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ECE 204 AC CIRCUITS

Lab # 1 Introduction to Mobile Studio Desktop (MSD)
The objectives of this laboratory experiment are:
1. To install MSD on your laptop.
2. To become familiar with the basic features of MSD.
3. To use MSD to confirm predictions made using Ohm’s Law and Voltage Dividers.

1.0 PRE-LAB
1.1 Read the complete laboratory procedure and be ready to apply it to your work. If you do
not understand anything in the lab procedure, go and ask your instructor — don’t wait until
the lab has started; remember, the instructor has to deal with fifteen groups and you will be
“waiting in line”. Note that “waiting in line” is not a valid excuse for failing to finish the lab.
You are expected to “budget your time” in lab and not waste it socializing.

1.2 Apply the voltage division techniques presented in ECE203 to predict the voltage across
each resistor in figure 1. Present your results as shown in table 1(a sample with different
resistor values is shown). Use 3-4 significant figures in your calculations.

Table 1- Ideal Predictions

Nominal VR VR
peak-to- root-mean-
R (Ω) peak squared
12 0.03676 0.01300
120 0.3704 0.1309
1500 5.000 1.768

Vpeak Vpeak −to −peak

Note that Vrms = and Vpeak = these relationships will be explained in class, later in
2 2
the course.

1.3 Review the material in the appendix and come to lab ready to install MSD on your laptop (if
you understand everything in the appendix, have a go at installing MSD.)

1.4 Submit a photocopy of the pre-lab at the start of the lecture preceding this lab.

1.5 Be sure you are familiar with the ECE Department’s Writing Standards, particularly with
regard to laboratory notebooks (this is on pages 15 & 16 of the following webpage:
http://ece-1.rose-hulman.edu/ece/images/stories/files/ecewritingstandards.pdf ).
 2.0 LAB PROCEDURE
2.1 Install Mobile Studio
Start your laptop in the administrator mode and follow the instructions developed by Dr.
Eccles in the appendix, to get MSD working on your laptop. When you have this done,
make a few adjustments to the function generator and oscilloscope settings and observe
the results. The objective at this stage is just to “play with MSD” and see what happens,
e.g. adjust amplitude, frequency, waveshape and take measurements with the cursors.
Follow the instructions to set-up and display the example in the appendix. Then print a
copy of the scope (like Fig. 5 in the appendix) and attach it to your lab journal. You can
print to the networked printer D116. Be sure to print with the ‘background white’ selected.

2.2 Voltage Measurements

Select the following resistors: 10 Ω, 200 Ω, and 1.2 kΩ then measure and record their
values using the hand-held digital multimeter (DMM). Connect the resistors in series, on
the breadboard, as shown in Figure 1.

Using MSD, adjust the function generator Ch. 1 to give an output of 5 V peak-to-peak, sine
wave at 2 kHz, zero degrees phase and zero volts dc off-set. Connect the function
generator output (AWG-1 and GND) to the resistors as shown in Figure 2. Measure this
waveform on Ch. 1 of the oscilloscope by connecting A1+ and A1- across the supply and
selecting A1 DIF (meaning show the difference in voltage between A1+ and A1-). Measure
the voltage across each resistor on Ch. 2 of the oscilloscope by connecting A2+ and A2-
across the resistor and selecting A2 DIF. For example, Figure 2 shows the measurement
of the voltage across the 200 Ω resistor using channel 2 input of the MSD.

Figure 2 - Circuit Diagram for Voltage Measurement

Measure and record the voltage across each resistor in two ways. Use the MSD
oscilloscope to measure peak-to-peak values on Ch. 2. Use the hand-held DMM to
measure the root-mean-squared (RMS) values. Call this value Vmeasured.

2.3 Analysis
Apply voltage division to re-calculate the peak-to-peak and RMS voltage values in the pre-
lab using the measured resistance values. Call these values VPredicted. Compute the percent
error from the nominal value for each resistor using the following formula:
V − V Pr edicted
% error = Measured x100%
VMeasured
Follow these guidelines for analysis in all ECE204 labs

For each measurement you should quantitatively analyze your result. Follow these
procedures for the analysis of all the measurements in this course. The pre-lab calculations
will use nominal values of components and should be close to the values you expect to
measure in the lab. You should report your pre-lab results with at least 3 significant digits.
That means that you need to carry at least 4 significant digits in all calculations if possible.
th
Report phase values to a precision of no more than 1/10 of a degree. The best comparison
of your measurements with the predicted value should include the measured component
values. When you analyze and record results in your lab journal use this terminology
consistently:

Nominal values – The component values based on the manufactures specification or

calculations based on nominal component values.

Predicted values – These values are calculated based on the best known information at the
time. Predicted values are usually calculated with measured component values. It’s a good
practice to create Maple worksheets for the pre-lab calculations with the component values
as variables. In the lab, you can easily calculate the predicted values using the same Maple
worksheet by substituting the component values with their measured values.

Measured values – Measured values would be those quantities measured either directly or
indirectly. Treat calculations based on measured values as an indirect measurement.

For example, a 1.2kΩ resistor may actually have a resistance of 1.193 kΩ when measured
with a digital ohmmeter. The nominal value would be 1.2kΩ and the measured value is 1.193
kΩ. Perhaps you set up the resistor in a circuit with a voltage source and you measure the
voltage across the resistor and the current through the resistor. Then you calculate the
resistance based on Ohm’s law using the measured voltage and current. Call this quantity a
measured value.

In ECE204 you will measure phasor quantities often. Use this general formula to compare the
magnitude of the phasor values.
Amplitude Measured − AmplitudePr edicted
% error = x100%
AmplitudeMeasured
Notice that the above formula assumes the measured value is accurate and gives a positive
error when the calculated is high and a negative error when the calculated is low.

When computing the error in the phase angle percent error does not make little sense. For
example, suppose the phase angle is theoretically 50° but measures 52°. That’s a 2° error.
The percent error would be (52–50)/50 = 4%. But suppose instead the theoretical value is 2°
and the measurement yields 4°. That’s again a 2° error. But now the percent error is (4–2)/2
= 100%. State phase errors as differences rather than percentages. Use this general formula
to compare the phase offset of phasor values.

Phaseerror = Phasemeasured − Phase predicted [deg]

 If your errors are low (usually within 5 % in magnitude and 2 degrees in phase), there is
no need for any additional comment or explanation. If the percentage error is high, you
must fix your experiment, retake the data, recalculate your answer or provide a
reasonable explanation for the discrepancy. Any explanation that suggests that the
components or resistance of the wires are responsible for the error must be accompanied
by a recalculation including the component error which should then reduce the error to an
acceptable value.

2.4 The lab-work is finished; now make sure your lab notebook is properly completed, in
particular make sure the following is done in each lab report in ECE204:
• Have the lab title on the first page along with the names of the team members.
• Either place the bench number below the lab title, or list all the instrument serial
numbers (obviously, the bench number is easier).
• Ensure that all team members sign and date the last page.
• The lab-work is finished now make sure your lab notebook is properly completed by
following the same concluding steps as the ECE203 lab.
APPENDIX
Installation of Mobile Studio Desktop (MSD)