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Engineering, Mathematics and Science
135
Electronic and computer
engineering (joint programme)
Students who wish to study Electronic and computer
engineering apply to the Integrated engineering degree (TR032).
The first two years are common to all Integrated engineering
students and at the end of the second-year students select
the joint programme in Electronic and computer engineering
as their specialist area.
See page 125 for details of the Freshman (first two) years..
What is Electronic and
computer engineering?
Organising both hardware (electronic) and software (computer)
components into a useful and productive system is the principal
job of the electronic and computer engineer. With a unique
combination of both skill-sets, such an engineer is trained
to make design decisions that result in the most productive
systems.
Course overview
In the third year you will study four core engineering subjects
and seven electronic and computer engineering subjects. There
are approximately 16 hours of lectures, 4 hours of tutorials, 3
hours of laboratory time and 3 hours of project time per week.
A fourth year electronic and computer engineering student
typically has a weekly timetable consisting of 14 hours of
lectures, 4 hours of tutorials and 3 to 4 hours of laboratory work.
Additionally, you will have laboratory access for individual work
on your project. There may also be the opportunity to undertake
a
placement in industry or with a research group
or to
participate in the Unitech or Cluster programmes.
The optional fifth year of the programme will allow students to
study toward the M.A.I. Master’s degree qualification with more
advanced level of treatment of the topics listed above.
What will you study?
This degree option blends aspects of both the Electronic
engineering (see page 133) and Computer engineering (see
page 132) options into one course.
Third year courses cover:
n
Core elements of analogue and digital electronics
–
the principles of operation of electronic devices and their
behaviour when connected to form circuits.
n
Microprocessor system
s – all aspects of the principles,
design, construction and characterisation of the hardware
and system software of microprocessor-based computers.
n
Signals and systems
– electronic circuits, mathematical
methods and algorithms for describing and processing
signals, such as audio and video.
n
Computer networks
– protocols and behaviour of computer
networks.
n
Telecommunications
– electronic circuits and networks and
the principles of modulation and coding for the transmission
of information over guided paths and through free-space.
In the fourth year, in addition to a course in engineering
management and an engineering project, you will choose
a combination of subjects that allows you to balance your
specialisation between the electronic and computer engineering
subjects:
Fourth year courses cover:
n
Integrated systems design and Digital control systems
n
Telecommunications and Digital communications
n
Digital signal processing and Digital media processing
n
Microelectronic technology and Microelectronic circuits
n
Computer architecture
n
Data engineering
n
Computer graphics
n
Computer vision
n
Knowledge engineering
n
Sustainable computing
n
Augmented reality
n
Security of networks and distributed systems
In the optional fifth year, which leads to an M.A.I. Master’s
degree, students take a course in research methods and a
number of elective courses during the first semester. These
courses include:
n
Digital media systems
n
Speech and audio engineering
n
Statistical signal processing
n
Wireless networks and communications
n
Physiological measurement and data analysis
n
Distributed systems
n
Fuzzy logic
n
Formal methods
n
Advanced computer architecture
n
Networked applications
n
Artificial intelligence
n
Real time animation
During the second semester each student undertakes a major
individual project that is assessed by a presentation and an end-
of-year dissertation. Some examples of project areas include:
n
Communications networking
n
Electronic circuit design
n
Integrated circuit technology
n
Electronic and optoelectronic materials
n
Sensor-based ad hoc networks
n
Microphone array characterisation
n
Vector quantisation of images in pyramidal form
n
Design and development of a campus-based wireless
information access system