PHY 202: Syllabus

Contact Information
Thomas E. Blum
Office: O-128
Office Hours: Mon 10:00, Wed 10:00, Thu 2:00, Fri 10:00 or by appointment
Phone: 215-951-1722 or 215-951-1139
e-mail: blum@lasalle.edu
Web: http://www.lasalle.edu/~blum

This is a lab-based/simulation course focusing on the simplest compenents of circuit theory: resistors, capacitors, diodes, transformers, transistors, and logic gates. Emphasis is placed on their role(s) in computer electronics.

Text:

 Electronics: The Easy Way, 4th edition, R. Miller and M. R. Miller (Barron's), 2002.

You are expected to supplement the material found in the book and presented in class by finding material on the web. Here are some sites to get you started.

Assessment:
Tests:     66%     3 on-line tests (the last during final's week).
Class:  4% a mixture of attendance and participation
Lab: 30%
  • Ordinarily, these labs will be done in teams of two.
  • I reserve the right to select the teams, limit the number of labs that can be done with a particular partner, and so on.
  • Unless stated otherwise, lab reports (one report per team) are due the next class meeting which is not a test. A late penalty of 5 pts (out of 100) per day will be applied. The late penalty stops accumulating at 50 points, so labs, no matter how late will always be worth something. All partners will be held equally responsible for turning in the completed lab on time.
  • Although labs are a team effort, each student is responsible for learning all of the skills and concepts.
  • Plagiarism, be it from a book, a web site or a fellow student, will be considered cheating. Copying simulation circuits is also considered cheating.
  • You must cite the sources you use. Sentences directly quoted require quotation marks,and so on. Changing one or two words per sentence is still plagiarism.
  • You are often allowed to bring in files from labs to use on the tests. It is recommended that both partners keep a copy of all relevant files. It might be useful to back them up. Also you should develop a systematic naming scheme so that you can find the file you need on the test. Any copying or exchange of files during an exam is strictly forbidden, this will be considered cheating.
  • The plus/minus grading system will be used.
  • Attendance will be taken.
  • Absences, lateness, etc. will be reflected in the class portion of the grade. More than three unexcused absences may result in the lowering of a grade.
  • Before leaving lab you must see me to show me your progress. If you are leaving early or not working on the labs during the lab period, it will count against you.

It is your responsibility to keep copies of all of your assignments, tests and so forth at least until you receive your final grade for the course.

Cheating:

 Claiming another's work as your own is cheating. When you submit work to the professor to be graded, there is an implied assumption that the work is yours. A student caught cheating will receive a score of zero. Cheating may result in a reduction of the final grade. In some labs, we will be simulating circuits, copying them from another group is cheating. (Making minimal changes does not make it acceptable.) Finally, openly allowing your work to be copied is also cheating. Do not give your work to another person/team or leave your work where it can easily be copied.