ECE437
ECE437 (Sensors and Instrumentation) is a 3-credit-hour course that satisfies the Technical Elective requirements for ECE majors. It is offered only in the fall semester.
Content Covered
ECE437 has an enjoyable and rewarding lab for all ECE majors. The sensors covered in this course include temperature sensors, capacitive proximity sensors, inductive proximity sensors, ultrasonic sensors, accelerometers, optical sensors, and rotary encoders. In the weekly lab sessions, students learn how to communicate with and read data from the sensors through a FPGA board and as well as using Python to collect the data or begin data acquisition. Instrumentation labs utilize Python to use tools on the workbench such as oscilloscopes and digital multimeters.
Prerequisites
ECE329 is the official listed prerequisite, but it is not necessary at all. The main relevant prerequisite is ECE385 as most labs require using Verilog to communicate with the sensors.
When to Take It
This class is usually offered every semester but should be taken after ECE385. ECE437 is a three-credit-hour ECE lab course. This course sets the stage for applications in project courses like ECE445 (Senior Design) and ECE395 (Advanced Digital Projects Laboratory), since most projects involve taking in data from the real world.
Course Structure
Lab sessions are always very interesting and engaging. Each lab works with a different sensor as well as using different features of the FPGA board to facilitate collection and processing of the data. There are questions in each lab that requires students to read datasheets for the sensors and answer questions about them as well as post-lab questions. After the labs, there is a final sensor system project involving real-time object tracking. The average student can expect to devote 5-7 hours per week on this class outside class hours. Students experienced with Verilog or SystemVerilog should expect to spend around 5 hours on the final project.
Instructors
This class is taught by Professor Viktor Gruev and is a lab-based course. Labs range from 1-week long to 2-week long labs while lecture covers the theory behind the sensors, their applications, and also guest lecturers who are doing research on sensors.
Life After
If you enjoy ECE437, you may find useful applications of your sensors knowledge in ECE445, required for electrical engineers, or ECE395, an independent project course in computer engineering. Nonetheless, the course is invaluable for any engineer since it is commonly required to manipulate available tools to obtain useful real world data, and much of this data is collected with electrical sensor systems.