University of Virginia Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering SEAS Joanne Dugan, Professor and Director of Computer Engineering Lloyd Harriott,

University of Virginia Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

SEAS

Joanne Dugan, Professor and Director of Computer Engineering

Lloyd Harriott, Professor and Associate Chair Undergraduate Programs


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Outline• Overview of Department and programs (LRH)• Overview of curricula (JBD) • New approaches to teaching & learning

ECE Fundamentals 1 (LRH) Digital Logic Design (JBD) Electromagnetic Fields (LRH) Capstones (JBD)

• Summary and Conclusions (LRH)


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30 ECE faculty (+ 9 affiliated faculty)

~120 graduate students

~75 undergraduate and ~30 graduate degrees/yr

~$10M/yr external research support

2 NAE members, 12 fellows of IEEE, APS, OSA, IOP

Concentration Areas:

Applied Electrophysics

Microelectronics

Communications

Control Systems

Computer Engineering

…

Interdisciplinary Research


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Academic Degree Programs• ABET- accredited undergraduate programs in:

– Electrical Engineering– Computer Engineering (joint with CS)

• Graduate programs in EE and CpE:– Masters of Engineering

» Thirty hours of coursework– Masters of Science

» Thesis (with a oral defense)– Doctor of Philosophy

» 12 course credit hours (above a Masters)» Qualifying exam» Dissertation (with an defense)» Minimum of one journal paper submission


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Relationship between requirements for Computer Science, Electrical Engineering and Computer

Engineering

2 APMA electives

5 CS electives

2 additional HSS electives

Electromagnetic Fields7 ECE electives

2 ECE lab electivesMath elective

2 Tech Electives

Discrete MathProgram & Data Representation

Adv SW DevelopmentOperating Systems

SEAS Core RequirementsSoftware Development Methods

Digital Logic DesignProbability

5 Unrestricted Electives

Intro Circuit AnalysisElectronics I

Signals & Systems IEmbedded Systems

Computer NetworksComputer Architecture & Design

Embedded System Design4 CS/EE electives

Computer Science Curriculum

Electrical Engineering Curriculum

Computer Engineering Curriculum

Theory of ComputationAnalysis of AlgorithmsComputer Architecture

CS SeminarCapstone


SEAS New Undergraduate Curriculum for EE and CpE

• Outcomes driven – what should a student know at time of graduation

• Inputs:– Surveys of graduates– Professional Engineers Exam– Industry input– Feedback from current students

• Key Findings:– Increase emphasis on hands-on learning– Improve integration across courses and curriculum


SEAS Implementation of new undergraduate curriculum

• Combine first three basic ECE courses into ECE Fundamentals I, II, and III (formerly Circuits, Electronics, and Signals and Systems)

• Eliminate overlap between Physics II course and ECE - Electromagnetic Fields course

• Most required courses to be taught in studio format– Four credit hours– Combined lecture and lab sessions– Total contact time equivalent to traditional lecture + lab class (5 hr)

• Classes in Studio Format:– ECE Fun I, II, III– Electromagnetic Fields– Embedded Computer Systems


SEAS New Curriculum Implementation: Timing

• Graduating Classes 2015 and 2016– No change – follow previous curriculum/requirements

• Graduating Class 2017 and beyond– Follow new curriculum/requirements– ECE Fun I offered for the first time in Fall 2014


SEAS New Curriculum Implementation:Assessment

• Concept Inventories: – Published description of key concepts for basic ECE courses– Available for Circuits (ECE Fun I), Electronics (Fun II), Signals and

Systems (Fun III), and Electromagnetic Fields– Assessment in form of multiple choice quiz

• Control Groups:– 3rd year EE/CpE majors currently taking Signals and Systems and

Electromagentic Fields– 4th year EE/CpE students in Capstone Courses – long term

retention


SEASSample Concept Inventory Question:Circuits (Fun I)


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Curriculum overview

Prof. Joanne Bechta Dugan


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Common First Year• All SEAS students follow a common curriculum for

the first year.• Students declare their major at the end of their first

year.

• Intro to Engineering• Intro to Programming (Java)• Calculus 2 & 3• Physics & Chemistry & Science elective• Science, Technology, Contemporary Issues• Humanities/Social Science elective


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Second Year (first year in major)• Foundational courses in major• Ordinary Differential Equations• STS elective• HSS elective


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2nd yea

r

EE majors take• Math elective• Technical Elective

CpE majors take• Discrete Math• Program & Data Representation

Both EE and CpE majors take:ECE Fundamentals 1ECE Fundamentals 2

Software Development MethodsDigital Logic Design

HSS electiveSTS elective

Unrestricted Elective


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Accreditation• Both EE and CpE programs are accredited by the Engineering

Accreditation Commission of ABET, Inc.• Criteria for accrediting engineering programs specify that

curriculum must include:– One year of college-level mathematics and basic sciences – 1.5 years of engineering topics

» The engineering sciences have their roots in mathematics and basic sciences but carry knowledge further toward creative application. These studies provide a bridge between mathematics and basic sciences on the one hand and engineering practice on the other.

» Engineering design is the process of devising a system, component, or process to meet desired needs. It is a decision-making process (often iterative), in which the basic sciences, mathematics, and the engineering sciences are applied to convert resources optimally to meet these stated needs.

– General education component consistent with institution goals– Major Design Experience (often called capstone)


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ECE Fundamentals

Prof. Lloyd Harriott


SEAS ECE 2630 - ECE Fundamentals I(formerly Circuits)

• 4 Credit hours• Taught in Studio Format• First offering in Fall 2014• Catalog Description:

– Electrical circuits with linear applications of passive and active elements; Kirchhoff's voltage and current laws to derive circuit equations; solutions for first- and second-order transient and DC steady-state responses; AC steady-state analysis; frequency and time domain signal representations; Fourier series; phasor methods; complex impedance; transfer functions; Thevenin/Norton equivalent models; controlled sources. Prerequisite: APMA 1110 (Calculus II).


SEAS ECE Fun I Topics• The Lumped Circuit abstraction• Signal Representation – Analog and Digital• Fourier composition of periodic signals• Basic Circuit Analysis – KVL, KCL, dividers• Network Theorems: node voltage• Superposition• Thevenin’s and Norton’s Theorems• Nonlinear elements and circuits• Boolean Logic and combinatorial gates• The MOSFET and switch model• MOSFET amplifier• Energy Storage elements: capacitors and inductors• Analysis of RL and RC circuits• Sinusoidal Steady State analysis• Frequency Response: Bode Plots• Time Domain vs. Frequency Domain• Power and Energy in an impedance


SEAS ECE Fun I Topics• The Lumped Circuit abstraction• Signal Representation – Analog and Digital• Fourier composition of periodic signals• Basic Circuit Analysis – KVL, KCL, dividers• Network Theorems: node voltage• Superposition• Thevenin’s and Norton’s Theorems• Nonlinear elements and circuits• Boolean Logic and combinatorial gates• The MOSFET and switch model• MOSFET amplifier• Energy Storage elements: capacitors and inductors• Analysis of RL and RC circuits• Sinusoidal Steady State analysis• Frequency Response: Bode Plots• Time Domain vs. Frequency Domain• Power and Energy in an impedance


SEAS ECE Fun I Textbook


SEAS ECE Fun I Logistics

• Instructor lectures on a topic briefly– Daily on-line quizzes based on material presented

• Students work through related experiment– Each student purchases basic parts kit– Students work in groups of 3– Each student has a laptop computer– Students use National Instruments Virtual Bench– Instructor and undergraduate Teaching Assistants circulate– Periodic lab reports required– Exams include experimental component


SEAS ECE Fun I Equipment

VirtualBench

PartsKit


SEAS ECE Fun I


SEAS Example: Fun I - Week 3• Topics

– Basic circuit analysis using KVL & KCL– Intuitive analysis: circuit simplification– Energy conservation– Voltage and current dividers– Analysis of more complex resistive circuits (multiple loops, single source)– Series and parallel simplification, when are resistors in series and when in

parallel– A simple example of a resistive circuit with two independent sources

• Labs– Multimeter DC measurement of current in a loop with a resistor and an

independent voltage source.– Plotting relationship between voltage and current through various resistors– Measurements to confirm energy conservation– Taking measurements in voltage and current dividers– Measurements of series and parallel resistive circuits and their

simplifications– Measurement of results in a circuit with two independent sources


SEAS Sample Lab from Week 3Voltage and Current Dividers


SEAS Sample Test Question


SEAS Lab Questions on Fun I Exam 1

Each student had access to a virtual bench, circuit prototype board in a standard configuration. Students have five minutes to complete the measurements.


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50 Students

26 achieved 90% or higher

39 got at least one lab question

Results for Section 1


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Digital Logic Design



SEASThe Digital World

What kind of a world could we create if we restricted all questions to those with a yes/no answer? If every color was pure black or white, no shades of grey? If every aspect of our lives could be enumerated on a checksheet, each box checked or blank?If every decision was a clear-cut choice between two opposite alternatives? You might expect a boring world indeed, but in this course you’ll see how interesting such a digital world can be, since it includes such devices as computers, smartphones, pet tracking systems, fitbits and much more.


SEAS Digital Logic DesignDigital Logic Design is the process of designing complex digital systems using simple two-way switches, providing a physical device to answer yes or no. In this course we begin with binary (yes/no) phenomena and build successively more complex components and systems, ending with a simple processor. You will discover how simple gates are built from switches, how components are built from gates, how systems are built from components. At first we will assume that there is no concept of time and that everything we need to know is immediately available. This will allow us to design an interesting collection of useful devices. Then we will add the concept of time, from which the concept of memory will emerge, which will greatly expand the devices that we can design and use to create more complex systems. Our goal is to assemble a simple processor from the constituent components and to understand how software computations are performed on hardware.


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Learning OutcomesUpon successful completion of this course, you will be able to translate a real-world problem into precise specifications for a digital system, design a system to meet those specifications and demonstrate that your solution solves the problem.

Further, you will be able to take a digital system that has already been designed and implemented and deconstruct and analyze it to determine what it does, how it works, and how you can use it in your system.


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GoalsIn this course you will:• experience how electrical and computer scientists and

engineers build digital systems• improve your problem-solving skills , including design and

debugging skills• design in multiple levels of abstraction, that is, be able to

move from detailed component-level design to system design (where components are treated as building blocks) and vice-versa

• appreciate the need for precision in technical communications, particularly with respect to interface design


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Course information

• Intro course, no prerequisites• Required for EE, CpE, BSCS and BACS students• 150 students per semester (offered every semester)• 3 class meetings per week• 5 lab assignments


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First Day of classStudents are asked to prepare for the first class by• Downloading Logisim software from

http://www.cburch.com/logisim/

• Becoming familiar with 3 types of puzzles:– Word Squares– Sudoku– KenKen

(Handout contains sample puzzles and in class activity for day 1)

http://www.cburch.com/logisim/


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In-class activities

Guided Explorations

Karaoke Design

LogisimFSM


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Guided Explorations• Students are given a Logisim file containing several

“mystery circuits” and a “guided exploration”• They work with their neighbor to answer questions about

the mystery circuit. The questions are intended to guide them through the process of discovering the function of the circuit.

• Often there are larger circuits to demonstrate how the mystery circuit is used.

• Usually there is an assignment to use the newly discovered knowledge in a design or to extend the mystery circuit in some non-trivial way.


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Karaoke Design• Students are led through the design process for a

complex circuit.• Circuit contains some components arranged suggestively

and the students fill in the connections to form a complete system that meets stated requirements.

• Example 1: multifunction counter• Example 2: timer system


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RTL DesignWe extended the Logisim software package to facilitate exploration and design of RTL (Register Transfer Level) designs.RTL designs contain both a controller (FSM) and datapath. The outputs from one are the inputs to the other and vice versa. These systems can be quite complex and it is hard to understand the interrelationships between the two parts.

LogisimFSM allows the controller to be expressed as a FSM rather than requiring full implementation into a circuit.Example 1: queueExample 2: full processor


SEASSuccess?

• Students appear to be more engaged and frequently tell me they are having fun.

• We are able to cover MORE material since incorporating the active learning techniques.

• The final exam for this class follows a standard format with similar questions year to year.

• Student performance on the tests and final exam was statistically identical to past semesters with one notable difference. More in-depth problems were given on those two troublesome topics.

• Students performed comparably on a more difficult exam.

• Instructor won three different teaching awards last year.


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Electromagnetic Fields



SEAS ECE 3209 Electromagnetic Fields• 3 Credit hours currently – lecture with

demonstrations

• 4 Credit hour studio format in Fall 2015

• Required for all EE majors, elective for CpE

• Catalog Description:– Analyzes the basic laws of electromagnetic theory, beginning with

static electric and magnetic fields, and concluding with dynamic E&M fields; plane wave propagation in various media; Maxwell's Laws in differential and integral form; electrical properties of matter; transmission lines, waveguides, and elementary antennas. Prerequisite: PHYS 2415, APMA 2130, and ECE 2630.


SEAS Electromagnetic Fields Topics

Introduction/Course Overview

Transmission Lines

Vector Calculus

Electrostatics

Magnetostatics

Maxwell’s Equations

Plane Waves

Reflection and Transmission

Antennas and Radiation


SEAS Textbook

Fundamentals of Applied Electromagnetics, Sixth edition, by Fawwaz T. Ulaby, T. Ulaby, Eric Michielssen and Umberto Ravaioli, Prentice Hall, 2010


SEAS Class Logistics• Lectures include regular demonstrations to introduce

or reinforce concepts– Example: coaxial cable transmission line

• Class Collab site used extensively

• PDF transcription of lecture material is posted to class website after each class

• Homework solutions posted as PDF documents and also as video of instructor working out solutions and explaining how the problems are solved

• Exams include questions about demonstrations

https://collab.itc.virginia.edu/portal/site/780b9c4b-ff44-4332-a0e7-d574962ed7c8


SEAS Introduction to Transmission Lines• Introduce simple circuit and ask: “What happens if the wires are

really long?” (long compared to what?)

• Demonstrate signal delay using Virtual Bench, signal generator and oscilloscope and 30 m long coaxial cable

• Discuss voltage/current wave on cable• Measure propagation speed using oscilloscope• Discuss need for new circuit model to include transmission line

effects• Introduce Lumped Element Model of T-line• Demonstrate printed circuit board based on lumped model


SEAS Lumped Element Model of Transmission Lines


SEAS Electromagnetic FieldsExample Concept Inventory Question


SEAS Electromagnetic Fields Sample Test Question


SEAS Electromagnetic FieldsTest #1 Grade Distribution


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Capstone (major design experience)



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Capstone Design• Accreditation criteria state

Students must be prepared for engineering practice through a curriculum culminating in a major design experience based on the knowledge and skills acquired in earlier course work and incorporating appropriate engineering standards and multiple realistic constraints.

• Capstone class: 4th year, fall semester– Students work in teams– Projects are proposed by students (their own ideas)


SEAS

Old modelEE capstone class:

– One semester (fall)– 3 credits– Major emphasis of class was on project development

CpE capstone class:– One semester (was spring, then fall)– 4.5 credits– Design and implementation of a processor using FPGA


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CpE capstone changes

ECE 4440 Embedded System Design

4.5 credits

ECE 4501 Section 5Embedded System Design

3 credits

ECE 4501 Section 6Lab: FPGA Design

1.5 credits

Split apart


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3 new options (open to CpE and EE)


1.5 credits

Three new options ECE 4501 Section 7Lab: Body Sensor Networks

1.5 credits

ECE 4501 Section 8Lab: Real Time Systems

1.5 credits

ECE 4501 Section 9Lab: Design your own

Embedded Experiment1.5 credits


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EE and CpE capstone classes

ECE 4991 MDE capstone class is unchanged at 3 credits

There will be some coordination between these

2 classes

ECE 4501 Section 5Embedded System Design

3 credits


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Computer Engineering students must take capstone class and one lab class

ECE 4501 Section 5 Embedded System Design

3 credits {ECE 4501 Section 6Lab: FPGA Design

1.5 credits

ECE 4501 Section 7Lab: Body Sensor Networks

1.5 credits


1.5 credits



}required


SEAS

optionalEither one of these }

Electrical Engineering students take a capstone class and maybe take a lab as an elective if they want

ECE 4501 Section 5 Embedded System Design

3 credits

ECE 4991 MDE capstone class is unchanged at 3 credits

{ {ECE 4501 Section 6Lab: FPGA Design

1.5 credits


1.5 credits


1.5 credits



}


SEAS Acceptable platforms for CpE capstone


SEAS Acceptable platforms for EE capstone


SEAS New lab courses relate to platforms


1.5 credits


1.5 credits




1.5 credits

{


SEAS Platforms & languages

The C Programming Language

LabVIEW

VHDL , C, schematic capture


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What differentiates an EE capstone from a CpE capstone?


SEAS Specific characteristics of an EE major design experience

• Builds on knowledge contained in EE curriculum• Design may be analog or digital or a combination;

may be an embedded computing design• Produces a tangible physical object (not simulation

or only software)• Must include circuit design (including PCB design &

fabrication)• One semester (fall)


SEAS Specific characteristics of a CpE major design experience

• Builds on knowledge contained in CPE curriculum• Design should be an embedded computing system

that address issues at the hardware/software interface, or the cyber/physical interface with aspects that address both sides

• Must include an interface that senses or actuates some physical phenomenon (not by a touch screen, mouse click, keyboard or direct messaging) and of course some computation

• One semester (fall)


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Some Concluding Thoughts



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Using Undergraduate TA’sWe’ve discovered several advantages to using undergraduate TA’s in the lab

– Undergraduate TA’s have been through the same course and can relate to the current students better

– Undergraduate TA’s are not conflicted between research and teaching as graduate TA’s can be

– Peers can demand more of peers with less resentment (they are all in this together)

– Undergraduate TA’s apply for the position and thus it can be seen as an honor to be asked to help

– Undergraduate TA’s learn and retain the material better because of seeing it again as TA’s

– Undergraduate TA’s become vested in the course and make suggestions for improvement from the student perspective


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Undergraduate Teaching Assistants


SEAS Current 4th year students’ plans


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EE majors


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CpE majors


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Alumni survey results (3-5 years out)


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?

Documents

University of Virginia Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering SEAS Joanne Dugan, Professor and Director of Computer Engineering Lloyd Harriott,