Director: Fong K. Mak, Ph.D., P.E
INTRODUCTION
The world of electrical and computer engineering is an ever-changing one. The advances over a new graduate's working career of approximately 40 years will be phenomenal with applied undergraduate engineering courses slowly becoming obsolete. The most useful knowledge obtained from the undergraduate courses is the mathematics, engineering science, and humanities courses plus the acquired ability to attack and solve new problems in a forthright manner. Graduate school is the next step in a lifetime of learning for both new graduates and for those who have been out a few years and recognize the need for more education.
The graduate program in ECE is designed to provide advanced studies for the graduate engineer who wishes to continue preparation for effective participation in the professions of electrical, software, and systems engineering. The program also provides continuing education in advanced subjects for the working engineer who acknowledges the need to stay abreast of the rapidly changing technological world. Emphasis is placed on the development of the engineer's capacity for independent study and continued professional growth.
DEGREES OFFERED
The program offers both a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering (MSEE) degree and a Master of Science in Embedded Software Engineering (MSES) degree.
ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
Upon commencement of graduate studies, the student will choose to study for an Electrical Engineering or Embedded Software degree. The student will be assigned an initial advisor by the program director. The advisor and student will select appropriate courses for the objectives of the student and obtain approval of this course-of-study through the academic approval sequence. All students must take the following two courses during the first 12 credits:
COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
GENG 603 Engineering Analysis I
GENG 703 Engineering Analysis II
Upon request, substitution for Engineering Analysis I may be approved by the chairperson. All students must complete at least one systems development course prior to graduation. Systems development courses include:
GENG 580 Requirements Engineering
GENG 570 Introduction to Systems Engineering
After the student has completed 12 credits of study, the student will be assessed relative to their preparedness to begin thesis or project work. The candidate must have a 3.0 QPA to continue for the degree. The candidate must then choose one of the three project/thesis plans below for completion of their degree and an advisor will be assigned to guide the candidate for the completion of the degree work. Students cannot register for project/thesis credits until after 12 credits of graduate work are completed (see plans A, B, and C below). The degrees require a total of 30 credit hours of graduate work. Up to 6 credits of approved graduate work can be transferred from another graduate program.
Plan A (Thesis):
The candidate will be required to submit a 6 credit thesis as part of the 30 credits of graduate course work and pass a final oral examination on the thesis material and related subjects. The thesis work must be approved by the academic approval sequence prior to the commencement of the research work. The thesis advisor will direct the student’s work and determine when to recommend the manuscript for review by a faculty committee. The review committee will be appointed by the usual academic approval sequence and will consist of as least three full-time Gannon engineering faculty members familiar with the subject material and one member from outside the ECE department. The outside member can be from industry. The advisor will be the chair of the review committee.
Plan B (Project):
The student will be required to complete a design project and to pass a final examination covering the student’s project and related subject areas. The project can be worth 3 or 6 graduate credits as part of the 30 credits of graduate course work depending on the difficulty of the project. The project must be approved by the usual academic approval sequence prior to the commencement of the project work. The project advisor will direct the student’s work and determine when to recommend the manuscript for review by a faculty committee. The review committee will be appointed by the usual academic approval sequence and will consist of as least three full-time Gannon engineering faculty members familiar with the subject material and one will be the chair of the review committee.
Plan C (Project Course):
The student will be required to complete a 3 credit course designated as a project course. The project course will be approved by the usual academic approval sequence prior to the commencement of the project work and must include a significant project for its completion. The course instructor will inform the student of the complete requirements for the project course and will be responsible for seeing that the student satisfies these requirements. Students are required to prepare a manuscript in thesis format for the project. Students shall be required to make a formal presentation of their work.
DEGREE PROGRAMS
Electrical Engineering Degree
The goal of the program is to give an Electrical and Computer Engineering graduate the necessary education to be an effective design or systems engineer. The student shall devise a curriculum with his/her advisor to pursue knowledge in advanced control theory, system modeling, electronics, communication, systems engineering, and embedded software. The student must complete at least 9 credits of Electrical Engineering program courses and satisfy the project/thesis requirement in Electrical Engineering.
Embedded Software Engineering Degree
The goal of the program is to give an Electrical and Computer Engineering graduate the necessary education to be an effective embedded software/systems engineer. The student shall devise a curriculum with his/her advisor to pursue knowledge in computer hardware and software implementation strategies, software development, software quality measures, software design and testing techniques, microprocessors, digital system design and/or hardware description languages. The student must complete at least 9 credits of Embedded Software Engineering program courses in system, software, and hardware categories:
Co-op Track
The objective of the co-op track is to present an academic program combined with application training on actual industrial problems in engineering environments. This is to give students a targeted education on real-world problems. Students may join this program after completing sufficient coursework to be successful in an industrial environment, and receiving approved industrial sponsorship. International students must meet INS eligibility requirements.
Students accepted to the co-op track are assigned a Gannon professor as a mentor, and must take the Graduate Professional Experience (GENG700-series) course each semester they are enrolled in the program.
Students must complete 30 credits of graduate course work in addition to their Graduate Professional Experience courses. Students must maintain a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0 for the duration of their master’s degree program, and fulfill all other requirements for their degree.
Professional Track
Gannon runs a two year work-study program with local industry in Erie. The objective of the track is to present an academic program combined with application training on actual industrial problems to give students a targeted education, complemented by hands-on, real-world development exposure. Students are selected for this track based on academic background, leadership skills, and communication skills. The student is assigned a Gannon professor as a mentor while working at the industrial site. The mentor advises the student on his academic work and guides the student on industrial engineering projects. The projects are carefully chosen to reinforce classroom work and to develop the students into outstanding engineers. In addition to the mentorship in technical areas, the professor also mentors the student in leadership skills, work and personal ethics, and communication skills that are needed in the industrial workplace. This track requires that the student work on these projects half time during the school year and full time during the summer. The students receive full tuition and a yearly stipend for their work. Students need to apply and be accepted separately for this program. The number of students in this track is dependent on availability of industrial sponsorship.
The students earn either an Electrical Engineering degree or an Embedded Software Engineering degree. There are two tracks for the program:
Embedded Software track (leads to Embedded Software degree) and the Systems and Modeling track (leads to Electrical Engineering degree). All students in the professional track must have equivalent background (academic or professional) in Automatic Control. Furthermore, all students in the Embedded Software track must have equivalent background in C++ and Data Structures. The recommended curriculum is as follows:
| Embedded Software | Systems and Modeling |
| Summer second Session | |
| Intro to Embedded Systems | Intro to Embedded Systems |
| Orientation and Curricular | Orientation and Curricular |
| Practical Training (CPT) | Practical Training (CPT) |
| Fall First Semester | |
| Engineering Analysis I?* | Engineering Analysis I?* |
| Requirements Engineering* | Requirements Engineering* |
| Personal Software Process* | System Modeling* |
| CPT | CPT |
| Spring Second Semester | |
| Engineering Analysis II* | Engineering Analysis II* |
| Object Oriented Modeling* | Object Oriented Modeling |
| Embedded Systems Design* | Electric Machine Modeling* |
| CPT | CPT |
| Summer | |
| CPT | CPT |
| Fall Third Semester | |
| Embedded Sw Paradigms | Control of Electric Drives |
| Elective | Power Electronics |
| Adv Digital Design | Elective |
| CPT | CPT |
| Spring Fourth Semester | |
| Project/thesis | Project/thesis |
| Embedded Kernel | Digital Control |
| Elective | Elective |
| CPT | CPT |
? Substitutions for this course may be approved by advisor and Department Chair.
* Required courses for professional track
Courses of Interest for All Options
GECE 507 Web Programming
3 Credits
Prerequisite: GCIS 501 or equivalent
This course provides the knowledge of theory and techniques of data communications and advanced web programming. The course introduces students to a wide range of topics in computer networking and web programming, including data transmission, packet transmission, internetworking, TCP/IP, network applications, Java, CGI languages, and other various script languages.
GECE 509 Software Tools
3 Credits
Prerequisite: GENG 585 or equivalent
Focus on the Unix programming environment and the various tools for software development, application environments and techniques. Topics include operating systems, standards, real-time programming, concurrency, software testing, metrics, IPC techniques, scripting, compilers, interactive debugging.
GENG 570 Introduction to Systems Engineering
3 Credits
The function of systems engineering is to guide the engineering of complex systems that is the collection of components, people, facilities and procedures organized to accomplish some common objectives. This course explores the life cycle of systems, and the skills required to manage the development effective system architectures from concepts through engineering design and production. Topics include, but are not limited to the structure of complex systems, system development processes, systems engineering management, needs analysis, systems requirements management, program risk, functional analysis and design, integration and system evaluation.
GENG 580 Requirements Engineering
3 Credits
Requirements engineering process from initial requirements elicitation through to requirements validation for systems engineering. The course includes specific techniques for the analysis, modeling, validation, and management of requirements for engineering projects, and is applicable to software, mechanical, electrical, process and other types of engineering projects. Topics include requirements processes, documents, elicitation, analysis, management, modeling, viewpoint analysis, non-functional requirements, and advanced topics.
GENG 582 Fuzzy Control
3 Credits
This course provides a fundamental understanding of fuzzy logic with application to control theory. The methodology provides a method for constructing nonlinear controllers via the use of heuristic information for real-world problems. The fuzzy controller emulates the decision making process of the human. Engineering evaluations of performance and comparative analysis with conventional control methods are used.
GENG 585 Advanced Programming In C/C++
3 Credits
Problem analysis. Translation path from pseudo-code to implementation. Comparison of C and C++ implementations. Critical evaluation of time, memory, and program structure. Programming style.
GENG 586 Object-Oriented Modeling
3 Credits
Prerequisite: GENG 580 or equivalent.
An advanced treatment of methods for producing an object-oriented design, including structural, behavioral, and architectural design. Focus is on Object-Oriented analysis and design methods and design processes they support. Includes treatment of the Unified Modeling Language (UML) techniques and their application to systems/software development
GENG588 Modern Control Theory
3 Credits
Linear spaces and operators, mathematical descriptions of systems. Linear dynamical systems and impulse response, matrices. Controllability and observability of linear dynamical systems. Irreducible realizations of rational transfer function matrices. Canonical forms, state feedback and state estimators. Stability of linear systems. Composite systems; linear optimal control and linear distributed systems
GENG 590-599 Special Topics in Engineering
3 Credits
Special courses developed from study interest in all areas of Engineering. Brief description of current content to be announced in schedule of classes.
GENG 603 Engineering Analysis I
3 Credits
The theory and application to engineering problems of Laplace transforms, generalized Fourier transforms and Linear Algebra.
GENG 609 Nonlinear Analysis
3 Credits
Introduction to the understanding of nonlinear characteristic of mechanical and electrical components and systems. Basic analytical, graphical and numerical methods are presented. Introduction to chaotic dynamics and nonlinear control.
GENG 648 Modeling and Simulation of Dynamic Systems
3 Credits
This interdisciplinary course presents mathematical modeling methods for physical dynamic systems containing electrical, mechanical, and control components. Included are the application of physical principles, energy approaches, non-dimensional techniques, and discretization of continuous systems. Numerical simulation of linear and nonlinear models will be studied and compared to experimental results. Problems of current interest will be used as examples.
GENG 678 System Testing
3 Credits
Prerequisite: GENG 586
This course covers the fundamentals of testing engineering systems and their models. Includes coverage of types of testing, fundamental problems in testing, purposes for testing, test case design, quality assurance and test planning. Topics include prototype testing, validation testing, acceptance testing, and other topics.
GENG 685 Advanced Control Systems
3 Credits
This course treats the analysis and design of linear control systems from the point view of state space representations. Topics will include system modeling, coordinate transformation, controllability, observability, output feedback, state feedback, linear quadratic regulators, and linear estimators. Additionally, an introduction to nonlinear control is presented with the topics of feedback linearization and adaptive control. Applications from interdisciplinary current state-of-art systems will be presented.
GENG 688 Digital Control 3 Credits This course deals with the control of dynamic systems by employing classical and model control tools incorporating a digital computer in the control loop. It provides the background needed for those practicing engineers, who have studied the concepts of continuous-time control, to enhance their knowledge in the area of digital control system. Topics include the Z-transform, digital control system design, filters design, and the state-space approach to control system design. Modern software tools such as Matlab/Simulink will be used.
GENG 689 Stability Analysis of Multidimensional Dynamic Systems
3 Credits
Fundamental concepts of stability for carious classes of dynamic systems are examined and discussed. The systems considered include multidimensional lumped-parameter systems that can be described by linear differential equations. The systems under consideration are divided into certain well-defined classes, and various phenomena related to vibrations and stability of these systems are exposed systematically. Although the course examples are drawn from mechanical systems, the general nature of formulation can be applied to systems of similar nature in other disciplines, such as electrical circuits.
GENG 690-699 Special Topics in Engineering
3 Credits
Special courses developed from study interest in all areas of Engineering. Brief description of current content to be announced in schedule of classes. Graduate courses in the 600 series are open to graduate students only.
GENG 700-702 Graduate Professional Experience
1 Credit
Prerequisite: Discipline-specific industrial sponsorship
This course complements regular academic training with hands-on, real-world development exposure. Students are required to be engaged in practical training during the course. International students require Curricular Practical Training (CPT) approval. Topics include issues facing engineering and computing professionals, trends in the fields, job prospects, team and workplace behavior, project leadership as well as reviews of speaking, listening, reading and writing skills.
GENG 703 Engineering Analysis II
3 Credits
Solving engineering problems using ordinary differential equations, partial differential equations, series solutions to differential equations. Complex analysis applied to engineering problems.
GENG 796 Directed Project
3 Credits
Those students choosing their research project option will complete a directed research project. The student must submit a project proposal to the department for approval. Upon approval of the topic, the department Chair will appoint a three member committee to oversee the project. The student will perform the literature search, complete the project, and submit a project report that conforms to department thesis guidelines, and pass an oral defense.
GENG 797 Thesis
6 Credits
Those students choosing the thesis option must select a directed project with a research component. The student must submit a thesis proposal to the department for approval. Upon approval of the topic, the department Chair will appoint a three member committee to oversee the project. The student will perform the literature search, complete the project, submit a thesis report that conforms to department thesis guidelines, and pass an oral defense. Additionally, thesis students are expected to submit a paper on their work suitable for publication.
Courses of Interest for Embedded Software Option
GECE 501 Introduction to Embedded Systems
3 Credits*
This course orients students to embedded system concepts and gives different embedded system applications. The course is structured as a series of lectures and training sessions at General Electric Transportation System work site. Topics include but not restricted to the following: Software QSP/QSW, DC locomotive overview, ISO9000 overview, CSE overview, Toll Gate overview, OTC overview, DFSS training, Software Process, Traction System overview, RMD overview, OHV overview, System Integration overview, IFC overview, Formal Technical overview, DC Simulator overview, FTR recording, Simulink training.
*3 credit hours – does not apply toward the degree requirement.
GECE 506 Personal Software Process
3 Credits
Prerequisite: GENG 585 or equivalent.
The Personal Software Process (PSP) is a process-based method that software engineers use in the development of large-scale projects. It uses quality management principles and the Capability Maturity Model (CMM) framework to demonstrate the benefits of using sound engineering principles in software development and maintenance work. Defect management, design and code reviews, design templates, and process analysis will be used. Here, the students progresses through a sequence of software processes that provide a sound foundation for large scale software development.
GECE 508 Embedded Software Paradigms
3 Credits
Prerequisites: GENG 585
Course focuses on the design and development of embedded and real-time systems. Embedded software design techniques and considerations. Overview of embedded systems & software design processes. Systems and software quality considerations. Hardware tools and trends.
GECE 510 Software Engineering Processes
3 Credits
Prerequisite: GENG 585 or equivalent
Fundamental embedded software design techniques and considerations. Fundamental Method Goals of quantity, repeatability, measurability. Design and Analysis Methodologies focusing on object-oriented design and testing. Design processes of waterfall, spiral, and knowledge based. Risk analysis, software project management, including knowledge strategies plus economics and metrics of a software project.
GECE 511 Embedded Kernel
3 Credits
Real-time embedded kernel development and implementation. Begins with the implementation of a non-preemptive kernel, add features, and transform into a preemptive kernel. Topics include interrupt management, time management, task management, inter-task communication and synchronization, and memory management.
GECE 515 Software Testing & Quality Assurance
3 Credits
This course is concerned with understanding the role of quality assurance in the software development cycle, and applying these techniques to software products. Course topics include test design methods, test planning, automated test support, quality measurement and quality tracking techniques.
GECE 545 Advanced Digital Design
2 credits
Advanced topics in top-down digital design and bottom-up verification are introduced. Combinatorial and sequential logic design, circuit aspects of logic devices, families, and interfaces are reviewed. CAD tools using schematic and hardware description language based design entry for simulation, synthesis, post-synthesis analysis and implementation on a programmable target device are exposed. Industry standard integrated design and development environments will be used throughout the course.
GECE 546 Advanced Digital Design Lab
1 Credit
Laboratory to accompany GECE 545 Digital Logic Design 2. Must be taken concurrently with GECE 545.
GECE 547 Embedded Systems Design
2 Credits
Concept to delivery microprocessor-based design flow, CPU architectures, instruction sets, interrupts, peripheral configuration and interface: Timers, UART, ADC, DAC, I2C, hardware/software design, simulation, debugging and testing, serial data communication, interfacing external devices: keypad, mouse, LCD, motor drivers, schematic capture, PCB placement and layout, CAD based simulation, design, and testing. Real-time operating system utilization, Hardware & software co-design targeting System-on-a-Chip platforms
GECE 548 Embedded Systems Design Laboratory
1 Credit
Laboratory to accompany GECE 547 Microprocessor Interfacing. Must be taken concurrently with GECE 547.
GECE 549 VHDL
3 Credits
This is an introductory course for the VHDL hardware description language that targets the programmable logic and ASIC design. The usage of the language in representation, simulation, verification and synthesis areas is studied with extensive lab assignments. Essential syntax and semantics of the VHDL language including design entity, architectural bodies, concurrent and sequential statements, processes, data types, packages, configurations, register transfer level design are among the covered topics.
GENG 580 Requirements Engineering
3 Credits**
GENG 586 Object-Oriented Modeling
3 Credits**
GECE 647 Advanced Embedded Systems Design
3 Credits
Top-down system level embedded design for large-scale systems containing hardware and software components are considered. Development flow shall include a) requirements to design specifications b) hardware and software partitioning c) trade off analysis between self development and reuse for intellectual property and real-time OS d) HDL-based hardware design, simulation and testing, e) OO software design, simulation and verification.
**Please see course description in the Course of Interest for All Options
Courses of Primary Interest for Electrical Engineering Option
GECE 521 VLSI Design
3 Credits
Focuses on the theory, design, implementation, and testing of Very Large Scale Integrated (VLSI) Circuits and associated technologies. Primarily focuses on CMOS technologies and their implementation. Includes a review of CMOS circuits & theory, overview of MOS fabrication technology, circuit characterizations and performance estimation, electrical & physical design of logic gates, clocking strategies, I/O structures, system design and test methods, design synthesis, and advanced topics.
GECE 537 Advanced Computer Architecture
3 Credits
Focuses on the design and implementation of the instruction-set architecture. Performance measures, ALU design, data and control path design, evolving into custom high performance processor design using VHDL, pipelining, memory hierarchy design, cache memory and advanced topics.
GECE 545 Advanced Digital Design
2 credits*
GECE 546 Advanced Digital Design Lab
1 Credit*
GECE 547 Embedded Systems Design
2 Credits*
GECE 548 Embedded Systems Design Laboratory
1 Credit*
GECE 549 VHDL
3 Credits*
GECE 556 RF Circuit Design
3 Credits
Application of concepts from Circuits, Electronics and Fields to radio frequency design techniques as applied to state-of-the-art electronic devices.
GECE 565 Power Electronics
3 Credits
This course introduces the basic concepts of various topologies (ac-dc, dc-dc, dc-ac, ac-ac, etc) of power converters. The fundamental principles of switching components are discussed first prior to introduction of the design and application of the converters. Emphases are on the design issues associated with the converters and the computer techniques (PSpice) used for the performance evaluation and analysis. Experiments are part of the course.
GECE 566 Modeling and Analysis of Electric Drives
3 Credits
This course introduces the issues on modeling and analysis of electrical drives. Basic concepts of electromechanical energy conversion will be presented prior to the detailed modeling of the dynamical aspects of both the DC and AC machines. Dynamic behavior of the machines and their computer simulation will be examined. Numerical schemes for simulation, singular perturbation technique, linearization technique, etc. are parts of the analysis tools. In addition, modeling of switching power conversion will be studied as it pertains to drive application. If time permits, some other practical aspects of drives will be examined, too.
GECE 572 Digital Signal Processing
3 Credits
This course emphasizes the fundamental principles of signal and systems, sampling theorem, discrete-time Fourier transform, power spectrum, z-transform, discrete Fourier transform (DFT) and the FFT algorithm, digital filter design and implementation.
GECE 573 Introduction to Neural Networks
3 Credits
Data management, pattern recognition and classification, neural networks models, learning schemes, genetic algorithms, applications of neural networks.
GECE 574 Artificial Neural Networks
3 Credits
This course will present artificial neural network (ANN) architectures and computational algorithms suited for practical engineering applications. Topics will include an overview of artificial neural networks and neural computing, elementary ANN building blocks and models. Concepts of learning and training rules, the back-propagation algorithm as well as examples and discussion of several classes of ANN such as feed-forward networks, multilayer networks, recurrent networks, and self-organizing networks will be presented.
GECE 583 Communication Theory
3 Credits
This course emphasizes Fourier series/transform and FFT, frequency shifting concepts ideally and in reality. Analog modulation techniques and technology including digital enhancement techniques (Amplitude, sideband and frequency modulation), digital modulation (PAM, PWM, PPM, PCM) and sampling theory. Noise considerations in determining signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Multiplexing and examples of available communication systems.
GECE 584 Power System Analysis and Control
3 Credits
Basic principles in power system analysis; models for elements of power system components, the per unit system, Load flow analysis; optimal dispatch of generation; synchronous machine transient analysis; balanced faults; symmetrical Components and unbalanced faults; stability; power system control.
GECE 671 Design of Electrical Machinery
3 Credits
A design-oriented course which emphasizes realistic characteristics and specifications applicable to AC and DC motors and generators leading to an individual design project.
GECE 672 Digital Image Processing
3 Credits
Prerequisite: GECE 572
This course presents strategies to process digital image data. Topics covered will include the representation and perception of images, the use of operations in the spatial and spatial-frequency domains to segment, enhance, filter, and restore digital images as well as transformations of images for multi-resolution analysis. Algorithms will be implemented and evaluated in Matlab/Simulink.
GECE 673 Control of AC Drives
3 Credits
This course introduces the concept of AC drives. Various types of converters and inverters suitable for AC drives and the related control issues are presented and studied. The modeling and dynamical aspects of AC machines will be examined prior to the detailed discussion of the control issues and techniques such as vector control and field orientation, etc.
GECE 680 Digital Communication
3 Credits
This is a graduate course in the analysis of digital communication systems. Methods to understand and analyze digitally modulated signals are presented. Optimum receiver designs, synchronization issues, and coding strategies for different channel models are developed. Communications over fading, multipath and band-limited channels is studied using Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) schemes and Spread Spectrum (SS) approaches.
* Please see course description in the Embedded Software Engineering Option