Electronics for Scientists: Physics 311
Fall 2015
Schedule Number #22723
COURSE INFORMATION
Class Days: Tuesday / Thursday
Class Times: 5:30 PM – 6:45 PM
Class Location: P-147
Professor:
Murray Finegold
Contact Information:
mfinegold@mail.sdsu.edu
Office:
PA-125
Office Hours:
Tues 4:30 -5:30 PM room P-145A
Tues/Thurs 6:45 – 7:30 PM rm P-147
By appointment: PA-125
Course Overview
AC and DC circuits, diodes, transistors, conventional and operational amplifiers, analog to digital conversion, pulse
and digital electronics. Introduces science majors to modern electronic devices and their utilization in scientific
instrumentation.
Enrollment Information
Prerequisites: Physics 180B and 182B, or Physics 196 and 196L
Adding/Dropping Procedures: Refer to the current SDSU General Catalog
Course Materials
Lecture Text:
Electronics for Scientists 2003 by John Ferguson
Available in the SDSU Bookstore
Lab Text:
Handouts provided by Lab Instructor
Course Structure and Conduct
Two lectures and three hours of laboratory weekly
Course Assessment and Grading
Three 100 point exams (1)
200 points
Final Exam –comprehensive
200 points
Homework – due at beginning of lecture (2)
150 points
Notebook (3)
50 points
Lab Score (4)
200 points
Total
800 points
A
C
90%
63%
AC-
85%
60%
B+
D+
80%
57%
B
D
75%
53%
BD-
70%
50%
C+
67%
(1) Lowest exam score dropped; there are NO make-up exams.
(2) Late penalty -30% and I will not accept HW after I grade and return an assignment.
(3) Notebook is due at the Final Exam and should include handout materials, lab write-ups, and notes from lectures.
Notebooks should be organized by topic.
(4) Lab score will be determined by the lab instructor.
Tentative Schedule
Month
Aug
Sept
Dates
25/27
1/3
8/10
15/17
22/24
Sept/Oct 29/1
6/8
13/15
20/22
27/29
Tuesday
Lecture
Introduction and DC Circuits
DC Circuits & Thevenin
Analog Scopes
Exam #1
RC & RL Circuits
AC Circuits
Semiconductors
Exam #2
Distortion
Op-Amps
HW Due
#1
#2
#3
#4
#5
#6
#7
Thursday
Lab
E1: DC Measurements
E2: Thevenin Equivalent Circ.
E3: Analog Oscilloscopes
E4: Digital Oscilloscopes
E5: RC Circ. Bode & phase
E5.5: RC Circ. XL & XC Calcs.
E6: RLC Resonance
E7: BJT Amplifier
E8: Harmonic & IM Distortion
E9: Intro to Op-Amps
Lecture
DC Circuits
DC Circ. & Norton
Digital scopes
Coaxial lines
AC Circuits
AC Circuits
Transistors
Amplifiers
Op-Amps
Op-Amp Limitation
Nov
3/5
Noise, S/N Ratio
#8
E10: Op-Amp Limitations
Digital Logic
10/12
Digital Logic, BCD
E11: Digital Logic
Digital Logic
17/21
Exam #3
E12: Two-Bit Counter
ADC, DAC
24/26
ADC, DAC
#9
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving
Dec
1/3
ADC, DAC
#10
E13: ADC by SAR
ADC, DAC
8/10
ADC,DAC
E14 & E15: Single Slope ADC
Review for Final
15/17
None
Final Exam 3:30 – 5:30
Other Course Policies
Academic Dishonesty: Cheating, plagiarism, and other activities that are intended to gain unfair academic
advantage will not be tolerated. Suspected cases will be investigated and action will be taken, including possible
assignment and course grade reductions, and referral to the Office of Student Affairs / Center for Student Rights
and Responsibilities for further action.
Student Disability Services
If you believe you will need accommodations for this class, it is your responsibility to contact me and Student Disability
Services at (619) 594-6473. To avoid any delay in the receipt of accommodations, you should contact Student Disability
Services as soon as possible. Please note that accommodations are not retroactive, and that I cannot
provide accommodations based upon disability until I have received an accommodation letter from Student Disability
Services. Your cooperation is appreciated.
As your instructor, I reserve the right to make any necessary changes or corrections to this syllabus.