Asee peer logo

Introducing Automation for Data Acquisition and Analysis in a Sophomore-level Electronics Course

Download Paper |

Conference

2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Location

Baltimore , Maryland

Publication Date

June 25, 2023

Start Date

June 25, 2023

End Date

June 28, 2023

Conference Session

Project-Based Learning Enhanced through Instrumentation

Tagged Division

Instrumentation Division (INST)

Tagged Topic

Diversity

Page Count

17

DOI

10.18260/1-2--43832

Permanent URL

https://peer.asee.org/43832

Download Count

187

Request a correction

Paper Authors

biography

Carl K. Frederickson University of Central Arkansas

visit author page

Dr. Frederickson has taught physics at UCA for over 25 years. He is the current department chair and is leading the development of an Engineering Physics degree program.

visit author page

Download Paper |

Abstract

The Engineering Physics program at the University of Central Arkansas requires all students to complete basic electronics course during the fourth semester. This overall program is focused on robotics and automation. To introduce students to the idea of automating systems, we are developing laboratory activities that use computer control for data acquisition and analysis in the sophomore level basic electronics class. Activities have been designed to introduce computer control of both function generators and oscilloscopes during lab. The ability to build code into reports is reinforced through the use of Jupyter Notebooks for these activities. Activities build in complexity through the semester. The initial activity automates the process of producing a Bode plot for frequency response of a simple R-2R resistor ladder. The majority of the code for this activity is provided in order to demonstrate the communications between the computer and the instruments. Students must modify the specifics in order to complete the activity. As the semester continues, the amount of code provided for an activity decreases. These activities allow students to begin the process of integrating coding and hardware into a single system to accomplish a task. This paper will discuss the learning goals for each activity and the student results to date.

Frederickson, C. K. (2023, June), Introducing Automation for Data Acquisition and Analysis in a Sophomore-level Electronics Course Paper presented at 2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Baltimore , Maryland. 10.18260/1-2--43832

ASEE holds the copyright on this document. It may be read by the public free of charge. Authors may archive their work on personal websites or in institutional repositories with the following citation: © 2023 American Society for Engineering Education. Other scholars may excerpt or quote from these materials with the same citation. When excerpting or quoting from Conference Proceedings, authors should, in addition to noting the ASEE copyright, list all the original authors and their institutions and name the host city of the conference. - Last updated April 1, 2015