IITM BS Sensors and Applications Lab (EE3104): Syllabus and Tips

The Sensors and Applications Lab is a 3 credit diploma level lab in the IITM BS Electronic Systems programme. It has five experiments, from an instrumentation amplifier to a phone-based step counter. You need the Analog Electronics Laboratory passed first, and Sensors and Applications (EE3103) taken in the same term or earlier. Like every ES lab, you build the experiments at home and then show them in person at IIT Madras.

Two things to know about the codes and the syllabus

• The code differs. The Sep 2025 syllabus calls this lab EE3104. The ES handbook calls it "Sensors Laboratory" with the code EE3901. The handbook then uses EE3104 for a different course, Electromagnetic Fields and Transmission Lines. When you register, go by the course name and check the credits.
• The description is wrong. The course description paragraph for this lab in the syllabus talks about how businesses are run and about data scientists. That text looks pasted from another course. The experiment list is the part that describes this lab.

The syllabus names Prof. Boby George, Department of Electrical Engineering, IIT Madras, as the instructor.

The five experiments

How to plan the lab work

• Buy or check your lab kit early. Home experiments run on the kit that IIT Madras recommends. See the ES lab kit.
• Start with Experiment 4. It needs only your phone and a computer, so you can finish it before any parts arrive.
• Do Experiments 1 and 2 as a pair. Both are op-amp circuits. A working instrumentation amplifier helps you reason about the thermistor circuit too.
• Keep a lab notebook. For each experiment, save the circuit diagram, component values, calculations, readings and plots. You will be asked to show your work on campus.
• Book your campus days. The handbook's study plans show about 2 days on campus for this lab. Visits happen in windows around December to January, May to July and September to October. More on this in ES campus visits.
• Think about the projects. The study plans put this lab in the same term as the two diploma projects, which take about 2 weeks on campus. One longer trip may cover all of it.

How the lab is assessed

The syllabus does not describe how this lab is graded. The handbook says the in-person demonstration at IIT Madras is compulsory to complete any ES lab course. Work done only at home does not finish the lab. How all ES labs run is covered in how ES labs work.

Where it counts

It is one of the 3 diploma labs, so you need it for the Diploma in Electronic Systems and the BS degree. It is also a corequisite for the Electronics System Project (EE3999). It is not part of any minor.

Who finds it hard and how to prepare

Students who got through the Analog Electronics Lab without really understanding op-amps feel it in Experiments 1 and 2. Others get stuck on Experiment 4 because they have not written data-processing code before. Noisy sensor readings also take time to debug.

• Rebuild a simple op-amp amplifier on your kit before the term. Measure its gain and compare with your calculation.
• Learn to load a CSV file, plot it and apply a moving average in Python or MATLAB. Python Programming (CS1002) is part of the diploma and helps here.
• Read the theory module for each sensor in Sensors and Applications (EE3103) before you build it.

Common questions

Can I take this lab before the Analog Electronics Lab?

No. The handbook lists the Analog Electronics Laboratory (EE2901) as a prerequisite, so you must pass it first.

Do I need my own smartphone?

Experiment 4 asks for accelerometer data logged from a smartphone. The syllabus does not name a phone or an app. Ask the course team which logging app they expect before you start.

Is the "Sensors Laboratory" in the handbook the same course?

Yes, going by the details. Both are 3 credit diploma labs paired with Sensors and Applications. Only the code differs: EE3104 in the syllabus, EE3901 in the handbook.

How many days will I spend at IIT Madras for this lab?

The handbook's study plans show about 2 days. Exact dates come from the programme team for your term.