University of Saskatchewan

EE 391 Electrical Engineering Laboratory II

Electrical Engineering Laboratory Regulations

General
Rules and regulations for related to use of the laboratories are established by the
Manager, Electrical Engineering Undergraduate Laboratories with the approval of the
Department. Check the class web site or postings in 2C94 for the current regulations.

Remember, students working the electrical laboratories do so at their own risk.

Electric potentials used are dangerous to life. Students must observe all safety
precautions and must not work alone with circuit potentials exceeding 25 V.

Smoking, food and drinks are not permitted in the laboratories at any time, with
the exception of drinking water in spill-proof containers.

Equipment
All equipment must be returned to its proper storage location at the end of the lab
period. Circuits may be left set up for short periods of time only by permission from the
department technicians (room 2C94).

Instruments and equipment are delicate and expensive. Improper use of

equipment can result in instantaneous damage; check with you instructor if you are in
doubt. The manuals for each piece of equipment can be obtained from the technicians
in 2C94.

Damaged or faulty equipment should be given to the technicians along with a

detailed description of the problem. Do not return damaged or faulty equipment to
the shelves.

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EE 391 Electrical Engineering Laboratory II

Marking Scheme and Notebook Guidelines

Your grade in EE 391 is tentatively based on the following:

• Lab notebook keeping, Lab Reports (!40%)*
• Midterm exam (!20%)
• Final exam (!30%)
• Formal interview (final oral exam) (!10%)
*Also includes observation of your day-to-day performance in the lab; e.g.
observing laboratory rules and procedures, proper set-up, handling and storage of
equipment, attendance and punctuality, professional demeanor, division of responsibility
with partner/teamwork.

Check the Class Web Site for a final version of the criteria and weighting for grade
determination. This will be posted prior to the start of laboratories in September.

Your lab notebooks and reports will be evaluated from time to time to help
determine a grade and to provide feedback on recording techniques. You will normally
have a one week notice to submit your lab book; your lab book will be returned one
week after that. All labs must be performed, including the appropriate documentation,
in order to pass the class. If one or more labs have not been performed, then a grade
of “INC” (incomplete) will be submitted.

Lab notebooks can be considered to be fulfilling the same functions as logbooks

in industry. Logbooks are used to record the results of all tests performed on systems,
subsystems and equipment during the various phases of a project including R & D,
design, systems integration, etc. Logbooks are official, permanent documents, and can
be used in court to prove ownership of a design!

The following points must be followed when recording information in your lab
notebooks:
• The first page must contain a table of contents.
• All pages in the notebook must be numbered.
• Formal structure is not critical; logical order is important.
• Try to avoid using pencil.
• Legibility and neatness are not inherently important, but in this setting
others will definitely have to be able to read and interpret your notes, so
please give due consideration to these aspects. In a non-academic
setting, your notes will be primarily for your own use, but there will be
circumstances when others will have to read and interpret what you’ve
done, so get in the habit of keeping legible, orderly notes.

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EE 391 Electrical Engineering Laboratory II

• The lab book is standalone. There generally should be no references to

any outside documents. (There are, of course, exceptions such as
common data sheets, although you may want to include important data
such as pin outs or certain specifications for convenience.) Remember
that typically you are only allowed to bring in your lab notebooks for
exams. They are your reference notes—make sure they’re complete!
• Theory and background information must be completed prior to the lab.
• Cross out unwanted or erroneous material with a single large X. Do not
remove any pages from your lab book.
• It will be a very useful and time-saving skill to be able to record any
relevant data in your notebooks directly as you do your work. If you do
need to “re-write” your notes, use the left-hand page for rough
calculations, notes, measurements, etc., and use the right-hand side for
the revised version. Explanatory, directive notes will help both you and
other readers find relevant information quickly.
• It is acceptable to paste material into your lab book; such as graphs,
plots, experimental waveforms, and schematics. Use glue wherever
possible; tape is acceptable, please don’t use staples!
• One lab partner must have the original of any experimental waveform;
his/her partner may have a photocopy of that waveform.
• Fully label all diagrams and schematics; include information about any
equipment used!
• Interpretation and discussion of results and/or conclusions resulting from
each portion of the lab should be found with that portion if it is reasonably
independent of other parts. The most reasonable format will depend on
the specifics in each lab exercise.

If in doubt about what to include (and how), remember that it should be clear,
concise and complete. A good rule of thumb is “if you’re not sure – include it”.
Procedures for reports and handing in and returning notebooks may be revised
from year to year. Check postings on the EE391 class web site for the latest
procedures and guidelines.

The examinations are intended to test your knowledge of experimental

procedures including how to take adequate and complete notes. Questions about the
related theory may also be included, but the primary focus will be on the practical
aspects of technology as encountered in the laboratory. It will also be beneficial to
become familiar with the test equipment available in the undergraduate laboratories and
how to use it properly.

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EE 391 Electrical Engineering Laboratory II

Privileges and Responsibilities of Electrical Engineering

Students

You are responsible. Most of the laboratory policies outlined below are the
result of student requests. The privileges will be available only if the responsibilities are
accepted.

Electrical Engineering students may use the laboratories during regular school
hours and after hours, provided they (a) assume responsibility for all activities in the lab
and (b) relinquish equipment to other lab groups if they are performing a scheduled lab.
If you intend to use the lab while other groups are scheduled to perform a lab, ask the
instructor in charge if it is okay, and if there is a place where he/she would like you to
work. The labs must not be left unlocked and unoccupied even for quick
washroom or coffee breaks, and the last student leaving the lab(s) must ensure
that they are locked. Students must not work alone with circuit potentials exceeding
25 V.

Electrical Engineering students wishing to use the labs after hours when the lab
is locked but the building is open may obtain permission and a key to the labs from Mr.
Dave Karaloff in room 2C94. This permission will not be granted for times when the
building is locked. The building is normally open from 7:30 am – 11:00 pm Monday to
Saturday and from noon – 6 pm on Sunday. It is locked and “out of bounds” to students
on University holidays. It must be emphasized that all students working in the labs after
hours are responsible for all activities in the labs. For weekend access to the labs, fill
out the signup sheet outside 2C94. The student with the earliest Saturday time of
arrival on the signup sheet should pick up the key for the labs.

You may leave a circuit set up, provided that you leave a piece of paper with your
name and the date on the breadboard. Storage space for loaded breadboards is
provided in 2C82. All test equipment (scopes, power supplies, signal generators,
DMMs, etc.) must be returned to their proper locations. Any boards more than one
week old may be dismantled or the student may be asked to do so. The extended
setup privilege may be withdrawn if it is consistently misused.

The department technicians, Mr. Dave Karaloff, Mr. Serge Nazarenko, Mr. James
Kowalski and Mr. RLee Prokopishyn are located in 2C94. Report any equipment
problems directly to them.

All equipment in the labs has been marked with a department of electrical
engineering identifier code (the EE xxxx) number, as well as a location code. The
location code tells you where a piece of equipment should be returned. For example, if
a HP 54600A scope has the code “82 – E7”, then that scope should be returned to room
2C82, the cabinet marked E, and the 7th shelf down from the top. At that shelf, there

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EE 391 Electrical Engineering Laboratory II

should be another tag corresponding to the EE number on the scope itself. Always
return the equipment to its proper location.

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EE 391 Electrical Engineering Laboratory II

Electrical Safety and Hazardous Materials

General
Any laboratory environment may contain conditions that are potentially
hazardous to a persons health if not handled appropriately. The electrical engineering
laboratories obviously have electrical potentials that may be lethal and must be treated
with respect. In addition, there are also mechanical hazards, particularly when dealing
with rotating machines, and some chemical hazards because of the materials used in
various components. Our objective is to educate all laboratory users to be able to
handle laboratory materials and situations safely and thereby ensure a safe and healthy
experience for all.

Safety Procedures
A summary of safety and materials handling procedures is included in this
section of the Laboratory Manual. In addition, regulations and procedures may be
posted in and around the laboratories. Please familiarize yourself with these
procedures and follow them at all times.
There are certain categories of hazard that are present in the Electrical
Laboratories, depending on the particular equipment being used and the procedures
involved. A summary of the hazards specific to each laboratory procedure is included at
the beginning of the procedural write up for that lab. Be sure you are familiar with the
appropriate safety procedures referred to in these summaries. Ask your instructor or
teaching assistant if you are not clear.
You may be required to successfully answer (verbal or written) questions about.,
or physically demonstrate proper safety procedures.