Course Syllabus

 

ECE 1250 Electrical and Computer Engineering Design - Syllabus

 

Prerequisites: MATH 1210 or 1310 or 1311 (grade of C- or better)

Lecturers:      Professor Angela Rasmussen

Office:  MEB 2266B (temporarily in MEB 2340)

Phone:  (801) 581-6952

Email:  angela.rasmussen@utah.edu (Please email first then call)

Textbook/hardware/software bundle:

 

1. Circuits and MyDAQ bundle Links to an external site.by Fawwaz T. Ulaby, Michel M. Maharbiz, Cynthia Furse , 3rd edition ($250)  (available at the UofU Bookstore, or online) Links to an external site.

This bundle includes:

• The Circuits textbook Links to an external site., (THIRD EDITION) which will be used in ECE1250 and ECE2240.  I really liked this textbook, for its readable/understandable explanations.  Last year, I helped write the 3rd edition, and added a lot of additional explanations and real world applications.  I hope you will find it a 'good read'.  It is less expensive to buy the text/software/myDAQ as a bundle Links to an external site..  Can you use an older version of the textbook?  Yes, you can. I will put a new version on reserve in the Marriott Library, so you can compare it to yours and copy sections as needed.  (NOTE:  I will not accept profits from the use of this textbook in this course, and will donate any profits thus obtained to a scholarship fund.  I wrote this book to help you learn.)  Here is the COMPANION SITE Links to an external site. for the textbook.
•  MyDAQ Links to an external site., which is like having your own personal electrical engineering lab (power supplies, DVM, scope, function generator, etc.) in your backpack!    The textbook link above has support for the MyDAQ as well. (This has a year warranty, so buying it used is risky.)  You will use the MyDAQ in ECE1250, 2240, and probably ECE2280.   myDAQ Resources
• Multisim Software Links to an external site. which will let you simulate the circuits in the textbook, your homework, and the labs.  We will use this in ECE1250, and also ECE2240.  The DVD in the back of your textbook has tutorials and support to get you started with Multisim.  Multisim Resources
• Labview software Links to an external site. is a very useful software for general use during your degree, but we won't be using it in this class. This does give you an alternative to buying Matlab --MathScript RT.  The user interface is slightly different, but you should be able to work around that pretty well.

2. Zyante Matlab Online Textbook Links to an external site.

• Sign up at zyBooks.com
• Enter zyBook code UtahECE1250RasmussenSummer2016
• Click Subscribe

Students can begin subscribing on as soon as possible to the class zyBook by following these simple instructions. Copy the above instuctions into your syllabus or LMS. The cost to subscribe is set at $57; any applicable returning student discounts will be applied automatically. The student subscriptions will be valid through 09/28/16.

This interactive online ebook will walk you step-by-step through Matlab programming, and is a very effective way of learning this material.

IFFF you are already familiar with Matlab, you may use any other Matlab textbook or the online resources Matlab: Resources to complete your assignments. In this case, you are not required to purchase the Zybook.

3. Student Version of Matlab (software) Links to an external site.. ($99)  Matlab is a simple programming interface that engineers use for quick, effective simulation, computation, and graphing.  We will use it throughout the course (ECE1250 is meant to be your first introduction to this powerful tool), and in several other classes throughout your degree.  The link above also has tutorials and support to get you started. 
4. You will need access to word processing software for writing.  Microsoft Office (Word) is available to UofU students free from the Office of Software Licensing Links to an external site..  Check out other free and discounted software for students.
5. You will need additional parts and materials for the lab. They can be purchased in MEB2355 (Electrical Engineering Lab Store/Stockroom).  You will need money (approximately $30) on your U-card in order to make these purchases.

6?. Do I NEED a laptop?  Well, technically no.  You are welcome to use the ECE Computer Lab in MEB 2555 Links to an external site..  To get 24/7 keycard access, fill out the form in the ECE Stockroom (after you get your UofU student ID card).  Software for the MyDaq, Matlab, Multisim, Microsoft Office, and Labview are all installed in this lab.  You can access the video lectures and class website there as well.  BUT it will surely be a LOT easier if you have a computer at home, whether it is a desktop or laptop.  A personal tablet (ipad, etc.) is not enough for this class -- the MyDAQ requires a USB interface.  A tablet is a great supplement to a PC (you'll probably love it for watching video lectures), but not a good substitute.

7. Calculator.  You will also need a calculator to do your homework, and exams.  The calculator needs 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 are NOT sufficient.

 Resources for Math:   If (when?) 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 Links to an external site. and TAs are also available to help you.

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. If you are someone with some or much experience, do not be bored!  It is likely we will be looking at the concepts in somewhat different ways than you have in the past, and I hope you will gain new ideas from this way of thinking.  The applications I have included in lectures are likely to be of interest to students at all levels.  Please do not feel you have to limit your exploration of electrical engineering to only what is in the homework.  Extra credit assignments are given specifically to enable and encourage you to explore areas you are interested in in more depth.  I hope you will enjoy this class as much as I will enjoy teaching it.   

 

 ECE 1250 Canvas Website:  A link to the course website on Canvas should appear on your CIS login page Links to an external site.

(the same place you login to register for classes).  When you need to login to Canvas, you use the same username (uID number) and password as you use to login to CIS.  Once you locate the class website, I would suggest bookmarking it. 

 

What We will be Learning (Course Outcomes):

 

My big goal is that at the end of this class, you will successfully invent a sensor system of your own choosing.  

 

To accomplish this, you will learn to:

• Design, evaluate (with theory/math and simulation), build, test, and debug 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, signal processing, communications, electromagnetics, control and embedded systems.
• Program Matlab for applications in electrical & computer engineering.

 

FLIPPED CLASS (Step-by-Step) -- ECE 1250 is NOT your average lecture class: What Students Should Know About the Flipped Classroom

 

Step 1: 1-2 days BEFORE class... Look at the Question of the Day (QOD).  This is material you will learn in the lecture/text for that day.  

 

Step 2: 1-2 days BEFORE class ... Watch the lecture videos (OR read the textbook section).  Take notes that answer the QOD. 

 

Step 3: Come to class and bring questions from videos.  Class will NOT be a repeat of the lecture videos.  We will work together actively solving examples 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.  Sure, you can pick this up on the weekend, but that is less efficient.  It is fantastic 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.

 

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

 

Homework:  Assignment due dates are noted in the tentative schedule and due online (preferred method) or in the lockers located on the 2^nd floor of the MEB by midnight on the day noted. No late assignments will be accepted.  However, your lowest homework grade will be dropped.  If you plan on being absent on a day that a homework set is due, you may either turn it in earlier or have a friend turn it in for you.  Homework will not be accepted late.

Although collaboration with fellow students on homework assignments and studying is encouraged, you will benefit most from the homework if you attempt to do the problems before consulting with 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 your own work.  Copying or allowing another student to copy your work is considered cheating.

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, put problems in the proper order and staple each homework set.  Make sure you understand all of the homework.

For most problems the grader will simply check to see that you’ve done it and that your paper shows the necessary work to get the answer. Only a few problems will be checked in greater detail. You may collaborate with others to learn how to do the homework, but you must write down your solution 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 soon after the homework is due.  Graded homework will be passed out in class.

Picking up Homework:  Your homework, exams and labs will be returned in class lectures or your lab session. 

Exams:  Four exams and an optional final will be given as noted on the class schedule.  Exams will be closed notes and book.  You will be allowed 1 sheet (8 ½ by 11) front and back of handwritten notes for each exam.  Calculators are allowed, but no electronic devices capable of communicating with other devices are allowed.  The final will be broken into 3 parts.  The final is optional.  If the final is not taken, the midterm exam scores will be used to calculate the final grade.  If the final is taken, that exam will be used to calculate the final grade.  The first part corresponds to the material of the first exam.  The second part corresponds to the material of the second exam, etc.  You will be allowed 1 sheet for the each part of the final.  In NO CASE will make-up exams be given unless the student obtained approval from the instructor PRIOR to the time of the exam.  In emergency situations, students will be expected to produce a doctor’s certificate indicating the nature and time of the medical emergency.  Make-up exams may be oral exams working problems similar to the in-class exam on a whiteboard while answering the instructor's questions.

 

The final exam is OPTIONAL.  It can be used to improve any or all of your midterm scores.  The final is broken into 4 parts, and each part is a 'retake' for one of the midterms.  You can retake any or all midterms during the final.  You will automatically receive whichever grade is higher -- the midterm or the equivalent retake on the final.  Four hours will be allowed for the students who either want to spend more time on an individual section or who are taking all parts of the final.

 

Quizzes:  Quizzes will be given as shown on the tentative schedule.  These may change and so make sure you listen to any changes in the schedule mentioned in class.  The lowest quiz will be dropped.  No make-up quizzes will be given. 

 

Matlab:  Matlab assignments are not optional.  You will be given an F grade for the course if matlab work falls below 70%. 

 

Labs:   Lab will be held every week starting the FIRST WEEK of class.  Many of the subjects covered in lab aren’t covered anywhere else in class, so make sure you pay attention and read the lab handouts.  You will have to keep a laboratory notebook as a requirement of the lab.  Your lab TA will grade these notebooks. 

All lab work must be done in the lab under the supervision of your lab TA. You must have the lab TA initial or grade your work before leaving the lab each week or you will not receive credit for that lab. You must do your OWN labwork.

Labs are not optional.  Be sure to make-up any labs you miss or fail by making arrangements with your TA.  You will be given an F grade for the course if lab work falls below 70%.  Lab work is only accepted late to the date noted on the schedule.  If you turn it in before or on the late date noted in the schedule and still want to get a better grade, you may rework on the lab for partial credit of the docked points.  For example, if you received 50pts and turned it in before the late date you may rework the lab.  The most you can receive for reworking a lab is 80% of the reworked total points.  If you rework the lab before the late date, you will not be docked any points.  

 

Schedule:  Refer to the course Schedule about due dates of homework and labs. This information is subject to modification by announcements in class or by information sent via email or by changes in the online versions of the schedule.

Errors: If you find a mistake in the online lecture notes, textbook, solution manual, lab handouts, etc., email me the mistake (details, please, so I can fix it!) plus your corrections.  You will receive an extra 5 homework points for mistakes found, if you are the first person in the class to notice them. Here are errors already found in the textbook (sorry, no extra credit points for these!)  See Circuits-2e_errata.pdf  on the course website (ECE1250 Resources)

Work Load:  It is anticipated that a typical student will need to spend each week:

 

3 hours in class + 3 hours in lab +  6-9 hours on homework + 2-3 hours on prelab and writeup +  Additional time studying for exams = 17+ 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.

 

Grading:  Your final grade will be determined based on the homework, labs, and midterms.  Your lowest homework grade will be dropped.  Your grade will be calculated with the following distribution:

 

 

Homework – 7% (lowest score dropped)

Matlab Homework – 9%

Quizzes – 3%

Lab (experiments/project) – 13%

4 Exams (17% each exam) – 68%

 

Grades:  Your score will determine your grade as follows:

≥ 93%    A       ≥ 90%    A-

≥ 87%    B+     ≥ 83%    B      ≥ 80%    B-

≥ 77%    C+     ≥ 73%    C      ≥ 70%    C-

≥ 67%    D+     ≥ 63%    D      > 60%    D-

≤ 60%    E

Disability Accommodations:  The University of Utah seeks to provide equal access to its programs, services and activities for people with disabilities.  If you will need accommodations in the class, reasonable prior notice needs to be given to the Center for Disability Services, 162 Olpin Union Building, 581-5020 (V/TDD).  CDS will work with you and the instructor to make arrangements for accommodations.  All written information in this course can be made available in alternative format with prior notification to the Center for Disability Services.

Please also see:  College of Engineering Course guidelines (withdrawal dates and policies, etc.) Links to an external site.

If the dates in the guidelines have not yet been updated, please see the Academic Calendar Links to an external site.for this semester.

 

Cheating Policy:  Just don't

Here are some things that constitute cheating in this class:

1)     Copying someone else's work on an exam.  If you accidentally see another student's work on an exam, WRITE a NOTE in your exam and tell me during the exam.  Honesty is of great value.  You will not be penalized for this.  Do not pass any papers to anyone for any reason during the exam.  Do not sit near your study partners during the exam.  If you use any scratch paper for doing exam problems, please just staple it at the back of your exam.  Loose scratch paper could look like notes passed between students.

2)     Copying someone else's work on homework or labs.  I hope you WILL work in groups on your homework, labs, Matlab assignments, etc.  And I hope that every team member will contribute to this work.  If you do not contribute (had to work late, missed the lab, and couldn't make the group meeting), then don't copy their work. 

What happens if you cheat?  Under UofU policy Links to an external site.,  you can (and will) receive an E in the class, be suspended from school, or be expelled from the university.  So just don't cheat.

What happens if someone else cheats?  Statistically, this could lower YOUR grade.  Please tell me or the TA or any other professor or TA (anonymously is fine) if you see instances of cheating in this or any other class.  The ECE Department is committed to reducing instances of cheating in our labs and classes in order to provide the best possible education for all students.  I have worked to set up my class so that there is no need nor reason to cheat.  Just learn the material, and let me give you the credit for what you have learned.

I'm glad to have you in my class!  I hope this will be a great semester for you, that you will learn a lot of really interesting things, and that you will fan the spark of interest you have in engineering into a good flame!