This is an example of a circuit that you will build in this course: a three stage amplifier.
This is an example of a circuit that you will build in this course: a three stage amplifier.
Course synopsis:
This course is an introduction to electronics for physicists.
We will cover basic circuit analysis using passive, linear components
(e.g., resistors, capacitors, and inductors), nonlinear components
(e.g. diodes) and active components (transistors).
A brief introduction to digital circuits will be provided as well.
The course consists of two 80 minute lectures per week and one
four hour laboratory. This course is primarily a laboratory course.
The laboratory will teach you how to construct circuits and measure
their behavior. You will also learn the use of basic laboratory
equipment such as multimeters, power supplies, and the oscilloscope.
By the end of this course, you should have a solid foundation
is constructing electronics for physics experiments.
Instructor:
I. Joseph Kroll
How to contact me:
Office: DRL 3N4A
Telephone: (215) 313-1615 (cell)
e-mail: kroll@hep.upenn.edu
Please note:
e-mail is the best means of contacting me to set
up an appointment, so please feel free to contact me via e-mail.
Office Hours:
By appointment.
This semester, I will be at Penn Monday and Wednesday.
I will be absent from Penn late Wednesday afternoon through Friday,
because I will be travelling to
Fermilab in Batavia, Illinois,
where I am conducting research in experimental elementary particle physics
with the
CDF collaboration.
I am always available by e-mail or cell-phone (see above)
I used to have hair long ago, but it all fell out from too much exposure
to radiation at the various accelerator laboratories
(CERN,
Fermilab)
where I have been active in research in elementary
particle physics.
If you want to find out more about my research, click
here.
Laboratory Instructor:
Dr. Jose Vithayathil
How to contact Jose:
Office: DRL 2N27
Telephone: (215) 898-3173
e-mail:vithayat@physics.upenn.edu
Due to the large number of students enrolled for our single lab period, Dr. Jose Vithayathil has agreed to help supervise the lab sessions. Jose is also responsible for the Modern Physics Laboratory (Physics 414/521).
Special Assistant and Course Mascot:
Clifford
Found in a dumpster in Brooklyn, NY, at about 10 weeks of age, Clifford
"the angry little dog" was smuggled back to Philadelphia on Amtrak.
He now lives a life of luxury.
His primary interests are food and the destruction of rodents.
Note missing part of left hind foot, the result of some traumatic injury
prior to his rescue.
Lecture:
Monday and Wednesday 2-3:30pm in DRL 3W2
The first lecture is Monday September 12th.
Recommended (On reserve in the Math/Physics library):
Also on reserve for reference in the library:
Syllabus:
We will cover the following chapters (in the order listed) in
the recommended textbook (Bugg):
A detailed schedule is evolving here.
Laboratory:
Mon 5:00pm to 9:00pm
in the RCA lab, which is in the Moore School building across 33rd Street from DRL. Enter through the door on 33rd street nearest to Walnut. When you enter this door, there is a hallway on the right, and a staircase on the left. Go to the right down the hallway. There will be another staircase to your left. Turn left under these stairs. The Lab is just down the hall on your left.
The first laboratory will take place on
Monday September 20.
The schedule for the laboratory and the lab write-ups can be found here.
There is no written material that needs to be purchased at the bookstore.
You will need to purchase a laboratory notebook in the form of a brown cover
11 3/4" by 9 1/4" computation book.
In fact, I want you to purchase two such books, one for the odd numbered
labs and the other for the even numbered labs.
Our bookstore carries them, but may be out-of-stock.
If this is the case, try the bookstore at Drexel or
Staples (there is one at 15th and Chestnut in Center City).
I will not accept laboratory notebooks that
are smaller than the above dimensions, nor will I accept "composition books,"
because the paper is too thin.
You must complete all the labs to pass this course. If for some reason you cannot do a lab one week, then you will have to complete the lab during one of the make-up sessions. If you cannot make a lab, please notify me in advance.
Assignments:
There will be regular reading assignments with problems.
Assignments will be due every one or two weeks, and the
assignment will be
posted
on the web at least one week in
advance of the due date.
Grades:
The grade in the course will be based on the
laboratory,
exams (a combination of midterms, quizzes, and a final),
and homework.
The laboratory counts 50% of the grade.
The other 50% of the grade is determined by the combination
of the exams and the homework.
The laboratory grade will be assigned
as follows: 70% to 80% = C, 80% to 90% = B, 90% to 100% = A.
You must get at least a C in the laboratory to pass the course.
You must complete all the labs to pass the course.
Do not worry: if you do the labs carefully and take time to write them up
properly you should get better than 90%.
The laboratory grade is based on the information presented in
your lab book: content, presentation, and organization all contribute
to the grade.
Other Information:
