Conference Session

Design in the ECE Curriculum

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Gregory Bucks, Purdue University; William Oakes, Purdue University; Jeffrey Richardson, Purdue University

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

AC 2009-2202: FACILITATING VERTICALLY INTEGRATED DESIGN TEAMSGregory Bucks, Purdue University Greg Bucks is a Ph.D. candidate in Engineering Education at Purdue University with an expected graduation date of May 2010. He received his B.S. from Penn State and M.S. from Purdue University in Electrical and Computer Engineering.William Oakes, Purdue University William Oakes is the Director of the EPICS Program, an Associate Professor in the School of Engineering Education with courtesy appointments in curriculum and Instruction and Mechanical Engineering at Purdue University. He is an active member of ASEE having served on the boards of the FPD and CIP as well as co-chairing the 2005 FIE

Conference Session

Innovations in ECE Education II

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Rachid Manseur, State University of New York, Oswego; Adrian Ieta, State University of New York, Oswego

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

member and a registered Professional Engineer of Ontario. He taught at the University of Western Ontario and is now Assistant Professor at State University of New York at Oswego, Department of Physics. Page 14.772.1© American Society for Engineering Education, 2009 Integration of an Innovative Engineering Program in a SUNY CollegeAbstract:The development of a new engineering program in an existing and well-established institutionpresents several challenges, including the creation of a sound curriculum that satisfies some ofthe local and national engineering workforce needs. However, besides curricular issues, the

Conference Session

Laboratory Development in ECE Education

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Mukul Shirvaikar, University of Texas, Tyler; Karthik Somaraju, University of Texas, Tyler

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

in ElectricalEngineering (BSEE) curriculum has a required course in microprocessors and the prerequisitesare courses in structured programming and digital systems. The laboratory procedures developedfor this course are aimed at meeting the learning objectives of this course including assemblylanguage programming, program debugging, serial communication, input/output devices,interrupts, interfacing, and direct memory access (DMA). The laboratory projects introducestudents to the host–target environment using an integrated development environment (IDE). Theplatform currently utilized is a Freescale Semiconductor 68HC11 board produced by AxiomManufacturing. The 68HC11 is a dated 8-bit architecture and has proved to be a robust platformto teach

Conference Session

New Trends in ECE Education

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Arun Ravindran, University of North Carolina, Charlotte; Patricia Tolley, University of North Carolina, Charlotte; Arindam Mukherjee, University of North Carolina, Charlotte

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

discrete signal {x[1]…x[8]} and an impulse response{h[1] …h[4]}, the students are shown that the output sequence {y[1]…y[11]} can be realizedusing the systolic array shown in Figure 1. Page 14.807.5Figure 1. Systolic array for 1D discrete time convolution.We spend approximately two weeks on this topic.Laboratory assignmentsA significant feature of the new course is the tight integration of the lecture with the laboratory.The course meets for one hour and 15 minutes twice a week, once in the classroom for thelecture and then in the laboratory for programming assignments. We have developed a series oflaboratory exercises that serve to reinforce the

Conference Session

Innovations in ECE Education I

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Xingguo Xiong, University of Bridgeport; Linfeng Zhang, University of Bridgeport; Junling Hu, University of Bridgeport; Lawrence Hmurcik, University of Bridgeport

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

helpful for the effort of theConnecticut Nanotechnology Curriculum Committee.1. IntroductionNowadays, the technology advancement has the trend of making things smaller andsmaller. Taking VLSI technology as an example, the feature size of a CMOS transistor isshrunk to deep submicron or nanometer domain. A state-of-the-art Intel CPU chip maycontain millions or even billions of transistors. As the VLSI technology continue tobecome smaller and smaller, people are also considering shrinking the size of mechanicalcomponents (mirrors, gears, pumps, etc.) to microns and integrating them with VLSIcircuits into a system. MEMS and nanotechnology are exactly the enabling technologiesfor this dream. MEMS mainly deal with things in the scale of 1µm~1000µm

Conference Session

Design in the ECE Curriculum

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Mark McDermott, University of Texas, Austin; Jacob Abraham, University of Texas, Austin; Mihir Ravel, Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

Architecture and Design including: Register Transfer Level, Block Level and Component Level • Physical planning and design • Performance modeling and analysis • System Integration • System Verification and ValidationThe type of coursework is determined depending on whether the student is required to have aconceptual understanding and/or a practicing knowledge of the subject material. The optimalbalance across virtual and physical prototyping is determined by the desired competencies.Based on the goal of encouraging systematic engineering competencies, we analyzed the listabove and generated an importance scorecard that is summarized in the table below. Coursework Prototyping Model

Conference Session

Design in the ECE Curriculum

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Mustafa Guvench, University of Southern Maine

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

modeling of semiconductor devices and sensors, and electronic instrumentation and measurement. Page 14.410.1© American Society for Engineering Education, 2009 Design and Fabrication of Impact (Acceleration) Sensors as Class Projects in a MEMS CourseAbstractThe paper describes use of SOI-MEMS fabricated Impact Sensors (Acceleration) as a realworld design experience in an undergraduate senior level MEMS course. In addition to thestandard lectures/reading/homeworks/tests routine of a typical coursework students wereassigned to design, as individual class term projects, “Impact” or “Crash” Sensors

Conference Session

Design in the ECE Curriculum

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Mihaela Radu, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology; Clint COLE, Washington State University, Pullman; Mircea Dabacan, Technical University of Cluj Napoca, Romania; Joe Harris, DigilentInc; Albert Fazekas, Technical University of Cluj Napoca, Romania; Ioana DABACAN, Technical University of Cluj Napoca, Romania

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

steadily increasing, universities must updatetheir curricula to cope with the increased demands of research and development required inindustry. By integrating digital design competitions into the undergraduate experience, studentsare better prepared to enter the field of engineering and make more meaningful contributions totheir firms at an earlier rate.Trying to address the current and future needs of the industry in the context of a global economy,instructors at the Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, Romania and Rose Hulman Institute ofTechnology, USA, have integrated an annual Digital Design Competition open to engineeringstudents from the above mentioned majors. Competitions at both schools have been sponsored byDigilent and Xilinx. These

Conference Session

Design in the ECE Curriculum

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Bruce Dunne, Grand Valley State University; Chirag Parikh, Grand Valley State University; Andrew Sterian, Grand Valley State University

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

the IR range finder and rotating servo along with pre-defined mazeinformation to navigate the robot from the starting point to the finish line.In this paper, we discuss the features of our robot that allow us to introduce controlsystem theory. We then discuss how the material was integrated into a sophomore-leveldigital systems course. Next, we discuss the implementation of PID control for the robots.Finally, we conclude with lessons learned and ideas for an improved learning experience.ApproachIn our sophomore-level Introduction to Digital Systems course, topics progress frombasic digital logic design to introductory microcontroller architecture. In the last portionof the course (weeks 9-14), students learn about embedded programming in C

Conference Session

Design in the ECE Curriculum

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Alan Cheville, Oklahoma State University; Charles Bunting, Oklahoma State University

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

the range and range accuracy with bothcommercial and self-designed components. The final design review occurred in a public forumas part of the Engineering College’s “Design Day”. Design Day is an open house in whichstudents from multiple engineering departments display their projects to visitors that include highschool students, parents, and industry representatives.One unique aspect of the SAR design is that the low pass filters (see Figure 2) that were used forthe SAR system had been previously designed by students in the introductory EM course. Theuse of devices designed by students in previous courses was thought to support integration ofconcepts.Course Outcomes and EvaluationIn the first iteration of the course reported here, six senior

Conference Session

Design in the ECE Curriculum

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

L. Brent Jenkins, Southern Polytechnic State University

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

1.2A 10V ref ref (a) (b)Figure 13: Incorrect and Correct Approaches for Dealing with Current Sources in Nodal AnalysisProactive StrategyRemind students that nodal analysis is really an enhanced version of Kirchhoff's Current Law. Notethat since each equation represents the sum of the currents leaving its respective node, each of its termsmust either be a current or a "V over R" term. Distribute the flowchart in Figure 14 to integrate thethree sub-methods of nodal analysis into a coherent whole. Encourage students to develop a "sense"that writing a nodal equation through a voltage source is

Conference Session

Laboratory Development in ECE Education

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Mustafa Guvench, University of Southern Maine

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

modeling of semiconductor devices and sensors, and electronic instrumentation and measurement. Page 14.888.1© American Society for Engineering Education, 2009 MOSIS Fabricated CMOS Operational Amplifier Designs as Class Projects in an Analog I.C. Design Course AbstractThe paper describes use of MOSIS fabricated CMOS Operational Amplifiers as a realworld design experience in senior level Analog Integrated Circuit Courses in ElectricalEngineering. In the one-semester course on CMOS Analog I.C. Design offered at ourdepartment, design of a CMOS Operational Amplifier is

Conference Session

Innovations in ECE Education I

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Aaron St. Leger, United States Military Academy; Anthony Deese, Drexel University; Chikaodinaka Nwankpa, Drexel University

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

engineering curriculums, are encapsulated in a laboratory based on ananalog power system emulator. An overview of the EE curriculum at the United States MilitaryAcademy is shown in Table 2.Table 2. United States Military Academy Electrical Engineering Curriculum Sophomore Junior Senior 2nd Semester 1st Semester 2nd Semester 1st Semester 2nd Semester Intro to EE Intro to Electronics Electronic Design EE System Design I EE System Design II Electromagnetic Digital Logic Signals and Systems Power Engineering

Conference Session

Innovations in ECE Education II

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Radian Belu, Drexel University

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

with hardwareand instrumentation helps students to deeper understand the physics behind theengineering problems and to acquire skills required in industry. Further, a workingknowledge of visualization and simulation tools used during the laboratory providessupport for creative circuit analysis, evaluation and synthesis. A simulator is a powerfulway to test new ideas without difficulties associated with circuit implementation andbuilding. The laboratory complements and supplements the lecture course, whichcurrently follows the text by Mohan [4]. This text does a particularly good job ofexamining the principles of power electronics from an integrated and top-downviewpoint. The many examples and problems provided in the book are an

Conference Session

Embedded System Design

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Eric Freudenthal, University of Texas, El Paso; Brian Carter, University of Texas, El Paso

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

management of stack frames. An online labmanual has been developed for this course that is freely available for extension or use by otherinstitutions.Our previous papers reported on pedagogical techniques for facilitating student understanding ofthe relationships between high-level language constructs, such as algebraic expression syntax,block-structured control-flow structures, and composite data types, along with theirimplementations in machine code. While this integrated approach to introducing control-flowstructures has been successful, many students have been confused by the large number ofdifferent addressing modes. The present paper describes further extensions of this integrated C-and-assembly language pedagogical approach in which

Conference Session

Embedded System Design

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

James Holt, Freescale Semiconductor, Inc.; Hongchi Shi, Texas State University, San Marcos; Harold Stern, Texas State University, San Marcos

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

approach to addingmulticore courses to their curricula11, creating specific elective courses including Multicore SoCDesign Technology, Parallel and Multicore Architectures, Multicore Operating Systems, Multi-threaded and Multicore Programming, Compilers and Tools for Multicore, and PerformanceAssessment for Multicore. This is an important set of courses covering multicore topics notincluded in other mandatory classes in the curriculum. Yet, the approach does not instill basicmulticore knowledge into all students following the curriculum, and it does not guarantee thatthose students who do choose to take multicore electives will have a broad set of knowledgeabout multicore.For these reasons, other Chinese universities have begun to integrate

Conference Session

Innovations in ECE Education II

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Eugene Ressler, United States Military Academy; Michael Miller, United States Military Academy; Christa Chewar, United States Military Academy; Jean Blair, United States Military Academy

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

university, since there are few parallels in otherdisciplines. Curriculum integration also induces drag, formally encoded in prerequisitestructures. Engineering knowledge has many sequential dependencies. Therefore, an ill-considered change early in a curriculum can have unexpected, dire consequences for laterlearning. Faculty expertise may also be a drag. Whether a desirable new topic must be learnedby existing faculty or else new faculty hired, progress must wait for these to be completed.2. The Rationale For An Engineering ApproachIn this setting of continual demands for change—to always add and never subtract, to overcomecost-induced drag, and yet to accomplish all within fixed constraints on time and otherresources—we have a real engineering

Conference Session

Innovations in ECE Education III

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Suryaprasad Jayadevappa, PES School of Engineering; Ravi Shankar, Florida Atlantic University

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

curriculum content and pedagogy. The current “LanguageFirst” CSE curriculum globally followed has stood the ground for close to five decades; but ithas many inherent flaws. Some among them include emphasis on language and syntax ratherthan design methodology and problem solving.We put forth a pedagogy that is flexible, practical, and is based on the “Middle-Out Approach”which is a combination of top-down and bottom-up approaches; typically one integrates thesetwo at an intermediate architect’s level in an attempt to optimize a system. We, however, do notaddress these optimization and integration issues as part of our curriculum, because of timelimitation. They can be undertaken as part of a Master’s program. We categorize ourundergraduate curriculum

Conference Session

Innovations in ECE Education III

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jiecai Luo, Southern University; Fred Lacy, Southern University; Pradeep Bhattacharya, Southern University & A&M College; Perry Daniels, Texas Instruments

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

simulate a model of whathappens in the real world. One of the great strengths of SU's EE curriculum is theemphasis on fundamentals that apply to real world problems. The ultimate goal of thisdesign course is to bring together seniors in electrical engineering, and industrial designengineers with a focus on mixed signal testing of discrete components in themicroelectronics area. The lecture will cover the following topics: modern analog andmixed signal technologies, an introduction to test electrical characteristics of integratedcircuits (IC) and devices incorporating both digital and analog functions; the laboratorywill give the students an opportunity to test a variety of circuits for AC and DC

Conference Session

Laboratory Development in ECE Education

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Adnaan Jiwaji, MIT; James Hardison, MIT; Kayode P. Ayodele, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria; Sandy Stevens Tickodri-Togboa, Makerere University; Alfred Mwambela, University of Dar-es-Salaam; V. Judson Harward, MIT; Jesús A. del Alamo, MIT; Bryant Harrison, MIT; Samuel Gikandi, MIT

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

could havecertain components switched in or out. Thisenabled an entirely new mode of experimentationwithin the ELVIS iLab. Rather than being limitedto only observing the behavior of a static circuit-under-test, students could also manipulate thecircuit to produce varying behaviors. The lab clientand interface elements that control this functionality Figure 3: The lab client developed by Samuelare shown in Figure 4. For this work, a National Gikandi to run experiments on the ELVIS. AnInstruments SCXI-1169 switch unit was used, experiment run on a differentiator circuit with aenabling easy integration with the software control triangular wave input is detailed

Conference Session

New Trends in ECE Education

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Enrique Barbieri, University of Houston; Wajiha Shireen, University of Houston; Farrokh Attarzadeh, University of Houston; Miguel Ramos, University of Houston; William Fitzgibbon, University of Houston

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

/olin_history.asp after creating andtesting “an innovative curriculum that infused a rigorous engineering education with businessand entrepreneurship as well as the arts, humanities and social sciences. They developed a hands-on, interdisciplinary approach that better reflects actual engineering practice.” Many feel thatthe transition from engineering applications to fundamental engineering science has beenunfortunate and that experiential learning should form the backbone of engineering education. Page 14.135.3As recent as January 2009, the article “Engineering Schools Prove Slow to Change” by P.Basken in The Chronicle of Higher Education points to the

Conference Session

Innovations in ECE Education I

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Susan Burkett, University of Alabama; Charles Snead, University of Alabama

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

Page 14.956.3into the project, 64% of students surveyed indicated that they shared at least one program theycreated with a friend or family member.11 This display of ownership for their programs wasconsidered a primary method for determining student enthusiasm in creative exercises.This same sense of pride was observed in the creative lamp experiment when one student’sgrandfather became involved in making and staining a wooden base to match the bassoon.Educators concerned with traditional engineering curricula and meeting ABET criteria haverecognized the importance of the design process in exercising creativity. Some institutionsincorporate design projects early in the curriculum.12,13,14,15 As an example, freshmen at the U.S.Air Force Academy

Conference Session

Innovations in ECE Education I

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Eric Freudenthal, University of Texas, El Paso; Mary Kay Roy, University of Texas, El Paso; Alexandria Ogrey, University of Texas, El Paso; Ann Gates, University of Texas, El Paso

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

plan at UTEP (“CS-1”), a large fraction of incoming freshmen mustattend several semesters of preparatory “pre calculus” math courses. Most of these students willhave limited if any prior exposure to programming or engineering. The initial implementation ofour course was intended solely to provide an engaging first experience with programming, andfollowed Mark Guzdial’s “Media Computation” curriculum. Dr. Guzdial’s curriculum hassuccessfully engaged Liberal Arts students in programming through the creation of aestheticallymotivated multimedia projects. Attendees in pre-engineering and pre-professional programsreported lack of interest in these aesthetically- focused projects and requested more practicalprojects and assignments. The course has

Conference Session

Laboratory Development in ECE Education

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Prakash Ranganathan, University of North Dakota; Richard Schultz, University of North Dakota

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

, which can be integrated intoour freshmen engineering curriculum together with other outreach measures.II. NXT in Electrical Engineering course At the University of North Dakota (UND), we introduce the LEGO Page 14.4.2MINDSTORMS NXT kit as part of our EE 101 freshmen course. EE 101 is an 2introductory level Electrical Engineering (EE) course, where the students are introducedto foundational concepts and principles of Electrical Engineering. The students in thecourse have to use the NXT kit for a few weeks and to devise a group project on aspecific robotic design

Conference Session

Innovations in ECE Education III

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Buket Barkana, University of Bridgeport; Navarun Gupta, University of Bridgeport; Lawrence Hmurcik, University of Bridgeport

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

be developed. Project-based learning is particularly pertinent in engineeringeducation as the majority of professional engineering work is conducted through group projects.Therefore, it is logical to integrate project-based learning into graduate engineering education,alongside traditional, classroom-style coursework.Project-based learning offers an engaging means of education for students in engineeringcourses. Traditional coursework consists of a large amount of engineering theory followed by aseries of assignments, papers or examinations in order to assess the students understanding of thetheoretical material. Project-based learning offers a medium through which students can applythis engineering knowledge in a real world project, in

Conference Session

Laboratory Development in ECE Education

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Zorica Nedic, University of South Australia; Andrew Nafalski, University of South Australia; Ozdemir Gol, University of South Australia; Jan Machotka, University of South Australia

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

devices, which integrate emerging active materials and non-conventional topologies. He has a strong interest in innovative approaches to engineering education and has published widely in this field. His teaching responsibilities have included courses in electrical machines, engineering design, renewable energy and virtual instrumentation. He has received national and international awards for excellence in research, teaching, engineering education and community service. He is the author and co-author of some 300 publications. He is currently an Associate Professor and discipline head of Electrical Engineering at the University of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia.Jan Machotka

Conference Session

Innovations in ECE Education II

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jan Machotka, University of South Australia; Zorica Nedic, University of South Australia; Andrew Nafalski, University of South Australia; Ozdemir Gol, University of South Australia

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

and non-conventional topologies. He has a strong© American Society for Engineering Education, 2009 which integrate emerging active materials and non-conventional topologies. He has a strong interest in innovative approaches to engineering education and has published widely in this field. His teaching responsibilities have included courses in electrical machines, engineering design, renewable energy and virtual instrumentation. He has received national and international awards for excellence in research, teaching, engineering education and community service. He is the author and co-author of some 300 publications. He is currently an Associate Professor and discipline head of

Conference Session

Innovations in ECE Education II

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Yakov Cherner, ATeL, LLC; Ahmed Khan, DeVry University; Amin Karim, DeVry University; Gary Mullett, Springfield Technical Community College

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

AC 2009-2163: SIMULATION-BASED VIRTUAL AND HYBRID LABORATORIESFOR TELECOMMUNICATIONS EDUCATIONYakov Cherner, ATeL, LLC YAKOV E. CHERNER, Ph.D., is the Founder and President of ATEL, LLC. He combines over 25 years of teaching experience with extensive experience in writing curricula and developing educational software and efficient instructional strategies. Dr. Cherner develops new concepts and simulation-based e-learning tools for STEM education that use real-world objects, processes and learning situations as the context for science, engineering and technology investigations. He also proposed and implemented the pioneering concept of integrated adjustable virtual laboratories and designed

Conference Session

Project-Based Learning in ECE Education

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Sharlene Katz, California State University, Northridge; James Flynn, California State University, Northridge

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

Retention in an ECET Program,” Proceedings of the 2006 ASEE Annual Conference.3. Kubichek, Robert, et al, “A Comprehensive Suite of Tools for Teaching Communications Courses,” Proceedings of the 2006 ASEE Annual Conference.4. Dunne, Bruce, and Cooke, Melvin, “Design of a Hardware Platform for Analog Communications Laboratory,” Proceedings of the 2008 ASEE Annual Conference.5. Frolik, Jeff, “A Comprehensive, Laboratory-Enhanced Communications Curriculum,” Proceedings of the 2004 ASEE Annual Conference.6. Gonzalez, Virgilio, and Mehdi, Shadaram, “Development of a Communications Course Integrating a Virtual Laboratory and Complex Simulations,” Proceedings of the 2005 ASEE Annual Conference.7. Frolik, Jeff

Conference Session

Project-Based Learning in ECE Education

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Ed Doering, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology; Sam Shearman, National Instruments

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

Page 14.341.2explain fundamental concepts. The importance of a mathematical framework cannot be denied,and yet mathematics alone often does not foster an intuitive understanding of these fundamentalconcepts.Hands-on laboratory projects help students to make connections between theory and practice.Hardware-based projects often require a substantial amount of setup time and debugging effort,and therefore can only explore a relatively small subset of the course topics. Computer-basedsimulation and visualization of communication systems, on the other hand, allow students toexperience a wider variety of fundamental concepts in the same amount of time, provided thatthe computer tools offer a sufficiently high level of abstraction. Since modern