Course Syllabus

ECE 1050 – MATLAB for Electrical & Computer Engineering Design

Course Taught:  various times, see Class Schedule

Professor: Dr. Neil Cotter, necotter@ece.utah.edu, (801) 581-8566 (office), MEB 2268

Office Hours:  MWF 10:40-noon (often later, also check MEB 2265 lab)

Last day to drop:             Friday, August 31

Last day to withdraw:      Friday, October 19

Undergraduate Policies on Appeals, Withdrawals, Equal Access, etc.: https://www.coe.utah.edu/students/academic-affairs/academics/semester-guidelines/

Prerequisites:

MATH 1210 or 1310 or 1311 (grade of "C-" or better).   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 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.

CORE  COURSE  INFORMATION

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

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

At the conclusion of ECE 1050 students should be able to: 

• Write simple program scripts and functions in MATLAB.
• Use MATLAB for applications in electrical & computer engineering.
• Use LTspice to simulate a circuit
• Collect data and analyze basic electronic sensors and circuits

REQUIRED/RECOMMENDED COURSE MATERIALS

Student Version of MATLAB (software)  ($30 from U of U Software Licensing Office)

• 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.  If you are on a tight budget, you may wish to try some free alternatives to MATLAB: Freemat or Octave.  Both of these languages are virtually identical to MATLAB and may be used for labs.  Be sure to specify which language you are using when answering homework problems.

Circuit Simulation Software: LTspice available free online for Windows or Mac

•  LTspice is made available for free by Analog Devices.  On their website, Analog Devices describes LTspice as follows:

LTspice^® is a high performance SPICE simulation software, schematic capture and waveform viewer with enhancements and models for easing the simulation of analog circuits. Included in the download of LTspice are macromodels for a majority of Analog Devices switching regulators, amplifiers, as well as a library of devices for general circuit simulation."

Multimeter: Astro AI (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. or similar meter available from the ECE Stockroom, MEB 2355

•  The multimeter is able to measure voltage, current, and capacitance.  Cost is around $40.

Lab Notebook: 

• You will need a bound notebook, but it may be inexpensive.  Even a spiral notebook is allowed.  However, avoid notebooks that you can insert pages into (e.g., a loose-leaf notebook).  You will use standard practice by writing in the notebook in ink, numbering the pages, and signing and dating each page.  Use the notebook in the lab for everythingyou write down.  Keeping a beautiful notebook is unnecessary.  Making a complete record is necessary.  Write enough detail that you can understand what you did a year later.

Word Processing Software: 

• You will need access to word processing software for writing lab reports, particularly at the end of the semester.

• Microsoft Office (Word) is available to UofU students free from the Office of Software Licensing (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site..  Check out other free and discounted software for students.

Parts and Materials for the Lab: 

• Electronic components can be purchased in MEB2355 (Electrical Engineering Lab Store/Stockroom).  You will need money (approximately $30 for both ECE 1050 and 1245) on your U-card in order to make these purchases.

EXPECTATIONS FOR STUDENTS IN COURSE

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

0.5 hours watching videos

1.5 hours in lab and homework

Additional time for final project write-up

2+ 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.  

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 need a laboratory notebook to occasionally record data as a requirement of the lab.

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: TA's and Overview

Lab attendance is mandatory.  Be sure to make-up any labs you miss or fail by making arrangements with your TA.    Lab work is due as specified by your lab TA.  Generally, the due date will be one week and one day after you start the lab in your lab section.  Labs that are late up to one week receive 75% credit, labs that are late up to two weeks late receive 50% credit, labs that are late up to three weeks late receive 25%, and labs that later than three weeks late receive no credit.  Because we are using "Turn It In" to check for plagiarism, you can only turn in assignments once.  

Permission codes and Lab Waiting Lists:

If you want to change your lab section, and the one you want is full, please submit a permission code request form (use 2nd link) to get on the waiting list.  The office staff processes the requests and can let you know how many are ahead of you, so you have an idea if you are likely to get into that section or not.  The staff also handles permission codes for the class, with the permission of the professor.  If you are needing special permission for some reason, please email me necotter@ece.utah.edu.

Extra Credit:  Extra Credit can be used if you forget to turn in your homework, if you just don’t do it, etc.   These can be used to give you a maximum of 100% on your combined HW/Lab scores.  Extra credit assignments can be turned in  through the last day of class.  You can find extra credit throughout the semester on the class website.

Errors: If you find a mistake in the lab handouts, email me the mistake (details, please, so I can fix it!) plus your corrections.  You may receive extra points for mistakes found, if you are the first person in the class to notice them. 

Schedule:  Refer to the Assignments for rough 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.

Grading: 

12 Labs             100%

Extra Credit          3% (max)

Grades are assigned by an absolute grading scale based on percentage total for course:

≥ 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.

Cheating Policy:  Just don't

Copying someone else's work on labs.  I hope you WILL talk to other students about concepts relating to labs, MATLAB coding, LTspice simulations, etc.  However, you must do your own work, including coding, creating simulation files, making measurements, and writing up results. 

What happens if you cheat?  Under UofU policy, 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.

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!

-Your Professor, Dr. Cotter