C1: Electronics Workbench
A. INTRODUCTION
Electronics Workbench allows the teacher to use classroom computers
as an electronics lab. Using Electronics Workbench, teachers can
easily create both analog and digital AC and DC circuits for study
using standard schematic representations. Once a circuit is built,
it can be tested using a number of sophisticated test instruments.
Circuit behavior is realistically simulated and the results are
quickly displayed on a multimeter, oscilloscope, Bode plotter,
logical analyzer, or whatever instruments you have connect to
the circuit.
There are a host of reasons why a teacher might choose to use
this particular simulation software to substitute for a lab. Among
the reasons are the following: cost effectiveness, time savings,
safety, and accuracy.
In this project you will use Electronics Workbench (version
4.0 ) to create several different types of circuits, and completely
analyze an analog circuit.
B. PROCEDURE
- Access a the rightmost iMac computer in the Adjuvant Computational
Lab (MLT 213) that has a copy of Electronics Workbench resident.
Settle in and start the application. (Use the Finder function
if you can't locate the application.)
- Familiarize yourself with Electronics Workbench by working
your way through the Introduction and User Interface chapters
of the guidebook provided. This should only take about 30 minutes.
- Practice building and testing simple analog circuits using
both DC and AC power sources. Refer to chapter 3 of the
User's Guide if you need additional details. At the same time,
perform manual computations as a way of checking on the circuits
you have constructed. (Can you successfully apply Kirchhoff's
rules to more complex circuits?)
- Construct a simpler circuit for analysis by your students.
Provide a set of instructions for analysis in a description window.
Save this file and show it to the course instructor at the follow-up
demonstration interview. Again, be prepared to explain your work.
- Open and survey some of the many samples files provided with
the Electronics Workbench application.
C. EVALUATION
Meet with your course instructor for a follow-up demonstration
interview. In this interview you will be asked to do the following:
- answer the course instructor's questions as part of a general
overview discussion
- show and explain the file exhibiting the circuit analysis
for your students
Return to PHY 302 Syllabus
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