Reading Apprenticeship Inspired Assignment

Anne Li - Introduction to Electrical Circuits and Devices

Purpose

Students will learn how to use Multisim Live, a free electronic circuit simulation tool online. Simulating a circuit's behavior can not only help visualize the current and voltage in the circuit analysis equations but also a powerful tool before actually building a circuit. Students will reflect on what they have done with hand-drawing the circuits and compare them with the electronic simulation on their computers.

Context

This activity takes place in the second half of the semester. Students will have learned about inductors, capacitors and their behaviors and solved similar problems on paper. Students will follow a set of the instructions online and build a simple RC (resistor & capacitor) circuit from scratch.

Criteria

This activity is a part of their homework assignment and students will have to either include a link of their circuits and simulation results or take screenshots of their circuits and results and submit them on Canvas. There are also following up questions after the assignment and students will have to answer them based on their simulation results. Students will receive partial credits for each step they have accomplished.

Metacognitive Conversations

This activity helps students to learn on their own and promotes metacognitive methodology in the step-by-step instruction. Students will use and follow them while completing the assignments. The goal of this assignment is to help students develop circuit simulations on their own in the future.

Details

Students will follow a set of instructions starting from registering an account, starting a new circuit, putting down elements and simulating the circuit they build. This is the very first time they use the tool and more of a guided introduction of circuit analysis with simulation tools. Students should be able to complete the whole assignment within two hours including reading the materials and instructions.

(A demo of this assignments as well as the text and link will be in the section below.)

Text and Materials

Multisim is a circuit simulation software developed by NI (National Instruments). Multisim Live is the lite online version of Multisim and the Free Subscription is suitable to practice simple circuit simulations.

https://www.multisim.com/

Here are some links that can help you get started.

1. After creating an account (you can use your Los Rios email), please follow the instructions on how to create a circuit.

https://www.multisim.com/help/getting-started/creating-design/

2. Use this link when you are ready to simulate your design:

https://www.multisim.com/help/getting-started/simulating-design/

3. Example: RC filter design

https://www.multisim.com/get-started/

(You can also try Multisim Live with other Exercise problems from the book or design your own circuits!)