ECE 298Instrumentation and Prototyping Laboratory
- Units
- 0.25
- Faculty
- Engineering
When it runs
- F24
- W25
- S25
- F25
- W26
- S26
- F26
- W27
- S27
Ran in 5 of the last 7 terms. Winter 2027: not on the schedule. Spring 2027: schedule not out yet.
Practical aspects of analog and digital instrumentation. Prototyping such as printed circuit board design and manufacture.
Prerequisites
- Complete all of the following
- Students must be in level 2B or higher
- Enrolled in H-Computer Engineering, or H-Electrical Engineering
Antirequisites
None listed.
Leads to
No course lists it as a requisite.
Fall 2026 sections
| Section | Class | Enrolled | Meets |
|---|---|---|---|
| LAB 001 | 5017 | 29 / 40 | Sep 14 08:30–11:20 Sep 28 08:30–11:20 Oct 19 08:30–11:20 Nov 9 08:30–11:20 Nov 23 08:30–11:20 Dec 7 08:30–11:20 |
| LAB 002 | 5018 | 28 / 40 | Sep 15 08:30–11:20 Sep 29 08:30–11:20 Oct 20 08:30–11:20 Nov 10 08:30–11:20 Nov 24 08:30–11:20 Dec 8 08:30–11:20 |
| LAB 003 | 5019 | 33 / 40 | Sep 16 08:30–11:20 Sep 30 08:30–11:20 Oct 21 08:30–11:20 Nov 4 08:30–11:20 Nov 18 08:30–11:20 Dec 2 08:30–11:20 |
| LAB 004 | 5020 | 23 / 30 | Sep 17 08:30–11:20 Oct 1 08:30–11:20 Oct 22 08:30–11:20 Nov 5 08:30–11:20 Nov 19 08:30–11:20 Dec 3 08:30–11:20 |
| LAB 005 | 5021 | 39 / 42 | W 13:30–16:20 Sep 30 13:30–16:20 Oct 21 13:30–16:20 Nov 4 13:30–16:20 Nov 18 13:30–16:20 Dec 2 13:30–16:20 |
| LAB 006 | 5254 | 33 / 38 | Sep 17 13:30–16:20 Oct 1 13:30–16:20 Oct 22 13:30–16:20 Nov 5 13:30–16:20 Nov 19 13:30–16:20 Dec 3 13:30–16:20 |
| LAB 007 | 5395 | 37 / 42 | Sep 14 13:30–16:20 Sep 28 13:30–16:20 Oct 19 13:30–16:20 Nov 2 13:30–16:20 Nov 16 13:30–16:20 Nov 30 13:30–16:20 |
| LAB 008 | 8148 | 25 / 26 | Sep 15 13:30–16:20 Sep 29 13:30–16:20 Oct 20 13:30–16:20 Nov 3 13:30–16:20 Nov 17 13:30–16:20 Dec 1 13:30–16:20 |
Reviewed on UW Flow
48% liked it44% easy55% useful
From 87 ratings and 27 comments on UW Flow. The most helpful comments, quoted as written, without names. Read them all on UW Flow.
Online term meant we had to use simulation software (which was full of glitches) and is one of the main reasons this course was not the most fun, especially Lab 3 which required us to write a bunch of C code and make it work alongside the buggy simulation software (spoiler alert - it didn't work most of the time).
Apr 2021 · didn’t like it · 3 found this helpfulOn UW FlowRemove this
There is no support in this course. You're alone in the wild. However, it helps if your friends have the same project as you, that way you guys can suffer together. I don't think getting a high grade in this course is particularly hard, because it's not hard to BS the reports and presentation. But actually getting your MCU working is hard, simply because you aren't given any instruction on how to do anything. It's literally a hackathon, except they choose your idea, you're given a strict list of parts, and there isn't any creativity involved. But it's useful, because this is how the real world is.
Oct 2019 · didn’t like it · 2 found this helpfulOn UW FlowRemove this
Lots of work and not a fun course. This course is a joke because they force us to use hardware, which is pathetic because more than half the class is committed to software.
Jul 2019 · didn’t like it · 2 found this helpfulOn UW FlowRemove this
Shit course. Asked me which one of the two digits on the board is most significant digit. Unfair quizzes that asked you to memorize datasheet like you are chatGPT. Water reservoir project is totally waste of time, I felt like I have built a chatting game with STM32 just to make the motor move.
Nov 2024 · didn’t like it · 1 found this helpfulOn UW FlowRemove this
Project will feel like there is no TA support at all and you are doing it all yourself. You will actually learn this way. Don't make the TA's solder your boards. Do NOT leave until the last minute as a hardware bug/soldering error will take way too long to find and will screw you. Kim Pope might be the nicest man in the faculty and absolutely knows his shit.
Apr 2020 · liked it · 1 found this helpfulOn UW FlowRemove this
Discussed on r/uwaterloo
27 posts and comments in 25 threads mention ECE 298, July 2016 to December 2024. Quoted word for word, newest first; each reply sits under the post and the comment that started its branch. Search r/uwaterloo for newer posts.
Fall 2024
Most academically difficult term so far? 25 points, 39 comments
“Wondering which year/term was the most challenging for you? Preferably students in engineering or more specifically mech eng.”
u/RandomDude_102: “2B ECE for sure. ECE 298, 252, 224 had a lot of labs and deliverables”
ECE 350 Horror Stories 2 points, 3 comments
u/Tight_Document_1513: “How hard and tedious are ECE350 labs compared to ECE252/298 labs? I'm quite interested in knowing how fucked the labs are. If any upper year can provide their experience with the course, that would be great. :)”
Spring 2024
ECE 298 Lab Incident 43 points, 6 comments
u/torido314159: “It’s happened again . . .”
Winter 2024
ECE 2B S24 1 point, 2 comments
u/Tight_Document_1513: “Has anyone been taught by these professors during their 2B term? ECE298 - Pope ECE207 - Dabbagh ECE224 - Pellizoni R ECE208 - Harris ECE203 - Yang E-H ECE252 - Zarnett Any advice/tips would be appreciated.”
Winter 2023
Biggest disaster of a course you have ever been in and why? 82 points, 30 comments
“In honor of stat231, share the biggest clusterfuck of a course you have ever taken and why. Mine isn’t super bad but ENVS278 this semester lost 1/3 of the class between first and second midterm, …”
[deleted]: “… ECE 298 online - since this was online, we had to use some shitty simulation software that didn't work half the time. 90% of our time was spent trying to please the software instead of doing something useful. There was some drama on the sub but I can't find it rn. …”
Winter 2022
2B ECE 5 points, 11 comments
u/Do_I_Have_A_Chance__: “… Systems - Rodolfo Pellizzoni ECE 252 Systems Programming and Concurrency - Andrew Morton ECE 298 Instrumentation and Prototyping Laboratory - Kim Pope Are there any courses/profs I should look out for or focus on the most? …”
Fall 2021
Why Windows 2 points, 13 comments
u/Vortex112: “For most engineers in addition to the coding you’ll have to run other applications (such as Altium, Solidworks, AutoCAD for EE/MTE/ME/SYDE). …”
u/iExalt: “ECE 298 used some TI version of eclipse for the board, I don't trust them to have a Linux version. ECE 124 and 224 used Quartus for the lab FPGAs which might not have a Linux version either. …”
Study tips for ECE students 2 points, 6 comments
“What are the best study tips you can offer a computer engineering student (going into 3A with a lot of labs). …”
u/AAstar2: “I was in ECE Stream 4 in CE. ECE 316 is hardest and ECE 380 is easiest. The rest are in moderate difficulty. Study post-midterm material first, then brush up on pre-midterm material. …”
u/uwgooseman: “… time but there’s more of them) I think the 2023s got fucked with 298 being in 3a because ECE 298 is a dog shit course simply because it was poorly run. My advice would be to start every lab as soon as they are released. …”
Spring 2021
ECE ONLY 0 points, 21 comments
“https://imgur.com/4QwzlBD Can ECE peeps confirm the validity of this graph? Got it from last year's class profile.”
u/IcyProfit03: “I'm just finishing up 3A but I would say 3A>1B>2A>1A>2B But the curriculum changes and covid made some terms in person vs online so difficulty might not be entirely accurate”
u/IcyProfit03: “… Labs seemed to take longer online And they moved ECE 298 (Prototyping Course) into our 3A term since it wasnt available in 2B due to the pandemic. …”
u/IcyProfit03: “… In terms of 3A, the addition of ECE 298 as well as other courses labs being time consuming to complete makes me say this term was the hardest for me personally”
How to prep for computer engineering 3A? 0 points, 13 comments
u/pzezson: “I'm in 3A EE right now so the only courses I overlap with you are 318 and 380. For 318, we got Damen who is the worst professor I've ever had thus far in my undergraduate career. …”
u/Lone_Wolfffff: “How would you say the terms is without ECE 298? Also, would you recommend preparing for any of the courses during the coop term (studying in advance)?”
[ECE298] Hot software looking for ECE students to use me 127 points, 8 comments
u/trashiguitar: “A little about 💦 me, my name 💯 is Proteus, and I'm 💆🏼 not 🚯 like the other 😍🥰😈 softwares. I'm not ⏳ like that basic bitch 🔥🙌 Multisim, and don't 😠 even try 😐 to compare me to Protel. I'm 👈 quirky, and unique! …”
CE 2B 0 points, 2 comments
u/Foreign_Bobcat: “… 2 ECE 224 - Embedded Microprocessor Systems ECE 252 - Systems Programming and Concurrency ECE 298 - Instrumentation and Prototyping Laboratory”
u/natobott: “… Didn’t take ECE 298, but it sounds like report writing? Do it quickly to get it out of the way but not quicker than the keeners who can find the mistakes and email the prof for clarification before you get to it ;) Again, you’ll be fine. …”
Check it elsewhere for Fall 2026
- Undergraduate Calendar, 2026–27The official entry
- Requirements for Fall 2026Waterloo’s requisite checker
- Schedule of Classes, Fall 2026Instructors, rooms, live seats
- Quest Class SearchWhere you enrol
- Course outlinesSyllabi from past terms (UW login)
- UW FlowStudent ratings and reviews
- WClassesPast sections back to 2004, and who taught them