An AC signal-generator and PC-oscilloscope test package for distance students in undergraduate electronics

Laboratory and practical classes are an important part of the education of students in electronics and electrical engineering. For a number of years now, students enrolled in the common first-year electronics unit by distance mode at Deakin University have received a home experimentation kit. The kit supports a full complement of experiments in digital electronics, and a partial set of analog experiments. Exercises containing AC investigations, such as amplifiers and AC circuits, require either on-campus attendance or at-home computer simulations. The limitation is the need for the student to have access to AC signal generators and oscilloscopes. In this study, we propose a low-cost AC experimental package to be issued to off-campus students, complementing the electronics kits currently in use. A single circuit board contains a simple AC signal generator and oscilloscope input. The device is capable of producing sine, square and triangular waves up to 860 kHz, and output voltages up to 7 volts peak to peak. The oscilloscope package employs the sound card of a PC and a software package to allow PC measurements of real AC signals. In addition to allowing students to perform their specific AC exercises at home, the package will also be useful for electronics studies at later years.