Electronic Engineering with an Industrial Year BEng

In this module, you will be involved in the development of an autonomous vehicle building on knowledge learned in other parts of the course.

The work will be lab-based and undertaken in project weeks giving you a break from lectures in each semester.

You will work on this module for a third of the year.

In this module you will start to develop one of the key skills for an engineer – that of being able to program. You will gain the skills required to analyse, design and implement solutions to practical engineering problems through the use of computer aided design tools and the development of software based solutions.

This module introduces you to the algebra of complex numbers. It provides a key mathematical tool for analysis of linear mathematical and engineering problems.

You will study the complexity of solving general systems of equations using matrix techniques and review the calculus of a single variable.

You will have a three hour lecture and workshops each week.

This module will introduce you to electronic systems and information.

You will begin by looking at:

• signals
• analogue/digital systems
• electronic devices and communications systems

Teaching will use a 'top down' approach so you start with the big picture and work towards the more detailed view.

Our world relies on reliable and secure electricity supplies, this module will introduce you to the  concepts and challenges faced in generating traditional and renewable electrical energy. 

Following on from year one, this module continues to introduce to a variety of themes that are at the forefront of contemporary electrical and electronic engineering systems. 

This provides a broader context for the material covered in the co-requisite modules. The topics covered will vary each year and typical subjects might include:

• Smart Grids
• Bio-sensing
• Medical Electronics
• Photonics
• Electric Transportation
• The Internet of Things

This module introduces you to the underpinning technologies for the conditioning, control and conversion of electrical energy.

The topics covered in this module include:

• power electronics
• control
• electrical machines
• renewable energy

In this module you will study:

• intermediate level electronic analogue circuits and their use within more complex systems
• digital design techniques
• software tools
• communications systems
• sources and impact of noise and interference – a key topic for any electrical and electronic engineer

Electrical and electronic engineers are often required to analyse and solve the problems they encounter. 

This module will teach you the required mathematical skills and suitable software tools needed for you to start modelling these problems yourself.

Some topics covered include:

• analysis techniques for dynamic systems with application to communications and control theory
• analysis techniques for digital systems and statistical analysis of signals and data

This module partners with the lecture modules in the second year.

It gives you the chance to put your theoretical knowledge into practice through activities drawn from the design and development cycle.

You will be taking part in two, themed group projects:

• power and energy 
• electronics and communications 

This module covers the design and analysis of electronic systems used in telecommunications particularly wireless devices.

You will look at devices including:

• amplifiers
• oscillators
• phase-locked loops
• mixers

Delivery

Assessment method

Engineers working in industry usually find that they become involved in extended practical or theoretical projects. This module provides an opportunity for you to work in a similar situation.

You’ll indicate your project preferences then work under the supervision of an expert member of staff to write a dissertation on your work and present it publicly. You’ll have weekly individual tutorial with your project supervisor, but otherwise you’ll be expected to work alone.

This module assesses your ability to develop a business plan based on an idea for a new product. This will give you the knowledge and skills needed for a graduate entering employment.

You will do this by learning various models, tools and concepts that are commonly used in business including:

• Belbin’s model of team formation
• the appropriate use of PEST and SWOT analysis
• the basics of marketing
• the product life cycle
• technology audits
• finance sources
• intellectual property
• ethics
• product design

By the end of this module, you will be confident in:

• writing and assessing rudimentary business plans
• making informed decisions about product and business development

This module covers advanced analytic mathematical techniques used to provide exact or approximate solutions to common classes of ordinary differential equations (ODES) typical in Engineering.

Each week there will normally be one, one-hour lecture and a two-hour workshop to introduce key mathematical knowledge on module topics.

Techniques covered include:

• method of variation of parameters
• Laplace transform methods
• Taylor series method
• Frobenius method
• asymptotic regular perturbations and strained coordinates
• multiple scales

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This module is an introduction to the operation of modern digital communication systems. Topics covered include:

• communication systems
• information content and channel capacity
• digital modulation techniques
• data compression techniques
• error-correcting and line coding techniques
• digital signal regeneration techniques
• system examples, telephone, digital television and CD technologies.

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This module introduces students to the concepts and operating principles of fixed and variable speed electric machine and drive systems.

The module will use a number of system examples to demonstrate how machines and drive systems are specified, designed, controlled and operated.

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This module aims to introduce principal generic and distinctive features of embedded computing, and develop practical skills in designing firmware for PIC16 microcontrollers using assembly language.

The modules includes:

• Architectures for embedded programmable digital electronics
• operation of a microcontroller and its programming
• assembly language directives and instructions
• interfacing of microcontrollers
• embedded peripherals and interrupts in microcontrollers
• communications for embedded computing
• special features of microcontrollers (the above items are based on the PIC16 microcontroller family)
• various microcontroller families
• introduction to larger scale embedded systems

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Providing you with the skills required to commission a complete IT system, this module provides information on network design and implementation, services, security and management of systems.

You’ll also be introduced to new uses of IT infrastructure (such as VoIP).

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This module provides knowledge of the fundamentals of mobile communications and its application to real systems.

Typical subjects might be 3rd and 4th generation systems, OFDM and MIMO and how 5th generation systems are likely to develop.

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You will be introduced to the concepts and operating principles of optical communication systems and networks and the devices that underpin them.

Topics typically include:

• characteristics of optical fibres
• active and passive optical devices: including transmitters, detectors, amplifiers, multiplexers, filters and couplers

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Providing an understanding of the operational principles of power electronic converters and their associated systems, this module covers: 3-phase naturally commutated ac-dc/dc-ac converters, capacitive and inductive smoothing - device ratings, dc-ac PWM inverters and modulation strategies, resonant converters, high power factor utility interface circuits and power converter topologies for high power (multilevel). You’ll have two one-hour lectures per week.

This module provides students with an understanding of power system apparatus and their behaviour under normal and fault conditions. This module covers:

• concept and analysis of load flow
• voltage/current symmetrical components
• computation of fault currents
• economic optimisation
• power-system control and stability
• power system protection

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This module covers the analysis and design of renewable and sustainable energy systems. It covers the various types of renewable energy and the resources available.

It uses an understanding of the physical principles of various types of energy resources in order to develop analytical models which can be applied to the design of renewable energy systems, including energy conversion and storage, especially for electrical power generation.

It includes;

• Wind power: wind probability distributions, wind turbine performance and control, comparison of generator types
• Hydro and tidal power: resource assessment, turbine types and principles
• Solar power, including PV cell equivalent circuit, analysis of losses, matching to DC and AC power systems
• Wave power systems, including wave energy characteristics, types of energy converter
• Characteristics of synchronous and induction generators
• Embedded generation; types of generator and operation of RE within the power system
• Economic and environmental assessment of energy conversion technologies.

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This module is an introduction to electromechanical fundamentals in robotics and covers:

• Direct kinematics
• Inverse kinematics
• Workspace analysis and and specifying appropriate robotic manipulators for industrial processes

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Development and deployment of software for a variety of platforms ranging from the web and mobile devices through to large scale parallel computers.

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This module covers a selection of topics where information is acquired from sensors and subsequently electronically processed.

Applications include:

• optical
• acoustic
• non-destructive evaluation
• medical
• biophotonics

Method and Frequency of Class:

Method of Assessment:

This module is to provide students with a good understanding of the concepts of systems engineering, including information on a range of relevant interdisciplinary material that electrical and electronic engineers would typically take into account, developing critical assessment skills through holistic lifecycle consideration.

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