Electrical Systems Laboratory 2 (100 marks) AC signals, capacitors and inductors
Equipment Required LTspice simulator installed in a computer or laptop. 1 x Signal generator 1 x Oscilloscope with leads 1 × Breadboard and assorted wire lengths 1 x Capacitors: 0.18 uF, 0.12 uF, 0.068 uF, 0.1 uF (polyester, 100V) 1 x Resistors: 68kΩ, 10 kΩ (±1%, 0.5 W)
Objectives The objectives of this laboratory session can be summarised as follow: • understand the electrical characteristics of capacitors and inductors; • observe the behaviour of capacitors in a simple circuit; • learn how to simulate simple circuits using LTspice.
At the end of this laboratory session you are expected to be able to explain, in your own words, what capacitors and inductors do. Remember Always be sure you know what you are doing, do not make things work by trial and error. If you are hesitant about something, ask for help. First to your partner, then to the lab supervisor and technical officer. Always turn the PSU off while making or changing connections. Only turn the PSU on during testing.
Students should bring a printout of this lab script, complete it and submit the marking rubric at the end of the lab session.
Pre-lab activities (50 marks) Read this lab script in its entirety and start thinking about how you are going to approach it. Before attempting this lab, students must watch all videos up to lecture 3, all videos that were set as pre-tutorial work, and the following videos (total watching time ~40 min): • Intro to Lab 2 by Cesar Ortega. (17’49”) • LTspice very quick tutorial for Windows. (12’09”) • LTspice very quick tutorial for Mac. (6‘53”) • Tutorial on capacitors. (8’41”) • Tutorial on inductors. (8’17”) • Simulating capacitors and inductors. (8’45”) • Phase shift measurement with oscilloscope. (3’10”)
(NOTE: These videos were almost randomly selected from a multitude available. Feel free to explore other resources that suit your learning preferences.)
After watching the videos, complete activities 1 to 4 before coming to the physical lab session.
Submit the answers to the pre-lab activities through the lab section in Blackboard. These activities have to be completed individually before coming to the laboratory. This work will be assumed during the lab session.
1. LTspice (10 marks)
Read the LTspice Users Guide available in Blackboard and answer the corresponding questions in Blackboard’s pre-lab 2 quiz. (10 marks)
2a. Measure T63% for different capacitance values (8 marks) Use LTspice to visualise Vout for the following values of R1 and C1. Then go to Blackboard and report T63%, the time it takes for Vout to reach 63% of Vin (3.15 V), in the pre-lab 2 quiz. Use the grids and cursors in the simulator to measure the time. Round up your answers to one decimal digit.
Case 1: C1= 0.033 uF R1= 470 kΩ T63%= ?
Case 2: C1= 0.033 uF R1= 200 kΩ T63%= ? Case 3: C1= 0.033 uF R1= 100 kΩ T63%= ? Case 4: C1= 0.033 uF R1= 47 kΩ T63%= ?
2b. Use LTspice to find combinations of R1 and C1 that produce the required t63%. (8 marks) Report your answers in Blackboard’s pre-lab 2 quiz. Round up your answers to one decimal digit.
Case 1: T63%= 20 ms R1= 200 kΩ C1= ?
Case 2: T63%= 4.95 ms R1= 15 kΩ C1= ? Case 3: T63%=15 ms C1= 0.15 uF R1= ? Case 4: T63%=50 ms C1= 0.47 uF R1= ?
2c. Answer the question in Blackboard’s pre-lab 2 quiz about capacitors in DC (4 marks)
3. Inductors in DC (10 marks) Use LTspice to simulate the circuit in Figure 4. R1 is 1 Ohm. Note the parameters you need to use to define the power supply.
Figure 4. Circuit to simulate inductors’ behaviour in DC.
3a. Measure T63% for different inductance values (8 marks)
Use LTspice to visualise Iout (the current across the inductor), Vin and Vout for the following values of L1. Then go to Blackboard and report T63%, the time it takes for Iout to reach 63% of 5 A (3.15 A), in the pre-lab 2 quiz. Use the grids and cursors in the simulator to measure the time. Round up your answers to one decimal digit. Case 1: R1= 1 Ohm L1= 0.01 H T63%= ? Case 2: R1= 1 Ohm L1= 0.05 H T63%= ? Case 3: R1= 1 Ohm L1= 0.1 H T63%= ? Case 4: R1= 1 Ohm L1= 0.2 H T63%= ? Your simulation should resemble the following screenshot.
3b. Answer the question in Blackboard’s pre-lab 2 quiz about inductors in DC (2 marks)
4. Inductors in AC. (10 marks) Create a new LTspice design with the circuit in Figure 5. The power supply produces a sine wave with amplitude of 10 Vp-p, 10 Hz frequency and no offset. The value of R1 is 1 ohm.
Figure 5. Circuit to study inductors in AC
Use LTspice to simulate the circuit in Figure 5 for different values of L1. Your simulation should look like the following picture.
Phase shift in milliseconds is the distance between peaks. Note in the picture how the zeroes for voltage and current are aligned. You can align the zeroes by changing the range of the vertical axes (right-click on them). Also note how the current through the inductor drifts down, hence measuring phase shift at the zero crossings is not good. 4a. For each of the following cases measure the phase shift (φ) in degrees. (8 marks) Report your answers in Blackboards pre-lab 2 quiz. Remember, a full cycle (1 period) is equal to 360o Case 1: R1= 1 Ohm L1= 0.01 H φ= ? Case 2: R1= 1 Ohm L1= 0.05 H φ= ? Case 3: R1= 1 Ohm L1= 0.1 H φ= ? Case 4: R1= 1 Ohm L1= 0.2 H φ= ?
4b. Answer the question in Blackboard’s pre-lab 2 quiz about inductors in AC (2 marks)
In-laboratory work (50 marks) Before conducting the laboratory, check to ensure that you have all the equipment from the equipment list. Also, confirm that all equipment is in working order in terms of being able to power up check. Report any faulty equipment to your laboratory supervisor(s) immediately. For this laboratory you are to work in pairs. Take turns to assemble circuits on the breadboard, setting the equipment up and taking measurements. Check each other’s work along the way. Record all results using a pen, not a pencil. Remember, when in doubt, ask your laboratory supervisor(s) to check your circuit connections and equipment setup before applying power to your circuit.
5. Capacitors in DC (20 marks)
Use a breadboard and the components provided to assemble the circuit shown in Figure 6. Bear in mind that you will be changing components very frequently.
Figure 6. Circuit to study capacitors
Use the oscilloscope to help you set the signal generator to produce a square wave with 50% duty cycle (default), 10 Hz frequency, amplitude of 5 Vp-p and 2.5V offset (Vin should be a square signal that changes between 0 and 5 V). Then connect the signal generator to Vin in the circuit you built in the breadboard. Once the signal generator is in place and turned off, connect channel 1 of the oscilloscope to Vin and channel 2 to Vout.
IMPORTANT: The grids in the pictures below do not necessarily have to match the grids in the oscilloscope. The grids in the picture are there to help you scale your drawings.
5a. Vout for different values of C. (20 marks) Use the oscilloscope to visualise Vin and Vout for the indicated values for R and C, and draw what you see in the corresponding diagram. Be as accurate as possible. You also need to record the time the signal takes to reach 63% of the total output (use the oscilloscope’s Cursors to do this). 3 marks for each correct T63%, and up to 3 marks for each graph. 2 extra marks if all previous marks were earned. V C= 0.18 uF 5
R= 68 kΩ
T63%=_________
0.05 s
V C= 0.12 uF 5
R= 68 kΩ
T63%=_________
0.05 s
V C= 0.068 uF 5
R= 68 kΩ
T63%=_________
0.05 s
Thinking time Discuss with your partner. For a given combination of R and C, would T63% change if the frequency of Vin increases or decreases?
6. Capacitors in AC (30 marks) Use the oscilloscope to help you set the signal generator to produce a sinewave with amplitude of 10 Vp-p, 10 Hz frequency and no offset. Then connect the signal generator and the oscilloscope as you did in activity 5.
6a. Vout for different values of C. (15 marks)
Use the oscilloscope to visualise Vin and Vout in Figure 6 for the indicated values for R and C. Draw what you see in the corresponding diagram. Be as accurate as possible. You also need to record the phase shift φ (delay in the output signal in degrees). You may use the oscilloscope’s Measures menu to display phase shift from Ch1-Ch2. A full cycle (1 period) of the sine wave is equal to 360°. 3 marks for each correct phase shift, and up to 2 marks for each graph.
6b. Frequency sweep. (15 marks) In this experiment you will investigate the behaviour of an RC circuit at different frequencies. Change the values of R and C in the schematic in Figure 6 to R= 10kΩ and C= 0.1 uF, as shown in Figure 7. In Figure 7, V1 delivers a sinewave of 10Vp-p with no offset.
Figure 7. Circuit to simulate a frequency sweep.
Complete the following table. Remember that the same phase shift in milliseconds gives different phase shift in degrees, depending on the frequency.
You may use the Measures menu in the oscilloscope to display phase shift from Ch1-Ch2.
Check the amplitude of V1 every time you change its frequency.
Frequency Vout (Vpeak) Phase shift (ms) Phase shift (degrees)
5 Hz
50 Hz
200 Hz
500 Hz
1 kHz
Thinking time Discuss with your partner. How do you explain changes in Vout’s amplitude at different frequencies?
Unsatisfactory Satisfactory Activity Marks 0 % 50 51 % 100 Pre-Lab activities Individually marked. 50% in Blackboard. In-Lab work. Marks for the team. 2 mark for each correct graph. 5a. Capacitors in DC and The team did not attempt the task 3 marks for each correct value of /20 T63%. or heavily relied on help T63% obtained with no help. 1.5 mark for each correct graph. 6a. Capacitors in AC and The team did not attempt the task 2 marks for each correct value of /15 phase shift. or heavily relied on help T63% obtained with no help. The team relied on help to get 1 mark for every correct 6b. Frequency sweep. /15 some results measurement in the table
