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The Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, along
with the College, support faculty members' research activities
through space allocations, equipment purchases, and travel
funds. Two existing research facilities, distinct from instructional
labs, are the Photonics Technology Lab and the Microwave
Systems Lab. Three additional research labs are planned
in the areas of Biomedical Applications, Analog IC Design,
and VLSI Circuits. Facilities in instructional labs are
used, whenever appropriate, for research purposes.
Computer Systems Laboratory
The Computer Systems Laboratory is used for required courses
in Digital Circuits and the first of two capstone Senior
Design courses. Digital Logic Design, Microprocessor-Based
Digital Systems, VHDL and C Programming, and Computer Communications
are taught in this laboratory. These topics are treated
with the support of eight PCs, Xilinx FPGA tools, standard
benchtop instruments, OrCAD Design tools, and M68HC11 microprocessor
development boards. For Digital Circuits courses, up to
18 students work in teams of two or three at six workstations.
The Digital Design sequence culminates in the design of
a special purpose computer to play NIM with students' printed
circuit boards fabricated on a T-Tech Circuit Milling machine.
The Senior Design Laboratory includes a capstone design
exercise with student teams designing and constructing a
Token Ring and an Ethernet communication system.
VLSI/DSP Laboratory
The VLSI/DSP Laboratory supports a two-course sequence
in integrated circuit design and a course in digital signal
processing. Major elements of the facility are eight PCs,
ten Sun Workstations, Synopsis IC design tools, Texas Instruments
DSP boards, MATLAB and MathWorks Software, Speech and Image
processing peripherals, and IC test equipment. IC designs
are created and simulated using computing resources in the
lab. Fabrication of student designs is done through the
MOSIS facility. Tests on the returned, fabricated chips
are then conducted in this laboratory. For DSP experiments,
students work in teams of two or three at six stations.
However, IC designs often are completed by individual student
designers. An unusual feature of this lab is the introduction
of mixed-signal designs, done by undergraduates, incorporating
principles of both analog and digital ICs.
Circuits and Systems Laboratory
The Circuits and Systems Laboratory is used for the introductory
course in analog circuits (ECE 221), the senior-level Feedback
Control Systems course (ECE 433), and the second Senior
Design course (ECE 492). Basic experiments involving linear
circuits are performed in this laboratory, culminating in
active filter applications and phasor analysis. Control
System experiments for this laboratory lead to a capstone
design which involves motion control. This laboratory includes
six PCs running Electronics Workbench Multisim and PSpice
(full version) simulation software. It also includes standard
[scope-multimeter-signal generator-power supply] benchtop
instruments, Electronics Workbench Multisim simulation software,
MATLAB tools, and Feedback Control Equipment Units. This
laboratory supports up to 18 students per section working
in teams of two or three at six workstations.
Solid State Electronics Laboratory
The Solid State Electronics Laboratory is used for two
required courses in Electronics and for student project
work. Fundamentals of solid-state electronics and the design
of analog integrated circuits are taught using this laboratory.
The major equipment and computing elements include six PCs
(Fall 2001 purchase), Pspice (industry standard version)
Simulation software, MATLAB tools, IC Design tools, and
shared (with DSP/VLSI Laboratory) Unix Workstations. For
instruction in solid-state electronics, up to 18 students
work in teams of two or three at six workstations. The second
course in the sequence culminates in team projects that
involve design to strict specifications of an analog or
analog/digital system. Projects may be IC designs with layout
parameter extraction using PSpice to verify circuit performance.
Student chip designs are fabricated for later analysis.
Projects Laboratory
The Projects Laboratory will be used primarily by students
involved in independent study projects, thesis projects,
senior design, honors works, projects, and other nontraditional
lab experiences. Equipment is primarily comprised of items
phased out of the department's four instructional laboratories
during upgrades.
PC Board Milling Center
The PC Board Milling Center has been set up in the Engineering
Shop area. With support from shop technicians, the printed
circuit board fabrications can be completed without the
need for chemicals. The center is used for projects associated
with the department's instructional and research laboratories.
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