2013

Electronics and Computer Engineering Technology

A revolution in the era of technology

Barasha Hiloidhari Undergraduate at ECET, University of Arkansas at Little Rock 11/17/2013

Table of Contents
Description of Electronics and Computer Engineering Technology ................................... 2 Profile: Dr. Steve Menhart (Professor) ............................................................................. 3 Professor of Electronics and Computer Engineering Technology .................................. 3 Profile: Peyton Davari (Student)...................................................................................... 6 Senior Electronics and Computer Engineering and Technology ..................................... 6 Profile: Dennis Gregory (Professional) ............................................................................. 7 Professional .................................................................................................................. 7 Reflection: ....................................................................................................................... 9 Keywords....................................................................................................................... 10

Description of Electronics and Computer Engineering Technology

Electronics and Computer Engineering technology is a branch of engineering and technology that is related to designing, fabrication, interfacing and testing of electronic and mechanical systems. In simple words, Electronics is anything and everything that has got a battery. Your day begins with the ring of the alarm; this is nothing but Electronics and Computer Engineering! The microwave in the kitchen, your cell phone, your remote controlled car key, even your watch is all about electronics. Electronics is derived from the word Elecktron in Greekmore commonly known as electron, which is a charged particle. This branch of engineering traces back to discovery of electricity by Benjamin Franklin. The predecessor is Electrical Engineering followed by Electronics and Computer Engineering, where we actually use charge to run systems. The study consists of analysis and research in the field of circuitry and interfacing. Using the programming software, we can now control target devices -the beginning of the era of automation. Now let us discuss what an Electronics Engineer actually does? An Electronics Engineer typically implements the current developments in the field to develop something new in the near

future. The developments in the area of digital systems, embedded circuits (hardware and software interface) like computer, microcontrollers, robots, signal generation for better communication, data acquisitions and sensors are the primary concern. Furthermore, the students majoring in this field are engaged in lot of research activity and publishing their paper worldwide. An electronics undergrad can even go for a specialization in Optics, Artificial Intelligence, Power Systems which are highly demanding areas of research and offer handsome salary. The diversity of this branch makes it very interesting. You end up learning something more every day and your research never ends! University of Arkansas at Little Rock offers a wonderful opportunity to enroll in the Dept. of Electronics and Computer Science Engineering (ECET) and get a bachelors degree. The department has high- profile professors from across the globe with wide spectrum of experience, and a bundle of research oriented innovations. ECET department will result in undergraduates who are professional competitively in their work field. It creates a very strong foundation in circuitry, programming, development and interfacing. I feel very confident in declaring that the Electronics Engineers will definitely design the world the way they want it to be!

Profile: Dr. Steve Menhart (Professor)

Professor of Electronics and Computer Engineering Technology Hey! It seems everyone is ready for the class! With a smile, enters the professor with twinkling blue eyes, carrying a big fat folder. He is all set, ready with his materials, important handouts and submissions for the next class. Maybe time management is something that he appreciates the most. You start realizing that you are in the presence of a scholar who is ready to nourish us for the rest of the time. Dr. Steve Menhart, Bachelor of Science in Engineering Electronics, University of Warwick, England, Master of Science in Electrical Engineering, Texas Tech University, PhD in Electrical Engineering, Texas Tech University is a highly recommended and distinguished professor in the department of Electronics and Computer Engineering Technology (ECET), University of Arkansas at Little Rock (UALR).

He was born and brought up in England. Back in those days when I was in college, I remember our professors just gave us the syllabus for the curriculum, lecture us and leave. While in the education system here, we find the classrooms interactive. The professor and the students have a lot of interaction. Definitely education system here is better, he said. I had the opportunity to attend two of his courses: Digital Systems and Industrial Controls. His classes are more of practice-based. Each topic he lectures on is followed up by a lab. In this process, we learn the practical implementation of the study material. Dr. Menhart, in his very soothing British accent, said, I always wanted to become an Electrical Engineer. I knew I had to go to an engineering college. He continued, When I was a small little boy, just about this big, about ten he used his hands to show how big he was one Christmas I got an electronics kit, and in this electronics kit you could build simple circuits by connecting things together, make LEDs turn on, light bulbs .that sort of set a seed in my mind I think that it was an turn on, head switches area I was interested and I wanted to work in. controller and things like that, and I thought that was very interesting. So, that sort of set seed in my mind I think that it was an area I was interested and I wanted to work in. He smiled and said, I was pioneer in this field, in my family. Dr. Menharts area of interests is digital electronics. He is interested in digital systems and VHDL, embedded circuits, microcontroller, power semi-conductor devices and circuits. His two favorite classes are Industrial Controls and Senior Design Project. The reason he likes Industrial Controls is because the students learn interfacing hardware and software and controlling a target device using PIC microcontrollers. I am currently taking this course and learning to interface circuits. For the senior design project he said, This is one of my favorite because it is one-to-one interaction between professor and the student. Professor Menhart enjoys teaching the diverse students. His classes usually consist of students from around the globe. He has some exchange students each semester from different countries like India, China and many more. Dr. Menhart said I dont do any planning. I simply go and teach. I dont prepare anything exclusive for the diversity; I just believe in treating everyone equally. He further added a cross-cultural classroom environment is helpful for the students because they actually come to know about the lifestyle of the people in that country. He said, I even had some superficial thoughts like every other guy, before I came to United States!

After staying here and talking to people I realized the reality. He thinks studying abroad is a way of learning new life, new things. In his leisure time, Dr. Menhart keeps himself busy by programming apps for Android, some more teaching, and research. He likes doing some exercise, climbing up the Pinnacle Mountain. He does not play soccer but loves watching the FIFA World Cup. He most of the time engages himself with researchoriented work in digital electronics. If you want to be successful you need to be analytical and logical Dr. Menhart thinks that ones major must be ones passion. In context to ECET, he further mentioned that analysis and logical thinking are essential elements. If you want to be successful you need to be analytical and logical, said the professor, say for example, you are working on a new IC (integrated circuit) chip, you need to do some analysis. You need to look for its datasheet and go through it, do some research and finally work on it. Regarding jobs and career options, he said that it depends on person to person. Most of the time priorities matter a lot. If a student wants to spend time in research, teaching can be a good career option. The ones who want to really practice electronics and electrical engineering must join industries. Teaching was always his priority; he started teaching when he was a graduate student. When our children grow up we cant force them to do something we want. I cannot force my children to engineering if they dont like it. Deciding a major depends on person to person, said Dr. Menhart. He discussed about the basic blocks of success. He said that as a senior year student, I have my hands on in almost all the aspects of the field. It is time for me to decide what I plan to do after my graduation. For the non-traditional student, he said, If programming and circuitry is your interest, then you all are most welcome to this department. For everyone, Dr. Menhart said, Your field of interest should be your major. Love what you do, and do what you love, It is very important for us, as a student, to take care of very minute aspects in our day-today schedule. We have to keep in mind that whatever we learn today, will be a pre-requisite for the future learning. Understanding, experimenting and finally implementing our learning is definitely a very good option to explore things around us.

Profile: Peyton Davari (Student)

Senior Electronics and Computer Engineering and Technology Peyton Davari, a senior in ECET in the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, is one among the most wellknown students of the department. An active member in almost all the technical activities around the university, Peyton smiles and says, I didnt want to become an engineer! I wanted to become a basketball coach for a long time. I was doing pre-med courses. I found it kind of boring. One of my friends was doing EE (Electrical Engineering). It was like love at first sight. I found it interesting and challenging. May be it was the challenge that made a huge impact, said Peyton, while working on his laptop in the Photovoltaic Engineering lab of the ETAS building. Photovoltaic Engineering lab, commonly known as PV lab, is one of the highly equipped engineering labs. He appreciates the curriculum of the university. He thinks this degree will establish him professionally as an engineer. The professors, instructors have different teaching methods which Peyton thinks is an important aspect to learn something new, especially in the technical departments. Regarding courses, he thinks Applied Transform is one of the toughest and challenging for him to date. He thinks the challenges of the course actually made him learn and analyze a lot of new concepts. Peyton is a very hardworking student and prioritizes his work. He thinks we need to set in priorities to achieve success. Sacrifice, hard work and constant effort are the key to success. If it doesn't work, keep trying; and even then if it doesnt work keep trying. Just dont stop trying, says Peyton in a very serious note. Working hard and harder is what he does, and motivates If it doesn't work, keep trying; and even then if it doesnt work others to do the same. He keep trying. Just dont stop trying, shares his experience as an intern in PNL (Pacific Northwest National Laboratory). He met students from the top Universities of the country like Stanford. He shares about the challenges he had to face. It is really challenging to compete and prove yourself where you have so much passionate students and co-workers. Its not about the long hours, but how much you accomplished in that amount of time. The more I learn, the more I realize that I have far more to learn, states Peyton.

The earlier you start, the better of you are, said Peyton, what he wished to do as a freshmen. He encourages the freshmen to be more focus, work harder, and take more advantage of the opportunities. Peyton thinks school curriculum is always the first step to set the foundation in a professional world. One cannot confine to the classroom alone, broadening the spectrum is very essential to compete in this competitive world. Analyzing and using the facts and concepts of the curriculum to a real time application, is what he learned as an intern. Regarding his journey as a part of this department, as a student of the ECET department, he states that the learning never ends. Face the challenge, and live up to the mark. He thinks the tougher the challenge is, the more you work hard. Working I would do it over again! harder makes you a better professional. I had no idea about engineering until I entered the field, said Peyton. He thoroughly enjoyed his three years in this department, learning something new every moment. His concluding remark, I would do it over again! Hard work, Patience, Priorities and Success are some keywords that Peyton thinks is important for us as a student. To do things over and over to attain perfection is very important in any phase of life. There are a very few moments that really end up in a big achievement. So, grasping the right opportunity, at the right place, at the right time is very important.

Profile: Dennis Gregory (Professional)

Professional Dennis Gregory, B.S. in ECET, University of Arkansas at Little Rock, a professional in the field of Engineering and Technology has a job experience of over 30 years in this field. Dennis is currently a contractor in an aircraft company, and is pursuing his masters in systems engineering at UALR. Dennis joined the military right out of high school and began working as a technician in radar equipment. He was never completely fulfilled in this job and felt as though he wanted to learn more. Working with the radar equipment ignited a thirst to pursue electronics engineering as his career. Later on, he joined AGL Corporation as an electronics technician. Dennis shared his experience of working with lasers, studying electronics down to components. During this time he was also attending UALR to complete his undergrad. He was more of a non-traditional student attending evening classes. He says he took a long time to complete his undergraduate studies.

In 2005, Dennis left his job and became a full time student. He thinks working was an advantage to learning in school. His motive behind attending school was to understand and learn the conceptual lab. The labs and circuitry were pretty easy for him; but he confesses that he actually learnt the concepts when he started attending the classes. He did a lot of research work with Dr. Hirak C. Patangia, P.E., and Department of ECET during his undergraduate, and is even doing some project under him. Dr. Patangia is one of the well-known professors and educationist in the ECET department, whose excellence in research is accredited. Learning should not stop unless you decide to! Presently, Dennis is a contractor in an aerospace firm, ASI. He designs and integrates aeroplane, takes care of the power generations, and also initiates test plans and certifies them. Dennis also worked for Hawker Beech craft for a while. His typical day in work is most of research and improvement. This also includes travelling to different places, visiting different firms, taking pictures of the aeroplane, drawing sketches of the planes, above all reviewing co-workers. The best part of the job is challenge and continuous learning, whereas the worst part can be the economy uncertainty and instability leading to loss of income. As an entry-level engineer, Dennis Had many tasks to perform. Even if you dont like, you have to like doing things, advised Dennis; since it is important to learn things when you are a new chap in the field. Salary ranges varies from industry to industry. Typically, for Arkansas, the starting salary is $50,000-$70,000 per year. Management differs from company to company. Some of the companies follow hierarchy. For example Hawker Beech craft has a Director, then Manger followed by Supervisor to carry on the smooth functioning of the works. ASI, where Dennis is currently working does not have this hierarchy. They rather emphasize team effort and independent approach in their work culture. Each worker knows their responsibility well. Dennis think what matters is result at the end, no matter how strict or supervised a company is. Regarding balance of personal and professional life, Dennis said, That was a challenge. You always need a family who understands. Work is a part of what you want, but you cannot forget your family, added Dennis. Learning should not stop unless you decide to! American students need to improve on role. Students must take care of this too. Better the writing, better one can express, was his advice for the freshmen. Seize every opportunity and never neglect any of them. Life is all about learning and improving.

Reflection:
Learning is an art. Learning is inevitable and always acceptable. During these three interviews, I learned many things. When I say many things, I mean learning a whole lot of new things. Until now, I rarely had the patience to listen to others, except in the classrooms when the professor lectures. So, the first thing I would like to reflect is on the improvement in communication skill. I found that communication is not only about me speaking and others listening, or the vice versa; but actually understanding each others point. I had to be really careful while questioning so that the person understands, and also listening carefully, so that I dont miss any of their point. The interviews were set up with people from my field of major. Definitely, the interviews broaden my horizon in this field. I had read in the books, surfed in the nets, watched live television shows regarding the field; but the one-on-one interviewing were actually beyond the field knowledge. No doubt, after the interviews I feel confident and of course proud of the field I am pursuing. Each of these interviews help me to view the field from three different perspectives: the views of an academician, the view from a student and finally a professional. As a student I felt that I should never stop learning. I need to learn and explore. Electronics and Computer Engineering is all about new innovation. Analysis and logical approach is the key to success. It is very important to clear the conceptual level as a student to excel professionally. Industrial accomplishment demands working on real time system designing; this means that thorough knowledge on the engineering basics is very important. As an academician, the research never ends. It is very important to devote time in your field of interest. Observing things and changes in the object is a peculiar scientific approach which very much fits in for this field. Electronics and Computer Engineering is a very demanding field. The demand here does not only signify a handsome payment but also the responsibility of creating a revolution in the evolution of technology for the Gen-next. Initially I was little worried about how the interviews will go. I was worried about my accent, my approach and my attitude. I never had a one on one talk to any of the people here professionally. I had a pre-conception that people in the states are mechanized, as they are from a developed nation. But talking to my professor, the professional and the senior student really changed my mind. All the interviews were more of technical content, but I made it a point to know about the sentiments of people here in this country. May be thats why I preferred them, to my fellow Indian people, because I wanted to know more about the culture in an American society.

I really appreciate the way my professor told about his stay here in the states, and about how I should take advantage of this opportunity of studying abroad. When our children grow up we cant force them to do something we want. I cannot force my children to engineering if they dont like it, this was something which really touched my heart. I could feel a fathers care, love and expectations. Dennis made a point that a person cannot exclude his family; success at the expense of family is not worth it. All this little things during the conversation really made the interviews very much pleasing. At the end of the day, we can conclude that the technical elite are not simply technology mites, but persons with a living heart, where they feel things and enjoy life. I am very happy that I got a chance to interview Dr. Menhart, Dennis and Peyton. They are really wonderful people who motivated me and inspired to strive for excellence.

Keywords
Fabrication: The action or process of manufacturing or inventing something. Interface: An interface is the point of interaction with software, or computer hardware. Electron: A subatomic particle with a negative elementary electric charge. Circuit: An electrical network that has a closed loop giving a return path for the current. Microcontrollers: A small computer on a single integrated circuit containing a processor core, memory, and programmable input/output peripherals. I.C. (Integrated circuit): A set of electronic circuits on one small plate ("chip") of semiconductor material, normally silicon. This can be made much smaller than a discrete circuit made from independent components. Photovoltaic: A method of generating electrical power by converting solar radiation into direct current electricity using semiconductors that exhibit the photovoltaic effect.

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Overview TOC 20 5 Hiloidhari, Barasha 19 5

Student Professor Professional Grammar/ Overall Let Profile Profile Profile Reflection Audience Punctuation Design Report Ref 30 30 30 20 5 5 20 25 28.5 29.5 29.5 18.5 3 4 18.5 23.5

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