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Introduction to Circuits and Electronics

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    The Amplifier Circuit is here.

    04/14/04 (modified 04/19/04):

    Assignments for this week:
    • Look up part layout information:
      Go to http://www.digikey.com/ and look up parts of the type that you were assigned. Choose one for us to use in our final circuit, based on availability, price, and convenience. Use the datasheet (usually available through Digi-Key) to look all of the part's physical dimensions that will be needed for laying it out on the circuit board. [Optional: Now, find the Cadence ".dra" file that corresponds to your part dimensions (possibly under C:\Cadence\PSD_15.0\share\pcb\pcb_lib\symbols).] Record all of this information and bring it to class Thursday.

      This assignment has 2 hours attributed to it. If you finish this with much time to spare, consider the next assignment below; if you choose not to do the next assignment, email Jimmy for additional circuit parts to codify.

    • Build your own circuit:
      You are encouraged to design any circuit of your choice for your final project. Ideally these circuits should include a mixture of analog and digital pieces, and be about as complicated as the amplifier circuit shown in class (but at least more complicated than the dreep). Working with other students is also encouraged. Gill and Jimmy will help you in any way we can. The possibilities are endless:

      • Your own class D amplified design: from labs and other resources
      • A modification of and improvement on the Dreep: http://ice.ece.olin.edu/labs/Dreep%20Circuit.pdf
      • For simple analog/digital robots: http://bestiary.solarbotics.net/
      • "Lego Robot Controller" test board: http://handyboard.com/techdocs/
      • Forced Feedback Controller: use your fantastic memory!
      • For endless circuit designs: http://www.commlinx.com.au/schematics.htm

      Your final project should take you about 16 hours to build and debug, including time in class. After you are done with your circuit, you can improve it or begin the final assignment: making a poster to present your work at Expo.

    04/07/04:

    Read the HIP4080A datasheet and application notes for Thursday.

    04/03/04:

    Looking for more things to do? Play with Allegro and become familiar with its capabilities. Also, there are now extension projects that you can do, on the Example Problems page.

    3/23/04:

    Build the simple PWM amplifier, with op-amps for triangle-wave generation and comparison, and an inductor and capacitor for "smoothing". Build these amplifiers on your circuit boards, using PSPICE as much as it helps you.

    3/02/04:

    Lab 4 is to model in PSPICE and build on your bread boards a pseudo-random white noise generator. Build a system as described in section 9.33 of The Art (either the 16-bit or 24-bit versions) and apply a lowpass filter to get analog noise. You may find sections around 9.33 useful as well. Play your white noise through a speaker in lab and describe any features of the sound. Try to show in PSPICE that the Fourier transform of your output shows an approximately even distribution of energy in audio frequencies (between 20 Hz and 20 kHz). Include in a lab report, emailed to jrising @ olin.edu, your PSPICE work and how it relates to the system you created on your breadboard.

    Do not take apart your circuits after you are done. Keep your breadboards.

    Parts will arive Wednesday, including 8-bit shift registers which can be cascaded to form larger registers.

    2/24/04:

    Lab 3 is available. Due next Tuesday.

    We've switched over to Time-Based Grading! Read more on the policies page!

    2/09/04:

    Lab 2 is out - this is also your homework for this week. It is due next Tuesday.

    2/03/04:

    Please install the most recent version of Cadence PSpice, version 15.0, and remove any previous versions, by the end of the week. Instructions for installing Cadence PSpice are at http://www.olin.edu/it/docs/Installing_Cadence_PSpice_PSD_15.pdf. Note that the install is over 1 GB and will take a while.

    1/29/04:

    There was no additional homework assigned for Tuesday, although redos of homework 2 are due then.

    1/23/04:    If you do not have Cadence / Pspice already on your laptop, you can install the student version of cadence / pspice from the software page at left.

    I was asked by nefarious people to include the following: