Departmental Computer Facilities. A network of SUN
workstations running UNIX on PC computers running Windows NT is
available in the undergraduate instructional labs. More specialized
instructional labs associated with the courses in digital signal
processing, electromagnetic fields and radiation, microwaves, and
microelectronics are provided with a large number of PC-Pentium
computers and laser printers. The department has high speed networking
capability. In addition, terminals provide access to the School of
Engineering computer systems hosting state-of-the-art CAD/CAM software
packages. Sophisticated engineering packages are available such as
Mentor Graphics, Cadence, EESOF, SPICE, Matlab, Maple V, SPW, and a
variety of graphics packages.
Communication Systems Laboratory. This
laboratory contains equipment for the study of analog, pulse, and
digital modulation methods. Facilities include multimeters, wideband
signal generators, oscilloscopes, and spectrum analyzers. The range of
topics involve communication circuit and system design, using
breadboarded components through the sophisticated subsystem module
interconnection. In addition, computer simulation methods are used to
verify system performance. A graphics-based communication systems
simulator software package is available.
System performance is
investigated for amplitude, phase, and frequency modulation techniques,
including pulse position, width, and amplitude data transmission
schemes, binary and M-ary digital modulation and receiver structures,
and spectral occupancy versus power constraints.
Computer Architecture Laboratory. This
laboratory consists of experimental stations that provide students with
opportunities to gain experience with the internal workings of a
microcomputer, learn assembly programming for a standard commercial
microprocessor, and learn how to interface input/output memory, serial
I/O, and parallel I/O chips to a standard microprocessor.
Digital Logic Design Laboratory. This
laboratory provides practical experience with the design and hardware
implementation of digital circuits for sophomore students. The
laboratory is based on a CAD tool from Viewlogic to simulate and debug
a circuit that is then implemented in hardware using SSI and MSI ICs.
The experiments cover all the relevant topics about combinational and
sequential logic with circuits of increasing complexity.
Digital Signal Processing Laboratory. This
laboratory is available for undergraduate instruction and special
projects. Microprocessor-based workstations provide flexibility in the
design and analysis of various real-time digital filtering operations.
Experiments in speech and audio signal processing demonstrate digital
methods used in processing analog signals. Other facilities include a
digital image- processing laboratory and a variety of special-purpose
signal processors.
Electronics Laboratory. This
laboratory contains equipment for the study of solid-state devices and
circuits. Experiments involve studies of biasing and low-frequency
operations of discrete solid-state devices, frequency response, and the
effect of feedback on single- and multistage BJT and MOSFET amplifiers.
Further studies include OP-AMP parameters, frequency response, and
OP-AMP linear and nonlinear circuits and systems. The laboratory is
well-equipped for a range of student projects in electronic circuit
designs.
Microelectronics Research Laboratory (MERL). MERL
provides students an opportunity to familiarize themselves with the
integrated circuit fabrication and semiconductor device processing
techniques in a modern, clean-room environment. Students become
familiar with the photolithography, oxidation and diffusion processes,
ion implantation, metallization, plasma etching, silicon
micromachining, interconnects, and fabrication of different devices. In
addition, a well-equipped simulation laboratory is used for the
modeling of circuits, devices, and processes related to the
experimental and theoretical aspects of semiconductor technology.
Solid-State Electronics Laboratory. In
addition to the facilities provided by the microelectronics research
laboratory (MERL), facilities exist for the study of microwave devices,
high-current switching devices, electro-optical modulation,
heterojunction lasers, and electrical characterization of materials, as
well as their use in communications, different solar cells, and related
devices.
Virtual Reality Laboratory. This
laboratory provides facilities for students to gain hands-on experience
with several Virtual Reality (VR) specific interfaces, such as stereo
glasses, 3-D trackers, force feedback joysticks, and sensing gloves. It
also has facilities to train students in the intricacies of 3-D
graphics and real-time simulation programming.
VLSI Design Laboratory. This
laboratory consists of Sun and HP engineering workstations, a color
plotter, automatic test equipment for VLSI chip testing, and a laser
printer. Students are able to design integrated circuits and in some
cases may be able to have them fabricated and tested. The laboratory
has the Generator Development Tool industrial chip design software that
supports silicon compilation mixed-level circuit simulation (including
SPICE), automatic chip layout generation from circuit schematics, and
the VHDL hardware description language.
In addition to the
above-mentioned laboratories, students interested in special projects
in computer engineering may take advantage of the many well-equipped
faculty-supervised research laboratories, available in such specialties
as robotics, computer graphics, computer database design, speech
processing, image processing, machine vision, and software engineering.
Wireless Information Network Laboratory (WINLAB).
WINLAB is an industry-university collaborative research center that
provides facilities for undergraduate and graduate research in the area
of wireless communications and networking. Experimental resources at
WINLAB include the RF/Modem Lab, Mobile Networking Lab, and Wireless
System-on-chip lab, covering a range of hardware and software
design/prototyping. Current lab equipment includes radio propagation
measurement tools, a DSP/FPGA software radio setup, and the
NSF-sponsored open architecture wireless network testbed (ORBIT). The
center supports undergraduate research on topics such as radio
propagation studies, modem signal processing, wireless local area
networks, and mobile computing applications.
