Instructional Lab FAQ

We have a wide selection of electrical components including resistors, capacitors, microcontrollers, motors, LEDs, Integrated Circuit Chips, power supplies, and more. We also have laptops, oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, and other higher-end equipment available for checkout. A full list of equipment can be found here, but please stop by Van Leer C-352 or send us an email if you have any questions.

We have 3D-Printers, soldering irons, a PCB oven, a PCB Milling Machine, miter and band saws, drills, oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, a battery welder, and more. Details about our equipment can be found here.

You need training to use the PCB Milling Machine, Battery Welder, and machine shop tools (saws, drills, etc.); however, if you aren’t trained, one of our staff members can assist you. Additionally, if you have any questions about how to use any of our equipment, one of our staff members can assist you.

Our staff can help you with everything from how to use our equipment, to which
components to use in your project, to how to design your project,. Our staff is trained on
PCB Design, SMD and through-hole soldering, and more.

TELL US!!! You won’t be financially responsible for any equipment broken in out labs and we don’t know it is broken unless a student tells us. Additionally, if the equipment broke because of user error it can function as a great learning opportunity for how to use the equipment properly to better prepare you for an internship or job.

For students in an ECE class with a dedicated lab, you will be given BuzzCard access to your lab if your professor allows for 24/7 access. For students not in a class, you can request to a lab access by stopping by Van Leer C-352 between the hours of 9am – 4pm and asking one of our employees for access.

To order parts for a design class, your professor will send out ordering information the first couple weeks of the semester. The order form and online order upload will be available here. If you have any questions on how to fill out the spreadsheet, please stop by Van Leer C-352 or send us an email. Note: if an order is submitted incorrectly, we will ask you to resubmit.

You can order any part not found in our lab inventory. This includes custom PCBs, specialty ICs, specialty metal or wood, or anything else you can think of. The only requirement is that the supplier must offer the products tax free, so parts from suppliers such as Alibaba cannot be accepted. If you have any questions about order parts, please stop by Van Leer C-352 or send us an email.

Companies that are registered as sponsors donate into our dedicated account, which is used to fund sponsored projects. Students will be given a larger budget for sponsored accounts and place their orders normally. If you are unsure if your project is sponsored, please stop by our main office or email us.

At the end of the semester, please return your project to the design lab. Your project is property of Georgia Tech and must remain with the Institute after your completion of the course.

Help classes for many skills in ECE are offered throughout the semester. Senior design help classes cover a variety of topics, which you can find here. The Junior design help classes focus on soldering and can be found here.

We allow design groups in design classes to check-out lockers on the east hallway of the 3rd floor of Van Leer for the length of their project. You can check a locker out by stopping by Van Leer C-352 and speaking with a member of our staff.

Classroom kits for ECE 2020, 2040, 2035, 2036, 3710, and 4180 are available for purchase through Sparkfun. Please see the TESSAL page for more information and direct links. Classroom kits for ECE 2031, 3043, and 3741 are provided by Eta Kappa Nu during the first week of labs for the semester.

It is not recommended to reuse an old classroom kit as the professor might have changed the components needed for the lab and/or some of the components in the old kit might be damaged.

MyDAQs and MBeds are available from the GT library. To get an either, you will just need to visit the INFO Desk on the ground floor of Price Gilbert, and someone will assist you.  They are open 24/7, except for break weeks and holidays.  Hours can be found here: https://library.gatech.edu/hours

Some professors will allow students to work outside lecture hours. You can work outside of classroom time by stopping by Van Leer C-352 anytime between 9am-4pm where a TESSAL teaching assistant can help you with your lab and give you your necessary TA checkoffs.