Course Information

Physics 242 -- Electronics -- Winter 2024

Homework Assignments
 Labs Links
Grade Weighting
 Exam Schedule


Course Description:  Physics 242 presents a one-course introduction to electronics, including some circuit theory, analog electronics, and digital electronics.  Experimental physicists often need to design and construct electronic circuits to acquire data from an experiment or interface to a computer, and all scientists and engineers can benefit from a better understanding of the capabilities and limitations of the electronic instrumentation they use.  Electronics is a fascinating area, incorporating interesting ideas at different levels, from semiconductor physics to the mathematics of circuit theory to the programming of microcontrollers.  Electronics is not just a challenging academic subject, though: it is also a fun hobby for many.  Don’t expect to learn everything in one course (despite the surprising heft of the textbook)—electronics is a large field!—but hopefully you will get a fun and challenging introduction to the subject.

Class Meetings:  MTuThF 2nd period, SMC D213 or SMC D103 (lab).  Labs will take place during the regular course meeting times; additionally, students are allowed access to the labs anytime to finish a lab or work on projects.

Instructor: Tom Moses, D116 SMC, tel: -7341, email: tmoses@knox.edu.  You are encouraged to see me for help or hints with the homework problems or labs anytime you can find me in the physics wing.

Course Text: Principles and Applications of Electrical Engineering, 7thed., Giorgio Rizzoni (McGraw-Hill, NY, 2021), ISBN: 978-1260258042.

Homework:  Problems sets are available online at https://physics.knox.edu/OnlineHW/phys242/winter/.  As usual, completing the homework problems and reading the text is important for keeping up with the class.  You are encouraged to work together on homework problems, but the final write-up you turn in must be your own unique product.

Labs:  Electronics is a lab subject, and we’ll spend lots of our time in the lab building and testing circuits.  Short lab write-ups (or occasionally, a demonstration of circuit functioning to the instructor) will be required.  Lab partners may share data and discuss the lab reports, but each student must submit his or her unique individual report.

Attendance Policy:  Attendance is required, and moreover good attendance is one of the best predictors of success in the class.  Excused absences will be granted for illness or quarantine, participation in college sporting events, previously arranged misses, and one free absence.  Each unexcused absences will result in a 0.5% deduction from your average.

Grade Weighting:

Homework 15%
Lab  15%
In-class exams 20% each
Final exam
30%


In-Class Exam Schedule:

Exam 1
 Friday, Jan. 26
Exam 2
 Thursday, Feb. 22
Final Exam


Late Policy:  Like most science courses, Physics 242 covers ground at a rapid rate and you are strongly advised not to fall behind.  Please contact the instructor as early as possible if you need help.  Extensions can be arranged in case of illness, emergencies, and travel (but not due to deadlines in other classes)--contact the instructor in advance when possible.  Late homework and late labs are penalized 20%.

:

Week
 Chapter
 Topics
I. Circuit Theory
1
 1
 Resistive network analysis, node voltage and loop current, source transformations (Thevenin's Thm),
superposition, nonlinear elements and load lines
2, 3
 2, 3 AC network analysis, phasors, impedance
4
 5 Frequency response, filters, Bode plots
Exam 1
II. Analog electronics
5
  6 Operational amplifiers and applications
6
  8
 Semiconductors and diodes, pn junctions, diode circuit models and applications
7
 9 Bipolar junction transistors: operation, circuit models, applications
Exam 2
8
  11
 Combinational logic, Boolean algebra, Karnaugh maps
9
 12 Special purpose integrated circuits: comparator, timing circuits, analog-digital conversion, sequential logic

10

 

Arduino microcontroller
Final Exam

Links

Picoscope brief instructions
Picoscope_brief_instructions.pdf

Picoscope Oscilloscope complete manual
PicoScope_6_Training_Manual.pdf

Picoscope software download page:
www.picotech.com/downloads
On the download page, select Product Series "Picoscope 2000 Series", then select Picoscope 2207B.
Download and install the software Picoscope 7 (whatever is the most recent subversion).

Jameco Electronics (for buying electronic components and getting on-line datasheets):
 http://www.jameco.com

Digi-key Electronics (another great source for electronic parts and on-line datasheets):
http://www.digikey.com
This page was last modified on: 1-20-2022