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The university departments offering these courses are sometimes called 'departments of electrical and electronic engineering' although recently in Europe, the tendency has been for electronic engineering (representing the lighter current, telecomms and computer aspects) to have been made independent of electrical engineering and to have their own departments. Electrical and electronics engineering '''The_combined_subject_'''Electrical_and_electronics_engineering'''_necessitates_the_study_of_both_electrical_engineering_and_electronics_engineering_but_usually_without_a_great_amount_of_specialization._The_course_focus,_however,_does_change_in_the_final_year_to_concentrate__on_chosen_specialisms'''." class="copylinks">'''The Combined Subject '''Electrical And Electronics Engineering''' Necessitates The Study Of Both Electrical Engineering And Electronics Engineering But Usually Without A Great Amount Of Specialization. The Course Focus, However, Does Change In The Final Year To Concentrate On Chosen Specialisms'''. Typical electrical/electronics engineering undergraduate syllabus Electromagnetics Elements of vector calculus: divergence and curl; Gauss' and Stokes' theorems, Maxwell's equations: differential and integral forms. Wave equation, Poynting vector. Plane waves: propagation through various media; reflection and refraction; phase and group velocity; skin depth. Transmission lines: characteristic impedance; impedance transformation; Smith chart; impedance matching; pulse excitation. Waveguides: modes in rectangular waveguides; boundary conditions; cut-off frequencies; dispersion relations. Antennas: Dipole antennas; antenna arrays; radiation pattern; reciprocity theorem, antenna gain. Network theory Network graphs: matrices associated with graphs; incidence, fundamental cut set and fundamental circuit matrices. Solution methods: nodal and mesh analysis. Network theorems: superposition, Thevenin and Norton's maximum power transfer, Wye-Delta transformation. Steady state sinusoidal analysis using phasors. Linear constant coefficient differential equations; time domain analysis of simple RLC circuits, Solution of network equations using Laplace transform: frequency domain analysis of RLC circuits. 2-port network parameters: driving point and transfer functions. State equations for networks. Electronic devices and circuits Electronic Devices: Energy bands in silicon, intrinsic and extrinsic silicon. Carrier transport in silicon: diffusion current, drift current, mobility, resistivity. Generation and recombination of carriers. p-n junction diode, Zener diode, tunnel diode, BJT, JFET, MOS capacitor, MOSFET, LED, p-I-n and avalanche photo diode, LASERs. Device technology: integrated circuits fabrication process, oxidation, diffusion, ion implantation, photolithography, n-tub, p-tub and twin-tub CMOS process. Analog Circuits: Equivalent circuits (large and small-signal) of diodes, BJTs, JFETs, and MOSFETs. Simple diode circuits, clipping, clamping, rectifier. Biasing and bias stability of transistor and FET amplifiers. Amplifiers: single-and multi-stage, differential, operational, feedback and power. Analysis of amplifiers; frequency response of amplifiers. Simple op-amp circuits. Filters. Sinusoidal oscillators; criterion for oscillation; single-transistor and op-amp configurations. Function generators and wave-shaping circuits. Power supplies. Digital circuits: Boolean algebra, minimization of Boolean functions; logic gates digital IC families (DTL, TTL, ECL, MOS, CMOS). Combinational circuits: arithmetic circuits, code converters, multiplexers and decoders. Sequential circuits: latches and flip-flops, counters and shift-registers. Sample and hold circuits, ADCs, DACs. Semiconductor memories. Microprocessor(8085): architecture, programming, memory and I/O interfacing. Signals and Systems Definitions and properties of Laplace transform, continuous-time and discrete-time Fourier series, continuous-time and discrete-time Fourier Transform, z-transform. Sampling theorems. Linear Time-Invariant (LTI) Systems: definitions and properties; causality, stability, impulse response, convolution, poles and zeros frequency response, group delay, phase delay. Signal transmission through LTI systems. Random signals and noise: probability, random variables, probability density function, autocorrelation, power spectral density. Control systems Basic control system components; block diagrammatic description, reduction of block diagrams. Open loop and closed loop (feedback) systems and stability analysis of these systems. Signal flow graphs and their use in determining transfer functions of systems; transient and steady state analysis of LTI control systems and frequency response. Tools and techniques for LTI control system analysis: root loci, Routh-Hurwitz criterion, Bode and Nyquist plots. Control system compensators: elements of lead and lag compensation, elements of Proportional-Integral-Derivative (PID) control. State variable representation and solution of state equation of LTI control systems. Communications Analog communication systems: amplitude and angle modulation and demodulation systems, spectral analysis of these operations, superheterodyne receivers; elements of hardware, realizations of analog communication systems; signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) calculations for amplitude modulation (AM) and frequency modulation (FM) for low noise conditions. Digital communication systems: pulse code modulation (PCM), differential pulse code modulation (DPCM), delta modulation (DM); digital modulation schemes-amplitude, phase and frequency shift keying schemes (ASK, PSK, FSK), matched filter receivers, bandwidth consideration and probability of error calculations for these schemes. Some graduates also choose to pursue a postgraduate degree such as a Master Of Engineering , a Doctor Of Philosophy in Engineering or an Engineer's Degree . The Master and Engineer's degree may consist of either Research , Coursework or a mixture of the two. The Doctor Of Philosophy consists of a significant research component and is often viewed as the entry point to Academia . In the United Kingdom and various other European countries, the Master Of Engineering is often considered an undergraduate degree of slightly longer duration than the Bachelor Of Engineering . Depending upon their specialisation, graduates are referred to either as Electronics Engineers or electrical engineers in Europe. In the Americas and some other parts of the world, the term Electrical Engineer is used to describe graduates no matter what their specialisation. In Europe Electronics Engineering is considered as a field in its own right and not as a sub field of electrical engineering, whereas in other parts of the world, everything comes under the broad term of Electrical Engineering . Electronics engineering is also a broad field that encompasses many sub fields including those that deal with electronics and telecommunications. TOOLS AND WORK From the global positioning system to electric power generation, electrical or electronics engineers are responsible for a wide range of technologies. They design, develop, test and supervise the deployment of electrical systems and electronic devices. For example, they may work on the design of telecommunication systems, the operation of electric power stations, the lighting and wiring of buildings, the design of household appliances or the electrical control of industrial machinery. {Link without Title} Radar is one of many projects an electrical/electronics engineer might work on. Fundamental to the discipline are the sciences of physics and mathematics as these help to obtain both a qualitative and quantitative description of how such systems will work. Today most engineering work involves the use of computers and it is commonplace to use computer-aided design programs when designing electrical systems. Nevertheless, the ability to sketch ideas is still invaluable for quickly communicating with others. Although most electrical engineers will understand basic circuit theory, the theories employed by engineers generally depend upon the work they do. For example, quantum mechanics and solid state physics might be relevant to an engineer working on VLSI but are largely irrelevant to engineers working with macroscopic electrical systems. Even circuit theory may not be relevant to a person designing telecommunication systems that use off-the-shelf components. Perhaps the most important technical skills for electrical engineers are reflected in university programs, which emphasize strong numerical skills, computer literacy and the ability to understand the technical language and concepts that relate to electrical engineering. For most engineers technical work accounts for only a fraction of the work they do. A lot of time is also spent on tasks such as discussing proposals with clients, preparing budgets and determining project schedules. {Link without Title} Many senior engineers manage a team of technicians or other engineers and for this reason project management skills are important. Most engineering projects involve some form of documentation and strong written communication skills are therefore very important. The workplaces of electrical engineers are just as varied as the types of work they do. Electrical engineers may be found in the pristine lab environment of a fabrication plant, the offices of a consulting firm or on site at a mine. During their working life, electrical engineers may find themselves supervising a wide range of individuals including scientists, electricians, computer programmers and other engineers. Obsolescence of technical skills is a serious concern for electrical engineers. Membership and participation in technical societies, regular reviews of periodicals in the field and a habit of continued learning are therefore essential to maintaining proficiency. {Link without Title} TRAINING Electrical or electronics engineers typically possess an academic degree with a major in electrical or electronics engineering. The length of study for such a degree is usually three or four years and the completed degree may be designated as a Bachelor of Engineering, Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Applied Science depending upon the university. Fundamental to the discipline are the sciences of physics and mathematics as these help to obtain both a qualitative and quantitative description of how such systems will work. Today most engineering work involves the use of computers and it is commonplace to use computer-aided design programs when designing electrical systems. That said, the ability to sketch ideas is still invaluable for quickly communicating with others. The degree generally includes units covering physics, mathematics, project management and specific topics in electrical engineering or electronics. Initially such topics cover most, if not all, of the subfields of electrical engineering. Students then choose to specialize in one or more subfields towards the end of the degree. At the second year, the distinction between the courses is made, with electrical specialists studying transformers, machines, power generation etc, whilst electronics students cover subjects like general electronics, in addition to subjects like mathematics and physics. In many institutions in Europe, the courses are held in separate classes. CERTIFICATION In most countries, a Bachelor's degree in engineering represents the first step towards certification and the degree program itself is certified by a professional body. After completing a certified degree program the engineer must satisfy a range of requirements (including work experience requirements) before being certified. Once certified the engineer is designated the title of Professional Engineer (in the United States and Canada), Chartered Engineer (in the United Kingdom, Ireland, India, South Africa and Zimbabwe), Chartered Professional Engineer (in Australia) or European Engineer (in much of the European Union). Some electrical or electronics engineers also choose to pursue a postgraduate degree such as a Master of Engineering, a Doctor of Philosophy in Engineering or an Engineer's degree. The Master and Engineer's degree may consist of either research, coursework or a mixture of the two. The Doctor of Philosophy consists of a significant research component and is often viewed as the entry point to academia. In the United Kingdom and various other European countries, the Master of Engineering is often considered an undergraduate degree of slightly longer duration than the Bachelor of Engineering. Professional bodies for electrical and electronics engineers include the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and the Institution of Electrical Engineers (IEE)(NOW IET - Institute of Engineering and Technology The IEEE claims to produce 30 percent of the world's literature on electrical engineering, has over 360,000 members worldwide and holds over 300 conferences annually. [6 The IEE publishes 14 journals, has a worldwide membership of 120,000, certifies Chartered Engineers in the United Kingdom and claims to be the largest professional engineering society in Europe. [8 The advantages of certification vary depending upon location. For example, in the United States and Canada "only a licensed engineer may...seal engineering work for public and private clients". This requirement is enforced by state and provincial legislation such as Quebec's Engineers Act. [3 In other countries, such as Australia, no such legislation exists. Practically all certifying bodies maintain a code of ethics that they expect all members to abide by or risk expulsion. In this way these organizations play an important role in maintaining ethical standards for the profession. Even in jurisdictions where certification has little or no legal bearing on work, engineers are subject to the law. For example, much engineering work is done by contract and is therefore covered by contract law. In cases where an engineer's work fails he or she may be subject to the tort of negligence and, in extreme cases, the charge of criminal negligence. [5 An engineer's work must also comply with numerous other rules and regulations such as building codes and legislation pertaining to environmental law. TYPE OF WORK For most engineers not involved at the cutting edge of technology or research, engineering accounts for only a fraction of the work they do. A lot of time is spent on discussing proposals with clients, preparing budgets and determining project schedules. Many senior engineers manage a team of technicians or other engineers and for this reason project management skills are important. Most engineering projects involve some form of documentation and strong written communication skills are therefore very important. There is some degree of overlap between the work of electrical and electronics engineers but the main distinction is that electronics engineers generally deal with the lighter current lower voltage systems whereas electrical engineers deal with high power high voltage systems such as power plant generating plant etc. Electronics engineers Electronics engineers are responsible for a wide range of technologies. They design, develop, test and supervise the deployment of electronic devices, circuits and systems For example, they may work on the design of telecommunication systems, . {Link without Title} For example, quantum mechanics and solid state physics might be relevant to an electronics engineer working on VLSI but are largely irrelevant to electrical engineers working with macroscopic electrical systems. Even circuit theory may not be relevant to a person designing telecommunication systems that use off-the-shelf components. Electronics engineers may be found in the pristine lab environment of a fabrication plant, the offices of a consulting firm . During their working life, electrical/electronics engineers may find themselves supervising a wide range of individuals including scientists, electricians, computer programmers and other engineers. TOOLS AND WORK For most engineers technical work accounts for only a fraction of the work they do. A lot of time is also spent on tasks such as discussing proposals with clients, preparing Budget s and determining Project Schedules . Many senior engineers manage a team of Technician s or other engineers and for this reason Project Management skills are important. Most engineering projects involve some form of documentation and Strong Written Communication skills are therefore very important. The Workplace s of electrical engineers are just as varied as the types of work they do. Electronics specialists may be found in the pristine lab environment of a Fabrication Plant , the offices of a Consulting Firm whereas electrical specialists may be or on site at a Mine . During their working life, engineers may find themselves supervising a wide range of individuals including Scientist s, Electrician s, Computer Programmers and other engineers. Perhaps the most important technical skills for engineers are reflected in university programs, which emphasize Strong Numerical Skills , Computer Literacy and the ability to understand the Technical Language And Concepts that relate to electrical engineering. Obsolescence of technical skills is a serious concern for electrical and electronics engineers. Membership and participation in technical societies, regular reviews of periodicals in the field and a habit of continued learning are therefore essential to maintaining proficiency. Electrical specialists Electrical engineers are responsible for a wide range of technologies. They design, develop, test and supervise the deployment of electrical systems control, the operation of Electric Power Station s, the Lighting and Wiring of Building s, the design of Household Appliances or the electrical Control of industrial machinery. Although most electrical engineers will understand basic Circuit Theory , the theories employed by engineers generally depend upon the work they do. Electronics specialists Electronics engineering also covers a very wide range of specialities such as the design of Telecommunication Systems , is one of many projects an electronics engineer might work on]] Quantum Mechanics and Solid State Physics might be relevant to an engineer working on VLSI but are largely irrelevant to engineers working with large electrical systems. Even Circuit Theory may not be relevant to a person designing telecommunication systems that use Off-the-shelf components. OUTLINE OF SPECIALISMS Electronics engineering has many subfields. Although there are engineers who focus exclusively on one subfield, there are also many who focus on a combination of subfields. Control Engineering focuses on the Modelling of a diverse range of Dynamic System s and the design of Controllers that will cause these systems to behave in the desired manner. To implement such controllers electrical engineers may use Electrical Circuit s, Digital Signal Processors and Microcontroller s. Control Engineering has a wide range of applications from the flight and propulsion systems of Commercial Airliners to the Cruise Control present in many modern Automobile s. It also plays an important role in Industrial Automation . Integrated Circuit s packed a large number - often millions - of tiny electrical components, mainly Transistor s, into a small chip around the size of a Coin . This allowed for the powerful Computer s and other electronic devices we see today. '' Read More... '' Signal Processing deals with the analysis and manipulation of Signals . Signals can be either Analog , in which case the signal varies continuously according to the information, or Digital , in which case the signal varies according to a series of discrete values representing the information. For analog signals, signal processing may involve the Amplification and Filtering of audio signals for audio equipment or the Modulation and Demodulation of signals for Telecommunication s. For digital signals, signal processing may involve the Compression , Error Checking and Error Detection of digital signals. '' Read More... '' Communications System Engineering focuses on the Transmission of Information across a Channel such as a Coax Cable , Optical Fibre or Free Space . Transmissions across free space require information to be encoded in a Carrier Wave in order to shift the information to a Carrier Frequency suitable for transmission, this is known as Modulation . Popular analog modulation techniques include Amplitude Modulation and Frequency Modulation . The choice of modulation affects the cost and performance of a system and these two factors must be balanced carefully by the engineer. Once the transmission characteristics of a system are determined, telecommunication engineers design the Transmitter s and Receivers needed for such systems. These two are sometimes combined to form a two-way communication device known as a Transceiver . A key consideration in the design of transmitters is their Power Consumption as this is closely related to their Signal Strength . If the signal strength of a transmitter is insufficient the signal's information will be corrupted by Noise . '' Read More... '' Instrumentation Engineering deals with the design of devices to measure physical quantities such as Pressure , Flow and Temperature . These devices are known as Instrumentation . The design of such instrumentation requires a good understanding of Physics that often extends beyond Electromagnetic Theory . For example, Radar Gun s use the Doppler Effect to measure the speed of oncoming vehicles. Similarly, Thermocouple s use the Peltier-Seebeck Effect to measure the temperature difference between two points. Instrumentation is not used by itself, but as the Sensor s of larger electrical systems. For example, a thermocouple might be used to help ensure a furnace's temperature remains constant. For this reason, instrumentation engineering is often viewed as the counterpart of control engineering. '' Read More... '' Computer Engineering deals with the design of Computer s and Computer System s. This may involve the design of new Hardware , the design of PDAs or the use of computers to control an Industrial Plant . Computer engineers may also work on a system's Software . However, the design of complex software systems is often the domain of Software Engineering , which is usually considered a separate discipline. Desktop Computer s represent a tiny fraction of the devices a computer engineer might work on, as computer-like architectures are now found in a range of devices including Video Game Console s and DVD Player s. '' Read More... '' DISCIPLINES RELATED TO ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING Another related discipline is that of Biomedical Engineering , which is concerned with the design of Medical Equipment . This includes fixed equipment such as Ventilator s, MRI Scanners and Electrocardiograph Monitors as well as mobile equipment such as Cochlear Implant s, Artificial Pacemaker s and Artificial Heart s. REFERENCES Citations |
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