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Department of Mechanical Engineering, Unit Catalogue 2011/12


ME30295: Electronics, signals and drives

Click here for further information Credits: 6
Click here for further information Level: Honours (FHEQ level 6)
Click here for further information Period: Semester 1
Click here for further information Assessment: CW 50%, EX 50%
Click here for further information Supplementary Assessment: ME30295 Re-Assessment Examination (where allowed by programme regulations)
Click here for further information Requisites: Before taking this unit you must take ME20021 and take ME20025
Click here for further information Description: Aims:
To provide a practical understanding of microcontrollers, logic and signal processing and introduce related design methods; to introduce the concept of signals and describe methods for their processing and recording.
To provide an understanding of various electrical devices and methods for their selection in a variety of engineering applications, and to introduce the concepts of performance of electro-mechanical systems.

Learning Outcomes:
After taking this unit the student should be able to:
* Describe the elements of information coding and simple signal conversion.
* Understand the basics of micro-controllers and their use.
* Specify and select suitable instrumentation equipment for a variety of control and data collection purposes.
* Describe the principles of various electrical drives and their selection criteria for practical application in product design.
* Apply drive selection techniques and evaluate performance for particular applications.
* Make use of appropriate manufacturers' catalogues.

Skills:
Problem solving; numeracy; written communication; working independently.

Content:
Microcontroller fundamentals: registers, RAM, ROM, input/output. Assembly code. Applications: a selection from: display driving, motion control, data logging, serial communications to a PC. Operational amplifiers, non-ideal characteristics and circuit applications; noise sources, interference, shielding and grounding techniques, filtering; signal conversion, modulation and multiplexing; examples of transducer families including strain gauges, piezo and digital devices; signal conditioning circuits; transducer and system performance, and selection criteria.
Stepper motors and servo motors: types, operational characteristics and models; control techniques for stepper and servo motors; modern drives for stepper and servo motors; determination and characterisation of load cycles; drive selection criteria for various product applications; auxiliary elements of an electro-mechanical drive system; safety, reliability, performance, cost, size/weight and efficiency; design of drive systems for classical applications; manufacturers' catalogues and their use in product design.
Topics for self study that may be examined.
Click here for further informationProgramme availability:

ME30295 is Compulsory on the following programmes:

Department of Mechanical Engineering
  • UEME-AFB41 : BEng (hons) Mechanical Engineering with Advanced Design and Innovation (Full-time) - Year 3
  • UEME-AKB41 : BEng (hons) Mechanical Engineering with Advanced Design and Innovation (Thick Sandwich) - Year 4
  • UEME-AFM41 : MEng (hons) Mechanical Engineering with Advanced Design and Innovation (Full-time) - Year 3
  • UEME-AKM41 : MEng (hons) Mechanical Engineering with Advanced Design and Innovation (Thick Sandwich) - Year 4
  • UEME-AFM42 : MEng (hons) Mechanical Engineering with Advanced Design, Innovation and French (Full-time) - Year 3
  • UEME-AKM42 : MEng (hons) Mechanical Engineering with Advanced Design, Innovation and French (Thick Sandwich) - Year 4
  • UEME-AFM43 : MEng (hons) Mechanical Engineering with Advanced Design, Innovation and German (Full-time) - Year 3
  • UEME-AKM43 : MEng (hons) Mechanical Engineering with Advanced Design, Innovation and German (Thick Sandwich) - Year 4

ME30295 is Optional on the following programmes:

Department of Mechanical Engineering
  • UEME-AFM16 : MEng (hons) Mechanical Engineering (Full-time) - Year 4
  • UEME-AKM16 : MEng (hons) Mechanical Engineering (Thick Sandwich) - Year 5
  • UEME-AFM17 : MEng (hons) Mechanical Engineering with French (Full-time) - Year 4
  • UEME-AKM17 : MEng (hons) Mechanical Engineering with French (Thick Sandwich) - Year 5
  • UEME-AFM18 : MEng (hons) Mechanical Engineering with German (Full-time) - Year 4
  • UEME-AKM18 : MEng (hons) Mechanical Engineering with German (Thick Sandwich) - Year 5
  • UEME-AFM38 : MEng (hons) Mechanical Engineering with Manufacturing and Management (Full-time) - Year 4
  • UEME-AKM38 : MEng (hons) Mechanical Engineering with Manufacturing and Management (Thick Sandwich) - Year 5
  • UEME-AFM39 : MEng (hons) Mechanical Engineering with Manufacturing, Management and French (Full-time) - Year 4
  • UEME-AKM39 : MEng (hons) Mechanical Engineering with Manufacturing, Management and French (Thick Sandwich) - Year 5
  • UEME-AFM40 : MEng (hons) Mechanical Engineering with Manufacturing, Management and German (Full-time) - Year 4
  • UEME-AKM40 : MEng (hons) Mechanical Engineering with Manufacturing, Management and German (Thick Sandwich) - Year 5
  • TEME-AFM10 : MSc Engineering Design (Full-time) - Year 1

NB. Programmes and units are subject to change at any time, in accordance with normal University procedures.