Teaching Signal Analysis to Electrical Engineering Students

• Author(s): Paulo J. S. G. Ferreira ; Ana M. P. Tomé ; Francisco Vaz
• Date: 2012
• Origin: Electrónica e Telecomunicações
• Subject(s): signal analysis; Fourier series; DFT; Fourier integral; Laplace; z-transforms; signal analysis; Fourier series; DFT; Fourier integral; Laplace; z-transforms
• Document Type: Article
• Language: English

Description

The techniques of harmonic analysis play a crucial role in Electrical engineering practice today. Any teacherknows that conveying these techniques is usually far from being an easy task. As for students, they do not exactly regard the subject as the simplest part of their curricula. One of the difficulties faced by the teacher concerns the number of concepts and tools that need to be taught. They include classical Fourier series, the DFT, the Fourier integral, the Laplace and z-transforms,and more. A second difficulty is to convey the role of each of these tools and explain how they are related.A third obstacle appears when simulations or computer experiments need to be carried, since this often occurs at a time when the student does not have sophisticated programming skills. In this paper we report on our experience in teaching this subject, describe the approach that we have adopted, and how to overcome some of these difficulties. The techniques of harmonic analysis play a crucial role in Electrical engineering practice today. Any teacherknows that conveying these techniques is usually far from being an easy task. As for students, they do not exactly regard the subject as the simplest part of their curricula. One of the difficulties faced by the teacher concerns the number of concepts and tools that need to be taught. They include classical Fourier series, the DFT, the Fourier integral, the Laplace and z-transforms,and more. A second difficulty is to convey the role of each of these tools and explain how they are related.A third obstacle appears when simulations or computer experiments need to be carried, since this often occurs at a time when the student does not have sophisticated programming skills. In this paper we report on our experience in teaching this subject, describe the approach that we have adopted, and how to overcome some of these difficulties.