EE and CSE Elective Night

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EE and CSE Elective Night Sponsored by Eta Kappa
Nu

• Introduction
• Course Outlines
• Senior Design
• Computer Hardware/Software
• Optics
• Power Systems
• Control Systems
• Electromagnetics
• Electronic Design
• Semiconductor Devices
• Signal and Image Processing
• Communications
• Statistics Electives
• Wrap-up

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EE 403W Senior Design Project

• What is this course about?
• The first part is doing a few standard labs.
• The second part is coming up with your own
  project and designing it.
• A large part of this course is presenting your
  project orally and in writing.
• What skills are needed for this course?
• English 202C is a prereq or concurrent.
• Typically this course is taken during the senior
  year. So you will have knowledge from all the
  courses that you have taken.
• What is the work load like?
• Lab reports
• Quizzes
• Presentations
• What is the instructor like?
• There are multiple instructors for this course
  and the course varies a bit depending on the
  instructor.
• Good ones Timothy Wheeler
• Difficulty assessment and rating (0-5)
• This class is very time consuming but
  conceptually not very hard. The difficulty
  depends a lot on your project. ? ? ?

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EE 402W Senior Project Design (Electromagnetics)

• What is this course about?
• Project oriented design course with focus on
  Electromagnetics
• Basically, you design some sort of patch antenna
• Good complement to 432 or 497C
• What skills are needed for this course?
• Ability to give presentations
• Prior knowledge of antennas is helpful but not
  necessary
• What is the work load like?
• Four homework problems
• One exam
• Two group design presentations
• Two labs
• What is the instructor like?
• Taught by Dr. Carpenter
• Doesnt really go into theory, less emphasis on
  grades, really likes to talk about Zen and the
  Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
• Difficulty assessment and rating

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CSE 331 Computer System Architecture

• What is this course about?
• You will learn about the various elements of a
  computer system
• Will learn about the instruction set and
  architecture of a MIPS system
• You will learn an assembly programming language
  and VHDL (hardware description language)
• What skills are needed for this course?
• You will need to use CSE department UNIX systems
  for this class so some knowledge of the UNIX
  operating system is helpful
• A fairly strong programming background is
  required for the first half of the course
  involving assembly language
• For the second half of the course some knowledge
  of digital circuit design (CSE 271) is helpful
• What is the work load like?
• The projects for this class take a bit time so
  make sure you start them early that way you can
  abuse the TAs for help
• If you are not familiar with UNIX system you may
  need to spend some time getting up to speed so
  you are comfortable working with it
• What is the instructor like?
• Dr. Pakzad taught the course when I took it. She
  is a little monotone. Make sure you go to class
  if you have her because she likes to give exam
  hints and pop quizzes!
• The projects were not as challenging as when
  Prof. Christman teaches the course, but her exams
  were very comprehensive. When Christman teaches
  the course the projects/exams are different
• Difficulty assessment and rating (0-5)

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CSE 431 Computer Architecture

• Taken Fall 2005 with Dr. Irwin
• Great complement for those who enjoyed CSE 331
• Currently, the course covers all of the CSE331
  textbook
• Focuses on pipelining, multiple processors, IO
  systems, memory hierarchy and other topics in the
  331 text not previously covered or in more depth.
• Currently requires projects on the SimpleScalar
  Tool to study the effects of branch prediction,
  limited resources and other issues when
  programming for a processor.
• About 6 homework assignments from the textbook,
  midterm examination and a final on top of
  programming projects (mentioned above)
• Instructor dependent course
• MUST understand CSE331 before preceding into this
  course.
• Difficulty ? ? ? ½

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CSE 472 Microprocessors and Embedded Systems

• Taken Spring 2006 with Dr. Coraor
• Great complement for those who enjoyed assembly
  programming in CSE 331
• The course covers the hardware and software
  behind embedded systems.
• The class is taught around the Motorola 68HC12
  microprocessor.
• All programming and homework assignments are done
  in a TExaS program. (Test Execute And Simulate).
  This allows for easy coding, assembling,
  debugging, and testing. The use of I/O devices
  allow for easy interaction.
• About 6-12 homework assignments (20), 2 midterm
  examinations (25 each) and a final (30) make up
  your final grade.
• Honors Section usually available in the Spring
  semesters
• Difficulty ? ? ? ½

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CSE 455 Introduction to Numerical Analysis I

• What is this course about?
• This course covers basic floating point
  arithmetic, matrix computation methods and
  interpolation methods
• The point of this course is to learn efficient
  algorithms for the above methods of analysis
• What skills are needed for this course?
• The required prerequisites are MATH 220, MATH
  230/231
• Not much 230 is needed but there is a lot of
  linear algebra (220)
• Should be comfortable in programming small
  programs in MATLAB
• What is the work load like?
• HW depends on the instructor but can range from
  once per week to 5 assignments over the entire
  semester
• Most homework assignments contain at least one
  MATLAB problem
• Lectures were usually all in theoretical terms
  but homework and exams were applied
• Typically 2 in class midterms and a final (all
  open book and note)
• What is the instructor like?
• Different professors teach different semesters
  and some can be more valuable than others.
• Some instructors prefer more programming
  assignments than others
• Difficulty assessment and rating (0-5)
• Putting some time and effort into this class can
  get you a B or A
• Difficulty rating ½

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EE 320 Introduction to Electro-optical Systems

• What is this course about?
• This course covers the basics of optical systems,
  focusing on the interaction of waves with
  materials
• Lenses, lasers, diffraction, and other types of
  interference are covered.
• What skills are needed for this course?
• Phys 214 is extremely helpful. The topics that
  were covered are expounded upon dramatically.
• EE 330 is a pre-requisite
• The math isnt too complex mostly recognizing
  the correct equations to use is important, and
  equation sheets are always given.
• Circuit analysis is not used often
• What is the work load like?
• Bi-weekly HW assignments
• No labs
• 3 midterms and a final
• Instructor Difficulty
• There are multiple instructors for this course
  and the course varies a bit depending on the
  instructor. Prof. Zhang is very energetic and
  likes to keep the entire class's attention. He
  also gives formula sheets on the exams which
  makes them considerably less challenging.
• Difficulty rating ? ?

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EE 412 Fiber Optic Communications

• What is this course about?
• This course covers the analysis of Fiber Optics.
• Topics include Communication (data rates, etc.),
  Light propagation, Power Loss, and System Design.
• What skills are needed for this course?
• EE 320, EE 350 and ESCI 314 are prerequisites.
  Knowledge of EE 320 is very helpful
• The math is not very difficult, but covers a lot
  of topics.
• EE 351 or 367 is helpful for some of the
  communication topics.
• What is the work load like?
• Typically, weekly HW assignments (kind of long)
• Covers a lot of topics, and can get hard to keep
  all together.
• Attendance and extra credit quizzes
• Typically 2 midterms and a final
• What is the instructor like?
• Not sure if there are several instructors. Dr.
  Guo was very organized and knew the course
  material well.
• Difficulty assessment and rating (0-5)
• Like most classes, if you are willing to put the
  work in, you should be able to earn an A or B.
  Not an easy class to blow off. Some of the work
  took longer than expected.

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EE 414 Principles and Applications of Lasers

• What is this course about?
• This course covers exactly what the title says,
  leaning towards theory and design.
• What skills are needed for this course?
• E E 330 , E SC 400H , or PHYS 400 is required.
  (Maxwells equations and wave prop.)
• More math heavy, but hardly any circuit analysis.
  Usually the end result of a lot of complex math
  is used, which makes it easier to follow.
• EE 420 and/or 412 knowledge helps
• What is the work load like?
• weekly HW assignments
• Typically 2 midterms and a final. (Open
  notes/book)
• What is the instructor like?
• Dr. I.C. Khoo has taught this course in the past.
  He is generally an easy grader. And most of the
  grade is determined from exam scores.
• Dr. Andres Diaz is currently teaching the course.
  His style is similar, with open-everything exams
  and short homeworks, but grading is a little
  tougher.
• Difficulty assessment and rating (0-5)
• This class was referred to as an easy A, but
  not going to class and staying with the topics
  can make the class more frustrating, as it is
  very theoretical and can be difficult to
  understand.
• Difficulty rating ? ? ?

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EE 420 Electro-Optics Principles. and Devices

• What is this course about?
• This main topics covered are Fourier Optics and
  Diffraction Theory
• What skills are needed for this course?
• E E 320 is the only prerequisite, but knowledge
  of EE 350 is very helpful.
• No circuits, but difficult math. The math can be
  very complicated, but often there are patterns in
  the math that make it easier.
• Good prep for EE 422 and other optics courses
• What is the work load like?
• Weekly HW assignments
• Typically 1 midterm and a final.
• What is the instructor like?
• Not sure if there are several teachers. Dr. Liu
  is very knowledgeable on the subject material. He
  doesnt put stuff on the tests that will catch
  you off guard. He grades more on effort than
  correctness.
• Difficulty assessment and rating (0-5)
• I think that most people that took this class did
  well, but the material can be difficult to
  understand. Essentially the course expands on EE
  320 topics with mathematical reasoning.
• Difficulty rating ? ? ? ½

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EE 422 Optical Engineering Lab

• What is this course about?
• This course provides hands on experience with EE
  320 and 420 topics.
• What skills are needed for this course?
• E E 320 is the only prerequisite, but knowledge
  of EE 420 is very helpful.
• No circuit analysis, and the math is pretty easy.
  
• Lab writing is key
• What is the work load like?
• 6 Homework assignments
• 12 total labs, (about an hour each)
• Weekly lab report (not Graded) and 1 final lab
  report of all labs
• Typically 2 midterms and a final.
• What is the instructor like?
• There are several teachers. Dr. Guo was very
  organized and knew the course material well.
• Difficulty assessment and rating (0-5)
• The topics covered are real easy to follow and
  the labs move pretty fast, but there is a lot of
  group work that needs to be done to be
  successful. If youre willing to put the effort
  in, the class is real easy and fun

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EE 365 Energy Conversion

• What is this course about?
• This course serves as an introduction to
  evaluation of real, reactive and apparent power.
• There is a heavy emphasis on three phase power
  systems, and the evaluation of 3-phase lines and
  loads.
• The course also introduces models for different
  motor and machine configurations. Such as DC and
  Induction motors.
• What skills are needed for this course?
• Basic understanding of circuit models is the only
  real skill needed.
• If you did well in EE 210 and you enjoyed circuit
  analysis this course should be enjoyable as well.
• What is the work load like?
• Workload depends on professor.
• Heath Hofmann has no midterms an optional final,
  6 or 7 quizzes and homeworks throughout the
  semester.
• Jeff Mayer has 2 midterms and a final and weekly
  homework assignments.
• What is the instructor like?
• Prof. Hofmann gives out notes and has students
  fill in the examples that are worked in class.
• This class is also taught by Jeff Mayer. It
  is only offered in the spring
• Difficulty assessment and rating (0-5)
• Almost 50 of the students that take this course
  are Architectural Engineers which gives EEs an
  advantage. If you understand the homework and
  put in the time this class can be really
  rewarding. The homework is challenging and time
  consuming however.
• Difficulty rating ? ? 1/2 with Hofmann. ? ? ?
  ? with Mayer.

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EE 479D Electric Machinery Drives

• What is this course about?
• Study of Variable Speed AC Drives, DC-AC
  Conversion
• Good Companion Course to EE 365, EE 423
• Very Practical if interested in Power Systems /
  Energy Conversion
• What skills are needed for this course?
• Generally only Algebra (Maybe some Laplace) on HW
• Knowledge of 3 Phase Power, Machine Types,
  Control Systems Helpful
• What is the work load like?
• Almost Weekly Assignments of practical nature
• Several labs using actual DC-AC Converters, 3
  phase motors
• Open Book / Open Note Exams
• What is the instructor like?
• Hofmann Well Prepared Lectures, Very
  Accommodating
• Prepared Handouts
• Difficulty assessment and rating (0-5)

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EE 351 Discrete Time Linear Systems

• What is this course about?
• This course is similar to EE 350, except instead
  of working in continuous-time, you work in
  discrete-time.
• It covers the Z-transform and the Discrete-Time
  Fourier Transform. They are analogous the
  Laplace transform and the Fourier Transform.
• What skills are needed for this course?
• EE 350 is a prerequisite. If you did OK in EE
  350, you will succeed in EE 351.
• Involves a lot of math
• You should know some MATLAB
• What is the work load like?
• Generally, there are weekly HW assignments, which
  are challenging, but not like EE 350
• No labs, no recitations!!!!
• 2 midterms and a final
• What is the instructor like?
• There are multiple instructors for this course.
• Difficulty assessment and rating
• Difficulty rating

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EE 428 Linear Control Systems

• What is this course about?
• This courses covers classical control theory and
  design of feedback control systems.
• What skills are needed for this course?
• EE 310 and 350 are prerequisites.
• Laplace and Fourier domains, convolution,
  ordinary differential equations (mostly in the
  Laplace domain)
• You should be familiar MATLAB
• What is the work load like?
• There are weekly HW assignments.
• 3 labs throughout the semester. In lab about 6-8
  weeks of the semester.
• 2 midterms and a final
• Optional final project, that is pure extra
  credit however, it is time consuming.
• What is the instructor like?
• Multiple instructors
• Dr. Sznaier was really good
• Difficulty assessment and rating (0-5)
• Completing and understanding homework is a must
  to do well in this course.

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EE 429 Digital Control Systems

• What is this course about?
• This courses covers classical digital control
  theory.
• What skills are needed for this course?
• EE 351 and 428 are prerequisites.
• Understanding basic control theory (429),
  Z-transform, difference equations
• You should be familiar MATLAB
• What is the work load like?
• There are weekly HW assignments.
• 2 labs throughout the semester. In lab about 3-4
  weeks of the semester.
• 2 midterms and a final
• Optional final project, that is pure extra
  credit.
• What is the instructor like?
• Dr. Sznaier is really good
• Difficulty assessment and rating (0-5)
• Completing and understanding homework is a must
  to pass this course.
• Difficulty rating ? ? ? ?

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EE 411Principles of Electromagnetic Fields

• What is this course about?
• Theory course covering electric and magnetic
  fields, induction, transmission lines, waves and
  a tiny bit on antennas
• Sort of a more in depth version of EE 330
• A must if you have a strong interest in
  electromagnetics
• What skills are needed for this course?
• Strong knowledge of vector calculus (MATH 230)
• Understanding of Maxwells Equations
• What is the work load like?
• Weekly homework
• Weekly quizzes (depending on instructor)
• Two midterms and a final, occasionally take home
  (depending on instructor)
• What is the instructor like?
• Dr. Mathews talks a lot about Arecibo and drinks
  Diet Pepsi
• Dr. Narayanan ?
• Dr. Pasko ?
• Difficulty assessment and rating

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EE 432 UHF and Microwave Engineering

• What is this course about?
• This course covers the analysis and design of
  transmission lines, amplifiers and antennas.
• The most important topic covered is the use of
  S-Parameters and Smith Charts in the analysis
• What skills are needed for this course?
• EE 310 and EE 330 are prerequisites. Knowledge of
  EE 330 is very helpful
• The math is not difficult, but there is some
  circuit analysis.
• You learn to use a new program, Microwave Office
• Provides good experience for EE 402W
• What is the work load like?
• weekly HW assignments
• Lab by appointment with minimal write-up
• Design and presentation of an amplifier
• Typically 2 midterms and an optional final (open
  notes/book)
• What is the instructor like?
• Dr. Carpenter usually teaches this course. He
  provides a lot of past exams and homework
  solutions for reference. As far as teaching goes,
  he is best when answering specific questions.
• Difficulty assessment and rating (0-5)

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EE 433 Fundamentals of Remote Sensing

• What is this course about?
• The course discusses the basic techniques and
  tools of remote sensing
• Learn about visual, infrared, radar, and lidar
  systems
• Several applications to other fields such as
  medical imaging, oceanography, geography, etc
• This course focuses more on the system aspect as
  opposed to theory
• What skills are needed for this course?
• EE 330 is the pre-requisite, however Meteorology
  majors take this course so there is not a large
  emphasis on EE 330 material
• If you have also taken EE 367, EE 320 or are
  interested in taking EE 438 or EE 439 this course
  should complement those well
• What is the work load like?
• Time-swallowing weekly assignments 50
• One research paper / project (Can double-dip from
  other courses or research) 15
• Two quizzes / exams (Open note/book/brain,
  requiring application of theory.) 35
• What is the instructor like?
• Dr. Dave Miller has recently taken over the
  course from Dr. Kane, and uses his material.
• Pretty easy-going and fair, he tries to keep
  courses relevant and interesting.
• Difficulty assessment and rating (0-5)

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EE 438 - ANTENNA ENGINEERING

• What is this course about?
• The analysis of radiation from antennas and the
  design of antenna arrays
• What skills are needed for this course?
• Strong knowledge of vector calculus (MATH 230)
• Understanding of Maxwells Equations
• Be comfortable with some complicated integrations
• What is the work load like?
• Occasional homework (once every 2 to 3 weeks)
• One midterm (easy)
• One Final (harder)
• Two computer simulation projects
• What is the instructor like?
• Dr. Werner A bit absent minded, but puts a
  stronger emphasis on mathematical detail
• Dr. Breakall Easy going, but leaves out a lot of
  detail
• Difficulty assessment and rating

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EE 490 Intro to Plasmas

• What is this course about?
• Particle motions in electromagnetic fields
• Plasma oscillations, collisions, etc
• Cross listed with Aerospace and Nuclear
  Engineering, well-mixed class.
• What skills are needed for this course?
• EE 330 or PHYS 467 is required.
• REALLY STRONG MATH AND PHYSICS SKILLS (EE 330 and
  MATH 230)!!!
• A love of complex equations and particle physics.
• What is the work load like?
• Weekly assignments that take forever. Really
  time consuming
• Take home exams (24 hour) that require you to
  apply lessons and homework in new ways.
• 50 of class are grad students. They think its
  time consuming too.
• What is the instructor like?
• Dr. Pasko currently teaches the course, and is an
  excellent lecturer.
• Very knowledgeable, but tough grader.

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EE 492 Space Astronomy

• What is this course about?
• Physical nature of the solar system
• Properties of the atmosphere, especially
  magnetosphere and ionosphere
• Measurement of same by remote sensing and
  spacecraft / probes
• Cross-listed with Aerospace, but with little Aero
  participation
• What skills are needed for this course?
• EE 330 or PHYS 400 is required, lots of math and
  electromagnetics in this course.
• Good skills with MATLAB or something similar.
• The ability to stretch beyond the tight confines
  of EE lots of out-of-major topics
• An interest in astronomy is needed, and an
  interest in ham radio helps.
• What is the work load like?
• Proofs (relatively easy) assigned infrequently
• 3 Projects computer-based numerical solutions to
  a variety of orbital and plasma problems.
• Quizzes are rumored, but no full-fledged exams.
  Emphasis on projects.
• What is the instructor like?
• Dr. Mathews is a good and entertaining lecturer,
  and is pretty relaxed about deadlines.

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EE 311 - ELECTRONIC CIRCUIT DESIGN II

• Taken in the Spring 2005 semester with Prof.
  Riggio
• Extension of EE310 without the device physics
• This course studies
• Transistor level circuits such as the current
  mirror, differential amplifier, current sources,
  etc. in both BJT and MOSFET configurations
• The benefits of feedback in circuits
• Power amplifiers (particularly class A, B and AB
  amplifiers)
• Utilizing the above topics in op-amp design
  (particularly the 741 op-amp although ancient,
  is still a good start and to understand what not
  to do)
• Time permits oscillators, filters and other
  topics.
• This course is mostly homework with two midterms
  (no P-SPICE required) and a final.
• This class also talked about where this material
  is useful (stereo amplifies, actual op-amp
  circuits, etc. etc.)
• Difficulty ? ? ?

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EE 423 Power Electronics

• What is this course about?
• Power electronics is the study of the use of
  electronics in energy conversion.
• The first part of this course consists of an
  in-depth analysis of various DC-DC and AC-DC
  converters
• In this class you will learn about the physics of
  power semiconductor devices (i.e. IGBTs,
  thyristors, power MOSFETS, etc.), and how the non
  ideal characteristics of various power components
  and semiconductor devices come into play when
  selecting components for a specific application.
• What skills are needed for this course?
• Basic knowledge of Fourier analysis.
• Understanding of semiconductor devices and their
  use in circuits.
• What is the work load like?
• Heath Hofmann has no midterms an optional final,
  6 or 7 quizzes and homeworks throughout the
  semester. There is no curve in this course.
• Homework is very challenging and usually requires
  visiting office hours.
• Quizzes are announced ahead of time, one class
  period is given for about 3 problems.
• There are 3 or 4 labs in the semester that are
  fairly straight forward.
• What is the instructor like?
• Prof. Hofmann gives out notes and has students
  fill in the examples that are worked in class.
• Concepts are introduced first and then a number
  of examples are done. Learning on your own and
  being able to apply concepts to unfamiliar
  examples is a must.
• Difficulty assessment and rating (0-5)
• Quizzes can be tricky and sometimes difficult to
  prepare for since they are completely different
  from homework problems.
• Getting all the points on the homework will
  require frequent visits to office hours.
• Difficulty rating ? ? ? ?

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EE 447 Digital Integrated Circuits

• What is this course about?
• EE 447 covers the analysis and design of digital
  integrated circuits.
• This course is a continuation of the last topics
  in EE 310
• You will learn about the design factors and
  constraints for a digital integrated circuits
• What skills are needed for this course?
• Knowledge of CSE 271/275 is helpful
• PSPICE is used to evaluate different types of
  circuits
• What is the work load like?
• There are 2 exams and a final, with three
  homework assignments and multiple labs
• The homework was collected at the end of the two
  exams and final
• Labs were assigned every other week and completed
  at your own time and will
• What is the instructor like?
• Dr. Riggio reads from the book for equation
  details, but adds a lot of real world experience
  to his lectures and to the topics.
• Dr. Riggio likes to make exams questions that are
  from topics he has covered in class and not in
  the book!
• Difficulty assessment and rating (0-5)

27
EE 448 Linear Electronic Design

• What is this course about?
• EE 448 covers the analysis and design of analog
  integrated circuits.
• This course is basically a continuation of EE
  311, but unlike EE 311, there is a significant
  lab component to this class which allows for the
  exploration of more practical topics in circuit
  design.
• What skills are needed for this course?
• EE 311 is the only prerequisite. EE 448 draws
  strongly on the knowledge acquired in EE 311 if
  you did not enjoy this class or do not have a
  solid grasp of the concepts from Circuits II, do
  not take EE 448.
• PSpice
• What is the work load like?
• There are no midterms in this course, but there
  are quizzes every other week and there is a
  cumulative final.
• Homework is assigned but is not collected or
  graded.
• There is a laboratory component to this class.
  Lab time is scheduled during the first week of
  class. The first lab, in which an op amp is
  built, last 4 weeks. The remainder of the
  semesters lab meetings are spent on a group
  design project.
• What is the instructor like?
• Dr. Mitchell provides detailed, well-organized
  handouts which contain all of the information
  covered in lecture.
• Many concepts are only touched on briefly in
  class it is expected that students do a fair
  amount of self learning and individual reviewing
  of notes not covered in lecture.
• Difficulty assessment and rating (0-5)
• All quizzes, as well as the final, are open note
  and open book.
• Quizzes generally cover problems not explicitly
  covered in class, and require the ability to
  apply familiar concepts in new ways.
• Difficulty rating ? ? ? ?

28
CSE 471 Logical Design of Digital Systems

• Taken Fall 2004 with Dr. Kyusun Choi
• Course is a fast paced version of CSE271 going
  in-depth
• Focuses on gate level implementation of logical
  circuits
• Starts with K-maps and algorithms for K-maps
• Transistor level circuits of combinatorial logic
  functions
• Multiplexer and Decoder design in logical
  circuits
• State machines, flip-flop design and primitive
  gate design for sequential circuits
• Requires 6 VHDL projects (best 6 out of 7 marks
  count) given about 2 weeks on each.
• Focuses wiring designs and creating test benches
  for timing analysis
• Takes about a day to complete the project and
  short report
• Project build on each other to construct a simple
  microcontroller
• Projects are done on your own PC so you dont
  have to go to 218 IST!!!
• Periodic homework requires only a day for each
• Careful and correct work are emphasized on
  homework and exams
• The exams come straight from the homework. He
  will post a sample exam which is almost identical
  to the actual exam.
• There are pop quizzes but if you put your name on
  the paper you will receive an 8/10
• Good course for the computer folks and those who
  enjoyed CSE271
• 2 midterms and a final combined for 50 of the
  grade beware that the projects may appear on the
  exams!

29
CSE 477 VLSI Digital Circuits

• What is this course about?
• Learn how to build logic gates and elements
  (NAND, NOR, Decoders, Memory)
• Gain experience using VLSI layout tools
• Learn about the various trade-offs for digital
  circuits such as speed, power, area and cost
• Also discuss some contemporary topics in this
  area 3D chip design, Silicon-On-Insulator,
  High/Low-k Dielectrics
• What skills are needed for this course?
• You will need to use CSE department UNIX systems
  for this class so some knowledge of the UNIX
  operating system is helpful
• This prerequisite for this course is CSE 471, but
  I didnt take that class I would say you need
  some knowledge of CSE 331 for this course, but
  even that is not really necessary.
• Good CSE 271 and EE 310 skills are the real
  requirement for this class (especially the EE 310
  knowledge of MOSFETs for digital logic).
• NOTE I did not have the CSE 471 prerequisite for
  this course and had to talk to the instructor in
  order to take it so make sure you talk to the
  professor during the first week of classes if you
  are serious about taking this course.
• What is the work load like?
• The projects for this class take a bit time so
  make sure you start them early or you will be
  working long hours the night before the project
  is due.
• There is a semester long project where you work
  in a team of 2. It is essentially a long
  homework assignment which they break up into
  pieces to make sure you dont procrastinate too
  much.
• What is the instructor like?
• Dr. Xie is the instructor for the course when I
  took it. He is a new instructor with industry
  experience (IBM).
• Not sure who the other instructors are for this
  course and what they are like

30
EE 418 Solid State Device Technology

• What is this course about?
• The course discusses the fabrication techniques
  of MOSFETs
• This is a good course to take if you are
  interested in learning about fabrication of
  electronic devices and want to work in a clean
  room, probably not a good course if you arent
  interested in circuit fabrication
• This course has a lot of material.
• What skills are needed for this course?
• ESC 314 and EE 310 are prerequisites for this
  course
• There is a large lab component to this course, so
  good lab note taking skills and report writing
  skills are helpful
• What is the work load like?
• Homework assignments are graded and take some
  effort.
• The lab portion of this course requires a lot of
  time.
• If you keep up with the material, the first exam
  shouldnt be too bad, but the final is
  comprehensive and by the end of the course there
  will be a lot of material to know for the exam
• What is the instructor like?
• The instructor and lab instructor for this course
  are good.
• Difficulty assessment and rating (0-5)
• The lab reports are graded tough

31
EE 419 Solid State Devices

• What is this course about?
• The course discusses the physics behind diodes,
  MOSFETs and BJTs
• Derive equations for the different modes of
  operations of these devices
• More in depth discussion than was covered in ESC
  314
• What skills are needed for this course?
• ESC 314 is the prerequisite for this course, but
  some EE 310 knowledge may be helpful too.
• I would take this course if you liked ESC 314 and
  EE 310 and may also be interested in taking EE
  418
• What is the work load like?
• Homework assignments are not graded/collected.
• There are three quizzes through the semester and
  a final. Quizzes count for 60 of your grade.
• It is not required to do the homework, but it can
  help. Keeping up with the course by doing the
  reading and the homework is a good idea.
• What is the instructor like?
• Dr. Tadigadapa taught the course when I took it
  and he was pretty good. Better at explaining the
  material the instructor I had when I took ESC
  314.
• Difficulty assessment and rating (0-5)
• You may need to compete with graduate students
  who usually outnumber undergraduates.

32
EE 453 Fundamentals of Digital Signal Processing

• What is this course about?
• The design of digital filters, the conversion of
  analog filters to digital filters, some practical
  implementation considerations and the Discrete
  Fourier Transform
• What skills are needed for this course?
• Most of the EE 351 content (discrete-time fourier
  transforms, Z-transform, sampling)
• Strong familiarity with MATLAB
• What is the work load like?
• Weekly homework assignments, most using MATLAB in
  some way
• 3-4 evening lab sessions working with DSP
  software
• 2 midterms and a final
• What is the instructor like?
• Dr. Nickel ?
• Dave Salvia has a strong hatred for the
  Pittsburgh Steelers
• Difficulty assessment and rating
• Difficulty rating

33
EE / CSE 485 Digital Image Processing I
Instructor     Richard L. Tutwiler, Ph.D. Fall
2004 Semester Text       R.C.Gonzalez and
R.E.Woods, Digital Image Processing, 2nd
Edition, Prentice Hall, 2001.
Price 117 Grading Policy Homework 10,
Two Period Exams total 30, Projects 40,
Comprehensive Final Exam 20 Homework Average 5
Book Problems due every two weeks Problem
Solutions Students downloadable from
Books website http//www.imageprocessingbook.
com/ Took only about 1hour to complete Exams
In class with Open Book and Notes (1 hour 15
minutes) Final Comprehensive Open
book and notes during finals week
Format 10 short answers, 4 workout
problems, 1 Matlab Projects 2 or 3 person
Groups - Matlab programming and HTML report
write up due every two weeks - About 10 hours
to complete Lectures All PowerPoint
Presentations with lecture notes posted
online Overall The lectures, homework,
projects, and exams do NOT align The course is
moderately hard
34
EE 486 Computer Vision

• What is this course about?
• Variety of Topics in Computer Vision
• Lots of Practical Applications
• Feature Extraction, Image Contours, Color
• What skills are needed for this course?
• Lots and Lots of Matlab
• Math 220 (Matrices)
• Discrete Convolution
• What is the work load like?
• Bi-weekly HW
• Large group projects (time consuming)
• Midterm and Final
• What is the instructor like?
• Dr. Robert Collins Computer Vision expert, very
  interesting, well prepared
• Difficulty assessment and rating (0-5)

35
EE 367 Communication Systems I

• What is this course about?
• This covers the basics of communications
  amplitude, frequency and phase modulation, signal
  transmission, sampling and quantization
• What skills are needed for this course?
• Understanding of block diagrams (a la 350)
• Know the properties of a Fourier Transform (a la
  350)
• What is the work load like?
• Sporadic HW assignments
• No labs
• Two midterms and a final
• What is the instructor like?
• There are multiple instructors for this course.
  Though if you have Doherty he tries to make the
  course fun.
• Difficulty assessment and rating
• Difficulty rating

36
EE 459 Communication Systems II

• What is this course about?
• Analysis of Communications Systems (AM, FM, PCM)
  In Presence of Noise
• Combination of EE 367 Stat
• Great if you like the theory behind EE 367
• What skills are needed for this course?
• Good Working Mathematical Knowledge of AM, FM,
  Digital Systems from EE 367
• Probability/Statistics (Reviewed Briefly)
• Laplace Transforms, EE 350 Concepts
• What is the work load like?
• Weekly Assignments Typical Lathi
• Heavy on Mathematical Theory
• What is the instructor like?
• Several Instructors. Doherty, Others
• Difficulty assessment and rating (0-5)
• Heavy on Theory Definitely Requires Some Effort

37
EE/CSE 458 Communication Networks

• What is this course about?
• Introduction to the ins and outs of Communication
  Networks
• Basic introduction to network engineering and
  protocols
• What skills are needed for this course?
• Memorization
• Probability
• CSE 271 and EE 350/EE317 are Prerequisites
• What is the work load like?
• Weekly HW only a few problems usually taken
  from the book
• 2 Exams
• Final
• What is the instructor like?
• Dr. Guohong Cao gives good examples although
  lectures are straight out of the book
• Difficulty assessment and rating (0-5)
• Exams can be hit or miss, but overall this course
  is one of the least difficult 400 level electives
• ? ?

38
EE 497F Satellite Communications

• What is this course about?
• An introduction to Satellites
• Includes Space activity, orbital mechanics, and
  satellite systems
• link budgets and propagation
• Communication. Modulation Schemes, error
  detection, and propagation
• What skills are needed for this course?
• EE 367. It is communications, after all.
• EE 330. an understanding of Antenna design and
  theory
• Basic physics.
• What is the work load like?
• Grading Policy Homework 10 Two Exams 50
• First Project 20 Final Project 20
• Homework Average 3 Problems about every week.
  Took about 2 hours
• Exams Two Open Book Evening Exams, worth 25
  each. No final Exam.
• Projects First two projects are a
  familiarization with Satellite Tool Kit.
• The final project is more challenging.
• What is the instructor like?
• Sven Bilen is amazing.
• LionSat

39
MATH 414 Probability Theory

• What is this course about?
• Probability spaces
• Discrete and continuous random variables
• Independence and Expectation
• Probability distributions
• What skills are needed for this course?
• Math 230 is the pre-requisite, but little used
• More theory-oriented than 418, so the math is
  simpler
• Ability to enjoy TV-poker a plus
• What is the work load like?
• Weekly assignments that are relatively easy.
• Two midterms (Closed book) that are still not too
  bad
• Final exam (Closed book) that is a little bit
  harder than the rest
• What is the instructor like?
• There are many revolving instructors for this
  course.
• Dr. Senin Banga taught this recently, and is a
  surprisingly engaging instructor, interested in
  making sure you are learning, but not too
  lenient.

40
PHYS 410Introduction to Quantum Mechanics

• What is this course about?
• The basics of quantum mechanics (uncertainty
  principle, operators, wavefunctions)
• Counts as a statistics elective
• What skills are needed for this course?
• Knowledge of differential equations and linear
  algebra
• Willingness to work with counterintuitive
  concepts
• What is the work load like?
• Weekly homework assignments (pretty challenging)
• 2 midterm exams and a final exam
• What is the instructor like?
• Dr. Mizel horrible when he taught PHYS 211,
  supposedly excellent for this course
• Dr. Owen wears crazy tie dyed shirts
• Difficulty assessment and rating
• Difficulty rating

41
Stat 418 - Probability

• What is this course about?
• Combinatorics
• Conditional Probability
• Independence and Expectation
• What skills are needed for this course?
• Working knowledge of Math 230 (math intensive)
• Any interest in Gambling
• What is the work load like?
• Homework (time consuming)
• 3 Midterms and a Final
• What is the instructor like?
• There are multiple instructors for this course
  and the course varies a bit depending on the
  instructor.
• Professor Babu
• Difficulty assessment and rating (0-5)
• HW and exam prep are very time consuming, but
  overall the class is rewarding for most students
  ? ? ? ?

42
Questions?
Thank you for coming