Conference Session

ECE Curriculum Improvement

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Marcin Lukowiak, Rochester Institute of Technology; Andrew Meneely, Rochester Institute of Technology; Stanislaw P. Radziszowski, Rochester Institute of Technology; James R. Vallino, Rochester Institute of Technology; Christopher A. Wood, Rochester Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

boththeoretical and practical disciplines, including software engineering, computer engineering, andcomputer science. Unfortunately, in traditional academic settings, secure software and hardwareare typically taught independently despite being intertwined in practice. Consequently, theobjective of this initiative is to prepare students to apply a security-oriented awareness to a broadrange of hardware and software systems by developing a multi-disciplinary curriculum involvingthree departments. Our efforts at Rochester Institute of Technology focus on integrating securityinto software design and implementations, hardware design and implementations, and hardware-software co-design. In the cluster of courses described in this paper, we use

Conference Session

ECE Curriculum Improvement

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Arlen Planting, Boise State University; Sin Ming Loo, Boise State University

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

that the processor will not evolve and will remain available many years intothe future.One very elegant solution is found in the usage of an FPGA development board and a soft coreprocessor. The soft core processor can be placed in flash on the FPGA development board toautomatically configure each time the board is powered up. In this configuration, the beginningstudent is not aware that the board does not have an integrated discrete processor.Using the soft core processor approach allows the instructor to control the features, and in turnthe concepts presented in the class or lab. By isolating the teaching platform from the vendor-supplied development environment, the teaching of a beginning microprocessors class is nolonger controlled by what

Conference Session

Capstone Design and Innovations in ECE

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Muhittin Yilmaz, Texas A&M University, Kingsville; Selahattin Ozcelik, Texas A&M University, Kingsville; Nuri Yilmazer, Texas A&M University, Kingsville; Reza Nekovei, Texas A&M University, Kingsville

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

Page 25.117.3students took their respective discipline-specific senior-level required courses, in addition to therobotics courses. A number of students took both robotics courses to fulfill their capstone designrequirements and transferred the course credits for their graduation degree plan engineeringdesign requirements to comply with the ABET accreditation condition. The robotics curriculumwas initially offered as developmental courses but was also proposed to the universitycurriculum committee for permanent course opportunities under the robotics name in the futuresemesters.The robotics curriculum students were asked to establish a campus-wide robotics club. Thestudents organized the related paperwork and logistical efforts, resulting in an

Conference Session

Integration of Research and Education in ECE

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Yuen-Yan Chan, Chinese University of Hong Kong; Wai Yin Ng, Chinese University of Hong Kong

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

Press, Washington, DC. (2004)3. Welch, W. W., Klopfer, L. E., Aikenhead, G. S., & Robinson, J. T.: The role of inquiry in science education: Analysis and recommendations. Science Education 65, 33—50 (1981)4. Bloom, L. Z. & White, E. M.: Inquiry: a cross-curricular reader. Englewood Cliffs (ed), Prentice-Hall, Inc. NJ. (1993).5. Tsankova, J. and Dobrynina G.: Developing curious students. Integrating Inquiry across the Curriculum, 85—109, Corwin Press, Thousand Oaks, CA. (2005)6. LaPlaca, M. C., Newstetter, W. C., Yognathan, A. P.: Problem-based learning in biomedical engineering curricula, In Proceedings Frontiers in Education Conference 2, F3E-16-21. (2001)7. Froyd, J. E. Ohland, M. W

Conference Session

Integration of Research and Education in ECE

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

joshua fabian, Villanova University; Tyler A. Young, Villanova University; James Peyton Jones, Villanova University; Garrett Miles Clayton, Villanova University

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

from within the Matlab / Simulinkenvironment, and then to implement these designs directly on a hardware platform coupled to theKinect system. Students develop their designs using interconnected Simulink blocks andsubsystems, and the ‘build’ process automatically cross-compiles and downloads the model tothe target for execution. External mode capability can be used to monitor the target hardware asit executes in real time, enabling the user to tune model parameters and log data while theirapplication is running. An example showing how the Kinect can be integrated into a higher levelsystem design is shown as an example.1. IntroductionAdvances in low-cost, high-capability computing and sensing devices offer new opportunities forteaching

Conference Session

ECE Curriculum Improvement

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Phillip A. Mlsna, Northern Arizona University; Niranjan Venkatraman, Northern Arizona University; Sheryl L. Howard, Northern Arizona University

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

Page 25.486.2through the Electrical Engineering or Computer Engineering programs. Incorporation of globallearning into our curriculum gives us an opportunity to better prepare our students for careers astruly global engineers 3;6 .Three key results of this integration of global learning elements into the ECE curriculum are thefollowing: 1. Several elements of global learning were already present in our ECE curriculum, but were not formalized or assessed. The most common were: (a) Discussion of historical background of course topic; (b) Sustainability, in the form of efficient design or use of resources (for example, mini- mized logic, efficient code or spectrum usage). 2. Global learning

Conference Session

Capstone Design and Innovations in ECE

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

James L. Ellingson, University of Saint Thomas; Christopher S. Greene, University of Saint Thomas; Scott Edward Morgan; Miguel Angelo Rodrigues Silvestre, University of Beira Interior

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

. Christopher S. Greene, University of Saint Thomas Christopher Greene got his B.S. degree in electrical engineering at the University of Colorado, Boulder, and then did his master’s and Ph.D. at MIT, where he studied control theory. Following a 23-year career at Honeywell and another industrial company, he joined the University of St. Thomas School of Engineering. He is currently the Director of the Electrical Engineering program at St. Thomas and does research on the applications of control theory.Mr. Scott Edward MorganDr. Miguel Angelo Rodrigues Silvestre, University of Beira Interior Miguel Angelo Rodrigues Silvestre is an Assistant Professor at University of Beira Interior (UBI) in Portugal and an Integrated Researcher

Conference Session

ECE Curriculum Improvement

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Michael Steffen, Iowa State University; Phillip H. Jones III, Iowa State University; Joseph Zambreno, Iowa State University

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

code.Seniors in computer engineering at Iowa State University (ISU) are exposed to concepts in deviceinterfacing and hardware/software optimization through multiple classes in softwaredevelopment, computer architecture, digital logic and signal processing. A course that focuses ongraphics processing and architecture has the potential to nicely tie together several instances ofthese concepts in an integrated environment. Page 25.842.2At ISU we have created a senior elective class for teaching graphics processing. While this classis offered as an elective in the computer architecture focus area, course topics are introduced fromthe systems perspective

Conference Session

New Trends in ECE Education II

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Craig J. Scott, Morgan State University; Petronella A. James, Morgan State University; Yacob Astatke, Morgan State University; Jumoke O. Ladeji-Osias, Morgan State University

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

introductory electrical engineering courses to ensure aneasy transition to four-year institutions. The current plus-two program requires 65 credits ofcourses, consisting of 18 credits of lab augmented core courses, 15 credits of non-lab based corecourses, 12 of 21 credits of elective courses, and 20 credits of non-electrical courses. A modelprogram is shown in Table 1.The salient features of this curriculum design are that it: Is the only accredited electrical engineering program that allows completion of all laboratory courses online. Allows students an opportunity to obtain a BSEE in electrical engineering by completing the third & fourth year at Morgan State University. Is designed for graduates of the associate degree in

Conference Session

Electrical and Computer Poster Session

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

David Henry Hoe, University of Texas, Tyler

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

Introducing Multiple Soft Processor Cores Using FPGAs into the Computer Engineering CurriculumAbstractSoft processor cores are becoming an important component in state-of-the-art Systems-on-a-Programmable-Chip (SoPC) implementations. An SoPC design is a complete electronic systemthat is built on a reconfigurable integrated circuit, usually in the form of a Field ProgrammableGate Array (FPGA). This paper will discuss the introduction of soft processor design into thecourses within the Computer Engineering curriculum at the University of Texas at Tyler.Laboratories that utilize soft processor core design in our FPGA Design course and designsconsisting of an array of soft processor cores to emulate multiprocessor designs in our

Conference Session

Software and Web-based Learning in ECE

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Kevin P. Pintong, Binghamton University; Douglas H. Summerville, Binghamton University; Kyle Temkin, BInghamton University

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

verysimple once the initial course curriculum is laid out. Moodle was chosen because of itssustainability and modularity. However, the software that we chose may not scale well to largercourses.22 Our current setup can handle less than 1000 students. An issue that may be of concernis when ten large classes try to submit a quiz all at once. In our implementation, Moodle andBigBlueButton

Conference Session

Electrical and Computer Poster Session

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Seyed A. (Reza) Zekavat, Michigan Technological University; Cheryl Q. Li, University of New Haven; Saurav Pathak

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

. Page 25.451.1 c American Society for Engineering Education, 2012 Development of a Dynamic Curriculum for Wireless Communications: Addressing the Required Workforce for Wireless Industry and Academia Seyed A. Zekavat1,2, Cheryl Li2, Saurav Pathak1 1 University of New Haven, 2Michigan Technological UniversityAbstract – There are emerging applications for wireless communication systems. Newtechnologies are developed in this field in a rapid pace, and industry is in an increasing need ofwell trained and skilled graduates. They need these graduates to get integrated with their alreadyexisting employees without any further training or with minimal

Conference Session

New Trends in ECE Education II

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Bonnie H. Ferri, Georgia Institute of Technology; JillL L. Auerbach, Georgia Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

challenge presented in many engineering programs is how to integrate experimental designinto courses that are not coupled with lab components. Since the dissemination of the findingsfrom the groundbreaking study by Hake, engineering departments recognized and implemented arange of innovative pedagogical styles in an effort to advance the value of interactive learningstrategies1. Hence, the engineering field has experienced a proliferation of “interactive learning”models, many of which report the positive impact on student attitudes and knowledge. Buckand Wage have used an array of what they term “active and cooperative learning (ACL)”methods to enhance courses in signal processing2. The model developed by Gleixner andLackritz included weekly in

Conference Session

Projects in ECE

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Ahmed Mohamed, Florida International University; Osama A. Mohammed, Florida International University

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

American Society for Engineering Education, 2012 Smart Control of Power Electronic Converters in Photovoltaic SystemsAbstractThis paper presents an overview of the techniques used to control the power electronicconverters used to integrate renewable energy sources to the electric grid. Moreover, a smartfuzzy-PID controller for DC-DC boost converters, which are the most commonly usedconverters as voltage regulators in Photovoltaic (PV) systems, is presented. Details about theeducational side of these concepts; in-class, simulation and experimental demonstrations are alsoincluded. The proposed fuzzy-PID controller maximizes the stable operating range by tuning thePID parameters ultimately at various loading conditions. Then, a fuzzy logic

Conference Session

Electrical and Computer Poster Session

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

James Graham, University of Louisville; Karla Conn Welch, University of Louisville; Jeffrey Lloyd Hieb, University of Louisville; Shamus McNamara, University of Louisville

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

performance. This course builds the foundationfor more advanced circuit analysis, so creating an environment where students think criticallyabout the material should lead to deeper understanding of circuits’ concepts as students progressthrough the discipline. Therefore, ECE 220 is a key course in the curriculum for the ECEdepartment to implement critical thinking (CT) techniques and evaluate the outcomes to guidebest practices in the future.The introduction of CT into ECE 220 started with one exercise in the spring of 2010 andgradually built in more CT exercises each semester. Each semester, lesson 4 (Node VoltageMethod for solving electrical circuits) and lesson 5 (Mesh Current Method for solving electricalcircuits) have been the focus for CT

Conference Session

New Trends in ECE Education II

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jeffrey L. Schiano, Pennsylvania State University, University Park

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

. Page 25.403.1 c American Society for Engineering Education, 2012 Design Tools: The Sophomore Course in a Four-Year Design SequenceAbstractThis paper describes the sophomore-level course in a recently developed four-year verticallyintegrated design sequence in the Department of Electrical Engineering at the University Parkcampus of The Pennsylvania State University. We briefly describe the motivation behindrevising the design curriculum and the integration of material among the four design courses. Wethen focus on the objectives, development and implementation of the sophomore-level course.Revising the Design CurriculumPresently, the Department of Electrical Engineering has forty-one faculty members who

Conference Session

ABET Accreditation, Assessment, and Program Improvement in ECE

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Diana G. de la Rosa-Pohl, University of Houston

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

AC 2012-3617: DIFFERENCES IN EDUCATIONAL GOALS WITHIN THEFIELD OF ELECTRICAL ENGINEERINGDiana G. de la Rosa-Pohl, University of Houston Diana de la Rosa-Pohl has been a lecturer in the Cullen College of Engineering at the University of Hous- ton since 2003. She has worked with the PROMES program to develop project-based learning courses for the first-year curriculum. Currently, she is developing and evaluating project-based multidisciplinary courses for the engineering honors program. Page 25.468.1 c American Society for Engineering Education, 2012 DIFFERENCES IN EDUCATIONAL

Conference Session

Laboratory Development in ECE I

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Victor P. Nelson, Auburn University; John Y. Hung, Auburn University

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

AC 2012-3915: STRUCTURING A SYSTEM DESIGN LABORATORY COURSETO FACILITATE OUTCOMES ASSESSMENTProf. Victor P. Nelson, Auburn University Victor P. Nelson is a professor and Assistant Chair of electrical and computer engineering at Auburn University. His primary research interests include embedded systems and computer-aided design and testing of digital systems and application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs). He is co-author of the textbook Digital Logic Circuit Analysis and Design and a tutorial book on fault-tolerant computing. He has been Chair of the ECE Curriculum Committee, Coordinator of the ECE Graduate Program, and served one year as Associate Dean for Assessment in the College of Engineering. He is a

Conference Session

Laboratory Development in ECE I

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

K. Joseph Hass, Bucknell University; Juliana Su, University of Virginia

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

, a number of microcontroller manufacturers have adopted theIEEE 1149.1 Standard Test Access Port, more commonly known as a JTAG interface, to facilitateprogramming and debugging their processors. Software development tools have also begun toconverge into a collection of open-source point tools, such as a compiler and assembler, that aremanaged by an open-source integrated development environment. As a result, instructors caneasily provide a sophisticated development environment for embedded systems using tools andtechniques very similar to those used in industry, supporting a variety of microcontrollers for lessthan the cost of a typical textbook.We have used such a development environment in a microcontroller systems design course forsecond

Conference Session

Project-based and Cooperative Learning in ECE

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Oscar Ortiz, LeTourneau University; Paul R. Leiffer, LeTourneau University

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

provides students witha broader context to the material learned in class. With project-based learning students shift froma passive to an active learning pattern that is likely to improve knowledge retention as well as theability to integrate material from different courses.1 Each project provides students with the Page 25.1084.2opportunity to apply the knowledge they have learned in classes, and each problem they face inthe project inspires them to explore the material more deeply in future study 2.Project-based learning can develop the ability of students to work in interdisciplinary teams.Interdisciplinary teamwork is not only an expectation of

Conference Session

Capstone Design and Innovations in ECE

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Steven F. Barrett, University of Wyoming; Scott A. Morton, University of Wyoming; Jeffrey R. Anderson, University of Wyoming; Sandra Root-Elledge, University of Wyoming; Cameron H. G. Wright P.E., University of Wyoming

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

AC 2012-3187: SERVICE LEARNING: ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY UN-DERGRADUATE DESIGN PROJECTSDr. Steven F. Barrett, University of Wyoming Steven F. Barrett, Ph.D., P.E., received a B.S. in electronic engineering technology from the University of Nebraska, Omaha, in 1979, a M.E.E.E. from the University of Idaho at Moscow in 1986, and a Ph.D. from the University of Texas, Austin, in 1993. He was formally an active duty faculty member at the U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado, and is now professor of electrical and computer engineering and Associate Dean for Academic Programs, College of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Wyoming. He is a member of IEEE (senior) and Tau Beta Pi (Chief Faculty Advisor). His research

Conference Session

New Trends in ECE Education I

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Mircea Alexandru Dabacan, Technical University of Cluj-Napoca; Clint S. Cole, Digilent, Inc.; Mihaela Radu, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology; Joe Harris, Digilent, Inc.; Alex DUPE Wong; Monica Bot

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

liberal arts and business, due to a very packedtechnical curriculum and sometimes the high cost of education.In the electrical and computer engineering, as the complexity of microelectronic systems issteadily increasing, universities must update their curricula to cope with the increased demandsof research and development required in industry. By integrating Digital Design competitionsinto the undergraduate and graduate education, students are better prepared to enter the field ofengineering and make more meaningful contributions to their firms at an earlier rate. Accordingto published reports, looking at particular skills and attributes needed for engineers, top prioritiesin terms of future skills will be: practical applications, theoretical

Conference Session

New Trends in ECE Education I

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Kenneth A. Connor, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute; Dianna L. Newman, University at Albany/SUNY; Meghan Morris Deyoe, University at Albany/SUNY; Craig J. Scott, Morgan State University; Mohamed F. Chouikha, Howard University; Yacob Astatke, Morgan State University

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

by continual integral use and by an increasein instructor experience in Mobile Studio implementation and an increased awareness of student Page 25.942.9expectations for learning. Student background knowledge is also important to take into accountas a facilitator for the adoption of Mobile Studio education.3.b. Supporting ResourcesAnother barrier noted during adoption of the mobile studio approach across multiple courses andsemesters was the lack of use and access to resources that support the use of the I/O boards.Students’ perceptions of supplementary materials were markedly lower than their

Conference Session

Recruitment, Retention, and First-year Programs in ECE

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

David Wilczynski, University of Southern California; Gisele Ragusa, University of Southern California; Michael Crowley, University of Southern California

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

together to do the design and implementationplanning. The integration of C3’s user-interface work with C4’s back-end code is the primarychallenge. And, of course, since the C4 students have already taken C3, there will be naturalmentoring about user-interface and animation issues.The projects have evolved, but are now based on work that Wilczynski did during hisentrepreneurial career when his company built manufacturing applications in an area called cellcontrol7. In the fall we do an assembly cell. In spring we do a glass-processing line. Schematicsof the cells, which the students will build and animate, are shown in figures 1 and 2 in theappendix. Here are links to the specifications the students start from:http://www-scf.usc.edu/~csci201

Conference Session

Electrical and Computer Poster Session

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Chris Smaill, University of Auckland; Gerard Rowe, University of Auckland

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

he is currently a Senior Lecturer, and serves as Associate Dean (teaching and learning) within the Faculty of Engineering. He is a member of the Department’s Radio Systems Group and his (disciplinary) research interests lie in the areas of radio systems, electromagnetics and bioelectromagnetics. Over the last 28 years, he has taught at all levels and has developed a particular interest in identifying and correcting student conceptual misunderstandings and in curriculum and course design. He has received numerous teaching awards from his institution. In 2004, he was awarded a (National) Tertiary Teaching Excellence Award in the Sustained Excellence in Teaching category, and in 2005, he received the Australasian

Conference Session

Electrical and Computer Poster Session

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

David H. Hoe, University of Texas, Tyler

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

introduce our students to the design of reconfigurable logic and togive undergraduate students the opportunity to do research in the extremely active area of FPGAdesign.The University of Texas at Tyler currently has an FPGA Design class that exists as a seniorelective in the electrical engineering curriculum. The class introduces the students to the processof FPGA design, from coding in the high-level descriptor language VHDL to using the tools tosynthesize and debug a design. However, actual research in this area had been restricted tograduate students. This paper describes an effort that began two summers ago to involveundergraduate students in FPGA research at our institution. Other institutions have reported thebenefits of introducing FPGA

Conference Session

Electrical and Computer Poster Session

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Geoffrey L. Herman, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign; Michael C. Loui, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

creation of this curriculum spiral. In order to create valid andreliable assessments of courses and curricula, we similarly need to know what topics and skillsare essential to our curricula and what topics and skills are peripheral. Assessments should thenfocus on the core skills to create short, but meaningful assessments. Core conceptualframeworks can provide this clarity and meaning to assessments. We believe that this initialeffort can begin a conversation to bring greater clarity to the instruction in digital logic.5.3 Future research directions This paper documented an initial effort to establish a core conceptual framework fordigital logic. It relied upon a Delphi poll and misconceptions research data. Future researchcould further

Conference Session

Electrical and Computer Poster Session

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Lars K. Hansen, University of Texas, San Antonio; Keith Gerard Delahoussaye Jr., University of Texas, San Antonio ; Ruyan Guo, University of Texas, San Antonio

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

AC 2012-5331: COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE FUNCTIONALITY ANDCOST EFFECTIVENESS OF ELECTRONIC LABORATORY VIRTUALINSTRUMENTATIONSDr. Lars K. Hansen, University of Texas, San AntonioMr. Keith Gerard Delahoussaye Jr., University of Texas, San Antonio Keith Delahoussaye is a student at the University of Texas, San Antonio. He is a member of the Multifunc- tional Electronic Materials Devices Research Lab of the Electrical Engineering Department. He is also a member of IEEE’s student chapter. Before graduation, he worked full-time for the U.S. Air Force as an Avionic Technician in the status of an Air Reserve Technician. He is hopeful to be an electronic/electrical engineering governmental employee. He is married and a proud