Course Schedule

Contents

Course Schedule#

This is a notional schedule and is kept up to date throughout the semester, so check back here rather than your syllabus. If this schedule and Gradescope disagree about a due date, Gradescope wins.

Dates are the Fall 2026 lesson days from the USAFA Cadet Academic Calendar AY 2026–2027 (approved 7 Jan 2026). Each lesson meets once — on its M-day or its T-day, depending on your section. Find your section, then read down that side of the date column.

Interactive simulations and demos used in class live at usafa-ece.org.

Lessons tagged hands-on include a short bench segment (DMM or oscilloscope) during class — separate from the formal labs at L19 and L22.

Holidays and no-class days#

Date	Occasion
Mon 7 Sep	Labor Day — no classes
Fri 11 Sep	Commandant’s Training Day — no classes
Fri 18 Sep	Fall VALEX — no classes
Mon 12 Oct	Columbus Day — no classes
Wed 11 Nov	Veterans Day — no classes
Wed 25 Nov – Mon 30 Nov	Thanksgiving break — begins after last military duty Tue 24 Nov; Cadet Wing returns 1900 Mon 30 Nov

Classes end Thu 10 Dec. Dean’s Study Day is Fri 11 Dec, and finals run Mon 14 Dec – Thu 17 Dec; the registrar sets the ECE 215 final exam period.

Block 1: Resistive Circuits and Power Distribution#

Lesson	Date (M / T)	Topic	Obj	Handout	Due
1	6 Aug / 7 Aug	L1 — Course Overview	—
2	10 Aug / 11 Aug	L2 — Circuit Fundamentals and Ohm’s Law hands-on	1.1		Quiz 0 (Skills Review)
3	12 Aug / 13 Aug	L3 — Kirchhoff’s Laws	1.1
4	14 Aug / 17 Aug	L4 — Series, Parallel, and Dividers	1.1
5	18 Aug / 19 Aug	L5 — Circuit Protection	1.2
6	20 Aug / 21 Aug	L6 — AC Circuit Analysis hands-on	1.3		Quiz 1 (Obj 1.1–1.2)
7	24 Aug / 25 Aug	L7 — Reactive and Apparent Power hands-on	1.4
8	26 Aug / 27 Aug	L8 — Power and Efficiency	1.5
9	28 Aug / 31 Aug	L9 — Transformers and Power Transmission	1.6
10	1 Sep / 2 Sep	L10 — Power Converters	1.7		Quiz 2 (Obj 1.3–1.5)
11	3 Sep / 4 Sep	L11 — Decision Matrices	1.8
12	8 Sep / 9 Sep	L12 — Block Wrap-Up and Project 1 Kickoff	—	Project 1
13	10 Sep / 14 Sep	L13 — Project 1 Workday 1	—	Project 1	Project 1 Submission 1 — due 14 Sep 2359
14	15 Sep / 16 Sep	L14 — Project 1 Workday 2	—	Project 1	Project 1 Submissions 2–3 — due 16 Sep 2359

Block 2: Signal Processing#

Lesson	Date (M / T)	Topic	Obj	Handout	Due
15	17 Sep / 21 Sep	L15 — Frequency Domain and Ideal Filters	2.1, 2.2		Quiz 3 (Obj 1.6–1.7) — due 21 Sep 2359
16	22 Sep / 23 Sep	L16 — Complex Math and Impedance	2.3
17	24 Sep / 25 Sep	L17 — Analog Filters	2.4
18	28 Sep / 29 Sep	L18 — Midterm Review	—		Quiz 4 (Obj 2.1–2.2)
19	30 Sep / 1 Oct	L19 — Analog Filter Lab	—	Analog Filter Lab	Lab handout · Midterm (Obj 1.1–1.7, 2.1–2.3)
20	2 Oct / 5 Oct	L20 — Analog-to-Digital Conversion	2.5
21	6 Oct / 7 Oct	L21 — Signal Conditioning	2.6		Quiz 5 (Obj 2.3–2.4)
22	8 Oct / 9 Oct	L22 — ADC / Arduino Lab	—	ADC / Arduino Lab	Gradescope lab questions
23	13 Oct / 14 Oct	L23 — Digital Logic	2.7
24	15 Oct / 16 Oct	L24 — Finite State Machines I	2.8		Quiz 6 (Obj 2.5–2.6)
25	19 Oct / 20 Oct	L25 — Finite State Machines II	2.8
26	21 Oct / 22 Oct	L26 — Project 2 Workday 1	—	Project 2
27	23 Oct / 26 Oct	L27 — Project 2 Workday 2	—	Project 2	Quiz 7 (Obj 2.7–2.8)

Block 3: Communication Systems, Radar, and Electronic Warfare#

Lesson	Date (M / T)	Topic	Obj	Handout	Due
28	27 Oct / 28 Oct	L28 — Modulation and Amplitude Modulation	3.1
29	29 Oct / 30 Oct	L29 — AM Bandwidth and Multiplexing	3.1		Project 2
30	2 Nov / 3 Nov	L30 — Demodulation	3.2
31	4 Nov / 5 Nov	L31 — Antennas	3.3
32	6 Nov / 9 Nov	L32 — Line of Sight and Wireless Channels	3.4		Quiz 8 (Obj 3.1–3.2)
33	10 Nov / 12 Nov	L33 — The Friis Equation	3.5
34	13 Nov / 16 Nov	L34 — The Radar Range Equation	3.6
35	17 Nov / 18 Nov	L35 — Pulse-Doppler Radar	3.7		Quiz 9 (Obj 3.3–3.5) Mission Information Packet
36	19 Nov / 20 Nov	L36 — Signal-to-Noise Ratio	3.8
37	23 Nov / 24 Nov	L37 — Electronic Warfare and Jamming	3.9	Project 3
—	25–30 Nov	Thanksgiving break — no classes	—
38	1 Dec / 2 Dec	L38 — Project 3 Workday	—	Project 3	Quiz 10 (Obj 3.5–3.9) Mission Information Packet
39	3 Dec / 4 Dec	L39 — Course Review	—	Project 3	Project 3 design — due 4 Dec 2359
40	7 Dec / 8 Dec	L40 — Project 3 Discussion	—	Project 3
41	9 Dec / 10 Dec	L41 — Final Exam Review	—		Project 3 Individual Questions — due 10 Dec 2359