P1

Definition
Knowledge of characteristics of particular materials, equipment, processes, or products.

Sub skills
Write the second section of your page here.

Assessment
Current methods used to assess ability in the skill.

Benchmarks
 CORE 

Introduction to Electronic Hardware

Understand the basic properties of fundamental passive analogue components. Understand the operation of fundamental digital logic circuits in a variety of applications. Be able to design simple analogue circuits based on the operational amplifier. Be able to design simple combinational logic circuits using formal methods.

Introduction to Electronic Systems

Be able to place the fundamental material taught so far into a real-world context. Be able to understand the context into which subsequent electronics modules can be placed. Understand the elementary architectural components of computer systems and their relationship to appropriate programming techniques. Be familiar with the fundamental concepts in communications.

Analogue Electronics

Be able to: Analyse simple circuits in the time and frequency domains; Explain the operation and limitations of basic operational amplifier circuits.

Digital Electronics

Basic combinational and sequential logic design. Programmable logic, memory devices, MSI modules and the design of synchronous and asynchronous systems. Elementary architectural components of computer systems. The relationship between architectures and programming techniques.

High Speed Electronics

The fundamental principles of electromagnetism and its applications in signal transmission. The concept of noise in electronic systems and its consequences.

Further Digital Electronics

Digital circuit design using VHDL.

￼￼￼￼￼￼￼￼￼￼￼￼￼￼￼Advanced Analogue Electronics

The propagation mechanisms of electromagnetic waves in free space and within materials.

Design & Construction

To develop a “product” from specification through to implementation using a FPGA.

NON-CORE

Music Technology: Creation and Perception

Incorporate knowledge of psychoacoustics in future music technology system designs. Demonstrate their understanding of acoustics in free field and enclosed spaces. Influence the acoustics of an enclosed space through designed physical modifications.

Light, Vision and Perception

Gain an overview of current knowledge of human vision from photoreception to perception, and an understanding of how such knowledge applies to human factors in media technology and engineering.

Principles of Flight

Design exercise.

Links, Networks and Protocols

Understand how protocol layers work together, and the functions of the application, transport, network, data-link and physical layers. Understand the tradeoffs in designing optimum protocols for at least one layer.

Computer Operating Systems and Interfacing

Understand, compare and contrast the leading computer operating systems. Understand the implementation and limitations of core components within a modern computer operating system.

Semiconductor Devices

Understand the basic principles of operation of semiconductor devices.

Introduction to the Internet and Numerical Methods

Understand how Ethernet works in detail (including the 802.2 LLC), and how it developed from earlier multiple access schemes.

Data Structures & Algorithms and Numerical Methods

To understand the role of algorithm and data structure design in software, and be able to appraise and articulate design choices in terms of algorithm efficiency as well as correctness, reliability and maintainability. To know the definitions and roles of important abstract data types: lists, stacks, queues, tables, trees and graphs, and be able to implement, debug and validate important abstract data types. To understand examples of the trade-offs between different types of implementation for abstract data types for example the implementation of a table with unordered and ordered arrays, a binary search tree or a hash table and analyse the computational cost of each. To know of and be able to implement standard algorithms in sorting (including quicksort, radix sort and heapsort), searching (including binary search), tree traversal, and graph analysis.

Computer Architectures

Understand in detail the basic operating principles of a microprocessor. Understand how a microprocessor operates within a complete computing system. Use hierarchical design techniques to implement complex designs. Use design capture in VHDL and integrate these design techniques. Use pre- and post-route simulation to verify designs.

People in Technology-based Organisations

Work in a group to undertake prescribed activities. Understand own and others team role preference. Be able to give feedback to others. Write a reflective practice report on self.

Further Analogue Electronics

Analyse and design FET based bias and amplifier circuits. Calculate the frequency response of amplifiers. Understand dominant pole compensation in amplifiers. Understand the factors contributing to distortion in large signal and power stage. Analyse analogue power stages to determine their efficiency. Design simple SMPSU. Understand SOA for power transistors and the use of heatsinks.

Nano fabrication

Know the issues in nanotechnology as compared, for example, to microelectronics. Understand the implications of using nanotechnology in various fields, e.g. food, agriculture, home appliances and in industry.

Hearing & Voice

Demonstrate practical skills in speech analysis and synthesis.

Video Systems

To understand the fundamental terms and concepts of analogue and digital television, and understand how the design of television fulfils human and technical constraints, including its relationship to the human visual system, the need for forwards and backwards compatibility in the design of colour television, and the economics of broadcasting. ￼￼

Distributed Circuits

Know how to use the Smith Chart for transmission-line calculations. Have a basic understanding of how a network analyser works.

Modern & Digital Control

Be able to design multivariable feedback control systems to given requirements in state-space form.

Digital Engineering

Implement and use complex IP modules within a FPGA design. Develop complex VHDL testbenches for circuit verification and devise appropriate verification strategies. Use and understand the complete design flow required to implement a microprocessor module on an FPGA-based platform.

Mobile Communications Systems

Understand the design decisions behind the GSM, WCDMA, Wi-Fi, 3GPP-LTE and Bluetooth standards. Describe, define and account for the quality of service requirements of different communications applications. Derive and understand the application and limitations of the Erlang-B, Erlang-C and Engset distributions for circuit-switched network design.

Optical Communications

List the major technical characteristics of optoelectronic components (sources and receivers, amplifiers, modulators); explain their effect on possibilities and limitations of a system; calculate the main technical parameters of laser and amplifier from the construction and material properties, select a right type of component for a particular system application. Describe and calculate the loss and dispersion limits on optical communications for both direct and external modulated systems. Distinguish between different optical communication system designs, select the right type of architecture for a given system purpose.

Internet Protocols

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

Calculate the order and type of filter based on specifications.

Antennas and Propagation

Understand the importance of antennas in all types of radio communication systems.

Distributed Computer Systems

Demonstrate an understanding of a distributed computing environment.

Environmental Engineering & Instrumentation

To understand the sensors and instrumentation available for environmental and industrial monitoring. To understand the requirements for monitoring the environment.

Flight Control

Understand and describe the fundamental behaviour of the longitudinal and lateral dynamics of a fixed-using aircraft. Apply control systems analysis and design methods in the formulation and implementation of simple flight control laws.

Neural Networks

Demonstrate an understanding of the structure and function of a neural computing unit. Demonstrate an understanding of perceptron networks. Calculate and use the Widrow-Hoff delta learning rule for binary perceptron units. Demonstrate an understanding of Associative networks. Calculate and use the Hopfield energy function for associative networks. Demonstrate an understanding of unsupervised learning. Illustrate the use of Hebbian learning (Oja’s rule), Competitive learning and Kohonen learning rules. Demonstrate an understanding of Multi Layer Perceptron networks and the Backpropagation learning algorithm.

Photonics & Nanophotonics

Distinguish between different types of nanostructures (wells, wires, dots), describe the bandstructure of semiconductor nanostructure and its effect on optical properties.

Modems

Choose appropriate line codes and transmission formats for baseband channels. Compare and contrast several common modulation schemes. Describe the most important RF receiver topologies and calculate noise and intermodulation performance. Understand the modulation and demodulation processes of common wireless modems. Appreciate the advantages of using DSP techniques and software radio. Have knowledge of common techniques for synchronisation and timing recovery. Be able to specify and evaluate the performance of wireless modems. Have a working knowledge of common DSP receiver technologies.

Relevant Higher Order Skills
Electrical Engineering