ECE 315 — Readings and Practice Problems

ECE 315 — Readings and Practice Problems#

Welcome to the ECE 315 online textbook. This site contains the readings, practice problems, and flashcards for the course. Use it alongside the lesson slides and class sessions — the readings go deeper into the theory, walk through worked examples, and give you material to return to when studying.

How This Book Is Organized#

The course is divided into three blocks. Each block builds on the previous one, moving from physical hardware through signal processing to systems-level thinking about how sensors and signals are used in real-world applications.

Block 1 — Circuits and Power Covers the fundamentals of electrical circuits (voltage, current, resistance, KVL, KCL), AC circuits and phasors, electric motors and generators, and how electrical power is generated, transmitted, and distributed. This block gives you the circuit foundation that the rest of the course depends on.

Block 2 — Digital Systems and Signal Processing Introduces transistors, digital logic, and computer architecture, then transitions to signals: transducers, filters, and analog-to-digital conversion. By the end of this block you will understand how the physical world is converted into numbers a computer can process.

Block 3 — Sensing, Communication, and Electronic Warfare Applies everything from Blocks 1 and 2 to communication systems (modulation and demodulation), antennas and wireless links (the Friis equation), and active sensing systems (RADAR). The block concludes with electronic warfare, integrated air defense systems, and operational cyber — connecting the technology to the mission.

What Each Lesson Contains#

  • Reading — The main text for the lesson. Read this before or after class to reinforce the material.

  • Practice Problems — Problems to work through on your own. Try them before looking at the key.

  • Practice Problems Key — Fully worked solutions.

  • Flashcards — Key terms and equations for review and self-testing.

Some lessons also include interactive demos or note-taker worksheets, accessible from the sidebar.

Course Administration#

The official course syllabus, project descriptions, laboratory instructions, equation sheets, and graded review schedules are maintained in the associated ECE 315 Microsoft Teams channel. Check Teams regularly — this site covers content, Teams covers logistics.

Contents