ECEN 214 – Electrical Circuit Theory
Spring 2014
Time & Place
Lecture:
Recitation:
Lab Sections:
200
501
502
503
Instructor:
Office:
Phone:
Email:
Office Hours:
TR
M
11:10am-12:25pm
5:30-6:30pm
ETB1037
ZACH 223B
W
T
R
W
4:10-6:00pm
2:20-4:10pm
5:30-7:30pm
10:20am-12:10pm
ZACH 113D
ZACH 113D
ZACH 113D
ZACH 113D
Scott L. Miller
WERC 310B
862-8744
smiller@ece.tamu.edu
MTWRF 1:30-3:30pm, or any time my door is open.
Teaching Assistants:
Lab Section
TA
200, 501, 502
Arunvenkatesh Alagappan
503
Daniel McBride
Email
a.arvenkatesh@neo.tamu.edu
daniel.mcbride@tamu.edu
Textbooks:
1) Nilsson, Riedel, Electric Circuits, 9th ed. Prentice Hall,
with Mastering Engineering.
2) Laboratory Manual for ECEN 214 (available on eCampus.tamu.edu)
Prerequisites:
Upper division status in ECE
Physics 208 - Electromagnetics
Math 308 (co-requisite) – Differential Equations
Grading Policies: There will be three midterm exams and a comprehensive final exam. The
exams will take place as per the schedule below, unless you are notified of a change in date and
time. Reading assignments will not be made; you are expected to study the book topics as
appropriate. The dates indicated for the material are approximate; some modifications will be
inevitable.
Homework
10%
Laboratory
20%
Quizzes
20%
Midterm Exams (3)
30% (10% each)
Final Exam
20%
All requests for re-grading of any material should be submitted in writing to Prof. Miller within
one week of when the graded material was returned to the class. Please state what
problem/material you want regarded and why you feel you deserve more credit.
Homeworks:
Homeworks will be assigned through Mastering Engineering
http://www.masteringengineering.com/ typically on Tuesday of each week and will be due at
11:59pm on the following Monday. After Monday evening, points will be reduced by half
(50%) but you can complete missed homework any time until the day of the final exam. When
you log onto ME, look for the course name “ECEN214Miller”. If it asks you for a course ID,
use “ECEN214MILLERSpring2014.” If you need help with homework, I recommend you try
the following resources for help:
1) Stop by Dr. Miller’s office for help.
2) Post a question on Piazza to get suggestions from classmates.
3) Ask your lab TA for help.
4) Go to the ECEN 214 Help Desk.
Quizzes: There will be an in-class quiz at the beginning of class on every Tuesday in which
there is not an exam (except the first week of class). Your quiz grade will be formed from the
average of the best 9 out of 10 quiz scores (i.e., one quiz will be dropped). These quizzes are
closed book/notes but you may use a calculator. The quiz will consist of one of the homework
problems you just completed the night before (usually with the numbers changed so that you
cannot just memorize all the HW answers). If you understood the HW, you should have no
problem doing the quiz. Please make sure to show up to class on time so that you do not miss
the quiz.
Exams: All exams (midterms and final) will be in class and closed book. You will be allowed
to bring in one sheets of notes (one-sided, 8.5x11 inches) which can contain any material you
want to put on it. You are also allowed to use a calculator (and it is highly recommended that
you bring one).
Piazza: We will be using Piazza as a discussion forum and I will also use this site to post course
materials, make announcements to the c lass, etc. I will monitor the discussions as much as I can
and will chime in when I think it is helpful. For now, you can enroll in the course on Piazza by
going to their web site at http://www.piazza.com. Select the school (Texas A&M) and the course
(ECEN 214). You will see several options under ECEN 214. Select the one that says “MillerSpring 2014.”
Recitation: The optional recitation meetings each week will focus on solving example circuit
problems in order to help solve homework problems and prepare students for the weekly quiz or
exam.
Computer Access: To use PSPICE or LabView, you can either use the ECE open lab (213B),
the ECEN 214 lab (ZEC 113D), or ZEC 103.
Academic Integrity Statement and Policy (All syllabi should contain a section that states the Aggie
Honor Code and refers the student to the Honor Council Rules and Procedures on the web:
http://aggiehonor.tamu.edu.)
“An Aggie does not lie, cheat or steal, or tolerate those who do.”
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Policy Statement
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal anti-discrimination statute that provides
comprehensive civil rights protection for persons with disabilities. Among other things, this legislation
requires that all students with disabilities be guaranteed a learning environment that provides for
reasonable accommodation of their disabilities. If you believe you have a disability requiring an
accommodation, please contact Disability Services, in Cain Hall, Room B118, or call 845-1637. For
additional information visit http://disability.tamu.edu.
Tentative Lecture, Quiz & Exam Schedule
Week
1. Jan. 14, 16
2. Jan. 21, 23
3. Jan. 28, 30
4. Feb. 4, 6
5. Feb. 11, 13
6. Feb. 18, 20
7. Feb. 25, 27
8. Mar. 4, 6
Mar 10-14
9. Mar. 18, 20
10. Mar. 25, 27
11. Apr. 1, 3
12. Apr. 8, 10
13. Apr. 15, 17
14. Apr. 22, 24
Topics (tentative, subject to change)
Course Intro, Math Review 1-Solving Simultaneous Equations
Electrical Quantities, Passive Sign Convention, Conservation
of Energy, Sources, Ohm’s Law, KVL, KCL
Quiz 1 in class
More KVL, KCL, Equivalent Resistances, Voltage/Current
Dividers, Wheatstone Bridge, -Y equivalent circuits
Quiz 2 in class
Node-voltage analysis, Mesh-current analysis
Quiz 3 in class
Source transformations, Thevenin/Norton equivalent circuits,
Power Transfer, Superposition
Exam 1 – In class
Intro to Op Amps, Op Amp Configurations, Non ideal op amps
Quiz 4 in class
Fundamentals of Inductors and Capacitors, Serial Parallel
Combinations of Is and Cs, , Math Review 2 – First Order
Differential Equations, Natural response of 1st order circuits
Quiz 5 in class
Step response of first order circuits, Response to sinusoidal
inputs, 1st order op-amp circuits
Exam 2 – In class
Math Review 3 – Second Order Differential Equations, 2nd
order circuits – finding the differential equation,
Spring Break - No Classes or Labs
Quiz 6 in class
2nd order circuits – finding the initial conditions, solving the
circuit, order op-amp circuits
Quiz 7 in class
Math Review 4 – Complex Numbers, Intro to Phasors,
Complex Impedance
Quiz 8 in class
AC circuit analysis using phasors
Quiz 9 in class
Phase relationships in passive circuit elements, AC power
transfer.
Exam 3 – In class
Optimizing power transfer
Quiz 10 in class
TBD
Final Exam, Friday May2nd, 3-5pm
Section(s) in
Text
1.1-6,
2.1-4
2.5
3.1-4,6-7
4.1-8
4.9-13
Covers Chs. 1-4
5.1-7
6.1-4
7.1-2
7.3,5, 7
Covers Chs. 5-7
N.A. (Ch. 8)
N.A. (Ch. 8)
9.1-4
9.5-9
9.12
10.1-5
Covers Chs 8-10
10.6
Lab Schedule
Date
Week of Jan. 13
Week of Jan. 20
Week of Jan. 27
Week of Feb. 3
Week of Feb. 10
Week of Feb. 17
Week of Feb. 24
Week of Mar. 3
Week of Mar. 10
Week of Mar. 17
Week of Mar. 24
Week of Mar. 31
Week of Apr. 7
Week of Apr. 14
Week of Apr. 21
Lab
No Labs Meet
Please read the syllabus and take some time to become
familiar with LabVIEW and PSPICE
Intro Session. Be sure to read Lab #1 before coming to lab.
Lab #1 - Introduction to ECEN 214 Lab
Lab #2 - Non-Ideal Sources and Renewable Energy
Sources
Lab Report #1 Due
Lab #3 - Equivalent Networks and Superposition
Lab Report #2 Due
LAB PRACTICUM #1 – Testing student on the use of the
lab equipment.
Lab Report #3 Due
Lab #4 - OpAmps/Security System Part 1
Lab #5 - OpAmps/Security System Part 2
Lab Report #4 Due
Spring Break – No labs
Lab #6 - Using a Biomedical Transducer and the Transient
Response
Lab Report #5 Due
Lab #7 - Transient Response of a 1st Order RC Circuit
Lab Report #6 Due
Lab #8 - Transient Responses of RLC circuits and Active 2nd
Order Circuits
Lab Report #7 Due
LAB PRACTICUM #2
Lab Report #8 Due
Lab #9 – AC Power
No Labs Lab Report # 9 Due
Note: * At each lab session, a Prelab is due. No Late Prelabs are allowed.
** At the beginning of each lab session, there will be a short Lab Quiz.