Proposed Minor Revision to the EE Curriculum (10/829/13)
The ECE Curriculum Committee recommends a minor revision to the EE Curriculum. The proposal is to replace the following courses in the EE curriculum:
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ECE 110 (new 3 hour version) Introduction to Electrical and Computer Engineering, Prerequisite: (Basically, some calculus)
ECE 120 (4 hours) (Prototype ECE 198JL) Introduction to Computer EngineeringComputing, Prerequisite: None
ECE 220 (4 hours) (Prototype ECE 198KL) Introduction to Computing SystemsComputer Systems & Programming, Prerequisite: ECE 120
ECE 385 (new 3 hour version) (Prototype ECE 298DC) Digital Systems Laboratory, Prerequisite: ECE 220
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The reduction in hours in ECE 110 from 4 to 3 will be accomplished by removing some of the material overlapping with ECE 120 and ECE 220. The name may be changed, and some revision of ECE 210 may be done in concert with the revision of ECE 110.
The revised version of ECE 385 will hold two lectures per week, thus covering more depth and breadth for the topics important to digital systems design. This also makes the course pace slower than the current 385 and is adjusted to a level where students can absorb what they learn from lectures and translate that into practice effectively. Some relatively complicated concepts (such as the add-and-shift algorithm for multiplier design with 2's complement values) can be covered using two lectures for a better learning experience. The course also switches from VHDL used in 385 to SystemVerilog, which is more popular for modern circuit design. There will be a final exam that examines the concepts, design techniques, and general knowledge covered through the course.