About this course
Course Description
ECE 65 is an introduction to linear and nonlinear components and circuits. This course is designed to build upon material learned in ECE35 and ECE45, and introduces ECE students to practical circuits and solving real-world problems. The students will learn to model and design practical circuits using idealized circuit models, to account for the interactions among various parts of a circuit, the concept of feedback, and other issues encountered in designing a practical circuit.
Material Covered
- Diodes (Large and Small-signal models)
- BJT transistors (Large signal model, Digital Gates, Biasing, Small-signal models, Amplifiers)
- FET transistors (Large signal model, Digital Gates)
- Interaction of sub-circuits (e.g., Transfer function, Input & output resistance)
- Concept and utility of Feedback Circuit Design
- Using PSpice to simulate circuits (self study)
Course Mechanics
The course material is reviewed in the lecture. Lecture notes are posted on the class web site. The description of lab exercises for the following week is also posted on the class web site. The lab exercises are designed to enforce the material covered in the lecture and make students understand the differences between circuit models and practical circuits. We analyze many circuits by (1) simple analytical tools, (2) more detailed PSpice simulations, and (3) lab measurements. In this way, the students will understand when various models apply and how to account for various effects. Each Lab includes a design problem: you are asked to design a specific circuit, simulate its response with PSpice, built it in the lab and see if it performs according to design specifications.