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Course Descriptions

MECH_ENG 233: Electronics Design

Quarter Offered

Fall
:
Sec 20 MWF 2:00-2:50pm; Sec 21 MWF 3:00-3:50pm
;
M. Peshkin

Description

What It's About

All engineers need a working knowledge of electronics. In this course you will learn to design circuits and instrumentation. The confidence to design circuits comes from successfully designing circuits, not from analyzing circuits. So in this class you will design, build, and debug circuits every day – in class with my help, and as homework with classmates in the evening.

There are no scheduled labs, because labs aren't conducive to experimentation, debugging, and creativity. Instead, you will use a portable electronics workbench powered by your laptop computer. Your workbench includes an oscilloscope, power supply, function generator, and prototyping board. You'll use standard professional components. You'll learn to navigate and work from manufacturers’ datasheets.

Often, your circuits won't work. Sorry! Mine don't work either. Electronics is a great opportunity to develop an essential engineering skill, which is to design by parts, build and test by parts, and to methodically diagnose what is or isn't working.

The course begins with opamp circuits. Discrete junction transistors are used in both switching and linear modes. We'll also work with digital logic circuits.