Interactive online undergraduate laboratories using J-DSP

An interactive Web-based simulation tool called Java-DSP (J-DSP) for use in digital signal processing (DSP)-related electrical engineering courses is described. J-DSP is an object-oriented simulation environment that enables students and distance learners to perform online signal processing simulations, visualize Web-based interactive demos, and perform computer laboratories from remote locations. J-DSP is accompanied by a series of hands-on laboratory exercises that complement classroom and textbook content. The laboratories cover several fundamental concepts, including z transforms, digital filter design, spectral analysis, multirate signal processing, and statistical signal processing. Online assessment instruments for the evaluation of the J-DSP software and the associated laboratory exercises have been developed. Pre/postassessment data have been collected and analyzed for each laboratory in an effort to assess the impact of the tool on student learning.     

Development of an interactive CDROM-based tutorial for teachingMATLAB

This paper describes the development of an interactive computer-based tutorial for MATLAB. This tutorial has been developed for undergraduate or graduate students who have had little or no exposure to MATLAB. Students are guided through new concepts and syntax with useful aids such as audio, video and interactive exercises. The exercises, implemented in a specially designed exercise window, give the students an opportunity to use MATLAB to solve problems immediately after covering new concepts. The exercise window has a background interface to MATLAB and thus all commands entered in the window are executed by MATLAB. Hints, example solutions, multiple choice quizzes and test problems, requiring the use of proper MATLAB structure and syntax, add to the learning experience. This project was initially undertaken to investigate student response to alternate computer-based teaching methods. Thus student input has played an important part in the development of this tutorial. Subjective feedback from students, which is presented in the paper, indicate great promise for this alternate approach to teaching MATLAB     

BioLab: An Educational Tool for Signal Processing Training in Biomedical Engineering

This paper introduces and evaluates BioLab, a tool for teaching biosignal processing. BioLab has been used in the biomedical engineering module that is given in the second semester of the fifth year of the electronic engineering degree at the University of Valencia, Spain. This module and its correspondent curricular pathway are also reviewed. BioLab allows the results obtained with digital processing techniques to be shown interactively in the theory classes, and it also provides support in laboratory sessions. The graphic interface of BioLab simplifies its learning and use and provides access to processing and visualization functions by means of menus. The tool is based on Matlab since the students have had previous experience in this environment. BioLab also supports diverse formats of data files, which facilitate access to real records and their conversion to usable formats. The modular structure of BioLab allows it to be easily extended to other educational materials that are related to signal processing and to research applications. An evaluation of BioLab has revealed that students found it useful for understanding the general concepts of digital processing and biosignal processing in particular. The students also found BioLab very easy to learn and use     

Web-based tutoring in power engineering

This paper deals with the application of web-based technologies to power engineering education in an interactive student/mentor environment. The modern teaching/learning concepts and new technologies to support these concepts have been developed. This project incorporates web-based tools, including Internet, videoconferencing, and educational intelligent system modules for power engineering education. Different student learning styles are adapted for power engineering applications. The proposed interactive learning environment allows the mentor and students to best utilize the facilities for effective teaching and learning.     

Innovations in undergraduate engineering education through NSF ILI and NASA JOVE program-sponsored development of a laboratory coursesequence in semiconductor materials

This paper describes development of two undergraduate laboratory courses in semiconductor materials and devices. The project was supported through a National Science Foundation (NSF) Instrumentation and Laboratory Improvement (ILI) Grant with supplementary support from the NASA JOVE Program, Arkansas State University, and equipment vendors. The courses complement lecture courses, cover semiconductor growth, characterization, processing, and simple devices, and enhance intuition of abstract concepts. They consist of “Activity Sets” covering particular topics and consisting of three related but distinct experiments, one each to be performed by a two-four-person team. Each team orally presents results of its experiment and all results are then discussed to form overall Activity Set conclusions. Innovations include use of compound semiconductor thin-film samples grown by liquid solution techniques directly by student teams, and team research on original topics during the second course. Emphasis is also on laboratory and chemical safety, technical communication through laboratory notebooks, oral presentations, and formal reports, and creative and team-oriented solutions of frequent, experimental challenges. Students are provided “open-ended” experiences more typical of the “real world” than in many instructional laboratories. The popular courses enhance student confidence, maturity, and marketability     

Teaching computer networking fundamentals using practical laboratory exercises

Motivating students to learn computer networking concepts is often difficult because many students find the subject rather technical, dry, and boring. To overcome this problem, the author has prepared some practical laboratory exercises (practicals) and other materials. They are designed around a network operating system and a multiuser, multitasking operating system and are suitable for classroom use in undergraduate computer networking courses. The effectiveness of these practicals has been evaluated both formally by students and informally in discussion within the teaching team. The implementation of the practicals was judged to be successful because of the positive student feedback and also because students scored better in the final exam. This paper describes the practicals, their overall effectiveness, and plans for further projects. The impact of practicals on student learning and comprehension is also discussed.     

测试信号分析云计算技术研究

随着通讯技术和云计算技术发展,前端获取数据后上传至云端分析,然后再将云端分析结果回传至前端进行显示的APP设计和影音模式逐渐在生活中普及。借鉴其思路,提出一种JS+Python的测试信号分析云平台设计技术;其中网页型的JS前端页面程序负责信号获取和分析结果显示,而运行在云服务器上的Python程序则负责上传数据的云计算和分析。运行测试实验平台,数据和脚本上传后,服务器端能成功接收并调用脚本中对应的测试技术和控制理论算法对数据进行处理,并返回浏览器实现结果可视化。这样可最大限度降低前端设备的软硬件要求,便于实现由前端测量装置+后端测试信号分析云平台构成的设备运行故障监测与诊断网络。     

Virtual Laboratory for Creative Control Design Experiments

This paper proposes a two-step strategy for the computer-aided learning of control. A virtual Web-based laboratory for control design experiments (http://www.hl1.uni-mb.si), which supports a two-step strategy, is based on the MATLAB Web server (MWS) and consists of two virtual laboratories. The first virtual laboratory, called ldquoWeb sisotool,rdquo supports computer-aided control design and structured hands-on experiments. Computer-aided control design is welcome as a design tool while structured hands-on experiments are welcome for the visualization of hard-to-grasp concepts. The second virtual laboratory offers students an unstructured MATLAB-like environment, called ldquoM-file application,rdquo that allows students to create and design control design experiments by writing MATLAB M-files of their own and executing them on MWS. The presented virtual laboratory for control design experiments is cost effective and has already been successfully used for the learning of control. Student feedback is also presented.     

The application of multi-rate digital signal processing techniquesto the measurement of power system harmonic levels

The concepts of filtering and sampling power system voltage and current signals for harmonic analysis using the fast Fourier transform (FFT) algorithm are introduced. The application of a multirate digital signal processing technique to harmonic analysis is then discussed, and the design of a polyphase decimation finite-impulse response (FIR) filter, for use as an antialiasing filter in oversampling applications, is covered. The implementation of this filter in conjunction with an FFT by a digital signal processor is described, and results of timing tests on the algorithms are presented. The instrument used to implement these techniques is an advanced data acquisition and parallel processing system aimed specifically at continuous real-time power system signal monitoring     

The Signals and Systems Concept Inventory

The signal processing community needs quantitative standardized tools to assess student learning in order to improve teaching methods and satisfy accreditation requirements. The Signals and Systems Concept Inventory (SSCI) is a 25-question multiple-choice exam designed to measure students' understanding of fundamental concepts taught in standard signals and systems curricula. When administered as a pre- and postcourse assessment, the SSCI measures the gain in conceptual understanding as a result of instruction. This paper summarizes the three-year development of this new assessment instrument and presents results obtained from testing with a pool of over 900 students from seven schools. Initial findings from the SSCI study show that students in traditional lecture courses master approximately 20% of the concepts they do not know prior to the start of the course. Other results highlight the most common student misconceptions and quantify the correlation between signals and systems and prerequisite courses.     

Opening up powerful lines of communication

Power line carrier communications (PLCC) is a technology that utilizes electricity power lines for the transmission of process, data, and voice signals. The basic principle behind this communication technique is that the signal is modulated with a high-frequency carrier signal; then this high-frequency signal is coupled to the power line for communication. This system enables easy implementation of concepts like prepaid electricity. PLCC is slowly gaining acceptance in the field of home controlling and remote metering as they do not require high data rates.     

Fuzzy set approach to the assessment of student-centered learning

Assessment of student learning is an important task in a teaching and learning process. It has a strong influence on students' approaches to learning and their outcomes. Development in tertiary education has shifted its emphasis from teacher-centered learning to student-centered learning. In a student-centered learning environment, criterion-referenced assessment techniques are often used in current education research and practice. However, it sometimes happens that the assessment criteria and their corresponding weights are solely determined by the lecturers in charge. This may reduce the interest of students' participation and lower the quality of their learning. This paper presents an integrated fuzzy set approach to assess the outcomes of student-centered learning. It uses fuzzy set principles to represent the imprecise concepts for subjective judgment and applies a fuzzy set method to determine the assessment criteria and their corresponding weights. Based on the commonly agreed assessment criteria, students' learning outcomes are evaluated on a fuzzy grade scale. The proposed fuzzy set approach incorporates students' opinions into assessment and allows them to have a better understanding on the assessment criteria. It aims at encouraging students to participate in the whole learning process and providing an open and fair environment for assessment     

A digital signal processing laboratory for undergraduates

An undergraduate level laboratory on digital signal processing (DSP) is described. The equipment used and samples of student experiments are described in detail. The lab is based on the TMS320 digital signal processor and is equipped with spectral analysis and audio signal processing capabilities. The primary purpose of the lab is to supplement a course on digital filter design and implementation. However, it can also be used for senior design projects involving DSP applications     

Introducing real world design problems into the undergraduateelectromagnetic curriculum

General-purpose CAD (computer-aided design) programs have been used to teach electromagnetics to undergraduates at Carnegie Mellon University. The focus of the instruction is the use of real-world design problems to teach basic electromagnetics concepts. Students use computers to set up and solve a variety of electrostatics, magnetostatics, eddy current, and microwave problems. This gives them the opportunity to visualize EM fields and to interact with real-world devices and issues. Experience shows that solving such problems by means of electromagnetic CAD tools boosts student motivation and leads to a better grasp of key technical concepts     

Detection of Rotor Faults in Brushless DC Motors Operating Under Nonstationary Conditions

There are several applications where the motor is operating in continuous nonstationary operating conditions. Actuators and servo motors in the aerospace and transportation industries are examples of this kind of operation. Detection of faults in such applications is, however, challenging because of the need for complex signal processing techniques. Two novel methods using windowed Fourier ridges and Wigner-Ville-based distributions are proposed for the detection of rotor faults in brushless dc motors operating under continuous nonstationarity. Experimental results are presented to validate the concepts and illustrate the ability of the proposed algorithms to track and identify rotor faults. The proposed algorithms are also implemented on a digital signal processor to study their usefulness for commercial implementation     

A software tool for introducing speech coding fundamentals in a DSPcourse

An educational software tool on speech coding is presented. Portions of this program are used in a senior-level DSP (digital signal processing) class at Arizona State University, USA, to expose undergraduate students to speech coding and present speech analysis/synthesis as an application paradigm for many DSP fundamental concepts. The simulation software provides an interactive environment that allows users to investigate and understand speech coding algorithms for a variety of input speech records. Time- and frequency-domain representations of input and reconstructed speech can be graphically displayed and played back on a PC equipped with a standard 16-bit sound card. The program has been developed for use in the MATLAB environment and includes implementations of the FS-1015 LPC-10e, the FS-1016 CELP, the ETSI GSM, the IS-54 VSELP, the G.721 ADPCM, and the G.728 LD-CELP speech coding algorithms, integrated under a common graphical interface     

A practical course in digital video communications based on MATLAB

The outline of new course in video coding is presented in which the basic concepts are reinforced by way of a series of graded MATLAB exercises. Following a brief overview of the motion-compensated discrete cosine transform (DCT) encoder, a number of exercises are described in which the student obtains an understanding of image correlations and entropy and the concepts involved in predictive encoding. The data compaction properties of the discrete cosine transform are then illustrated together with interframe motion-estimation and motion-compensated prediction. All aspects of the evolving video encoder are then integrated by way of a simplified encoder syntax that is based upon the standard Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG) syntax. This allows students to exchange digital bit-streams and decode image sequences that have been encoded by fellow students. Advanced topics such as fast motion estimation techniques, error resilience, and other coding approaches are briefly discussed     

PD雷达基本信号处理的快速原型设计方法

为了克服传统手动编写代码费时费力且易出错的缺点,本文提出了一种新的基于MATLAB/Simulink/RTW的脉冲多普勒(PD)雷达基本信号处理的快速原型设计方法.利用Simulink快速构建了一个简单PD雷达信号处理系统原型,通过RTW自动生成代码,使用Tornado将由RTW程序创建工具产生的目标文件下载到VxWorks目标CPU中,实现了雷达信号处理从系统设计、算法设计、软件开发、实时性验证各阶段工作的无缝连接,大大缩短了开发周期,提高了系统设计的可靠性,并验证了此方法在雷达信号处理中的可行性.     

Hands-on exposure to signal processing concepts using the SPCToolbox

We present an interactive software package developed to complement and facilitate the teaching of digital signal processing (DSP) concepts in various courses. The Signal Processing and Communications (SPC) software takes advantage of graphical user interface (GUI) capabilities contained in MATLAB. SPC is a window-based, user-friendly tool that allows users to develop digital filters, analyze signals, and easily design basic signal modeling tools without requiring the user to have strong coding abilities or be very familiar with MATLAB. To illustrate how SPC can be used in the classroom, we present applications of the SPC Toolbox that were used in two courses at the Naval Postgraduate School-Discrete System and Digital Signal Processing     

Teaching data structures using competitive games

A motivated student is more likely to be a successful learner. Interesting assignments encourage student learning by actively engaging them in the material. Active student learning is especially important in an introductory data structures course where students learn the fundamentals of programming. In this paper, the author describes a project for a data structures course based on the idea of competitive programming. Competitive programming motivates student learning by allowing students to evaluate and improve their programs throughout an assignment by competing their code against instructor-defined code and the code of other students in a tournament environment. Pedagogical results indicate that the combination of game development and friendly student competition is a significant motivator for increased student performance.