Software Design & Implementation

Language: Java

Techniques for design and construction of reliable, maintainable and useful software systems. Programming paradigms and tools for medium to large projects: revision control, UNIX tools, performance analysis, GUI, software engineering, testing, documentation.

The course concluded with a final group project -- our group developed a platform that enabled the average person to create real-time strategy (RTS) games from a GUI, without writing any code. The player was able to switch between two modes (battle and wandering), travel across multiple terrains, interact with non-player characters (NPCs), acquire key-items (that could be used to unlock special features), collect monsters, level up, and battle NPCs and wild monsters. Sample games included our own version of Pokemon, and a simulated Duke basketball game.

Operating Systems

Language: C, Java

Basic concepts and principles of multiprogrammed operating systems. Processes, interprocess communication, CPU scheduling, mutual exclusion, deadlocks, memory management, I/O devices, file systems, protection mechanisms were discussed.

Data Structures & Algorithms

Language: Java

Analyzed, used, and designed data structures and algorithms using Java to solve computational problems. Emphasis on abstraction including interfaces and abstract data types for lists, trees, sets, tables/maps, and graphs. Implementation and evaluation of programming techiques including recursion. Intuitive and rigorous analysis of algorithms (Big O).

Computer Architecture

Languages: C, JAVA, and MIPS Assembly

Computer structure, assembly language, instruction execution, addressing techniques, and digital representation of data are covered. Computer system organization, logic design, microprogramming, cache and memory systems, and input/output interfaces are also included.

Microelectronic Devices & Circuits

Languages: Matlab

Hands-on, laboratory driven introduction to microelectronic devices, sensors, and integrated circuits. Teams of 3-4 students competed in a design, assembly, testing, characterization and simulation of an electronic system. Projects included microelectronic devices, sensors, and basic analog and digital circuits.

Cloud Computing

In a seminar format, students chose a cloud computing technology that interested them, and presented to the class.

• Encryption and secure communication
• Software Defined Networks
• Google BigTable
• REST/SOAP
• MapReduce & Hadoop
• Authentication
• Exploring Duke University’s Network
• Business models behind cloud services
• Hardware at scale
• Service Level Agreements

The course ended with a 6-week Final Project, where students created cloud computing inspired projects that emcompassed some of the technologies covered in class.

For my final project, I created a scheduling app that utilized the Duke Course Catalog API to enable students to make schedules faster, easier, and develop an efficient layout. I am currently adding more features to the app.

Computational Methods in Engineering

Language: Matlab

Introduction to computer methods and algorithms for analysis and solution of engineering problems using numerical methods in a workstation environment.

Topics include: numerical integration, roots of equations, simultaneous equation solving, finite difference methods, matrix analysis, linear programming, dynamic programming, and heuristic solutions used in engineering practice.

Integrated Circuits

Language: LT Spice

Analysis and design of electronic circuits in bipolar and MOS technologies, with emphasis on both large-signal and small-signal methods. Circuits for logic gates, latches, and memories. Single-stage and multistage amplifiers and op amps. Circuits with feedback, including stability and frequency response considerations.

Electromagnetic Fields

Fundamentals and application of transmission lines, electromagnetic fields and waves, antennas, field sensing, signal transmission, impedance transformation, and impedance matching.

Fundamentals of Electrical & Computer Engineering

ECE core concepts, including: techniques for analyzing linear circuits, semiconductor and photonic devices, frequency representation, filtering, and combinational and sequential logic. Central to the course was an extensive design challenge that required students to integrate knowledge across topics in order to build robots and overcome obstacles using sensor data acquisition and processing.

Digital Systems

Language: Verilog

Design and implementation of combinational and sequential digital systems with special attention to digital computers. The use of computer-aided design tools, hardware description languages, and programmable logic chips to facilitate larger and higher performance designs was covered extensively.

Signals & Systems

Language: Matlab

Continuous and discrete signal representation and classification, system classification and response, and transfer functions. Fourier series, Laplace transform, and z transforms. Applications to integrated sensing and information processing, networks, modulation, sampling, filtering, and digital signal processing. Laboratory projects used digital signal processing hardware and microcontrollers. Computational solutions of problems using Matlab. Course ended with a Shazam-like program to read songs and analyze frequency distribution.