New EE lab projects for non-EE majors: Fourier spectra of music and perception of the effects of student-built filters

Two laboratory projects for an introductory service course in Electrical Engineering (EE) for non-EE engineering majors relate the abstract concepts of Fourier spectra and transfer functions of filters to the students’ favorite applications – creating and listening to the sounds of music. The projects include: (a) use of technology/software available on the Internet for the production of sounds and editing of audio files; (b) lab measurements of the waveforms and spectra of music, along with listening to the sounds; (c) soldering a multi-functional passive filter circuit and measurements of its transfer functions; (d) listening to the sounds of music without filters, through the software filters and through the real, soldered filters, and (e) comparison of the effects of these two types of filters on the sensory perception of the sounds of music. Here we explain the content of each project and its place in the sequence of rigorous measurements of standard signals; provide examples of lab data, and summarize the feedback from students and from the lab instructors in a large class. Introduction Among the challenges of teaching introductory courses in Electrical Engineering (EE) to non-EE engineering majors is the creation of laboratory projects that provide students an insightful hands-on experience, which would ü Closely relate to theory and applications ü Elucidate abstract EE concepts, and ü Develop fundamental skills that can be readily applied to projects and environments that non-EE majors would encounter. The constraints include: ü Conceptual (students should be able to understand the engineering and physical principles in operation) ü Logistic (the projects should be completed within a limited time in the lab) ü Technical (the lab equipment and software should allow students to verify and alter their functionalities), and ü Financial (the lab equipment and other required resources should be of low cost). This report provides a general overview of a new set of EE lab projects for non-EE majors, with a special focus on the design and implementation of two new laboratory projects, which address the challenges and constraints listed above. Each of these two projects (Experiment 5-3 in the Spectra Lab and Experiment 6-4 in the Filters Lab) employs a multi-faceted, hands-on approach to learning that includes the creative use of technology/software available on the Internet for the production of sounds and the editing of audio files. These projects were created and introduced in our teaching of a large introductory, service course in Electrical Engineering (EE) for non-EE students, mostly from our College of P ge 23926.2