When people find out I’m not very good at building circuits, they’re shocked!
From Israel Palacio on [Source]
Circuits are the basic building blocks of all electrical devices, including the computer on which you are reading this right now. In EngSci’s introductory circuits course, ECE159, you’ll be introduced to basic circuit properties such as current, voltage, and resistance, as well as circuit components like sources, resistors, capacitors and inductors. You will learn about DC (direct current) circuits and some AC (alternating current) circuits. To investigate the circuits you’ll use techniques like mesh analysis and nodal analysis.
Succeeding in the course requires understanding the theory behind circuit analysis, being able to build circuits in real life and, most importantly, knowledge of how to apply the right formulae in the right situations. Are you ready to learn the fundamentals of harnessing electricity?
The goal of this course is to solve circuits for their properties by understanding how their components interact. These interactions are expressed mathematically, so a large portion of this course is solving systems of equations. Another important part of the course is the practicals. In the practicals, you’ll be in a lab building circuits and observing how their different properties work with sensors and probes.
Students have very different experiences with ECE159. Some students find it difficult; others find it very easy. While a high school circuit course under your belt can help you succeed in ECE159, it is not necessary. Practice and regular review will be your best friend in this course. The key is to practice the steps to answer every type of question, as there are only a handful of distinct questions that can be asked on a test.
Professor
Professor Micah Stickel is a Teaching Stream Associate Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. He completed his Undergrad, Masters and PhD at U of T with a focus on electromagnetic networks and developing new devices for high-frequency systems. He is a returning professor for this course, and is well known for his incredibly clear and engaging presentation, his insightful worked examples, and the occasional joke in lecture! In general, Prof. Stickel lectures are well worth attending as they teach exactly what you will need to know to succeed, in a way that everyone will be able to understand!
Professor Interview
Check out our interview with Prof. Stickel to learn more about what you can expect in ECE159.
Highlights
- Labs! Every other week you’ll have the chance to create circuits on breadboards. Be ready not only to build circuits but to have fun.
- This course will introduce you to complex numbers. AC circuits will use complex numbers and, as you’ll see in this course, they’re really useful and not that complicated once you get the hang of them.
Week in the Life of an ECE159 Student
Lectures
There are typically three hours of ECE159 lectures a week. Be sure to pay attention during these lectures: this is where you learn about the circuit laws you will use to solve problems on assignments. In lectures, your prof will conceptually explain circuit topics to you, as well as go through many examples of circuit analysis. Be sure to take note of these examples, as they serve as models for midterm and exam questions. New this year, you may be expected to watch an introductory Pre-Class Essentials video before attending lectures.
Labs
ECE159 labs are held biweekly. Make sure to do the pre-lab before every lab session, as they are worth marks but are also crucial to your ability to understand the lab. They can be a time crunch because the whole lab is done in a three-hour period.
Tutorials
There is one hour of ECE159 tutorials built into your weekly schedule. During the tutorial, the theory of the course will be briefly summarized. However, the emphasis during the tutorials is on learning how to problem-solve. Your TA will work through lots of different examples, and we recommend taking notes of their problem-solving steps.
Exams
ECE159 usually has two midterms and a final exam. You will need to apply the correct formula and circuit theory to each question. Try to use these exams as a chance to check that you are understanding the theory of the course, because making sure that you stay up-to-date with how to solve each type of problem will really help you succeed.
How to Succeed
Quick tips and equations
- V = IR (Ohm’s Law)
- P = VI (Electric Power)
- Understand the Passive Sign Convention
- Nodal analysis
- Mesh analysis
- Be comfortable with complex numbers (don’t worry if you aren’t yet, complex numbers will be covered in lecture)
Common electric circuit component diagrams
More Details
Know All the “Quick Rules”
The loop laws and node laws are technically all you need for the course, but you’ll spend too much time on questions if they’re all you use. There are some simple rules you’ll be introduced to that you need to use to speed up your problem solving. Some examples include the fact that parallel branches have the same voltage, or how to quickly spot short-circuited branches.
Make an Equation Sheet for Practice
There’s no equation sheet for tests, but the best way to remember the equations and how they connect is by writing an equation sheet as the course moves on. This will also be a helpful resource when you work through the homework problem sets or when you are doing the pre-lab work for the course.
Do the Problem Sets to Learn, and Past Tests/Exams for Practice
This course is about problem-solving, which means the more questions you practice, the more you will succeed. The lectures are also designed to be very interactive and will focus on working through lots of examples. Find past ECE159 midterms and exams on courses.skule.ca.
In previous years, there have also been problem sets (not for marks) every week; we highly recommend trying to solve them. They can be more challenging than the problem set and textbook questions and are very similar to those on midterms and exams.
Use Other Resources if Needed
Like classical mechanics, which you’ll learn in PHY180, introductory circuits is a very old and standard course. There are many online videos and textbooks that you can use if you’re struggling with a concept and need a new perspective.
What Will You Take Out of It?
- You’ll get crucial experience in building circuits, which is important in engineering prototyping (you will likely need this in Praxis III, in your second year).
- Even if you don’t find the topic interesting, the problem-solving skills you develop in this course will be used heavily in future courses.
- While basic, the concepts in this course are necessary for building up to all other concepts in electromagnetics (to which you’ll be introduced in the second semester of second year).