Laboratory Practice

There are four core electrical engineering laboratories, beginning with EE 291. Each laboratory is designed to fill specific needs in the curriculum while insuring that each student grows into a responsible, competent professional person. Since each laboratory is unique, operating policies differ, but there are certain universal requirements for all Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) laboratories.

1. All ECE laboratory reports shall follow the format outlined on the ECE laboratory Cover Sheets (bookstore).
2. No food or beverage is to be brought into the ECE laboratories. Smoking is not permitted in the laboratory.
3. Safe engineering practice shall be followed in all experimental work. Particular care shall be taken around line voltages, electrical machinery and special apparatus. All instructors and students shall know the location of the main disconnect for their laboratory area.
4. Laboratory periods are assigned for specific classes. The heavy use of the laboratory facilities makes it virtually impossible to reschedule any laboratory. Instructors shall weigh laboratory participation as part of the course grade.
5. Students may work in the laboratory only with proper supervision. Stu- dents wishing to use an operating laboratory shall request permission from the instructor assigned for those periods. Work accomplished outside the normal class period shall be signed by the instructor who is assigned for those periods.
6. Defective test equipment shall be tagged by the instructor after verification that the item is not functioning properly. Instruction books for all equipment may be borrowed from the ECE stockroom library for use during the laboratory period. They must be returned to the ECE stockroom before the end of the period.

We intend to provide the best experimental and test facilities within our resources for every student doing laboratory work in the ECE department. Please help us by learning to check your test equipment and being able to troubleshoot your experimental setups quickly and accurately.

ECE Laboratory Goals

1. The main goal of these laboratories is to introduce the student to a broad range of basic engineering practice.
2. Another goal is to develop, for each student, practical technological skills used to solve engineering problems.
3. The student will learn the art and practice of technical communications by writing technical reports that are clear, concise and correct.
4. Oral presentations, group discussions and informal critiques will be used to stimulate critical thinking while in the laboratory environment.
5. Finally, the laboratory provides an understanding of physical magnitudes, and the opportunity to examine elements of system behavior which are not explained by idealized mathematical treatment.

The Purpose of a Technical Report

1. A good technical report should demonstrate to the supervisor that the required experimental work was performed with satisfactory results.
2. An engineering college report provides practice in the art of technical writing.
3. The individual discussions and conclusions in a group laboratory report allow each student to develop a deeper understanding of the laboratory work, and to use creativity in improving or applying practical laboratory experiences.
4. The technical report is usually written with the aid of references. Skills in learning how to find out are valuable professional assets that are associated with professional engineering and technical communications.

Laboratory Grades

It is very difficult to evaluate individual performance where a group effort is involved unless methods are employed to provide some individualization to the laboratory work.

Each instructor has the responsibility to insure that all students are provided the best opportunities to develop their technological skills. To maintain reasonable standards of performance, the instructor may assign students with unique skills to various laboratory groups. In essence, this arrangement becomes a student helping student proposition.

College should be a unique experience for everyone. To make the most of this opportunity, it is necessary to learn how to learn. One�s peers can be of great assistance here. Communication with them can be very rewarding and is distinctly encouraged.

There is no violation of professional ethics in studying the reports of other persons. It is a violation of professional ethics to use another�s work without direct reference or written permission. Professional responsibility does require that credit be given to others from whom concepts, ideas and quotations have been used.

Where students have jointly prepared a group report, each part of the report should bear the name and signature of the person responsible for that part of the report.