Design Patterns for Teaching Type Checking in a Compiler Construction Course

A course in compiler construction seeks to develop an understanding of well-defined fundamental theory and typically involves the production of a language processor. In a graduate degree in software engineering, the development of a compiler contributes significantly to the developer's comprehension of the practical application of theoretical concepts. Different formal notations are commonly used to define type systems, and some of them are used to teach the semantic analysis phase of language processing. In the traditional approach, attribute grammars are probably the most widely used ones. This paper shows how object-oriented design patterns represented in unified modeling language (UML) can be used to both teach type systems and develop the semantic analysis phase of a compiler. The main benefit of this approach is two-fold: better comprehension of theoretical concepts because of the use of notations known by the students (UML diagrams), and improvement of software engineering skills for the development of a complete language processor.     

A VLSI design system for teaching introduction to microelectronics

A set of software tools currently used for teaching a course on introduction to VLSI design to graduate and undergraduate students at Osaka University (Japan), the University of Toulouse (France), and the Polytechnical University of Barcelona (Spain), is described. The system includes tools such as schematic capture, mask-level design, and mix-mode simulation. Specific tools such as logic and analog simulation, three-dimensional process simulation, and CMOS logic cell compiler are also included in the software, which represents a valuable educational environment successfully used by a large number of students. The authors present an overview of the complete tool set, essential matters about MOS devices, and the CMOS process. They detail the techniques used for logic design, mask-level design, and mix-mode simulation. They discuss the interest of using such tools in such a course     

System-on-a-programmable-chip development platforms in the classroom

This paper describes the authors' experiences using a system-on-a-programmable-chip (SOPC) approach to support the development of design projects for upper-level undergraduate students in their electrical and computer engineering curriculum. Commercial field-programmable gate-array (FPGA)-based SOPC development boards with reduced instruction set computer (RISC) processor cores are used to support a wide variety of student design projects. A top-down rapid prototyping approach with commercial FPGA computer-aided design tools, a C compiler targeted for the RISC soft-processor core, and a large FPGA with memory is used and reused to support a wide variety of student projects.     

Enhancing student learning through hypermedia courseware andincorporation of student learning styles

This paper outlines attempts to enhance student learning by addressing different learning styles through course hypermedia. Students learn by a variety of different learning styles. Previously, instructors were unable to effectively address these different learning styles outside the classroom. Two approaches were developed to address this problem. The first approach was the development of hypermedia courseware. This provided a wide variety of tools which students could use to prepare for lessons. In this way students retained complete control over how they prepared for a lesson and could choose those hypermedia tools that were most conducive to their learning. An assessment of the multimedia and hypertext documents in the course revealed that the value of a particular multimedia tool to a student varied widely. Each student was traversing the course material according to his/her unique learning style. Unfortunately, the plethora of tools confused some students because they were uncomfortable making active choices of what course material would be most conducive to their learning. As a result, a second approach was adopted. An adaptive hypermedia interface was developed that provided dynamic tailoring of the presentation of course material based on the individual student's learning style. By tailoring the presentation of material to the student's learning style, the authors believe students learned more efficiently and more effectively     

Designing and Using Software Tools for Educational Purposes: FLAT, a Case Study

Educational software tools are considered to enrich teaching strategies, providing a more compelling means of exploration and feedback than traditional blackboard methods. Moreover, software simulators provide a more motivating link between theory and practice than pencil-paper methods, encouraging active and discovery learning in the students. The use and development of educational software is a field that has grasped the attention of teachers and researchers from different disciplines and theoretical frameworks in the last few years. In this paper, the authors present SoftwarE for Learning Formal languages and Automata theory (SELFA), an educational software simulator tool, designed to improve the quality of teaching in Theory of Computation courses. The aim of this tool is to make it easier to teach and to learn the main concepts of this subject, whose level of abstraction makes both activities difficult. The main advantage of this tool over other software tools designed with the same purpose, is that it has been developed using web technologies. This allows the user to collect and analyze data on how and when a student or group has used the tool. These numerical data can then be used to evaluate the student's work.      

Synthesis tools help teach systems concepts in VLSI design

The VLSI project class at Princeton University has been redesigned, using modern logic and layout synthesis tools, to emphasize system design issues. The design methodology taught in the class allows students to build larger designs; it also allows them to learn, by redesign, how to trade off layout, circuit, logic, and architectural design problems. Two synthesis tools were developed (based on the Oct tool set from UC Berkeley) to generate standard cell layouts: one which takes as input finite-state machine transition tables; and one which generates netlists using C programs. The author describes; what is important for students to learn in a VLSI design class; the design methodology developed to teach this curriculum through a design project; and the CAD tools used to support this design methodology     

Resource sharing

Computer networking is an attempt to end the 'tyranny of geography". The goal is to make all data available to any system connected anywhere in the network. In a more compact form, it is known as "resource sharing". The remote compilers' concept permits a software package to be shared on the network using client-server and peer-to-peer networks. This setup allows the users to compile the source file wherever the required compiler is installed in the network. A remote compiler is a software tool that takes the source file as input and sends it to the host where the required compiler is installed. The source files are automatically compiled at the host. The compiled/error files then are sent back to the client. This setup basically only works for compilers having command-line debugging and execution, and multimedia renderings.     

RACFP: a training tool to work with floating-point representation, algorithms, and circuits in undergraduate courses

The design of pedagogical tools to train students is an interesting challenge for academic instructors in any educational area. Some approaches have appeared focusing on computer arithmetic, both integer and floating point. Floating-point arithmetic involves much more complexity; nevertheless, little time is usually devoted to this topic in computer engineering undergraduate courses. In this paper, RACFP is proposed as a pedagogical tool to work with floating-point in undergraduate courses. The tool has been designed with three abstraction levels according to the following learning outcomes: representation, arithmetic operation algorithms, and manufactured hardware circuits. The abstraction levels work independently, allowing for the use of RAC/sub FP/ in other courses, such as discrete mathematics or numerical methods, in which floating representation and related issues are also learning topics. RACFP design pursues two main goals: to minimize the complexity of the learning process and to encourage students when working with floating point. The first goal is achieved as a result of the multilevel design of the tool, while the second goal is achieved as RAC/sub FP/ shows how manufactured hardware implements generic algorithms.     

The structured development of simulation-based learning tools withan example for the Taguchi method

The structured development of simulation-based learning tools as an alternative to physical experiments in undergraduate engineering courses is described. A methodology for the design of simulation-based learning tools is proposed. This methodology combines the key elements of a standard systems development approach with an iterative development framework which highlights the importance of incorporating both pedagogic and communicational objectives throughout the design process. A simulation for use in learning the Taguchi method is developed using this methodology. Details of the evaluation of the tool and the resulting modifications and reassessment are provided     

Free- and Open-Source Software for a Course on Network Management: Authoring and Enactment of Scripts Based on Collaborative Learning Strategies

This paper describes a computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) case study in engineering education carried out within the context of a network management course. The case study shows that the use of two computing tools developed by the authors and based on free-and open-source software (FOSS) provide significant educational benefits over traditional engineering pedagogical approaches in terms of both concepts and engineering competencies acquisition. The Collage authoring tool guides and supports the course teacher in the process of authoring computer-interpretable representations (using the IMS learning design standard notation) of effective collaborative pedagogical designs. Besides, the Gridcole system supports the enactment of that design by guiding the students throughout the prescribed sequence of learning activities. The paper introduces the goals and context of the case study, elaborates on how Collage and Gridcole were employed, describes the applied evaluation methodology, and discusses the most significant findings derived from the case study.     

A powerful graphical pulse sequence programming tool for magnetic resonance imaging

A powerful graphical pulse sequence programming tool has been designed for creating magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) applications. It allows rapid development of pulse sequences in graphical mode (allowing for the visualization of sequences), and consists of three modules which include a graphical sequence editor, a parameter management module and a sequence compiler. Its key features are ease to use, flexibility and hardware independence. When graphic elements are combined with a certain text expressions, the graphical pulse sequence programming is as flexible as text-based programming tool. In addition, a hardware-independent design is implemented by using the strategy of two step compilations. To demonstrate the flexibility and the capability of this graphical sequence programming tool, a multi-slice fast spin echo experiment is performed on our home-made 0.3 T permanent magnet MRI system     

Power arrival evaluation of bulk system including networkconstraints based on linear programming approach

Several useful support tools of power system scheduling and planning are provided. A fast method is proposed and used to evaluate the generating units and transmission capability of a power system and calculate the optimal reserve of each demand side, based on a two-step linear programming technique. A new support tool for power system planning is described by using the parametric linear programming. This support tool quickly gives an optimal reserve curve of the system and also provides some diagnosis information of the systems weak location for the expansion planning and maintenance scheduling of transmission lines or generating units. The outages of generators and transmission lines are considered, and a method of estimating the reliability (LOLP) of a multiarea power system by making use of linear programming is presented. Several examples are used to verify the proposed methodology and illustrate the application. The results show that the approaches are simple, fast, and efficient support tools for generation and transmission capability evaluation or for the contingency testing of a power system     

Distributed Engineering Education: Evolution of the Telecollaboration Stations for Individualized Distance Learning

Engineering education benefits from the knowledge and experience of topic “experts” both in the technical perspective of understanding the material and the educational perspective of understanding the challenges that students commonly encounter in learning a topic. Classically, these experts have published material as textbooks and perhaps web pages. Through distance learning, these experts can interact with students and instructors beyond the normal confines of a classroom or campus. Classroom-based, distance learning does not provide personalized, individual interaction outside the classroom setting. This situation can be critical in the context of courses with laboratory content. In this paper, the authors discuss how individualized interactions across a wide range of educators and learners can be supported. This support is facilitated by the deployment of telecollaboration stations (TCS). The evolution and use of these stations are described, as are some of the challenges and educational benefits that result.     

基于VB的数控车削图形仿真

介绍如何利用Visual Basic编程工具，模拟二维显示模式下数控车削加工环境的方法。归纳了开发动态图形仿真过程应解决的主要问题：NC代 码编译器功能的设计思想，VB与NC加工程序的软件接口方法，虚拟车削刀具与虚拟工件动态图形处理。     

Collaborative web-based experimentation in flexible engineering education

The Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland, is deploying a flexible learning scheme for selected pilot courses in engineering education. In such a scheme, traditional lectures and written exercises are combined with additional Web-based learning resources. The main objective of this initiative is to sustain the evolution from traditional teaching to active learning and to better integrate the increasing number of educational resources available online. In engineering education, a key activity to sustain the learning process is hands-on experimentation carried out using either simulation tools or real equipment. This paper describes how a collaborative Web-based experimentation environment has been introduced at the EPFL for providing more flexibility to students performing laboratory experiments in automatic control, biomechanics, and fluid mechanics. It particularly describes the eJournal, a Web service integrated in the proposed learning environment that enables the collection and sharing of preparatory notes and experimental results with both peers and teaching assistants.     

基于分桶算法的灾备数据比对工具研究与实现

随着国家电网公司信息化建设的快速推进,其生产、经营和管理对信息系统愈加依赖。为确保信息系统安全稳定运行,国家电网公司在北京、上海、西安三地建成灾备中心并正式投运,而利用有效的工具验证灾备数据与生产数据的一致性,是确保灾备效果的核心工作。文章主要对数据一致性验证工作的背景、现状、目标及意义进行了阐述,并在对数据比对的核心算法进行深入研究的基础上,提出了数据比对工具的实现方式。     

国家电网公司“十二五”信息化建设思路探讨

文章分析了国家电网公司"十二五"信息化建设面临的挑战,提出引入企业架构理论和方法指导信息化SG-ERP工程建设的思路。从架构理论入手,指出在国家电网公司信息化架构现状基础上,抓住"五大"体系建设的重大机遇,结合企业标准化建设的时机,引入架构并使架构落地,通过有效管控分阶段实现SG-ERP系统目标架构。文章系统地探讨了架构方法指导SG-ERP建设的必要性、工作步骤和技术工具,对更好地完成信息化建设目标任务进行了探索。     

An iterative learning control method with application for CNCmachine tools

A proportional, integral, and derivative (PID) type iterative learning controller is proposed for precise tracking control of industrial robots and computer numerical controller (CNC) machine tools performing repetitive tasks. The convergence of the output error by the proposed learning controller is guaranteed under a certain condition even when the system parameters are not known exactly and unknown external disturbances exist. As the proposed learning controller is repeatedly applied to the industrial robot or the CNC machine tool with the path-dependent repetitive task, the distance difference between the desired path and the actual tracked or machined path, which is one of the most significant factors in the evaluation of control performance, is progressively reduced. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed learning controller can improve machining accuracy when the CNC machine tool performs repetitive machining tasks