Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

The laboratory portion of this course provides students with the opportunity to develop skills in the operation of basic electronics test instruments (dc power supply, digital multimeter, signal generator, and oscilloscope). Students will work in groups of two or more to perform and complete laboratory exercises. Students must be able to communicate, both in oral and written form, using the English language.

•   Master the basic algebraic and arithmetic manipulations necessary in the analysis of electric circuit.
•   Construct, analyze and troubleshoot simple DC circuits.
•   Operate electronic test equipment: multimeter, power supply, function generator, and oscilloscope.
• Use electronic circuit simulation software like PSpice
• Communicate technical information in written and oral form
• Practice safe operating procedures.

The course will include a variety of learning activities. The lecture portion of the course, two hours per week, will include instructor delivered lectures and demonstrations stressing key topics in the course. In preparation for the lecture portion of the course, students will be expected to complete all reading and homework assignments.
The laboratory portion of the course, three hours per week, will include laboratory activities. The purpose of the laboratory activities is to help students to develop necessary skills in test instruments operation, electric circuit analysis and troubleshooting, working on teams, oral and written communication.

Assessment of student performance in this course will be conducted in both the lecture and the laboratory portion of the course and will be in the form of written and practice-based questions.

Use of whole numbers, fractions, decimals, percentages, ratios, and proportions and various formulas in applications related to electric circuits. Concepts will be introduced numerically, graphically, and symbolically. Students will communicate their results in oral and written form.
2. Concepts of basic charts, and graphs. Concepts will be introduced numerically, graphically, and symbolically. Students will communicate their results in oral and written form.
3. Use of measurement systems, both English and Metric. Conversions, temperature, and time to write, manipulate, interpret, and solve applications and formulas. Concepts will be introduced numerically, graphically, and symbolically. Students will communicate their results in oral and written form.
4. Use applications, formulas, and reasoning skills to write, manipulate, interpret, solve, and graph linear equations. Concepts will be introduced numerically, graphically, and symbolically.
5. Electrical Parameters
5.1. Define the terms: voltage, current, resistance, and power.
5.2. Know and use appropriately the units associated with voltage, current, resistance, and power.
5.3. Measure resistance using a digital multimeter.
5.4. Perform continuity tests using a digital multimeter.
5.5. Interpret the color code on commercial 5% carbon resistors.
5.6. Measure voltage between two points using a digital multimeter.
5.7. Given two of the three electrical parameters (voltage, current, and resistance), use Ohm's Law to compute the value of the third electrical parameter.
5.8. Given two of the three electrical parameters (voltage, current, and power), use the power equation to compute the value of the third electrical parameter.
6. Series Circuits
6.1. Identify series circuit elements.
6.2. State Kirchhoff's Voltage Law.
6.3. Determine the equivalent voltage for a series connection of two or more dc voltage sources.
6.4. Determine the equivalent resistance for a series connection of two or more resistances.
6.5. Given a series circuit, compute current flowing in the circuit.
6.6. Given a series circuit, compute voltage drop across each resistor.
6.7. Given a series circuit, compute the power dissipated in the circuit.
6.8. Use the voltage divider concept to calculate voltage drops across elements in a series circuit.
6.9. Calculate the value of a series-limiting resistor for a light-emitting diode (LED).
6.10. Determine the effect of "open circuits" and "short circuits" in a series circuit.
7. Parallel Circuits
7.1. Recognize when two circuit elements or groups of circuit elements are connected in parallel.
7.2. State Kirchhoff's Current Law.
7.3. Apply Kirchhoff's Current Law at a node in a parallel circuit.
7.4. Determine the equivalent resistance of two or more resistances that are connected in parallel.
7.5. Using the current divider equation, the total current, and the resistance of two parallel paths, determine how current will divide between the two parallel paths.
7.6. Given a parallel circuit, calculate the amount of power dissipated in the circuit.
7.7. Determine the effect of "short circuits" and "open circuits" in a parallel circuit.
8. Series-Parallel Circuits
8.1. Determine the equivalent resistance of a series-parallel circuit.
8.2. Given a series-parallel circuit consisting of one dc voltage source and three or more resistances, determine the voltage drop across each circuit element and the current flowing through each circuit element.
8.3. Given a series-parallel circuit consisting of one dc voltage source and three or more resistances, from given voltage readings determine the location of an open or short circuit.
8.4. Apply Kirchhoff's Current Law at a node in a series-parallel circuit.
9. Troubleshooting DC circuits: based on a comparison between calculations and measurements, between what “should be” and what “it is”, students will be able to identify a short or an open in the circuit, and fix the problem.