EEE 3308C

ELECTRONICS I
LABORATORY MANUAL

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida 32611

Fall 2010 (rev. 8/21/10)

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 EEE 3308C – ELECTRONIC CIRCUITS I LABORATORY

I. OVERALL PURPOSE
The laboratory portion of this course, through the Design and Experiment Project (DEP)
labs, is designed to give the student practical experience in working with diodes, transistors, and
operational amplifiers. The laboratory integrate the theory taught in the lectures with practical
design , and should help the student to apply his or her knowledge of electronics.

II. GENERAL COMMENTS

Every week before lab, each student should read over the laboratory design or
experiment and prepare the Pre-Lab. The student should refer to Microelectronic Circuits, 5th
edition by Sedra and Smith for the fundamental theory. Your grade will reflect how well you
have prepared for the lab.

It is a standard engineering practice that each student maintains a laboratory notebook.

The notebook should be a permanent document that is maintained and witnessed properly, and
that contains accurate records of all lab sessions. In an industrial setting, such a laboratory
notebook serves as legal evidence for patent disclosures and is an integral part of the
Intellectual Property (IP) of the company. Hence, learning to keep a meticulous laboratory
notebook is an important skill to develop.

Furthermore, technical documentation is an important skill to be practiced and honed.

Again, in an industrial setting, one must be able to both DO the work and SHOW the
work! Showing what one has done is the purpose of the lab report. The lab report grade will
reflect the students' ability to communicate what he or she has accomplished.

Laboratory and equipment maintenance is the responsibility of not only the laboratory
staff, but also the students. A concerted effort to keep the equipment in excellent condition and
the working environment well-organized will result in a productive and safe laboratory.

Above all, keep in mind that safety is first!

III. LABORATORY NOTEBOOK

Each student should maintain a laboratory notebook according to the following guidelines:

1. Obtain a notebook whose pages are not removable. An example is the Marble Cover-80
Sheets 5x5 Quad Ruled 20# Heavyweight Paper notebook available at the UF Bookstore
(Reitz Union) for $3.99. Any style Marble Cover-80 is fine (All $3.99)

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2. Dedicate the notebook solely to this lab.

3. Write name, course number and name, section number, lab location, semester, and TA’s name
on the cover.

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4. Number pages consecutively and record data by pen, not pencil. Do not use eraser.

5. Do not leave intervening blank page or space. Cross out empty space.

6. Sign and date each page that has data.

7. Log all events, whether positive or negative, in the lab. This includes not only data, but also
problems encountered, equipment use, equipment settings, measurement technique, or any
departure from the procedure suggested by the lab manual.

8. Record instruments, their settings, and methods used to acquire data.

9. Label the axes of a graph with variable names, units, origin, and scales.

10. Demonstrate to the TA your understanding and achievement of the lab objectives.

11. Have the TA sign and date all data groups before completing each laboratory session. It is the
responsibility of both the TA and the student to make sure that the data is within expectation
before the student leaves each lab session.

IV. LABORATORY REPORTS

As requested on the lab assignments, Design and Experiment Project (DEP) reports will
be submitted by each student at the beginning of the following lab period. One approach to a lab
course consists of three hours of data-taking followed by double the time spent at home trying to
remember what was done that morning, answering questions, and turning out a highly polished
report – usually characterized by multicolor ink graphs and tailored data. To avoid this type of
unsatisfying situation, answer as many of the questions as possible as you go along.

• The report will be graded on clarity, legibility, and content, not on length nor on
the quality of the artwork. For clarity sake, it is recommended that the report
be typeset as much as possible.

• Although the data is measured jointly, the text and analysis of the report must
be original work and may not be copied. See the section on Rules and Policies.

Report Format:
TITLE PAGE:
EXPERIMENT #
NAME
UFID
DATE
REPORT CONTENT:

I. Objective
II.Theory
-cover the general theory for this lab.
-include pertinent equations and concepts.

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III. Results – Experimental & Theoretical
-include schematics of all circuits built
-include the names and values of all components actually used
-include all data recorded (tables, plots, printouts, observations), be sure to label all
figures / tables
-compare theoretical to experimental data numerically, ex. percent error
-if you postulated something theoretically and found the result to be the same or
different experimentally state both results and discuss them in the following section
IV. Discussion
-include all analysis and observations (if you postulated a theory and it turned out to
be wrong or right, explain why)
-summarize the results in relation to the experimental objectives
V.Summary

V. GRADING

The laboratory portion of the course will be determined based on the following components. The
practical experience gained in the laboratory necessitates participation in the laboratory.

• Prelab and design 15%

• On-time Attendance 10%

• Laboratory Notebook Check 15%

• Lab Professional Conduct 10%

• Laboratory Report 50%

The attendance grade requires attendance within the first 15 minutes of the laboratory. The
laboratory notebook check will be primarily full credit if the laboratory results are entered into
the notebook. Deductions will be made if results are not entered into the notebook.
The specific grading of the laboratory report on a 100 point scale will be based on the following
guideline:
REPORT CONTENT:
I. Objective [ 12.5 points]
II.Theory [25 points]
-cover the general theory for this lab.
-include pertinent equations and concepts.
III. Results – Experimental & Theoretical [25 points]
-include schematics of all circuits built
-include the names and values of all components actually used
-include all data recorded (tables, plots, printouts, observations), be sure to label all
figures / tables
-compare theoretical to experimental data numerically, ex. percent error

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 -if you postulated something theoretically and found the result to be the same or
different experimentally state both results and discuss them in the following section
IV. Discussion [25 points]
-include all analysis and observations (if you postulated a theory and it turned out to
be wrong or right, explain why)
-summarize the results in relation to the experimental objectives
V.Summary [12.5 points]

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 VI. RULES AND POLICY
No laboratory makeups will be allowed unless prior written documentation is
obtained from the Dean of Students, certified physician, or Judge for jury duty. For
approved makeups, the lab makeups must be done within one week of the lab unless
written documentation from the approved sources listed above justify otherwise. It will be
difficult to schedule lab make ups due to the limited number of empty laboratory seats.
Please plan accordingly.

The Honor code applies equally to the laboratory as to the lecture. Any students
who do not act in accordance with the University’s code of conduct (See Code of Student
Conduct) will be reported to the Office of Student Judicial Affairs.

Honor Code: We, the members of the University of Florida community, pledge
to hold ourselves and our peers to the highest standards of honesty and
integrity.

VII. EQUIPMENT AND LABORATORY MAINTENANCE

Be responsible for equipment and laboratory maintenance. For example:

1. Keep the lab and benches neat and organized.

2. Use the equipment properly. For example, use only the probes that have been compensated
for your oscilloscope with your oscilloscope. An oscilloscope and its matched probes are
labeled by the same number to help you keep using them together. (A current amplifier and its
matched probe are also labeled by the same number to remind you that they should be used
together.) Do not take the sleeve off the sensitive probe tip and use the probe tip directly (e.g.,
by inserting the probe tip directly into a hole on a breadboard). Many probes have been
permanently damaged when used this way because a) the fragile tip is broken by the severe
probing strain, b) the probe accidentally falls to the ground, breaking the fragile tip, or c) the
probe sleeve is lost after it is removed from the probe tip. A short hook-up wire hooked to the
probe will allow fine probing without using the probe tip directly.

3. Return instruments, manuals, tools, components, cables, etc., to the proper storage location.

4. Bring defective equipment to the TA or laboratory maintenance staff for repair.

5. Notify the TA when the stock is about to run out of a certain component.

EQUIPMENT: NI ELVIS DATA ACQUISITION SYSTEM

The NI ELVIS system combines hardware and software into one complete laboratory
package. The hardware constituents are depicted in Fig. 1.1(a), which shows a
computer with a cable that connects the installed data acquisition board to the NI

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ELVIS Benchtop Workstation. There is also a prototyping board connected to the
Benchtop providing an area for building circuits and also accessing signals.

Fig 1.1 (a) NI ELVIS System.

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Fig 1.1 (b) Control Panel of the Benchtop Workstation.

Fig 1.1 (c) Layout of the Prototyping Board.

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The software that complements the NI ELVIS System was created using LabVIEW.
As can be seen in Fig 1.2(a), there are several functions in the program that allows you
to interface with the hardware from the computer.

We consider next the power supply, the digital multimeter (DMM), the function
generator, and the oscilloscope.

Fig 1.2 (a) Main Menu of NI ELVIS.

The NI ELVIS is equipped with several power supply options, namely, +5V, ±15V, and
variable ±12V.

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Exercise: Note the output current for these power supplies from the specifications
for the NI ELVIS available online as well as other system specifications.

The GUI for the variable power supply can be seen in Fig 1.2 (b).

Fig 1.2 (b) Variable Power Supply GUI.

The NI ELVIS also has the functions of a digital multimeter. It is able to measure
capacitance, continuity, current, diode, inductance, resistance, and voltage. Again, go
online and find the key specifications of the DMM for each of these units. Specifically,
note the range of allowable measurements. The GUI for the DMM can be seen in Fig 1.2
(c).

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Fig 1.2 (c) Digital Multimeter GUI.

Another function of the NI ELVIS is the function generator. Go on the internet and find
the key specifications relevant to function generator. Note the frequency range, output
amplitude, offset range, AM voltage, FM voltage, and output impedance. The GUI for the
function generator can be seen in Fig 1.2 (d).

Fig 1.2 (d) Function Generator GUI.

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Lastly, consider the specifications of the oscilloscope on the NI ELVIS. Note the input
impedance, range of input, sampling rate, and the maximum input bandwidth. The GUI
for the oscilloscope can be seen in Fig 1.2 (e).

Fig 1.2 (e) Oscilloscope GUI.

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EQUIPMENT: TEKTRONIX DIGITAL SAMPLING OSCILLOSCOPE (DSO)

The Tektronix DSO is a standalone instrument that allows the measurement and
visualization of an time-varying (oscillating) signal. The operation is best understood by
using the equipment.

Fig. 1.3 (a) Front panel of the TDS2024 DSO.

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Fig. 1.3 (b) Display area of the TDS2024 DSO.

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Fig. 1.3 (c) Meanings of Display area icons.

Exercise:
Turn on the power to the Tektronix DSO and look at Fig. 1.3 (a) and (b) and identify the
areas on the scope. Fig 1.3 (c) explains the symbols displayed on the screen.

Press the Default Setup key next to the Menus section. This brings the DSO to the default
settings. The DSO remembers the settings in a nonvolatile memory, and when you turn
on the DSO, the settings are those used in the last operation before power off. A
symmetric triangular wave with 5 Vp-p amplitude, 0 V offset, and a frequency of 20 kHz
is to be generated and displayed, using both the NI scope and the Tektronix scope, so that
the limitations of the instruments could be identified. The final waveform should be as
shown in Fig. 1.4.

Turn on the power switch to the NI ELVIS, located in the rear-right-bottom hand side.
Now turn on the power switch to the prototyping board on the NI ELVIS on the front
panel, seen in Fig 1.1 (b).

Start the NI ELVIS software which should be located on the computer desktop, and click
on the Function Generator button.

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The Function Generator and the Variable Power Supplies sections on the front control
panel can be both tuned manually or via software. Set the frequency to 20 kHz and peak
amplitude to 2.5 V. Change the waveform type to triangle and click the button “On”.

Find and click the button Oscilloscope on the main menu. Under Channel A, change the
source to FGEN FUNC_OUT. The source lets you choose the method of input to the
scope.

Change the vertical sensitivity to 1 V/div and the time base to 10 µS/div. Note the
distortion present in the waveform, seen in Fig 1.4 (a). This is a limitation of the scope on
the NI ELVIS as the sampling frequency caps after approximately 8 kHz.

Fig 1.4 Waveform observed on NI ELVIS oscilloscope.

VIII. USEFUL LABORATORY PRACTICES

In general, keep the following points in mind:

1. Safety is first. Change instrument settings slowly. Observe the effect of the most recent
change before proceeding with more change. Set voltage/current/power limit.

2. Identify lab objectives. An experiment should not be treated as a cookbook procedure. Find
a rationale behind each step.

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3. Come to the lab prepared. Preview the experiment as a homework.

4. Keep a lab notebook to record all activities during all lab sessions.

5. Finish as much as possible before leaving. This includes acquiring data, interpreting data,
answering questions, and revolving uncertainties.

6. All data are real. If data look unbelievable, check all the steps carefully. Consult the TA.

7. It is important that right from the beginning of your lab work you consider the possible
interactions between measuring instruments and the device under test. For example:

1. The input impedance of meters can cause measurement error in high impedance circuits.

2. The input capacitance of scopes, scope probes, or connecting cables may have important
high frequency loading effects. If a piece of RG 98 coax cable is used to connect a scope
directly, remember that such a cable has about 30 pf per foot. A typical cable might be 4
ft. long; compute the reactance of 120 pf at 1MHz. Excessive capacitive load can greatly
decrease the slew rate of a discrete component operational amplifier of multi-stage
amplifier.

3. When using an oscilloscope to make accurate waveform or frequency response

measurements with a x10 probe, make sure the probe is properly compensated.

4. Learn to use the current limiting features of the laboratory power supplies to protest the
device under test from possible damage under short circuit conditions.

5. Make sure to have low impedance ground connections between the test instruments and
your “breadboard”. Avoid groundloops!

The list could go on much longer. As you gain experience, add your own observations on
instrument/device interactions. These effects represent some potential pitfalls faced by practicing
engineers when designing, building, and testing electronic devices and systems.

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