postgraduate prospectus - The University of the West Indies, St ...

T h e f a C u l T Y o f
Engineering
DeParTmenT of eleCTriCal & ComPuTer
enGineerinG
The Department of Electrical and Computer
Engineering offers undergraduate and postgraduate
programmes of study and engages in development
and research activities, with a strong emphasis
on regional relevance. It also enjoys close
collaborative relationships with a number of
academic and commercial institutions.
The Department comprises five thematic Groups
which deliver curricula and pursue research and
development, specific to disciplines within the
broad fields of Electrical and Computer Engineering.
These thematic Groups are as follows:
• Communication Systems
• Computer Systems Engineering
• Control Systems
• Electronic Systems
• Energy Systems
The Department recognizes the many dimensions
of responsibility associated with the engineering
profession and the multi-faceted role that the
engineer plays in society. Its programmes of
study, development and research therefore
emphasize not only technical themes but also
technical communications, inter-disciplinary work
and a variety of themes relating to professional
integrity.
Postgraduate awards include the Postgraduate
Diploma and the Master of Applied Science
(M.A.Sc.) degree with a major in Communication
Systems, Computer Systems, Control Systems,
Energy Systems or Electronic Systems. Master of
Philosophy (M.Phil.) and Doctor of Philosophy
(Ph.D.) degrees are also offered in areas of research
relating to Communication Systems, Computer
Systems Engineering, Control Systems, Electronic
Systems and Energy Systems.
The Communication Systems Group conducts research
and collaborative work in mobile technologies for
development; cognitive, semantic and related
technologies for productivity enhancement;
and communications network and application
performance studies. An area of keen research is
the application of information and communications
technologies, particularly mobile technologies,
among under served Caribbean communities.
The Computer Systems Engineering Group conducts
research, and collaborative work, in the areas of
Computer Architecture and Organisation, Embedded
systems design & application, Video/Audio
processing for Multimedia applications, Artificial
Intelligence & Robotics.
The Control Systems Group apply computer and
communications technologies to the programming,
design and application of Real time Controllers,
Programmable Logic Controllers and Distributed
Control Systems. The Group also focuses on design
strategies, including H2/H optimisation.
The Electronic Systems Group engages in ongoing
activities in the design of reconfigurable logic
systems using the ever-increasing family of static
RAM base programmable logic devices such as the
Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) and the
Complex Programmable Logic Device (CPLD). In
addition, there are collaborative efforts with the
University of Calgary on the application of current
conveyors in analog electronic circuits.
Research in Energy Systems deals with practical
operating and planning issues in regional
electrical systems, at the utility and industrial
level. Current research focuses on analysis and
simulation of power systems, wind energy and
control of electrical machines using discrete
signal processing.
Aside from the traditional focus areas, the
Department conducts extensive research in
Steelpan Technology and has recently opened
a Steelpan Research Lab. The Department is at
the forefront of research in the technology of
the steel pan and the commercial development
of the instrument.
In addition to these formal areas, the Department
manages the Real Time Systems Group (RTSG),
which explores mechanisms for seeding
and nurturing technological innovation and
entrepreneurship activity in the Caribbean and
supports the Department’s teaching environment
and operational efficiencies. Students who
participate in research and development in the
RTSG find the experience to be richly rewarding.
Some successful RTSG projects include: Energy
Alive! CMAP (Call Monitoring and Accounting
Package) for Borde Communication, TRIPOD/
HORIZON SCADA - Intranet MMI for TRINMAR and
an Electronic Cricket Scoreboard plus associated
control software for the Queen’s Park Cricket
Club.
Dr. K. mallalieu (head)
ms. S. Turnbull-fortune (Secretary)
Tel: 1 (868) 662-2002
Exts: 2166, 2167, 3184
Fax: 1 (868) 662-4414
E-mail: Electrical.Engineering@sta.uwi.edu
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