PHYS 404 Fall 2026
PHYS 404 :: Physics Illinois :: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Schedule
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Lab 1 (week 1, 2): DC&AC circuit using AD2 + Diodes + Spice (RC circuit)
Lab 2 (week 3, 4, 5): Transistor Amps + Spice (Transistor)
Lab 3 (week 6, 7, 8): Op Amps
Lab 4 (week 9, 10, 11): Digital + Arduino microcontroller
Project (week 12, 13, 15, 16): 3.5 weeks around the Thanksgiving break
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Week
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Date
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Lecture
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Lab
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Report due
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1
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8/24
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Mon
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Lecture 1: AC analysis using Phasors; AC Power
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8/25
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Tue
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Lab1-w1
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8/26
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Wed
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Lecture 2: Time Domain Analysis; Equivalent circuits
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8/27
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Thu
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Lab1-w1
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8/28
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Fri
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2
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8/31
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Mon
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Lecture 3: Impedance Matching; Grounding
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Tue
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Lab1-w2
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Wed
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Lecture 4: Grounding & Electrical Safety; Semiconductor Physics
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Thu
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Lab1-w2
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Fri
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Lab1 report
due 9/13
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3
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9/7
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Mon
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Labor Day (no class)
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Tue
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Lab2-w1
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Wed
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Lecture 5: Semiconductor Physics & PN junction
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Thu
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Lab2-w1
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Fri
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4
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9/14
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Mon
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Lecture 6: Diode circuit
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Tue
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Lab2-w2
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Wed
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Lecture 7: Bipolar Junction Transistors (BJT)
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Thu
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Lab2-w2
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Fri
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5
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9/21
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Mon
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Lecture 8: Bipolar Junction Transistors (BJT) (continue) |
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Tue
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Lab2-w3
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Wed
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Lecture 9: Multi-transistor amplifiers |
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Thu
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Lab2-w3
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Lab2 report
due 10/4
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Fri
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6
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9/28
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Mon
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Lecture 10: Transistor Switch; Op Amps & Feedback
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Tue
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Lab3-w1
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Wed
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Thu
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Lab3-w1
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Fri
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7
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10/5
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Mon
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Lecture 12: Power supplies & voltage regulators |
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Tue
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Lab3-w2
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Wed
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Lecture 13: Oscillators; circuit stability |
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Thu
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Lab3-w2
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Fri
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8
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10/12
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Mon
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Lecture 14: Oscillators, circuit stability (continue); Field Effect Transistors (FET)
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Tue
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Lab3-w3
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Wed
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Lecture 15: MOSFET |
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Thu
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Lab3-w3
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Fri
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Lab 3 report due
10/25
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9
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10/19
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Mon
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Lecture 16: Logic gates |
Unit 4. Digital
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Tue
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Lab4-w1
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Wed
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Lecture 17: Sequential logic & memory |
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Thu
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Lab4-w1
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Fri
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10
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10/26
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Mon
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Lecture 18: Analog-to-Digital conversion |
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Tue
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Lab4-w2
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Wed
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Lecture 19: Sampling and aliasing; Digital filters |
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Thu
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Lab4-w2
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Fri
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11
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11/2
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Mon
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Lecture 20: Electronic noise
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Tue
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Lab4-w3
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Wed
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Lecture 21: Optoelectronics ; I2C |
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Thu
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Lab4-w3
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Fri
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Lab 4 Report
Nov 15
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12
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11/9
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Mon
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Lecture 22: Phase-sensitive detection
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Tue
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Project-w1
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Wed
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Lecture 23: Signal modulation
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Thu
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Project-w1
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Fri
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13
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11/16
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Mon
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Lecture 24: Mixing and demodulation
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Tue
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Project-w2
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Wed
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Thu
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Lecture 25: Miller Effect |
Project-w2
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Fri
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14
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11/23
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Mon
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No lecture (fall break)
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Tue
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No lab
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Wed
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No lecture (fall break)
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Thu
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No lab
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Fri
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15
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11/30
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Mon
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Lecture 26: Transmission line |
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Tue
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Project-w3
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Wed
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Lecture 27: Circuit design & PCB layout
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Thu
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Project-w3
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Fri
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16
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12/7
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Mon
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Lecture 28: Circuit design & PCB layout (Exercise: Layout a PCB for your project)
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Tue
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Project-4
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Wed
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Final presentation
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Thu
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Final presentation
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Fri
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17
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12/14
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Mon
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Final exam week
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Tue
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Tentative PHYS404 final exam: 8:00-11:00am
Final presentation
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Wed
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Thu
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Fri
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