Soft lithography (experiment 1):

• fabrication of patterned wafer ('master') in clean room (application of fluid primer and dry-film resist on glass wafer, photolithography with microscale patterned mask, microscopy and profiling of developed patterns)
• surface modification tests (silane and thiol chemistry, contact angle measurements)
• fabrication of elastomeric stamp (silanisation of master, preparation of elastomer, casting of elastomer)
• micro-contact printing (preparation of elastomeric stamps, inking with fluorescent protein, protein stamping on glass substrates using various methods, fluorescence microscopy of printed features)

Nanophotonic structures and Raman spectroscopy (experiment 2):

• photonic crystal structures
• Raman scattering
• optical characterisation of photonic crystal
• identification of biological and chemical compounds by spectroscopy

Learning & teaching methods

Assessment methods

The lab reports (coursework 1 and 2) will not be marked if the student has not attended the laboratory sessions.

Referral Method: By set coursework assignment(s)

It covers three important topics:

1. The Unified Modelling Language (UML) - a set of techniques and diagrammatic standards to help model systems in-the-small (including Use Cases, Activity, Sequence and Class diagrams)
2. Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) - an approach to capturing and understanding systems in-the-large
3. Software Engineering - how these two views of systems fit into the software engineering process (in particular the software lifecycle, and testing strategies)

Learning & teaching methods

Assessment methods

The coursework element is group work, and the students within a group receive the same mark. The exam forms the individual element of assessment. Both exam and group work cover the full content of the course.

Referral Method: By examination and a new coursework assignment

As an example, the laboratory exercises may include:

ELEC2201 Devices

• Research Exercise on Solar Cell Efficiency

ELEC2202 Digital Systems and Communications

• Signal Processing with MATLAB
• Modulation and Detection
• SystemVERILOG and FPGAs
• Digital Circuit Design Exercise

ELEC2203 Control

• PID Control
• Phase Lead Compensation of an Inverted Pendulum

ELEC2204 Computer Engineering

• Interfacing
• Real-time Operating Systems
• Computer Simulation
• Design and Test of Finite State Machines

ELEC2205 Electronic Design

• Integrated Circuit Design Exercise
• Analogue Circuit Design Exercise
• System Design Exercise

ELEC2212 Electromagnetism for Communications

• Introduction to Fibre Amplifiers

ELEC2216 Advanced Electronic Systems

• Feedback Amplifiers
• Introduction to Active Filters

Learning & teaching methods

Assessment methods

This is a zero-credit module. Each laboratory exercise is associated with an assessment module.

Referral is not required for this module, as marks from assessments contribute towards other modules.

Referral Method: See notes below

•  Health and safety at work and in laboratories

•  Introduction to operating systems

o    OS Design: Lessons learned

o    OS Design: Trends

o    Simple operating systems including: memory usage, input-output principles, data transfer to peripherals, use of buffers, and principles behind specific peripherals such as printers and discs

•  Introduction to Virtualisations

•  Introduction to Mobile systems

Learning & teaching methods

Assessment methods

Referral Method: By examination

'Review of Power Systems Fundamentals' (12 lectures) 

Review of the 3-phase a.c. circuit fundamentals, Phasor notation and use of complex quantities,

Phasor diagrams, Impedance triangle, Power in a.c. systems: complex, apparent, active, reactive,

Power factor, Three-phase systems and connections, Star-delta transformations, Unbalanced systems and the method of symmetrical components, Phase sequence networks, Harmonics.

Elements of power systems, Power system components, Representation of components (equivalent circuits), Transformers, Generators, Transmission lines and cables, Switchgear, Simplified equivalent circuits, Per unit system and its use, Parallel operation of transformers, Autotransformers, Tap changing.

The rotating field principle, Operation of generators on infinite busbar, Motor characteristics.

Load flows, Review of balanced and unbalanced faults, Fault current limiters.

Steady state and transient stability, the equal area criterion.

Energy Fundamentals Energy Overview. Definition of energy : Energy quality, density and intensity. Sources of energy: fossil fuels and renewables. History of energy technology. Importance of energy. Energy demands, consumption and future trends.

Principles of Energy Conversion and Energy Systems : Forms of energy: kinetic, potential, heat, chemical, bio, electrical, electromagnetic, nuclear, etc. The law of energy conservation. The second law of thermodynamics. Energy Conversion efficiency. Introduction to energy systems. System efficiency. Energy sustainability.

Heat Engines : Definition of heat engines. Principles of heat engines. Types of heat engines: steam engines, internal combustion engines, gas turbine engines, etc. Heat, mechanical work and entropy. Ideal and real engine cycles. Cycle efficiency. Cogeneration. Combustion fundamentals. Engine emissions and regulations.

Electrochemical Energy Conversion : Electrochemical vs. conventional energy conversion routes. Types of electrochemical cells for energy conversion. Definitions of batteries, fuel cells, redox flow cells. Principle of fuel cells. Types of fuel cells. Examples of applications.

Thermoelectric energy Conversion : Thermoelectric effects, Seebeck, Thomson and Peltier, Thermoeelctric materials and figure of merit. Thermoelectric conversion devicse and radiosotope thermoelectric generators

Solar Energy Conversion :  Solar radiation. Electromagnetic energy. Solar spectra. Scattering and absorption. The greenhouse effect. Types of solar energy conversion: photosythesis, thermal electrical conversion, photochemical conversion, photoelectrical conversion. Introduction to photovoltaic cells. Energy storage. Applications: domestic, industrial and space. CHP.

Other Renewable Energy Systems : Importance of renewable energies. Wind power. Hydropower and tidal power. Nuclear fission and fusion. Biomass. Geothermal power. Economics of energy technologies. Social and environmental impact. Review of fundamental fluid mechanics associated with environmental flows from wind, wave and tide. Overview of propulsive power requirements for marine transportation systems.

Learning & teaching methods

Assessment methods

Referral Method: By examination

• Frequency Domain Methods for Controller Design
• Lead-lag compensator
• Introduction to loop shaping

• State-space representations for linear systems
• Transfer function canonical realisations
• State space representations
• Structural properties
• Controllability and state transfer
• Observability and state estimation
• Multivariable control by pole placement
• Pole placement by state feedback
• Elements to optimal control
• State estimation
• Observer design by pole placement
• Joint observer-controller schemes
• Nonlinear systems and mathematical modelling
• Introduction to the phase plane analysis method
• Stability and Lyapunov analysis
• Lyapunov indirect method
• Lyapunov direct method
• Lasalle’s Theorem
• Describing functions
• Nonlinear control system design
• Design via linearisation
• Design via feedback linearisation
• Introduction to Lyapunov based design method

Learning & teaching methods

Assessment methods

Referral Method: By examination

The topic or topics covered will be agreed by negotiation between yourself and the supervisor who is allocated to support you with your project.

Learning & teaching methods

Assessment methods

Referral Method: By set coursework assignment(s)

The course will consist of Laboratory, Conference and Transferable Skills sections.

 In the Laboratory part students will carry out a selection of experiments from the list below and make a short presentation on one of the experiments.

• Fibre optics and optical waveguiding
• Semiconductor pn junctions
• Experimental Neodymium YAG Laser
• Electro-Optic   Effect   and   Modulation   of Laser Light
• Optical spectroscopy
• Laser modes and speed of light
• Fluorescence of laser glasses
• Diode Lasers

Learning & teaching methods

Students prepare for the labs and this prelim preparation is assessed at the beginning of each lab session. During the main lab sessions students will work on their own, but will be supervised by demonstrators. It is expected that students engage in discussions with demonstrators and are ready to answer their questions regarding technical and physics related aspects of an experiment.

A series of laboratory experiments will be carried out and written manuals will be available for help and guidance. Marking and feedback from demonstrators will be provided via individual vivas on each experiment.

Assessment methods

Students have to prepare for the labs. During the main lab sessions students will work on their own, but will be supervised by demonstrators. It is expected that students engage in discussions with demonstrators and are ready to answer their questions regarding technical and physics related aspects of an experiment.

A series of laboratory experiments will be carried out and written manuals will be available for help and guidance.  Marking and feedback from demonstrators will be provided via individual vivas on each experiment.

Laboratory: performance on each experiment will be assessed, first, on the quality of preparation (prelim) and the secondly on the quality of experimental work. The mark for preparation will take into account answers to any set prelim questions, knowledge of the experiment to be carried out and the understanding of the relevant, background physics. It will count for 20% of the final mark for the practical. The remaining 80% of the mark will come from the assessment of the quality of work, data presentation and analysis. For both marks, both written and verbal contributions are expected.

 Conference: the talks will be assessed by a team of markers, consisting of demonstrators. They will be marked for their scientific content (50%), presentation (40%) and the answers to the questions from the audience (fellow students) and from the markers.

Referral Method: By means of a special one-day laboratory session

•           Approximate methods of field solution (2 lectures)

o          Geometrical properties of fields; method of ‘tubes and slices’.

•           Flow of steady current (2 lectures)

o          Potential gradient; current density; divergence; nabla operator; Laplace's equation.

•           Electrostatics (3 lectures)

o          The electric field vector; scalar electric potential; Gauss's theorem and divergence; conservative fields; Laplace and Poisson equations; electric dipole, line charge, surface charge; solution of Laplace's equation by separation of variables; polarisation; dielectrics, electric boundary conditions.

•           Magnetostatics (4 lectures)

o          Non-conservative fields, Ampere's law and curl; magnetic vector potential; magnetization and magnetic boundary conditions; magnetic screening with examples.

•           Electromagnetic induction (2 lectures)

o          Faraday's law; induced and conservative components of the electric field, emf and potential difference.

•           Maxwell's equations (2 lectures)

o          Displacement current; Maxwell's and constituent equations; the Lorentz guage;

wave equation.

•           Time-varying fields in conductors (3 lectures)

o          Diffusion and Helmholtz equations; skin depth; eddy currents in slabs, plates and cylindrical conductors; deep bar effect.

•           Computational aspects of approximate methods of field solution (1 lecture)

o          The method of tubes and slices.

•           Review of field equations (1 lecture)

o          Classification of fields: Laplace's, Poisson's, Helmholtz, diffusion, wave equations; Vector and scalar formulations.

•           Finite difference method (5 lectures)

o          Five-point scheme, SOR; example; Diffusion and wave equations, explicit formulation, Crank-Nicholson implicit scheme, a weighted average approximation, alternating-direction implicit method; Convergence and stability; handling of boundary conditions; Alternative formulation of the finite-difference method.

•           Finite element method (5 lectures)

o          Variational formulation, first-order triangular elements, discretisation and matrix assembly; the art of sparse matrices; alternative approximate formulations (including Galerkin).

•           Principles of electromechanical energy conversion (6 lectures)

o          Generalised variables for electromechanical systems; Hamilton’s principle and Lagrangian state function; conservative and non-conservative systems; examples.

o          Comparison between field and equivalent circuit calculations.

Note: the first 30 hours of lectures are common with ELEC2210 and ELEC2219, the last 6 hours are different.

Learning & teaching methods

Assessment methods

Referral Method: By examination

• Programming embedded systems
• Debugging with limited I/O and memory
• Asynchronous & reentrant code
• Real-time programming
• Input/Output
• Physical Interfaces
• Interrupts
• Drivers
• Event-driven programming
• State machines
• Actors
• Timing
• Hardware timer
• Watchdogs
• Memory management
• Bootloader
• Stack vs. heap
• RAM vs. Flash
• Multiprogramming
• Scheduling
• Preemtive multitasking
• Real-time scheduling
• Performance
• Serial Communication
•  UART, I2C/SPII, USB
• File Systems
• Flash file systems
• FAT-FS
• Embedded Applications
• Power consumption
• Reliability

Learning & teaching methods

Assessment methods

For the weekly coursework excersises you will typically receive skeleton code that you need to modify or you can take as a starting point for your own implementation. You will receive detailed instructions for each exercise. If you submit your solution (attempt) by the deadline you will receive full marks---independent of the quality of your submission. However, the material of the exercises will be a focus of the exam. You will need a computer with one free powered USB port (required for the electronic kit you will receive) and you will need to install the cross compilation tool chain on the computer (see module notes for instructions).

The "Noteworthy contributions to the delivery of the module" are the top 5% of marks that can be achieved in this module and will be awarded for exceptionally useful contributions on the student wiki and particularly helpful patches submitted for the module materials.

Referral Method: By examination, with the original coursework mark being carried forward