Course Description: Electric circuit fundamentals including
DC and transient circuit analysis are covered in the
course. Topics include independent and dependent sources, circuit
elements such as resistors, inductors, capacitors and operational
amplifiers, linearity, source transformation, Thevenin and Norton
equivalent circuits, as well as the analysis and design of first
and second order circuits.
Course Overview: The goal of this course is NOT to teach you
the intracies of circuit analysis as though it is some art. Circuit
analysis is a topic that applies to many fields beyond electrical
engineering (e.g. acoustics, fluid flow). This is really a course
in linear system theory. Eventually you will learn all the techniques
discussed in this class can be replaced with a generalized approach
based on state variables.
However, the specific goals for this course are to teach you the
basics on AC and DC circuit analysis. We will build on what you
have learned in physics about inductors and capacitors, and what
you are learning in match about differential equations, and will
develop simple models of these components that allow electrical
circuits to be designed and analyzed using some simple theoretical
calculations. We will also rely heavily on computer simulation tools
such as MutliSim, to handle complex circuits.
The laboratory experience will teach you how to design, prototype
and fabricate simple electrical circuits. Extensive use of simulation
tools will be made to debug and verify hardware performance.
Course Learning Objectives (CLO):
- Identify electrical circuits and problems and basic concepts
(SO A, E, K).
- Understand Kirchoff's Current and Voltage Laws, nodal and loop
analysis, voltage and current division, Thevenin and Norton
equivalent circuits for DC resistive circuits (SO A, E, K).
- Solve circuits with operational amplifiers and demonstrate
the ability to use PSPICE to solve electrical circuits
(SO A, E, K).
- Solve first order and second order circuits with switches,
capacitors and inductors (SO A, E, K).
Course Topics: Refer to the CLOs above to understand how these
topics relate to our stated program outcomes.
- Voltage, current, power, energy and independent/dependent
sources (CLO 1).
- Basic laws such as Kirchoff's voltage and current laws, Ohm's
law, series/parallel resistance, voltage and current division
(CLO 1, 2).
- Nodal and loop analysis, circuit analysis using circuits
theorems (CLO 2).
- Operational amplifiers (CLO 3).
- Inductance, capacitance, switches (CLO 2).
Questions or comments about the material presented here can be
directed to