ECE 6400 Electronic Instrumentation

(catalog title:  Electronic Instruments)

 

Summer II 2008
updated 9 August 2008

The online version of this syllabus at http://homepages.wmich.edu/~miller/ECE6400.html has hyperlinks and will be updated as needed.

Instructor

Dr. Damon A. Miller, Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Western Michigan University, College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Parkview Campus, Room A-240, 269.276.3158, 269.276.3151 (fax), damon.miller@wmich.edu, www.homepages.wmich.edu/~miller/.

Office Hours

Guaranteed office hours are posted on Dr. Miller’s door and at http://homepages.wmich.edu/~miller/. Please respect my office hours.  Other times are available by appointment.

Description (WMU Graduate Catalog)

ECE 6400 Electronic Instruments, 3 hrs.  Analysis of basic instrumentation systems including basic instrumentation concepts, dynamic analysis of instruments, transducers, classical analog methods, digital methods and application.  Prerequisites:  ECE 3200 (Electronics II), ECE 3710 (Linear Systems) and ECE 2510 (Introduction to Microprocessors I).

 

ECE 6400 Course Learning Outcomes

 

Graduates of ECE 6400 will exhibit (with most relevant ABET learning outcomes identified):

 

1.      an in-depth knowledge of operational amplifiers including ideal and non-ideal characteristics (ABET: a);

2.      an ability to design operational amplifiers circuits to meet provided specifications (ABET: a,c,e,k);

3.      an ability to design passive and active filters (ABET: a,c,e,k);

4.      an ability to analyze, simulate, and improve the noise performance of electronic circuits (ABET: a,c,e,k);

5.      a knowledge of digital-to-analog and analog-to-digital conversion techniques and their use in instrumentation systems (ABET: a,c,e);

6.      an ability to specify, analyze, simulate, and design instrumentation systems (ABET: a,c,e);

7.      an ability to design physical prototypes of instrumentation systems including layout of printed circuit board(s) (ABET: c,e,k); and

8.      an ability to effectively communicate instrumentation system designs for design reviews and manufacture (ABET: g).

 

 

 

Textbook and Materials

Required:

1.  Sergio Franco, Design with Operational Amplifiers and Analog Integrated Circuits, 3rd edition, McGraw-Hill, New York, 2002.

2.  Linear Technology, LTspice/SwitcherCADTM III, available at no cost at http://www.linear.com/designtools/software/.  This software will be used to simulate circuits and is available in the CAE center.  You are responsible for ensuring access to a working copy.

3.  PCB 123R (PCB layout software), available from pcb123.com

References (available from Dr. Miller):

1.  Rolf Schaumann and Mac E. Van Valkenburg, Design of Analog Filters, Oxford University Press, 2001.

2.  A. S. Sedra and K. C. Smith, Microelectronic Circuits, Oxford University Press, 5th edition, 1998.

3.  Tim Williams, The Circuit Designer’s Handbook, Reed Educational and Professional Publishing Ltd., 1991.

Online References:

1.  Site enables finding 1% and 5% resistor that most closely realize a desired ratio: http://www.employees.org/~bennet/teledesign/ResistorRatio.html

2.  Paul Brokaw, An IC Amplifier User’s Guide to Decoupling, Grounding, and Making Things Go Right for a Change, Application Note AN-202, Rev. B, available from www.analog.com

3.  John Ardizzoni, A Practical Guide to High-Speed Printed-Circuit-Board Layout, Analog Dialogue, 39-09, September 2005, available from www.analog.com

4.  Jim Williams (editor), The Art and Science of Analog Circuit Design, from the EDN Series for Design Engineers, Butterworth-Heinemann, 1998.

Other References:

Recommended:

A high level mathematics software suite is extremely useful but not required.  The main motivation for recommending a mathematics software suite is to develop your capabilities in using such a package. Pick one and master it for use throughout your academic and professional career.

1.  The MathWorks, MATLAB® & SIMULINK®, student version R2007a (ISBN 0-9792239-0-3), available at www.academicsuperstore.com or the WMU bookstore.  This is a tremendous value as this package includes many toolboxes and blocksets that must be purchased separately for use in a professional version. Use this opportunity to learn MATLAB®; this is one of the most widely used software packages, especially in electrical engineering.

2.  Wolfram Research, Mathematica®, available at www.academicsuperstore.com.  This is a remarkable, unified symbolic approach to computing.  Visit http://www.mathematica.com/ to see some of the extraordinary capabilities of this package developed by Stephen Wolfram.

3.  MapleSoft, Maple®, version 11 for students, (available on main campus or at www.academicstore.com).

Course Policies

Academic Honesty

General:

You are responsible for making yourself aware of and understanding the policies and procedures in the Undergraduate and Graduate Catalogs that pertain to Academic Honesty. These policies include cheating, fabrication, falsification and forgery, multiple submission, plagiarism, complicity and computer misuse. [The policies can be found at www.www.wmich.edu/catalog under Academic Policies, Student Rights and Responsibilities.] If there is reason to believe you have been involved in academic dishonesty, you will be referred to the Office of Student Conduct. You will be given the opportunity to review the charge(s). If you believe you are not responsible, you will have the opportunity for a hearing. You should consult with me if you are uncertain about an issue of academic honesty prior to the submission of an assignment or test. — provided by the Professional Concerns Committee of the WMU Faculty Senate

Plagiarism:

One of the most serious academic offenses is plagiarism (see definition for "plagiarize" in the Cambridge Advanced  Learner's Dictionary). If your institution, colleagues, or professional organization believe that you have unfairly used the work (the intellectual property) of another person, you may lose your job, be asked to leave your university, and/or have your professional career ruined [from www.ohiou.edu/Esl/help/plagiarism.html].  See that website for tutorials on how to insure that you never plagiarize another’s work.

Grading Basis

1.      Projects (60%) will be assigned on a regular basis.  LATE PROJECTS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED AND ARE DUE AT THE BEGINNING OF CLASS. All projects are to be completed individually.  The format of project reports will be addressed in class.  One or more projects will consist of a series of homework style problems from the text.  Use the prescribed homework format for those problems.

2.      Examinations (2 or more) and Quizzes (announced or unannounced):  40%

OUTSTANDING WORK might earn extra credit.

 

Scale: 0-60 E | 60-65 D | 65-70 DC | 70-75 C | 75-80 CB | 80-85 B | 85-90 BA | 90-100 A |

EXAMINATIONS AND QUIZZES will be closed-notes closed-book unless otherwise noted. You must have a WMU issued ID with you at the exam.

 

Only under extremely unusual circumstances will make-up examinations and quizzes be considered.  Religious observances will be accommodated with advanced notice.  If an emergency prevents you from attending a scheduled examination or quiz, contact your instructor PRIOR to the test or as soon as you can reach a telephone, e-mail terminal, etc. If the instructor cannot be reached directly, leave a message with the department (276-3150).  Failure to adhere to this policy will result in zero credit for the exercise.

 

Use of Calculators

When a calculator is allowed on a quiz/exam, without exception only models accepted by the Fundamentals of Engineering Examination may be used; see http://www.ncees.org/exams/calculators/index.php#approved for a list of approved calculators.

HOMEWORK is assigned in class. Students must maintain a homework folder that is brought to each class. Assignments will be randomly collected from the homework folder perhaps without prior warning. Homework due dates will be given in class. Each homework problem must be worked on separate page(s).  LATE HOMEWORK will not be accepted, except under extraordinary circumstances. Homework is to be completed individually and collected homework will be considered a quiz.

 

Homework should normally be done on 8 1/2'' by 11'' sheets. “Engineer's Pad” sheets are preferred.  Solutions must be done in a neat, structured, logical, and orderly manner with frequent brief notations enabling the grader to readily verify the author's source of information, steps taken, sources of formula, equations, and methods used. USE THE PARTIAL CHECK LIST FOR SUBMITTED HOMEWORK BELOW.  Papers failing to meet these guidelines may not be graded and may be returned, with or without an opportunity for resubmission with a penalty.

 

PARTIAL CHECK LIST FOR SUBMITTED HOMEWORK

 

1.      Each problem must include: (a) author's name, (b) name/title of the assignment, and (c) date of completion.

2.      Use only one side of the paper and include a brief and concise statement of the problem prior to its solution. Begin each problem on a new page.

3.      Number the pages and DOUBLE SPACE the text.

4.      Staple each problem in the upper left corner as needed.

5.      Entitle graphs, label and include axes, include key symbols for multiple curve graphs, and give brief notes of explanation where appropriate.

6.      Briefly but clearly annotate your document in a way which will provide the document reader with information such as

a.       which part of the assignment is this?

b.      what is being done and why?

c.       how was it done and what are the results?

d.      how was this equation obtained and how was it used?

e.       sample calculations and definitions of symbols/parameters where appropriate; and

f.       BOX AND LABEL ANSWERS.

 

In case of conflict, information in this syllabus supersedes all other course documents.

 

Tentative Schedule

class #

date

topic

assignment

VWS=verify result with SPICE

WEEK 1

1

6/26

1.      course introduction

2.      operational amplifier fundamentals:  ideal op-amp model, basic configurations, analysis

3.      introduction to SPICE

read Franco CH 1

 

Project 1:  Complete problems CH 1:  8 (VWS), 11 (VWS), 25 (VWS), 30 (VWS), 49 (VWS), 50, 65 (VWS), 74  (due 7/10; turn in 7/8 for +20% extra credit)

WEEK 2

2

7/1

1.      operational amplifier fundamentals:  analysis and application of negative feedback to op-amp circuits

read Franco CH 2

3

7/3

1.      operational amplifier circuits with resistive feedback (follows text CH 2 TOC):  I/V and V/I converters, current amplifiers, difference amplifiers

 

WEEK 3

4

7/8

1.      operational amplifier circuits with resistive feedback (follows text CH 2 TOC):  instrumentation amplifiers, transducer bridge amplifiers

2.      discuss project 2 and project report format (to include parts list)

Project 2:  Design of a Micro-Electrode Array Preamplifier and a Transducer Bridge (due 7/17)

 

see http://www.ecircuitcenter.com/Circuits/vc_resistor1/vc_resistor1.htm to see how to make a voltage controlled resistor

 

read Franco CH 3

5

7/10

1.      active filters:  filter classification, transfer functions, stability, differentiators, integrators, first order low-pass and high-pass filters, second order band-pass filter, and phase shifter; applications

 

WEEK 4

6

7/15

1.      discuss project 2

2.      active filters:  second order low-pass, high-pass, band-pass, and notch filters KRC filters, multiple-feedback filters

read Franco CH 4, sections 1-3

 

Project 3:  Text problems and Filter Design (due 7/24)

 

example showing how to use LTspice/SwitcherCADTM to plot Bode plots from Laplace transfer function:  FifthOrderButterworthLowPass.asc

7

7/17

1.      state variable and biquad filters

2.      sampling and A/D conversion

3.      circuit sensitivity

4.      active filters:  filter approximations, cascade design, generalized impedance converters

read Franco CH 5

WEEK 5

8

7/22

1.      class discussion on graded projects 1 and 2

2.      preparation for exam #1

3.      static op-amp limitations:  input bias currents

read Franco CH 6

 

EXAM 1 topics:  CH 1 and 2 (text) and projects 1 and 2:  not limited to:  amplifier fundamentals, design and analysis of ideal op-amp based circuits, basic op-amp circuit configurations, design and analysis of negative feedback circuits and systems, effects of negative feedback, op-amp based circuits, e.g. I-V and V-I converters, difference amplifiers, instrumentation amplifiers

9

7/24

1.      static op-amp limitations:  input offset voltage, CMRR, PSRR, effects of output swing, maximum ratings

2.      dynamic op-amp limitations:  open-loop and closed-loop response

Project 4:  Complete problems CH 5:  2, 7, 12:  CH 6:  2, 40, 50 (VWS)

 

DUE 7/31

 

read Franco CH 7

WEEK 6

10

7/29

EXAM 1

 

11

7/31

1.      dynamic op-amp limitations: input and output impedances, slew-rate limiting, full-power bandwidth

2.      noise:  noise properties and dynamics, noise sources, signal-to-noise ratio, designing to reduce noise effects

Project 5:  Improving the Noise Performance of an Instrumentation Amplifier (due 8/7)

 

read Franco CH 8

WEEK 7

12

8/5

1.      printed circuit board design software demo (guest lecture by Mr. John Stahl)

Project 6:  Frequency Compensation Experiment and Printed Circuit Board Design of an Instrumentation Amplifier (due 8/14)

13

8/7

1.      stability and frequency compensation

2.      printed circuit board layout best practices:  grounding, ground loops, ground/power distribution, shielding, PCB surface resistance, guarding, power supply bypassing, EMC design checklist (from Williams text)

 

WEEK 8

14

8/12

1.      student presentations of project 5

2.      instructor evaluation

 

15

8/14

1.       EXAM 2

open book, open notes;

bring textbook and laptop with working SPICE program

 

Credits

 

Adapted in part from syllabi by J. Gesink.

© 2008 Damon A. Miller. All rights reserved.

 

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