PHYS 404 :: Physics Illinois :: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Course Description

Objectives

The objective of PHYS 404 is to give you the confidence to analyze and build simple electronic circuits. The first half of the course will focus on analog electronics.  We'll discuss steady state circuit analysis using complex numbers, simple time-domain analysis and circuit simulation software.  There will be two lectures on semiconductor physics, pn junctions and transistors.   After that we'll look at amplifiers, feedback, control circuits, filters, oscillators, optoelectronic devices, electronic noise and signal to noise improvement.   After the midterm exam the focus will move to digital electronics: field effect transistors, logic gates,  digital electronics, signal processing and hybrid analog/digital circuits, AM/FM and high frequency circuits. Lecture notes will be posted for each class. 

60% of your grade comes from the lab:  6 hours per week of on-time, mandatory attendance with the TAs present.  You may work after hours in addition to the mandatory 6 hours with the TAs.  It is absolutely necessary that you attend the lab sessions and keep up with the schedule.  You cannot cram for this course at the end of the semester!  

Course Structure

Laboratory

Two 3-hour sessions per week in 6106 Engineering Science Building.  There are two sections that share the laboratory equipment:

The first week will be an introduction to the instruments and the circuit simulation software. Subsequent labs will be two weeks long. Lab descriptions will be posted ahead of time. Please keep a notebook for a complete, real-time record of all lab activities. It should contain circuit schematics, data and graphs, notes to yourself, etc. You will be asked to demonstrate each circuit to the lab TA. Your lab write-up should be typed and submitted no later than one week after the last lab period. Although you will have access to the P404 lab after hours, you are expected to be there during regular hours with the TA.

Lectures

Two lectures per week, Mondays & Wednesdays from 1:00 p.m. to 2:50 p.m. in 35 Loomis.

Problem sets

 Problem sets roughly every two weeks. Solutions will be available online after the due date.

Exams

There will be a midterm and a final exam.