General Course Information
Physics 3150, Electronics, Spring 2016
STAFF
Instructor:
Edward Eyler, office P325, lab P301 or P302S
Phone: 486-3988
E-Mail: eyler@phys.uconn.edu
Office hours: Thursday, 9-11+, in the electronics lab (P304).
Lab TAs:
Matthew Phelps, office P211
Phone: 486-3502
E-Mail: matthew.phelps@uconn.edu
Office hours: Thursday, 9-11+, in the electronics lab (P304).
Asanka Amarasinghe, office P207B
Phone: 486-0445
E-Mail: asanka.amarasinghe@uconn.edu
Office hours: Thursday, 9-11+, in the electronics lab (P304).
COURSE WEB PAGE
Lab writeups, problem sets, and a variety of resource material will be posted on the Physics 3150 web page,
http://www.phys.uconn.edu/~eyler/phys3150
OBJECTIVES
This is neither a course on physical theory, nor a methodical engineering-based analysis of the details of the
electronic design process. Instead, it is a practical introduction to some of the ideas and methods needed
for experimental work in Physics and related sciences. We will spend the first ten weeks covering the
basics as quickly as possible, starting with ac and dc circuits, then moving on to transistors, operational
amplifiers, digital logic, and a very brief introduction to computer-based instrument interfacing using PCs
and microcontrollers. This will leave a few weeks free for the highlight of the course, full-time work on a
free-form final project, meant to be similar to the sort of thing you might be doing as a part of a future
research project.
TEXTBOOKS
While there is a single primary text, there are several other excellent resources that might want to
investigate, depending on your background and perspective. Copies of each of these books are available in
the electronics lab, room P304, but should not be taken from the room without special permission.
1.
Required text: Dennis L. Eggleston, Basic Electronics for scientists and engineers, Cambridge Press,
2011, ISBN 978-0-521-15430-7) This concise little book covers most of the same topics as the course,
with the exception that it makes little mention of computers, either as design elements or as tools for
modeling and constructing circuits. The author emphasizes a common-sense approach based mainly
on fundamental principles as opposed to design rules and algorithms. This is perhaps carried a little to
excess, and we will augment the text with some sign conventions and other details that can make it a
little easier to get things right. Unlike most textbooks, there is little redundancy, and for most topics
only a single example is given. We are using the book for the first time this year, and would be
interested to hear what you think.
2.
(optional) P. Horowitz and W. Hill, The Art of Electronics, Third Edition. Cambridge Press, 2015,
ISBN 978-0-521-80926-9. Be sure not to confuse this with the still-available second edition, which
was published more than 25 years ago and has been very extensively revised. Over the years, H&H
February 17, 2016
has evolved from a textbook into something much more, a near-universal reference and resource for
everything that’s important in electronic design, with an emphasis on the practical. It is no longer
suitable as a course text, as it now features nearly 1200 pages of tables, design ideas, and detailed
commentary. However, it’s the consensus choice as the single most important book on electronics,
both for the scientist and the design engineer. It’s even relatively affordable, since its publisher is the
Cambridge University Press. Anyone who needs to design or repair electronics should own a copy.
3.
(optional) Curtis A. Meyer, Basic Electronics: An Introduction to Electronics for Science Students (2nd
Ed.) (Carnegie-Mellon University, 2013, no ISBN number). The UConn Co-Op may have some
copies. Otherwise, the book can be purchased from Lulu for about $50 at this URL:
http://www.lulu.com/us/en/shop/curtis-a-meyer/basic-electronics-an-introduction-to-electronicsfor-science-students-second-edition/paperback/product-21297228.html
This book does an excellent job of covering the basics of dc and ac circuits, diodes, and transistors,
with all of the details spelled out explicitly and numerous worked examples. It’s not very good for
practical design information or topics that extend basic few-element circuits, such as low-noise
instrumentation, microcontrollers, or electronic control of apparatus. The Lulu page also has links to a
lab manual, which is not particularly useful for our purposes.
4.
(optional) P. Scherz and S. Monk, Practical Electronics for Inventors, 3rd Ed., McGraw-Hill, 2013.
This book pretty much what the title implies, except that the section on basic electronic theory,
Chapter 2, has been gradually expanded in subsequent editions until it’s now pretty good. A particular
strength is a good discussion of microcontrollers in Chapter 13, a topic missing from nearly every
other introductory electronics book. A new fourth edition is scheduled to appear in March of 2016,
and should be even better.
5.
(optional) Daniel M. Kaplan and Christopher G. White, Hands-On Electronics, Cambridge University
Press, 2003. ISBN number 0-521-89351-8. This is another little book designed for courses similar to
ours, but it lacks both the flair and insight of Hayes and Horowitz, and the broader perspective of
Eggleston or Meyer. However, it has a consistent emphasis on actual measurements in real circuits
that’s missing in most books. It does an excellent job of introducing the basics of the electronics lab,
such as breadboards and digital oscilloscopes. It’s also relatively affordable at about $50.
Other recommended secondary texts include
6. James Diefenderfer and Brian E. Holton, Principles of Electronic Instrumentation (3rd Ed.), Saunders,
1994. In principle this well-established textbook should be perfect for our course, but it has long
suffered from complaints about inconsistent terminology and other quality-control issues. It also
tends to stray towards discussions of device physics, rather than topics pertaining more directly to
circuits and instrumentation.
7.
Enrique J. Galvez, Electronics with Discrete Components (Wiley, ISBN 978-0-470-88968-8 (2013).
This is a brand-new book that covers essentially the same ground as Meyer, although at about three
times the price. You might find it useful if the style or organization of the Meyer book does not
appeal to you.
ASSIGNMENTS AND GRADING

Problem Sets: There will be approximately 6-7 problem sets, distributed as needed, which will
contribute 25% to the course grade.

Exams: A one-hour written midterm exam will contribute 15% of the course grade.

Labs: The first 9-10 weeks will have structured laboratories, starting with an introductory lab on
the week of January 25 Lab handouts will be posted on the Physics 3150 web page to provide
details. You should bring a lab notebook or loose-leaf binder to record your observations. Brief lab
write-ups will be required, in which you present your fully analyzed results and your answers to any
questions posed in the lab handout. A sample writeup is available on the web page. We will base
your lab grade (35% of the total grade) on your in-lab performance and on both your lab notebook
and your write-ups.

Final Project: Some ideas for typical final projects (as well as a few atypical ones) will be posted in
the “Resources” section of the course web page, and will be updated occasionally. In nearly all
cases you will want to work with a partner. Each pair should decide on a project in consultation
with the staff, preferably by the 7th week of the semester. The design, construction and testing of
your project will contribute the remaining 25% of your grade. We will schedule demonstrations of
the projects by each group during the last class meeting.