Courses

The listing of a course description here does not guarantee a course’s being offered in a particular term. Please refer to the published schedule of classes on the MyBU Student Portal for confirmation a class is actually being taught and for specific course meeting dates and times.

• ENG EC 543: Sustainable Power Systems: Planning, Operation and Markets
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: Senior standing or consent of instructor. - Breakthroughs in clean energy generation technologies and the advantage of exploiting efficiently the available work in fossil fuels will render electricity the dominant energy form in a sustainable environment future. We review the key characteristics of Electric Power Transmission and Distribution (T&D) networks and the associated planning and operation requirements that ensure supply adequacy, system security and stability. Capital asset investment and operation cost minimization is discussed in a systems engineering context where the assets as well as the dynamic behavior of generators, T&D networks, and loads interact. Recent developments in the formation of competitive wholesale markets at the High Voltage Transmission system level, the associated market participation and clearing rules and the market clearing optimization algorithms are presented and analyzed in terms of their effectiveness in fostering cost reflective price signals and competitive conditions that encourage optimal distributed/not-centralized investment and operating decisions. Finally, we present T&D congestion and supply-demand imbalance related barriers to the widespread adoption of environmentally friendly and economically efficient technological breakthroughs, and propose a systems engineering and real-time retail-market based coordination of centralized as well as decentralized generation, storage and load management resources that is able to achieve desirable synergies and mitigate these barriers. Same as ENG ME 543 and ENG SE 543. Students may not receive credits for both.
• ENG EC 544: Networking the Physical World
  Prerequisites: ENGEC327 and 441, C/C++ and Java Embedded Systems or Microprocessors Working knowledge of Linux Computer Engineering is not just about designing hardware. It is also about providing the complete solution of software, firmware, connectivity, and communication while at the same time addressing the encryption, security, authentication, and provisioning of devices in a connected and distributed world. This course aims to address the software, communication and connectivity components of a modern Connected Device in a Digital era where millions of IoT devices interact with people and machines in a distributed and decentralized fashion. The course will cover firmware and software design, encryption algorithms and authentication frameworks, messaging and communication protocols, connectivity technologies, Cloud-versus-Edge computing, and finally does a deep dive into distributed and decentralized computing. This is a fast-paced course with frequent lab assignments and students are also expected to complete a project in one of the course topics.
• ENG EC 545: Cyber-Physical Systems
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: (ENGEC311 & ENGEC327 & ENGEC330) Or equivalent knowledge of Boolean algebra and finite state machines. Experience with programming embedded systems (eg EC535) is recommended but not required. - This course introduces students to the principles underlying the design and analysis of cyber-physical systems - computational systems that interact with the physical world. We will study a wide range of applications of such systems ranging from robotics, through medical devices, to smart manufacturing plants. A strong emphasis will be put on building high-assurance systems with real-time and concurrent behaviors. The student will gain both in-depth knowledge and hands-on experience on the specification, modeling, design, and analysis of representative cyber-physical systems. Meets with ENG SE 545. Students may not receive credits for both.
• ENG EC 551: Advanced Digital Design with Verilog and FPGA
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: (ENGEC311 & ENGEC413 & ENGEC327) - Content includes use of HDL (Verilog) for design, synthesis and simulation, and principles of register transfer level (RTL). Programmable logic, such as field programmable gate array (FPGA) devices, has become a major component of digital design. In this class the students learn how to write HDL models that can be automatically synthesized into integrated circuits such as FPGA. Laboratory and homework exercises include writing HDL models of combinational and sequential circuits, synthesizing models, performing simulation, and fitting to an FPGA by using automatic place and route. The course has lab orientation and is based on a sequence of Verilog design examples.
• ENG EC 552: Computational Synthetic Biology for Engineers
  Prerequisites: ENGEK125 and 327; This is a course intended for senior undergraduates and graduate students in electrical, computer, or biomedical engineering. A background in biology is not required. However, the students do require solid programming and problem-solving abilities in an object-oriented language (C++ or Java is preferred). Additional background in Perl/Python, HTML/Javascript/CSS, and databases (MySQL, MongoDB) is desirable but not required. The students must be interested in computation and have the willingness to learn how to program in the necessary programming environments. This course presents the field of computational synthetic biology through the lens of four distinct activities: Specification, Design, Assembly, and Test. Engineering students of all backgrounds are introduced to synthetic biology and then exposed to core challenges and approaches in each of these four areas. Homework assignments are provided which allow the students to use existing computational software to explore each of these themes. In addition, advanced concepts are presented around data management, design algorithms, standardization, and simulation challenges in the field. The course culminates in a group project in which the students apply computational design methods to an experimentally created system (working with graduate students in the Biological Design Center and the DAMP Lab)
• ENG EC 555: Introduction to Biomedical Optics
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: (ENGBE403 OR ENGEC401) Requires senior status. - This course surveys the applications of optical science and engineering to a variety of biomedical problems, with emphasis on optical and photonics technologies that enable real, minimally-invasive clinical and laboratory applications. The course teaches only those aspects of the biology itself that are necessary to understand the purpose of the applications. The first weeks introduce the optical properties of tissue, and following lectures cover a range of topics in three general areas: 1) Optical spectroscopy applied to diagnosis of cancer and other tissue pathologies; 2) Photon migration and diffuse optical imaging of subsurface structures in tissue; and 3) new tissue imaging methods, laser-tissue interactions and other applications of light for biomedical research. The format of this course is "semi-flipped." There are assigned readings from the required textbook, prior to each class. Half of class time will invoke informal lecture and discussion, to amplify and clarify the readings; and half of the class time will be in the style of a "flipped" class, devoted to working, in small groups, on problems and discussing and understanding the connection to the readings. Dual listed as ENG EC 555. Students may not receive credit for both.
• ENG EC 556: Optical Spectroscopic Imaging
  Graduate Prerequisites: (CASPY212) EK 125 or equivalent Matlab; PY 212 or equivalent knowledge of light a nd waves. Suggested: EC 562, EC 555 - This introductory graduate-level course aims to teach students how electromagnetic waves and various forms of molecular spectroscopy can be used to study a complex biological system by pushing the physical limits on engineering system design.The course will cover fundamental concepts of optical spectroscopy and microscopy, followed by specific topics covering fluorescence-based , absorption-based, and scattering-based spectroscopic imaging. In addition, this course will provide in-depth discussions of linear and nonlinear spectroscopic imaging in the aspects of theory, instrumentation, image data analysis and enabling applications. Students will learn how to give a concise and informative presentation of a recent literature to the class. Students will be able to challenge their creativity in designing advanced imaging instrument of data analysis methods as part of their course assignments. The students will learn how to write and present a convincing proposal for the required final project to be designed by interdisciplinary teams formed among the students. Same as ENG BE 556. Students may not receive credit for both.
• ENG EC 560: Introduction to Photonics
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASPY313) - Introduction to ray optics; matrix optics; wave optics; Fourier optics; electromagnetic optics including absorption and dispersion. Polarization, reflection and refraction, anisotropic media, liquid crystals, and polarization devices. Guided-wave and fiber optics. Nanophotonics.
• ENG EC 562: Fourier Optics in Engineering
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASMA225 & ENGEK103 & CASPY313 & CASPY314 & ENGEK381 & ENGEC401) Proficiency in Matlab programming is expected as well as a background knowledge in electromagnetics. Undergraduate students must talk to the instructor before registering. - The goal of this course is to present a coherent formulation of wave propagation, radiation and diffraction phenomena in arbitrary linear systems for the engineering design of optical devices in strong partnership with computer simulations and engineering-led design projects. The course will introduce students to the fundamental techniques that are necessary for the quantitative analysis of optics- based engineering systems and devices.
• ENG EC 565: Introduction to Electromagnetics and Photonics
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASPY212 & CASMA226) ; Undergraduate Corequisites: (ENGEC401) - Graduate Prerequisites: Familiarity with undergraduate electromagnetics - This course familiarizes the student with fundamental concepts in electromagnetics and photonics that govern the generation, propagation, and reception of fields and waves in the optical and radio-frequency domains. Topics include the formulation of Maxwell's equations; propagation in free-space, waveguides, and dispersive or anisotropic media, including metamaterials; lightwave interactions at interfaces; radiation and scattering theory for antennas and from apertures. There will be a strong emphasis on connecting these theoretical concepts to current and emerging applications and technologies.
• ENG EC 568: Optical Fibers and WaveGuides
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: (ENGEC455) or consent of instructor - Whether it be the FIOS' internet connection at our homes, or fiber lasers powerful enough to cut metals (many automobile chassis are now made using fiber lasers), or the ability to perform endoscopic surgery and imaging, or doing frequency metrology with super-continuum sources (the basis of a few recent Nobel prizes)... the optical fiber has played a central, often dominant, role in many applications that impact the way we live. The main function of an optical fiber is to carry an electromagnetic (in the optical frequency) pulse over distances ranging from meters to greater than ten thousand kilometers without distortions. Fibers can also become smart light-pipes when they are intentionally designed to alter, temporally shape or amplify light pulses. Moreover, new developments in this field such as photonic bandgap fibers, fiber nanowires and higher-order mode fibers, are opening up new directions in science and technology. This course will introduce the optical fiber waveguide and its theory of operation. Specifically, the design and impact of the two most important properties in optical fibers -- dispersion and nonlinearity -- that govern the evolution of light in optical fibers, will be covered in detail. The latter part of the course will describe new fibers and fiber-structures that are active research topics today. One lecture of the course will include a tour of an actual, industrial-scale fiber fabrication facility.
• ENG EC 570: Lasers and Applications
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: (ENGEC455) - Review of wave optics. Gaussian, Hermite-Gaussian, Laguerre-Gaussian, and Bessel optical beams. Planar- and spherical-mirror resonators; microresonators. Photons and photon streams. Energy levels; absorption, spontaneous emission, and simulated emission. Thermal and scattered light. Laser amplification and gain saturation. Laser oscillation. Common lasers and introduction to pulsed lasers. Photon interactions in semiconductors. LEDs, laser diodes, quantum-confined lasers, and microcavity lasers. Introductoin to photon detectors. Laboratory experiments: beam optics; longitudinal laser modes; laser-diode output characteristics.
• ENG EC 571: Digital VLSI Circuit Design
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: (ENGEC311 & ENGEC410) - Graduate Prerequisites: (ENGEC605) or instructor consent - Very-large-scale integrated circuit design. Review of FET basics. Functional module design, including BiCMOS, combinational and sequential logic, programmable logic arrays, finite-state machines, ROM, and RAM. Fabrication techniques, layout strategies, scalable design rules, design-rule checking, and guidelines for testing and testability. Analysis of factors affecting speed of charge transfer, power requirements, control and minimization of parasitic effects, survey of VLSI applications. Extensive CAD laboratory accompanies course.
• ENG EC 572: Computational Methods in Materials Science
  Graduate Prerequisites: (ENGEC577) consent of instructor - Introduction to computational materials science. Multi-scale simulation methods; electronic structure, atomistic, micro-structure, continuum, and mathematical analysis methods; rate processes and rare events. Materials defect theory; modeling of crystal defects, solid micro-structures, fluids, polymers, and bio-polymers. Materials scaling theory: phase transition, dimensionality, and localization. Perspectives on predictive materials design. Topics covered include tight binding theory, density functional theory, and many-body perturbation theory. Lectures provide the theoretical framework for computation. Same as CAS CH 455, GRS CH 572, ENG MS 508. Students may not receive credit for both.
• ENG EC 573: Solar Energy Systems
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: (ENGEK408) graduate standing or permission of the instructor. ENG EC 471 is sugg ested. - This course is designed for first year graduate and senior undergraduate students from engineering disciplines. It is intended to educate students in the design and applications of solar energy technology. It will focus on fundamentals of solar energy conversion, solar cells, optical engineering, photoelectrochemical cells, thermoelectric generators, and energy storage and distribution systems. The course covers solar energy insolation and global energy needs, current trends in photovoltaic energy engineering, solar cell materials science, design and installation of solar panels for residential and industrial applications and connections to the national grid and cost analysis of the overall system. In addition, basic manufacturing processes for the production of solar panels, environmental impacts, and the related system engineering aspects will be included to provide a comprehensive state-of-the-art approach to solar energy utilization. Same as ENG MS 573. Students may not take credit for both.
• ENG EC 574: Physics of Semiconductor Materials
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASPY313 OR ENGEC410) or equivalent - This course teaches the relevant notions of quantum mechanics and solid state physics necessary to understand the operation and the design of modern semiconductor devices. Specifically, this course focuses on the engineering aspects of solid state physics that are important to study the electrical and optical properties of semiconductor materials and devices. Particular emphasis is placed on the analysis of the electronic structure of semiconductor bulk systems and low-dimensional structures, the study of the carrier transport properties and the calculation of the optical response that are relevant to the design and optimization of electronics and photonics semiconductor devices. The students will learn to apply the quantum mechanical formalism to the solution of basic engineering device problems (quantum wells, wires, and dots, 2D electron gas) and to perform numerical calculation on more complex systems (band structure calculation of bulk and low dimensional systems). Same as ENG MS 574. Students may not receive credits for both.
• ENG EC 575: Semiconductor Devices
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: (ENGEC410 & ENGEC455 & ENGEC574 & CASPY313) or equivalent. - Fundamentals of carrier generation, transport, recombination, and storage in semiconductors. Physical principles of operation of the PN junction, metal-semiconductor contact, bipolar junction transistor, MOS capacitor, MOSFET (Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor), JFET (Junction Field Effect Transistor), and bipolar junction transistor. Develops physical principles and models that are useful in the analysis and design of integrated circuits.
• ENG EC 577: Electronic Optical and Magnetic Properties of Materials
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASPY313) or equivalent, and CAS MA 225 or CAS MA 226 - Signals and systems is highly recommended. This course provides an in-depth analysis of solid-state physics as it pertains to materials science and electrical engineering applications. Students will develop an understanding of the theory of crystal structures and their determination via diffraction, as well as the thermal, electrical, and optical properties of materials that arise from these structures. Same as ENG MS 577. Students may not receive credit for both.
• ENG EC 578: Fabrication Technology for Integrated Circuits
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: (ENGEC410) Senior standing or permission of the instructor. ; Undergraduate Corequisites: (ENGEC410) - Presentation of fabrication procedures for silicon-integrated circuits: physical properties of bulk and epitaxially grown silicon; silicon processing, such as oxidation, diffusion, epitaxy, deposition, and ion implantation; silicon crystallography, anisotropic etching, photolithography, piezorestivity, and chemical and plasma techniques. The limitations these processes impose on the design of bipolar and MOS devices and integrated circuits are discussed. Design of an integrated circuit and the required processing. Includes lab.
• ENG EC 579: Nano/microelectronic Device Technology
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: Senior standing in the engineering, physics, or chemistry disciplines, or consent of instructor. - The main physical processes and manufacturing strategies for the fabrication and manufacture of micro and nanoelectronic devices will be covered, mostly for silicon, although exciting materials such as graphene and carbon nanotubes will also be covered. A key emphasis here will be on electron- hole transport, band structure, basic quantum effects, and the use of engineering and physical effects to alter semiconductor device performance. Photolithography, a significant factor in manufacturability, will be covered in some detail, and to a lesser degree, so will doping methods, diffusion, oxidation, etching, and deposition. The overall integration with methods and tools employed by device and circuit designers will be covered. Same as ENG ME579. Students may not receive credit for both.