Physics 351 (Electronics I)

Physics 351 (Electronics I) ----- 10am, MWF ----- Phillips 265 (Labs in 237)

Sean Washburn, 962 9382, sean@physics.unc.edu, Office 351 Chapman
Office hours: (Most) Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, 11-11:30 (but stop by or email for an appt, if you need it)

Text: Electrical Engineering: Principles and Applications, 5th Ed (AR Hambley)

PDFs of lecture slides are available here.
Supplementary: Fortney, Rizzoni, Bobrow, Schaum's Outlines, Horowitz&Hill, ...
Mathematical formulae: Dwight (QA310.D5), Prudnikov (QA308.P7813)

All exams: (3-4 problems) open book (Hand written notes and Hambley only!)
and approved calculators (not needed usually)

Grades: approximately 10% hw problems, 40% lab reports and 50% exams

Before we start, here is a sure strategy to get the best grade possible -- it never fails:

Read the book before class.
Do all the problems from the textbook. If you don't understand the concepts, doing problems will help to clarify them.
Do problems from other books, too. Schaum's Outlines are helpful resources.
Once you understand the important concepts, think about the ways the equations represent them and can be manipulated.
Try to link all of the concepts and equations from the chapter together so that you can see the big picture.

Expected mathematical skills:
Second order ordinary differential equations, Fourier expansions, elementary linear algebra, Boolean logic
(All will be introduced as practical skills as needed with no background, so don't worry if you are not expert already.)

Syllabus and schedule,

Pin-outs for some ICs, General IC reference for specs and pin-outs, Every device datasheet in the known universe,

On line course at MIT (including taped lectures),
"Socratic method" worksheets (with very elementary materials at the beginning),
Electronic electronics book (NOT the course text),
Analog electronics electronic book,
and a digital Digital Electronics book
or youse can read a whole EE library,
Very detailed cousre in practical electronics from USN.

Cute Fourier synthesizer,
Circuit tutorials with "interactive" digital examples,
Charge-flow circuit simulator (right click to change circuits or to build your own),
electronics circuit analysis
MatLab for electronics,

MatLab tutorial
PDF with a tutorial on solving ODEs and some linear algebra techniques (800kB),

Short illustrated tutorial on good soldering (WEAR THE PROTECTIVE GLASSES!)

Long (!) PDF file on designing OpAmp circuits,
and another one;
notes on active filter design,
Sallen-Key filters,
and oscillators.

Sample lab report strategy
(note: as elsewhere in life, a sense of humor will be helpful)

Semiconductor physics a disturbing source
(warning: only for those with a physician-certified sense of humor)

Dave Barry's short course on electrical circuits.

If you can analyze and debug this circuit you will ace the course.
(warning again: only with a physician-certified sense of humor)