Electronic Instrumentation

Each week consists of the following components:

• Electronics theory

• Making predictions about how that week's project will work

• Programming and/or simulations

• Building Circuits or devices and taking measurements

• Evaluating results of the three prior components.

Octal 1: Passive Electronics:

• Learn the electronic theory behind passive components (resistor(s), capacitor(s), inductor(s)), individually and in a circuit (i.e. Thevenin equivalents, filtering)

• Learn how to use electronic equipment such as an oscilloscope, function generator and ALPACA.

• Predict how the combination of such components results in a -frequency (in)dependent- output voltage or current

• Verify your prediction with an LTSpice simulation

• Build these circuits with the classroom equipment and ALPACA: explore their behaviour by slightly altering the circuit, and analyse the results in time and Fourier domain

• Analyse and evaluate your predictions, simulations, measurement and analysis and come to a consistent conclusion, which also takes into account the effect of instrumentation on your data

Octal 2: Programming and Data Acquisition:

• Develop programming skills in Python (calculations, for loop, if statement, comparison, functions, plotting)

• Write programs to control instruments

• Acquire, record and analyze (Analog en Digital I/O) data via a computer

• Understand, control and measure Aliasing, using anti-aliasing and/or digital filtering

Octal 3: Active Electronics:

• Understand the electronic theory behind directional components (e.g. a diode) and active components (operational amplifiers, a.k.a. opamps).

• Design, simulate and build diode circuits, amplifiers, sensors, bridge circuits and instrumentation amplifiers

• Understand and adjust for non-ideal behavior of diodes and opamps

• Understand and adjust for noise en interference

Octal 4: Active Electronics continued and Project:

• Continue the use of sensors

• Design, simulate and build an oscillator.

• Design and construct a measuring device (for voltammetry)

Practicum work participation in teams of 2

• Participation in practicums is obligatory.

• Students can only join a written exam or submit their report after finishing all corresponding practicums.

• There will be one practicum catch-up session each octal scheduled during the exam weeks (1.5, 1.10, 2.5, 2.10) for students who have missed a practicum.

• All practicum work requires individual preparation.

• The build, measure and evaluate part of the practicum work is done in teams of 2 students, as is the final project and report.

• The teams for the practicum are formed at the 1st practicum session. The teams for the final project are formed in week 2.6, these teams may be the same.

  • Students may request to do it as a solo activity or be required to do it solo in extenuating circumstances.

• Students must indicate via the method described in Brightspace who they will team up with for their final report, no later than the end of week 2.8. This will constitute registration for this report (assessment).

  • Again, students may request to do it as a solo activity or be required to do it solo in extenuating circumstances. Students must request this at the time of registration.

• The final project report has a strict deadline. Handing in too late means no grade. Exceptions for this deadline must be approved by the study counselor prior to the deadline.

Grades & exams & retakes

• The final grade is an average of 4 assessment moments: 3 written exams and a report, each counts for 25% of the final grade.

• Students pass the course when their average score is 5.8 or higher.

• Individual exam and report grades need to be a 5.0 or above

• Three written exams done on computers: 1.5 hour exams in week 1.5, 1.10, 2.5.

• Each written exam has a separate resit exam. Usually 5 weeks after the initial exam. The resit schedule is available in MyTimeTable

• The report is on the final project, the deadline is the end of week 2.10, this is done in teams of 2.

  • The resit of the report (without new data) is scheduled week 3.5.

  • Students can raise their report grade to a 5, or to max +1 on their first report grade.

• Exceptions are handled by the study advisor.

Special note:

This is the last year this course is taught in this format!

• Completion of practicums may carry forward to the next academic year, but only when all practicum exercises of the full course, including final project practical work, are completely finished.

• For students who completed all practicum exercises in 2025-26, but did not pass the course in 2025-26 extra resits are offered in 2026-27.

  • In 2026-27 2 resits for written exam 1,2, 3 are offered in week 1.9 and 3.9.

  • If students need to retake more than one written exam, we recommend they join the new course in 2026-27 Q2.

  • If students wish to retake the final project report in 2026-27, they will do an alternative individual project to write a report on.

    • Students must request this no later than week 3.1 of 2026-2027. They must receive approval and a deadline from the teacher before beginning.

    • The deadline for the final project repair is usually 5 weeks after the project has been approved.

• Exceptions are handled by the study advisor.

• The new course in 2026-27 will run in Q2, and is 4 ects.