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

modelcollected from industry participants. The template assumes a full-time course of study in 4semesters (60 hours) after which the student selects to either complete a BS in EngineeringTechnology in 2 additional years, or transfer to an ECE degree plan which may be 2-, 3-, or 4-years long. Both plans are assumed to be constructed so as to be ABET Accredited by theappropriate Commission. A Mechanical Engineering and Mechanical ET 2-year curriculumtemplate is being presented in a separate article at this conference. A summary of these works isalso presented to the Engineering Technology Division as a separate article in this conference.The templates are offered as a starting point to encourage further discussion

Conference Session

Pedagogy and Assessment I

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Ehsan Sheybani; Singli Garcia-Otero; Keith Williamson

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

). These outcomes are specific abilities, knowledge areas, skills, and attitudes that allstudents should possess upon completion of the undergraduate engineering program. ABETreviewers look through self-evaluations and assessments for these outcomes. Engineering andTechnology programs conduct annual reviews to determine which outcomes are met by thecourses in their respective curricula. If a specific outcome is not met, faculty is required todevelop and implement plans for improvement. These plans may include development of newcourses or modifications to existing courses. Programs must also document changes andeventually show that the changes resulted in improvements.Lessons LearnedAccording to the 2006–2007 Criteria for Accrediting Engineering

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

requires the student to apply the knowledge of the three laboratory assignments to a realworld application. These applications include generating functional elements and libraries thatcan be used as building blocks in a larger VLSI implementation. The project is reviewed by thecourse instructor(s).Course 2 - Advanced VLSI DesignThe second course focuses on the “Early Design Planning” of complex SoC platforms andfeasibility analysis of critical circuits in the design. The students are required to do a class projectin lieu of individual lab assignments. The class project is designed to be as “real-world” aspossible utilizing a synthesizable open source Verilog model of a SoC as the design platform.The design platform undergoes detailed power and

Conference Session

ECE Poster Session

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Georgios Anagnostopoulos, Florida Institute of Technology; Michael Georgiopoulos, University of Central Florida; Veton Kepuska, Florida Institute of Technology; Kenneth Stanley, University of Central Florida; Alison Morrison-Shetlar, University of Central Florida; Pat Lancey, University of Central Florida; Paula Krist, University of Central Florida; Tace Crouse, University of Central Florida

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

program, its uniquecharacteristics, and the structure and organization of our collaborative site. Furthermore, wewould like to give an informative account of our activities across the various aspects of theprogram, such as marketing of the experience, recruiting of student participants, the summerexperience itself and our dissemination efforts. Finally, we report on our outcomes accomplishedso far, which include research products and evaluation results.While our program is only entering into its third year of operation, we do hope that, by sharingour experiences and promising strategies to date, we will encourage and aid prospective REUSite directors to successfully plan for and operate collaborative sites.1. IntroductionThe AMALTHEA REU Program1

Conference Session

ECE Pedagogy and Assessment II

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Aurenice Oliveira, Michigan Technological University

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

sections. This issue was previously discussed in section 3.1b of this paper. Summary of Student Achievement of Course Objectives and Quality of Instruction Course Objective Relates to Program Assessment Standard Results Accept- Continuous Improvement Outcome(s) a Instrument for (assuming able? Actions Planned (See syllabus for the This final complete statements.) Objective Exam only and Y/N average

Conference Session

ECE Pedagogy and Assessment II

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Esteban Rodriguez-Marek, Eastern Washington University; Min-Sung Koh, Eastern Washington University; Michael Brzoska, Eastern Washington University; Claudio Talarico, Eastern Washington University

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

that “…the cure is to train morepeople…[where] the need is especially acute in engineering, computer science, informationalsystems and related technology fields.” Further, the AeA task force advised that “state collegesand universities must increase capacity and improve access for would-be students” and that“Governor Locke and the legislature should focus on funding new capacity in higher education.”The Washington State Higher Education Coordinating Board, in its Master Plan 2000, acted onthis advice and stated its number one investment strategy to be “adding capacity in instruction,instructional support, and research space needed to implement the master plan initiatives forenrollment growth in high-demand fields.”EWU saw itself in the unique

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

studentunderstanding of digital logic design, exploitation of data parallelism in computationallyintensive algorithms, and hardware-software integration issues. Our overall conclusion is thatwith a carefully planned syllabus, course projects, and the availability of student supportresources, introducing reconfigurable computing to undergraduate computer engineeringstudents can be a useful vehicle for teaching topics on parallel hardware and parallel algorithms.IntroductionThe availability of high speed Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGA) with more than a billiontransistors has provided hardware designers with a platform for implementing complex highperformance designs such that the programmability of general purpose processors and theperformance of custom

Conference Session

ECE Pedagogy and Assessment II

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jean-Claude Thomassian, State University of New York, Maritime College; Anoop Desai, Georgia Southern University

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

to the media based module whichwas housed on a network drive. To gain access to the modules, they had to use a campuscomputer to log onto their accounts. The module starts by demonstrating a step-by-stepsimulated instruction to learn some of the basic procedures of using PSpice – analysis of aresistive circuit, DC, AC, and Transient analysis.The module explains all the essential setups, file saving, operating the program, and observingthe results through text editor and screen captures. Each main point is depicted in adequatedetail. Students accessing the modules are not under any time limitation or rush; they can gothrough the modules at their own speed and in their own time.Assessment Method and Plan of ResearchStudents were requested to

Conference Session

ECE Poster Session

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Eduardo Montanez, Freescale Semiconductor; Michael Norman, Freescale Semiconductor

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

power assignmentsthat run up and down Elevator boards to four PCI Express connectors. These connectors acceptvarious combinations of Peripheral Story boards with one central MCU/MPU Story board. SomePeripheral Story boards are already developed (e.g. Serial, Memory), others are planned on aroadmap, and more can be custom built by the engineering program or student to fit the Towerform factor and standards depending on the courseware or embedded application for a final Page 14.19.4design project.The Tower also includes multiple power options with built-in isolation. The first option is topower the complete platform through a miniB USB cable

Conference Session

ECE Poster Session

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

John Bowles, University of South Carolina; Caitlin Buchhaults, University of South Carolina; Donald Griffith, University of South Carolina

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

Page 14.1352.2engineering majors. We believe that a large part of the reason for this difference is a result of themanner in which the robot is developed. A team begins by developing the operational concept Table 1. Comparison of FIRST Alumni to General High School Graduates in Educational Choices2 Percent of Percent of High FIRST Alumni School Graduates Attend College 89% 65% Major in STEM disciplines 55% 28% Major in Engineering 41% 6% Major in Computer Science 11% 5% Plan on

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

second order model based on the swing equation. The lines and transformers aresteady-state impedance based models. The load model is a first order model based on inductionmachines. These models are represented in analog hardware across numerous printed circuitboards. These boards, shown in Figure 2, are designed to interface directly with the NationalInstruments SCXI chassis. A power system is constructed in analog hardware via theinterconnection of these emulation devices, much like a real power system. The devices arehardwired together in the emulator. Different topologies and systems can subsequently berealized by turning devices on/off based on the desired configuration. Not included in thisprototype, however planned for future versions, is

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

methods and multidisciplinary teaching using proven methods asdescribed and already implemented in other successful engineering schools.Engineering education is a recognized important factor in economic development and severalnew programs are already or will likely be developed in many educational institutions. Theresults of this work concerning the early development and planning of a new engineeringprogram provide valuable referential experience for future engineering program developmentefforts.IntroductionEngineering is recognized as an important factor in the economic well-being of society. In thecurrent global market, engineering programs are gaining in importance with the realization in theUSA and elsewhere that future economic prospects

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

interplay between theory and practice- This is a very fundamentaltrait of every engineering discipline. The students should be able to practically apply theconcepts learnt in theory in order to develop tangible products. • Attention to rigorous thinking- The devil is in the detail! All engineering disciplinesshould ensure that the students are suitably equipped with the use of sound practices whichinclude planning, tracking progress, measuring and generally managing quality. Page 14.1186.4 • Adaptability- Due to the rapid pace of changes in related technologies, graduates ofCSE program must possess a solid foundation that allows and

Conference Session

Innovations in ECE Education II

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Radian Belu, Drexel University

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

and laboratory and to develop a newgraduate-level course in power electronics. It is hoped that this presentation gives theeducation issue in power electronics the exposure and attention it deserve. The paperdescribes laboratory experiments in detail, provides short descriptions of the projects andincludes some lessons learned, student feedback, and plans for future changes. The authorstrongly believes that such discussion and feedback from other educators will advancepower electronics education through introduction of new topics, laboratory experimentsor new power electronics applications, as well the development of new courses and helpfaculty, especially the younger ones interested in research and teaching in this field.2. Energy Conversion

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

companies produce state of the art PLDs boards and CAD tools.This paper summarizes five years of experience at the Technical University of Cluj-Napoca andtwo at Rose Hulman Institute of Technology , organizing such competitions. The logistics andchallenges of the competitions, results of the past editions and plans regarding the future of thesecompetitions at both schools are presented. Evaluations of the competition and students’perceptions as an alternative learning experience were investigated through student surveys.IntroductionAs the complexity of microelectronic systems is steadily increasing, universities must updatetheir curricula to cope with the increased demands of research and development required inindustry. By integrating Digital

Conference Session

New Trends in ECE Education

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Kuang Xu, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign; Elizabeth Van Ruitenbeek, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

inresearch would also prepare freshman and sophomore students to perform more advanced andhigher quality research as juniors and seniors than would otherwise be possible.Related WorkThere has been extensive research on the impact of undergraduate research on education andstudent retention1,2,3. Studies have shown that undergraduate research participants are morelikely to pursue graduate education. For example, Lapatto examines the hypothesis thatundergraduate research enhances the educational experience of scientific undergraduates, findingthat over 83% of 1,135 participants began or continued to plan for postgraduate education in thesciences1.Most of the literature on undergraduate research focuses primarily on the implications ofundergraduate

Conference Session

Innovations in ECE Education III

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Asad Azemi, Pennsylvania State University; Nannette D'Imperio, Pennsylvania State University

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

. When they have a correct answer, we randomly choose ateam’s or a student’s work and share the solution, through Centra, with the rest of the class. Incase of a problem or coding question, the program is shared, through Centra, so that suggestionsor corrections can be made by the class. This feature was used extensively throughout thesemester. All of these activities are recorded by Centra and available for student downloadingand viewing.The instructor can view a list of all attendees on the Centra screen at all times during the event.Attendance time is logged and stored for later viewing via the Centra reporting mechanism.RemarksThe following items summarize our observations: • The time and effort needed to plan, develop, and deliver the

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

Pedagogy and Assessment III

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Robert Egbert, Missouri State University

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

and video monitorsto remotely control processes in a simulated factory. Since the students already perform thelaboratory exercises remotely and the cost of duplicating the laboratory on the MSU campuswould be prohibitive, it was decided that this laboratory course could be best done on the MSUcampus via distance.Summary and ConclusionsThe signing of the Memorandum of Understanding agreement in August of 2006 was followedby another year of planning, procurement of equipment, development of classroom andlaboratory space, and recruitment of program faculty. The plan was to “phase in” both the Civil Page 14.1072.6and Electrical Engineering programs

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

smarter productsfor home, communications, medicine, transportation, agriculture and many other fields.MEMS and nanotechnology can be combined to create a new exciting field of NEMS(Nanoelectromechanical system).In order to introduce engineering students into this amazing micro and nanotechnologyfield, we developed three corresponding graduate-level courses: Introduction to MEMS(EE446) and Introduction to Nanotechnology (EE451), and Microelectronic Fabrication(EE448). In addition, we have other related courses to support this program, such as EE447: Semiconductor, EE 404: CMOS VLSI, EE 410: Bio-sensors, etc. This paper willdiscuss the course structure, syllabuses, course modules, student feedbacks, as well asfuture plans for this program. This

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

HF design additionally requires that engineering and otherstudents see how HF design is applied to challenges in their discipline or future career. Ensuringfuture vitality requires that HF courses both enhance students’ chances HF-related employmentas well as entice students to pursue graduate studies.Discussion of Planning MeetingsTo create a course on high frequency design techniques that could serve as wide an audienceof students as possible, the three faculty and one graduate student involved in the course meton a regular basis (primarily) during a summer intercession to discuss the key requirementsfor such a course. The following paragraphs summarize the discussion of these individualsand serve to outline the framework around which 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

brainstorming, formalizing a construction plan,drawing schematic representations of the instrument/lamp, generating a parts/tool list, andimplementation of the design. This project addressed the need for promoting creative thought inengineering undergraduate students for enhanced product design. Attention was given to theartistic component, a view often neglected. There were 43 total students in the class and theywere arranged into seven groups. The music department donated the instruments that included a:saxophone, clarinet, bassoon, piccolo, trumpet, mellophone, and trombone. The students weretasked to design and build a lamp from these instruments and the team budgets averaged $60 pergroup. The laboratory activity and completed lamp designs will be

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

currently facewhen teaching analog communications theory and explains the need for demonstrations in thecourse. Section III gives an overview of SDR and the features that make it an ideal platform forclassroom demonstrations in communications and signal processing. Section IV describes theparticular SDR platform (hardware and software) that was used by the authors. Section Vpresents the demonstrations created. Section VI describes the results of using thesedemonstrations in a classroom and section VII presents conclusions and plans for future work inthis area.II. BackgroundCourses on communications theory rely heavily on mathematical models. The abstract nature ofthe mathematical treatment of modulation/demodulation can be difficult for students

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

Page 14.336.9experimentation system, since it OpAmp Lab system under test is based.allows remote recombination of systemparts. They felt that the ELVIS could beenhanced by the integration of aswitching matrix. A small switchingmatrix was developed based on aPIC18F452 microcontroller and sixMAX4664 Quad SPST analog FETswitches. The initial plan was to couplethe switching matrix to the ELVIS sothat only a single line of communicationbetween the lab server and the system-under-test would be needed. However,that plan was shelved in favor of anarrangement where the switching matrixhad a different line of communication Figure 7: The new Logic Lab based on an Altera DE1with the server using the USB port. This

Conference Session

ECE Pedagogy and Assessment II

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Dale Buechler, University of Wisconsin, Platteville; Phillip Sealy, University of Wisconsin, Platteville; David Drury, University of Wisconsin, Platteville; Mesut Muslu, University of Wisconsin, Platteville

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

University of Wisconsin-Platteville.Plan of Action Page 14.329.4Although rubric assessment consistently showed that outcome (a) scored lower than the otherrubrics in our normal assessment, it was hard to develop a plan of action because our data weremostly qualitative in the sense that we were not identifying any category narrower than theoutcome itself. As a result, the assessment committee recommended that the faculty begintracking the occurrence of errors in conjunction with the rubric evaluation of outcome (a) as partof our normal assessment procedure. In the spring of 2008 we applied a series of error codes tothe errors made by

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

additional countries andterritories.Summary“Communications Systems Projects with LabVIEW” features ten project activities in digitalcommunication systems based on the LabVIEW graphical dataflow programming platform. Eachproject includes introductory material in the form of text and narrated screencast videos,specifications for low-level subVI building blocks, and step-by-step instructions to assembleapplication VIs to implement a variety of simulations, visualizations, and working transmittersand receivers. Usage statistics during the first two months of public availability of the projectmaterials show a strong interest so far, and we plan to work with a variety of universities toencourage adoption of the materials.Bibliography1. http://ni.com

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

applications implemented in this project were: introduction to the M16C/26A,arithmetic operations, looping, subroutines, logical operations, LCD interface and applicationdevelopment (traffic signals). The lab projects are intended to give students a quickunderstanding of the instruction set, programming and operation of a microprocessor. A pilot labis planned in the upcoming academic year. Page 14.829.2IntroductionA course on microprocessors is typically the central part of the curriculum in most Bachelor ofScience in Electrical Engineering (BSEE) programs. This paper presents the laboratorycurriculum developed for semester long junior-level introductory

Conference Session

Innovations in ECE Education I

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Mohamed Omer, Pennsylvania State University, Harrisburg; Peter Idowu, Pennsylvania State University, Harrisburg

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

group to obtain qualitative measure of theeffectiveness of the visualization tool. The composite result of responses aggregated over thetotal of 18 respondents is summarized on Table 1. Table 1. The aggregated results of the evaluation processThe evaluation summary shows that the tool was generally well received and judged helpful bythis group of users. As many as 90% of the participants expressed further interest in exploringpower system analysis topics following the limited exposure to the visualization tool. Plans arein place for more extensive evaluation of the impact of the tool on leaning over several semesterswhen the power systems course is offered.8.0 Conclusions and future workA software visualization tool has been developed to

Conference Session

Pedagogy and Assessment III

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Chao Chen; Carlos Pomalaza-Ráez; Ma Oo

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

monitoring of human physiological signs was especially explored. Next, thestudent studied the physical features of 802.15.4 and its coexistence with some other wirelessstandards and signals in the same frequency band. Last, a plan to evaluate the performance of802.15.4 in home scenarios was made. The student first selected an 802.15.4 transceiver for themeasurement study. This transceiver comes with a starter development kit and a softwareprogram that can easily change the operating band and power of the 802.15.4 devices. The Page 14.594.6student then used this kit to measure the data success ratio of the 802.15.4 transceiver in twotypical home

Conference Session

ECE Pedagogy and Assessment II

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Neelam Soundarajan, Ohio State University

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

5, we present some of the results, in the form of ideas forprogram improvement, obtained by using this approach over the last two years in our program. InSection 6, we summarize our work and consider future plans.2. BackgroundFrom the earliest days of EC, one of the key questions that programs have struggled with is findingsuitable ways to meet EC’s requirements regarding suitable assessment processes and documentedimprovements based on the results of the assessment of their outcomes. Evidence for this may be Page 14.493.4seen in the many papers in ASEE and FIE Annual Conferences, indeed in the number of sessions atthese conferences