The main goal is that at the end of this class, you will have the skills to successfully invent a sensor system of your own choosing.  

At the conclusion of ECE 1240 students will be prepared to: 

• Design and evaluate (with theory/math and simulation), simple electrical/computer engineering circuits using voltage and current sources, resistors and capacitors, op amps, and diodes to accomplish specific engineering tasks. 
• Explain applications in electrical and computer engineering including: electrical circuit design, sensors, and signal processing.

Relationship of the Course to the ABET Student Outcomes:  

1. An ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics. The course focuses on this outcome by teaching students the basics of circuit design and analysis. 
2. An ability to apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors. The course addresses this outcome indirectly through application notes in the textbook and linked in the course schedule.
3. An ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences. This course lacks assignments related to this outcome. 
4. An ability to recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgments, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts. This course addresses this outcome only in a minimal way through incidental stories from the instructor's experience.
5. An ability to function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives. This course addresses this outcome in a modest way by having group assignments in which students create example exams as a team. 
6. An ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions. This course does not address this outcome directly.
7. An ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies. This course asks students to evaluate their learning style and uses methods such as color coding of connections to help students with different learning styles improve their performance. 

Textbook:  Free Textbook "Circuit Analysis and Design" 2nd Ed. by Ulaby, Maharbiz, and Furse  (Links to an external site.)

• The Circuits textbook (SECOND EDITION) will be used in ECE1240 and ECE2240.  This textbook was chosen for its readable/understandable explanations.  Dr. Furse, who is in our Department, helped write the 3rd edition. If you like, you may purchase the textbook on your own, but that is totally optional.   Here is the COMPANION SITE (Links to an external site.) for the textbook.

Computer or Tablet:

• Because you should watch lecture videos and take a pre-class quiz before class, you will need a computer or tablet for this course.  All assignments, including exams, will be submitted on the Canvas software system, requiring scanning or taking pictures of assignments and exams that are then submitted via computer or phone. (Download a free scanner for your phone, so you can create a single PDF file of each assignment, if you choose that method.)

Calculator:

• You will also need a calculator to do your homework and exams.  Depending on the method you use to solve problems, the calculator may need to be capable of handling matrix math, including complex matrices.  Calculators that will do the job include TI 85 and up, and also TI 36.  The TI 83 and 84 may be sufficient for complex numbers used in the latter part of the course if you do more work by hand. 

Ensure you have these ahead of time as they will be required to complete assignments and activities throughout the course.

Preferred Contact Methods

The best and preferred way to contact your instructor and the TA directly is to use the  Inbox,  located in the far left Canvas menu.

You can also contact your instructor by email to: christen@ee.utah.edu

You can contact the TA by email to:  u1298265@utah.edu

Office Hours

The instructor will hold office hours on Wednesdays 1:00-2:00 pm in the lab room, or in person for one hour after each class. or schedule an appointment by email: christen@ee.utah.edu

The TA will have office hours on Thursdays 3:50-4:50 in MEB 2440.

Virtual Meeting Room

Virtual Office Hours (Zoom) are by appointment only by email.

The detailed course schedule for the current Unit of study is on the Home page.

The course has four Units of study of a few weeks each, each Unit having a page with a detailed schedule:

1. Basic Circuits
2. Solving Circuits
3. Op-Amps and Digital Logic
4. RC and RL Circuits

See Home page for the current Unit of study

This is a largely "flipped class" -- ECE 1240 is not your typical lecture class. There is a lot of material to cover and the summer course has fewer weeks to cover it all. Here are the steps you need to follow:

 Step 1: 1-2 days BEFORE class, read through the textbook material listed on the course schedule.

 Step 2: 1-2 days BEFORE class, watch the video lectures listed on the course schedule.

 Step 3: BEFORE class, complete the pre-class quiz. This is meant as a tool for me to assess your conceptual understanding of the material before coming to class.

 Step 4: Come to class and bring questions from videos or reading.  Class will NOT be a repeat of the lecture videos.  We will work together actively solving examples (mostly "In-Class" problems linked on the Unit's schedule) and some of your homework problems, and answering questions (so bring your questions with you).  And we will talk about how to apply what you are learning in real-world applications.  Teaching this way approximately doubles the amount of time we have together, and gives me time to really work with you on the common problems that crop up in your homework.

 Step 5: Finish your homework THAT DAY.  If you can spend some additional time that day (or at least before the next class) finishing the homework for that day, you will be well-prepared for the next day, which typically builds on the previous day. If you wait until the homework is due, you will probably feel somewhat lost as the week progresses. You can pick this up on the weekend, but that is less efficient. It is great if you can work with other students on your homework, so get a study group together. You will learn from other people's questions and problems as much as you learn from your own successes. My office hours will also be held right after class on Tuesdays and Thursdays, so utilize that time well.

Go to Step 1 to Prepare for the next day  ...

If you find you may have forgotten some math information you need in this class, check out the Khan Academy and others linked in the RESOURCE section of the assignments for help.  The MATH tutoring center and TAs are also available to help you.  Algebra is especially critical to success in this course, so make sure your understanding of algebra is solid.

No previous experience with electronics or programming is assumed or needed in this class. We will be starting from scratch. However, many students in this class will have had some experience, either formal or informal, and a few students will have had a lot of experience.  If you are someone with little or no experience, do not be intimidated!  We will be working together, and the course is designed to start from the beginning.

Work Load:  It is anticipated that a typical student will need to spend the following amount of time each week:

3 hours watching videos and reading the textbook

3 hours in class

6+ hours on homework

Additional time studying for exams.

12+ hours per week

 PLEASE plan your schedule so that you have time to learn the material.  I am delighted to have the opportunity to teach you about electrical & computer engineering, which I hope you have as much fun with in your career as I have in mine.  I am very confident that you will find many times in your career when you will be able to apply this material, and I hope that you will not only learn from the class but enjoy it as well.  

Homework: Homework will be your main study guide.  Therefore, think of it as preparation for each exam.  Please write clearly, show all of your work in an organized manner, and put problems in the proper order.  Make sure you understand all of the homework.

Collaboration with fellow students on homework assignments and studying is encouraged, but you will benefit most from the homework if you can write your final answers without much help from your friends.  While it is perfectly reasonable to discuss your approach to solving the problems with a friend, the final write-up of the solution must be in your own hand.

You will probably learn more from doing the homework than any other part of this class. If you thoroughly understand the homework, you will know what the class is about, and the exams will be easier for you.  Solutions to the homework will be posted on the course website before the homework is due so you can get help when you are really stuck.

Pre-Class Quizzes:  These quizzes will cover conceptual topics to help ensure you have a high-level intuition for what is going on within a circuit. There will also be some circuit problems which will help keep you fresh on the skills and techniques we’ll be covering throughout the course.

Exam Quizzes:  The in-class exam quizzes are practice for exams.  By solving one randomly chosen question similar to those from the upcoming exam, you will have an opportunity to assess your mastery of the material in a unit of study. It also gives you more exam practice. A number of past exams are also available via links to old courses found at the bottom of each Unit page.

Exams: To do well in this class, keep up in class, study hard, do well on all the midterms and you will not have to take the final exam. Whether or not you take the final, you will automatically be graded on your highest four exam scores. If your first four exam scores are high enough, you may decide not to take the final exam.

The final basically serves as a 'retake' for one midterm.  You can make up for one missing or bad exam on the final. The time allotted for the final exam is about the same as for a midterm, so the final is really like an extra midterm.  However, it will contain a little bit of material chosen at random from each of the Units of study.  Whether or not you take the final, you will automatically be graded on your highest four exam scores.

Schedule:  Refer to the Assignments link on Canvas for due dates of homework, exam quizzes, and exams. In the case of an inconsistency between the due date in the assignment and the Unit page schedule, please contact the instructor so the problem can be remedied. Schedule information is subject to modification by announcements on Canvas or by changes in the schedule on Canvas.

Exams:  Four midterms and final exam (really a fifth midterm) are scheduled as shown on the class schedule. Please check your personal schedule to be sure that you do not have conflicts with these exams. You will take the exam on paper in the classroom and submit answers the same way you submit an assignment: you will take pictures of your solutions and upload them to Canvas. Bring your phone to class to take the pictures.  You must take exams on the day and at the time listed on the schedule for each Unit unless you have a University excused absence. If you miss an exam for any reason, the final exam will serve as the make-up exam. Only at the instructor's discretion and with advance notice will students be allowed to take make-up exams in cases of emergency.  Otherwise, the final exam will be your make-up exam.

See Exam: Procedure for more information. You will be allowed to bring all handouts from class, including in-class exercises, and you may bring one review sheet on which you have summarized important concepts and equations, 8.5" x 11" printed on both sides (add one review sheet for each new exam, meaning you will be able to bring five pages to the final exam).  Although you are allowed to bring materials from class, the optimal procedure is to consolidate information on your one review sheet.

Exam Quizzes: The exam quizzes will be practice for exams. Each quiz will be one question that is similar to those that might appear on the upcoming exam. See class schedule on Unit pages for exam quiz dates. You must attend class on exam quiz dates to get credit for the quizzes.  No make-up quizzes will be given.

Pre-Class Quizzes:  These quizzes must be completed at least one hour prior to the start of class, to test concepts that you will have seen by watching the videos and reading the assigned sections in the text. No make-up quizzes will be given.

Homework: Assignment due dates are noted in the tentative schedule and due online  usually by 11:59 pm on the day noted. No late assignments will be accepted except under extreme circumstances and with prior approval at the instructor's discretion.  Your two lowest homework grades will be dropped.  If you plan on being absent on a day that a homework set is due, you may turn it in earlier.

There will be approximately one homework assignment per class.  Because the grader has limited time to grade assignments, only some of the homework problems will be graded in detail while others will be graded just for correct answer and approach.  Students are responsible for looking at homework solutions to be sure they understand them.

Homework solutions must be in the students own hand and words. Solutions are accessible (before homework is due) with a few clicks on Canvas but should be accessed only if you are really stuck on a problem.  A homework solution displaying both a correct approach and correct answer will receive full credit.  The correct approach is worth 80%, and the correct answer will receive 20% of points possible.  Homework is due at the time (usually 11:59 pm) and dates listed in the assignments.

Cheating Policy:  Just don't

Here are some things that constitute cheating in this class:

1)     Copying someone else's work on an exam. Do not communicate with another student for any reason during an exam.  Different versions of exams may be created and assigned to students according to some scheme such as student ID number.

2)     Copying someone else's work on labs.  You must do your own work on labs.

3)     Photocopying someone else's homework.  I hope you WILL work in groups on your homework, and I hope that every team member will contribute to this work. However, you must write up your homework solutions in your own hand and words.

What happens if you cheat?  You may receive an E.  Don't do it!  See Student Expectations below.