1. ECE 1100: Introduction to Electrical and Computer Engineering
Lecture Notes – Set #1
Dr. Dave Shattuck
Associate Professor, ECE Dept.
W326-D3
Slides adapted in part from lectures by Len Trombetta

2. Handouts Everyone should have: ECE 1100 Syllabus
Grade Posting Form (optional)
Where do you get these lecture note files? You can get them from the World Wide Web (WWW) at

3. What’s the Letter About?
You got a letter if the university computer thinks you are missing the course requisites.
ECE 1100: CFORI requisite is Math 1431 (Calc I)
CFORI = Credit For Or Registration In
If you got a letter you must respond to it by:
Showing that you DO have credit for Calc I,
Adding Calc I, OR
Getting a waiver approved
If you do not respond by the deadline, you will be dropped! Whatever you do, return the letter.

4. What’s This Course About?
- Introduction to ECE and to Engineering
Preparation for Success in Engineering
Engineering Ethics
Introduction to Basic Circuit Theory
Complex Numbers and Arithmetic
In-class discussion
Reading in Landis, Studying Engineering
Visits from selected guests
Small Project
Short paper

5. Syllabus Objectives
Community building - Students make up a supportive learning community by getting to know other students in the class, learning collaborative study techniques, and becoming familiar with the numerous student organizations.

6. Syllabus Objectives
Professional development - Students are motivated by a clear understanding of ECE as a profession and of the areas of study within the Department of ECE. Students conduct themselves ethically and in a professional manner at all times.

7. Syllabus Objectives
Academic success strategies - Students know about and put into practice positive attitudes and productive behaviors that will result in academic success.

8. Syllabus Objectives
Orientation - Students understand how the Department, College, and University work and how best to take advantage of the resources available to them. Students learn about the field of ECE by studying introductory material in that area, and by building a simple project as a part of a team.

9. Grading Grades (S/U) will be determined by the following.
In-class assignments
In-class exams (3)
Homework assignments
Projects and Papers
Requirements for grade of S:
Minimum overall average of 60%
Minimum of 50% average on exams

10. Some Basic Resources… The ECE Department:
Office: N308 D; Phone: (713)
Chair: Dr. Fritz Claydon, N325-D; Phone: (713)
Director of Undergraduate Studies: Dr. Betty Barr; N311-D; Phone: (713)
The Engineering Dean’s office:
Office: E421-D3; Phone: (713)
Dean: Dr. Ray Flumerfelt
Assoc. Dean for Undergraduate Programs: Dr. Larry Witte; E421-D3; Phone: (713)

11. Preparation for Success
Landis: Chapter 1
“Strangely, when new students come to the university, they are left primarily on their own to figure out how to be successful.”
Success Strategies:
Determination
Effort
Approach

12. Landis Chapter 1: Keys to Success
Key Idea:
Each of you can be successful in earning your BSEE.
It will take...
Determination
Effort
Approach

13. Determination: Don’t Give Up
Use failure as a lesson, not as an excuse to give up.
Set high goals. Keep them clearly in mind.

14. Goals “Goals give you something to measure yourself against.”
“Goals give your life direction.”
Landis, Chapter 1.
Clarify your goals (this can be hard).
Short-term goals (“to do” list; Next calculus exam).
Long-term goals (education, career, family, ...).
Important: What’s the big picture? What am I doing here?

15. Effort: Work Hard - Aptitude vs. Effort - For MOST students:
Your grades will reflect your effort.

16. Approach: Work Smart Prioritize Form a study group
Learn to control your time
Learn to use available resources
- computer tools
- profs’ office hours
- student groups

17. In Class Assignment #1 In-class assignment for today (on 3x5 card):
Write your name (please print).
Write the full names of five class members, not including yourself.
Next to their name, write the name they want to be called.
Turn this card in before you leave today.

18. Approach: Work Smart Learn to control your time –
Prioritize
Form a study group
Learn to control your time –
I advocate that you use the rule of 4
Landis advocates the 60-hour rule
Learn to use available resources
- computer tools
- profs’ office hours
- student groups

19. What is the Rule of 4?
Faculty members assume that you will spend 3 hours outside of class, for every hour in class every week.
Roughly speaking, a 3 semester credit hour course meets in class 3 hours a week.
Thus, the rule of 4 says that you should spend four times the number of credit hours you are taking on your coursework, every week.

20. What is the 60-Hour Rule?
Landis suggests that faculty members assume that you will spend 2 hours outside of class, for every hour in class every week.
Roughly speaking, a 3 semester credit hour course meets in class 3 hours a week.
The 60-hour rule suggests that your SCH x 3 plus your work hours per week should add up to less than 60.

21. Student Replies
The students were asked the following question: Will you follow the Rule of 4 in the future?
Answer: No, because I am taking 16 SCH, and I work 20 hours per week on my job.
Is this a good answer?
Dr. Dave’s Comment: This student is not using the rule as a planning tool.

22. Student Replies
The students were asked the following question: Will you follow the Rule of 4 in the future?
Answer: No, because I have been keeping track of my time, and 1.5 hours of studying per hour of class results in my understanding the material.
Is this a good answer?
Dr. Dave’s Comment: This seems like a good answer to me.

23. Student Replies
The students were asked the following question: Will you follow the Rule of 4 in the future?
Answer: No, because my time is unlimited, so I don’t need time management tools.
Is this a good answer?
Dr. Dave’s Comment: I don’t think that anyone’s time is unlimited. Taking this approach can cause problems.

24. Student Replies
The students were asked the following question: Will you follow the Rule of 4 in the future?
Answer: No, because I study until I understand the material, so I don’t need time management tools.
Is this a good answer?
Dr. Dave’s Comment: This sounds like an admirable approach. It’s not. Taking this approach can cause problems.

25. Student Replies
The students were asked the following question: Will you follow the Rule of 4 in the future?
Answer: Yes, because Dr. Dave says that I should.
Is this a good answer?
Dr. Dave’s Comment: The Rule of 4 might be a bad use of time for you. You should figure out how much time you need.

26. Student Replies
The students were asked the following question: Will you follow the Rule of 4 in the future?
Answer: Yes, because I have not been keeping track of my time, and I need to start somewhere.
Is this a good answer?
Dr. Dave’s Comment: This seems like a good answer to me.

27. Student Replies
The students were asked the following question: Will you follow the Rule of 4 in the future?
Answer: No, because it is impossible to follow in today’s society.
Is this a good answer?
Dr. Dave’s Comment: I don’t think that society has anything to do with it. The demands of engineering are outside that. If you need to study that much, society doesn’t matter.

28. Student Replies
The students were asked the following question: Will you follow the Rule of 4 in the future?
Answer: No, because I like the Landis 60-hour rule better.
Is this a good answer?
Dr. Dave’s Comment: This seems like a good answer to me. This is also a good planning approach.

29. Student Replies
The students were asked the following question: Will you follow the Rule of 4 in the future?
Answer: No, because I can’t tell how much time a course will need in advance.
Is this a good answer?
Dr. Dave’s Comment: I don’t think that this student is using it as a planning tool. One can’t know anything in advance. But you can still plan, using approximations.

30. Student Replies
The students were asked the following question: Will you follow the Rule of 4 in the future?
Answer: No, because it does not take into account the difficulty of courses.
Is this a good answer?
Dr. Dave’s Comment: This seems like a good answer to me. This student is taking an even more accurate approach.

31. Student Replies
The students were asked the following question: Will you follow the Rule of 4 in the future?
Answer: No, because my family will not let me keep a schedule, so I can’t use time management tools.
Is this a good answer?
Dr. Dave’s Comment: This is an issue of values. Indeed, if you have something else that is more important, you might not do well.

32. Student Replies
The students were asked the following question: Will you follow the Rule of 4 in the future?
Answer: No, because I am a working student, and it would take too long to graduate under this rule.
Is this a good answer?
Dr. Dave’s Comment: Maybe. But if you need to study a certain amount, and you don’t, it will take forever to graduate. That would be a really, really, long time.

33. Do Something! Learn to control your time –
Prioritize
Form a study group
Learn to control your time –
I advocate that you use the “Rule of 4”
Landis advocates the “60-hour Rule”
Do something! For many students, this is crucially important.
Learn to use available resources
- computer tools
- profs’ office hours
- student groups

34. What is Engineering? What do Engineers Do?

35. Introduction to Engineering
What is engineering?

36. Introduction to Engineering
What is engineering? -- Answer: Engineering is Problem Solving.
So, what is electrical engineering?

37. Introduction to Engineering
What is engineering? -- Answer: Engineering is Problem Solving.
What is electrical engineering? -- Answer: Problem solving using electricity, electrical tools and concepts.
What is science?

38. Introduction to Engineering
What is engineering? -- Answer: Engineering is Problem Solving.
What is electrical engineering? -- Answer: Problem solving using electricity, electrical tools and concepts.
What is science? – Answer: Science is knowledge gaining.

39. Introduction to Engineering
What is engineering? -- Answer: Engineering is Problem Solving.
What is electrical engineering? -- Answer: Problem solving using electricity, electrical tools and concepts.
What is science? – Answer: Science is knowledge gaining.
So, how can you tell an electrical engineer from a physicist?

40. Introduction to Engineering
How can you tell an electrical engineer from a physicist? – Answer: by the goals they work towards.
An engineer's goal is to solve problems.
A scientist's goal is to learn.
However, an engineer needs to learn to be able to solve problems, and a scientist needs to solve problems to learn, so the situation gets muddled. The key is to look at their goals.

41. Introduction to Engineering
Quiz Time:
Were the following famous people engineers or scientists?
To decide, we need to look at their GOALS!

42. Introduction to Engineering
Engineer or Scientist
Galileo?
He wanted to understand the stars and planets
He was a scientist

43. Introduction to Engineering
Engineer or Scientist
Leonardo da Vinci?
He wanted to fly, to paint, to do things
He was an engineer

44. Introduction to Engineering
Engineer or Scientist
Thomas Edison?
He wanted to build things, lights, phonographs, etc.
He was an engineer

45. Introduction to Engineering
Engineer or Scientist
Sir Isaac Newton?
He wanted to understand how things moved
He was a scientist

46. Introduction to Engineering
Engineer or Scientist
Albert Einstein?
He wanted to find the Unified Theory of Everything
He was a scientist

47. Introduction to Engineering
Engineer or Scientist
Robert Oppenheimer?
He wanted to build the Atomic Bomb - Manhattan Project
He was an engineer

48. Introduction to Engineering
Engineer or Scientist
Professor Paul Chu?
He wants to understand superconductivity
He is a scientist

49. Introduction to Engineering
Engineer or Scientist
Sir Thomas Crapper?
He wanted to build a sanitary toilet, which was so important he was knighted
He was an engineer

50. Introduction to Engineering
Engineering or Science?
Decide by determining what motivates you.

51. Introduction to Engineering
How can you tell an engineer from a technician?

52. Introduction to Engineering
How can you tell an engineer from a technician? – Answer: by the kinds of problems they solve.

53. Engineering vs Technology
How can you tell an engineer from a technician? – Answer: by the kinds of problems they solve. Have the problems been solved before?

54. Introduction to Engineering
How can you tell an engineer from a technician? – Answer: by the kinds of problems they solve.
An engineer's goal is to solve technical problems.
A technician’s goal is to solve technical problems.
However, an engineer is typically asked to solve problems that have not been solved before. A technician is typically asked to solve problems that have already been solved.

55. Engineering vs Technology
Engineering – Solving Technical Problems That Have Not Been Solved Before
Technology – Solving Technical Problems That Have Been Solved Before

56. What is Engineering Anyway???
In order to solve many technical problems, it is necessary to design something.
So, many would say that engineering is designing and building things! Ok, so what is design?

57. What is Design Anyway???
What is design? Let’s take an example. Let’s look at the design of the first airplane.

58. Design is a Circle
Invention is where poetry and engineering come together. It is a creative endeavor where the heart beats faster with each intuitive leap, yet success is measured by the stern, unforgiving ruler of the Scientific Method. It’s not a predictable process; you never march a straight path to your goal. Instead, you crisscross the same ground over and over again as you search for the answer that you’re sure is there somewhere. Every successful invention is the result of false starts, dead ends, disappointments, self-doubt, perseverance, and the elation that comes when your faith in yourself is at last rewarded. Nowhere is this more evident than in the tale of the invention of the airplane. (From

59. Design is a Circle: Try and Try Again
When you design something, you try something that you think will work.
Usually, it doesn’t.
Then, you try again, using what you learned in your first try.
This is design!

60. The Design Process
The design process is an iterative process. You try again and again.

61. Design Means Work
“Invention is 10% inspiration, and 90% perspiration.”
The conclusion? Engineers smell bad?
No, the conclusion is that there are many steps and skills involved.

62. The Design Process
The design process includes analysis. These steps are analysis, and can be done physically, on paper, or on a computer.

63. Not everything that the Wrights did was a success
Not everything that the Wrights did was a success. Of the seven aircraft that they built from 1899 to 1905, only two worked well enough to be flown any length of time -- the 1902 glider and the 1905 Flyer 3. Some, like the 1901 glider (above) were dismal failures. (From

64. Wright Brothers Gain Knowledge to Solve Problems
Wilbur and Orville decide to carry on. They test wing shapes to get more lift. This was an early test, using a bicycle.

65. Wright Brothers Gain Knowledge to Solve Problems
They test over 200 wing shapes in a wind tunnel to find which ones produce the most lift. The wind tunnel is shown here.

66. Wright Brothers Gain Knowledge to Solve Problems
Wilbur and Orville test over 200 wing shapes in a wind tunnel to find which ones produce the most lift. They even have to design the wind tunnel. The brothers build a new glider based on the results.

67. Wright Brothers Gain Knowledge to Solve Problems
Wilbur and Orville test over 200 wing shapes in a wind tunnel to find which ones produce the most lift. They even have to design gadgets to be able to test their wing shapes in the wind tunnel.

68. The Result: A Flying Machine
The result of their guess and test method was the first airplane. We try to teach this guess and test method in engineering.
Guessing is often glorified, and does require experience and a little bit of inspiration.
Testing, though, often takes longer. This is easier to teach, though by no means easy.

69. Wilbur and Orville were a Design Team
The results are, as they would say, history.

70. Engineers Build Many Kinds of Systems
Engineers build Virtual Reality and Artificial Intelligence Systems.
Stupidity we can get naturally.

71. Engineers Build Computer-Based Systems
Computers are in many things. Engineers put them there.

72. Average Yearly Salary Offers – Bachelors Degree Candidates
Computer Engineering – $53,600
Computer Science – $52,500
Management Information Systems – $46,600
Engineering Technology – $45,500

73. Sine Waves Happen
You have probably seen the bumper stickers that say that, “Sine Waves Happen”.
Similarly, the demand for most fields is sinusoidal, going up and and down.

74. Demand Varies with Time
Students see this and choose Chem. Engr.
Students see this and don’t choose Chem. Engr.
5 years later, no one comes out
5 years later, they come out here

75. Engineering, Technology, or Science?
Students should decide by determining what motivates them.

76. How Should a Student Pick a Major?
Students will do best in the field that motivates them, excites them.

77. How Should a Student Pick a Major?
To get a great job, you need to do great in your preparation.
To do great in your preparation, you need to work hard and long.

78. How Should a Student Pick a Major?
To work hard and long, you need to enjoy what you do.

79. Examples from Computer Engr. - Undergraduate Projects
Advanced Digital Design
Build a computer!
Software Engineering
Design a large software system!
Capstone ECE Design Course
Senior Thesis
Independent Study
IEEE Projects
Build a robot!

80. Problem Solving The Smokey Mountain Express leaves New York on
Tuesday at 8 am heading due west at 75 mph. The
Pacific Paradise leaves San Francisco at the same time
headed due east at 60 mph.
If New York and San Francisco are 3,000 miles apart and the trains are headed straight for each other, when will they meet?

81. Train Problem Solution
Let tm be the time until the two trains meet.
3000[mi] = 60[mi/hr] x tm + 75[mi/hr] x tm
3000 = 135tm
tm = 22[hr]
About 22 hours after Tuesday at 8AM brings us to
approximately 6AM on Wednesday.

82. Math Skills Math skills means more than just getting the answer right.
It means being able to think about the problem.
Student problems with engineering classes:
Poor problem solving skills in general
Weak math/physics skills
Difficulty applying knowledge
Bottom Line:
Your math/physics classes are important.
Do the homework.

83. Math Skills Math skills means more than just getting the answer right.
It means being able to think about the problem.
Let’s look at the data here.
-- Taken from Road and Track, Sept. 2000

84. Math Skills Math skills means more than just getting the answer right.
It means being able to think about the problem.
I can think about what is going on in these results in a much more powerful way if I know what it means to differentiate.

85. Coming Up...
Q&A on the undergraduate curriculum/flow chart (Prof. John Glover)
A visit from Learning Support Services
Visit from IEEE Student Branch
Discussion of engineering ethics