EA1

Definition
Understanding of engineering principles and the ability to apply them to analyse key engineering processes.

Sub skills
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Assessment
Current methods used to assess ability in the skill.

Benchmarks
CORE

Introduction to Electronic Hardware

Be able to design simple analogue circuits based on the operational amplifier. Be able to design simple combinational logic circuits using formal methods.

Analogue Electronics

Be able to: Analyse simple circuits in the time and frequency domains; Use a range of mathematical techniques for the analysis of dynamic systems, networks and multiple input and output systems.

Digital Electronics

Understand and comment on the role of digital electronics in state-of-the-art devices. Be able to: Implement designs on programmable logic; Design interface and control circuits; Know when to use such standard logic or programmable logic; ROM or RAM; partial or full decoding; Design medium scale digital systems using components from standard families; Evaluate the comparative benefits of two or more design solutions. Employ timing diagrams in the evaluation and testing of digital systems.

Signals & Systems

Use the Laplace transform in the analysis and characterisation of linear, time-invariant systems. Understand the limitations of the Laplace transform in the context of engineering problems. Compare and contrast the Laplace & Fourier transforms in an engineering context. Demonstrate an understanding of Fourier Series and Fourier Transform techniques. Demonstrate an understanding of Convolution and Correlation techniques. Apply Fourier Series and Fourier Transform techniques to describe the characteristics of signals. Explain and use the theorems associated with Fourier Transform techniques. Describe the use of Correlation and Convolution techniques to analyse linear time invariant systems.

High Speed Electronics

Be able to analyse and design basic transmission line based signal transmission systems for high speed data transmission, accounting for the imperfections found in such systems and the techniques required to overcome these problems.

Further Digital Electronics

Understand and have practice in the design of complex digital circuits using a hierarchical approach. Be able to: Design digital circuits using VHDL; Use advanced simulation techniques to verify the operation of digital circuits.

Advanced Analogue Electronics

Demonstrate an understanding of the propagation mechanisms of electromagnetic waves in free space and within materials. Express relations for the electric and magnetic fields within a wave and the power density associated with a wave. Classify materials according to the nature of a wave propagating through them. Determine the interactions of electromagnetic waves at boundaries between materials.

NON-CORE

Music Technology: Creation and Perception

Summarise the theory behind sampling and synthesis systems. Incorporate knowledge of psychoacoustics in future music technology system designs.

Principles of Flight

Design exercise.

Links, Networks and Protocols

Have developed the skills to analyse and interpret the results of Monte-Carlo simulations.

Introduction to Nanotechnology

Understand the limit of the density of information storage. Calculate the superparamagnetic limit of the magnetic bits in data storage. Understand the differences in scale between micro and nanoscale devices.

Semiconductor Devices

Analyse diode and transistor bias circuits. Determine small signal parameters and low frequency small signal equivalent circuits. Analyse small signal transistor circuits.

Nano fabrication

Know how nano-devices are made.

Distributed Circuits

Know how to use the Smith Chart for transmission-line calculations. Be Understand how S-parameters are used in amplifier and attenuator design.

Modern & Digital Control

Analyse the properties of hybrid control systems, involving a mixture of samplers, data holds and system units, be able to derive and calculate the appropriate discrete transfer function for a given system configuration and be able to calculate Z-transforms and inverse Z- transforms.

Digital Engineering

Analyse algorithms and identify strategies for their implementation on microprocessor-based systems. Develop complex VHDL testbenches for circuit verification and devise appropriate verification strategies.

Mobile Communications Systems

Measuring and improving spectral efficiency: power control, channel assignment, and adaptive modulation and coding. Traffic modelling and capacity calculations: the Erlang and Engset distributions, Poisson statistics and Self-Similarity.

Internet Protocols

Describe, and calculate the efficiencies of common flow control and error control techniques, including sliding window, selective-repeat and go-back-N. Understand the advantages and disadvantages of parity, checksums and CRCs as error detection techniques. Understand how Ethernet works in detail (including the 802.2 LLC), and how it developed from earlier multiple access schemes. Describe the function of bridges and routers and how they work, including the spanning tree algorithm and common routeing protocols. Explain the functions of IPv4, IPv6, TCP and UDP, DNS, DHCP, ARP and NAT and how they work together on the Internet.

Analogue & Digital Filters

Design and build analogue and digital filters. Calculate the order and type of filter based on specifications. Implement such filters using passive LC and active circuits or in Matlab, as appropriate.

Antennas and Propagation

Specify the performance of the system in terms of antenna characteristics. Estimate the channel losses for guided, ground, sky and free- space waves, including the effects of diffraction and reflections, and know what applications use these propagation modes. Understand the problems of interference and fading, and be familiar with (and able to use to calculate fading probabilities) a two-ray model and Rayleigh model.

DSP Architectures

Use and understand the complete design flow required to implement complex designs that include a microprocessor module on an FPGA-based platform. Analyse algorithms and identify efficient strategies for their implementation using dedicated hardware. Appreciate strengths and limitations of the debugging of digital circuits and integrate test logic in a design using a JTAG interface.

Flight Control

Understand and describe the fundamental behaviour of the longitudinal and lateral dynamics of a fixed-using aircraft.

Nanoelectronics

Explain the concepts of a quantum well, quantum transport and tunnelling effects. Describe the spin-dependant electron transport in magnetic devices. Summarise the applications of nanotechnology and nanoelectronics. Understand the impact of nanoelectronics onto information technology, communication and computer science.

Photonics & Nanophotonics

Explain how the optical properties of nanostructures affect the performance of optoelectronic devices. Explain the new possibilities in optoelectronics and photonics offered by the use of nanostructures. Assess the main trends in photonics and nanophotonics.

Modems

Be able to specify and evaluate the performance of wireless modems.

Relevant Higher Level Skills
Electrical Engineering