DCU

Dublin City University

Masters in Electronic Systems, 1997-1999 (NFQ Level 9)

During each 15-week semester, I took one module through lectures, and one module remotely through the RACeE (Remote Access to Continuing Engineering Education) programme. This meant that I was out of the office for only one half-day per week.

EE545	Data Network Protocols	The OSI layering system; major communications protocols and their application; queueing theory; networking trends.
EE540	VHDL and High-Level Logic Synthesis	Top-down design methodologies; the VHDL language; writing RTL models; synthesis and simulation.
EE502	Digital Signal Processing	Signal modelling; spectral estimation; 2-D signal processing; signal coding systems.
EE551	Artificial Neural Networks	Architecture of various ANN structures; training/adaptation algorithms; applications and mis-applications.
EE547	Robust Control Systems	Robust performance issues and specifications; stability; controller optimisation.
EE544	Computer & Machine Vision	Elements of computer & machine vision systems; design and implementation of image processing, analysis and classification techniques; commercial vision systems.
EE504	Applied Nonlinear Control	Phase plane and describing function analysis; stability theory, particularly Liapunov analysis; recent developments and modern nonlinear control design techniques.
EE552	Broadband Networks	Essential elements; broadband networking protocols and Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM); techniques for switching, resource management, and congestion control; signalling and routing protocols.

The 8 modules accounted for 80% of the overall result, with the remaining 20% resting on a 15-week project.

EE592

Electronic Systems Project:
Phase-Locked Loops in Programmable Logic.

Review of programmable logic technologies and phase-locked loop architectures;
design of all-digital phase-locked loops;
implementation in FPGA.

Results ...

	Year 1 Local	%		Remote	%
EE545	Data Network Protocols	64	EE540	VHDL and High-Level Logic Synthesis	91
EE502	Digital Signal Processing	73	EE551	Artificial Neural Networks	89

	Year 2 Local	%		Remote	%
EE547	Robust Control Systems	91	EE544	Computer & Machine Vision	67
EE504	Applied Nonlinear Control	90	EE552	Broadband Networks	75
			EE592	Electronic Systems Project	64