PC/CP220 Digital Electronics Lab (Winter)



This is the PC/CP 220 Lab page, created and updated by Terry Sturtevant .
Page last updated Thursday December 16, 2021
**Items marked this way are not final.**


Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, Week 6, Week 7, Week 8, Week 9, Week 10, Week 11, Week 12

Introduction

Evaluation Methods

Course Material

Week of ... Lab Topic(s) Reference Material
[ this background indicates required reading;
this background indicates optional reading
this background indicates important items
this foreground indicates updated items
this background indicates weekly topics
this foreground indicates unrevised items ]

 
Introduction
Integrated circuits
Pinouts, breadboards, and debugger boards

Jan. 3

N2083 Lab bench layout [video]
bench supplies



This has cool history on where the term "breadboard" came from
Basics of Breadboarding [video]

breaboard history


Collin's Lab: Schematics [video]

schematics


How to Wire Circuits from Schematics [video]

?

 
Maxima/Circuitverse introduction
Design skill: Testing logic with a computer algebra system
Design skill: Circuit drawing and simulation
Instructions on MyLearningSpace

Jan. 10

This week you'll learn how to use software to test logic.

  • New Tool: Computer Algebra System

  • New Tool: Digital Simulator

  • Lab: Maxima and Circuitverse Introduction

  • Before next lab: Read documents (or watch videos) about LEDs and prototype switches and then do the quiz on MyLearningSpace.

    The quiz will be available from Friday at 7 a.m. until Sunday at 11:30 p.m. It will not be available the day of your lab, so you must do it ahead of time.



 
Resistors (including arrays), LEDs and switches
Watch videos and do quiz before lab!
Input device: prototype switch
Output device: LED

Jan. 17

This week you'll learn how some common input and output devices are used. (The debugger board used previously hides some of the details.)

Resistor colour codes   [ July 25, 2003 ]


LEDs [screencast of PDF]
LEDs


Choosing resistors for LEDs [video]
LED resistors


Switches [screencast of PDF]
switch


Choosing resistors for switches [video]
switch resistor

 
Project Phase I
Instructions on MyLearningSpace

Jan. 24

This week you'll learn how to use software to test logic.

  • Pick project
    Project List

    Prepare project Phase I for next week
    Phase I checklist   [ April 29, 2015 ]

    Sample Phase I (single output)
    prime number identifier   [ April 29, 2015 ]

    Here's the original project description:

    Prime or not?
    -4 inputs, giving binary number
    -1 output, indicating whether the number is prime or not

    Another Phase I (multiple outputs)
    flag identifier   [ April 29, 2015 ]

    NEW Phase I with numbers as inputs and outputs (multiple outputs)
    number of segments   [ November 14, 2018 ]

  • Before next lab: Read documents (or watch videos) about keypads and then do the quiz on MyLearningSpace.

    The quiz will be available from Friday at 7 a.m. until Sunday at 11:30 p.m. It will not be available the day of your lab, so you must do it ahead of time.



 
Encoders
Keypads (with resistor arrays)
Active low signals
"No connection" pins
Watch videos and do quiz before lab!
Input device: Keypad

Jan. 31

This week you'll learn to use a keypad for digital input.

  • Review: Debugger boards [HTML]   [ May 12, 2017 ]

  • Review: Switches [PDF]   [ April 6, 2011 ]

    New Device: Keypads [PDF]   [ October 13, 2011 ]
    Keypads [HTML version]   [ May 12, 2017 ]

  • New Device: Resistor Arrays [PDF]   [ April 7, 2011 ]
    Resistor Arrays [HTML version]   [ May 12, 2017 ]

  • New Device: Encoders [PDF]   [ January 26, 2012 ]

  • Lab: Encoders   [ September 18, 2017 ]
    Be sure to put the resistor arrays back in the correct bin after the lab. To identify the value, look at the number printed on the array, as in the following examples:
    • 1kΩ Note the 3 digits after the second dash.
      The number 102 indicates the resistor value of 10x 102Ω, or 1000 Ω
    • 1kΩ Note the 3 digits after the second dash.
    • 1kΩ Note the 1K on the right.
    • 470 Ω Note the 3 digits after the second dash.
      The number 471 indicates the resistor value of 47x 101Ω, or 470 Ω
    • 220 Ω Note the 3 digits after the dash.
    • 10kΩ Note the 3 digits after the second dash.


  • There is no quiz this week, but you could use the time to work ahead on next week's lab, since it is virtual and may take a while.


Keypads [screencast of PDF]
keypad


Resistor Arrays [screencast of PDF]
resistor array


Encoders [screencast of PDF]
encoder

Priority encoders
How to cascade encoders


 
Computer algebra to test example
Watch videos and do quiz before lab!
Review of Design skill: Testing logic with a computer algebra system

Feb. 7

Drawing a circuit diagram and simulating its operation can be done with software. This week you'll learn how.

  • prime number identifier   [ April 29, 2015 ]


    Here's the original project description:

    Prime or not?
    -4 inputs, giving binary number
    -1 output, indicating whether the number is prime or not

  • Lab:Maxima example

  • There is no quiz this week, but you could use the time to work ahead on next week's lab, which is Phase II of the project and may take a while.

 
Project Phase II
Instructions on MyLearningSpace

Feb. 14

This week you'll learn how to use software to test logic.

  • Prepare project Phase II for next lab period
    Phase II checklist   [ April 29, 2015 ]

    Sample Phase II (using Karnaugh maps and Maxima)
    prime number identifier   [ April 29, 2015 ]

    Another Sample Phase II (using Boolean algebra and Maple)
    flag identifier   [ April 29, 2015 ]
    Sample Revised Phase I
    Phase I (revised)example   [ April 29, 2015 ]

    NEW Another Sample Phase II (using Karnaugh maps and Maxima)
    number of segments   [ December 18, 2018 ]

  • Before next lab: Read documents (or watch videos) about 7 segment displays and then do the quiz on MyLearningSpace.

    The quiz will be available from Friday at 7 a.m. until Sunday at 11:30 p.m. It will not be available the day of your lab, so you must do it ahead of time.



Minimal Boolean Expressions [video]
minimizing boolean exprerssions


Karnaugh Maps (K-Maps) [video]

Karnaugh maps


Don't Cares [video]
don't cares in Karnaugh maps

Karnaugh Maps


Reading Week

Feb. 21 READING WEEK - No labs

 
Decoders
Gates with "extra" inputs; strobes, enables, etc.
7 segment displays
Push button (or momentary) switches
Watch videos and do quiz before lab!
Input device: Pushbutton switch
Output device: 7 Segment display

Feb. 28

This week you'll learn to use momentary switches for digital input, and 7 segment displays for output.


Pushbutton Switches [screencast of PDF]
pushbutton


7 Segment Displays [screencast of PDF]
7 segment displays


Testing a Common Cathode 7 Segment Display [video]
common cathode


Testing a Common Anode 7 Segment Display [video]
common anode


Decoders [screencast of PDF]
decoder


Enable, Gate and Strobe inputs [screencast of PDF]
enable, gate, and strobe inputs

Minimal Boolean Expressions [video]
minimizing boolean exprerssions


Karnaugh Maps (K-Maps) [video]

Karnaugh maps


Don't Cares [video]
don't cares in Karnaugh maps

Display decoders
Karnaugh Maps


 
Circuitverse to draw and simulate example

Review of Design skill: Circuit drawing and simulation
Design skill: Good drawing for schematics

March 7

As circuits get larger, how you draw them makes a big difference in how easy they are to debug. This week you'll learn how.

  • New Information: Drawing tips for digital circuits [PDF]   [ November 14, 2018 ]
    Drawing tips for digital circuits [HTML version]   [ November 14, 2018 ]

  • prime number identifier   [ April 29, 2015 ]


    Here's the original project description:

    Prime or not?
    -4 inputs, giving binary number
    -1 output, indicating whether the number is prime or not

  • Lab: Circuitverse example

  • Before next lab: Read the document (or watch videos) about enable, gate, and strobe inputs and then do the quiz on MyLearningSpace.

    The quiz will be available from Friday at 7 a.m. until Sunday at 11:30 p.m. It will not be available the day of your lab, so you must do it ahead of time.




Drawing tips for digital circuits [screencast of PDF]
drawing tips for digital circuits

 
Design Project: Tinkercad Introduction

March 14
  • Lab on MyLearningSpace
    After using real breadboards, switches, LEDs, etc. this should be easy to understand. It will be needed for the final project submission.

 
Design Project
March 21

 
Design Project: Final submission

March 28
  • Lab evaluation

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