Computer engineering
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Computer Engineering (also called Electronic and Computer Engineering or Computer Systems Engineering) is a discipline that combines elements of both Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.[1] Computer engineers usually have training in electrical engineering, software design and hardware-software integration instead of only software engineering or electrical engineering. Computer engineers are involved in many aspects of computing, from the design of individual microprocessors, personal computers, and supercomputers, to circuit design. This engineering monitors the many subsystems in motor vehicles.[2]
Usual tasks involving computer engineers include writing software and firmware for embedded microcontrollers, designing VLSI chips, designing analog sensors, designing mixed signal circuit boards, and designing operating systems.[citation needed] Computer engineers are also suited for robotics research,[citation needed] which relies heavily on using digital systems to control and monitor electrical systems like motors, communications, and sensors.
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[edit] Computer engineering as an academic discipline
The first accredited computer engineering degree program in the United States was established at Case Western Reserve University in 1971; as of October 2004 there were 170 ABET-accredited computer engineering programs in the US.[3]
Due to increasing job requirements for engineers, who can design and manage all forms of computer systems used in industry, some tertiary institutions around the world offer a bachelor's degree generally called computer engineering. Both computer engineering and electronic engineering programs include analog and digital circuit design in their curricula. As with most engineering disciplines, having a sound knowledge of mathematics and sciences is necessary for computer engineers.
In many institutions, computer engineering students are allowed to choose areas of in-depth study in their junior and senior year, as the full breadth of knowledge used in the design and application of computers is well beyond the scope of an undergraduate degree. The joint IEEE/ACM Curriculum Guidelines for Undergraduate Degree Programs in Computer Engineering defines the core knowledge areas of computer engineering as[4]
- Algorithms
- Computer architecture and organization
- Computer systems engineering
- Circuits and signals
- Database systems
- Digital logic
- Digital signal processing
- Electronics
- Embedded systems
- Human-computer interaction
- Interactive Systems Engineering
- Operating systems
- Programming fundamentals
- Social and Professional issues
- Software engineering
- VLSI design and fabrication
The breadth of disciplines studied in computer engineering is not limited to the above subjects but can include any subject found in engineering.
[edit] See also
- Association for Computing Machinery
- Electrical engineering
- List of electrical engineers
- Engineer
- Information technology
- Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
- Computer
- Computer science
- Computer-aided software engineering
[edit] References
- ^ IEEE Computer Society; ACM (12 December 2004). Computer Engineering 2004: Curriculum Guidelines for Undergraduate Degree Programs in Computer Engineering. pp. pg. iii. http://www.computer.org/portal/cms_docs_ieeecs/ieeecs/education/cc2001/CCCE-FinalReport-2004Dec12-Final.pdf. Retrieved on 2006-04-21. "Computer engineering has traditionally been viewed as a combination of both cool computer science (CS) and electrical engineering (EE)."
- ^ Trinity College Dublin. "What is Computer Engineering". http://www.tcd.ie/Engineering/about/what_is_eng/computer_eng_intro.html. Retrieved on 2006-04-21., "Computer Engineers not only to understand how computer systems themselves work, but also how they integrate into the larger picture. Consider the car. A modern car contains many separate computer systems for controlling such things as the engine timing, the brakes and the air bags. To be able to design and implement such a car, the computer engineer needs a broad theoretical understanding of all these various subsystems & how they interact."
- ^ IEEE Computer Society; ACM (12 December 2004). Computer Engineering 2004: Curriculum Guidelines for Undergraduate Degree Programs in Computer Engineering. pp. pg. 5. http://www.computer.org/portal/cms_docs_ieeecs/ieeecs/education/cc2001/CCCE-FinalReport-2004Dec12-Final.pdf. Retrieved on 2006-04-21. "In the United States, the first computer engineering program accredited by ABET (formerly the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology) was at Case Western Reserve University in 1971. As of October 2004, ABET has accredited over 170 computer engineering or similarly named programs."
- ^ IEEE Computer Society; ACM (12 December 2004). Computer Engineering 2004: Curriculum Guidelines for Undergraduate Degree Programs in Computer Engineering. pp. pg. 12. http://www.computer.org/portal/cms_docs_ieeecs/ieeecs/education/cc2001/CCCE-FinalReport-2004Dec12-Final.pdf. Retrieved on 2006-04-21.
[edit] External links
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