AUSTIN COMMUNITY COLLEGE

CETT 1403-006 DC Circuits

Course Syllabus - SPR 2023 Rev - 1

Instructor:                   Frederick Garia      Frederick.Garia@austincc.edu  512.436.0277

Laura Marmolejo   lmarmole@austincc.edu          cell:  512.825.7457

Office Hours:              Friday zoom from 1:30-3pm and by appointment   

Class Location/Time: Highland B2000, rm 1540.30             1:35 - 3:30 M, W

Textbook:                    Introductory Circuit Analysis, 13th edition, by  Boyledstad or Ebook

Lab Manual:               Supplied

Lab Kit:                      Adafruit Parts Pal - http://www.adafruit.com/product/2975 - Supplied by the Dept

                                    NOTE:  a good scientific calculator is absolutely essential

Wire cutters/strippers, 2-32 GB thumb drive,

COURSE RATIONALE:

This course is a study of the fundamentals of direct electrical current including Ohm's law, Kirchhoff’s laws and circuit analysis techniques. Emphasis is on circuit analysis of resistive networks and DC measurements. This includes steady state analysis of magnetism, electromagnetism, inductance, and capacitance.

PREREQUISITES:

MATD 0390 (Intermediate Algebra) or higher or department approval

Course Content

• Direct Current and Voltage Waveforms
• Resistance Structures and Components
• Ohm’s and Kirchhoff’s Laws
• Series and Parallel DC Circuits
• Series-Parallel DC Networks
• Methods of Analysis
• Network Theorems
• DC Power and Energy
• Capacitors and RC Circuits
• Inductors and RL Circuits
• Magnetic and Electromagnetic Circuits

Week 5                        Review & Exam #1

Week 8                        Review & Exam #2

Week 12                      Review & Exam #3

Week 15                      Project & Review for final

Week 16                      Final Exam

Grading

Labs/homework                      15%

Project                                     10%

Exams (3 @ 20% ea.)             60%

Final exam (last day of class) 15%                 ** Final exam will be comprehensive (cover all

                                                                             course material).

Semester Project

Each student is to pick out, purchase, build, and demonstrate to the class a small inexpensive (< $30) electronic kit that requires soldering. The semester project will be assigned on the first day of class and is due towards the end of the semester.  Some of the high level expectations are for the student to demonstrate proficiency with soldering and debugging a small electronic circuit and to be able to present the findings and project to the rest of the class. This is also an opportunity to develop skills with presentation enabling software like Microsoft Power Point, etc.   

Tests:

Tests are announced a week in advance and delivered online during class time.  NO MAKE-UPS WILL BE GIVEN.   If you have an unavoidable emergency, you must let me know in advance of the test date if possible.

Attendance

Attendance is helpful in this virtual session. It may make the difference between passing and not passing this class. This course is fast paced.  Please attend every class date and ask questions if anything is unclear.   In addition, everyone is responsible for learning how to set up a lab and collect data.

NOTE:  If circumstances arise and you cannot complete this course, it is to your advantage to drop the class by the deadline to avoid getting an unsatisfactory grade on your permanent school record. Students may initiate withdrawals anytime during the semester before the official withdrawal deadline. 

Student Learning Outcomes:

Apply safety techniques while working on and troubleshooting various circuits and components; interpret color codes and other descriptors used in electronics; identify various sources of electricity in DC circuits; interpret characteristics of voltage, current, resistance, and power in DC circuits; measure voltage, current, and resistance in DC circuits using measuring devices.

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to...

1. Do simple bread-boarding and soldering
2. Identify various components found in DC circuits
3. Interpret resistor color codes
4. Identify power sources
5. Read simple schematic diagrams 
6. Analyze circuits using appropriate formulas, solving for voltage, resistance, current, power, energy and efficiency values using:
   1. Ohm’s law, Kirchhoff’s voltage and current law and Power laws
   2. Series, Parallel, and Series-parallel analysis of resistors, capacitors and inductors
7. Use measuring instruments to measure voltage, resistance, current, inductance, and capacitance.
8. Present to the class the results of a semester project which involves debug of a relatively simple electronic kit.

Class Policies:

Personal Electronic Media devices

• Cell/Smart phones are to be turned off or muted during lab and class time unless the instructor specifically requests their use for a class related activity. No text messaging is allowed in class unless specifically requested by the instructor.  If you need to make or take a phone call, please step out of the classroom to do so. 

Teamwork

There are a number of in-class exercises and labs where working in groups can help to achieve a successful outcome. In these settings team work, cooperation, and patience is essential for success.