ECE 131 – Fundamentals of Electrical and Computer Engineering ...

ECE 131 – Fundamentals of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Laboratory Report Requirements
Lab Projects 1 and 5. There are no laboratory reports required for Labs 1 and 5, because these
projects involve the construction of a circuit board. Your completed project for Lab 1 must be
shown and demonstrated to your Lab Instructor at the beginning of your scheduled period for
Lab 2. Your completed radio for Lab 5 must be shown to the Lab Instructor before the last
week of the semester.
Lab Projects 2, 3, and 4. A written report is required for Labs 2, 3, and 4, and the reports
are due in the laboratory period that follows each lab
Lab reports must be submitted as neat, legible, complete packages. All reports must be written
such that an outsider with a similar technical background is able to understand your report. Make
your report as simple and to the point as practical. Although handwritten reports will be
accepted, it is recommended that a word processor (e.g., MS Word) be used (at least for portions
of the laboratory where it makes sense). Double spacing is required so there will be room for
instructor comments. Paper must not be torn from a spiral notebook. Font size should be 12
point and a serif font (e.g., Times, Times New Roman, Garamond, etc.) should be used. Make
sure to proofread your report and number the pages. The report should include the following
sections:
Cover Page: Use a cover page then a staple to hold the papers together. The title of the report,
the number and name of the course, your name, date, and signature must be on
this cover page.
Introduction: The introduction is intended to introduce the reader to the report. Include a
sentence or two about the objective of the project and the report, one to three
sentences about what you are going to tell (i.e., the contents of the report body,
including conclusions).
Procedure:
Procedures used for making measurements should be briefly described. You can
paraphrase the information in your laboratory assignment, but do not repeat
(plagiarize) it. Items that are often helpful in this section include:
• Neatly drawn circuit diagrams. These may be hand drawn using a straight edge or
computer generated.
• An apparatus list of the equipment and components used during the project. You must
include model and serial numbers of major equipment.
Results:
The results of your measurements must be summarized in writing, and
appropriately supported with:

• Data tables must be clearly labeled so that it is obvious what parameter (e.g., circuit
voltage, current, etc.) yielded which data. Each column of data should be headed by the
proper unit abbreviations, such as V (for volts) or mA (for milliamperes).
• Graphs can used to present data in a form that show the results obtained, as one or more
of the parameters is varied. A graph has the advantage of presenting large amounts of
data in a concise visual form.
• Relevant calculations should be shown. If repetitive calculations are needed, only show a
sample calculation and summarize the others in a table.
Discussion:
This section is used to discuss (interpret) your results and explain any
discrepancies. Answer all questions in the lab instructions that pertain to the
project results.
Conclusions: The Conclusions section of your report should “tell what you told.” You should
very briefly summarize what you have reported and also tell the significance of
your results/findings.