Graduate Courses

Description of simple physical models which account for electrical conductivity and thermal properties of solids. Basic crystal lattice structure, X-ray diffraction and dispersion curves for phonons and electrons in reciprocal space. Energy bands, Fermi surfaces, metals, insulators and semiconductors, superconductivity and ferromagnetism. Typical text: Kittel, Introduction to Solid State Physics.

An overview of microelectronics and photonics science and technology. It provides the student who wishes to specialize in their application, physics or fabrication with the necessary knowledge of how the different aspects are interrelated. It is taught in three modules: design and applications, taught by EE faculty; operation of electronic and photonic devices, taught by Physics faculty; fabrication and reliability, taught by the materials faculty.

The general study of field phenomena; scattering and vector fields and waves; dispersion, phase, and group velocity; interference, diffraction, and polarization; coherence and correlation; and geometric and physical optics.

The radar equation for pulses, signal to noise ratio, target cross section, and antenna parameters; Doppler radar, CW radar, multifrequency CW radar, FM radar, and chirp radar; tracking and acquisition radar, radar wave propagation; transmitter and receiver design;and interference considerations.

This course will cover topics encompassing the fundamental subject matter for the design of optical systems. Topics will include optical system analysis, optical instrument analysis, applications of thin-film coatings and opto-mechanical system design in the first term. The second term will cover the subjects of photometry and radiometry, spectrographic and spectrophotometric systems, infrared radiation measurement and instrumentation, lasers in optical systems and photon-electron conversion.

This course will cover topics encompassing the fundamental subject matter for the design of optical systems. Topics will include optical system analysis, optical instrument analysis, applications of thin-film coatings and opto-mechanical system design in the first term. The second term will cover the subjects of photometry and radiometry, spectrographic and spectrophotometric systems, infrared radiation measurement and instrumentation, lasers in optical systems and photon-electron conversion.

This course covers the design and architecture of computer and digital systems in the system design region starting from the transistor/logic gate level to below the device driver level/system monitor level.  The systems considered in the course will go beyond the computer chips or CPUs discussed in a typical computer architecture course, but will include complex logic devices such as application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), the core-designs for field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), system-on-a-chip (SoC) designs, ARM, and other application-specific architectures.  Printed circuit board-level architectural considerations for multiple complex digital circuits will also be discussed.

Charged particle motion in electric and magnetic fields; electron and ion emission; ion-surface interaction; electrical breakdown in gases; dark discharges and DC glow discharges; confined discharge; AC, RF, and microwave discharges; arc discharges, sparks, and corona discharges; non-thermal gas discharges at atmospheric pressure; and discharge and low-temperature plasma generation. Typical texts: J.R. Roth, Industrial Plasma Engineering: Principles, Vol. 1 and Y.P. Raizer, Gas discharge Physics.

Electrostatics; Coulomb-Gauss law; Poisson-Laplace equations; boundary value problems; image techniques, and dielectric media; magnetostatics; multipole expansion, electromagnetic energy, electromagnetic induction, Maxwell's equations, electromagnetic waves, waves in bounded regions, wave equations and retarded solutions, simple dipole antenna radiation theory, and transformation law of electromagnetic fields. Spring semester. Typical text: Reitz, Milford and Christy, Foundation of Electromagnetic Theory.

Review of mathematics of signals and systems including sampling theorem, Fourier transform, z-transform, Hilbert transform; algorithms for fast computation: DFT, DCT computation, convolution; filter design techniques: FIR and IIR filter design, time and frequency domain methods, window method and other approximation theory based methods; structures for realization of discrete time systems: direct form, parallel form, lattice structure and other state-space canonical forms (e.g., orthogonal filters and related structures); roundoff and quantization effects in digital filters: analysis of sensitivity to coefficient quantization, limit cycle in IIR filters, scaling to prevent overflow, role of special structures.

Embedded systems have emerged as a primary application area, highlighting the co-integration of application-specific hardware components with programmable, flexible, adaptable, and versatile software components. Such systems have been one of the drivers of important new computing principles that play an important role in achieving optimal performance of the overall system. This course will provide the student with a background in these new computing principles and their application to embedded systems. Representative topics include emerging computing paradigms in the areas of context-aware pervasive systems, spatio-temporal access control with distributed software agents, vehicular computing, information systems cryptography, trust and privacy in mobile environments, location-aware services, RFID systems, wireless medical networks, and urban sensing.

This course exposes the student to the physical principles underlying remote sensing of ocean, atmosphere, and land by electromagnetic and acoustic passive and active sensors: radars, lidars, infrared and microwaves thermal sensors, sonars, sodars, infrasound/seismic detectors. Topics include fundamental concepts of electromagnetic and acoustic wave interactions with oceanic, atmospheric, and land environment, as well as with natural and man-made objects. Examples from selected sensors will be used to illustrate the information extraction process, and applications of the data for environmental monitoring, oceanography, meteorology, and security/military objectives.

This course introduces fundamentals of semiconductors and basic building blocks of semiconductor devices that are necessary for understanding semiconductor device operations. It is for first-year graduate students and upper-class undergraduate students in electrical engineering, applied physics, engineering physics, optical engineering and materials engineering who have no previous exposure to solid state physics and semiconductor devices. Topics covered will include description of crystal structures and bonding; introduction to statistical description of electron gas; free-electron theory of metals; motion of electrons in periodic lattice-energy bands; Fermi levels; semiconductors and insulators; electrons and holes in semiconductors; impurity effects; generation and recombination; mobility and other electrical properties of semiconductors; thermal and optical properties; p-n junctions; metal-semiconductor contacts.

This course introduces operating principles and develops models of modern semiconductor devices that are useful in the analysis and design of integrated circuits. Topics covered include: charge carrier transport in semiconductors; diffusion and drift; injection and lifetime; p-n junction devices; bipolar junction transistors; metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect transistors and high electron mobility transistors; microwave devices; light-emitting diodes, semiconductor lasers, and photodetectors; and integrated devices.

This course offers an introduction to software-defined radios, devices that can be programmed to work with a variety of different radios. The course covers the following topics: software radio architectures, existing software radio efforts, a review of basic receiver design principles, and application to software radios. Basic questions, design tradeoffs, and architectural issues are also discussed. Several case studies of software radios will be discussed throughout the course.

An introduction to classic and modern feedback control that does not presume an undergraduate background in control. Transfer function and state space modeling of linear dynamic systems, closed-loop response, root locus, proportional, integral, and derivative control,  compensators, controllability, observability, pole placement, linear–quadratic cost controllers, and Lyapunov stability. MATLAB simulations in control system design.

 This courses serves as a broad introduction to the several   technologies and applications of wireless communications systems.  The   emphasis is on providing a reasonable mixture of information leading to a broad   understanding of the technical issues involved, with modest depth in each of   the topics.  As an integrating course, the topics range from the physics of   wave generation/propagation/reception through the   circuit/component issues, to the signal processing concepts, to the techniques used to   impress the information (voice or data) on a wireless channel, to overviews of   representative applications including current generation systems and next   generation systems. Upon completion of this course, the student shall   understand the manner in which the more detailed information in the other three   courses is integrated to create a complete system.

Wireless systems and their unique vulnerabilities to attack; system security issues in the context of wireless systems, including satellite, terrestrial microwave, military tactical communications, public safety, cellular and wireless LAN networks; security topics: confidentiality/privacy, integrity, availability and control of fraudulent usage of networks. Issues addressed include jamming, interception and means to avoid them. Case studies and student projects are important components of the course.

Physical design of wireless communication systems, emphasizing present and next generation architectures. Impact of non-linear components on performance; noise sources and effects; interference; optimization of receiver and transmitter architectures; individual components (LNAs, power amplifiers, mixers, filters, VCOs, phase-locked loops, frequency synthesizers, etc.); digital signal processing for adaptable architectures; analog-digital converters; new component technologies (SiGe, MEMS, etc.); specifications of component performance; reconfigurability and the role of digital signal processing in future generation architectures; direct conversion; RF packaging; minimization of power dissipation in receivers.

This course addresses the fundamentals of wireless networking, including architectures, protocols and standards. It describes concepts, technology and applications of wireless networking as used in current and next-generation wireless networks. It explains the engineering aspects of network functions and designs. Issues such as mobility management, wireless enterprise networks, GSM, network signaling, WAP, mobile IP and 3G systems are covered.

A study of microwave techniques at both the component and system level. Topics include wave propagation and transmission, uniform and non-uniform transmission lines, rectangular and circular waveguide, losses, microstrip, waveguide excitation, modal expansion of waveguide fields, perturbation theory, ferrites, scattering parameters for lumped and distributed systems, general theory of microwave junctions waveguide components including tee's, circulators, isolators, phase shifters, splitters, and directional couplers.

A more advanced treatment of microwave systems. Topics include coupled mode theory, periodic structures, cavities, cavity excitation and perturbation, circuit representations, broadband matching, microwave filter theory, antenna theory, including various types of wire antennas, horns, dishes, antenna arrays, phased arrays, sources, detectors, modulators, limiters, optical-microwave interaction, and microwave signal processing. Topics may vary to accommodate specific interests.

Electric power systems provide the essential infrastructure upon which the modern industrial society is built.  This course deals with the fundamental concepts in Power Systems.  Topics covered will describe how electrical power is created, transmitted, and effectively used, including generators, transmission lines, transformers, and protection devices.

The course will cover the evolution of the smart grid, overview of energy production, the role of telecommunication technologies in efficient transmission, self healing networks that can withstand a failure in its transmission paths, flow of electricity in the system through intelligent metering and sensors networks, which are the true enablers of smart grid.  The course will also explain risks to smart grid and protective measures to ensure system integrity while supplying energy at greater reliability and economy. 

This course deals with the electrical, chemical, environmental and mechanical driving forces that compromise the integrity and lead to the failure of electronic materials and devices. Both chip and packaging level failures will be modeled physically and quantified statistically in terms of standard reliability mathematics. On the packaging level, thermal stresses, solder creep, fatigue and fracture, contact relaxation, corrosion and environmental degradation will be treated.

Deals with aspects of the technology of processing procedures involved in the fabrication of microelectronic devices and microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). Students will become familiar with various fabrication techniques used for discrete devices as well as large-scale integrated thin-film circuits. Students will also learn that MEMS are sensors and actuators that are designed using different areas of engineering disciplines and they are constructed using a microlithographically-based manufacturing process in conjunction with both semiconductor and micromachining microfabrication technologies.

Please contact the Registrar for more information.
Phone: (201)216-5555
Fax: (201)216-8030
E-mail: registrar@stevens.edu

The theory of linear algebra with application to state space analysis. Topics include Cauchy-Binet and Laplace determinant theorems, system of linear equations; linear transformations, basis and rank; Gaussian elimination; LU and congruent transformations; Gramm-Schmidt; eigenvalues, eigenvectors and similarity transformations; canonical forms; functions of matrices; singular value decomposition; generalized inverses; norm of a matrix; polynomial matrices; matrix differential equations; state space; controllability and observability.

Fourier transforms; distribution theory; Gibbs phenomena; Shannon sampling; Poisson sums; discrete and fast Fourier transforms; Laplace transforms; z-transforms; the uncertainty principle; Hilbert transforms; computation of inverse transforms by contour integration; stability and realization theory of linear, time invariant, continuous and discrete systems.

Axioms of probability; discrete and continuous random vectors; functions of random variables; expectations, moments, characteristic functions, and momentgenerating functions; inequalities, convergence concepts, and limit theorems; central limit theorem; and characterization of simple stochastic processes: widesense stationality and ergodicity.

Introduction and review of probability as a measure, measure theoretic notions of random variables and stochastic processes, discrete time and continuous time Markov chains, renewal processes, delayed renewal processes, convergence of random sequences, martingale processes, stationarity and ergodicity. Applications of these topics with examples from networked communications, wireless communications, statistical signal processing and game theory.

Engineering, computational science and business students   tackle various kinds of real-life optimization problems occurring in areas such   as information theory, wireless communications, VLSI design, design and   analysis of networks, optimal decision making etc.  This course will provide a   comprehensive coverage of several aspects of applied modeling and   optimization.  Complexity issues and numerical techniques (classical and   non-classical techniques) to solve optimization problems will be the main thrust.   Example problems arising in electrical engineering, computer engineering and   business will be extensively used to illustrate the different optimization   algorithms.  This course will be computer projects based.  Software packages   such as MAPLE, MATLAB, CPLEX etc.  will be used.

Review of probability theory with applications to digital communications, digital modulation techniques, receiver design, bit error rate calculations, bandwidth efficiency calculations, convolutional encoding, bandwidth efficient coded modulation, wireless fading channel models, and shannon capacity, software simulation of communication systems.

Error-control mechanisms; Elements of algebra; Linear block codes; Linear cyclic codes; fundamentals of convolutional codes; Viterbi decoding codes in mobile communications; Trellis-coded modulation; concatenated coding systems and turbo codes; BCH codes; Reed-Solomon codes; implementation architectures and applications of RS codes; ARQ and interleaving techniques.

 Waveform characterization and modeling of speech/image   sources; quantization of signals; uniform, nonuniform and adaptive quantizing;   Pulse Code Modulation (PCM) systems; Differential PCM (DPCM); linear prediction   theory, adaptive prediction; Deltamodulation and sigma-delta modulation   systems; subband coding with emphasis on speech coding; data compression methods   like Huffman coding, Ziv-Lempel coding and run length coding.

Brief introduction to Information Theory; entropy and rate; Kraft-McMillan inequality; entropy codes - Huffman and arithmetic codes; scalar quantization-quantizer design issues, the Lloyd quantizer and the Lloyd-Max quantizer; vector quantization - LBG algorithm, other quantizer design algorithms; structured VQs; entropy constrained quantization; bit allocation techniques: generalized BFOS algorithm; brief overview of linear algebra; transform coding: KLT, DCT, LOT; subband coding; wavelets; wavelet based compression algorithms (third generation image compression schemes)- EZW algorithm, the SPIHT algorithm and the EBCOT algorithm; video compression: motion estimation and compensation; image and video coding standards: JPEG/ JPEG 2000, MPEG, H.263, H.263+; Source coding and error resilience.

This course teaches digital signal processing techniques for wireless communications. It consists of two parts. Part 1 covers basic DSP fundamentals, such as DFT, FFT, IIR and FIR filters and DSP algorithms (ZF, ML, MMSE). Part 2 covers DSP applications in wireless communications. Various physical layer issues in wireless communications are addressed, including channel estimation, adaptive equalization, synchronization, interference cancellation, OFDM, multi-user detection and rake receiver in CDMA, space-time coding and smart antennae.

This course reviews multicarrier modulation (MCM) methods which offer several advantages over conventional single carrier systems for broadband data transmission. Topics include fundamentals of MCM, where the data stream is divided into several parallel bit streams, each of which has a much lower bit rate, to exploit multipath diversity and practical applications. It will cover new advances, as well as the present core technology. Hands-on learning with computer-based approaches will include simulation in MATLAB and state-of-the-art high level software packages to design and implement modulation, filtering, synchronization, and demodulation.

Introduction to signal detection and estimation principles with applications in wireless communication systems. Topics include optimum signal detection rules for simple and composite hypothesis tests, Chernoff bound and asymptotic relative efficiency, sequential detection and nonparametric detection; optimum estimation including Bayesian estimation and maximum likelihood, Fisher information and Cramer-Rao bound, linear estimation, least squares and weight least squares.

Mathematical modeling of signal processing; Wiener-Kalman filters, LP, and LMS methods; estimation and detection covering minimum-variance-unbiased (MVUB) and maximum likelihood (ML) estimators, Cramer-Rao bound, Bayes and Neyman-Pearson detectors, and CFAR detectors; methods of least squares (LS): batch mode, weighted LS, total LS (TLS), and recursive LS (RLS); SVD and high resolution spectral estimation methods including MUSIC, modified FBLP, and Min-Norm; higher order spectral analysis (HOSA) with applications of current interest; PDA and JPDA data association trackers with MultiDATTM; and applied computer projects on major topics.

Operating principle, modeling and fabrication of solid state devices for modern optical and electronic system implementation; recent developments in solid state devices and integrated circuits; devices covered include bipolar and MOS diodes and transistors, MESFET, MOSFET transistors, tunnel, IMPATT and BARITT diodes, transferred electron devices, light emitting diodes, semiconductor injection and quantum-well lasers, PIN and avalanche photodetectors.

Combinatorial reliability including series, parallel, cascade, and multistage networks; Markov, Weibull, and exponential failure models; redundancy; repairability; marginal and catastrophic failures; and parameter estimation.

Methods for analysis and design of nonlinear control systems emphasizing Lyapunov theory. Second order systems, phase plane descriptions of ononlinerar phenomena, limit cycles, stability, direct and indirect method of Lyapunov, linearization, feedback linearization, Lyapunov-based design, and backstepping.

Components for and design of optical communication systems; propagation of optical signals in single mode and multimode optical fibers; optical sources and photodetectors; optical modulators and multiplexers; optical communication systems: coherent modulators, optical fiber amplifiers and repeaters; transcontinental and transoceanic optical telecommunication system design; optical fiber LANs.

The application of electronic principles and analog and digital integrated circuits to the design of industrial and scientific instrumentation, process control, and robotics and automation. Topics include sensors and transducers, analog and digital signal conditioning and processing, data conversion, data transmission and interface standards, machine vision, control, and display. Microcomputers, microprocessors, and their support components are applied as system elements.

The application of electronic principles and analog and digital integrated circuits to the design of industrial and scientific instrumentation, process control, and robotics and automation. Topics include sensors and transducers, analog and digital signal conditioning and processing, data conversion, data transmission and interface standards, machine vision, control, and display. Microcomputers, microprocessors, and their support components are applied as system elements.

Advanced topics in autonomous and intelligent mobile robots, with emphasis on planning algorithms and cooperative control. Robot kinematics, path and motion planning, formation strategies, cooperative rules, and behaviors. The application of cooperative control spans from natural phenomena of groupings, such as fish schools, bird flocks, and deer herds, to engineering systems such as mobile sensing networks and vehicle platoon.

State space description of linear dynamical systems; canonical forms; solutions of state equations; controllability, observability, and minimality; Lyapunov stability; pole placement; asymptotic observer and compensator design andquadratic regulator theory; extensions to multivariable systems; matrix fraction description approach; and elements of time-varying systems.

Basic concepts, models and techniques; direct sequence frequency hopping, time hopping, chirp and hybrid systems, jamming game, anti-jam systems, analysis of coherent and non-coherent systems; synchronization and demodulation; multiple access systems; ranging and tracking; pseudo-noise generators.

Introduction to wireless networks and layered architecture, principles of cross-layer design, impact of cross-layer interactions for different architectures: cellular and ad hoc networks, model abstractions for layers in cross-layer design for different architectures (cellular and ad hoc networks), quality of service (QoS) provisioning at different layers of the protocol stack with emphasis on physical layer, medium access control (MAC) and network layers, examples of cross-layer design in the literature: joint optimizations involving beamforming, interference cancellation techniques, MAC protocols, admission control, power control, routing and adaptive modulation.

 Review of mathematics of signals and systems including   sampling theorem, Fourier transform, z-transform, Hilbert transform;   algorithms for fast computation: DFT, DCT computation, convolution; filter   design techniques: FIR and IIR filter design, time and frequency domain methods,   window method and other approximation theory based methods; structures for   realization of discrete time systems: direct form, parallel form, lattice   structure and other state-space canonical forms (e.g., orthogonal filters and   related structures); roundoff and quantization effects in digital filters:  analysis of sensitivity to coefficient quantization, limit cycle in IIR filters,  scaling to prevent overflow, role of special structures.

 Implementation of digital filters in high speed   architectures; multirate  signal processing: Linear periodically time varying   systems, decimators and  expanders, filter banks, interfacing digital systems   operating at multiple  rates, elements of subband coding and wavelet transforms;   signal recovery from  partial data: from zero crossing, level crossing, phase   only, magnitude only  data; elements of spectral estimation: MA, R & ARMA   models.  lattice, Burg  methods, MEM.

Mathematics of multidimensional (MD) signals and systems; frequency and state space description of MD systems; multidimensional FFT; MD recursive and nonrecursive filters, velocity and isotropic filters, their stability and design; MD spectral estimation with applications in array processing; MD signal recovery from partial information such as magnitude, phase, level crossing etc.; MD subband coding for image compression; selected topics from computer aided tomography and synthetic aperture radar.

An introduction to information theory methods used in the analysis and design of communication systems. Typical topics include: entropy, relative entropy and mutual information; the asymptotic equipartition property; entropy rates of stochastic process; data compression; Kolmogorov complexity; channel capacity; differential entropy; the Gaussian channel; maximum entropy and mutual information; rate distortion theory; network information theory; algebraic codes.

Part I: Introduction to game theory: games in strategic form and Nash equilibrium, Existence and properties of Nash equilibrium, Pareto efficiency, Extensive form games, repeated games, Bayesian games and Bayesian equilibrium, types of games and equilibrium properties, learning in games. Part II: Applications for wireless networks: resource allocation, enforcing cooperation in ad hoc networks, cognitive radios.

 Introduction to wireless communication systems; the   concept of frequency
 reuse; basic planning of a cellular system, elements of   cellular radio design system; propagation characteristics of cellular radio   channels; frequency management, channel allocation and handoff mechanisms;   specifications of digital cellular systems in USA and Europe; Spread   spectrum cellular communications; elements of cordless communication   systems.

Overview of communication theory, modulation techniques, conventional multiple access schemes, and SS/TDMA; satellite and frequency allocation, analysis of satellite link, and identification of the parameters necessary for the link calculation; modulation and coding; digital modulation methods and their comparison; error correction coding for the satellite channel, including Viterbi decoding and system performance; synchronization methods and carrier recovery; and effects of impairment on the channel.

An introduction to two-dimensional linear systems, scalar diffraction theory, and Fresnel and Fraunhofer diffraction. Applications of diffraction theory to thin lenses, optical imaging systems, spatial filtering, optical information processing, and holography.

 This courses serves as a broad introduction to the several   technologies and applications of wireless communications systems.  The   emphasis is on providing a reasonable mixture of information leading to a broad   understanding of the technical issues involved, with modest depth in each of   the topics.  As an integrating course, the topics range from the physics of   wave generation/propagation/reception through the   circuit/component issues, to the signal processing concepts, to the techniques used to   impress the information (voice or data) on a wireless channel, to overviews of   representative applications including current generation systems and next   generation systems. Upon completion of this course, the student shall   understand the manner in which the more detailed information in the other three   courses is integrated to create a complete system.

 Provides depth in the several topics related to signal   processing and data processing that appear within wireless communications   systems.  The treatment is mathematical, providing depth in the analytic   formulations and analysis techniques.  Digital signal processing techniques will be   given particular emphasis, recognizing their considerable influence on   present and emerging designs.  However, these digital signal processing   techniques will be supplemented by analog signal processing techniques will   be supplemented by
 analog signal processing techniques, which continue to be   important for front-ends of receivers (and will remain important as   carrier frequencies continue to migrate to higher frequencies).  In addition   to covering the mathematical principles of digital and analog signal   processing, the course will cover contemporary digital signal processors.  The   data processing issue arises in the coding of data for improved communications   performance. Compression algorithms, reducing the amount of data that   must be transmitted, coding techniques to provide error detection/protection,   and encryption techniques to improve security are representative examples   of data processing.

Provides depth in student's understanding of the physical   design of wireless communication systems.  The emphasis will be on the design   of the transmitter and receiver sections of a wireless system, but antenna   design will also be covered to provide an understanding of the techniques used   to achieve directional and steerable antennas when appropriate for   the given wireless system.  The wide range of carrier frequencies seen in   wireless systems leads to a variety of semiconductor and other technologies being   required at
 different carrier frequencies.  In addition, the bandwidth   of the signal leads to substantially different issues arising in the packaging   used for the transmitter and receiver ends.  For lower carrier   frequencies, advanced silicon IC technologies are preferred, given the maturity   of the technology and the considerable density of both analog and digital   circuitry that can be integrated on a single IC.  At higher frequencies, the   limits of contemporary silicon technologies are encountered, leading to use of   specialized semiconductor technologies such at GaAs and SiGe circuits.   In addition, the difficulty of realizing high accuracy analog/digital   conversions at multi-GHz frequencies leads to a preference, at this time, for   analog for analog circuitry at the higher frequencies.   On the other hand, analog/digital conversions are becoming   possible at   sufficiently high sampling rates that digital processing   is being strongly   pursued directly at the front end of a receiver, allowing   a variety of new   techniques to be considered for the overall receiver   design.  In cases where   front-end digital signal processing cannot be achieved,   such digital   processing is increasingly used at intermediate   frequencies (i.e., the IF   section).  In the case of data communications, digital   techniques are almost   certainly used at baseband, for example to separate the   data signal from the   received analog signal, to perform data decoding, etc.   The course will   include material related to contemporary digital signal   processor    technologies, supplementing the discussions in Course 2 by   considering in greater depth the physical design and performance   limitations of technologies   and architectures.

 Provides the student with depth in the overall   understanding of the high-level definition and operation of a contemporary wireless   system.  Since many wireless systems involve connections among hardware   developed by different commercial manufacturers, national and international   standards play a major role in the evolution of wireless systems.  Earlier first   generation systems evolved to today's second generation systems, with third   generation systems expected shortly.  One component of this course relates to   these important
 standards.  There are several fundamentally different   wireless systems applications simultaneously evolving.  Some relate to   personal communications services (e.g., cellular telephony, wireless modems,   etc.).  Others relate to LANs, implemented in wireless rather than wired   technologies to allow mobility or ease of access but providing data rates competitive   with wired systems.
 Satellite communications systems (e.g., the Iridium   system) are emerging and promise to provide a particularly interesting means of   extending communication services.  GPS systems provide an important means of   determining one's position to high accuracy.  Digital and software radios   exploit the familiar concept of radio transmissions to provide digital   information (and draw upon channel assignment schemes related to the radio metaphor).   In addition to the commercial development of separate (and   non-integrated)   wireless systems of the various types above, there are   important military   applications in which the various systems are integrated   to provide a
   versatile communications systems designed for battlefield   applications.  Upon   completion of this course, the student will have depth of   understanding in the   high-level, systems-oriented view of wireless systems.

This course introduces students to the principles and   design techniques of
 Very Large Scale Integrated Circuits (VLSI).  Topics   include: MOS transistor characteristics, DC analysis, resistance, capacitance   models, transient analysis, propagation delay, power dissipation, CMOS logic   design, transistor sizing, layout methodologies, clocking schemes, case   studies.  Students will use VLSI CAD tools for layout, and simulation.  Selected   class projects may be sent for fabrication.

This course presents tools, techniques and algorithms to accelerate compute intensive applications, via a combination of computing devices such as the GPU, FPGA and multi-core CPU on a heterogeneous platform. Computationally intensive problems present various challenges in terms of tasks with different characteristics and features. With the exponential growth of data from sensors, biological sequencing, financial transactions, multimedia and user generated content; there is a strong need to accelerate the processing involved at various levels. Such applications benefit highly from heterogeneous computing architecture. The basics of GPU architecture, programming tools, such as CUDA and OpenCL, real-world applications that benefit from GPU computing will be presented. This is followed by the techniques for multi-core CPU programming, hardware design via Verilog as well as advantages of FPGA for various low latency applications and a combination of the two architectures to accelerate scientific applications. Knowledge of multi-threaded and concurrent programming is helpful but not necessary.

Please contact the Registrar for more information.
Phone: (201)216-5555
Fax: (201)216-8030
E-mail: registrar@stevens.edu

An ECE seminar on topics of current interest.

Please contact the Registrar for more information.
Phone: (201)216-5555
Fax: (201)216-8030
E-mail: registrar@stevens.edu

 This course reviews multicarrier modulcation (MCM) methods   that offer several advantages over conventional single carrier systems for   broadband data transmission.  Topics include fundamentals of MCM, where   the data stream is divided up into several parallel bit streams, each of   which has a much lower bit rate, to exploit multipath diversity and the practical   applications.  It will cover new advances as well as the core technology.   Hands on learning with computer based learning approaches will include   simulation in MATLAB and state of the art high level software packages to design   and implement modulation, filtering, synchronization and demodulation.

A participating seminar in the area of modern communications. Typical topics include high-resolution spectral estimation, nonparametric and robust signal processing, CFAR radars, diversity techniques for fading multipath channels, and adaptive nonlinear equalizers of optical communications.

Current topics in information theory and coding. Typical topics include: basic theorems of information theory, entropy, channel capacity, and error bounds. Rate distortion theory: discrete source with a fidelity criterion, minimum distortion quantization, bounds on rate-distortion functions, error control codes: review of prerequisite linear algebra and field theory, linear block codes, cyclic algebraic codes, convolutional codes, and sequential decoding.

Brief review of electromagnetic theory; Maxwell's equations; the wave equations; plane waves and spherical waves; explanation of phenomenon of radiation; the incremental dipole antenna; and dipole antennas, including half-wave dipole and grounded monopole. Linear-antenna arrays, such as Yagi-Uda array and log-periodic array. Radiation from an aperture, such as rectangular and circular apertures. Prime-focus fed paraboloidal reflector antennas and far-field patterns, directivity, effects of scanning, and effects of random surface imperfections. Shaped-reflector paraboloidal reflector antennas and Cassegrain and Gregorian paraboloidal antennas. Offset paraboloidal reflectors and spherical reflectors. Tracking antennas, types of monopulse patterns, antenna noise, and concept of G/T.

An investigation of a current research topic at the pre-master's level, under the direction of a faculty member. A written report is required, which should have the substance of a publishable article. Students with no practical experience who do not write a master's thesis are invited to take advantage of this experience.

An investigation of a current research topic beyond that of EE 800 level, under the direction of a faculty member. A written report, which should have the substance of a publishable article, is required. It should have importance in modern electrical engineering. This course is open to students who intend to be doctoral candidates and wish to explore an area that is different from the doctoral research topic.

A participating seminar on topics of current interest and   importance in
 Electrical Engineering.

A thesis of significance to be filed in libraries, demonstrating competence in a research area of electrical engineering. Five to ten credits with departmental approval for the degree of Master of Engineering (Electrical Engineering).

An investigation of a current engineering topic or design. A written report is required.

Original research of a significant character, undertaken under the guidance of a member of the departmental faculty, which may serve as the basis for the dissertation required for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy.

Measures of cost, performance, and speedup; instruction set design; processor design; hard-wired and microprogrammed control; memory hierarchies; pipelining; input/output systems; and additional topics as time permits. The emphasis in this course is on quantitative analysis of design alternatives.

This course covers the design and architecture of computer and digital systems in the system design region starting from the transistor/logic gate level to below the device driver level/system monitor level.  The systems considered in the course will go beyond the computer chips or CPUs discussed in a typical computer architecture course, but will include complex logic devices such as application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), the core-designs for field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), system-on-a-chip (SoC) designs, ARM, and other application-specific architectures.  Printed circuit board-level architectural considerations for multiple complex digital circuits will also be discussed.

This course will offer the students an overview of the technology of autonomous mobile robotic systems the mechanisms that allow a mobile robot to move through a real-world environment to perform its tasks. Since the design of any successful mobile robot involves the integration of many different disciplines -- among them kinematics, signal analysis, information theory, artificial intelligence, and probability theory -- the course will discuss all facets of mobile robotic system, including hardware design, wheel design, kinematics analysis, sensors and perception, localization, mapping, motionplanning, navigation, and robot control architectures. Multi-robot systems will also be introduced due to their broader applications, such as search and rescue tasks, and exploring tasks.

An objective cost model is necessary for planning and executing software projects. A cost model provides a framework for communicating business decisions among the stakeholders of a software effort; it supports contract negotiations, process improvement analysis, tool purchases, architecture changes, component make/buy tradeoffs, and several other return-on-investment decisions. This course provides the student with a through introduction to software estimation and to industry standard tools, like COCOMOII, used in cost estimation. Cross-listed with CS533 .

Types of multimedia information: voice, data video facsimile, graphics, and their characterization; modeling techniques to represent multimedia information; analysis and comparative performances of different models; detection techniques for multimedia signals; specification of multimedia representation based on service requirements; and evaluation of different multimedia representations to satisfy user applications and for generating test scenarios for standardization.

This is an introductory-level course to computer graphics. No previous knowledge on the subject is assumed. The objective of the course is to provide a comprehensive introduction to the field of computer graphics, focusing on the underlying theory, and thus providing strong foundations for both designers and users of graphical systems. The course will study the conceptual framework for interactive computer graphics, introduce the use of OpenGL as an application programming interface (API), and cover algorithmic and computer architecture issues.

This course introduces the subject of software engineering, also known as software development process or software development best practice from a quantitative, analytic- and metrics-based point of view. Topics include introductions to: software life-cycle process models from the heaviest weight, used on very large projects, to the lightest weight, such as, extreme programming; industry-standard software engineering tools; teamwork; project planning and management; object-oriented analysis and design. The course is case-history and project oriented.

This course is a project-oriented continuation of CS540. It is intended for computer science majors interested in learning software development process, but not interested in the full MS program in QSE or the Graduate Certificate in QSE.

Communications in computer networks are not only enabled by physical links and hardware, but are also enabled by software and middleware. This course provides an understanding of software techniques in communications. It explores development models that address a broad range of issues in the design of communication software, including hardware and software partitioning, layering, and protocol stacks. Other topics are configuration techniques, buffer and timer management, task and table managements, and multi-board communications software design. Communication middleware and agent technologies as enabling technology in networking will also be covered.

Review of mathematics of signals and systems including sampling theorem, Fourier transform, z-transform, Hilbert transform; algorithms for fast computation: DFT, DCT computation, convolution; filter design techniques: FIR and IIR filter design, time and frequency domain methods, window method and other approximation theory based methods; structures for realization of discrete time systems: direct form, parallel form, lattice structure and other state-space canonical forms (e.g., orthogonal filters and related structures); roundoff and quantization effects in digital filters: analysis of sensitivity to coefficient quantization, limit cycle in IIR filters, scaling to prevent overflow, role of special structures.

This course provides an intensive introduction to material on computer organization and assembly language programming required for entrance into the graduate program in Computer Science or Computer Engineering. The topics covered are: structure of stored program computers; linking and loading; assembly language programming, with an emphasis on translation of high-level language constructs; data representation and arithmetic algorithms; basics of logic design; processor design: data path, hardwired control and microprogrammed control. Students will be given assembly language programming assignments on a regular basis.

The miniaturization of electronics and increasingly sophisticated software environments has enabled the realization of systems that embed intelligence within a wide variety of systems interacting in real time with the environment. Such systems are characterized by hardware/software integration along with integration of both analog and digital electronics. Representative topics include specification of the overall system, real-time operating system, embedded network protocols, tradeoffs between hardware and software, etc. The lectures will be complemented by projects related to design of such systems.

Embedded systems have emerged as a primary application area, highlighting the co-integration of application-specific hardware components with programmable, flexible, adaptable, and versatile software components. Such systems have been one of the drivers of important new computing principles that play an important role in achieving optimal performance of the overall system. This course will provide the student with a background in these new computing principles and their application to embedded systems. Representative topics include emerging computing paradigms in the areas of context-aware pervasive systems, spatio-temporal access control with distributed software agents, vehicular computing, information systems cryptography, trust and privacy in mobile environments, location-aware services, RFID systems, wireless medical networks, and urban sensing.

An introduction to the field of Computer Vision, focusing on the underlying algorithmic, geometric, and optic issues. The course starts with a brief overview of basic image processing topics (convolution, smoothing, and edge detection). It then proceeds on various image analysis topics: binary images, moments-based shape analysis, Hough transform, image formation, depth and shape recovery, photometry, motion, classification, and special topics.

An overview of the technical and application topics encountered in contemporary networked information systems including the overall architecture of such systems, data networked architectures, secure transmission of information, data representations including visual representations, information coding/compression for storage and transmission, management of complex heterogeneous networks, and integration of next-generation systems with legacy systems.

Introduction to the engineering principles and practices to build networked applications, such as e-mail and www; programming networked applications using Web Services; coordinating the execution of application components on different computers on the network; ensuring consistency of data among the components in online banking-like applications; monitoring, recovery, and rejuvenation capabilities to handle component failures; authentication among components for eCommerce-like applications; application quality of service; middleware platforms that address these issues in practice; and large-scale networked application examples.

Principles and practices of managing local area networks are presented from the perspective of a network systems engineer, including hands-on projects working with a real local area network (Cisco routers, switches, firewalls, etc.). The SNMP protocols and network management using SNMP are presented in terms of the general organization of information regarding network components and from the perspective of creating basic network management functions using SNMP. Techniques for troubleshooting practical networks, along with setting up and maintaining an IP network are covered. The course includes a project-based learning experience.

 This course provides a broad introduction to cornerstones   of security (authenticity, confidentiality, message integrity and   non-repudiation) and the mechanisms to achieve them as well as the underlying   mathematical basics. Topics include: block and stream ciphers, public-key   systems, key management, certificates, public-key infrastructure (PKI), digital   signature, non-repudiation, and message authentication.  Various   security standards and protocols such as DES, AES, PGP and Kerberos, are studied.

Introduction to the rigorous design of functional and procedural programs in modern language (C++). The main theme is that programs can be reliably designed, proven and refined if one pays careful attention to their underlying logic, and the emphasis of this course is on the logical evolution of programs from specifications. Programs are developed in the UNIX environment. The necessary background in logic, program syntax and UNIX is developed as needed, though at a fast pace.

Imaging plays an important role in both clinical and research environments. This course presents both the basic physics together with the practical technology associated with such methods as X-ray computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), functional MRI (f-MRI) and spectroscopy, ultrasonics (echocardiography, Doppler flow), nuclear medicine (Gallium, PET and SPECT scans) as well as optical methods such as bioluminescence, optical tomography, fluorescent confocal microscopy, two-photon microscopy and atomic force microscopy.

This is a course on more complex data structures, and algorithm design 
and analysis, using the C++ language. Topics include: advanced and/or 
balanced search trees; hashing; further asymptotic complexity analysis; 
standard algorithm design techniques; graph algorithms; complex sort 
algorithms; and other "classic" algorithms that serve as examples of 
design techniques.

The objective of this course is to introduce current techniques in multimedia communications especially as applied to wireless networks. The course will introduce the basic issues in multimedia communications and networking. Topics covered include: multimedia information representation - text, images, audio, video; introduction to information theory - information of a source, average information of a discrete memoryless source, source coding for memoryless sources; multimedia compression - text, image, audio, video; standards for multimedia communications; transmissions and protocols; circuit switched networks; the Internet; broadband ATM networks; packet video in the network environment; transport protocols - TCP/IP; TCP; UDP; RTP and RTCP; wireless networks - models, characteristics; error resilience for wireless networks.

The objective of this course is to introduce current techniques in securing IP and multimedia networks. Topics under IP security will include classic cryptography, Diffie-Hellman, RSA, end-to-end authentication, Kerberos, viruses, worms and intrusion detection. Topics from multimedia will include steganography, digital watermarking, covert channels, hacking, jamming, security features in MPEG-4, secure media streaming, wireless multimedia, copy control and other mechanisms for secure storage and transfer of audio, image and video data.

The course provides the student with an integrated presentation of (i) the formalisms of data structures, graphs and algorithms, (ii) the development of efficient and reliable software using these formalisms, and (iii) theapplications of the data structures, graphs and algorithms topics (including appropriate elements of graph theory) within representative computing, information, and communications engineering applications. Principles will be applied through programming projects solving representative problems drawn from data networking and other applications.

Please contact the Registrar for more information.
Phone: (201)216-5555
Fax: (201)216-8030
E-mail: registrar@stevens.edu

Design, implementation, and asymptotic time and space analysis of 
advanced algorithms, as well as analyzing worst-case and average-case 
complexity of algorithms. Students will be expected to run experiments 
to test the actual performance of the algorithms on sample inputs. 
Introduction to NP-complete problems and approximation algorithms.

This is an introductory course for engineers. Topics that will be covered include principles of counting, set theory, mathematical induction, analysis of algorithms and complexity, relations, recurrent relations, graph algorithms, combinatorial design, software tools, applications to coding theory, network optimization, data compression, security, etc.

 This course is an introduction on modern information   networks with an emphasis on providing the student with the mathematical background   and required analytical skills for performance analysis of information   networks protocols. The material concentrates mostly on the bottom three   layers of the protocol stack, focusing on delay and throughput analysis.Topics   covered include an overview of the OSI layering model, data link layer   issues, medium access control, queueing analysis, mathematical models for   routing in broadcast and point-to-point networks, and flow and congestion control.

This course will deal with the main aspects of applied modeling and optimization suitable for engineering, science, and business students. Sample applications to be used as case studies include channel capacity computation (information theory), statistical detection and estimation (signal processing), sequential decision making/revenue maximization (business), and others. Topics will include introduction to convex and non-linear optimization and modeling; linear, quadratic, and geometric program models and applications; stochastic modeling; combinatorial issues; gradient techniques; machine learning algorithms; stochastic approximation; genetic algorithms; and ant colony optimization.

Please contact the Registrar for more information.
Phone: (201)216-5555
Fax: (201)216-8030
E-mail: registrar@stevens.edu

Modeling of image signals; 2D prediction theory and application to DPCM/ADM coding of images; subband coding of images; filters for subband coding; transform coding of images; comparison of various transforms like KLT, DCT, LOT; vector quantizing theory, vector quantizing algorithms like the LBG algorithm; VQ for image coding.

The course provides an understanding of electronic commerce and related architectures, protocols and technologies. The course introduces the E-commerce concept, objectives, and market drivers, and identifies its requirements, underpinning techniques, and technologies. These include Internet techniques like tunneling and Telnet and WWW techniques like Forms, and Common Gateway Interface (CGI). Other related topics such as multimedia, intelligent agents and their applications in E-commerce, the client/server model, and Commitment, Concurrency and Recovery (CCR) are also presented. Network, service, and application management, which are important aspects of E-commerce, are discussed. Quality of Service (QoS) management, Service Level Agreement (SLA) management, Application Programming Interface (APIs), and the role of Application Service Providers (ASPs) are discussed. There will be strong emphasis on the important topic of security management. Topics here include security concepts and technologies, types of security attacks, encryption techniques, public key systems, Data Encryption Standard (DES), and authentication techniques. Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), secure tunneling techniques, firewalls, Intranets, extranets, and VPN management are covered. The policy and regulatory issues in E-commerce are discussed. Finally, various E-commerce applications in the areas of finance, securities, trading, auctions, and travel are described. The course includes some E-commerce case studies and demonstrations.

This course presents the fundamental principles and process for designing effective and reliable, supportable, and maintainable systems. The participants will also understand the concept of system operational effectiveness, and the inherent "cause and effect" relationship between design decisions and system operation, maintenance and logistics. Furthermore, the course will also discuss system life cycle cost modeling as a strategic design decision making methodology and present illustrative case studies.

Advanced topics in autonomous and intelligent mobile   robots, with emphasis on planning algorithms and cooperative control.  Robot   kinematics, path and motion planning, formation strategies, cooperative rules   and behaviors.  The application of cooperative control spans from natural   phenomena of groupings such as fish schools, bird flocks, deer herds, to   engineering systems such as mobile sensing networks, vehicle platoon.

Types of multimedia information: voice, data video   facsimile, graphics and their characterization; modeling techniques to represent   multimedia
 information; analysis and comparative performances of   different models;
 detection techniques for multimedia signals; specification   of multimedia
 representation based on service requirements; evaluation   of different
 multimedia representations to satisfy user applications   and for generating test scenarios for standardization.

Mathematical foundations and algorithms for advanced computer graphics. Topics include 3-D modeling, texture mapping, curves and surfaces, physics-based modeling, and visualization. Special attention will be paid to surfaces and shapes. The class will consist of lectures and discussion on research papers assigned for reading. In class, we will study the theoretical foundations and algorithmic issues. In programming assignments, we will use OpenGL as the particular API for writing graphics programs. C/C++ programming skills are essential for this course.

This course covers the principles and theory of   programming-in-the-large.  The phases of software development, requirements development,   software design software coding, and module testing, and software   verification will be discussed in detail.  Documents, rapid phototyping, top   down, bottom up, successive refinement, functional and data abstraction   will be discussed. Black and white box testing methods will be covered.   Hierarchical and democratic term organization structures and the effects of   personalizing and group dynamics will be discussed.

     
 The course will be built around a small number of detailed   case studies.  The intent is to illustrate the use of some methodologies for   software development using both state-of-the art approaches as well as   potentially more valuable but as yet unproven approaches from the research   community.  The course will cover the phases of requirement development, system   specification, design, implementation, testing, and project management.

Design concepts for combinational and sequential (synchronous and asynchronous) logic systems; the design processes are described algorithmically and are applied to complex function design at the gate and register level; the designs are also implemented using software development tools, logic compilers for programmable logic devices and gate arrays.

The design of complex digital logic systems using processor architectures. The architectures are implemented for reduced instruction set computers (RISC) and extended to complex instruction set computers (CISC). The emphasis in the course is the design of high-speed digital systems and includes processors, sequencer/controllers, memory systems and input/output.

The goal is to acquaint the students with the fundamental techniques of image processing. Specific topics include: Digital imaging fundamentals; neighborhood operators; clustering, region growing; split and merge, segmentation; edge and line linking; degradation model, restoration, inverse filtering; zero-crossing methods, gradient edge detectors; gray level co-occurrence, texture analysis; morphological operations; image registration and enhancement; scale space filtering; motion estimation; 3D image recognition and estimation.

Introduction and general pattern recognition concerns and statistical pattern recognition: introduction to statistical pattern recognition, supervised learning (training) using parametric and nonparametric approaches, parametric estimation and supervised learning, maximum likelihood (ML) estimation, the Bayesian parameter estimation approach, supervised learning using nonparametric approaches, Parzen windows, nonparametric estimation, unsupervised learning and clustering, and formulation of unsupervised learning problems; syntactic pattern recognition: quantifying structure in pattern description and recognition, grammar-based approach and applications, elements of formal grammars, syntactic recognition via parsing and other grammars, graphical approaches, and learning via grammatical inference; neural pattern recognition: the artificial neural network model, introduction to neural pattern associators and matrix approaches, multilayer, feed-forward network structure, and content addressable memory approaches. The Hopfield approach to pattern recognition, unsupervised learning, and self-organizing networks.

Analysis of current networks including classic telephone, ISDN, IP and ATM. Attributes and characteristics of high-speed networks. Principles of network design including user-network interface, traffic modeling, buffer architectures, buffer management techniques, call processing, routing algorithms, switching fabric, distributed resource management, computational intelligence, distributed network management, measures of network performance, quality of service, self-healing algorithms, hardware and software issues in future network design.

Queuing models will be developed and applied to current problems in telecommunication networks and performance analysis of networked computer systems. Topics include elementary queuing theory, birth-death processes, open and closed networks of queues, priority queues, conservation laws, models for time-shared computer systems and computer communication networks.

This course is a continuation of CPE 655.

The course emphasizes two main themes. The first is the study of wavelets as a newly emerging tool in signal analysis. The second is its applications in image processing and computer vision. In the first category, the following topics will be covered: time-frequency localization, windowed Fourier transform, continuous and discrete wavelet transforms, orthogonal and biorthogonal families of wavelets, and multiresolution analysis and its relation to subband coding schemes and use of wavelets in analysis of singularities. In the second category, applications of wavelets in problems of compact coding of images, edge and boundary detection, zero-crossing based representation, motion estimation, and other problems relevant to image processing and transmission will be considered.

Implementation of digital filters in high speed architectures; multirate signal processing: linear periodically time varying systems, decimators and expanders, filter banks, interfacing digital systems operating at multiple rates, elements of subband coding and wavelet transforms; signal recovery from partial data: from zero crossing, level crossing, phase only, magnitude only data; elements of spectral estimation: MA, AR and ARMA models. Lattice, Burg methods, MEM.

This course provides a broad introduction to cornerstones of security (authenticity, confidentiality, message integrity and non-repudiation) and the mechanisms to achieve them. Topics include: block and stream ciphers, secret-key and public-key systems, key management, public-key infrastructure (PKI), digital envelope, integrity and message authentication, digital signature and non-repudiation, trusted third party and certificates. Various security standards and protocols such as DES, PGP and Kerberos will be studied. The course includes a project and some lab experiments related to running, analyzing and comparing various security algorithms.

The design of ASCA (Application Specific Computer Architectures) for signal and image processing; topics include an overview of VLSI architectural design principles, signal and image processing algorithms, mapping algorithms onto array structures, parallel architectures and implementation, and systolic design for neural network processing.

The first of a two-course sequence on modern computer networks. Focus is on the physical and data link levels of the OSI layers. Trace the evolution of client/server computing to the Internet. Topics covered include OSI layering, TCP/IP overview, the application of Shannon’s and Nyquist’s bandwidth theorems, Discrete Wave Division Multiplexing, wireless transmission, local loops, QAM, TDM, SONET/SDH, circuit switching, ATM switching, knockout switch, ISDN, STM, framing, error detection and correction, CRC, ARQ protocol, sliding window protocols, finite state machines, Universal Modeling Language, PPP, ALOHA, CSMA, LANs, fast and gigabit Ethernet, bridges and FDDI. A significant amount of time is spend on designing 802.3 LANs.

Learn the technologies that make the Internet work. You will understand the TCP and IP protocols and their interaction. You will study the TCP slow start in low noise and high noise environments, the use of proxy servers, web caching, and gain understanding of the technologies used to make routers perform well under load. These include shortest path routing, new routing protocols, TCP congestion control, leaky bucket and token bucket admission control, weighted fair queueing and random early detection of congestion. Networks are described in terms of their architecture, transport, routing and management. Quality of Service (QoS) models are integrated with communication models. The course requires problem solving and extensive reading on network technology. After an introduction to bridges, gigabit ethernet, routing and the Internet Protocol, a fundamental understanding of shortest path and distance vector routing is taught. A “problem/solution” approach is used to develop how and why the technology evolved to keep engineering tradeoffs in focus. Continuation of Information Networks I with a focus on the network and transport layers of the OSI layers. Protocol definitions for distributed networks and performance analysis of various routing protocols including Bellman-Ford, BGP and OSPF. TCP over IP is discussed. Other topics include pipelining, broadcast routing, congestion control and reservations, Leaky and Token Bucket algorithms, weighted fair queuing, tunneling, firewalls, Ipv4 and IPv6. Network layers in SAN including the different service categories are discussed. The TCP and UDP transport protocols are discussed in depth along with network security, DNS, SAN, SLIP, firewalls and naming.

Ad hoc networking relates to a collection of network components that can self-organize and manage communications in a manner largely transparent to the user. Such networks have grown in importance as wireless network technologies have advanced, leading to dynamically changing network topologies. Representative topics, presented from the perspective of ad hoc networks, include routing protocols, performance metrics, implementations, applications such as sensor and peer-to-peer networks, and security are presented from the perspective of ad hoc networks.

The geometry of fuzzy sets; the universe as a fuzzy set; fuzzy relational algebra; fuzzy systems; the fuzzy entropy theorem; the subsethood theorem; the fuzzy approximation theorem (FAT); fuzzy associative memories (FAM); adaptive FAMs (AFAM); fuzzy learning methods; approximate reasoning (linguistic modeling); different integration of neural networks and fuzzy systems; neuro-fuzzy controller and their applications; expert systems: knowledge acquisition, knowledge representation, and inference engines; hybrid expert systems (soft computing): knowledge-based systems, fuzzy systems, and neural networks; and applications: image processing, data compression, pattern recognition, computer vision, qualitative modeling, retrieval from fuzzy database, process control, robotics, and some industrial applications.

Please contact the Registrar for more information.
Phone: (201)216-5555
Fax: (201)216-8030
E-mail: registrar@stevens.edu

Please contact the Registrar for more information.
Phone: (201)216-5555
Fax: (201)216-8030
E-mail: registrar@stevens.edu

This course introduces students to the principles and design techniques of very large scale integrated circuits (VLSI). Topics include: MOS transistor characteristics, DC analysis, resistance, capacitance models, transient analysis, propagation delay, power dissipation, CMOS logic design, transistor sizing, layout methodologies, clocking schemes, case studies. Students will use VLSI CAD tools for layout and simulation. Selected class projects may be sent for fabrication.

History of network security; classical information security; cryptosecurity; kerberos for IP networks; private and public keys; nature of network security; fundamental framework for network security; analysis and performance impact of network topology; vulnerabilities and security attack models in ATM, IP, and mobile wireless networks; security services, policies, and models; trustworthy systems; intrusion detection techniques - centralized and distributed; emulation of attack models and performance assessment through behavior modeling and asynchronous distributed simulation; principles of secure network design in the future; and projects in network security and student seminar presentations.

This course covers the design and analysis of security protocols, and studies different attacks and defenses against them. Topics include: signature and authentication protocols, privacy, digital rights management, security protocols for wired, wireless and distributed networks, electronic voting, payment and micropayment protocols, anonymity, broadcast encryption and traitor training, quantum cryptography and visual cryptography. The course includes a project and some related lab experiments.

Please contact the Registrar for more information.
Phone: (201)216-5555
Fax: (201)216-8030
E-mail: registrar@stevens.edu

An ECE Department seminar on topics of current interest.

Please contact the Registrar for more information.
Phone: (201)216-5555
Fax: (201)216-8030
E-mail: registrar@stevens.edu

Current topics in image processing and pattern recognition. Topics may include Bayes decision theroy, parameter estimation, feature selection, non-parametric techniques, linear discriminate functions, unsupervised learning, clustering, applications of pattern recognition, and biomedical problems.

Current topics in VLSI, VHSIC, and ASIC design, simulation, and verification. Electronic design automation (EDA) tools. Design physics and processing and basic CMOS and bipolar circuit structures. Top-down design methods; formal specifications of circuits; simulation as an aid to circuit design and verification; and principles of functional and logical simulation before layout. Bottom-up circuit construction; hierarchical layout circuits; floor plan organization and routing of subcircuit interconnections; extraction of circuit from layout; critical path analysis. Class project and design, simulation, and layout of medium size circuit.

A participating seminar on topics of current interest and importance in computer engineering.

An investigation of current research topic at the pre-master's level, under the direction of a faculty member. A written report is required, which should have the substance of a publishable article. Students with no practical experience who do not write a master's thesis are invited to take advantage of this experience.

An investigation of a current research topic beyond that of CPE 800 level, under the direction of a faculty member. A written report is required, which should have importance in modern computer engineering and have the substance of a publishable article. This course is open to students who intend to be doctoral candidates and wish to explore an area that is different from the doctoral research topic.

 A participating seminar on topics of current interest and   importance in
 Computer Engineering

A thesis of significance to be filed in libraries, demonstrating competence in a research area of computer engineering.

An investigation of current a engineering topic or design. A written report is required.

Original research of a significant character undertaken under the guidance of a member of the departmental faculty that may serve as the basis for the dissertation required for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy.

This course provides a background in probability and stochastic processes necessary for the analysis of telecommunications systems. Topics include axioms of probability, combinatorial methods, discrete and continuous random variables, expectation, Poisson processes, birth-death processes, and Markov processes.

Measures of cost, performance, and speedup; instruction set design; processor design; hard-wired and microprogrammed control; memory hierarchies; pipelining; input/output systems; and additional topics as time permits. The emphasis in this course is on quantitative analysis of design alternatives.

Communications in computer networks are not only enabled
by physical links and hardware; it is also enabled by software and middleware. This course provides an understanding of software techniques in communications. It explores development models that address broad range of issues in the design of communication software including hardware and software partitioning, layering, and protocol stacks.  Other topics are configuration techniques, buffer and  timer management, task and table managements, and multi-board communications software design.  Communication middleware and agent technologies as enabling
 technology in networking will also be covered.

Types of multimedia information: voice, data video facsimile, graphics, and their characterization; modeling techniques to represent multimedia information; analysis and comparative performances of different models; detection techniques for multimedia signals; specification of multimedia representation based on service requirements; and evaluation of different multimedia representations to satisfy user applications and for generating test scenarios for standardization.

Communications in computer networks are not only enabled
by physical links and hardware, but are also enabled by software and middleware. This course provides an understanding of software techniques in communications.  It explores development models that address a broad range of issues in the design of communication software, including hardware and software partitioning, layering, and protocol stacks.  Other topics are configuration techniques, buffer and timer management, task and table managements, and multi-board communications software design.  Communication middleware and agent technologies as enabling technology in networking will also be covered.

An overview of the technical and application topics encountered in contemporary networked information systems including the overall architecture of such systems, data network architectures, secure transmission of information, data representations including visual representations, information coding/compression for storage and transmission, management of complex heterogeneous networks and integration of next-generation systems with legacy systems.

Introduction to the use of relational database systems; the relational model; the entity-relationship model; translation of entity-relationship diagrams into relational schemes; relational algebra; SQL; normalization of relational schemes. Students who have had a previous course in database systems must obtain permission of the instructor to enroll in this course.

Introduction to the engineering principles and practices to build networked applications, such as e-mail and www; programming networked applications using Web Services; coordinating the execution of application components on different computers on the network; ensuring consistency of data among the components in online banking-like applications; monitoring, recovery, and rejuvenation capabilities to handle component failures; authentication among components for eCommerce-like applications; application quality of service; middleware platforms that address these issues in practice; and large-scale networked application examples.

Analysis of current networks including classic telephone, ISDN, IP and ATM. Attributes and characteristics of high-speed networks. Principles of network design including user-network interface, traffic modeling, buffer architectures, buffer management techniques, call processing, routing algorithms, switching fabric, distributed resource management, computational intelligence, distributed network management, measures of network performance, quality of service, self-healing algorithms, hardware and software issues in future network design.

Principles and practices of managing local area networks are presented from the perspective of a network systems engineer, including hands-on projects working with a real local area network (Cisco routers, switches, firewalls, etc.). The SNMP protocols and network management using SNMP are presented in terms of the general organization of information regarding network components and from the perspective of creating basic network management functions using SNMP. Techniques for troubleshooting practical networks, along with setting up and maintaining an IP network are covered. The course includes a project-based learning experience.

This courses serves as a broad introduction to the several
technologies and applications of wireless communications systems.  The
emphasis is on providing a reasonable mixture of information leading to a broad understanding of the technical issues involved, with modest depth in each of the topics.  As an integrating course, the topics range from the physics of wave generation/propagation/reception through the
circuit/component issues, to the signal processing concepts, to the techniques used to impress the information (voice or data) on a wireless channel, to overviews of representative applications including current generation systems and next generation systems. Upon completion of this course, the student shall understand the manner in which the more detailed information in the other three courses is integrated to create a complete system.

Wireless systems and their unique vulnerabilities to attack; system security issues in the context of wireless systems, including satellite, terrestrial microwave, military tactical communications, public safety, cellular and wireless LAN networks; security topics: confidentiality/privacy, integrity, availability, and control of fraudulent usage of networks. Issues addressed include jamming, interception and means to avoid them. Case studies and student projects are an important component of the course.

This course addresses the fundamentals of wireless networking, including architectures, protocols and standards. It describes concepts, technology and applications of wireless networking as used in current and next-generation wireless networks. It explains the engineering aspects of network functions and designs. Issues such as mobility management, wireless enterprise networks, GSM, network signaling, WAP, mobile IP and 3G systems are covered.

The objective of this course is to introduce current techniques in multimedia communications especially as applied to wireless networks. The course will introduce the basic issues in multimedia communications and networking. Topics to be covered include: multimedia information representation - text, images, audio, video; iIntroduction to information theory - information of a source, average information of a discrete memoryless source, source coding for memoryless sources; multimedia compression - text, image, audio, video; standards for multimedia communications; transmissions and protocols; circuit switched networks; the Internet; broadband ATM networks; packet video in the network environment; transport protocols - TCP/IP; TCP; UDP; RTP and RTCP; wireless networks - models, characteristics; error resilience for wireless networks.

The objective of this course is to introduce current techniques in securing IP and multimedia networks. Topics under IP security will include classic cryptography, Diffie-Hellman, RSA, end-to-end authentication, Kerberos, viruses, worms and intrusion detection. Topics from multimedia will include steganography, digital watermarking, covert channels, hacking, jamming, security features in MPEG-4, secure media streaming, wireless multimedia, copy control and other mechanisms for secure storage and transfer of audio, image and video data.

The course provides the student with an integrated presentation of (i) the formalisms of data structures, graphs and algorithms, (ii) the development of  efficient and reliable software using these formalisms, and (iii) the applications of the data structures, graphs and algorithms topics (including appropriate elements of graph theory) within representative computing, information, and communications engineering applications. Principles will be applied through programming projects solving representative problems drawn from data networking and other applications.

Please contact the Registrar for more information.
Phone: (201)216-5555
Fax: (201)216-8030
E-mail: registrar@stevens.edu

This is an introductory course for engineers. Topics that will be covered include principles of counting, set theory, mathematical induction, analysis of algorithms and complexity, relations, recurrent relations, graph algorithms, combinatorial design, software tools, applications to coding theory, network optimization, data compression, security, etc.

 This course is an introduction on modern information networks with an emphasis on providing the student with the mathematical background and required analytical skills for performance analysis of information networks protocols. The material concentrates mostly on the bottom three layers of the protocol stack, focusing on delay and throughput analysis.Topics covered include an overview of the OSI layering model, data link layer issues, medium access control, queueing analysis, mathematical models for routing in broadcast and point-to-point networks, and flow and congestion control.

Axioms of probability; discrete and continuous random vectors; functions of random variables; expectations, moments, characteristic functions, and momentgenerating functions; inequalities, convergence concepts, and limit theorems; central limit theorem; and characterization of simple stochastic processes: widesense stationality and ergodicity.

Engineering, computational science and business students
tackle various kinds of real-life optimization problems occurring in areas such as information theory, wireless communications, VLSI design, design and analysis of networks, optimal decision making etc.  This course will provide a comprehensive coverage of several aspects of applied modeling and optimization.  Complexity issues and numerical techniques (classical and non-classical techniques) to solve optimization problems will be the main thrust. Example problems arising in electrical engineering, computer engineering and business will be extensively used to illustrate the different optimization algorithms.  This course will be computer projects based.  Software packages such as MAPLE, MATLAB, CPLEX etc.  will be used.

Review of probability theory with applications to digital communications, digital modulation techniques, receiver design, bit error rate calculations, bandwidth efficiency calculations, convolutional encoding, bandwidth efficient coded modulation, wireless fading channel models, and
shannon capacity, software simulation of communication systems.

Error-control mechanisms; elements of algebra; linear block codes; linear cyclic codes; fundamentals of convolutional codes; Viterbi decoding codes in mobile communications; Trellis-coded modulation; concatenated coding systems and turbo codes; BCH codes; Reed-Solomon codes; implementation architectures and applications of RS codes; and ARQ and interleaving techniques.

Waveform characterization and modeling of speech/image sources; quantization of signals; uniform, nonuniform and adaptive quantizing; pulse code modulation (PCM) systems; differential PCM (DPCM); linear prediction theory, adaptive prediction; delta modulation and sigma-delta modulation systems; subband coding with emphasis on speech coding; data compression methods like Huffman coding, Ziv-Lempel coding and run length coding.

Brief introduction to nformation theory; entropy and rate; Kraft-McMillan inequality; entropy codes - Huffman and arithmetic codes; scalar quantization- quantizer design issues, the Lloyd quantizer and the Lloyd-Max quantizer; vector quantization - LBG algorithm, other quantizer design algorithms; structured VQs; entropy constrained quantization; bit allocation techniques: generalized BFOS algorithm; brief overview of linear Algebra; transform coding: KLT, DCT, LOT; subband coding; wavelets; wavelet based compression algorithms (third generation image compression schemes)- EZW algorithm, the SPIHT algorithm and the EBCOT algorithm; video compression: motion estimation and compensation; image and video coding standards: JPEG/ JPEG 2000, MPEG, H.263, H.263+; Source coding and error resilience.

This course provides an understanding of electronic commerce and related architectures, protocols, and technologies. It describes the e-commerce concept, objectives, and market drivers, as well as its requirements and underpinning techniques and technologies, including the Internet, WWW, multimedia, intelligent agents, client-server relations, and data mining. Security in e-commerce is addressed, including types of security attacks, security mechanisms, Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), firewalls, intranets, and extranets. Implementation issues in e-commerce, including the design and management of its infrastructure and applications (ERP, CRM, and SCM), are discussed. M-commerce is addressed, electronic payment systems with their associated protocols are described, and various B2C and B2B applications are presented. Also, policy and regulatory issues in e-commerce are discussed.

Components for and design of optical communication systems; propagation of optical signals in single mode and multimode optical fibers; optical sources and photodetectors; optical modulators and multiplexers; optical communication systems: coherent modulators, optical fiber amplifiers and repeaters, transcontinental and transoceanic optical telecommunication system design; optical fiber LANs.

This course focuses on the role of information technology (IT) in reengineering and enhancing key business processes. The implications for organizational structures and processes, as the result of increased opportunities to deploy information and streamlining business systems are covered.

The objective of this course is to investigate and understand the organizational infrastructure and governance considerations for information technology. It concentrates on developing students' competency in current/emerging issues in creating and coordinating the key activities necessary to manage the day-to-day IT functions of a company. Topics include: ITs key business processes, IT governance, organizational structure, value of IT, role of the CIO, outsourcing, systems integration, managing emerging technologies and change and human resource considerations.

The objective of this course is to address the important question, "How to improve the alignment of business and information technology strategies?" The course is designed for advanced graduate students. It provides the student with the most current approaches to deriving business and information technology strategies, while ensuring harmony among the organizations. Topics include business strategy, business infrastructure, IT strategy, IT infrastructure, strategic alignment, methods/metrics for building strategies and achieving alignment.

This course focuses on the issues surrounding the design of an overall information technology architecture. The traditional approach in organizations is to segment the problem into four areas - network, hardware, data and applications. This course will focus on the interdependencies among these architectures. In addition, this course will utilize management research on organizational integration and coordination science. The student will learn how to design in the large, make appropriate choices about architecture in relationship to overall organization goals, understand the different mechanisms available for coordination and create a process for establishing and maintaining an enterprise architecture.

The goal is to acquaint the students with the fundamental
techniques of image processing.  Specific topics include: Digital imaging
fundamentals; neighborhood operators; clustering, region growing; split
and merge, segmentation; edge and line linking; degradation model,
restoration, inverse filtering; zero-crossing methods, gradient edge detectors; gray level co-occurrence, texture analysis; morphological operations; image registration and enhancement; scale space filtering; motion estimation;3D image recognition and estimation.

Basic concepts, models, and techniques; direct sequence frequency hopping, time hopping, chirp and hybrid systems, jamming game, anti-jam systems, and analysis of coherent and non-coherent systems; synchronization and demodulation; multiple access systems; ranging and tracking; and pseudo-noise generators.

Introduction to wireless networks and layered architecture, principles of cross-layer design, impact of cross-layer interactions for different architectures: cellular and ad hoc networks, model abstractions for layers in cross-layer design for different architectures (cellular and ad hoc networks), quality of service (QoS) provisioning at different layers of the protocol stack with emphasis on physical layer, medium access control (MAC) and network layers, examples of cross-layer design in the literature: joint optimizations involving beamforming, interference cancellation techniques, MAC protocols, admission control, power control, routing and adaptive modulation.

Analysis of current networks, including classic telephone, ISDN, IP, and ATM. Attributes and characteristics of high-speed networks. Principles of network design, including user-network interface, traffic modeling, buffer architectures, buffer management techniques, call processing, routing algorithms, switching fabric, distributed resource management, computational intelligence, distributed network management, measures of network performance, quality of service, self-healing algorithms, and hardware and software issues in future network design.

Queuing models will be developed and applied to current problems in telecommunication networks and performance analysis of networked computer systems. Topics include elementary queuing theory, birth-death processes, open and closed networks of queues, priority queues, conservation laws, models for time-shared computer systems and computer communication networks.

This course is a continuation of NIS 655.

Part I: Introduction to game theory: games in strategic form and Nash equilibrium, existence and properties of Nash equilibrium, Pareto efficiency, extensive form games, repeated games, Bayesian games and Bayesian equilibrium, types of games and equilibrium properties, learning in games. Part II: Applications for wireless networks: resource allocation, enforcing cooperation in ad hoc networks, cognitive radios.

Overview of communication theory, modulation techniques, conventional multiple access schemes and SS/TDMA; satellite and frequency allocation, analysis of satellite link, identification of the parameters necessary for the link calculation; modulation and coding; digital modulation methods and their comparison; error correction coding for the satellite channel including Viterbi decoding and system performance; synchronization methods, carrier recovery; effects of impairment on the channel.

CpE 678 Information Networks I is the first of two courses on modern computer networks.  Its focus is the physical and data link levels of the OSI layers. It traces the evolution of client/server computing to the Internet.  Topics  covered include OSI layering, TCP/IP overview, the application of Shannon's  and Nyquist's bandwidth theorem's, Discrete Wave Division Multiplexing, wireless transmission, local loops, QAM, TDM, SONET/SDH, circuit switching, ATM switching, knockout switch, ISDN, ATM, framing, error detection and correction, CRC, ARQ protocol, sliding window protocols, finite state machines, Universal Modeling Language, PPP, ALOHA, CSMA, LANs, fast and gigabit Ethernet, Bridges and FDDI.  A significant amount of time is spent on designing 802.3 LANs.

Learn the technologies that make the Internet work.  You will understand the IP and TCP protocols and their interaction.  You will
study TCP slow start in low noise and high noise environments, the use of proxy servers, web caching and gain understanding of the technologies used to make routers perform well under load.  These include shortest path routing, new routing algorithms, TCP congestion control, leaky bucket and token bucket admission Control, weighted fair queuing and random early detection of congestion. Networks are described in terms of their architecture, transport, routing, and their management. Quality of Service issues (QoS) are integrated with communication models.  The course requires problem solving and extensive reading on network technology. After an introduction to bridges, gigabit Ethernet, routing and the Internet Protocol, a fundamental understanding of shortest path and distance vector routing is taught.  A 'problem/solution' approach is used to develop how and why the technology evolved to keep engineering tradeoffs in focus.       Continuation of Information Networks I with a focus on the
network and  transport layers of the OSI layers.  Protocol definitions
for distributed networks and performance analysis of various routing
protocols including Bellman-Ford, BGP, and OSPF.  TCP over IP is discussed Other topics include pipelining, broadcast routing, congestion control and reservations, Leaky andToken Bucket algorithms, weighted fair queuing, tunneling, firewalls, Ipv4 and IPv6.  Network layers in SAN including the different service categories are  discussed.  The TCP and UDP transport protocols are discussed in depth along with network security, DNS, SAN, SLIP, firewalls and naming.

History of network security; classical infosec; cryptosecurity; Kerberos for IP networks; private and public keys; nature of network security; fundamental framework for network security; security on demand in ATM networks; analysis and performance impact of ATM network topology; security in IVCC; vulnerabilities and security attack models in ATM, IP and mobile wireless networks; intrusion detection techniques - centralized and distributed; emulation of attack models and performance assessment through behavior modeling and asynchronous distributed simulation; principles of secure network design in the future; projects in network security and invited guest lecturers.

An ECE seminar on topics of current interest.

A participating seminar on topics of current interest and importance in Networked Information Systems.

Please contact the Registrar for more information.
Phone: (201)216-5555
Fax: (201)216-8030
E-mail: registrar@stevens.edu

An investigation of a current research topic at the pre-master's level, under the direction of a faculty member. A written report, which should have the substance of a publishable article, is required. Students with no practical experience who do not write a master's thesis are invited to take advantage of this experience.

 A participating seminar on topics of current interest and importance in Networked Information Systems.

A thesis of significance to be filed in libraries, demonstrating competence in a research area of electrical engineering.