EE125  - Electrical Engineering Hardware Design I 

Catalog copy
EE125. First of two-course sequence in engineering design. Alone or in
 small teams, students concentrate on theoretical research,
 specification, planning, and procurement for hardward design of
 engineering hardware projects chosen according to student's elective
 track background. Technical discussions and on-going design reviews;
 engineering design cycle. Class presentation and peer design review of
 each project required at end of quarter.  Students are billed a
 materials fee. 
Prerequisite(s): course 171.  Enrollment limited to 30.  Enrollment
 restricted to juniors, seniors, and graduate students.

Explanation of prerequisites 
This is the first class of a capstone design course spread over two
 quarters meant to enable students to engage a worthy engineering
 design project requiring application of knowledge accumulated over
 earlier specific courses leading to an engineering or natural science
 degree. As such, it is restricted to graduate students, junior and
 senior undergraduate students. An aim of this class is to foster
 interdisciplinary teamwork requiring that students learn to work
 effectively in teams and thereby perceive the potential for
 extraordinary work such efforts are capable of.  EE171 is necessary to
 work with basic active and passive electronic circuits needed as part
 of all projects.

Required skills to pass the course.
1. Ability to apply the fundamentals of system design to a particular
   project selected for the course while working as part of a group,
   including:
   a. exercising judgement and independence in framing a viable design
      project as a set of clearly defined specifications;
   b. defining a reasonable time-line with target milestones; 
   c. ability to do independent research and assess suitable resources
      like application notes, data sheets, etc.;
   d. participate in peer-group design reviews of one's own work as
      well as others;
   e. keep technical engineering notes consistent with current
      industrial practice;
   f. delivering satisfactory interactive oral presentations before
      the class;
2. Demonstrate independence in self-motivated learning to master new
   topics necessary to successfully complete a project's design or
   devise feasability experiments.
3. Demonstrate technical competence in related hands-on experimental
   laboratory work.  This would include competence using all
   applicable laboratory test equipment for prototype concept
   evaluations, such as the oscilloscope; spectrum analyzer, RF
   network analyzer, noise- figure meter; dvm; arbitrary waveform
   generator; etc.
4. Demonstrate technical competence in mastering necessary EDA and CAD
   tools required for specific designs, including but not necessarily
   limited to:
   a. Simulation tools like Pspice, Numerical Electromagnetics Code, etc.
   b. PCB schematic capture and layout tools, like Cadence or Orcad.

Core topics (must be taught)
1. Engineering design cycle. This should include:
   a. product design for manufacturability.
   b. cost analyis.
   c. prototypes vs. final designs.
   d. solicit outside speakers from industry to present on topics
      related engineering design and manufacturing.
2. Survey the general topic of project management and teamwork in engineering.
   Coverage to basically include content of cited text.
3. Basic professional documentation skills, including:
   a. keeping a good technical engineering notebook;
   b. interim reports of project work;
   c. final summary reporting.
4. Information search tools:
   a. Library tools for science and engineering literature search, e.g.
      use of INSPEC data base
   b. Internet search tools

Comments on follow-on courses
EE126 continues the work started in EE125 and is meant to focus more
 on the experimental phase of engineering design leading to the full
 realization of a functioning prototype.

Text
Smith, Karl A., "Project Management and Teamwork", McGraw Hill 2000.
 This short book skillfully covers, from an applied perspective,
 salient topics necessary to developing an appreciation for the
 purpose, value, applicability and benefits of working in teams in
 engineering project.

Prepared by Stephen Petersen, 11/02