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2648

An Integration of PC Hardware & Software in Teaching Engineering Technology Courses

Steve Hsiung, Richard Jones Engineering Technology Department Old Dominion University Norfolk, VA 23529

Abstract

As technology advances, the price of a PC drops dramatically. This trend has resulted in PCs that are complex, powerful, and very affordable. Today’s PC is a popular and essential tool in teaching software programming course(s) in C, C++, Visual Basic, or Java, running commercial software supporting courses in circuit simulation/design or circuit board layout, and acting as a workstation to gain access to the Internet or LAN networks. In most Engineering Technology curricula there is a limited amount of linkage between those PC applications. The actual effort to merge the hard-gained knowledge of hardware & software concepts together through a useful project implementation is also rare. This article is aimed at using the PC in ET upper-level courses as a focal point to help to reinforce knowledge between different fields of interest, such as communication, automation control, microprocessor, software programming, and system integration.

I. Introduction

If the standard Engineering Technology (ET) curricula, especially in the Electrical and Electronic areas were examined, the first complication usually noted is how wide a span of fields the typical curriculum covers. There are: analog hardware circuit theories & designs, digital hardware circuit theories & designs, microprocessor/microcontroller designs, applications & programming, high-level software programming, communication related issues in designs & networking, and senior project designs. Along with the breadth of the programs they usually have little overlap between these various fields of interest. When the graduate ET students get in the real work place, they are usually confronted with tasks which are usually a combination of some, and often many, of the curriculum fields they have learned in school. This article proposes to implement a course(s) aimed at integrating different fields of interest into a useful project oriented course(s). This addition to the curricula will assist students in their future project implementations and/or employment skills.

Proceedings of the 2004 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition Copyright © 2004, American Society for Engineering Education

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Jones, R., & Hsiung, S. (2004, June), An Integration Of Pc Hardware And Software In Teaching Engineering Technology Courses Paper presented at 2004 Annual Conference, Salt Lake City, Utah. 10.18260/1-2--13635