ECE 3074 - AC Circuit Analysis Laboratory (1C)
Course Description
Design, simulation, construction, measurement, and troubleshooting of AC circuits. Basic AC measurement techniques will be introduced, including using a digital multimeter, oscilloscope, function generator, network analyzer, and impedance analyzer. Circuit simulation will be used to test designs prior to construction. Laboratory experiments will introduce some of the key aspects of AC circuits, such as phasor measurements, oscillators, reactance compensation, impedance matching, passive and active filter design, and applications.
Why take this course?
Being able to design, simulate, and build circuits is a critical skill for Electrical and Computer Engineers. Many students learn about basic circuits and build them to test them, but being able to design a circuit based on a problem or objective while considering practical considerations is more comparable to what they will need to do after they graduate. Being able to design foundational AC circuits using discrete R, L, and C components, as well as op amps and transformers, will provide students with a set of tools for designing their own circuits in the future.
Additionally, using a digital multimeter and a USB oscilloscope will help students learn to measure and test AC circuits and compare experimental results with theoretical results and computational models. This course complements the lecture course (ECE 3004) by developing practical, hands-on modeling, design, construction, measurement, and troubleshooting skills for AC circuits.
Learning Objectives
- Describe the purpose of the foundational AC circuits covered in this course
- Choose a foundational AC circuit or a combination of them to meet a design goal
- Design and simulate foundational AC circuits using modern circuit simulation tools
- Build, measure, and troubleshoot physical realizations of foundational AC circuits
- Measure foundational AC circuits and interpret measurements using modern circuit simulation tools, a digital multimeter, an oscilloscope, an impedance analyzer, and a network analyzer
- Compare circuit performance between simulated measurements, physical measurements, and design goals