Adaptive learning with MATLAB tools for Electric Circuit

Zekeriya Aliyazicioglu, California State Polytechnic University-Pomona, Electrical and Computer Engineering

This activity is part of the Teaching Computation in the Sciences Using MATLAB Peer Reviewed Teaching Activities collection. (view details)

This activity was selected for the Teaching Computation in the Sciences Using MATLAB Peer Reviewed Teaching Collection

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Alignment of Learning Goals, Activities, and Assessments
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Initial Publication Date: September 18, 2020 | Reviewed: April 13, 2021 (see revision history: 2 events)

Summary

This year, the goal of this project is to create MATLAB Live Script files, Online Grader, and Simulink for advanced level Electrical Circuits courses. The course in Electrical and Computer Engineering for sophomore-level and the topics of AC phasor analysis, AC steady state power, complex circuit functions, Laplace transform methods, convolution, analog filter design and Fourier series.
Live script files will be created for each topic with problems and solutions. Students will calculate the calculations by hand. Then, students will test MATLAB Live Script to verify their results. Also, Simulink model swill be created to check the results. Online grader exercise questions will be created to have some practices for each topic.

Engineering | College Lower (13-14)

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Learning Goals

In the project,students will be able to:

Create and use MATLAB Live Script file with vary parameters to simulate and analyze circuits.
Analyze integrating and differentiating amplifier circuits in the time domain use MATLAB Live Script file.
Transform a circuit with a sinusoidal source into the frequency domain using phasor concepts and find the impedance of series, parallel, and delta-to-wye configurations with MATLAB Live Script file.
Analyze AC circuits by means node analysis method, mesh current, etc. with MATLAB Live Script file
Find the following ac power concepts calculate them in a circuit using MATLAB Live Script
1. Instantaneous power;
2. Average (real) power;
3. Reactive power;
4. Complex power; and
5. Power factor.
Calculate and analyze the load impedance required to deliver maximum real power to the load with MATLAB Live Script file
Calculate the Laplace transform, Inverse Laplace transform, partial fraction expansion parameters using MATLAB Live Script file
Analyze circuits in the s-domain with MATLAB Live Script file.
Calculate transfer function of RC, RL, RLC circuit configurations in frequency domain with MATLAB Live Script file.
Design simple op-amp circuits that behave as first order low-pass and high-pass filters and be able to calculate component values for these circuits MATLAB Live Script file.
Calculate the trigonometric form of the Fourier coefficients for a periodic waveform with MATLAB Live Script file
Calculate the exponential form of the Fourier coefficients for a periodic waveform and use them to generate magnitude and phase spectrum plots for that waveform with MATLAB Live Script file.

Context for Use

The topics will be covered in this project are in sophomore-level of Electrical Circuits course in Electrical, Computer , Mechanical, Industrial, Chemical, and Aerospace engineering programs covers the same subjects
The typical class size in engineering course is 32 students and has multiple sections in each semester. Only Electrical and Computer engineering program has over 1,100 undergraduate students. All Engineering program has more than 5,500 students. The University's motto is "Learn by Doing." Each class has a lab related to course and students exercise and practices in the related subjects. MATLAB has been using often for Virtual Lab during this pandemic.

Students takes programming class in freshmen level. MATLAB is introduced them in freshman level with examples and exercises in engineering courses and labs. Students learn MATLAB piece by piece in each course and lab.Students should have an introductory knowledge of MATLAB programming to complete the script from the template provided to them.

Description and Teaching Materials

The activities are given with problem setup and solution approaches for each section. The MATLAB Live Script includes the detailed analytical solution and a list of steps required to solve similar problems. Students can complete a series of short activities to get practice with the MATLAB syntax and commands required to solve the assignments. At the end of each section in the Live Script, students can complete a series of MATLAB grader problems.

Parallel RLC circuit exercises and Fourier series examples are attached MATLAB Live Script
Step Response of PArallel RLC Circuits (Acrobat (PDF) 658kB Sep11 20)
Fourier Series (Acrobat (PDF) 312kB Sep11 20)

Teaching Notes and Tips

Using Live Script code to show all explanations, equations, codes, solutions, and plots to make problem solution more clear. Students will not spend more time for calculations using calculator anymore, which they most often have made mistakes in calculation. MATLAB can help them to focus on simulation and analytical solution to understand the topics. It is very easy to make simulation using different values such as slider.

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Assessment

Students will have assignments for MATLAB Live script and MATLAB grader. Students' solutions and plots of the assignments will be compared the instructor's solutions to see whether they were able to complete the assignment correct. The solutions and MATLAB code will be proved after they return their assignments. They can compare their code get help on areas where they need. Exercise problems can be created in MATLAB grader to test the students.