Electrical and Computer Engineering 2008-2009
Course Listing
The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering offers a B.S. degree as well as a minor in Electrical Engineering and collaborates with the Computer Science Department to offer a B.S. degree and a minor in Computer Engineering. The department also contributes to the minor in Bioengineering, which is listed in this catalog under Bioengineering. Joint degree programs are offered with Union Graduate College. Updated information on course offerings and requirements, as well as the mission statements and educational objectives of the Electrical Engineering and Computer Engineering programs may be found on the department website
Computer Engineering
Program Director: Professor Spinelli
Requirements for the Major:
a total of 40 courses including the following:
- Math and Science: (Math 110*, 112*, 115, Physics 120, 121) or (IMP 111, 112, 113); Math 130, (Math 197 or 199); one math elective from (Math 117**, 127, 138, 221, 235, or 340); one science elective numbered 100 or higher (Chemistry 101, Physics 122, or Physics 123 are recommended);
- Other calculus sequences are possible depending upon a student’s background.
- Math 117 may be taken only by students who did not take IMP 113.
- Engineering Science: ESc 100;
- Computer Engineering Core: ECE 118, 225, 240, 241, 248, 351; one from (CSc 103-109), CSc 150, 250, 260, 270, (333 or 335); ECE/CSc 318, (336 or 337), 352;
- Computer Engineering Electives: 3 additional CSc or ECE courses numbered 300 or higher. Students may also enroll in graduate engineering courses offered through Union Graduate College. Please see the Union Graduate College catalog for course descriptions.
- Capstone Design: ECE 497 (1/2), 498 (1/2), 499.
- Core Components Curriculum: 7 to 10 courses depending upon the options chosen
- Free Electives: up to 3 free electives, depending upon how the Core Components Curriculum is satisfied
Requirements for the Minor:
The following six courses — ECE 118, 225; one from (CSc 103-109), CSc 150; one from (ECE/CSc 318, 352) and one other from (ECE/CSc 318, 336, 337, 352, CSc 250, 270).
Sample schedule starting with Math 110 (Students with different math backgrounds will have slightly different math sequences).
First Year
Fall: Elective*, Esc100, MTH 110
Winter: Elective*, MTH 112, PHY 120, CSc 103-109**
Spring: Elective*, MTH 115, PHY 121,
Second Year
Fall: ECE 225, ECE 118, Math 197 or 199**
Winter: Elective*, CSc 150, ECE 240, MTH 130
Spring: Elective*, CSc 250, ECE 241
Third Year
Fall: Term abroad option*** or Electives*
Winter: CSc 260, CSc 270, ECE/CSc 318
Spring: ECE/CSc 352, Science elective, CSc 335, ECE 497 (1/2)
Fourth Year
Fall: Elective*, ECE 351, ECE/CSc 336 or 337, ECE 498 (1/2)
Winter: ECE or CSc elective, ECE or CSc elective, ECE 499
Spring: Elective*, ECE or CSc elective, ECE248, Math elective
*Electives should be chosen to satisfy the Core Components Curriculum. Students should determine as early as possible how they will satisfy these requirements and should work with their academic advisor to develop an appropriate plan of study.
**One course from CSc 103-109 and either Math 197 or 199 should be taken before the winter term of the second year.
***The fall term of the third year is the recommended term for going on a full term abroad.
Electrical Engineering
Requirements for the Major:
a total of 40 courses including the following:
- Math and Science: (Math 110*, 112*, 115, 117, Physics 120, 121) or (IMP 111, 112, 113), Math 130; one science elective numbered 100 or higher (Chemistry 101, Physics 122, or Physics 123 are recommended); one Math or Science elective numbered 100 or higher. * Other calculus sequences are possible depending upon a student’s background.
- Engineering and Computer Science: ESc 100; one from (CSc 103-109); one Mechanical Engineering course (MER 101, 201, or 231 are recommended)
- Electrical Engineering Core: ECE 118, 225, 240, 241, 248, 343, 350, 351, 363, 366
- Electrical Engineering Electives: 3 additional ECE courses numbered 300 or higher. Students may also enroll in graduate engineering courses offered through Union Graduate College. Please see the Union Graduate College catalog for course descriptions.
- Capstone Design: ECE 497 (1/2), 498 (1/2), 499
- Core Components Curriculum: 7 to 10 courses depending upon the options chosen
- Free Electives: up to 7 free electives, depending upon how the Core Components Curriculum is satisfied. Courses should be chosen in consultation with the student’s advisor to enhance one or more of the program objectives.
Requirements for the Minor:
ECE 118, 225, 240, 248; Electives: one from (ECE 241, 318, 341, 363, 366), and one from (ECE 333, 348, 350, 352, 360).
Sample schedule starting with Math 110 (Students with different math backgrounds will have slightly different math sequences).
First Year
Fall: Elective*, ESc 100, MTH 110
Winter: Elective*, MTH 112, PHY 120, CSc 103-109**
Spring: Elective*, MTH 115, PHY 121
Second Year
Fall: Elective*, ECE 118, ECE 225
Winter: ECE 240, Math 130, MER 101/201/231
Spring: Elective, ECE 241, ECE 248, Math 117
Third Year
Fall: Term abroad option*** or Electives*
Winter: Elective*, ECE 343, ECE 366, Science elective.
Spring: Elective*, ECE 350, ECE 497(1/2), Math/Science elective
Fourth Year
Fall: ECE 351, ECE 363, ECE elective 1, ECE 498(1/2)
Winter: ECE elective 2, ECE 499, Elective*, Elective*
Spring: ECE elective 3, Elective*, Elective*
* Electives should be chosen to satisfy the Core Components Curriculum. Students should determine as early as possible how they will satisfy these requirements and should work with their academic advisor to develop an appropriate plan of study.
** One course from CSc 103-109 should be taken during the first year.
*** The fall term of the third year is the recommended term for going on a full term abroad. Students who do not go on a fall term abroad may take ECE351 and ECE363 or electives.
Courses
118. Introduction to Computer and Logic Design (fall). Cross listed with CSc 118. Fundamental material in the area of digital circuit analysis and synthesis, computer organization, and microprocessor programming. The components of digital computers are studied at the gate level, the machine organization level, and the assembly language programming level. Weekly team-based laboratory exercises and a course portfolio are required.
222. Introduction to Circuits and Electronics (winter, spring). Electrical quantities, circuit principles, analysis and response of basic circuits, semiconductor physics, diodes, transistors, and operational amplifiers. Includes a weekly lab. Not open to Electrical or Computer Engineering majors, or to students who have taken ECE225. Prerequisites: PHY 121 or IMP 113.
225. Electric Circuits (fall). Basic electrical circuit concepts and devices such as Ohm’s law, Kirchhoff’s laws, Thevenin and Norton equivalents, operational amplifiers, analysis methods, capacitors, inductors, ideal transformers, phasors, AC steady state analysis, complex power, frequency response and filters. Includes a weekly lab. Prerequisite: MTH 102 or MTH 112 or MTH 113 or IMP 112.
240. Circuits and Systems (winter). Transient analysis of RLC circuits; modeling of circuits using differential equations; system models and properties; Laplace transforms applied to circuit and system design and analysis; system functions; complex frequency; poles and zeros; stability; frequency response; filter design. Includes a weekly lab. Prerequisite: ECE 225; Corequisite or Prerequisite MTH 130.
241. Discrete Systems (spring). Discrete signals and systems; classification and properties of systems; difference equations; Z-transform; Fourier series, Fourier transforms, the DFT and FFT; filters and filter design; A/D and D/A converters; applications to audio signal processing. Includes a weekly lab. Prerequisite: ECE 240.
248. Introduction to Semiconductor Devices and Circuits (spring). Semiconductors: theory of operation of diodes and transistors; circuit models; basic electronic circuits and amplifiers: transfer characteristics and inverters. Includes a weekly lab. Prerequisite: ECE 225.
295H, 296H. Electrical and Computer Engineering Honors Independent Study 1 &2 (fall, winter, spring). Sophomore project in Electrical and Computer Engineering for students participating in a scholars program. Prerequisite: permission of the instructor.
310. Electronic Devices (not offered 2008-09). Terminal characteristics and theory of electronic devices; band theory, photo and electronic effects, PN junctions; bipolar and field effect transistors, discrete and integrated electronics. Prerequisite: ECE 248.
312. Application of Integrated Circuits (not offered 2008-09). Electronic processing of signals; properties of linear and hybrid integrated circuits; design of linear, nonlinear and hybrid electronic systems, active filter networks. Design projects required. Prerequisite: ECE 363, 366, or permission of the instructor.
318. Digital Design (not offered 2008-09). Cross listed with CSc 318. The design of digital hardware systems at the module level using modern approaches. Datapath and control unit design, hardware description languages, programmable device implementations. Laboratory exercises using electronic design automation tools and a design project are required. Prerequisite: ECE 118.
329. Neural Networks (winter). Cross listed with CSc 329. Topics include the biological basic of artificial neural networks, neuron models and architectures, backpropagation, associative and competitive learning. Weekly computer laboratories and a final project required. Prerequisite: Linear Algebra and Differential Equations, CSc 150 for CS students.
330. Fuzzy Logic (not offered 2008-09). Cross listed with CSc 330. Topics include fuzzy sets and relations, membership functions, defuzzification, classical logic and fuzzy logic, fuzzy rule-based systems, nonlinear simulation, decision making, pattern recognition and control systems. Prerequisite: Calculus and Linear Algebra, CSc 150 for CS students.
333. Wireless Communication Circuits (not offered 2008-09). Communication circuits, including coupling networks, electrical noise, high-frequency amplifiers, mixers, phase locked loops, high efficiency and broadband amplifiers, modulators and demodulators, pulse modulation techniques. Includes a weekly lab. Design projects required. Prerequisite: ECE 350, 363 or permission of the instructor.
336. Computer Network Protocols (fall) Cross listed with CSc 336. Design, analysis, and operation of communication protocols for computer networks; TCP/IP, addressing, switching, routing, congestion control, application protocols. Prerequisite: one of CSc 103-109, or equivalent programming ability.
337. Data Communications and Networks (not offered 2008-09). Cross listed with CSc 337. An introduction to the physical and data link layers of data communication networks, including error detection, and local area networks. Perquisites: ECE 118 or one of CSc 103-109.
341. Energy Conversion (not offered 2008-09). Theory of electromechanical energy conversion; characteristics of transformers and DC induction; and synchronous machines. Prerequisite: ECE 225.
342. Power Electronics (not offered 2008-09). Rectifying devices and rectifier circuits: device characteristics, waveforms, harmonic content filtering. Controlled rectifiers (thyristors, triacs): device characteristics, single phase and multiphase systems. Snubber circuits and divide limitations. DC-DC converters: design, application, topologies. Energy storage element selection and design: capacitors and inductors. Prerequisites: ECE 248, 350.
343. Introduction to Electromagnetic Engineering (winter). Traveling waves: transmission lines; electrostatics; magnetostatics; applications to engineering problems; solutions by analytical and numerical techniques. Prerequisites: ECE 240, (Math 117 and PHY 121) or IMP 113.
347. Image Processing (not offered 2008-09). The course covers the basic operations performed on digital images. These include digitization, image enhancement and restoration, color image processing, and image compression using the discrete cosine transform and wavelets. Prerequisite: ECE 241
348. Digital Circuits (not offered 2008-09). Special circuitry of digital systems; transistors as switches, logic gate families (RTL, DTL, TTL, ECL, MOS, CMOS, etc.), digital ICs semiconductor memories. Design projects required. Prerequisite: ECE 118, 248, or permission of the instructor.
350. Communication Systems (spring). Frequency domain analysis, signal space representations, and their application to wireless communications; quality measures; performance in the presence of noise. Includes a weekly laboratory. Prerequisite: ECE 241
351. Probability and Digital Communications (fall). An introduction to probability with an emphasis on applications in digital communications. Digital signaling, coding, probability of error, matched filters, optimum receiver design, source entropy, channel capacity. Prerequisite: ECE 118, ECE 240.
352. Embedded Microcontroller Systems (not offered 2008-09). Cross listed with CSc 352. Hardware and architecture with emphasis on 8051 microcontroller; programming in assembly and higher-level languages, microcontroller applications, and interfacing. Includes an integrated lab. Design projects required. Prerequisites: Knowledge of computer programming and ECE 118.
354. VLSI System Design (not offered 2008-09). Cross listed with CSc 354. Design of very large scale integrated systems including structured design, stick diagrams, and delay time estimation. Design from logic to physical levels; CAD tools for layout and simulation. Design projects required. Prerequisites: ECE 118 and 248.
358. Waves in Communication (spring). This course will cover the basic concepts needed to develop electromagnetic devices in wireless communication. These include transmission line theory and circuits, wave propagation and transmission, elements of guided waves and resonators, and basic antenna concepts. Prerequisite: ECE 343 or equivalent.
360. Power System Analysis I (not offered 2008-09). Power and energy in AC circuits; single phase, three-phase, and polyphase circuits in balanced and unbalanced regimes; measurement of three-phase power; determination of three-phase sequence; single-line diagrams; per-unit method of representation and computations; transformers and synchronous machines in power systems; parameters of transmission lines. Prerequisite: ECE 225.
361. Power System Analysis II (not offered 2008-09). Wave-propagation in transmission lines; analysis of power networks, load-flow solutions, and control; three-phase faults and symmetrical components; power system protection; stability of power systems. Prerequisites: ECE 225 or ECE 360.
363. Analysis and Design of Electronic Circuits (fall). Multiple-stage amplifiers; Differential amplifiers; Frequency response of amplifiers; Feedback amplifier; Stability of electronic circuits; Analysis and design of operational amplifiers. Includes a weekly lab. Prerequisite: ECE 248.
366. Control Systems (winter). Modeling of control systems by block diagrams and flow graphs. Analysis of control systems response, error and stability by Routh’s criterion, Root-Locus method, and frequency domain methods (Nyquist, Bode, and Nichols). Laboratory and design project. Prerequisite: ECE 240.
368. Introduction to Antenna Theory (not offered 2008-09). This course will cover the basic concepts in antenna engineering. These include radiation and radiating systems, fundamental parameters of antennas, wire antennas, antenna arrays, aperture antennas, microstrip antennas, antenna synthesis, integral equation and the method of moments. Prerequisite: ECE 343 or equivalent.
370. Engineering Acoustics (fall). Course topics will include principles of acoustics, electromagnetics, circuit theory and signal processing applied to the analysis of musical instruments, experimental characterization techniques, digital instruments, MIDI. The symbiosis between music and the hard sciences will be surveyed. Attendance at some out-of-class events is required. Please contact the instructor in advance for a list of dates. Prerequisite: ECE 241; Corequisite or Prerequisite ECE 343.
463. Fundamentals of Wireless Electronics (fall). RF components, transmission line theory, Smith chart, 2-port models, matching networks, RF transistor circuit design. Prerequisite: ECE 248.
481, 482, 483. Special Topics in Electrical and Computer Engineering (fall, winter, spring). Topics chosen from the current literature according to faculty and student interest. Each of these special topics courses has variable content addressing specific current areas of interest to students. They will be offered whenever the need arises.
490-496. Independent Study (fall, winter, spring)
497, 498, 499. Electrical and Computer Engineering Capstone Design Project (spring 1/2, fall 1/2, winter). Two course equivalent. Students begin this sequence of courses in the spring of their third year. The spring term includes a seminar component. In the fall and winter terms, students complete the design, implementation, and evaluation of a system under the supervision of one or more faculty members. Topics in the seminar include professional and ethical responsibilities; the historical and societal context of electrical and computer engineering; contemporary issues, and the specification, analysis, design, implementation, and testing phases of a design project. Research papers, project reports, and oral presentations are required.