MCC Electronics Courses

All the technical courses required for the Electronics degrees are shown below. For the general education, math, and science courses, see the MCC college catalog or the MCC web site.

ELE100 Concepts of Electricity and Electronics
Principles of electric circuits, magnetism, and electromagnetism including basic motors and generators. Use of basic measuring instruments. Includes an overview of electronics in the modern world. Prereq: None. (3 cr, 4 per)

This course provides a broad overview of Electronics for those who are new to this field: those who have not had any electronics courses before and have not had any industry experience in Electronics. This course is designed for people who are just starting out as an Electronics major, people in other majors where some knowledge of Electronics is necessary (such as Music, Computer Networking, etc.), or those who may be considering a career change to Electronics.

If you are an ET or EET major and have already had some background in Electronics, please send a note to the MCC Electronics Program Director so that this course can be waived for you.

ELE100 Official Course Competencies

ELE111 Circuit Analysis I

Direct current (DC) and alternating current (AC) electric circuits. Ohm's law, Kirchhoff's laws, series, parallel and series-parallel circuits, fundamentals of inductance and capacitance, and the transient behavior of circuits containing resistance and capacitance or resistance and inductance. Prereq: None. Coreq: ELE105, or MAT122, or equiv. (4 cr, 6 per)

This is the first circuits course for all ET and EET majors. It is the starting point for those who must understand Electronics in their jobs.

This is a standard first course in most comprehensive ET and EET programs throughout the USA. It is sometimes referred to as "AC/DC" because it covers the basics of AC and DC electricity - the fundamental principles upon which all Electronic Systems are based.

Note: A similar version of this course known as ELE113 is no longer offered at MCC. If you have taken ELE113, you will receive credit for ELE111.

ELE111 Official Course Competencies

ELE112 Circuit Analysis II

Alternating and direct current circuits containing resistance and reactance. Detailed coverage of AC/DC circuit parameters, including theorems, impedance matching, and resonance. Prereq: ELE111. (4 cr, 6 per)

This course is normally offered in the Spring only.

This course is a follow-on course for ELE111, and covers the principles that were covered in ELE111 in more depth. This depth is especially needed by ET and EET students.

ELE112 Official Course Competencies

ELE121 Solid-State Devices & Circuits I

Theory of operation of semiconductor diodes and transistors. Bipolar junction transistor biasing and load-line analysis. AC equivalent circuits applied to small signal amplifiers. Characteristics of large signal and power amplifiers. Prereq: ELE111 (4 cr, 6 per)

ELE121 Official Course Competencies

ELE131 Digital Logic and Circuits

Number systems, binary arithmetic, and Boolean algebra, combinatorial and sequential logic circuits, and memory elements. Prereq: Grade of "C" or better in GTC107, or MAT082, or equiv, or score of 19 on Tech Math placement test. (3 cr, 6 per)

This is a standard beginning digital course for all of our MCC Electronics degrees and certificates. In this course, you will learn about the fundamental technology upon which almost all computing technology is based.

In this course, the "LED Vision" is an optional project ...

• Microprocessor-controlled array of 196 LEDs.
• Customizable with any scrolling or blinking messages or images you want.
• All parts and software are provided for you to keep.
• Scroll full-size text, or display simple animations.
• Learn how to write your own programs for this system in ELE241 and reprogram it as a Digital Clock, Voltmeter, Thermometer, or just about anything else you can imagine.

ELE131 Official Course Competencies

ELE173 Fabrication Techniques

Materials, tools, processes, skills and techniques used for fabricating prototype electronic systems. Topics covered will include safety, component identification, schematic diagrams, materials selection, assembly pictorials, soldering, surface-mount soldering, de-soldering/re-work, inspection, printed circuit board construction and repair, automated assembly, and Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) awareness and procedures. Prerequisites: None. Corequisites: ELE121. (2 cr, 4 per)

ELE173 Official Course Competencies

ELE181 Computer Programming for Technology

Elementary computer programming techniques. Hands-on computer usage. Prereq: None. (3 cr, 5 per)

This is the introductory computer programming course for all the MCC Electronics degrees. There are no prerequisites; we start from the very beginning. You will learn how to write computer programs for PCs (or Raspberry Pi boards!) using Linux. Write simple game programs or useful technology or scientific programs. Students in this course may choose to do an optional final project. Previous student projects have included:

• "War Pong"
• "Pak Man"
• Electronic Circuit Calculator
• Inventory Control
• Sudoku generator
• Tic Tac Toe

Construction materials estimating

This course is normally offered in the Spring and Summer only.

ELE181 Official Course Competencies

ELE222 Solid-State Devices and Circuits II

Theory and application of differential and operational amplifiers. Power supplies and regulators; special devices and circuits. Prereq: ELE121. (4 cr, 6 per)

This course is normally offered in the Fall only.

ELE222 Official Course Competencies

ELE241 Microprocessor Concepts

Architecture of selected microprocessors. Presentation of machine and assembly language programming. Prereq: ELE131. (4 cr, 6 per)

In this course, you will build and program your own microcontroller system. Although the specific technology we use changes often to keep up with this ever-changing technology, we are currently using a Microchip PIC18 device. We program it using the C programming language. We emphasize Input/Output interfacing in this course, so that by the end of the semester you should be able to customize the system that your built, and develop your own projects and inventions.

All the hardware and software in your system is included in the lab fee for the course and is yours to keep. If you do not yet have a job in the electronics industry, you can bring the system that you built and programmed in this course to your job interviews to show your prospective employers that you have actual, hands-on electronics skills.

Although most of the students in this course are MCC ET and EET majors, there are also electronic hobbyists who want to learn how to add microcontrollers to their projects, and working engineers who want to upgrade their microcontroller skills.

Even though this course is often taken by people with BS and even MS degrees in Electrical Engineering, it is designed for those who have only had one introductory course in Digital Logic, such as MCC's ELE131 course. If you know about logic gates and flip-flops, you already have all the prerequisites you need for this course. Those with more advanced backgrounds will be able to go well above and beyond the basic requirements of this course if they desire, or may simply enjoy an easy introduction to microcontrollers.

• All parts and software are provided for you to keep.
• Includes a Keypad, LCD character display, high current drivers, and analog I/O.
• Optional classroom projects have included: temperature control, stepper motor driver, telephone dialer, piano, voltmeter, reaction timer, USB Data Acquisition System, and more.
• Use as a platform for your own projects and inventions.
• Interface with almost any sensors or output devices.
• Based on the Microchip PIC18 microcontroller.

The stated prerequisite for this course is ELE131. If, however, you have taken a digital logic course elsewhere, or if you have significant industrial experience with digital logic, send a brief note to the MCC Electronics Program Director, and he will waive this prerequisite for you.

ELE241 Official Course Competencies

ELE243 Microprocessor Applications

Presents the microprocessor in computing and control applications. System hardware and software used to control the microprocessor system to perform input/output operations. Prereq: ELE241. (3 cr, 5 per)

Generally, in the last few weeks of this course, your instructor will guide you in completing a project of your own design. In past semesters, student projects have included a robot arm controller that moved pieces on a chess board, an automatic foosball scoreboard prototype, a baby-crying detector, a home alarm system, and an audio sweep generator. Here are some short videos of student projects.

This course is normally offered in the Fall only.

ELE243 Official Course Competencies

ELE251 Electronic Measurements

Application and operation of common electronic and electrical test instruments including: oscilloscopes, analog and digital multimeters, digital counters and signal sources. Transducers, amplifiers, and filters, as they apply to instrumentation systems. Laboratory reports and documentation are emphasized. Prereq: ELE121. (3 cr, 5 per)

This course is normally offered in the Spring only.

ELE251 Official Course Competencies

ELE261 Communication Systems

Communication systems. Amplitude modulation (AM), frequency modulation (FM), single-sideband (SSB), radio receivers, pulse systems, radiation, antennas and wave propagation. Prereq: ELE121 and ELE131. Coreq: ELE222 (4 cr, 6 per)

This course is normally offered in the Fall only.

ELE261 Official Course Competencies

ELE263 Digital Data Communications

Overview of modern telephone system. Telephone switching and modulation techniques. Familiarization with AM and FM circuits. Operation of asynchronous and synchronous modems. Prereq: ELE121 and ELE241. (4 cr, 6 per)

This course is normally offered in the Spring only.

ELE263 Official Course Competencies