Linear Integrated Circuits and Devices

Course Description

EET4158C – Linear Integrated Circuits and Devices is a 4-credit, upper-division combined lecture and laboratory course in the Electronic Engineering Technology taxonomy of Florida's Statewide Course Numbering System (SCNS). The course develops students' ability to analyze, model, and predict the performance of operational amplifiers and related linear integrated circuits, as well as design various circuit functions to perform specified operations. Emphasis is placed on practical application, circuit simulation, and laboratory measurement of real IC devices. The course is a core requirement in the Bachelor of Science in Electrical and Computer Engineering Technology (ECET) program at participating Florida institutions, including Miami Dade College.

Learning Outcomes

Required Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Analyze general amplifier concepts including gain, input/output impedance, frequency response, decibels, and Bode plots for single-stage and cascaded amplifier configurations.
• Apply the ideal op-amp model to analyze and design inverting, non-inverting, differential, summing, and controlled-source amplifier circuits.
• Evaluate practical op-amp limitations, including DC offset, bias currents, slew rate, gain-bandwidth product, and closed-loop bandwidth effects.
• Design and analyze linear op-amp circuits such as integrators, differentiators, instrumentation amplifiers, and voltage-to-current converters.
• Analyze and design comparator circuits, including zero-crossing detectors and Schmitt trigger configurations with hysteresis.
• Design oscillator and waveform generator circuits, including the Wien bridge oscillator, phase-shift oscillator, square-wave generator, and triangular-wave generator using op-amps and the 555 timer IC.
• Design and analyze active filter circuits (low-pass, high-pass, band-pass, and band-reject) using Butterworth and standard resonance approximations.
• Construct, test, and troubleshoot linear IC circuits in a laboratory environment using standard test equipment including oscilloscopes, function generators, and digital multimeters.
• Use SPICE-based simulation software (e.g., Multisim or LTspice) to simulate, verify, and predict the behavior of op-amp circuits prior to hardware implementation.

Optional Outcomes

Depending on the institution and instructor, students may also be expected to:

• Analyze rectifier, clipping, and clamping circuits constructed with op-amps and diodes.
• Design op-amp–based linear voltage regulator circuits and compare performance to IC voltage regulator packages (e.g., LM317).
• Analyze and design basic analog-to-digital (ADC) and digital-to-analog (DAC) converter circuits and evaluate their specifications.
• Apply frequency and impedance scaling techniques to active filter designs.
• Interpret and apply manufacturer IC data sheets to verify design parameters and component selection.
• Analyze phase-locked loop (PLL) circuits and their applications in frequency synthesis and demodulation.

Major Topics

Required Topics

The following content areas are covered across all known Florida college offerings of EET4158C:

• General Amplifier Concepts: Voltage, current, and power gain; decibels; Bode plots; cascaded amplifier gain; frequency response fundamentals; dependent/controlled sources.
• Ideal Op-Amp Analysis and Design: Virtual short and open concepts; inverting and non-inverting amplifiers; summing amplifiers; difference amplifiers; current-controlled voltage and current-controlled current sources; transresistance and transconductance amplifiers.
• Op-Amp DC Effects and Limitations: Input offset voltage and current, bias current compensation, output offset nulling, CMRR, PSRR, slew rate, and output voltage/current limiting.
• Op-Amp AC Effects and Limitations: Open-loop frequency response; unity-gain bandwidth; gain-bandwidth product; closed-loop bandwidth; stability and phase margin concepts.
• Linear Op-Amp Circuits: Ideal and practical integrators; ideal and practical differentiators; instrumentation amplifiers; V-to-I and I-to-V converters; sample-and-hold circuits.
• Comparators: Zero-crossing detectors; non-inverting and inverting Schmitt triggers; window comparators; comparator IC characteristics (e.g., LM311).
• Oscillators and Waveform Generators: Barkhausen criterion; Wien bridge oscillator; phase-shift oscillator; square-wave and triangular-wave generators; 555 timer IC (astable and monostable modes).
• Active Filters: First- and second-order low-pass and high-pass filters; Butterworth approximation; band-pass and band-reject filters; state-variable filter topology; frequency and impedance scaling.

Optional Topics

The following topics appear in some but not all Florida college offerings of this course:

• Rectifier, Clipping, and Clamping Circuits: Precision half-wave and full-wave rectifiers using op-amps; peak detectors; clippers and clampers.
• Voltage Regulator Circuits: Op-amp series and shunt regulators; line and load regulation; LM317 and LM723 IC regulators; current limiting.
• Data Converters: R-2R ladder DAC; flash and successive-approximation ADC; resolution, quantization error, and conversion speed specifications.
• Phase-Locked Loops: PLL operating principles; lock range and capture range; 565 PLL IC; frequency synthesis and FM demodulation applications.
• Miscellaneous Linear ICs: Analog multipliers; function generator ICs (e.g., XR-8038); specialized application circuits.

Resources & Tools

• Primary Textbook: Operational Amplifiers with Linear Integrated Circuits, 4th Edition, by William D. Stanley (Pearson/Prentice Hall) — the standard text for this course at Miami Dade College and other Florida institutions.
• Simulation Software: NI Multisim or LTspice XVII (free) for SPICE-based circuit simulation and virtual laboratory exercises.
• Laboratory Equipment: Dual-channel oscilloscope, function/signal generator, DC power supply (dual-rail ±15 V), digital multimeter, breadboarding station.
• Key ICs: μA741 / LM741 op-amp, LM311 comparator, 555 timer, LM317 voltage regulator, LM324 / TL084 quad op-amp, LM565 PLL.
• IC Data Sheets: Texas Instruments, Analog Devices, and ON Semiconductor data sheets available free at ti.com, analog.com, and onsemi.com.
• Open Textbook: Operational Amplifiers and Linear Integrated Circuits, 3rd Edition, by James Fiore — freely available as an open educational resource (OER).
• Florida Virtual Campus (FLVC): May provide access to publisher resources and library databases for enrolled Florida college students.

Career Pathways

Completion of EET4158C prepares students for roles in analog and mixed-signal electronics design, test, and manufacturing. Graduates of the ECET program who complete this course pursue careers in industries including:

• Analog/Mixed-Signal Circuit Design Engineer or Technologist — designing op-amp–based signal conditioning and processing circuits for sensors, instrumentation, and communication systems.
• Electronics Test Technician / Test Engineer — verifying and validating linear IC performance in aerospace, defense, biomedical, and consumer electronics manufacturing.
• Biomedical Equipment Technician (BMET) — maintaining and troubleshooting analog front-end circuitry in medical devices and diagnostic equipment.
• Instrumentation and Controls Technician — configuring and maintaining process control systems incorporating linear signal conditioning ICs.
• RF/Communications Electronics Technician — working with active filter and PLL-based circuits in telecommunications and broadcast systems.
• Power Electronics Technician — applying voltage regulator and linear power supply circuit skills in energy and industrial automation sectors.

This course supports preparation for industry certifications such as the IPC-A-610 Certified IPC Specialist (CIS) and provides foundational competencies aligned with ABET-accredited Engineering Technology program outcomes.

Special Information

Combined Lecture and Laboratory ("C" Course): Per the Florida SCNS, the "C" designator indicates that lecture and laboratory components meet together in the same session. Students should expect hands-on lab work integrated into each class meeting, requiring preparation with pre-lab simulations and post-lab analysis reports.

Program Context: EET4158C is a required upper-division course in the B.S. in Electrical and Computer Engineering Technology (ECET) at Miami Dade College and equivalent programs at other Florida institutions. It is typically taken in the junior or senior year after completion of foundational electronics and circuit analysis coursework.

Transfer: Under the Florida SCNS, EET4158C is guaranteed transferable between participating Florida public institutions offering the equivalent course, identified by the same prefix and last three digits (158C). Students should verify acceptance with the receiving institution's advisor.