1391: composing a new electrical and computer engineering p

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1391 Composing a New Electrical and Computer
Engineering Program
Frontiers In Education Conference, Phoenix, AZ,
04-07 NOV, 1998 Nov 5, 1600-1730

• J. Schmalzel, S. Mandayam, R. Ramachandran, L.
  Head, R. Krchnavek, S. Chin, J. Tracey

Henry M. Rowan Hall 201 Mullica Hill
Rd. Glassboro, NJ 08028
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Overview

• Rowan University Context
• Goals
• Curriculum
• Summary

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Context
Rowan Engineering

• The Gift
• National advisory board
• Four programs (CE, ChE, ECE, ME)
• Rowan Hall
• Faculty (5/program --gt 8/program)
• Students
• Industrial partners
• Hallmarks

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Program Hallmarks
Rowan Engineering

• Hands Minds on
• Multidisciplinary
• Integrated
• Value teamwork
• Emphasize communication
• Entrepreneurial
• Discovery, Quality...

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Curriculum Features
Rowan Engineering

• Common freshman year
• Continuous clinic sequence (20-24 SCH)
• Lecture Lab
• 22 Half-semester courses
• Technology focus electives

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Goals

• Create effective engineers
• Cultivate capable communicators
• Develop agile technologists
• Instill entrepreneurial spirit
• Facilitate multidisciplinary discourse
• Sensitize to contemporary issues
• Impart essential ECE knowledge

• COLLEGE

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Create Effective Engineers

• ATTRIBUTES
• Apply theory to practice
• Analysis and Synthesis
• Progression of system complexities
• ASSESSMENT
• Design portfolio
• Course materials
• Resume
• Employer feedback

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Cultivate Capable Comm...

• Writing skills
• Oral skills
• Multimedia skills
• Informal and formal work
• Self-assessment
• Seminar presentations

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Develop Agile Technologists

• Tool users
• Tool makers
• Adaptable, Sustainable
• Course and project work, scope
• Employer feedback
• Seminar presentations

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Instill Entrepreneurial Spirit

• Entrepreneurial attitude
• (Calculated) Risk taking
• Understand the business enterprise
• Business acumen exhibited through
• project work
• Employer (Employee) feedback
• Intrapreneurial

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Facilitate Multidisciplinary...

• Work in multidisciplinary project teams
• Contribute to out-of-discipline projects
• Communicate across disciplines
• Multidisciplinary project team work
• Out-of-discipline evaluation
• Employer feedback

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Sens. to Contemporary Issues

• Professional issues
• Ethics
• Societal, political concerns
• Impact of engineering decisions
• Professional outside activities
• Interpretation and interaction
• Total project scope

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Essential ECE Knowledge

• Breadth and depth in key areas
• Math, Foundations, Systems, Computing
• System product design
• Awareness of the state-of-the-art
• Course measurements (exams, H/W,)
• Project work
• Employer feedback

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Making it Happen

• Curriculum
• Faculty
• Students
• Labs/Equipment

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Curriculum

• The same (48 SCH)
• Networks (4)
• Electronics (4)
• Digital Systems (4)
• Communication (4)
• DSP (3)
• Electromagnetics (4)
• Controls (3)
• Computer architecture (4)
• Software engineering (3)
• Electives (15)

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Curriculum, cont.

• Different (48 SCH)
• Engineering Clinics (24)
• includes Clinic Consultant (4)
• Technology focus electives (6)
• Seminar Engineering Frontiers (1)

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The Engineering Clinics
An 8-Semester Design Sequence

• Freshman Clinic I Engineering Measurements
• Freshman Clinic II Competitive Assessment
  Laboratory
• Sophomore Clinic I Structured Design
• Four, 3-week directed design projects
• Sophomore Clinic II Multidisciplinary Design
  Project
• Junior Clinics Multidisciplinary Design Project
  (semester)
• Senior Clinics Multidisciplinary Design Project
  (year)

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Clinic Objectives

• Address the hallmarks
• Provide real engineering problems and
  applications
• Topics to augment coursework
• Project-specific--i.e., supports project
• Hallmarks (e.g., Entrepreneurism)
• Skill/tool-specific (e.g., Rapid prototyping)

TOYS
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Clinic Structures

• Organized by class section (Fr, So-1)
• Instructor/mentor led
• Consultant led
• So-2 Hybrid
• Organized by project (Ju, Sr)
• Matrix organization
• Customer driven
• Resource agile

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Project Complexity
Rowan Engineering Clinic

• Fr-2 Reverse Engineering
• Design minor modification
• So-1 Introduction to structured design
• Design minor (sub)systems
• So-2 Design of a system
• Ju-1,2 Design of a SYSTEM
• Sr Design of a SYSTEM

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Sophomore Clinic I
Structured Design Projects

• Objective Introduce all engineering students to
  design techniques and design theory as practiced
  by the four disciplines.
• Approach Four, 3-week directed design projects.
• F97 Projects and Departmental Sponsor
• Design of a Noise Level Meter (Electrical and
  Computer Engineering)
• Design of a Process Plant (Chemical Engineering)
• Design of a Water Treatment Process (Civil Env
  Engineering)
• Design of a Can Crusher (Mechanical Engineering)

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EE Design

• Design of a noise-level meter
• Design techniques Analog band-pass filter, peak
  detector, comparator
• Prototyping Breadboard w/ actives/passives
• Test measurement Frequency responses
• Equipment Sound level meter, Scope, DMM, power
  supply, function generator
• Simulation S/W Pspice, C filter design
• Tech Comm Ap. Note

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ME Design

• Mechanism (crusher) design
• Design techniques Concept generation,
  configuration and functional design
• Prototyping Model fab using wood, aluminum
• Test measurement Forces, torques
• Equipment Load cells, scales, shop tools
• Simulation S/W AutoCAD (R14), Working Model
• Tech Comm Report, oral

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Can Crusher

• Objective Design, analyze, build and test a
  device to crush a can
• Engineering Principles
• Mechanism analysis
• Mechanical Advantage
• Stress and Deformation
• Relevant Supporting Curriculum
• Physics I (100 of students have it)
• Statics (75)
• Solid Mechanics (50)
• Materials Aluminum flat stock, round stock,
  nuts, bolts, pins, wood, PVC pipe

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Clinic Assessment

• Methods
• Faculty critique of students, course
• Student evaluations of faculty, course

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So. Clinic I Results (F97)

• N72 Disagree---Neutral---Agree
• Provides meaningful interdisciplinary design
  experiences? 4.2/5.0 (?0.8)
• Intro to ChE design? 3.8 (1.0)
• Intro to CEE design? 4.1 (1.0)
• Intro to ECE design? 4.2 (0.8)
• Intro to ME design? 4.5 (0.7)

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Student Comments ()

• Learning about each discipline
• Building what we designed
• Helpful to get a feel for the design process
• Application of engineering principles
• Working in groups
• Introduced us to writing technical reports
• Variety of projects
• It has improved greatly since last year

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Student Comments (-)

• Reduce the incredible workload (30)
• Slower pace
• Better introduction to simulation software
• Speedier return of student assignments
• Allow students to change groups
• Teach basics to get everyone to same level
• Engr faculty shouldnt grade grammar
• More directed toward discipline

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Sophomore Clinic II
Design Project Case Study
Aircraft Non-Destructive Testing Device

• Objective
• Design and develop a portable device using the
  Potential Drop Method for sizing cracks on an
  aircraft skin
• Student Background
• Sophomore EE/ME students (40 students) 2 faculty
• Networks, Electronics I, Statics, Dynamics, Solid
  Mechanics, Vibrations, Materials,
  Manufacturing, Digital I

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Project Activities
Wing section donated by the Hughes FAA Technical
Center, Atlantic City, NJ
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Design Challenges and Issues

• Manufacturing
• Rapid Prototyping
• COTS
• Marketing
• Competitor products/
• patent infringements

• Measurements
• Noise
• Probe Contact
• Portability
• Power
• Housing
• Ergonomics

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Project Organization
The Company Model
President and Chief Executive Officer
Chief Financial Officer
Chief Operating Officer
Vice President R D
Vice President Engineering
Vice President Manufacturing
Vice President Quality Control
Vice President Information Resources
Vice President Legal Affairs
Vice President Safety
Vice President Marketing and Sales
Manager Electrical Engineering
Manager Mechanical Engineering
Manager Industrial Design
WebMaster
Documentation (Schematics, Users Manuals)

• Power Supply
• Current Source
• Interface
• Display
• Measurement

• Probe Housing
• Packaging
• Layout
• Heat Transfer
• Shock Vibration

• Ergonomics
• Shape, Color
• Display
• Interface

Rapid Prototyping (Mechanical)
Rapid Prototyping (Electrical)
Computer Resources Manager
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Electronics subsystems
Specimen
Instrumentation Amplifier
Constant Current Source
Signal Processing
Display
Control
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Research Development
Design feasibility study using prototype
measurement circuit.
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Rapid Product Development
Circuit Design (PSICE) and Rapid Prototyping
(Quick-Circuit)
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Rapid Product Development
3D Solid Modeling (AutoCAD) and Stereolithography
(SLA-250)
NSF DUE-97-51651
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Junior Clinic

• F98 ECE Projects
• Nanoimprint lithography imprinter
• IC interconnect impedance measurement
• 3-D NDE inspection station
• Data acquisition interface board
• Electrostatic loudspeaker design
• Entrepreneurial development fund

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Clinic Summary Future

• Offers progressive design experience
• Sophomore clinic is first significant design
  experience
• Appropriate environment for hallmarks other
• Emphasizes multidisciplinary teamwork
• Commitment to customer
• Reinforces value-added engineering
• Provides a running start in a competitive, global
  marketplace

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Summary

• New program w/ first graduates in 2000
• Plenty of conventional things, but some new
  things (Engineering Clinic)
• Definite multidisciplinary orientation