Electronic Interfaces: Bridging the Physical and Digital Worlds - Berkeley

EE40LX teaches the fundamentals of engineering electronic interfaces between the physical world and digital devices. Students can expect to cover the material of a traditional first circuits course with a project-based approach. We start with essential theory and develop an understanding of the building blocks of electronics as we analyze, design, and build different parts of a robot from scratch around a microcontroller. This course uses the Texas Instruments MSP430G2 LaunchPad, but you are welcome to bring whichever development board or microcontroller you like!

Useful mathematics will be discussed where appropriate, but only a working knowledge of high school algebra is required to follow along for most of the course. The philosophy of the course is to learn by doing, so every lecture features a substantial lab component. Students are invited to work together in small groups to build their own robots along with the instructors. There will also be individual circuit analysis and design exercises to reinforce the theories presented in the course. Those who successfully complete each theory assignment and earn a passing grade will get an Honor Code certificate from BerkeleyX.

Additionally, a kit of electronic components will be available from Newark element14 starting June 12. The kit is not necessary to obtain a certificate for this run of the course, but it will greatly enhance your learning experience. Some mechanical components are required to complete the robot as presented in the course. Also, the lab experience will be most effective if you have access to a digital multimeter.

• Fundamentals for engineering electronic interfaces between the physical world and digital devices
• Develop an understanding of the building blocks of electronics
• Analyze, design, and build different parts of a robot from scratch