Lab-in-a-Box: Experiments in electronic circuits that support introductory courses for electrical and computer engineers

Abstract

The objective of Lab-in-a-Box is to give the student hands-on experience with wiring and analyzing simple circuits, but in such a way as to allow the experiments to be performed at home or at a study table with simple, relatively inexpensive, student-owned equipment rather than in a traditional university laboratory. Each experiment is designed to be performed using a breadboard, resistors, capacitors, inductors, transformers, and op amps. Some measurements are made with a digital multimeter, while signal traces for time-varying signals (transients) are observed using software that allows the students to convert a PC equipped with a sound card into a simple oscilloscope. Student responses to survey questions following the first implementation of the concept are very positive, thus encouraging the authors to further develop the concept.