1 Welcome to Introduction to Engineering

2 Spring 2007

3 Outline Class Procedures What is Engineering?

4 Class Philosophy My expectations Your requirements

5 General Information Everything you need to know about this class can be found on the class web page Become familiar with its contents Check it often I have a service dog – her name is Jolie If you are afraid of dogs or allergic to dogs please let me know and we can work something out

6 My Responsibilities I am being paid lots and lots of money to see to it that you are given the best possible opportunity to learn. That means it is my responsibility to Introduce you to the important ideas, tools, concepts, and procedures in this field Challenge you to work hard Treat you with respect Allow you to discover both your strengths and weaknesses

7 Quizzes Often times class will begin with a short 5 minute, closed book quiz. It will cover material in the last lecture It can not be made up so DO NOT BE LATE While quizzes are individually worth only 5 points they do add up and they could drop (or raise) your final grade

8 Problem Sets/Exams/Articles There will be one or more exams, several problem sets and possibly some article reviews The exams will be open book/open note That means they will be difficult The problem sets will be available for download from the class web site There will be a 5% bonus if handed in early There will be a 15% penalty if handed in late Article reviews will be assigned on the class web page

9 Class Rules 1 There are several operational issues that must be addressed Do not talk with you neighbors during class It is rude It is important that you pay attention You will be asked to leave class Do not sleep during class Bring coffee or coke if you need it to stay awake You will be asked to leave Do not use your computer during class (even to follow the notes) It is distracting You will be asked to stop

10 Class Rules 2 Additional rules Do not me your assignments I have been known to lose ed assignments Do not hand in anything that is handwritten I often find them hard to read

11 Grades Points are earned for quizzes, problem sets, exams, etc Grades are assigned based on a subjective breakdown of point totals at the end of the semester It will roughly go like – A 90% and above, B %, C 70-80%, D 60-70%, E below 60% I may move someone up the scale based on my subjective evaluation but I will never move someone down

12 What is Really Important In the long term, however, your final grade is not as important as what you learn in this class Eccl 9:11 I have seen something else under the sun: The race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong, nor does food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant or favor to the learned; but time and chance happen to them all.

13 Prayer During the semester I make it a point to pray for the class in general as well as each of my students If you have anything going on in your life that you would like be to pray about let me know I make a effort to reserve the 10 minutes before class for specific prayer for the class unless I am needed to answer questions from students

14 Guest Lecturers From time to time certain guest lectures will pop up to offer their comments and perspectives. Let me introduce some of them now...

15 Engineering

16 What is Engineering? Engineering is the application of science and mathematics to solve technical problems and create new systems ABET defines engineering as: “...the profession in which a knowledge of the mathematical and natural sciences gained by study, experience, and practice is applied with judgment to develop ways to utilize, economically, the materials and forces of nature for the benefit of mankind

17 Science or Engineering? What are the differences between science and engineering? Science is concerned with analysis - engineering is concerned with synthesis Science is theory oriented - engineering is results oriented Science asks the “why” questions - engineers ask the “what can I make” questions Engineering is applied science - engineers are the link between scientific theories and technological implementations DESIGN Most of all Engineering is concerned with DESIGN it is the science of the artificial

18 Problem Solving Problem solving requires that engineers develop a systematic methodology This course reduces problem solving to a sequence of translation steps To become an engineer or computer scientist you must be able to follow the steps Engineers solve problems - the problems fall into two broad classifications analysis problems design problems

19 Analysis Given a system, the engineers task is to calculate or measure the properties of that system There is only one solution The properties include: function performance - speed, power consumption,... cost

20 Design The aim of design is to reconcile WHAT is required, with HOW it is to be achieved The idea of top down design is to start with the BEHAVIOUR, i.e. WHAT is required, and finish with a set of real components connected together in a STRUCTURE, i.e. HOW it is to be built. This in an ITERATIVE process, solving many smaller design tasks

21 Design Concept Herbert Simon’s comments over the years “Design is concerned with how things ought to be, with devising artifacts to attain goals” “... anyone who devises courses of action to change an existing state of affairs to a preferred one is involved in design” There are many possible correct answers to a design problem

22 The Nature of Design A designer begins with a PROBLEM stated in terms of REQUIREMENTS Design requirements fall into several broad categories functionality functionality - capability of the artifact performance performance - ability to achieve its functionality well (cost, speed, power...) reliability reliability - probability that it will work throughout a given period of time fault-tolerance fault-tolerance - the ability to continue to work in spite of faults modifiability modifiability - how easy is it to change and update the design

23 Design is Fun Any Engineering task be it software design or hardware design is inherently creative You take an idea and make it real You create something that the world has never seen before

24 Ethical Responsibilities With the right to create comes a responsibility to the ultimate needs and requirements of society What you create must be safe The product must be thoroughly tested Any harmful effects or performance limitations must be documented and released with the product