Teaching Laboratories
Electrical Circuits Laboratory
Room EN 716 is an instructional lab mainly used for ENEE2510 "Circuits Lab". It is also used for ENEE3518 "Electrical Engineering Lab", which is a laboratory offered to Mechanical Engineering students. Occasionally, EN 716 may be used for ENEE3517 "Engineering Electronics Lab". The lab houses 12 fully equipped stations with digital oscilloscopes, analog oscilloscopes, DC power supplies, function generators, and multimeters. This equipment gives students the opportunity to design, build, and test circuits, to gain hands-on experience with real circuits, and to verify the theory they learn in the lecture classes ENEE2550 "Circuits I" and ENEE2551 "Circuits II". Typically, students work in this lab in groups of two.
Spare equipment is available so that faulty equipment can be replaced, if necessary. Parts such as resistors, capacitors, semiconductor devices, and integrated circuits are always available, and provided to students in the beginning of every lab day, or as needed. Students get these parts from our Electronics Technician who is always available during lab times.
A list of the equipment found in each of the 12 stations is next. All stations have identical equipment:
- DC Power Supply: Tektronix PWS2323, single output, 0-32V, 3A.
- DC Power Supply: Agilent E3620A, dual output, 0-20V.
- Arbitrary Function Generator: HP 33120A, 15MHz, single output.
- Analog Oscilloscope: Tektronix 2235, 100MHz, dual channel.
- Digital Oscilloscope: Tektronix TBS1052B, 50MHz, dual channel.
- Digital Multimeter: HP 34401A, 6-1/2 digits (12).
Electronics and Communications Laboratory
Room EN 717 is the second instructional lab used for ENEE 2510 "Circuits Lab". However, its main use is for ENEE 3517 "Engineering Electronics Lab". This lab is also used for ENEE3574 "Communication Systems Lab". Similarly to EN 716, the lab has 12 fully equipped stations with digital oscilloscopes, DC power supplies, function generators, and multimeters. Typically, students work in groups of two.
EN 716 and EN 717 are adjacent and stations have a similar setup. Each of the 12 stations includes the following equipment:
- Digital Oscilloscope (Tektronix TBS1022, 25MHz, dual channel, Tektronix TBS2001C, 50MHz, dual channel, or Tektronix TDS 2022C, 200MHz, dual channel).
- Arbitrary Function Generator: Tektronix AFG2021, 20MHz, single outcome.
- Digital Multimeter: Tektronix DMM4020, 5-1/2 digit.
- Two DC Power Supplies:
– Agilent E3620A, dual output, 0-25V, oR
– Agilent (or HP) 3630A, triple output, 0-6V, +/-20V, 2.5A.
In addition to the above equipment, there are 8 computers in the lab on which students can use Multisim for circuit simulation.
Digital Systems (Digital Logic) Laboratory
Room EN 713 is used primarily for ENEE2586 "Digital Systems Lab". The lab does not require bench equipment, since students mainly use Analog & Digital Trainer boxes which include a breadboard, several switches, clocks, LEDs, and a tester. Typically students work in groups of two. Students check out the trainer boxes in the beginning of the semester. Therefore, they use their trainer boxes in EN 713 during the time when the lab is scheduled, but they can also take them home for pre-labs, or in order to complete an assignment. Students also check out the Altera Cyclone II FPGA boards for use with VHDL. Computers loaded with the Altera Quartus software are available in EN 713
Senior Design Laboratory
Students may use various labs and other space for their capstone projects. However, the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department has a lab, EN 707, which is dedicated to senior design. The lab has 6 stations which students can use for design, circuit building, and testing. In addition to this equipment, students are provided with parts such as resistors, capacitors, semiconductor devices, integrated circuits, and other supplies, as needed. Microprocessors and other computing devices (Arduino, Raspberry Pi) are also available and provided when requested by students. Soldering irons and supplies are also available to the students.
The six equipment stations are described next:
Station 1:
DC Power Supply: Tektronix PWS2323, single output, 0-32V, 3A.
DC Power Supply: HP E3630A, triple output, 0-6V, +/-20V, 2.5A.
Digital Multimeter: Tektronix DMM 4020 5-1/2 digits.
Digital Oscilloscope: TBS1052B, 50MHz, dual output.
Arbitrary Function Generator: Tektronix AFG1022, 25MHz, dual output.
Station 2:
DC Power Supply: Tektronix PWS2323, single output, 0-32V, 3A.
Digital Multimeter: Tektronix DMM 4020, 5-1/2 digits.
Digital Oscilloscope: TBS1052B, 50MHz, dual output.
Arbitrary Function Generator: Tektronix AFG1022, 25MHz, dual output.
Station 3:
DC Power Supply: Tektronix PWS 2323, single output, 0-32V, 3A.
Digital Multimeter: Tektronix DMM4020, 5-1/2 digits.
Digital Oscilloscope: TBS1052B, 50MHz, dual channel.
Arbitrary Function Generator: AFG2021, 20MHz, single output.
Station 4:
Digital Multimeter: Agilent 34401A, 6-1/2 digits.
Arbitrary Function Generator: AFG3021, 25MHz.
Station 5:
Digital Multimeter: DMM4020, 5-1/2 digits.
Arbitrary Function Generator: Tektronix AFG 2021, 20MHz.
Station 6:
Digital Oscilloscope: TBS1052B, 50MHz, dual channel.
Digital Multimeter: DMM4020, 5-1/2 digits.
Arbitrary Function Generator: Tektronix AFG 2021, 20MHz.
Moreover, the lab has one computer, and one printer (HP Color Laserjet, Pro MFP M277dw)
Energy Conversion Laboratory
This lab is housed in EN 611 and provides students the opportunity to gain hands-on experience with power equipment such as rotating electrical machinery (DC and three phase AC generators and motors) and power transformers. The laboratory experiments represent the unique blend of traditional and contemporary approach to learning electric machines. In this lab, students learn to conduct standard machine tests from which mathematical models for the machines can be determined empirically. Moreover, they learn how to use detailed wiring diagrams to connect electric machines with power sources, loads, and meters to perform many different types of tests and experiments that demonstrate the operational and loading characteristics of electric machine systems.
Before the recent equipment upgrade, the core lab equipment included three Hampden Model HMD-100CM student power consoles. Each power console includes a 120/208V three-phase power source, a 0-140/242V variable three-phase power source, a 0-125V 5A DC power source, and a 0-150V 1A DC power source. These consoles are still available, although no longer utilized.
The lab was recently upgraded with LabVolt products. The lab has 5 workstations and a large number of modules (e.g., motors, loads, etc). This equipment is used to perform sixteen experiments in ENEE3511 "Energy Conversion Lab". These LabVolt modules are shown in the following table:
| Equipment Description | Model Number | Quantity |
| Power supply | 8821-2A | 4 |
| Three-phase wattmeter | 8441-20 | 4 |
| Single-phase wattmeter | 8431-20 | 4 |
| DC volt/ammeter set | 8412-00 | 5 |
| Three-phase rheostat | 8731-00 | 5 |
| Synchronization switch module | 8621-00 | 4 |
| Three-phase synchronous motor/generator | 8241-00 | 4 |
| DC motor/generator | 8211-00 | 4 |
| Four-pole squirrel-cage induction motor | 8221-00 | 4 |
| Three-phase wound rotor induction motor | 8231-00 | 3 |
| Capacitor run motor | 8253-00 | 4 |
| Universal motor | 8254-00 | 4 |
| Electrodynamometer | 8911-00 | 4 |
| Three-phase transformer | 8348-20 | 4 |
| Single-phase transformer | 8341-10 | 4 |
| Variable resistive load | 8311-00 | 4 |
| Variable inductive load | 8321-00 | 4 |
| Variable capacitive load | 8331-00 | 4 |
| AC-Ammeter (0.5/2.5/8/25A) | 8425-00 | 4 |
| AC-voltmeter (100/100/250/250V) | 8426-00 | 4 |
| Timing belt | 8942-00 | 4 |
| Digital tachometer | 8920-40 | 4 |
| Mobile workstation | 8110-20 | 5 |
| Storage shelves | 8150-10 |
The machine frames are equipped with transparent, shatter-proof shields for inspection of the interior. Moreover, symbols and diagrams specific to each module are silk-screened on the faceplates. Standard color-coded safety 4mm jacks are used to interconnect all system components. The machines are equipped with search coils through which the magnetic flux distribution at various locations in the machine can be observed using an oscilloscope.
Power Electronics Laboratory
The Power Electronics Lab is housed in room EN 611 together with the Energy Conversion Lab. The lab equipment is based on a FPGA-based processor from OPAL-RT technology which is integrated in the National Instrument (NI) hardware platform NI compactRIO (cRIO-9068) and myRIO for real-time Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) simulation and testing of power electronic converters. The equipment is connected to a computer in order to perform the simulations. In particular, the lab includes 4 such stations on which students are able to perform real-time simulations of basic DC-DC, DC-AC converters, and AC-DC rectifiers, using the NI hardware platform (compactRIO and myRIO), the NI LabView software and the adds-on power electronics software provided by OPAL-RT. The equipment also includes an external controller, inside myRIO, for the HIL simulation.
Process Controls Laboratory
Room EN 618 is mainly used for teaching the hands-on component of the 3-credit hour course ENEE4534 "Process Control Systems". The lab has five Rockwell Automation programmable logic controllers (PLCs) and five computers that are configured in an Ethernet network. The lab also has 8 Eaton PLCs with power supplies (ELCM-PA20AADR/ELC-PS02). This equipment allows student to perform simulations of an industrial automation environment and to gain experience with PLC devices and programming. Additionally, the lab has two digital oscilloscopes (Tektronix TBS1052B-EDU 50MHz), two digital multimeters (Tektronix DMM4250), and two single output power supplies (Tektronix PWS2323DC).
Computer Laboratories
The Dr. Robert A. Savoie College of Engineering houses two computer laboratories in EN 406 and 411. The Electrical and Computer Engineering department uses these laboratories for several computing and computer engineering classes and labs. These include ENEE3512 "Microprocessor Design Lab", ENEE1530 "Engineering Software Tools", ENEE2530 "Electrical Engineering Software Tools", and ENEE3571 "Cloud Technology Foundations".