
Textbook:
  • Textbook: Diodes (all notes)
  • Textbook: Bipolor Junction Transistor (intro)
In-Lab:

Finish the Team Storytelling Video project in lab if possible. Due before next lab.
Extra Credit Opportunity: Extra Credit: What is a Capacitance? [*.pdf][*.docx] There is a limited 4-week window to complete and submit this extra credit material.
Extra Credit Opportunity: Zener-based 9-to-5 volt DC-to-DC Converter [.pdf] There is a limited 4-week window to complete and submit this extra credit material.
Lecture:
  • Meets Monday and Wednesday as scheduled.
Homework:
Prepare for Week 11:
  • Your team's Storytelling Video serves as a midterm report and is due before you meet in lab for Week 11.
 Due before Lab.
Week Task Resources Comments
11 Oct 30-Nov 3
Textbook:
  • Textbook: Bipolor Junction Transistor (all notes)
In-Lab:
  • Revisit Team Contract [*.pdf]
  • Final Project: Applause Meter! [.pdf]
  • Example Video
  • Discuss with your team which teammate should be assigned to the procedures listed below. Working in pairs is encouraged both for collaborative learning and for efficient use of the bench equipment. Note that the weekly grade is not explicit to the module(s) completed, but based on the progress report that summarizes your work and shows strong progression and planning on the final project.
  • 30 minutes before the end of lab, meet with your team and finish the Team Weekly [Final Project] Progress Report on GradeScope (due before lab ends!).
  • Some highly-commended procedures:
  • If you finish your module early, help your teammates! This is a team project!!
Lecture:
  • Meets Monday and Wednesday as scheduled.
Homework:
Prepare for Week 12:
  • Meet as a team outside of lab (as planned) to continue working on your final design project. Include your progress in your next progress report to be completed at the conclusion of the next in-lab meeting.
Week Task Resources Comments
12 Nov 6-10
Textbook:
  • Textbook: Bipolor Junction Transistor (all notes)
  • Textbook: MOSFET
In-Lab:
  • Complete your second progress report as a team and submit it to GradeScope. Instructions for this submission are on GradeScope.
Lecture:
  • Meets Monday and Wednesday as scheduled.
Homework:
Prepare for Week 13:
  • Upcoming (Week 13) is the LAST week prior to Fall Break and it is also the FINAL week with lab time allocated to finishing your final design project. Your week 12 progress report should have arranged a distinct plan for completing the project while staff assistance is readily available. The more you have done prior the lab meeting, the more you will be able to effectively utilize that assistance.
Week Task Resources Comments
13 Nov 13-17
Quiz 3: At CBTF Nov. 13-15
Textbook:
  • Textbook: MOSFET
  • Textbook: cMOS Logic
In-Lab:
  • Ascertain that the individual sub-circuits of your design are working properly.
  • Complete the working design through the combination of your sub-circuits. Use TA help while you have it!
A third progress report is due in GradeScope at the end of your lab session. Be sure to leave the last 30-ish minutes for completion of this.
Lecture:
  • Meets Monday and Wednesday as scheduled.
Homework:
Prepare for Week 15 :
  • A team-produced video of your working applause meter is due before lab begins.
  • In the final lab meeting:
    • Bring your working applause meter.
    • Bring a schematic of your complete circuit.
    • Your TA will ask you questions and have you demonstrate the function of certain nodes in your circuit. Be familiar with the entire circuit operation.
Week Task Resources Comments
14 Nov 20-24 Fall Break!
Week Task Resources Comments
15 Nov 27-Dec 1
Textbook:
  • Textbook: cMOS Logic
  • Textbook: Solar Energy
In-Lab:
  • Final Project Q&A
 WARNING: Midnight on Wednesday December 6 is the absolute last date any student-submitted materials may be accepted for ECE 110.
Lecture:
  • Meets Monday and Wednesday as scheduled.
Homework:
Prepare for Week 16 :
  • Final Project Report
Week Task Resources Comments
16 Dec 4-6 Dec 7 is Reading Day to prep for final exams!
Reading
  • Textbook: Re-read All Covered Chapters!
In-Lab:
  • No in-person lab meeting
 No student-submitted materials in ECE 110 are accepted (labs, homeworks, extra credit, etc.) beyond midnight Wednesday, December 6.
Lecture:
  • Meets Monday and Wednesday as scheduled.
Homework: