AUB ECE Department Research

Research Groups

Antenna Design Group

Information Security and Trust Group

VLSI Group

ECE Laboratories

Circuits and Analog Electronics Laboratory

In the Electronics Laboratory, first and second year students carry out experiments in circuits and electronics featuring diode and transistor circuits, amplifiers, op-amps, wave generators, and digital electronics. Projects in third year courses and during the final year are also built and tested in this lab. Equipment includes oscilloscopes, digital multi-meters, function generators, power supplies, and frequency counters. Components are available to build circuits ranging from a simple diode rectifier to complete microprocessor-based systems. This laboratory is used by the Introduction to ECE course (EECE 200), the Electric Circuits Laboratory (EECE 310L), the Electronics Laboratory (EECE 413L), as well as for the Final Year Projects.

Digital Systems Laboratory

In the Digital Systems Laboratory, students use digital integrated circuits, microprocessors, and FPGAs to build a variety of circuits and systems. The lab experiments enhance the students' knowledge of hardware description languages, computer architecture, assembly language, as well as I/O interfacing techniques. The lab is equipped with twelve computers as well as Xilinx and Altera FPGA boards and microprocessor programmers. This laboratory is used for the Electronics Laboratory for Mechanical Engineering students (EECE 312L), the Computer Organization Laboratory (EECE 321L), the Introduction to ECE course (EECE 200), as well as for the Final Year Projects.

Signal and Image Processing Laboratory

In this laboratory, students carry out experiments in digital signal, image, and speech processing. Equipment includes DSP kits provided by Texas Instruments, audio synthesizers, computers and multimedia accessories. The laboratory was recently equipped with state of the art audio equipment that allowed the offering of an elective course in audio engineering. During academic year (AY) 2009-10, new upgraded equipment will be purchased for this laboratory. This new acquisition will enable the department to offer specialized laboratory courses at the graduate level as well as the standard undergraduate offerings. Courses using this laboratory include Digital Signal Processing (EECE 691), Digital Image Processing (EECE 694), Adaptive Filtering (EECE 695), as well as the Final Year Projects.

Communications Laboratory

In the Communications Laboratory, students carry out experiments in analog and digital modulation techniques. The laboratory is equipped with reconfigurable arbitrary generators and data acquisition boards that allow the generation and demodulation of any type of signal. These boards are controlled by a dedicated processor and specialized software. Communications Laboratory (EECE 442L) uses this lab.

Sun Cluster

A new add-on to the existing computing facilities in the department is the Sun computing cluster. It consists of ten Sun-Blade 150 machines and ten Sun-Blade 1500 machines. In addition to these workstations, the cluster is managed by a quad-processor Sun-Fire 440 server. The Sun computational grid is accessible from any terminal and runs a number of simulation software packages. This facility was configured and tested in AY 2008-09 and should be put into use in AY 2009-10.

Internetworking Laboratory

The Internetworking Laboratory is equipped with state of the art hardware and software that can be used to build local-area and wide-area computer networks. The lab has six complete stations each equipped with four Dell Power Edge 650 servers, as well as four Cisco routers and four 3Com hubs. Students use this lab to develop their skills in networking, router and server configurations, and internet protocols. The lab is also used for conducting research in this field. The laboratory is used to instruct the Internetworking Laboratory (EECE 451L).

Robotics and Instrumentation Laboratory

In this laboratory, students learn the fundamentals of instrumentation and robotics. New sensors, both wired and wireless, have been acquired for the laboratory. In the robotics lab, five mobile robots with full wireless control have been added to the two already existing manipulators. Several courses and research projects in instrumentation and tele-robotics are taught in this lab. This lab is also used for research in advanced control algorithms, robotics, and instrumentation. The laboratory is used to instruct the Instrumentation (EECE 461), and the Robotics (EECE 661) courses.

Control Systems Laboratory

In this laboratory students learn the fundamentals of control theory. The lab has been recently upgraded with eight state-of-the-art control stations. This lab is used for research in advanced control algorithms, and industrial and building automation. The laboratory is used to instruct the Control Systems Laboratory (EECE 460L) course.

Biomedical Engineering Laboratory

The laboratory is utilized to conduct EEG measurements. The data collected is then utilized to understand the relationship between the voltage measured and the brain activity. The equipment in the laboratory is state-of-the-art and utilizes the active probe technology. In AY 2009-10, this lab is going to acquire additional equipment to add to the existing measuring system. This additional equipment will allow researchers to measure electrical activity of muscles EMG. The laboratory is used for instruction of the biomedical engineering courses (EECE 601, EECE 602, and EECE 603).

RF Systems and Wireless Communications Laboratory

The RF lab is equipped with the several network analyzers, spectrum analyzers, RF signal generators, and power meters. It is utilized by students to design, build, and test RF filters, power amplifiers, and antennas. The laboratory uses several design and verification software tools to simulate the design before actual implementation. The laboratory is used to teach the latest technologies in wireless communication. Students design networks using industry grade network planning tools and then use drive test equipment to validate and test cellular networks. This facility is also used for research in radio frequency circuits and systems, and in wireless communications. Several courses are instructed in this laboratory such as RF and Microwave Circuits for Communications (EECE 613), and Wireless Communications Laboratory (EECE 640L).

Mobile and Distributed Computing Laboratory

This laboratory consists of ten high end work stations along with two quad processor IBM servers. These computers are used to simulate databases and their applications. The lab is also equipped with more than 24 PDAs. They are used to conduct experiments on pervasive computing theories and distributed database architecture. The laboratory is used for teaching the following related courses: Mobile Ad Hoc and Sensor Networks (EECE 656), Distributed and Object Database Systems (EECE 630), and Pervasive Computing Systems and Applications (EECE 654).

Power Systems Laboratory

In the Power Systems Laboratory students learn the characteristic data of transmission lines, voltage drop and power losses, the steady state operation of a generator connected to a large electric system, and the stability limits of electric power systems. The laboratory has hardware system models and features software programs to carry out steady state and fault analysis of electrical power systems based on geographic information systems (GIS). This laboratory is used to instruct the Power Systems Laboratory (EECE 471L).

Electric Machines Laboratory

In the Electric Machines Laboratory, students study magnetic circuits and transformers, dc and ac machines, stepper motors, induction motors, and solid-state drives of small power motors. This laboratory in going to be upgraded in AY 2009-10 with a number of new research setups with sophisticated measuring devises. This laboratory is used to instruct the Electric Machines Laboratory (EECE 470L).

Power Electronics and Drives Laboratory

This lab is used to teach and conduct research in low speed drives and power electronics. This laboratory is being upgraded this year, AY 2009-10, along with the Machines Lab, to house a number of new research setups with sophisticated measuring devises. These setups will allow the students to conduct advanced research in power electronics and drive applications. This laboratory is used to instruct the Power Electronics and Drives Laboratory (EECE 473L).

Printed Circuit Board Production Facility

This facility is equipped with all the tools necessary to produce single and double sided printed circuit boards using through-hole technology. It is primarily used for prototyping purposes. Students undergo training in this lab on all the processes and steps involved in the design and fabrication of the boards; at a later stage they can utilize this facility to produce their own designs. This year the equipment of the laboratory was enhanced by the acquisition of a sophisticated CNC machine for rapid prototyping of circuit boards. The machine allows the students to fabricate boards with an accuracy of 0.1µm. This capability will allow researchers in the field of RF circuits and antenna design to prototype circuits with perfect quality. The machine is also capable of producing circuit boards on flexible material or on multi layer boards.

Multi-Core Programming Laboratory

This laboratory was established with the help of a generous donation from Intel and was inaugurated during the fall semester of AY 2008-09. The laboratory can accommodate up to twenty students at a time. The laboratory is used to teach the students the techniques of writing software programs that will take full advantage of multi-core processor technology. The hardware in the laboratory consists of two Intel 2U Servers with Xeon Quad Core 2.33GHz, seven Intel PCs with Xeon Quad core 2.66GHz, and eight Intel PCs with Xeon Duo Core 2.66GHz. In addition to this primary role, the laboratory is also used to teach data mining techniques (EECE 633 - Data Mining).

Antenna Measurement Laboratory

This laboratory was established in AY 2008-09 and is used to simulate, fabricate, and measure the properties of different types of antennas. It uses high end software to simulate the antennas and plot their characteristics. Once the researchers obtain the desired response, they will then be able to accurately prototype their design. To do so they use the recently acquired CNC milling machine. The last stage of the design process is to accurately measure the achieved response. The researchers benefit from a variety of high end measuring devices (spectrum analyzers, signal generators and network analyzers) with frequencies up to 20 GHz. Antenna Theory and Design (EECE 680), and Numerical Methods in Electromagnetics (EECE 683) use this lab. The laboratory will acquire in AY 2009-10 an anechoic chamber to better validate the measurements.

Computer Laboratories

Computer laboratories shared by various departments of the FEA are available to ECE students for instruction and project execution. Several computer labs are available in the CCC SRB and in the RGB and house more than 200 Dell PCs, Apple computers, and Sun workstations. Scanners, plotters, and laser printers are also available. Additionally, working space and computer stations are available to ECE students in the various laboratory and departmental facilities, described above. Students can connect to the AUB data network (AUBnet) using the networked computers available in laboratories, or use their personal laptops or PDAs (Personal Digital Assistant) to connect to the campus-wide wireless network, AUBwlan. More information is available on FEA IT Unit website (http://webfea.fea.aub.edu.lb/fea/itunit/), and on the website of the Computing and Networking Services department. (http://www.aub.edu.lb/cns/).