Overview

As the name suggests, these two courses are all about electromagnetics, i.e., the study of electric and magnetic fields and their interaction with the environment. Part I deals with the mathematical description of EM waves, transmission lines, electrostatics and magnetostatics. Part II focuses on EM wave propagation, including free-space, waveguides, reflections, and antennas.

Course structure:

• Lectures

• Labs

• Homeworks

• Exams (quizzes, mid-term, final)

More formal course descriptions can be found here:

https://www.pdx.edu/electrical-computer-engineering/ece-331-engineering-electromagnetics-i

https://www.pdx.edu/electrical-computer-engineering/ece-332-engineering-electromagnetics-ii

Required TA Skills

1. Proficiency in vector calculus and various coordinate systems

2. Proficiency in MATLAB

3. Deeper understanding of EM theory and its various applications

4. Proficiency in using lab instrumentation: VNA, TDR, radars, optical bench

5. Ability to debug student lab setups

TA Responsibilities

Teaching assistants are required to:

1. Attend labs during the term. Each week, the TA is responsible for two 3-hour lab sections (total = 6 hours/week).

2. Prepare for each lab session by doing the experiments. This can be done before the start of the term. Test that any special parts or instruments are available and ready for use.

3. Deliver 10 to 15 minutes long introduction at the beginning of each lab.

4. Help students during each lab session and grade their submitted lab reports.

5. Keep lab attendance data.

6. Upload student scores and feedback to D2L.

7. Hold office hours for 2 hours per week.

8. Grade of some in-class assignments, as needed.

9. Keep instructor appraised of any observations regarding student learning and possible ways to improve the instruction.

Lab sessions include (Part I: lab 1 to 4, Part II: lab 5 to 8):

• Lab 1: Acoustics Lab. Experimental exploration of characteristic properties of acoustic waves.

• Lab 2: TDR Lab. Learn to locate and identify transmission line discontinuities using Time Domain reflectometry.

• Lab 3: VNA Lab. The vector network analyzer (VNA) is introduced as a measurement tool,

• Lab 4: Computational Electromagnetics. Develop static electromagnetic equations in numerical form. Compute divergence and curl, and magnetic field on a wire.

• Lab 5 Optics: Explore basics of optical systems including diffraction and refraction phenomena, Young’s double slit experiment and Snell’s law.

• Lab 6 Waveguides: Measure characteristics of rectangular waveguides including standing wave patterns.

• Lab 7 Antennas: characterize horn antennas and explore the concepts of antenna field patterns, beamwidth, gain, polarization and the range dependence of received power.

• Lab 8 Applications of radars: radar is used to explore concepts of monostatic radar returns and Doppler frequency shifts.

If you have not done these labs, you will be required to complete them before the term begins.