# 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](https://usafa-ece.org).

Lessons tagged <span class="sched-handson">hands-on</span> include a short bench segment (DMM or oscilloscope) during class — separate from the formal labs at L19 and L22.

## Holidays and no-class days

:::{container} dfec-table sched-holidays
| 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 |
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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

:::{container} dfec-table sched
| Lesson | Date (M / T) | Topic | Obj | Handout | Due |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 Aug / 7 Aug | [L1 — Course Overview](block01/L01) | — |  |  |
| 2 | 10 Aug / 11 Aug | [L2 — Circuit Fundamentals and Ohm's Law](block01/L02) <span class="sched-handson">hands-on</span> | 1.1 |  | **Quiz 0 (Skills Review)** |
| 3 | 12 Aug / 13 Aug | [L3 — Kirchhoff's Laws](block01/L03) | 1.1 |  |  |
| 4 | 14 Aug / 17 Aug | [L4 — Series, Parallel, and Dividers](block01/L04) | 1.1 |  |  |
| 5 | 18 Aug / 19 Aug | [L5 — Circuit Protection](block01/L05) | 1.2 |  |  |
| 6 | 20 Aug / 21 Aug | [L6 — AC Circuit Analysis](block01/L06) <span class="sched-handson">hands-on</span> | 1.3 |  | **Quiz 1 (Obj 1.1–1.2)** |
| 7 | 24 Aug / 25 Aug | [L7 — Reactive and Apparent Power](block01/L07) <span class="sched-handson">hands-on</span> | 1.4 |  |  |
| 8 | 26 Aug / 27 Aug | [L8 — Power and Efficiency](block01/L08) | 1.5 |  |  |
| 9 | 28 Aug / 31 Aug | [L9 — Transformers and Power Transmission](block01/L09) | 1.6 |  |  |
| 10 | 1 Sep / 2 Sep | [L10 — Power Converters](block01/L10) | 1.7 |  | **Quiz 2 (Obj 1.3–1.5)** |
| 11 | 3 Sep / 4 Sep | [L11 — Decision Matrices](block01/L11) | 1.8 |  |  |
| 12 | 8 Sep / 9 Sep | [L12 — Block Wrap-Up and Project 1 Kickoff](block01/L12) | — | [Project 1](block01/Project1) |  |
| 13 | 10 Sep / 14 Sep | [L13 — Project 1 Workday 1](block01/L13) | — | [Project 1](block01/Project1) | **Project 1 Submission 1 — due 14 Sep 2359** |
| 14 | 15 Sep / 16 Sep | [L14 — Project 1 Workday 2](block01/L14) | — | [Project 1](block01/Project1) | **Project 1 Submissions 2–3 — due 16 Sep 2359** |
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## Block 2: Signal Processing

:::{container} dfec-table sched
| Lesson | Date (M / T) | Topic | Obj | Handout | Due |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | 17 Sep / 21 Sep | [L15 — Frequency Domain and Ideal Filters](block02/L15) | 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](block02/L16) | 2.3 |  |  |
| 17 | 24 Sep / 25 Sep | [L17 — Analog Filters](block02/L17) | 2.4 |  |  |
| 18 | 28 Sep / 29 Sep | [L18 — Midterm Review](block02/L18) | — |  | **Quiz 4 (Obj 2.1–2.2)** |
| 19 | 30 Sep / 1 Oct | [L19 — Analog Filter Lab](block02/L19) | — | [Analog Filter Lab](block02/AnalogFilterLab) | **Lab handout · Midterm (Obj 1.1–1.7, 2.1–2.3)** |
| 20 | 2 Oct / 5 Oct | [L20 — Analog-to-Digital Conversion](block02/L20) | 2.5 |  |  |
| 21 | 6 Oct / 7 Oct | [L21 — Signal Conditioning](block02/L21) | 2.6 |  | **Quiz 5 (Obj 2.3–2.4)** |
| 22 | 8 Oct / 9 Oct | [L22 — ADC / Arduino Lab](block02/L22) | — | [ADC / Arduino Lab](block02/ADC_Arduino_Lab) | **Gradescope lab questions** |
| 23 | 13 Oct / 14 Oct | [L23 — Digital Logic](block02/L23) | 2.7 |  |  |
| 24 | 15 Oct / 16 Oct | [L24 — Finite State Machines I](block02/L24) | 2.8 |  | **Quiz 6 (Obj 2.5–2.6)** |
| 25 | 19 Oct / 20 Oct | [L25 — Finite State Machines II](block02/L25) | 2.8 |  |  |
| 26 | 21 Oct / 22 Oct | [L26 — Project 2 Workday 1](block02/L26) | — | [Project 2](block02/Project2) |  |
| 27 | 23 Oct / 26 Oct | [L27 — Project 2 Workday 2](block02/L27) | — | [Project 2](block02/Project2) | **Quiz 7 (Obj 2.7–2.8)** |
:::

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

:::{container} dfec-table sched
| Lesson | Date (M / T) | Topic | Obj | Handout | Due |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 | 27 Oct / 28 Oct | [L28 — Modulation and Amplitude Modulation](block03/L28) | 3.1 |  |  |
| 29 | 29 Oct / 30 Oct | [L29 — AM Bandwidth and Multiplexing](block03/L29) | 3.1 |  | **Project 2** |
| 30 | 2 Nov / 3 Nov | [L30 — Demodulation](block03/L30) | 3.2 |  |  |
| 31 | 4 Nov / 5 Nov | [L31 — Antennas](block03/L31) | 3.3 |  |  |
| 32 | 6 Nov / 9 Nov | [L32 — Line of Sight and Wireless Channels](block03/L32) | 3.4 |  | **Quiz 8 (Obj 3.1–3.2)** |
| 33 | 10 Nov / 12 Nov | [L33 — The Friis Equation](block03/L33) | 3.5 |  |  |
| 34 | 13 Nov / 16 Nov | [L34 — The Radar Range Equation](block03/L34) | 3.6 |  |  |
| 35 | 17 Nov / 18 Nov | [L35 — Pulse-Doppler Radar](block03/L35) | 3.7 |  | **Quiz 9 (Obj 3.3–3.5)**<br>[Mission Information Packet](_static/ECE215_Mission_Packet_9.pdf) |
| 36 | 19 Nov / 20 Nov | [L36 — Signal-to-Noise Ratio](block03/L36) | 3.8 |  |  |
| 37 | 23 Nov / 24 Nov | [L37 — Electronic Warfare and Jamming](block03/L37) | 3.9 | [Project 3](block03/Project3) |  |
| — | 25–30 Nov | <span class="sched-break">Thanksgiving break — no classes</span> | — |  |  |
| 38 | 1 Dec / 2 Dec | [L38 — Project 3 Workday](block03/L38) | — | [Project 3](block03/Project3) | **Quiz 10 (Obj 3.5–3.9)**<br>[Mission Information Packet](_static/ECE215_Mission_Packet_10.pdf) |
| 39 | 3 Dec / 4 Dec | [L39 — Course Review](block03/L39) | — | [Project 3](block03/Project3) | **Project 3 design — due 4 Dec 2359** |
| 40 | 7 Dec / 8 Dec | [L40 — Project 3 Discussion](block03/L40) | — | [Project 3](block03/Project3) |  |
| 41 | 9 Dec / 10 Dec | [L41 — Final Exam Review](block03/L41) | — |  | **Project 3 Individual Questions — due 10 Dec 2359** |
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