Engr 198: Programming-Based Design Course Introduction

Course Information Instructor: Course website: Frank Comeau, Ph.D, P.Eng. Man Lin， Ph.D Course website: people.stfx.ca/mlin/engr198

What is the Course About? Programming-based design What language? C/C++ More specific: An introduction to the engineering design process integrated with computer programming. Learning the C programming language: control structures, data structures, and modularization, searching and sorting algorithms etc., be able to read and write, test and debug code. CodeBlock IDE will be used in the lab Conceptual engineering design, practical implementation of designs and report writing. Design projects will be implemented on the Arduino platform.

Why is it Important to Learn Programming? Computers and computer technology have become a big part of our daily lives and our society: navigation, communication, work and play. Some examples: course registration, bank accounts, health records, posture movement recognition (Vii games), voice recognition (Siri), map and road navigation, weather prediction, MRI imaging system to find whether there is cancer in the body. A computer is an electronic device that can perform certain tasks. Software (Computer programs) give instructions to computers to perform the tasks. Learning Programming allows us to be technology producer. https://code.org Code_org.mp4 Why is it important to learn programming, general. Next we will discuss why is it important for Engineering students to learn programming.

Why should Engineering Students Learn Programming?

Recent Engineering Achievements Extraterrestrial Explorations Mars Exploration Rovers Terrestrial Application Satellites Computer Axial Tomography (CAT) Scanners Computer simulations Advanced composite materials. Speech understanding Weather, climate, and global change prediction Self driving vehicles ©2017 Pearson Education, Inc. Hoboken, NJ. All Rights Reserved.

Recent Engineering Achievements Digital computers facilitate multidisciplinary engineering achievements that: Improve our lives. Expanded the possibilities for our future. Changing engineering environment requires engineers with: Communication skills. Skills for working in interdisciplinary teams. An awareness of ethic issues and environmental concerns. A global perspective. ©2017 Pearson Education, Inc. Hoboken, NJ. All Rights Reserved.

Why should Engineering Students Learn Programming Why should Engineering Students Learn Programming? Engineering Program Perspective Depends on the discipline (Chemical, Civil, Electrical, Environmental, Industrial, Mechanical, Mineral Resources) Some disciplines deal directly with computers: Electrical – computer engineering, software engineering Mechanical - mechatronics

Why should Engineering Students Learn Programming? Engineers in other disciplines use programmable equipment, or programming software such as matlab, labview, excel Many engineers use sensors to record data and then use programming to analyze the data. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KeRX_1RMNOk

Course Structure Introduction to programming: lectures and weekly labs Design Project: Instructions on design and report writing, Arduino-based design project.

What is Arduino? https://www.arduino.cc