By tim, on May 17th, 2012 at 9:06 pm This week’s lectures have been about the response of networks to a sinusoidal drive and how to analyse them. First of all, this involved using an incredibly difficult method based on solving differential equations (so difficult that the attempt terminates part way through after much baffling mathematics), a “sneaky” approach based on complex algebra and finally a “super sneaky” approach based on the impedance model.
This final method turns all of the steady state sinusoidal circuit analysis problems which seemed pretty difficult using the first two methods into problems which can be rather more simply solved by the application of . . . → Read More: MITx 6.002x week 10: (sine) waving but not yet drowning
By tim, on May 7th, 2012 at 10:04 pm This week’s theme on 6.002x was hard sums. Second order differential equations to be precise. However, for anyone still struggling to get through the lectures, don’t give up! It turns out that most of what we’re expected to do is find the characteristic equations of second order circuits – and that’s all. Certainly none of the lab work or homework required any difficult calculus.
Being exposed to all the maths was simply meant to be good for the soul apparently. I suppose that it does make sense to have at least a vague understanding of why circuit problems involving resistors, . . . → Read More: MITx 6.002x week 9 – the school of hard sums
By tim, on May 3rd, 2012 at 7:35 pm Having basked in the afterglow of a successful midterm exam for a little while, I returned to week 8 of the course on Sunday. The lecture sequences were on step, ramp and impulse inputs to RL and RC circuits, followed by a sequence on digital memory.
The first sequence of week 8 (S15) is a good example of a part of the course which really needs revising for online consumption before it’s presented again. The video lectures for this sequence were overly long and repetitive – making the whole experience boring (rather than “fun” or “amazing” as we’re always being . . . → Read More: MITx 6.002x week 8 – just about keeping up with the schedule
By tim, on April 22nd, 2012 at 10:27 pm I wrote yesterday that I was concerned I needed to complete the week 7 materials, homework and lab this week, as well as tackling the midterm exam. However, encouraged by some of what I saw on the 6.002x forum yesterday evening, I dived straight into the material this morning and attempted the homework and lab this evening.
What a relief!
MIT must be feeling kind. Or perhaps the midterm exam really is going to be a stinker …
By tim, on April 21st, 2012 at 6:51 pm Having been a little bit ahead of the curve after completing the week 5 homework and lab, I’m now somewhat further behind than I ought to be, mostly because I took the week after Easter off on holiday. The course definitely hasn’t been plain sailing for the last couple of weeks. I wrote that I’d struggled to get the answer to the penultimate homework question in week 5 correct and in the end, I simply had to give up on it. Fortunately, I’ve found week 6 a little more straightforward, but I’ve been just as frustrated with the maths as . . . → Read More: MITx 6.002x week 6 – the midterm exam approaches
By tim, on April 7th, 2012 at 1:15 pm Week 5 on MITx has felt rather like revisiting week 4. The main difference has been that rather than using circuits with hypothetical voltage controlled current sources in them, we’ve been introduced to using transistors (or MOSFETs, as the course likes to call them) in their saturation region as a way of achieving a practical amplification circuit.
Even some of the homework on week 5 has had a sense of repetition about it. The first few questions in H5P3 are all but identical to those given as H4P2 last week. Still, I’m not complaining – definitely easy marks compared to . . . → Read More: MITx 6.002x – week 5: sharp tools required
By tim, on April 3rd, 2012 at 1:30 pm I’m rather cross with myself – and the course question setters this week. Having found the Lab 4 curve tracer exercise straightforward and also having rattled my way through the first two parts of homework 4 (H4P0 and H4P1 on Zener diodes) without too much difficulty, I got stuck on the amplifier questions in H4P2.
Except, I didn’t really. I’d assumed that a couple of decimal places for reporting the bias current would be sufficient … however, the answer appears to require at least 3 decimal places! I spent ages going round in circles, assuming that I’d got my logic . . . → Read More: MITx 6.002x week 4 – slow going on homework 4, part 2
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