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 | 3 sessions (one per week) × 90 minutes = 4.5 hours total |
| Pre-Work | ~20–30 minutes per week (readings, datasheet review, optional videos) |
| Practice Problems | Optional take-home sets for Weeks 1 and 2 (~30–45 min each). Solved examples included. |
| Total Commitment | ~6–8 hours over 3 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 | Schematics, Layouts & Debugging | Reading multi-page schematics and PCB layouts (first 30 minutes), then a complete framework for debugging electrical problems: approach, tools, test design, and bench setup. Sets up the hands-on fault-finding session that follows. |
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, whiteboard (used heavily in Week 3). |
| Equipment Budget | ~$600–$1,500 for initial setup (DMMs, PSUs, scope, probe accessories, components). Reusable across cohorts. |
| Software | Altium Designer (instructor, for SPICE and schematic demos). Students: optional LTspice (free), KiCad (free, Week 3). |
| Consumables | Printed datasheets, schematics, worksheets, and handouts (~$5–10/student/week). |
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 | + Large-format printed schematics, matching physical boards, boards with planted faults, one known-good reference board, spring-tip scope ground accessories, loupes, ESD straps, document camera |
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 3 prep (documents): source sample boards with published schematics (the Arduino Uno or an old internal board works well). Print the schematic large format, one set per student, plus matching physical boards.
- Week 3 prep (faults): prepare 3–4 boards with planted electrical faults — e.g. a removed I2C pull-up, a rail loaded past its regulator's rating, a lifted signal pin, a swapped divider resistor. Keep one board unmodified as the known-good reference, and keep a written fault key. Each fault should be findable in 3–5 measurements by a student following the method, and not findable by staring at the board.
- Week 3 prep (bench): confirm spring-tip ground accessories are on hand for the probe demo, and verify the current-limit demo works end to end on a deliberately shorted board.
Student Deliverables per Week
Every week, students receive:
- 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.
Weeks 1 and 2 additionally include:
- Practice Problems — solved examples + unsolved problems with workspace and answer key. Difficulty and problem count increase from Week 1 to Week 2.
Week 3 has no take-home set. The material is a method rather than a calculation, and it is exercised directly in the hands-on fault-finding session that follows.