Electronic Engineering with a Year Abroad (Year 3) MEng

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
  

This module covers the design and analysis of electronic systems used in telecommunications particularly wireless devices. Devices covered typically include passive components such as transmission lines, directional couplers, periodic structures, and active devices such as amplifiers and oscillators.

The project involves students working in groups of between four and six on a real-world engineering problem. All groups work on the same project and the task is set by a Stakeholder who is typically external to the Department. The students work on the project for the whole academic year and look to come up with an engineering solution to the problem. This will encompass a broad range of engineering skills, involving the design, analysis and evaluation of systems or engineering problems. Assessment of the societal impact of the outcome will form part of the requirement of the project as will the ability to scale-up the solution and turn it into a commercial product. Each group will be under the supervision of a member of academic staff who will act as a facilitator, or an experienced team member. By the end of the project the students are expected to have built and tested a prototype device demonstrating how they will solve the challenge set by the Stakeholder.

This module introduces the main principles of integrated circuits (IC) design for digital electronic systems. This is based around CMOS technology that is used to fabricate the majority of ICs today. It also explores internal operating mechanisms of semiconductor electronics and opto- electronic devices.

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

Applications of Artificial Intelligence in Electrical and Electronic Engineering

This module focuses on Cybersecurity.

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

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.

This module covers

• architectures for embedded systems
• the operation of a microcontroller and its programming
• assembly language directives and instructions
• the interfacing of microcontrollers
• embedded peripherals and interrupts
• communications protocols used in embedded computing
• introduction to larger scale embedded systems

To provide students with the skills required to commission a complete IT system; to provide information on network design & implementation. To introduce students to uses/techniques of IT infrastructure services (e.g., VoIP, Hybrid working, Virtualisation, Directory services) together with approaches to implementing services, security and the overall management and administration of such systems. To provide students with the skills required to commission a complete IT system; to provide information on network design & implementation, services, security and management of systems. To introduce students to new uses of IT infrastructure (eg VoIP).

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.

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

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

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.

This module gives and Introduction to fundamentals of robotics, and introduces students to: Direct Kinematics, Inverse Kinematics, Workspace analysis and  specifying appropriate robotic manipulators for industrial processes.

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

The module provides students with the necessary background knowledge so that they can understand sensors and their applications.  The module covers a selection of topics where information is acquired from sensors and subsequently electronically processed. Applications will typically include, optical, acoustic, non-destructive evaluation, medical and bio-photonics.