Electronics Fundamentals
Who Is This For?
This course is designed for technical professionals who work alongside hardware teams but don't have a formal electrical engineering background. If you're a software engineer reading schematics for driver work, a mechanical engineer designing enclosures around PCBs, or a project manager reviewing hardware milestones this course gives you the vocabulary, intuition, and hands-on familiarity to collaborate more effectively with your EE colleagues.
No prior electronics experience is required, but familiarity with SI prefixes and basic algebra is assumed.
This course is built around practical electronics literacy, not textbook completeness. We will focus on the concepts and skills that matter most for working alongside hardware teams — reading schematics, interpreting datasheets, understanding what a circuit is supposed to do, and debugging when it doesn't. That means we'll intentionally gloss over some theoretical details (complex impedance math, semiconductor physics derivations, advanced filter design) in favor of building usable intuition. If you want to go deeper on any topic, the instructor can point you to resources.
Time Commitment
| Details | |
|---|---|
| In-Class | 5 sessions (one per week) × 90 minutes = 7.5 hours total |
| Pre-Work | ~20–30 minutes per week (readings, datasheet review, optional videos) |
| Practice Problems | Optional take-home sets provided each week (~30–45 min each). Solved examples included. |
| Total Commitment | ~10–12 hours over 5 weeks (including optional practice) |
Course Schedule
| Week | Topic | What You'll Learn |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | EE Fundamentals | Ohm's Law, KVL/KCL, passive components (R, C, L), diodes, LED circuits, your first datasheet. DC analysis foundations for everything that follows. |
| 2 | Building on Fundamentals | Transistors (BJT, MOSFET), op-amps (comparator, buffer, amplifier), voltage regulators, reading datasheets fluently. |
| 3 | ICs, Patterns & Prototyping | Logic ICs, 555 timers, decoupling caps, pull-up resistors, logic level translation, building circuits on breadboards. |
| 4 | Schematics, Layouts & PCB | Reading multi-page schematics, PCB stackups and layer purposes, trace routing and thermal management, design rules, manufacturing process from Gerbers to fab. |
| 5 | Bringup, Debugging & Inspection | Systematic PCB bringup, oscilloscope probing techniques, divide-and-conquer debugging, PCB inspection, rework basics, and recommended resources for continued learning. |
Format
Each session is a traditional lecture with short instructor-led demos. No prior setup or software installation is required for most sessions. All materials (reference sheets, practice problems, printed datasheets) are provided.
What to Bring
- Laptop (for viewing datasheets and schematics during class)
- Notebook and pen
- Calculator (phone is fine)
- Curiosity and questions — there are no dumb ones in this course
Logistics and Course Prep (Instructor)
These notes are for course administrators only and provide the rquired materials, recommended tools, and other details required to host the course.
| Ideal Class Size | 10–15 students. Below 10: reduce to 1 demo station. Above 15: add a 3rd station and consider a TA. |
|---|---|
| Room Requirements | Projector/display, 2 demo tables at front, power outlets for bench PSUs and soldering stations (Weeks 4–5), whiteboard. |
| Equipment Budget | ~$800–$2,000 for initial setup (DMMs, PSUs, scope, soldering, components). Most equipment is reusable across cohorts. |
| Software | Altium Designer (instructor, for SPICE demos). Students: optional LTspice (free), KiCad GerbView (free, Week 4+). |
| Consumables | Printed datasheets, worksheets, and handouts (~$5–10/student/week). Solder, flux, and solder wick for Weeks 4–5. |
Equipment Progression by Week
| Week | Equipment Added |
|---|---|
| 1 | Bench PSU (dual ch), DMM ×2, oscilloscope, component sample bags, breadboards, jumper wires |
| 2 | + Transistors (2N2222, IRLZ44N), op-amps (LM358), regulators (LM7805, LM1117-3.3), 9V batteries |
| 3 | + 74xx logic ICs, 555 timers, MOSFET level shifter modules, document camera |
| 4 | + Soldering stations, sample PCBs (2-layer, 4-layer), magnifying loupes, USB microscope |
| 5 | + PCBs with intentional defects, hot air station (optional), ESD straps, IPC reference cards |
Instructor Prep Timeline
- 2 weeks before Week 1: order all components and equipment; verify Altium license and SPICE simulations work.
- 1 week before each session: print datasheets and handouts; build/verify demo circuits; prepare breadboard stations.
- Week 4 prep: source sample PCBs (open-source projects or old internal boards work well). Print schematics.
- Week 5 prep: prepare defect boards (remove a pull-up, bridge two pads, create a cold joint). Test that each defect is findable but not obvious.
Student Deliverables per Week
Each week, students receive three documents:
- Lesson Plan — full session guide with topic details, demos, timing, and materials.
- Reference Sheet — formulas, tables, glossary, and circuit diagram placeholders for that week's content.
- Practice Problems — solved examples + unsolved problems with workspace and answer key.
Difficulty and problem count increase progressively from Week 1 to Week 5.