Proposal

Name:

Communication Systems Laboratory Upgrade

FiscalYear:

2014

Audience:

Engineering and Computer Science, College of

Submitter:

Aalo, Valentine

Budget Manager:

Asseff, Lynn G.

Project Manager:

Aalo, Valentine A

Proposal Approvers

Dept. Chair:

Erdol, Nurgun

Local IT:

N/A

Dean:

Ilyas, Mohammad

Facilities:

N/A

OIT:

Campbell, Glen R.

Proposal Funding

Year 1:

$ 46,444.00

Year 2:

$ 0.00

Year 3:

$ 0.00

Total:

$ 46,444.00

Proposal Funding versus Average

Questionnaire

Narrative

We propose to upgrade the Communication Laboratory in the Department of Computer & Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (CEECS) in order to support undergraduate instruction and research.  The lab is located in Room 508 of the Engineering East Building on the Boca Raton campus and supports two undergraduate courses, Communication Systems (EEL4512) and the associated Communications Systems Lab (EEL4512L).  Together both courses enroll about 40-50 students every semester.  Presently, the Communications Lab has four (4) computer-based Telecommunications Instructional Modeling Systems (TIMS) stations, which can support a number of communication systems experiments.  In particular, the TIMS units are block diagram-based, with programmable plug-in modules to accommodate a variety of communication systems. The PC-based TIMS platform can interface with LabView and Matlab to provide data acquisition and spectrum analysis capabilities, which enable the CEECS department to train electrical engineering students in designing and implementing a wide variety of practical communications and telecommunications systems, and contribute to the department’s accreditation (ABET) outcomes. However, the range of experiments that are presently offered in the communication lab is very limited and, in particular, the enrollment in the undergraduate communications lab course is further limited by the fact that students must attend the lab on the Boca Raton campus.  Almost every other course in the department provides an online-option.


With the rapid pace of development and deployment of wireless and telecommunications systems and services worldwide, our students must be better trained to keep pace with this wireless evolution.  Therefore, funding is sought to upgrade the Communication Lab.  A wider range of experiments are possible if additional and more advanced TIMS modules and accompanying software can be acquired for the lab.  Such upgrade of the Communications Lab will not only enrich the two communication systems courses it now serves but also enable the lab to serve the following undergraduate and graduate in wireless and digital systems in the CEECS department:

Course                                                             Approx. Yearly Enrollment

EEL 4512L Communications Lab                                            20

EEL 4512 Communication Systems                                         66

EEL 4510 Introduction to DSP                                                 70                               

EEL 4656 Linear Systems                                                        95

EEL 4930 Introduction to Wireless Communications              30

EEL 5500 Digital Communications                                          35

EEL 6563 Fiber Optic Communications                                   35

EEL 6597 Wireless PCS                                                           20

With the more advanced TIMS modules, the Communications Lab can be used to engage undergraduate students in their research projects in digital signal processing and wireless communications networks.  Typically, about 50% of student enrollment in many of the above courses, and especially, in Communication Systems is online; however, online enrolled in is not possible for the lab course. Therefore, we propose to acquire the hardware/software combination, Nets*TIMS from Emona Instruments, Inc., which will enable distance-learning students to conduct the communication lab experiments remotely, via the internet, and at their own pace.  Therefore, this proposal, if approved, will significantly improve enrollment in several undergraduate courses in the CEECS department.


The proposal supports the departmental accreditation efforts of the CEECS department programs, and aligns with two of the 2012-2017 FAU Strategic Plan as follows:


Goal 1: Enrich the Educational Experience – The proposed equipment uses web-based digital communications and signal processing tools to prepare the electrical engineering students for the wireless communications and telecommunications job market.  The proposed equipment also expands the CEECS department's teaching lab capabilities beyond the Boca Raton campus.


Goal 2: Inspire Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity – The proposed equipment also supports FAU’s Distinction through Discovery initiative by providing enhanced laboratory experience to the undergraduate engineering students and supporting creative research activities from a wide variety of telecommunications experimental options. The proposed upgrade also enables the CEECS department to have the option of including the Communications Lab course among the list of distance-learning undergraduate courses.







Facilities
No renovations required
Hardware Requirements

Basic Net*TIMS Distance-Learning Lab System

Net*TIMS-Enabled  Advanced Modules

TIMS Advanced Telecommunications Modules

Software Requirements
None
Personnel Costs
None
Other Costs
None
Timeline
Integration of Net*TIMS into Fall 2015 classes
Sustainability
Equipment has an estimated 6-8 years life expectancy and the accompanying software is licensed on a permanent basis.
Resource Matching
None
Implementing Organization

?Department of Computer & Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (CEECS)

College of Engineering and Computer Science

Faculty: Valentine Aalo

Proposal Budget

Fiscal Year 1 Fiscal Year 2 Fiscal Year 3 Total
Hardware One-Time $ 46,444.00 $ 0.00 $ 0.00 $ 46,444.00
Hardware Recurring $ 0.00 $ 0.00 $ 0.00 $ 0.00
Software One-time $ 0.00 $ 0.00 $ 0.00 $ 0.00
Software Recurring $ 0.00 $ 0.00 $ 0.00 $ 0.00
Personnel One-time $ 0.00 $ 0.00 $ 0.00 $ 0.00
Personnel Recurring $ 0.00 $ 0.00 $ 0.00 $ 0.00
Other One-time $ 0.00 $ 0.00 $ 0.00 $ 0.00
Other Recurring $ 0.00 $ 0.00 $ 0.00 $ 0.00
Totals $ 46,444.00 $ 0.00 $ 0.00 $ 46,444.00

Supporting Documentation

Filename Size Description
NetTIMS-Eval-quote-2014.pdf 68,644b Basic Net*TIMS Distance-Learning Lab System Net*TIMS-Enabled Advanced Modules
TIMS-Mod-quote-2014.pdf 26,279b TIMS Advanced Telecommunications Modules