Labs in IITM BS Electronic Systems: How They Work

Labs in the IITM BS in Electronic Systems are hybrid. You watch process videos and do the experiments at home using a lab kit. Then you travel to IIT Madras and show your work in person to complete the lab. The programme has 9 lab courses: 5 at the foundation level, 3 at the diploma level and 1 at the degree level. The diploma also has 2 project courses.

Why the ES programme has labs

The handbook does not give a separate reason. But it describes the lab kit as a tool to source and measure currents and voltages, so you can test the circuits you build in lab courses. Theory courses are taught through recorded videos. Labs add the hands-on part: you build and test at home, then show it in person. The in-person visits are mandatory, and the handbook asks anyone applying to be ready for the travel.

Which labs come at which level

The two diploma projects are the Electronics System Project (EE3999) and the Signal Processing Project (EE4999), 2 credits each. For full course lists, see ES foundation courses and ES diploma courses.

How the in-campus part works

• You come to IIT Madras to demonstrate the experiments you did at home.
• The handbook gives three visit windows a year: December to January, May to July and September to October.
• One visit lasts about 1 to 2 weeks, going by the programme overview.
• Another line says you come for labs twice a year, depending on the courses you take that term.

The suggested learning paths also show how long some later labs take on campus:

For the foundation level, a policy that took effect in May 2026 groups the 5 labs so you visit campus at most twice. The details are in the ES lab registration rules and ES campus visits.

Lab work at home

You need the lab kit that IIT Madras recommends. You buy it separately from IIT Madras, and its cost is not part of the course fees. It is a USB powered instrument that works as a function generator and an oscilloscope. You will use it over several terms. More on this in the ES lab kit.

Prerequisites and corequisites of labs

A prerequisite must be passed before. A corequisite is taken in the same term or finished earlier.

Foundation labs, as per the May 2026 lab policy:

• ESTC Lab: needs the ESTC course.
• C Programming Lab: needs Introduction to C Programming.
• Linux Lab: Introduction to Linux and Programming is a corequisite.
• Electronics Lab: EEC and Digital Systems are corequisites, and the ESTC Lab is a prerequisite.
• Embedded C Lab: needs Embedded C Programming and the C Programming Lab.

The lab policy calls the ESTC, C and Embedded C courses prerequisites of their labs. The older course tables list them as corequisites. If you plan to take a lab in the same term as its course, confirm with support first.

Diploma and degree labs:

• Analog Electronics Lab: Analog Electronic Systems is a corequisite.
• Digital System Design Lab: Digital System Design is a corequisite. The prerequisite section also asks for the Electronics Lab.
• Sensors Lab: Sensors and Applications is a corequisite, and the Analog Electronics Lab is a prerequisite.
• Embedded Linux and FPGA Lab: needs Embedded Linux and FPGAs. One table calls it a prerequisite, the other a corequisite.

Do not register for a single lab

At the foundation level, you cannot register for just one lab in a term. If you do, you are not allowed on campus that term and you get an I (Incomplete) grade for that lab. Read why single lab registration fails before you pick your courses.

Common questions

Can I skip the campus visit and submit my lab work online?

No. The handbook says the in-person visits for lab courses are mandatory. Work done at home, on its own, does not complete a lab.

Is there a lab in my first term?

Not under the current policy. The lab policy says there is no lab in Term 1. You first study the theory courses, then register for the labs.

Are lab visits and exam trips the same thing?

No. Quizzes and end term exams happen at exam centres in the cities you choose. Labs happen at IIT Madras itself, during the visit windows.

How many lab credits are there in total?

Foundation labs give 7 credits and the degree lab gives 1. Diploma labs give 7 credits by the course table, though a summary table puts diploma lab credits at 9.