Master Course Description

No: EE 233

Title: CIRCUIT THEORY

Credits: 5 (4 lecture - 1 laboratory)

UW Course Catalog Description

Coordinator: Mani Soma, Professor of Electrical Engineering

Goals: To learn how to analyze electric circuits in the frequency domain; to calculate power for electric circuits; to recognize and analyze common filters such as low-pass, high-pass, band-pass, and band-reject both for passive and active circuits; to learn how to use laboratory instruments such as the function generator, oscilloscope and multimeter for analyzing electric circuits that you build in the laboratory; to learn how to use MultiSim; to learn how to write a lab report on your experiments; to prepare students for more advanced courses in circuit analysis and design.

Learning Objectives: At the end of this course, students will be able to:

  1. Identify linear circuits, passive and active filters.
  2. Develop analytical models for circuits in the frequency domain by using Kirchhoff's current and voltage laws, Ohm's law, mesh analysis, nodal analysis, Thevenin and Norton equivalents, phasor, and Laplace Transform techniques.
  3. Analyze linear circuits and passive and active filters with sinusoidal inputs.
  4. Design simple circuits and passive and active filters to meet given specifications.
  5. Derive the power generated/absorbed in a circuit when there are sinusoidal inputs.
  6. Use MultiSim to verify the results of frequency domain circuit analysis.
  7. Measure basic signal parameters (amplitude, frequency, etc.) using basic laboratory instruments: oscilloscope, power supply, function generator, and multimeter.

Textbooks: J.W. Nilsson and S.A. Riedel, Electric Circuits, 9th Edition. Prentice Hall, 2010.

Prerequisites by Topic:

  1. DC circuit analysis (EE 215)
  2. Transient analysis of electric circuits in the time domain (EE 215)
  3. Solution of first and second order linear differential equations
  4. Manipulation of complex numbers

Topics:

  1. Sinusoidal sources and responses, Phasors, network theorems (2 weeks, Ch 9)
  2. Average and Reactive power, complex power, power factor (1 week, Ch 10)
  3. Laplace transformation techniques (2 weeks, Ch. 12)
  4. Circuit analysis with Laplace Transforms, transfer functions (1 week, Ch 13)
  5. Passive filters (2 weeks, Ch. 14)
  6. Active filters (2 weeks, Ch 15)
  7. Basic EE laboratory, components, instrumentation and simulation (in Laboratory section)

Course Structure: Lecture (3 hours / week), Quiz (2 hours / week), Laboratory (3 hours / week). Weekly homework. Weekly quizzes. Three exams in class (two midterms and one final). Hands-on lab exam at the end of the quarter.

Computer Resources: Use of MultiSim simulation software for analysis of electrical circuits related to the content of the laboratory.

Laboratory: At the end of the quarter, each student is required to take an individual hands-on exam in the Laboratory to demonstrate sufficient knowledge in using the instruments. Representative topics of the experiments are listed below.

  1. Introduction to laboratory instruments (power supply, multimeter, function generator, oscilloscope).
  2. Step input response of RC circuits. Report required.
  3. AC steady state analysis of RC and RLC circuits, frequency response, simple filters. Report required.
  4. Operational amplifiers in both time and frequency domains. Report required.
  5. Design and analysis of simple and more complex filters. Report required.

Grading: 20% Homework, 20% Laboratories, 5% Lab Test, 5% Quizzes, 25% Two Midterms, 25% Final Exam

Outcome coverage: (a) An ability to apply math, science and engineering knowledge. The vast majority of the lectures, homework, quizzes, and laboratories deal with the application of circuit theory to analyze and design linear passive circuits, passive filters, and active op amp filters. Mathematical formulations are commonplace throughout the course. Relevance: H.

(b) An ability to design and conduct experiments, as well as to analyze and interpret data. All of the laboratory experiments require students to build circuits, collect data, and analyze data to demonstrate that the circuits perform as designed. Relevance: L.

(e) An ability to identify, formulate, and solve engineering problems. The homework and laboratory experiments involve solving engineering problems identified in the assignments or in the experiment descriptions. Relevance: M.

(g) An ability to communicate effectively. Students are required to write and submit laboratory report for each experiment. The body of the lab report must include the following sections: abstract, introduction, lab procedure, experimental results, analysis of results, conclusions, team roles, appendix. Relevance: L.

(k) An ability to use the techniques, skills, and modern engineering tools necessary for engineering practice. Students use Matlab or a similar software tool to solve homework problems. Students use MultiSim to simulate circuits built in the laboratory. Relevance: H.

(m) Knowledge of differential equations, linear algebra, complex variables and discrete mathematics. Students use complex variables extensively as part of employing the phasor method and Laplace transform method to analyze and design circuits. Relevance: H.

Prepared By: Linda Bushnell
Last Revised: 10/15/2012