A curriculum for real-time computer and control systems engineering

An outline of a syllabus for the education of real-time-systems engineers is given. This comprises the treatment of basic concepts, real-time software engineering, and programming in high-level real-time languages, real-time operating systems with special emphasis on such topics as task scheduling, hardware architectures, and especially distributed automation structures, process interfacing, system reliability and fault-tolerance, and integrated project development support systems. Accompanying course material and laboratory work are outlined, and suggestions for establishing a laboratory with advanced, but low-cost, hardware and software are provided. How the curriculum can be extended into a second semester is discussed, and areas for possible graduate research are listed. The suitable selection of a high-level real-time language and supporting operating system for teaching purposes is considered     

Experience with teaching black-box testing in a computer science/software engineering curriculum

Software testing is a popular and important technique for improving software quality. There is a strong need for universities to teach testing rigorously to students studying computer science or software engineering. This paper reports the experience of teaching the classification-tree method as a black-box testing technique at the University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia, and Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, Australia. It aims to foster discussion of appropriate teaching methods of software testing.     

A project-oriented power engineering curriculum

This paper describes the main features of the undergraduate power engineering curriculum at Nanyang Technological University. Specifically the contents of the projects, in-house practical training, industrial attachment and design modules are described. Through these modules, students are exposed to different aspects of power engineering and gain a better knowledge about the power industry. Factory visits, industrial talks, industrial attachment and industry-sponsored projects help in strengthening the cooperation between the local power industry and university and in promoting students' interest toward careers in power engineering     

Microelectronic manufacturing engineering curriculum development

The author reviews the current status of semiconductor manufacturing education in US universities and identifies some shortcomings. He describes the development of an initiative in microelectronic manufacturing engineering curriculum that was recently implemented at Florida State University. This program utilizes an interdisciplinary curriculum to address the problems identified by the author. A workshop with representatives from Semiconductor Research Corporation (SRC) companies, university leaders and SRC managers was held to define appropriate curricula. In addition, a comprehensive independent survey which attempts to assess the current semiconductor industry needs in education is presented. Finally, the lessons learned, including specific recommendations of students, faculty, and industry representatives, are presented     

The competitive assessment laboratory: introducing engineering design via consumer product benchmarking

In today's quickly changing and increasingly competitive market place, it is imperative that manufacturers keep abreast of the technological advances and design innovations incorporated into competing product lines. The term competitive assessment (or benchmarking) has been coined by manufacturers to describe the process of ethically acquiring, inspecting, analyzing, instrumenting, and testing the product lines of other manufacturers. The Competitive Assessment Laboratory at Rowan University is funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF). In the laboratory, multidisciplinary teams of freshman engineering students from each of the four engineering departments perform each of the above tasks on a consumer product. The laboratory contains a series of consumer appliance test stations featuring PC-based data acquisition systems capable of measuring thermocouple and voltage/current signals. Each station is also equipped with mechanical measurement equipment and portable materials testing equipment. In addition to introducing students to the science and art of design, the Competitive Assessment Laboratory enables the faculty to assess the constantly evolving initial conditions under which the typical engineering student enters his or her course of study.     

A forward-looking electronics and computer engineering technologyprogram

A successful electronics and computer engineering technology program has been offered at Arizona State University (USA) since 1973. Engineering technology programs graduate students who can readily contribute to the workforce in industry and society, The immediate contribution is achieved by imparting state-of-the-art knowledge and skills; continued success and lifelong learning are assured by a knowledge of the fundamental concepts in engineering and the physical sciences acquired in their studies. A balanced combination of courses in engineering technology, mathematics, natural sciences and general studies produces these results, Core courses provide a working knowledge in a broad category of subjects. The breadth acquired through these basic courses is complemented by a depth of optional elective courses. Graduates are trained in engineering design, are taught appropriate communication skills, and are given extensive hands-on laboratory experience, The curriculum mandates all students develop a design project from definition through final product fabrication and submit a formal project report, Both the undergraduate and graduate programs provide opportunities to do research and analysis and to develop technical skills required for a successful career. To meet the challenges imposed by the changing demands of industry, continuous refinements to keep the program current and viable have been ongoing in the curriculum since its inception     

SPECtra: a signal processing engineering curriculum

SPECtra is a technology-based comprehensive engineering educational delivery system for the study of digital processing (DSP). SPECtra introduces a number of DSP education innovations into the classroom, including a commitment to cooperative learning and a reliance on personal computer-based instructional (CBI) tools and technologies. This paper develops the SPECtra philosophy and methodology and then demonstrates its impact on two new graduate and undergraduate level DSP courses     

Computer engineering curriculum in the new millennium

Currently there is a joint activity (referred to as Computing Curricula 2001, shortened to CC2001) involving the Association for Computing Machinery and the IEEE Computer Society, which is producing curriculum guidance for the broad area of computing. Within this activity, a volume on computer engineering is being developed. This volume addresses the important area of the design and development of computers and computer-based systems. Current curricula must be capable of evolving to meet the more immediate needs of students and industry. The purpose of this paper is to look at areas of future development in computer engineering in the next ten years (2013) and beyond and to consider the work of the Computer Engineering volume of CC2001 in this context.     

Teleoperation via computer network

In a teleoperation system, providing force information to a human operator can improve task performance. When a communication block between a master and a slave has a transmission delay, the system is easily destabilized. Anderson and Spong guaranteed passivity in the communication block by using scattering transformation and overcame this instability caused by the time delay. But this method can be applied to the communication block with a constant time delay. In a traditional teleoperation system, its communication block has a constant time delay. But time delay irregularly changes in a computer network because many users share telecommunication lines. This paper shows that the variable time delay destabilizes bilateral master-slave manipulator with scattering transformation and a new compensation method which keeps the time delay constant. This new compensation method has been implemented in a single-axis master-slave manipulator.     

An industry perspective on senior biomedical engineering design courses

Most senior design courses involve lectures covering the various aspects of the typical product development cycle followed by the selection of a design project from one of several areas of biomedical engineering (BME). This article summarizes a four-year relationship between Datex-Ohmeda, Vanderbilt University [the senior design course and VaNTH (Vanderbilt University; Northwestern University; the University of Texas at Austin; and Health, Science and Technology at Harvard/MIT) Engineering Research Center (www.vanth.org) programs], and the cooperative (co-op) and summer internship programs with Marquette University and the University of Wisconsin. The involvement of industry in the senior design curriculum has been beneficial to students, the university, and industry. Datex-Ohmeda has successfully accomplished its goals in working closely with the universities. The company has provided a guest lecturer, projects for the seniors to work on, equipment, and input to the curriculum via the Biomedical Engineering Industrial Board and the VaNTH Engineering Research Council. Datex-Ohmeda has gained input on research projects and the opportunity to look at potential employees.     

Windfarm layout as a senior electrical engineering student designproject

A proven senior design project from a wind engineering course is described. Students select equipment, make economic choices, and write a report for a windfarm electrical distribution system. Using topographical maps of potential sites increases realism, helping to make the design project well liked by students     

Computer-aided engineering for computer architecture laboratories

Students coming to senior-level computer architecture courses generally have a substantial background in introductory computer organization, assembly-language programming, and digital-logic design. With this background they are ready to embark on sizable design and implementation projects in computer architecture. The author describes an engineering workstation environment that supports student laboratories in computer architecture. The backbone of this environment is a digital simulator that gives each first-term architecture student the necessary power to produce their own working (simulated) computer     

The future of electrical and computer engineering education

The authors will briefly describe how some of today's innovations and advancements might provide potential for improving the efficiency, effectiveness, and quality of contemporary teaching methods. A model curriculum proposed in this paper merges the disciplines of mathematics, science, engineering, and computing. It also addresses the growing need for exposing aspiring engineers to the human, cultural, and professional aspects of their emerging careers.     

Emphasizing formal analysis in a software engineering curriculum

The integration of formal method application throughout a six course software engineering curriculum is outlined. Formal analysis skills were included in order to increase the complex program solving skills of the student. The five instruction-oriented courses presented highlight how formal analysis was introduced in and applied to the corresponding subject material. The materials presented, along with an accounting of the experiment, provide a basis for other academicians to teach formal analysis at their own institutions.     

Integrating research results into a power engineering curriculum

This paper presents summaries of the activities of six research active power engineering educators which were presented in a panel session of the same name at the IEEE Power Engineering Society Winter Meeting on February 3, 1997 in New York City, USA. Each of the panelists discusses how research results are incorporated into courses and how students benefit from this approach     

Electrical engineering calculations [History]

Engineers can calculate short circuit currents with their laptop (and even palmtop) computers. Not only do these tools calculate currents far more quickly and with greater precision and accuracy than the methods used in the past, but they also have the ability to immediately evaluate the application of specific circuit breakers and evaluate the arc-flash energy released at the point of fault. But to truly appreciate these modern tools, we have to appreciate the fascinating history of this most simple of all electrical engineering calculations. This paper discusses the history of short-circuit calculations.     

Teaching fieldbus standards to computer engineering students

This work describes the rationale and the methodology behind a senior-level elective course offered on fieldbus standards to computer engineering students. Although new digital fieldbus standards have major advantages over the traditional process control technologies, the acceptance of these standards have been rather slow because of the steep learning curves. As a result of increased popularity of these standards in this region, there is a strong demand for fieldbus knowledgeable engineers. The course has been offered twice and has been popular among senior students. The experiences, the resources used for the course, and the student survey results are summarized.