Elements to teach robot control design

A consistent methodology that has been used to teach the design of robot controllers is described. The dynamics of manipulators with or without closed loops are analyzed using the traditional Lagrangian approach, while the feedback law construction is realized by means of the nonlinear decoupling method. A guide to computing the delay time allowed to the computational cycle of control laws is provided     

Using history and sociology to teach engineering ethics

An overview is given of the academic discipline of engineering ethics in the United States, describing how the subject has been taught in the US, and suggesting a new method that uses the history and sociology of science and technology to teach ethical issues in engineering. Traditionally, engineering ethicists have focussed on accidents to analyze both ethical conduct and social implications of engineering. The new approach attempts to move beyond this concern with what might be called "disaster ethics" to study the ethical and social aspects of everyday engineering practice     

Using TACS functions within EMTP to teach protective relayingfundamentals

The purpose of this discussion is to provide an educational tool for investigating relaying concepts by modeling digital relays using TACS functions within EMTP in a closed-loop manner. Various elements of digital protection systems are identified and organized to generate an systematic approach to modeling the actual hardware of relay systems. Discussion is limited to conventional relaying systems that monitor the vitality of the 60 fit voltages and/or currents. TACS functions for transport delay and pulse generators are used to model dynamics associated with analog to digital conversion and sampling systems. DSP algorithms convert a sequence of sampled data into a sequence of values for magnitude and phase components. A simple example of a time overcurrent relay is developed to demonstrate the techniques to implement relay control in EMTP with TACS and illustrates the kinds of phenomena that can be studied using these techniques     

Using spreadsheets to teach problem solving in a first year class

The problem-solving portion of a two-semester first-year electrical engineering course is described. This course makes use of personal computers and spreadsheets to improve students' problem-solving skills. The goal is to give students a better understanding of engineering concepts and not just mathematical details. In addition to describing the course contents, a brief review of the rationale that was used in selecting the hardware and software used in the course is also given     

Using spreadsheets in introductory EE courses

Ways in which spreadsheet programs can be used to introduce practical considerations in introductory electrical engineering courses are discussed. Examples are presented which show that spreadsheets can be used to predict and/or minimize the errors due to loading, the availability of only standard resistor values, and resistor tolerances. The circuits considered in these examples were selected to be as simple as possible. These examples could be used in the first semester of sophomore credits. They illustrate trade-offs, performance criteria, and nonunique solutions, and are intended to illustrate the power of spreadsheet programs. In the first example, a macro is used to implement a simple iterative optimization procedure. In the second example, minimization is done by exhaustive search using the table lookup capabilities of the spreadsheet. In the final example, the spreadsheet's random number generator is used to perform a Monte Carlo analysis     

Synthesis tools help teach systems concepts in VLSI design

The VLSI project class at Princeton University has been redesigned, using modern logic and layout synthesis tools, to emphasize system design issues. The design methodology taught in the class allows students to build larger designs; it also allows them to learn, by redesign, how to trade off layout, circuit, logic, and architectural design problems. Two synthesis tools were developed (based on the Oct tool set from UC Berkeley) to generate standard cell layouts: one which takes as input finite-state machine transition tables; and one which generates netlists using C programs. The author describes; what is important for students to learn in a VLSI design class; the design methodology developed to teach this curriculum through a design project; and the CAD tools used to support this design methodology     

Introducing VLSI computer-aided design into the EE curriculum: acase study

The authors describe a case study at Purdue University's School of Electrical Engineering in the successful integration of VLSI CAD (computer-aided design) into both the undergraduate and graduate curriculum. The courses in VLSI chip design use the Manassas VLSI Interactive System for Automation (MVISA), a CAD program that implements all stages in the VLSI design process including logic entry (schematic capture), logic simulation, timing analysis, design rule checking, placement of cells, and automatic and manual wiring. The successful integration was due to several factors, including university-industry-government cooperation; the development of a comprehensive set of interactive tutorials and notes describing the lab procedures and VLSI issues considered in the class; and a coherent, structured approach to teaching system design as well as the use of CAD tools in this process. Modern educational techniques, including computer-aided instruction and videotaped lectures on VLSI, also played a part in the development of the CAD courses     

Using Monte Carlo simulations to introduce tolerance design toundergraduates

The effect of parameter variations on engineering systems is often neglected in undergraduate electrical engineering education. This paper proposes using Monte Carlo simulation to introduce students to tolerance design in the required electronics course where students perform designs using real electronic components. Monte Carlo simulation requires very little statistical background for the student and many software packages have built-in random number generators or even Monte Carlo simulation options, As a result, tolerance design is easily introduced to students in a short time frame. This paper discusses methods of introducing Monte Carlo simulations to the students in less than one hour of lecture. Example laboratory exercises and homework problems are described     

A laboratory experiment to teach closed-loop system identification

In this paper, a laboratory experiment, which was developed to teach undergraduate students at the University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa, some of the main issues regarding closed-loop system identification, is discussed. In this experiment, a plant is identified both from open-loop and closed-loop data. The model obtained from the open-loop data is used as reference to evaluate a closed-loop system identification approach. A motivation for closed-loop system identification and a laboratory experiment in this field is given. The experiment is outlined, each step is discussed, and the experiment is evaluated. This experiment shows that closed-loop system identification can be taught in an uncomplicated manner.     

Use of web-based materials to teach electric circuit theory

Beginning fall 2001, the Electrical Engineering Department at Texas A&M University, College Station, significantly altered the instructional philosophy of the ELEN 214 Electric Circuit Theory course by introducing more engineering design into the curriculum and adopting the WebCT-based interactive homework submission system. This paper will discuss the use of the Quiz tool within WebCT for the construction of question banks and their publication to a WebCT server. An example, deriving mathematical expressions, which describes electric circuit behavior and helps customize the homework problems to each individual student, are discussed. In other words, in a class of 200 students, each student is presented with an individual homework assignment with a unique set of problems not repeated to anyone else via WebCT. A help desk staffed by senior undergraduates assists the course students in completing the WebCT-based homework on time. WebCT is an essential ingredient in the delivery of the course. The approach presented in this paper can be adapted to any other course in engineering/science that involves mathematical calculations. So far, the course evaluations suggest that the students are more motivated and excited about electrical and computer engineering as a career.     

使用MATHCAD软件进行变压器差动保护的原理设计和分析

在ＭＡＴＨＣＡＤ软件平台上,建立了一种变压器差动保护的数学模型,以标准的电力系统ＣＯＭＴＲＡＤＥ格式的数据为输入,进行了变压器差动保护的原理设计和分析,对变压器差动保护的动作行为进行了离线分析,提供了一种进行保护前期开发、设计和分析的有效而简捷的方法。     

How to teach basic quantum mechanics to computer scientists and electrical engineers

Because of the rapid development of quantum computation and of quantum technologies in general, computer scientists and electrical engineers will have to learn quantum mechanics (QM) in the near future. Although the teaching methods of QM are well established in both undergraduate and graduate physics courses, an effective method for teaching QM to computer scientists and electrical engineers is still lacking. This paper tries to fill this gap and suggests a new teaching method based on quantum cryptography. The goal of this paper is to show that computer scientists and electrical engineers can properly understand quantum theory without studying a degree in physics.     

An intuitive way to teach the electromagnetic interaction inanisotropic dielectrics

A very simple and intuitive model that extends Lorentz's classical formalism for describing the interaction between the electromagnetic field and matter to the case of anisotropic materials is presented. The model reflects all of the important characteristics of this interaction and, in addition, provides insight into the concept of tensor, which makes it suitable for a basic electromagnetism course at the undergraduate level     

Integrated software platform to teach different electricity spot market architectures

Electricity spot market architectures have rapidly evolved; their understanding, behavior, and redesign can be guided with the help of integrated simulation platforms. This paper presents a software platform for the integrated short-term simulation of different energy spot market architectures. The simulator considers three different architectures: i) decentralized spot markets (the separated market and system operator approach), ii) centralized spot markets (whose basis is a unit commitment model for competition in the generation side), and iii) hybrid spot market architectures (that operate under a single operator and avoid unit-commitment complexities including demand response and bilateral contracts). The software platform integrates tools for data management and display as well as available solvers for mathematical programming problems. The platform is intended and has successfully been used to teach electricity market courses at undergraduate and graduate levels at Morelia Institute of Technology in Mexico, and also in several special diploma programs on electricity markets to more than a hundred engineers from the national energy control center and the energy regulatory commission in Mexico as well as five different system/market operators of the central American countries.     

Using least-mean-square-approximation technique in filter design

The applications of the least-mean-square-approximation technique to filter synthesis are discussed, and explicit expressions for the characteristic function of all-pole lowpass filters are derived using a weighted least mean-square error norm. The weight function depends on one variable parameter which controls the shape of the magnitude response both in the passband and in the stopband. It is shown that most of the filter functions in common use are special cases of this approximation procedure, including Legendre monotonic passband filters as a limiting, degenerate case. Also, a useful generalization of Legendre filter functions is proposed.     

基于J2EE体系和Struts架构的电力营销系统设计思路分析

通过对电力营销管理信息系统体系结构现状进行分析,提出了一个基于J2EE、Struts三层体系架构的电力营销系统设计思路,在技术上,B／S的访问存取模式以及基于J2EE、Struts的三层体系架构使得该系统具有很好的可重用性和实用性。在功能上应用框架和业务组建部署在J2EE应用服务器中,通过Web service、Java信息服务等技术实现信息互动和集成,通过Java数据库连接（Java data base connectivity,JDBC）等技术实现信息存储。     

A laboratory experiment to teach some concepts on sensor-basedrobot assembly systems

A laboratory experiment is described that can be performed by electrical engineering graduate students and senior undergraduates. The experiment involves the assembly of a diesel-engine oil pump with an IBM RS-1 robot. The robot is instrumented with a force-sensing gripper and an optical binary sensor to detect parts in the gripper. A GE Optomation binary vision system is also used to monitor the manipulator workspace through a charge-coupled device (CCD) camera mounted on the robot arm. The students are required to program the manipulator and to process the information from the various sensors, which are used to recognize assembly components and to verify assembly operations in real-time. This assembly experiment is designed to familiarize electrical engineering students with the problems which dominate robot-based assembly systems and to demonstrate a number of practical sensor-based motion strategies which can overcome part and robot positional uncertainty found in typical manufacturing environments. These sensor-based motion strategies improve the reliability of a robot assembly system. The sensor-based assembly experiment, the laboratory setup, and the sensor-based motion strategies are discussed in detail     

A web telerobotic system to teach industrial robot path planning and control

This paper presents the development of a Web telerobotic system and its use as a supplement to the teaching of robotics through a set of experimental tasks related to real industrial robot processes. Using an intuitive interface and a simplified workspace to guarantee operability and safety, the system allows a high degree of real-time interaction with an industrial robot. The system is evaluated on a comparative basis by assessing the performance of a local and a remote student group. Using t-test statistics, one can see that both groups perform equally well, given the appropriate familiarization time.