Electronics and Computers Spring 2016

Aims

This course provides in introduction to electronics and to microcomputer programming using the MC9S08. It provides the background in basic electrical theory, in analog and digital electronics, and in the connections between electronics and computers to understand modern electronic instrumentation of all kinds. The course is numbered 245, about half way between 200 and 300, to give you an idea of the of coverage and student commitment required.

Textbook

The course text is a working draft of a book written specially for this course. The text is distributed in loose-leaf format should have come with a pair of 1.5" ring-binders to hold the two volumes of the text. You should plan to keep the lab. worksheets in your binders and to bring the relevant binder to evey class.

Course Schedule

A complete schedule for the course can be found here. It is subject to change as the course proceeds and I will try to keep it up-to-date if changes occur. Note, in particular, that the computer labs are subject to upgrade as I work to better incorporate the latest computer board.

General Instructions

The course is taught in three 2-hour lab sessions per week. There will be a minimum of lecturing in those periods and so the course relies heavily on the textbook. Students are expected to come to class having done the day's reading in a very thorough manner and to be ready to work on the day's assignment. Normally, students work in pairs with each pair having an electronics station and a desktop computer. You will be swapping lab partners pretty much every day. This means that all students are responsible for clearing up after yourselves so that their work is out of the way before the next class.

Work Load

• There will be assignments every week as well as laboratories to perform every day.
• The assignments will consist of 10-12 questions to be handed in at the start of the class on Friday.
• Each laboratory will produce a write-up that is due at the start of the next lab period.
• There will be daily short quizzes set on Blackboard and due beginning of each class based on the reading for the day.
• There will be no final exam. Instead, at the end of the semester there will be a practical project to build some instrument that combines several elements from the course and present a written report in finals week.

Grading

The grade will be made up of four components

Laboratories	40%	(10% for completing assignment, 30% for quality)
Assignments	30%
Quizzes	15%
Final Project	15%

Within the categories each quiz and assignment will count equally.

Notes

Electronics is highly vertical. Each day builds on every day that has gone before. You cannot afford to get behind or you will be lost for ever!

I do not grade on a curve. What you work for is what you get.