Physics 120A, Electronics for Physicists
Spring 2018
Embedded Files
General class information
Location: SCI 320
Time: Lecture Wed, Fri 12:30 - 1:20 pm
Lab Fri 1:30 - 4:20 pm
Office hours: Mon 1:30-2:30 pm
Class material:
Required textbooks:
Contemporary Electronics: Fundamentals, Devices, Circuits, and Systems
Louis Frenzel, McGraw-Hill
1st edition, 2014
Hands-on Introduction to LabVIEW for Scientists and Engineers
John Essick, Oxford University Press
3rd edition, 2015
Required software:
Circuit schematics and simulator:
LT Spice - free for PC & Mac, or
CircuitLab - online, not free
Obtain a 6-months student edition of LabVIEW (Windows, Mac)
(talk to your instructor about when to activate the software).
Recommended textbooks:
The Art of Electronics & Learning the Art of Electronics
Paul Horowitz, Cambridge University Press
Highly recommended!!! This is a must for anyone seriously interested in electronics!
Practical Electronics for Inventors
Paul Scherz and Simon Monk, McGrawHill
3rd edition, 2013
The Electronics Companion: Devices and Circuits for Physicists and Engineers
Anthony C. Fischer-Cripps, CRC Press
Encyclopedia of Electronic Components
Charles Platt, O’Reilly Media
Volume 1: Resistors, Capacitors, Inductors, Switches, Encoders, Relays, Transistors
Volume 2: LEDs, LCDs, Audio, Thyristors, Digital Logic, and Amplification
Volume 3: Light, Sound, Heat, Motion, Ambient, and Electrical Sensors
Make: Electronics & Make: More Electronics
Charles Platt, O’Reilly Media
You need to login with your SJSU Google account (mail.sjsu.edu) to open the links below!
Other useful material and links:
NI USB 6008 DAQ - Overview, User Guide
Fabrication of integrated circuits (chips): #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7
Some very cool & useful electronics websites:
Lecture and lab rules:
Always use safe practices when performing the lab experiments! Safety is number one priority !!!
Use of cell phones, tablets, personal computers and any other electronic equipment during the lecture and lab and is strictly prohibited!
Food and drinks are not permitted anytime in the classroom/lab!
During the lab time, you will need only a pencil and a notebook/textbook. Anything else is not allowed at your workbench!
You can use the lab computers for lab work only. No personal computing is allowed at any time!
Store you personal belongings (backpacks) on the other side of the classroom, away from your workbench area. Keep you workbench area neat and clean at all times.
Information below will be updated on a weekly basis during the semester.
Always check for updates!
All homework is due at the beginning of class, unless stated otherwise!
First class - Jan 24
Introduction, syllabus
Proficiency test
Reading assignment (due Friday, Jan 26): Contemporary Electronics textbook - Chapter 1: Survey of Electronics.
Strongly suggesting you review Chs. 2-6 (electricity, resistors, Ohm's law, series and parallel circuits). We will not be reviewing this in class; it is something you should know from the General Physics class.
Week 1 - Jan 24, 26
Kirchhoff's Laws
Voltage Divider
Thevenin's Theorem
Required reading:
Ch. 8 all, Chs. 5.4, 6.3,
Chs. 7.7, 7.8
Ch. 7 Sidebar
'Introduction to Breadboard' videos, 2 parts
Watch the circuit simulation tutorial (LT Spice)
There will be a graded QUIZ next week, testing your reading assignments !!!
Lab #1 - Circuit Construction, Ohm’s Law, Kirchhoff's Laws
Homework #1: 7.28, 7.31, 8.6, 8.7, 8.8, 8.11, 8.12
due: Feb 9, at the beginning of class.
Week 2 - Jan 21, Feb 2
Kirchhoff's Laws
Voltage Divider
Thevenin's Theorem
Finish reading:
Ch. 8 all, Chs. 5.4, 6.3,
Chs. 7.7, 7.8
Ch. 7 Sidebar
Lab #2 - Voltage Dividers
Week 3 - Feb 7, 9
Voltage Divider
Voltage Sources
Maximum Power Transfer
Lab #3 - Maximum Power Transfer, Thevenin’s Theorem
Week 4 - Feb 14, 16
Alternating voltage and current
Reactance, Impedance
I strongly advise you review the "General Physics II" material - Chapters 14, 15, 18
Reading requirements:
Read: chapters 16, 17, 19, 20
Homework #2: 16.3, 16.19, 17.8, 17.9, 17.23, 19.10, 19.22, 20.4, 20.9, 20.11
due: Feb 23, at the beginning of class.
Week 5 - Feb 21, 23
Filters
Reading requirements: chapter 23, Sidebars "The Frequency Spectrum", "Power Factor Correction", and "Data Rate vs. Bandwidth"
"What is Decibel (dB)?" video
Lab #4: Inductance and RL Circuits
Week 6 - Feb 28, Mar 2
Reading requirements: chapters 23, 26, 34.7-34.8
Lab #5: RC Low Pass Filter
Homework #3:
23.4, 23.12, 23.13, 23.17, 23.18, 23.21, 26.1, 26.2, 26.4, 26.7
due: March 8, at the beginning of class.
Week 7 - Mar 7, 9
Diodes
Reading requirements: chapters 27, 29, Sidebar "Light Emitting Diodes"
Lab #6: Diode circuits
Week 8 - Mar 14, 16
Reading requirements: chapters 34, 35, Sidebar "The Concept of Modulation"
Lab #7: Properties of operational amplifiers
Week 9 - Mar 21, 23
Operational amplifiers
Exam #1: March 21 (Wed).
Topics: everything from weeks 1-6, homework 1-3
Open textbook or 1-page (1-side) of handwritten notes, submitted with the exam
Calculator allowed
Reading requirements: chapters 36, 41
Lab #8: Op-amp circuits (amplifier, active filter, ...)
Week 10 - Apr 4, 6
LabVIEW basics:
while loop & waveform chart
for loop & waveform graph
Required reading:
'Hands-on Introduction to LabVIEW': chapters 1, 2, 3
Lab: p. 74 - Do it yourself, p. 114 Do-it-yourself
Homework #4 (Contemporary Electronics book): 29.2, 29.4, 29.5, 29.8, 29.11, 34.23, 34.27, 35.1, 35.6, 35.10, due April 11
Homework #5 (Hands-on Introduction to LabVIEW for Scientists and Engineers book): Ch. 2 #6, Ch.3 #3, due: Apr. 13 at the beginning of class.
Week 11 - Apr 11, 13
LabVIEW basics:
Mathscript node & XY node
Data Files and Character Strings
Required reading:
'Hands-on Introduction to LabVIEW': chapters 4, 6
Lab: p. 170 - Do it yourself, problem #4-4,
Lab: p. 263 Do-it-yourself, problems #6-1, #6-2, #6-6
Homework #6 (Hands-on Introduction to LabVIEW for Scientists and Engineers book): #4-6, #6-7
due: Apr. 20 at the beginning of class.
Week 12 - Apr 18, 20
LabVIEW basics:
Data acquisition
Required reading:
'Hands-on Introduction to LabVIEW': chapter 5
p. 200 Digital oscilloscope, p. 217 sine-wave generator, p. 228, Do-it-yourself, problems #5-3, #5-4.
Homework #
due:
Week 13 - Apr 25, 27
April 25 - Exam #2
LabVIEW basics:
Data acquisition
Required reading:
'Hands-on Introduction to LabVIEW':
Week 14 - May 2, 4
LabVIEW basics:
Data acquisition
Work on the final project
Week 15 - May 9, 11
Work on the final project
Project presentations
Final Exam -
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