Circuit Master: turnkey software for the introductory electrical engineering curriculum

摘要

A turnkey software system for the introductory electrical engineering curriculum is described in detail from a user's perspective. The system, Circuit Master, provides a structured, interactive, menu-driven environment that allows students to explore basic concepts in circuit and signal theory without requiring a background in computer programming. The system's interactive user interface and visual presentation format simultaneously display relationships between circuit components, pole-zero patterns. Bode plots, initial conditions, input/output signal waveforms, and input/output signal spectra for periodic and aperiodic signals. Simultaneous display of information for two sets of circuit components allows physical relationships, parametric changes, and sensitivity issues to be examined easily.