Physics 221L (Principles of Electronics) Spring 2006
Professor Scott Heinekamp (scotth@wells.edu) Zabriskie 203 364-3361(w) 364-7676(h)

Electronics runs the human world: reliably, silently, repeatably. From the simple flashlight to intercontinental communication systems, all depends on an understanding of voltages and currents. Electronics is a somewhat odd subject to learn in a classroom. Often, it seems mystifying and almost arbitrary at times, with only imperfect theory to support the practice. It's a lot like learning to drive only by taking driver's ed - we learn how to deal with new situations best by quickly synthesizing experience and circumstances, through experiment, not merely by reading and musing. Judgement comes with experience and a fair number of mistakes, in other words. You can expect to continue learning electronics for the rest of your life!

Course Outline
For more specifics, see the Lecture Schedule for Physics 221L. The course is in three main parts, with some overlap: analog (smoothly varying) electronics is part 1. To introduction concepts of voltage, current and resistance, we will look at linear (resistive) and nonlinear (diode-like for now) behavior. Thevenin's equivalent will be discussed, both as a simplifying concept and as a window into "systems" concepts. Operation principles (and mathematical niceties) of the other passive components (capacitors and inductors), moving to an in-depth analysis of capacitive and inductive phenomena in ac circuits, employing at times the tools of deciBels and Bode plots, follow. (Complex variables will be our mathematical setting here, in what is traditionally a rather difficult part of the course.)

Part II is all about the transistor's awesome abilities to control and amplify. The world of the op amp (so clean and helpful), made as they are of a dozen or more transistors hidden in a box, is, oddly, the best beginning: a place of incredible virtuosity and inventiveness. Then: we'll decide whether to study the messy truth of transistor action, as a switch and, if there is time and interest, for signal amplification; or we might opt for more learning of negative feedback -- which can, almost by magic, effect both gain stabilization and dramatic improvement of input or output impedance, is mathematically tricky yet supremely applicable to real circuits. In either case, examples of real circuits (timers, Schmitt triggers . . .) wrap it up.

Part III is digital electronics: starting with the basic logic ideas and numerical encoding schemes (this may be review for the CS folks), then to using simple logic gates to implement the Boolean operations. More advanced digital electronics follows: flip-flops, triggers, counters and timers. We conclude the course with some specialized topics, centered around the world of analog to digital conversion, and back.

Printed Resources
The text is Nigel Cook's Electronics: A Complete Course (2nd ed). This book is VERY wordy and lavishly produced; it moves slowly and deliberately through the ideas. Read the relevant sections before class. Accompanying the text is Electronics Workbench, a very handy and fun circuit simulation CD.

Basis of Grading
Homework and Class Participation(25%): The homework assignments will be added here as time goes on. Part of this score will be a measure of your class participation.
Examinations (2 x 15% + 20%): Three in all. The third will take place at the time of the final (Monday Dec 17 9am), and will be partially hands-on.
Laboratory and project (25%): Apart from the fun of "small" labs, where you can play with the ideas in the course to see how things happen in the real world, you'll be able to create one modest project: this is more involved than a lab, and will ask for creativity and independent work from you.