Filling the Gaps Between Courses: A Proposal to Develop a Network Analysis Laboratory Manual.

Filling the gap between the engineering courses is crucial to understand the theory and practice. The passive filter circuits are the circuits comprising the passive components or the circuits that do not include the DC power supply. The Passive filter circuits will be proposed to be a segue between the Course I and Course II circuit analysis courses at the institution. Although the proposed lab experiment(s) can be used as a smooth transition between any circuit analysis courses that are offered as sequences in engineering curricula, they are also helpful in making a bridge between the topics of DC and AC Analysis in a single circuit analysis course. This paper proposes that for a course sequence case, the assignment of RL and RC passive filters as the final experiment in course I would serve as a smooth transition between the course sequences. To explain the concept of passive filters, oscilloscope, function generator, and network analyzer equipment must be introduced. If the mentioned equipment is presented at the end of Course I, Course II instructor can demonstrate the equipment briefly and students will be prepared enough to use it immediately. The passive low pass filter (LPF) and high pass filter (HPF) topics will be explained thoroughly in course II when students are prepared to learn the topics deeply. To achieve this, AC hardware measurements as well as the mathematical calculations (e.g., filter gain, the cutoff frequency, and the time constant (τ)) will be taught and explained. The simulation regarding LPF and HPF will be accomplished using Multisim and students will explore the coincidence of the hardware results and the simulation, particularly, the Bode diagram. Essentially, Bode diagram concept, will be introduced in Course II, however, authors' intention is to prepare the students for the concept in Course I. Furthermore, the instructor will utilize a continuous square waveform to show the charging and discharging diagrams of the capacitors in the RC circuit (i.e., square wave response). Course instructor will illustrate the effect of varying the time constants and its relation to the RC circuit applications (e.g., integrator and differentiator). Finally, students will be asked to apply a sinusoidal waveform as an input to RC/ RL circuits and compare the change of the output corresponding to the input waveforms. By changing the position of the resistor and capacitor in a simple RC circuit, a LPF can be converted to a HPF (and vice versa). This can be observed by exploring the frequency response.