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Electronic Engineering Design Studies (ECM3162)

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Module status - Active
Module description status - Inactive
Credits - 15
College code - EMP
Academic year - 2014/5

Module staff

David Newman (D.M.Newman@exeter.ac.uk) - Convenor

Duration (weeks) - term 1

Duration (weeks) - term 2

Duration (weeks) - term 3

Number students taking module (anticipated)

Module description

The CD/DVD/Blu-ray recording system is a familiar and well-established consumer electronic project that, since its introduction, has gone through three format generations.

These changes have been driven by advances in electro-optical technology, and this module gives you the chance to learn about such technology, as well as studying the design process in depth.

This introduces you to important concepts not encountered elsewhere in their program, including geometric and Gaussian beam optics together with an appreciation of the behavior key electro-optical devices such as laser diodes.

Prerequisite module: ECM2105, ECM2111, ECM2115, ECM2117 or equivalent

Module aims

This module aims to relate technical subjects studied in the course to examples of their application in electronic products and/or services. In particular, to examine in detail the design criteria of a CD/DVD system as a prime example of a consumer electronic system produced at minimum cost yet embodying electric, electro-optic and electro-mechanical components and sub-systems in a complex interdependency.

This module covers Specific Learning Outcomes in Engineering, which apply to accredited programmes at Bachelors/MEng/Masters level. These contribute to the educational requirements for CEng registration (as defined under the UK Standard for Professional Engineering Competence – UK-SPEC).

This module correlates to references U1, U3, E1, D1 - D3, D5, S1, P2, P4, P6 and P8. These references are indices of the specific learning outcomes expected of Bachelors/MEng/Masters candidates set out in UK-SPEC, codified with reference to systems used by professional accrediting institutions. A full list of the standards can be found on the Engineering Council's website, at http://www.engc.org.uk

ILO: Module-specific skills

1. understand the function and design parameters for the system components of CD, DVD or similar systems;
2. grasp electro-optics sufficiently to follow the design of an optical head and select appropriate optical and electro-optical components from manufacturers catalogues;
3. appreciate the necessity of the various levels of coding required to achieve low bit error rates in recording systems and understand their impact on system design;
4. describe in detail the processes underlying the production of both replicable and rewritable optical recording systems and have an appreciation of the media requirements and limitations;
5. realise how high precision electro-mechanical systems achieve tracking and maintain focus in optical disk systems;
6. show and awareness of how fundamental physical limits direct future directions in this technology and forecast increases in data storage density in light of technological developments in system components;
7. apply knowledge of the behaviour of components or sub-systems to the analysis of a wide range of common electronic circuits both analogue and digital;
8. design analogue and digital circuits at a systems level to achieve a given function and level of system integration;
9. demonstrate improved subject specific skills dependent on external visiting speakers and what they choose to present.

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

10. recognise the existence of many pressures, technical, economic and other, on engineering design;
11. carry out a system level design for a complete complex system with many components and many variables, without guidance and extracting the data required form diverse sources;
12. integrate subject specific knowledge and understanding from previous modules into the analysis and solution of electronic engineering problems;
13. make relative value judgement of the suitability of alternative design approaches to a given problem taking into account a range of potentially conflicting factors.

ILO: Personal and key skills

14. extract information, critically, analytically and selectively, from a wide range of sources and present it coherently;
15. work constructively in teams demonstrating an ability to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of other team members and support them accordingly;
16. exemplify the written and oral presentation skills required to give a technical lecture that provides a useful learning resource for your peers.

Syllabus plan

- the components and sub-systems of CD recorders;

- the optical disk system as a communication channel, data and servo-channels, Shannon's theorem, error correction;

- semiconductor laser diodes and appropriate drive circuits, photo-detectors, basic and Gaussian beam optics, the design of optical recording heads, achieving minimum focussed spot size, anti-reflection optics;

- linear power supplies: ripple voltage, regulation, efficiency, semiconductor heatsinking and thermal deratings;

- switch mode power supplies: buck, boost and flyback configurations, continuous vs discontinuous mode operation, ripple voltage, calculation of inductor and capacitor values, required VA rating of inductor and ESR of capacitor;

- power supplies: semiconductor ratings, Inductor and Transformer design calculations; minimum turns, energy stored in the core, size vs frequency of operation, losses due to diodes and switching components, efficiency vs SMPS pulse width, minimum pulse width for regulation;

- position sensing and positioning; stepper motor drives vs synchronous motor drives, control and motor driving techniques, displacement transducers, optical position sensing using CCDs, large area photodiodes, photodiode arrays and quadrant photodiodes;

- control and motor driving techniques including full, half and micro-stepping, servomotor feedback and encoder resolution;

- recording codes and their use in optimisation of recording density and the preservation of BER;

- recording formats;

- system and control formats;

- the development of DVD from CD and comparison with magnetic disk systems;

- electro-mechanical tracking and focus systems and their feed back loops, continuous and sampled servo formats;

- disk manufacturing processes and recording media, the relationship between available laser power, recording media and data rate Plus, a selection of the following, depending on available speakers: anti-reflection coatings, mastering design stability and calculation of component tolerances for reproducible performance;

- determination of required CMRR by critical analysis and design to achieve this;

- error budgets;

- selection of appropriate technique for given temperature range and sensitivity;

- A/D and D/A techniques for conversion to specified tolerance and conversion time, dither and signal averaging vs response time, system requirements for update rates
and data storage etc;

- implications of design on component requirements; in-house component stock levels, role of parts distribution companies, lead times on non-standard components, economies of bulk purchase, component information/search services.

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities	Guided independent study	Placement / study abroad
98	52	0

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Category	Hours of study time	Description
Scheduled learning and teaching activities	33	Lectures/tutorials
Scheduled learning and teaching activities	65	Assignments
Guided independent study	52	Lecture preparation; private study

Formative assessment

Form of assessment	Size of the assessment (eg length / duration)	ILOs assessed	Feedback method
Not applicable	Not applicable	Not applicable	Not applicable

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Coursework	Written exams	Practical exams
40	60	0

Details of summative assessment

Form of assessment	% of credit	Size of the assessment (eg length / duration)	ILOs assessed	Feedback method
Written exam closed book	60	2 hours	All	None provided
Coursework Individual reporting design assignment	15	40 hours	7,8,11,12	Individual itemised report
Coursework - Opto-electronic engineering design exercise	25	25 hours	14,15,16	Individual itemised report

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Original form of assessment	Form of re-assessment	ILOs re-assessed	Timescale for re-assessment
All above	Written exam (100%)	All	August Ref/Def period

Re-assessment notes

If a module is normally assessed entirely by coursework, all referred/deferred assessments will normally be by assignment.

If a module is normally assessed by examination or examination plus coursework, referred and deferred assessment will normally be by examination. For referrals, only the examination will count, a mark of 40% being awarded if the examination is passed. For deferrals, candidates will be awarded the higher of the deferred examination mark or the deferred examination mark combined with the original coursework mark.

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

Williams E W The CD-ROM and Optical Disc Recording Systems Oxford University Press 1996

Module has an active ELE page?

Yes

Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources

http://vle.exeter.ac.uk

Module ECTS

7.5

Module pre-requisites

ECM2105 Control Engineering

ECM2111 Mathematical Modelling of Engineering Systems

ECM2115 PICS, Microcontrollers and Microprocessors

ECM2117 Communication and Networking Technologies

Module co-requisites

None

NQF level (module)

Available as distance learning?

Origin date

19/11/2012

Last revision date

09/10/2013

Key words search

Electronic design; electro-optics; geometrical optics; Gaussian beam optics.