Electrical and Computer Engineering

This lab course introduces students to modern topics of engineering optics. Teams of students will carry out four different projects: holography, lasers, free-space optical communication, and nanotechnology. Teaches the foundations and broader societal issues of these technologies. The laboratory sessions involve hands-on training as well as experimentation and exploration. Skills acquired in this course include computer programming of user interfaces, data acquisition and interpretation, wet chemical processing, and electronics design assembly. One 90-minute lecture, one three-hour laboratory.

This course is an introductory course in programming and computing concepts for engineering students who have little/no experience in computing/programming and are interested in learning programming in the context of a robotic autonomous vehicle system. Intro to fundamental programming concepts: control flow, iteration, abstraction, sub-routines, functions, recursion, lists and arrays. Course is tightly integrated with a real robotic platform: an autonomous Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, which students will program and fly in lab, as they learn programming.

Signals that carry information, e.g. sound, images, sensors, radar, communication, robotic control, play a central role in technology and engineering. This course teaches mathematical tools to analyze, manipulate, and preserve information signals. We discuss how continuous signals can be perfectly represented through sampling, leading to digital signals. Major focus points are the Fourier transform, linear time-invariant systems, frequency domain, and filtering. We use MATLAB for laboratory exercises. Prerequisite: knowledge of elementary calculus.

Introduction to electronic circuits and systems. Methods of circuit analysis to create functions from devices, including resistors, capacitors, inductors, diodes, and transistors, in conjunction with op-amps. Quantitative focus on DC and higher-frequency signals using linear systems theory with major emphasis on intuition. Students pursue design (using op-amps and micro controllers), simulations (using SPICE), and analysis in labs.

Introduction of the basic concepts in logic design that form the basis of computation and communication circuits. This course will start from scratch and end with building a working computer on which we will run small programs.

The past several decades have seen an exponential growth in computing as reflected in modern computers as well as consumer products such as music/video players and cell phones. This course will explore the reasons for this growth through studying the core principles of computing. It will cover representation of information including video and music, the design of computers and consumer devices, and their efficient implementation using computer chips. Finally, it will examine the technological factors that will likely limit future growth and discuss the societal impact of this outcome. Two 90-minute lectures, one preceptorial.

The past several decades have seen an exponential growth in computing as reflected in modern computers as well as consumer products such as music/video players and cell phones. This course will explore the reasons for this growth through studying the core principles of computing. It will cover representation of information including video and music, the design of computers and consumer devices, and their efficient implementation using computer chips. Finally, it will examine the technological factors that will likely limit future growth and discuss the societal impact of this outcome. Two 90-minute lectures, one three-hour laboratory.

This course explores broadly renewable energy systems and smart grids. Technical and operational principles of the modern electric grids will be introduced, followed by an overview of various energy sources from fossil-fuel generators to photovoltaic systems. The intermittency of renewable energy systems and its impact on the electric grid will be discussed together with its potential solutions: energy storage systems and demand response techniques. This course will also include a few experimental demo sessions in which students will gain hands-on experience in understanding the fundamental principles of power conversion.

This course focuses on the science, engineering, and design of the highly integrated systems that dominate many of today's devices. Analysis of systems, subsystems, and basic principles will be covered, with an emphasis on hardware-software optimization, sampling and digitization, signal and noise, feedback and control, and communication. Prerequisites: ELE 201, ELE 203, ELE 206.

Comprehensive laboratory-based course in electronic system design and analysis. Covers formal methods for the design and analysis of moderately complex real-world electronic systems. Course is centered around a semester-long design project involving a computer-controlled vehicle designed and constructed by teams of two students. Integrates microprocessors, communications, and control. Prerequisites: ECE 201 and 203.

This course provides a comprehensive and practical background for students interested in continuous mathematics for computer science. The goal is to prepare students for higher-level subjects in artificial intelligence, machine learning, computer vision, natural language processing, graphics, and other topics that require numerical computation. This course is intended students who wish to pursue these more advanced topics, but who have not taken (or do not feel comfortable) with university-level multivariable calculus (e.g., MAT 201/203) and probability (e.g., ORF 245 or ORF 309).

Intro to fundamentals and operations of semiconductor devices and sensors and micro/nano fabrication technologies used to make them. Devices include field-effect transistors, photodetectors and solar cells, light-emitting diodes and lasers. Applications include: computing and microchips, optical transmission of info (the internet backbone), displays and renewable energy. Students will fabricate their own devises in a clean room and test via microprobes. Special emphasis placed on the interplay between the material properties, fabrication capabilities, device performance and ultimate system performance. Prerequisites:MAT103-104 and PHY103-104.

The physics and technology of solid-state devices. Topics include: p-n junctions and two terminal devices, transistors, silicon controlled rectifiers, field effect devices, silicon vidicon and storage tubes, metal-semiconductor contacts and Schottky barrier devices, microwave devices, junction lasers, liquid crystal devices, and fabrication of integrated circuits. Three hours of lectures. Prerequisite: 308 or the equivalent.

Fundamentals of quantum mechanics and statistical mechanics needed for understanding the principles of operation of modern solid state and optoelectronic devices and quantum computers. Topics covered include Schrödinger Equation, Operator and Matrix Methods, Quantum Statistics and Distribution Functions, and Approximation Methods, with examples from solid state and materials physics and quantum electronics. Prerequisites: (PHY 103 or PHY 105) and (PHY 104 or PHY 106) or EGR 151 and EGR 153. MAT 201 and MAT 202, or EGR 152 and EGR 154.

Robotics is a rapidly-growing field with applications including unmanned aerial vehicles, autonomous cars, and robotic manipulators. This course will provide an introduction to the basic theoretical and algorithmic principles behind robotic systems. The course will also allow students to get hands-on experience through project-based assignments. Topics include inverse kinematics, motion planning, localization, mapping, vision, and reinforcement learning. Prerequisites: MAT 201 or 203, MAT 202 or 204, COS 126. Recommended ORF 309 and MAE 305. A.B. students ST requirement; B.S.E. students 1st-year science requirement. Two 90-minute lectures.

This course provides the students with a broad and solid background in electromagnetism, including both statics and dynamics, as described by Maxwell's equations. Fundamental concepts of diffraction theory, Fourier optics, polarization of light, and geometrical optics will be discussed. Emphasis is on engineering principles, and applications will be discussed throughout. A laboratory component will acquaint students with modern simulation tools for modeling optical phenomena. Examples include cavities, waveguides, antennas, fiber optic communications, and imaging. Prerequisite: PHY 103 and PHY 104 or equivalent.

Fundamental and practical aspects of physical optics. Lenses and ray optics, lens maker's formula, wave propagation, Fourier optics, Gaussian beams are all considered. Design and use of practical optical systems including optical beam steering in medicine, fiber optics. Three hours of lectures. Prerequisite: PHY 104.

Machine learning for predictive data analytics; information-based learning; similarity-based learning; probability-based learning; error-based learning; deep learning; evaluation.

An introduction to computer architecture and organization. Instruction set design; basic processor implementation techniques; caches and virtual memory; CPUs, GPUs, storage systems, hardware-software APIs, and compilers. Goal: building understanding of the systems you design and program. Design trade-offs among cost, performance, complexity, and power dissipation. Prerequisites: COS 217.

This course is oriented around 20 practical questions in the social, economic, and technological networks in our daily lives. How does Google sell ad spaces and rank webpages? How does Netflix recommend movies and Amazon rank products? How do I influence people on Facebook and Twitter? Why doesn't the Internet collapse under congestion, and does it have an Achilles heel? Why does each gigabyte of mobile data cost $10, but Skype is free? How come Wi-Fi is slower at hotspots than at home, and what is inside the cloud of iCloud? In formulating and addressing these questions, we introduce the fundamental concepts behind the networking industry.

The technology underlying secure transactions and safe interactions in a public Internet and wireless world. Humans interact daily with each other, with information, and with services through cyberspace. Topics include policy, economic, and social issues related to cyber security needs such as confidentiality, data integrity, user authentication, trust, non-repudiation, availability, privacy and anonymity, case studies in electronic commerce, denial of service attacks, viruses and worms, digital rights management, surveillance, and cyber-terrorism. Two 90-minute lectures.

This interdisciplinary course addresses technological, regulatory, economic, and social issues arising in the rapidly developing field of wireless communications. The course introduces students to a major technological trend that will be a significant force in worldwide commercial and social development throughout the 21st century. Prerequisites: MAT 103 or permission of instructor. Two 90-minute lectures.

This course will introduce the matrix form of quantum mechanics and discuss the concepts underlying the theory of quantum information. Some of the important algorithms will be discussed, as well as physical systems which have been suggested for quantum computing. Prerequisite: Linear algebra at the level of MAT 202, 204, 217, or the equivalent.

Provides an opportunity for a student to concentrate on a "state-of-the-art" project in electrical and computer engineering. Topics may be selected from suggestions by faculty members or proposed by the student. The final choice must be approved by the faculty member.

Provides an opportunity for a student to concentrate on a "state-of-the-art" project in electrical and computer engineering. Topics may be selected from suggestions by faculty members or proposed by the student. The final choice must be approved by the faculty member.

Start by analyzing biological systems to understand the origins of some of the signals that they present. Develop circuit models of these systems to determine what instrumentation circuits are required at the interface so that the signals can be reliably acquired. Study analog circuit topologies based on MOSFETs for low-noise instrumentation and processing of the signals. Study digital topologies based on MOSFETs for extensive computations on the biological signals. Analyze the trade-offs between the analog and digital topologies. Emphasis is on design and analysis using circuit simulators.

Principles and design of solar energy conversion systems. Quantity and availability of solar energy. Physics and chemistry of solar energy conversion: solar optics, optical excitation, capture of excited energy, and transport of excitations or electronic charge. Conversion methods: thermal, wind, photoelectric, photoelectrochemical, photosynthetic, biomass. Solar energy systems: low and high temperature conversion, photovoltaics. Storage of solar energy. Conversion efficiency, systems cost, and lifecycle considerations.

Security issues in computing, communications, and electronic commerce. Goals and vulnerabilities; legal and ethical issues; basic cryptology; private and authenticated communication; electronic commerce; software security; viruses and other malicious code; operating system protection; trusted systems design; network security; firewalls; policy, administration and procedures; auditing; physical security; disaster recovery; reliability; content protection; privacy. Prerequisites: 217 and 226. Two lectures.

The course is an introduction to the theoretical foundations of machine learning. A variety of classical and recent results in machine learning and statistical analysis including: Bayesian classification, regression, regularization, sparse regression, support vector machines, kernels, neural networks, convolutional networks, and reinforcement learning.

An introduction to the properties of solids. Theory of free electrons--classical and quantum. Crystal structure and methods of determination. Electron energy levels in a crystal: weak potential and tight-binding limits. Classification of solids--metals, semiconductors, and insulators. Types of bonding and cohesion in crystals. Lattice dynamics, phonon spectra, and thermal properties of harmonic crystals. Prerequisite: 342, or PHY 208 and 305, or permission of instructor.

Electronic structure of solids. Electron dynamics and transport. Semiconductors and impurity states. Surfaces and interfaces. Dielectric properties of insulators. Electron-electron, electron-phonon, and phonon-phonon interactions. Anharmonic effects in crystals. Magnetism. Superconductivity. Alloys. Three hours of lectures. Prerequisites: 441 or equivalent.

Fundmentals of light-matter interactions, waveguides and resonators, nonlinear optics and lasers.

This class will teach students about optical and photonic sensing technologies and their applications to environmental monitoring. The course will contain elements of atmospheric science and Earth observation, fundamentals of optics, photonics and laser physics, as well as a survey of modern optical and spectroscopic sensing applications.

This course provides an introduction to the state-of-the-art in photonic technology and systems, focusing on high performance fiber-optic telecommunication systems of silicon photonics. The basic physical principles and performance characteristics of optical fibers, lasers, detectors, optical amplifiers and dispersion management will be discussed. The design and performance analysis of photonic systems will be presented.

Introduction to nanotechnologies; threshold logic/majority logic and their applications to RTDs, QCA and SETs; nanowire based crossbars and PLAs; carbon nanotube based circuits; double-gate CMOS-based circuits; reversible logic for quantum computing; non-volatile memory; nanopipelining; testing; and defect tolerance. Two 90-minute lectures. Prerequisite: ELE 206.

Analysis and design of digital integrated circuits using deep sub-micron CMOS technologies as well as emerging and post-CMOS technologies (Si finFETs, III-V, carbon). Emphasis on design, including synthesis, simulation, layout and post-layout verification. Analysis of energy, power, performance, area of logic-gates, interconnect and signaling structures.

Theory of digital computing systems. Topics include logic function decomposition, reliability and fault diagnosis, synthesis of synchronous circuits and iterative networks, state minimization, synthesis of asynchronous circuits, state-identification and fault detection, finite-state recognizers, definite machines, information lossless machines. Three hours of lectures. Prerequisite: 206.

Component-level issues related to testing and design/synthesis for testability of digital systems. Topics include test generation for combinational and sequential circuits, design and synthesis for testability, and built-in self-test circuits. Three hours of lectures. Prerequisite 206.

This course studies computer networks and the services built on top of them. Topics covered include the internet protocol, internet routing, routers, packet switching, network management, network monitoring, congestion control, reliable transport, network security, and applications of ML on networking. Through programming assignments, students will gain practical experience building network components and operating an Internet-like network infrastructure. Two lectures, one preceptorial. Prerequisite: 217.

An in-depth study of the fundamentals of modern computer processor and system architecture. Students will develop a strong theoretical and practical understanding of modern, cutting-edge computer architectures and implementations. Studied topics include: Instruction-set architecture and high-performance processor organization including pipelining, out-of-order execution, as well as data and instruction parallelism. Cache, memory, and storage architectures. Multiprocessors and multicore processors. Coherent caches. Interconnection and network infrastructures. Prerequisite: ECE 375/COS 375 and ECE 206/COS 306 (or familiarity with Verilog).

The lectures will cover: (1) Basic principles of digital signal processing. (2) Design of digital filters. (3) Fourier analysis and the fast Fourier transform. (4) Roundoff errors in digital signal processing. (5) Applications of digital signal processing.

An introduction to lossless data compression algorithms, modulation/demodulation of digital data, error correcting codes, channel capacity, lossy compression of analog and digital sources. Three hours of lectures. Prerequisites: 301, ORF 309.

We cover the world of digital imaging, from how digital cameras form images to how special effects are used in Hollywood movies and how the Mars Rover sends photographs across millions of miles of space. The course starts by looking at how the human visual system works and then teaches the engineering, mathematics, and CS that makes digital images work. We will learn algorithms used for adjusting images, explore JPEG and MPEG standards for encoding and compressing video images, and go on to learn about image segmentation, noise removal and filtering. We will end with image processing techniques used in medicine and special projects.

This hands-on course introduces students to analysis and actions required to launch and commercialize a tech company, through the use of Harvard Business School cases, visits from entrepreneurs, and two "field assignments". You will learn conceptual frameworks and analytical techniques for evaluating technologies, markets, and commercialization strategies. Additionally, you will learn how to attract and motivate the resources needed to start a company (e.g. people, corporate partners and venture capital), prepare business plans, structure relationships, refine product-market fit, and create and grow enterprise value.

The senior thesis (498-499) is a year-long project in which students complete a substantial piece of research and scholarship under the supervision and advisement of a Princeton faculty member in science, engineering, or a technical field. While a year-long thesis is due in the student's final semester of study, the work requires sustained investment and attention throughout the academic year.

The senior thesis (498-499) is a year-long project in which students complete a substantial piece of research and scholarship under the supervision and advisement of a Princeton faculty member in science, engineering, or a technical field. While a year-long thesis is due in the student's final semester of study, the work requires sustained investment and attention throughout the academic year.