PH415 Computer Interfacing
OSU logo
The content of this page is undergoing revision and will be moved to another site soon.
About PH415/515

Table of Contents

Announcements

  • Engineering Expo Friday 18 May!
  • There are at 16 positions still available for undergraduates as PH415 and graduate students as PH515.
  • If you have taken PH411/12 or PH511/12, obtain an override from the Physics Department Office in order to enroll. If not, then contact the instructor for instructions.
  • The first laboratory session is Tuesday 3 April at 9:00.
  • The lab rooms will be open at 8:00 to 12:00 AM TuTh.
  • There is no textbook. All material will be available on this website. For basic electronics this book is recommended: Introductory Electronics for Scientists and Engineers by R. E .Simpson (ISBN = 0205083773).

Purpose

  • Basic research and industrial research and development both require the use of computers to control an apparatus, acquire data and analyze data. The primary purpose of this course is to learn about both the electronic and programming aspects of interfacing computers (desktops, laptops and microcontrollers) to instruments, analog circuits and digital circuits. Concepts covered in the course include experimental control, optimal use of commercial instrumentation, design and use of customized instrumentation, noise and artifact elimination in signals and digital signal processing. The hardware to be used includes the following: function generators (USB), digital oscilloscopes (USB), microcontroller with a USB port and general purpose IO lines, PCI analog and digital IO card, analog to digital and digital to analog converters, digital logic gates, analog electronic devices, optical sensors, stepping and DC motors. The programming languages to be used are the following: Python (with packages such as scipy, matplotlib, pyvisa and pywin32) for all tasks; LabView for interaction with the PCI ADIO card; Matlab as an option for data analysis; introductory assembly language and simple C for programming the microcontroller.

Prerequisites

  • Laboratory experience with analog and digital devices and circuits, such as Physics 411/412 or equivalent.
  • Introductory programming experience, such as Physics 265.

Use of This Site

  • Use the "Site Map" for navigation.
  • The "Topics" category contains all the information and programs used in the course.
  • The "Students" category contains the portfolios of enrolled students.
  • The "Tasks" category lists all the in class tasks and out of class assignments.
  • Only currently enrolled students can log in as authorized users and be able to modify pages and upload files.

Course Information

About this site

  • Coordinator: Prof. William M. Hetherington, 105 Weniger, 541-737-1689