Course Schedule for ELEC 105

Instrumentation Course - Flow of Material (Spring 2009) - Under Development Feb 6, 2009

Notes:

Before you do anything else, read this.
Link to quiz solutions. This set of links is updated through the semester as quizzes are given.
Link to explanation of the material in each unit - for each unit below.
Link to an Excel spreadsheet you can use to calculate your overall quiz grade.
Quizzes on Wednesdays - - the first day of each weekly segment in bold red (Note exceptions below.)
Problems due on Mondays - the last day of each weekly segment in bold green. There are the problems noted "for hand-in".

Week 1 (Jan 14, 16, 19) - Basic Concepts & Basic Measurements - Lab
Week 2 (Jan 21, 23, 26) - Sensors & Time Constants - Lab
Week 3 (Jan 28, Jan 30, Feb 2) - Signals & Signal Measurement, & Another Time Constant System - Lab
Week 4 (Feb 4, 6, 9) - Sensors with Sinusoidal Outputs/AC Tachometers - Lab
Week 5 (Feb 11, 13, 16) - Filtering signals - (Introduction - Filters - Operational Amplifiers) - Lab
Week 6 (Feb 18, 20, 23) - Fourier Topics - (Introduction - Fourier Series) - Lab
Week 7 (Feb 25, Feb 27, Mar 2) - Fourier Topics - 2nd Week - (FFT - Fast Fourier Transform) - Lab
Week 8 (Mar 4, 6, 16) - LabVIEW - NOTE: Spring Break intervenes
Week 9 (Mar 18, 20, 23) - GPIB (IEEE-488 Instruments) - Including GPIB in LabVIEW
Week 10 (Mar 25, 27, 30) - Data Representation & File Operations

This week's lab also includes the first part of the Data Conversion Labs.

Week 11 (Apr 1, 3, 6) - Data Conversion
Week 12 (Apr 8, 10, 13) - Control
Week 13 (Apr 15, 17, 20) - Control continued
Week 14 (Apr 22, 24, 27) - Network Measurements
Links: Basic Concepts, Sensors, Time Constants, Diodes, Opamps, Filters, Filters with Noise, Fourier Series, FFT, LabVIEW, GPIB, Data Representation, Data Conversion (Meter Data), File Operations, Network Measurements. Control Systems,

Week 1 - Study Guide - Basic Concepts & Basic Measurements

Topics & Readings

Charge, Current, Voltage,

Problems(for hand-in)

Problem 1 (Charge), Problem 2 (Current), Problem 3 (Choose Battery) + Link to Solution, Problem 4 (Charge, Current, Voltage)

Lab Work

Lab Summary, Measure Battery voltages, Temperature Sensors-1, Measure a Power Supply - (Optional)

Additional Readings

KCL, KVL, Sensors - with links for thermocouples, LM35s and thermistors, Determining Temperature from a Thermistor Voltage Divider Measurement

Class Notes
Objectives

Week 2 - Sensors and Sensor Time Constants

Study Guide - Sensors (Voltage Sources)

Topics & Readings Resistive Sensors, Voltage Divider Circuits - Summary, Computing Temperature with a Thermistor Measurement, See also under Time Constants for this week.
Problems (for hand-in Week 2) - Sensor Dynamics, Voltage Divider (Sensor Circuit), The lab below (Temperature Sensor Dynamics Analysis) contains an assignment for hand-in.
Lab Work - The lab work for this segment is under "Time Constants" below.
Additional Readings, Voltage Divider Circuits
Class notes
Objectives

Study Guide - Time Constants

Topics & Readings What is a time constant? Measuring time constants, An introduction to sensor dynamics
Problems (for hand-in Week 2) - The lab below (Temperature Sensor Dynamics Analysis) contains an assignment for hand-in.
Lab Work, Lab Summary, Measure Temperature Sensor Time Response, Temperature Sensor Dynamics Analysis
Additional Readings, Linear First Order System Dynamics
Class notes
Objectives

Week 3 - Study Guide - Signals

Topics & Readings, Kinds of Signals - Sinusoidal, DC, Noise, Signal Representation - Parameters of Sinusoidal Signals, Note on the Nyquist Sampling Theorem
Problems - for hand-in - Sampling Problem P01, Sampling Problem P02
Lab Work, Getting Acquainted With An Oscillscope - Do the lab experiment at the link, but you do not need to do the optional lab exercise. The lab sheet has places for answers. Answer those questions and hand in the lab sheet.
Additional Readings
Class notes
Objectives

Week 4 - Study Guide - Signals and Sampling

This segment requires material about FFTs, etc.

Topics & Readings, Sampling of Signals, Nyquist Sampling - Includes a link to this simulator
Problems - for hand-in, for other problems see the Study Guide Dr. Mallity's alarm clock visits Europe, Signal Problem P03
Lab Work

The Starry Night Experiments (note: In 2008 these were done in separate weeks.)

A Simulator Problem - No report.
AC Tachometer Problem - Link to the hand-in sheet - which has a link to the actual experiment.

Week 5 - Filtering

This segment requires material about resistors, capacitors, and signals. Some of this material is abbreviated from the full version.

Study Guide - Filters

Topics & Readings, What is a filter?, Effects of a filter on AC (sinusoidal) signals, First Order Filters (without Phasor Analysis), What Happens in an RC Filter Circuit?, An Introduction to Frequency Dependent Circuits
Problems

Interactive Problems A, B, - Not for hand-in
Problem Freq1P01 - A Filter Problem
Problem Freq1P02 - A Filter Problem
Problem Freq1P03 - A Filter Problem
Working with the Lab Data - This problem assumes that you have done the lab "Filtering A Sensor Signal".

Lab Work

Filtering a Sensor Signal (This sheet has the summary data for hand-in.)

Or, you can use this Lab Summary - Will be done in class 2009
Working with the Lab Data - Will be done in class 2009

Filter Appreciation Day

Lab Summary

Study Guide - Capacitors

Topics & Readings, What is a capacitor? Simple capacitor circuits (R-C circuit) Capacitors

Week 6 - Fourier Topics - Fourier Series

Study Guide - Fourier Series

Readings & Topics - What is a Fourier Series? Basic Facts About Fourier Series (including formulae for calculating Fourier coefficients, The effect of Symmetry on Fourier Series Coefficients
Problems - for other problems see the Study Guide, Freq4P00 - A guided problem (not for hand-in), Freq4P02 - A rectangular pulse signal
Lab WorkWeek 1 - Getting data for some basic signals
General Readings, Introduction to Fourier Series, Periodic Signals (Is the Fundamental necessary?),
Class Notes - Fourier Series
Objectives

General Fourier Topics

Lab (2 Weeks)

Week 1 - Getting data for some basic signals
Week 2 - Fourier Labs, "Twang Experiment", Getting Fan Speed, Speaker Resonances

Fourier Labs - Lab Summary

And for general interest, you can read the material at this link.

Problems (2 Weeks)

Freq4P00 - A guided problem (not for hand-in)
Freq4P02 - A rectangular pulse signal
After getting the lab data for the basic signals, do this problem.

Class Notes - Fourier Series

Week 7 - Fast Fourier Transform

Study Guide - FFT (Fast Fourier Transform)

Topics, What is the FFT?
Problems, Problem Freq4P07 - Resonant frequency of a bridge.
Readings - FFT (Print These)

Numerical Calcuation of Fourier Series Coefficients (FFT) - some points to observe
A Note on How Fourier Coefficients are calculated in FFT Algorithms
A Note on What the c's mean in a Fourier Series
A Sine Wave is a Sine Wave - Right? (A short discourse on a phenomenon to avoid when using the FFT on sine waves and other signals you think are periodic.)
Calculating the FFT in Matlab
Calculating the FFT in Mathcad
An Example (Interpreting the FFT) - Triangle Wave

Using Matlab
Using Mathcad

Class Notes - FFT
Objectives

Week 8 - Computer Measurements in LabVIEW - Study Guide - LabVIEW

Topics

Introduction to programming in LabVIEW
Add 2 Numbers
Loops
Writing data to files
IEEE-488 (GPIB) Instrument control in LabVIEW
Intro to GPIB in LabVIEW

Problems

Lab Work

Lab Summary

Introduction to LabVIEW - Adding Two Numbers
Introduction to LabView - Loop Intro
Introduction to LabVIEW - Using a Timed Loop

Readings

LabVIEW for Dummies - A Web-Link that is a good resource for LabVIEW. (No implication that anyone reading this material is a dummy!)
LabVIEW for Everyone - available (paperback) at the bookstore.

Readings (Print for Reference)

A Plan for Learning Material in LabVIEW

Class Notes
Objectives

Week 9 - Study Guide - Computer Controlled Measurements & Instruments - GPIB (IEEE-488)

Topics

Computer Controlled Instruments (General)
What is GPIB (IEEE-488)?

Problems
Lab Work

Lab Summary

Taking temperature measurements with the Hydra in LabVIEW

Readings (Print These)

Readings

An Introduction to GPIB/IEEE-488 Measurements (using the Hydra DAU)

Class Notes
Objectives

Week 10 - Study Guide - Data Representation,

Topics

Numerical Formats - Integers, Floating Point, Strings
Why different formats?
Conversion between formats

Problems

Problem DataFile1P01 -
Problem DataFile1P03 - Size of a Data File
Problem DataFile4P02 - Dr Mallity's Data File
Problem DataFile4P03 - Data Transmission Rate

Lab Work

Readings (Print These)

General Readings

Class Notes
Objectives

Week 11 - Study Guide - Data Conversion - Meter Data & A/D & D/A Converters

Topics

Data conversion - D/A and A/D
Meter Data

Problems

Problem ConvADP00 - A Guided Problem
Problem ConvADP01 - A/D Problem
Problem DVMP01 - DVM Problem
Problem DVMP02 - DVM Problem
Problem DVMP03 - DVM Problem

Lab Work

Lab Summary

A/D Converter Lab - Using the A/D in a DVM and determining parameters for that A/D. Link to report form.

Readings (Print These)

General Readings

Comparators - Background for A/Ds, etc.
D/As
A/Ds

You may want to read some background material on counters.

Meter Data

Class Notes
Objectives

Week 12 & 13 - Study Guide - Control Systems

Topics

General Structure of a Control System

Problems

A First Order Control System - Contains material to hand in
A Second Order Control System - Contains material to hand in
A First Order Control System/Digital Control - Contains material to hand in

Simulator

Third Order Proportional Control

Lab Work

You may be asked to do one or both of these labs. See your instructor
General Information on the Liquid Level System
Week 1 - Introduction to Control Systems - ON-OFF Control - Using the Liquid Level System
Week 2:

Introduction to Control Systems - Proportional Control - Using the Liquid Level System
Remote Viewing in LabVIEW - Viewing operation of a vi over a remote connection

Readings (Print These)

Class Notes
Objectives

Week 14 - Study Guide - Network Introduction - Network Measurements

Problems

Problem Network1P01 - An introductory question
Problem Network3P01 - A TCP/IP question

Readings (Print These)

Remote Viewing in LabVIEW - Viewing operation of a vi over a remote connection
TCP/IP Note - A short discourse on what needs to take place when implementing a TCP/IP server.
TCP/IP in LabVIEW - Anatomy of a simple data server and of a client that works with the server.

Lab Work

Proportional Control - Using the Liquid Level System and verifying several predictions from theory.
Remote Viewing in LabVIEW - Viewing operation of a vi over a remote connection
TCP/IP Connections - Wiring your control vi to send output measurements. (Optional - may or may not be used in 2009)
Lab Summary

Readings

Basic Network Concepts

Class Notes
Objectives

Quiz Solutions - as available

Quiz1 - Solution
Quiz2 - Solution
Quiz3 - Solution
Quiz4 - Solution
Quiz5 - Solution
Quiz6 - Solution
Quiz7 - Solution
Quiz8 - Solution
Quiz9 - Solution
Quiz10A - SolutionA - Quiz10B - Solution
Quiz11 - Solution
Quiz12 - Solution
Quiz13 - Solution