Department of Systems and Computer Engineering


Mackenzie Building 4462
Telephone: 520-5740
Fax: 520-5727
E-mail: gradinfo@sce.carleton.ca

The Department


Chair of the Department:
S.A. Mahmoud
Associate Chair for Graduate Studies:
J.W. Chinneck
Director, Telecommunications Technology Management Program:
To be announced

The Department of Systems and Computer Engineering offers four graduate programs of study:

The M.Eng. and Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering are offered through the Ottawa-Carleton Institute for Electrical Engineering (OCIEE) which is jointly administered by the Department of Systems and Computer Engineering and the Department of Electronics at Carleton University, and the Department of Electrical Engineering at the University of Ottawa.  For further information about the M.Eng. and Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering, including admission and program requirements, please see the OCIEE information beginning on page 135.

The M.Eng. is also available as part of ConGESE (Consortium for Graduate Education in Software Engineering), a collaborative program offering a specialization in software engineering. This program is geared towards software professionals working for participating industrial partners. The ConGESE program imposes further regulations and requirements on the existing program. The degree awarded will in each case specify the discipline of the participating unit with specialization in software engineering.  Additional information is available from the graduate supervisor.

The M.Eng. in Telecommunications Technology Management educates electrical engineers and computer scientists in the management of the engineering processes that result in innovative telecommunications systems, products, and services. For further information, please see page 135.

The M.Sc. in Information and Systems Science is specifically designed for those who do not have a background in electrical engineering or computer science. This program is offered in cooperation with the School of Computer Science and the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at Carleton University. Please see page 223 for details.

In addition, certain faculty members in the department are members of the Ottawa-Carleton Institute for Computer Science which offers a program leading to the M.C.S. degree.  This program is more fully described on page 202 of this Calendar.

Fields of Research and Study

Research in the Department centres upon the analysis and design of engineering systems which process and transmit information and have computers as components. Within this context, several interrelated areas of study receive major attention: Communication Systems Computer Systems Analysis Techniques Management of Engineering Processes

Course work provides students with the fundamental material and allows specialization in one or more of the above areas as desired.  Thesis topics include both theoretical studies and the related problems of practicable realizations.

Industrial Connections

The Department is a major partner in the Ottawa-Carleton Centre for Communications Research (OCCCR), which is a multidisciplinary interdepartmental research group comprising faculty members, full-time researchers, graduate students, and support staff from both Carleton University and the University of Ottawa. It is part of the provincial Centre of Excellence TRIO (Telecommunications Research Institute of Ontario) and the federal Centre of Excellence CITR (Canadian Institute for Telecommunications Research). Current research areas of the centres with major participation from the Department are: broadband ISDN access networks, transmission methods for ISDN, methods for telecommunications software, mobile and portable wireless networks, VLSI in communications and network management using artificial intelligence methods, and wireless indoor digital communications. The Department is also part of the TeleLearning Research Network, a network of Centres of Excellence.

Full advantage is taken within the Department of the technology-oriented government, industry, university complex in the Ottawa area. Cooperative projects exist with the Department of Communications, Communications Research Centre, NRC, NORTEL, Gandalf, Bell Canada, and the Department of National Defence.

Research Facilities

The Department has an enviable collection of facilities for advanced research in systems and computer engineering.  There are about 100 engineering workstations, primarily SUN, on an Ethernet local area network, multiprocessor target systems, and many other stand-alone and networked workstations.  The network is part of the Internet and so has access to the World Wide Web, electronic mail, network news, and much public domain research software.  There are also numerous high-end PCs and Macintosh computers.  Other equipment includes spectrum analyzers, synthesizers, generators, power metres, counters, analyzers, digital signal processing boards, audio equipment, oscilloscopes, filters, mixers, amplifiers, signal generators, data acquisition hardware, multiprocessors, robots, etc.

Software includes all of the standard programing and AI languages, symbolic algebra systems, wordprocessors, and various packages specific to telecommunications, signal processing, and other areas of research.

Master’s Degree in Telecommunications Technology Management

The Department of Systems and Computer Engineering offers a program of study and research leading to the degree of Master of Engineering in Telecommunications Technology Management.

The objective of the program is to train engineers and computer scientists to become competent and efficient managers of the engineering processes that deliver innovative telecommunications systems, products, and services. The emphasis is on design, development, manufacture, and technical support, areas for which engineers are normally responsible and where their technical expertise and practical knowledge are critical.

The program focuses on research in the synthesis between communication systems engineering and management of engineering processes. Within this context the following areas receive major attention:

Close links are maintained with the engineering and technological communities, and an effort is made to direct students to thesis and project work of current theoretical and practical significance. The research results should provide useful contributions to the efficient management of engineering processes and the related activities in the telecommunications field.

Admission Requirements

The normal requirement for admission to the master’s program is a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, computer science or a related discipline,  with at least high honours standing. Candidates are required to have two years experience in technical work in telecommunications prior to admission.

Candidates applying for admission with degrees not in the discipline of engineering will be considered by the admissions committee. The committee is responsible for establishing criteria for degree equivalencies.

Program Requirements

Subject to the approval of the admissions committee, students in the master’s program may choose to complete the degree by successfully completing either a thesis or a project.

Master’s Degree by Thesis
All master’s students in the thesis option are required to complete a total of 5.5 credits (or the equivalent) as follows:

Master’s Degree by Project
All master’s students in the project option are required to complete a total of 5.5 credits of which at least 5.0 must be at the 500 level or above, as follows:

Restricted Elective Courses

Students in the master’s program must complete 1.0 credit (or the equivalent) in the field of management of engineering processes and 1.0 credit (or the equivalent) in one of the four sub-fields in communication and systems engineering. Courses in each of the four sub-fields and the field of management of engineering processes are listed below.

The sub-fields in communication systems engineering are:

All courses in the field of communication systems engineering are offered by the Department of Systems and Computer Engineering and begin with the prefix 94.

Communication Systems Engineering

  • Software Engineering
    94.507 Expert Systems

    94.511 Computer System Design for Performance

    94.531 System Design with ADA

    94.535 Representations, Methods and Tools for Concurrent Systems

    94.553 Stochastic Processes

    94.571 Mini/Microcomputer Operating System Design

    94.573 Integrated Database Systems

    94.574 Elements of Computer Systems

    94.576 Analytical Performance Models of Computer Systems

    94.577 Teleprocessing Software Design

    94.579 Advanced Topics in SW Engineering:  OO Design

    94.582 Introduction to Information and Systems Science

  • Wireless and Satellite Communications
    94.553 Stochastic Processes

    94.554 Principles of Digital Communication

    94.566 Introduction to Mobile Communications

    94.568 Wireless Communications Systems

  • Network Design, Protocols and Performance
    94.501 Simulation and Modelling

    94.504 Mathematical Programing for Engineering Applications

    94.505 Optimization Theory and Methods

    94.507 Expert Systems

    94.511 Computer System Design for Performance

    94.519 Teletraffic Engineering

    94.521 Computer Communiction

    94.527 Distributed Processing Systems

    94.553 Stochastic Processes

    94.567 Source Coding and Data Compression

    94.576 Analytical Performance Models of Computer Systems

    94.581 Advanced Topics in Computer Communiction

    94.588 Communication Network Management

  • Manufacturing Systems Analysis
    94.501 Simulation and Modelling

    94.504 Mathematical Programing for Engineering Applictions

    94.582 Introduction to Information and Systems Science

    92.527 Robotics: Control, Sensing and Intelligence

    Management of Engineering Processes

    96.504 Management of Design Systems

    96.505 Management of Telecommunications System Design

    96.506 Management of Software Engineering Projects

    96.508 Corporate Communications Networks

    96.510 Communications Standards

    96.511 Manufacturing and New Product Introduction

    96.512 Managing Full-Scale Production

    96.513 Advanced Topics in Telecommunications Technology Management

    96.514 Directed Studies in Design and Manufacturing Management

    Non-Restricted Elective Courses

    All students in the project option of the master’s program are required to complete two 0.5 credit courses from those offered by the Department of Electronics, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Department of Systems and Computer Engineering, School of Industrial Design, or School of Computer Science.

    Graduate Courses*

    Courses in the field of communication systems engineering are described below. Courses in the field of management of engineering processes are described beginning on page 154.

  • Engineering 94.501W1 (ELG6101)
    Simulation and Modelling
    Simulation as a problem-solving tool. Mathematical foundations: random variate generation, parameter estimation, confidence interval, simulation algorithm. Simulation languages: SLAM, SIMULA, SIMSCRIPT. Examples: computers and protocols, urban traffic, harbours and airport capacity planning, manufacturing capacity planning, inventory systems.

  • Engineering 94.503F1 (ELG6103I)
    Discrete Stochastic Models
    Models for software and computer systems, and communications networks, with discrete states, instantaneous transitions and stochastic behaviour. Communicating finite state machines and Petri Nets. Stochastic behaviour leading to Markovian models (including stochastic Petri Nets). Review of concepts of probability, and theory of Markov Chains with discrete and continuous parameters. First-passage problems. Birth-death processes and basic queuing theory. Numerical methods for Markov Models.

    C.M. Woodside.

  • Engineering 94.504F1 (ELG6104)
    Mathematical Programing for Engineering Applications
    An introduction to algorithms used for the optimization of complex systems. Topics include linear programing (with duality and post-optimality analysis), nonlinear programing, dynamic programing integer and mixed-integer programing and combinatorial search methods, and network flow programing. Emphasis is on practical algorithms for engineering applications, e.g., VLSI design, message routing, etc.

    J.W. Chinneck.

  • Engineering 94.505W1 (ELG6105)
    Optimization Theory and Methods
    A second-level course in optimization theory and computer-oriented optimization methods. Lagrange’s method of undetermined multipliers. Unconstrained optimization: steepest-descent, Newton-Raphson, conjugate gradient, variable metric, and Powell-Zangwill methods. Nonlinear programing: Kuhn-Tucker conditions, saddle point theory and dual problems, computational techniques. Application to nonlinear engineering system identification, network synthesis problems, filter design. Function space techniques and introduction to optimal control.

    Bernard Pagurek.

  • Engineering 94.506W1 (ELG6106)
    Design of Real-Time and Distributed Systems
    Real-time and distributed systems: characteristics, issues. Requirements and architectures will be represented using timethreads. Decomposing and recomposing timethreads and architectures. Analyzing designs for robustness, modularity, extensibility, adaptability. Equivalent more detailed formal representation and analysis using LOTOS and Petri Nets. Adding performance information and analyzing performance, e.g., with timed Petri Nets. Principles for performance engineering. Implementation issues. Tools. Major course project.
    Prerequisites: Engineering 94.333 and 94.485 or similar experience.

    R.J.A. Buhr.

  • Engineering 94/95.507F1 (ELG6107)
    Expert Systems
    Survey of some landmark expert systems; types of architecture and knowledge representation; inferencing techniques; approximate reasoning; truth maintenance; explanation facilities; knowledge acquisition. A project to implement a small expert system will be assigned.
    Prerequisite: Computer Science 95.407 or 95.501 or permission of the Department.

    W.R. Lalonde.

  • Engineering 94.511W1 (ELG6111)
    Design of High Performance Software
    Designing software to demanding performance specifications. Models of professing and performance requirements. Performance engineering within the software design process. Improvement of existing designs by the application of performance engineering principles for sequential and concurrent software. Constructing computation graphs, workload models, and performance models for a system. The use of standard model solvers. Partitioning functionality among concurrent processes or tasks. Case studies.
    Prerequisite: Engineering 94.574 and a course in software engineering, or the equivalent.

    C.M. Woodside.

  • Engineering 94.512W1 (ELG6112)
    Performance Measurement and Modelling of Distributed Applications
    Performance measurements, metrics and models of distributed systems and applications. Benchmarks, workload characterization, capacity planning, tuning and system sizing. Introduction to the design and analysis of experiments. Performance monitors, and the correlation of measured information with application resource consumption to support the software performance engineering process. Using metrics to help understand the performance behaviour of distributed applications.
    Prerequisite: Engineering 94.511 or the equivalent. J. Rolia.

  • Engineering 94.517W1 (ELG6117)
    Queuing Systems
    Stochastic processes: Markov chains, discrete birthdeath, etc. Queuing systems: M/G/1,  G/M/m, M/M/m/k/n queues, etc. Priority queues. Networks of queues: local/global balance equations, product form solutions for open and closed networks. Mean value analysis, diffusion approximation, non-product form networks. Related models (e.g., Petri nets). Numerical solutions. Examples include throughput analysis from multiprocessors and computer-communication networks.
    Prerequisite: Engineering 94.553 or ELG5119 or the equivalent. Exclusion: Engineering 92.520 (ELG5120).

  • Engineering 94.518W1 (ELG6118)
    Topics in Information Systems
    Students participate in a group project designing and developing an expert system of significant size in an organized manner. Specification of the system’s aims, design in terms of knowledge representation, knowledge acquisition and knowledge use, prototyping, implementation and testing are covered in a mix of lectures, interactive tutorials and project assignments.
    Prerequisite: Engineering 94/95.507 or 94.583 or equivalent.

  • Engineering 94.519W1 (ELG6119)
    Teletraffic Engineering
    Congestion phenomena in telephone systems, and related telecommunications networks and systems, with an emphasis on the problems, notation, terminology, and typical switching systems and networks of the operating telephone companies. Analytical queuing models and applications to these systems.
    Prerequisite: Engineering 94.553 or ELG5119 or the equivalent.

  • Engineering 94.520F1 (ELG6120)
    Algebraic Coding Theory
    Introduction to algebra: groups, rings and fields; vector spaces and matrices; group codes: generator and parity check matrices; Hamming codes and the Hamming bound; bounds on the dimension of a linear code; random coding bounds; dual codes and MacWilliam’s identities; syndrome decoding; Reed-Muller codes; polynomial rings and cyclic codes; irreducible and primitive polynomials; encoding and decoding of cyclic codes; BCH and Reed-Solomon codes; decoding using the Berlekamp-Massey and Euclidean algorithms; algebraic curves and Goppa codes.
    Exclusion: 94.557 (ELG6157) T.A. Gulliver

  • Engineering 94.521F1 (ELG6121)
    Computer Communication
    Types of computer networks, performance criteria. OSI Layered Model with emphasis on transport, network and data-link layers. Examples of public networks. Routing and protocol efficiency. Queuing and analysis of networks. Local area networks, protocols and performance analysis of CSMA-CD, token passing and polling. Introduction to ISDN and broadband networks.
    Prerequisite: Undergraduate preparation in probability theory equivalent to 69.352. Exclusion: Engineering 92.567 (ELG5374), 94.462, ELG4181, or equivalent.

  • Engineering 94.527W1 (ELG6127)
    Distributed Processing Systems
    Methods for representing distributed systems such as precedence graphs, communicating state-machine models, and Petri nets. Analysis of distributed system behaviour, based on these models. Protocols. ISO protocol model: transport session, presentation and application levels. Design examples: interprocess communications, file transfer, factory automation. Resource management.
    Prerequisites: Engineering 94.521 or ELG5374; and 94.571 or the equivalent.

    Shikharesh Majumdar.

  • Engineering 94.531F1 (ELG6131)
    System Design with Ada
    Notations and methods for the design of real time and distributed systems in an object-oriented manner with particular focus on visual techniques and on temporal behaviour problems and solutions. Uses multitasking Ada as an example target implementation technology, but the notations and methods are presented in an Ada-independent manner and are of wider applicability than Ada. Teaches techniques oriented towards Computer Aided Design (CAD) of systems (CAD differs from CASE -Computer Aided Software Engineering in placing more emphasis on analysis of the design at the design level before implementation); aims to give insight into the state of the art in CAD and CASE tools. A principles course, rather than a programing or tool-use course.
    Prerequisite: Permission of the Department.

    R.J.A. Buhr.

  • Engineering 94.535F1 (ELG6135)
    Representations, Methods and Tools for Concurrent Systems
    Selected representations and methods for concurrent systems that are supported by current and emerging CAD/CASE tools. A colloquium course with most lectures consisting of student presentations/discussions, supplemented from time to time by talks from invited experts on topics of particular interest. The course is supported by a laboratory containing a selection of interesting tools, such as Statemate, Timebench, MLog, Teamwork, Adagen, a Lotos interpreter, and others.
    Prerequisite: Permission of the Department. Limited enrolment.

    R.J.A. Buhr.

  • Engineering 94.538F1 (ELG6138)
    Computer Architecture and Parallel Processing
    Introduction to parallel processing; parallel computer structures; memory and input/output subsystems; pipelining and vector processing; array processing; data flow and systolic computations; interconnection networks; software and other design fundamentals; examples.
    Prerequisite: Engineering 94.457 or equivalent.

  • Engineering 94.541F1 (ELG6141)
    Adaptive Control
    Analysis of nonlinear dynamic systems with emphasis on stability. Lyapunov and hyperstability theories. Introduction to system identification. The least squares and recursive least squares approaches. Model reference adaptive control. The self-tuning regulator. Issues in parameter convergence and stability. Robustness properties of adaptive systems. Case studies will include applications to process control and robotics. Students will be required to prepare a critical review of the current literature.
    Prerequisite: Engineering 94.552 or equivalent.

    H.M. Schwartz.

  • Engineering 94.542F1 (ELG6142)
    Advanced Dynamics With Applications to Robotics
    Kinematics of rigid bodies and robot manipulators. Use of the Denavit-Hartenberg principle. Forward and inverse kinematics of manipulators. Momentum and energy principles. Lagrange equations and Hamilton’s principle. Dynamics of lumped parameter and continuous systems. Natural modes and natural frequencies. Forced vibrations. General dynamics of robot manipulators.

    H.M. Schwartz.

  • Engineering 94.552F1 (ELG6152)
    Advanced Linear Systems
    Review of basic linear systems: input-output relations, superposition, impulse response, convolution. Transform methods in systems analysis. Fourier and Laplace transforms. Time-frequency relationships. Discrete time systems, the Z transform. State space representation of the systems: basic concepts, canonical realizations. Observability and controllability of continuous and discrete time realization. Solution of state equations and modal decomposition. Linear state variable feedback and modal controllability. Abstract approach to state space realization methods. Geometric interpretation of similarity transformations.

    H.M. Schwartz.

  • Engineering 94.553F1, W1 (ELG6153)
    Stochastic Processes
    Basic concepts of randomness, as applied to communications, signal processing, and queuing systems; probability theory, random variables, stochastic processes; random signals in linear systems; introduction to decision and estimation; Markov chains and elements of queuing theory.
    Exclusion: Engineering 92.519 (ELG5119).

  • Engineering 94.554F1 (ELG6154)
    Principles of Digital Communication
    Elements of communication theory and information theory applied to digital communications systems. Characterization of noise and channel models. Efficient modulation and coding for reliable transmission. Spread spectrum and line coding techniques.
    Prerequisite: Engineering 94.553 or ELG5119 or the equivalent (may be taken concurrently). Exclusion: Engineering 92.556 (ELG5375).

    M.S. El-Tanany.

  • Engineering 94.558F1 (ELG6158)
    Digital Systems Architecture
    New architectural concepts in the design of computer systems are introduced. Discussions include system building blocks (arithmetic units, central processing units, control units, input/output and memory devices) and methods to achieve speed-up (instruction look-ahead, pipe-lining, memory interleaving, associative memory, SIMD and MIMD multiprocessing). Examples of current computer systems are used for discussions.
    Prerequisite: Engineering 94.457 or the equivalent. R.A. Goubran.

  • Engineering 94.560W1 (ELG6160)
    Adaptive Signal Processing
    Theory and techniques of adaptive filtering, including gradient and LMS methods; adaptive transversal and lattice filters; recursive least squares; fast recursive least squares; convergence and tracking performance; systolic array techniques. Applications, such as adaptive prediction, channel equalization; echo cancellation; speech coding; antenna beamforming; system identification in control systems; spectral estimation; neural networks.
    Prerequisites: Engineering 94.553 or ELG5119 or equivalent; Engineering 94.562 or ELG5376 or equivalent. Exclusion: Engineering 92.580 (ELG5377).

    D.D. Falconer.

  • Engineering 94.561W1 (ELG6161)
    Neural Signal Processing
    Basic concepts in decision theory and multidimensional function approximation. The least squares adaptive algorithm. The generalized delta rule. Multi-layer perceptrons and the back-propagation algorithm. Approximation of non-linear functions. Radial basis functions. Self-organized maps. Applications of neural signal processing to control, communications and pattern recognition. Software and hardware implementation of neural networks.
    Prerequisite: Engineering 94.553 or ELG6153 or equivalent. May be taken concurrently with 94.553. Exclusion: Engineering 92.579 (ELG5196).

    H.M. Hafez.

  • Engineering 94.562F1 (ELG6162)
    Digital Signal Processing
    Signal representations, Z transform and difference equations. Theory, design of FIR, IIR filters. Discrete Fourier transform: properties, implementation via fast algorithms (radix-m FFT, PFA, WFTA). Chirp-z transform. Cepstral analysis. Decimation/interpolation. Random signal analysis: estimators, averaging, correlation, windowing, Input/output and quantization effects. Application overview: Analog-digital converters (linear, companded), digital audio (CD, DAT), speech analysis and synthesis. Programable DSP microcomputers: contemporary commercial architectures, application to implementation of DSP algorithms. Case studies: Linear predictive coding of speech (LPC), radix/4 FFT, spectograph.
    Exclusion: Engineering 92.557 (ELG5376)

    L.R. Morris.

  • Engineering 94.563W1 (ELG6163)
    Digital Signal Processing: Microprocessors, Software and Applications
    Digital signal processing (DSP) algorithm structure. Architectural features of CISC, RISC, and DSP computers. Data representation, addressing, and arithmetic processing. Contemporary single (TMS320C25), dual (DSP 56000), and multiple (TMS320C30, DSP96000) accumulator/operand commercial architectures, DSP multiprocessors (TMS320C80). Algorithm/software/hardware architecture interaction. Programing techniques and program examples. Software development cycle. Hardware and software development tools. Program activity analysis techniques. Case studies: linear predictive vocoder, DFT, echo cancellation. Interfacing and input/ouput. Codecs.
    Prerequisite: Engineering 94.562 or ELG5376 or the equivalent.

    L.R. Morris.

  • Engineering 94.564W1 (ELG6164)
    Advanced Topics in Digital Signal Processing
    Recent and advanced topics in the field of digital signal processing and its related areas. Prerequisites: Engineering 94.562 or ELG5376 or the equivalent.

    L.R. Morris and R.A. Goubran.

  • Engineering 94.565W1 (ELG6165)
    Advanced Digital Communication
    Digital signalling over channels with intersymbol interference (ISI) and additive Gaussian noise. Error probability analysis. Fading multipath channels as arise in terrestrial Line-of-Sight (LOS) and mobile/ portable communications, diversity concepts: modelling and error probability performance evaluation. Synchronization in digital communications. Spread spectrum in digital transmission over multipath fading channels.
    Prerequisite: Engineering 94.554 or ELG5375 or the equivalent. Exclusion: Engineering 92.574 (ELG5180)

    D.D. Falconer.

  • Engineering 94.566W1 (ELG6166)
    Introduction to Mobile Communications
    Signal strength prediction techniques: propagation models and statistical coverage. Mobile radio channel characterization: statistical characterization of mobile radio fading channel in indoor and outdoor environment, delay spread models and coherence bandwidth, models for digital transmission. Co-channel and adjacent channel interference: interference models, and outage probabilities. Modulation and transmission systems: signal to noise calculations in fading environment, performance of digital systems in fading. Signal processing in mobile radio: diversity and its applications in MRS, impact of diversity on baseband interference, noise and random FM. Adaptive techniques to combat interference and fading: adaptive equalization and adaptive arrays. Introduction to mobile radio systems.
    Co-requisite: Can be taken concurrently with Engineering 94.553 and 94.554.

    A.U. Sheikh.

  • Engineering 94.567F1 (ELG6167)
    Source Coding and Data Compression
    Discrete and continuous sources: the rate distortion functions. Discrete source coding: Huffman coding, run length encoding. Continuous source coding: waveform construction coding; PCM, DPCM, delta modulation; speech compression by parameter extraction; predictive encoding; image coding by transformation and block quantization. Fourier and Walsh transform coding. Compression by tree coding. Applications to telecommunication signals and storage; speech, television, facsimile.
    Prerequisite: Engineering 94.553 or ELG5119 or the equivalent.

    M.S. El-Tanany.

  • Engineering 94.568W1 (ELG6168)
    Wireless Communication Systems Engineering
    Engineering aspect of mobile radio systems: multi-user environment and transmission systems, traffic engineering and system capacity, concept of frequency reuse and channel allocation algorithms. Public and private mobile radio systems and networks: cellular mobil systems, high capacity analog and digital systems, signalling and protocol issues, vehicle location and handover techniques. Cellular systems of the world. Mobile satellite systems: multibeam geostationary and low orbit satellite systems, on-board processing and switching. Personal communications: microcellular architecture, PCN services, bandwidth on demand concept, intelligent network, universal base station and total system integration. Implementation of mobility in network protocols. Indoor high speed data networks: radio LANs and MANs and their interconnection.
    Co-requisite: Can be taken concurrently with Engineering 94.553 and 94.554.

    A.U. Sheikh.

  • Engineering 94.569W1 (ELG6169)
    Digital Television
    Television standards:  NTSC, PAL, SECAM, and HDTV. Sampling and quantization of television signals: rec 601-1. Digital video compression: inter and intra-frame methods, spatial and transform/wavelet coding; H.261 and MPEG standards. Video conferencing systems and other digital video processing applications.

  • Engineering 94.570W1 (ELG6170)
    Spread Spectrum Systems
    Fundamentals: jamming, energy allocations, system configurations, energy gain, applications such as antijam, low probability of intercept, multiple access, time of arrival. Antijam systems: parameters, jammer waveforms, uncoded and coded direct sequence BPSK, uncoded and coded binary FSK, interleaver/ hop tradeoff, coder BER bounds, cutoff rates, DS-BPSK and pulse jamming bounds, FH-MFSK and partial band jamming bounds, diversity for FH-MFSK, concatenation of codes. Pseudo-noise generators: statistical properties of M sequences, Galois field connections, nonlinear feed forward logic, DS and FH multiple access design. Code synchronizers: single dwell and multiple dwell serial PN acquisition for DS, delay locked loop and Tau-Dither loop PN tracking for DS, time and frequency synchronization for FH.

    T.A. Gulliver.

  • Engineering 94.571F1 (CSI5117)
    Operating System Methods for Real-Time Applications
    Principles and methods for operating system design with application to real-time, embedded systems. Concurrent programing: mechanisms and languages; design approaches and issues; run-time support (kernel); I/O handling. Methods for hard real-time applications. Methods for distributed systems. Programing assignments will be in a suitable programing language.
    Prerequisites: Engineering 94.333 or 94.574 or equivalent courses and/or experience. Programing experience in high level and assembly languages.

  • Engineering 94.573F1 (ELG6173)
    Integrated Database Systems
    Database definitions, objectives, applications, and architectures. Database design process; conceptual design based on the entity-relationship model and on object-oriented models. Relational data model: relational algebra and calculus, normal forms, data definition and manipulation languages. Implementation of database management systems: data dictionary, transaction management, recovery and concurrency control. Current trends in database systems: object-oriented, knowledge-based, multimedia and distributed databases.
    Prerequisite: Engineering 94.574 or the equivalent.

  • Engineering 94.574F1 (ELG6174)
    Elements of Computer Systems Subjects covered include: concepts in basic computer architecture, assembly languages, high level languages including object orientation, operating system concepts (including concurrency mechanisms such as processes and threads), runtime systems, and distributed system environments. Designed for graduate students without extensive undergraduate preparation in computer system engineering (or the equivalent experience) yet with a firm grasp of programing in at least one high level language. Prerequisites: Programing experience with at least one high level language and permission of the Department.

  • Engineering 94.576F1 (ELG6176)
    Analytical Performance Models of Computer Systems
    Analytical modelling techniques for performance analysis of computing systems. Theoretical techniques covered include single and multiple class queuing network models, together with a treatment of computational techniques, approximations, and limitations. Applications include scheduling, memory management, peripheral devices, databases, multiprocessing, and distributed computing.
    Prerequisite: Engineering 94.503, 94.553 or ELG5119, or the equivalent.

    C.M. Woodside.

  • Engineering 94.577W1 (ELG6177)
    Teleprocessing Software Design
    Review of teleprocessing applications, functions and devices. The session, presentation and application layers of the Open System Interconnection Model. Examples: Electronic Mail systems and Distributed Data Bases. Teleprocessing Software Design using high level procedural languages: Concurrent Pascal and Ada. SNA protocols and systems: layering concepts in SNA; distribution of tele-processing functions and software components. Relationship between SNR and OSI models. Examples of  distributed teleprocessing networks and applications in SNA.
    Prerequisites: Engineering 94.521 or ELG5374 and 94.574 or the equivalents.

    S.A. Mahmoud.

  • Engineering 94.579F1, W1(ELG6179)
    Advanced Topics in Software Engineering
    Recent and advanced topics in the field of software engineering and related areas. Primary references are recent publications in the field.
    Prerequisite: Permission of the Department.

  • Engineering 94.581F1 (ELG6181)
    Advanced Topics in Computer Communications
    Recent and advanced topics in computer-communication networks intended as a preparation for research. Students are expected to contribute to seminars or present lectures on selected topics.
    Prerequisites: Engineering 94.521 or ELG5374 or equivalent and permission of the Department.

  • Engineering 94.582F1 (ELG6182)
    Introduction to Information and System Science
    An introduction to the process of applying computers in problem solving. Emphasis is placed on the design and analysis of efficient computer algorithms for large, complex problems. Applications in a number of areas are presented: data manipulation, databases, computer networks, queuing systems, optimization.
    (Also offered as Mathematics 70.582, Computer Science 95.582 and Information and Systems Science 93.582)

  • Engineering 94.583W1 (ELG6183)
    Logic Programing
    Review of relational databases, first order predicate calculus, semantics of first order models, deductive querying. Proof theory, unification and resolution strategies. Introduction to Prolog, and/or parallelism and Concurrent Prolog. Applications in knowledge representation and rule based expert systems.

    Bernard Pagurek.

  • Engineering 94.584F1, W1 (ELG6184)
    Advanced Topics in Communications Systems
    Recent and advanced topics in communications systems.

    Prerequisite: Permission of the Department.

  • Engineering 94.586F1 (ELG6186)
    Object Oriented Design of Real-Time and Distributed Systems An advanced course in software design that deals with system design issues at a high level of abstraction. High-level design models: use case maps for large-scale behaviour patterns at the level of architecture; high-level class relationship diagrams for traditional object-oriented concerns.  Relationships between these models, and between them and conventional detailed-design models at the level of methods, messages, and communicating state machines.  Design patterns with these models.   Stepwise methods for forward engineering, reverse engineering, and re-engineering in terms of these models.  Study of examples such as telephony systems, object-oriented GUIs, distributed messaging systems, object request brokers, conventional object-oriented frameworks such as HotDraw, and object-oriented frameworks for real-time and distributed systems such as ACE. Substantial course projects on an application chosen by the student. Prerequisite: Permission of the Department.

    R.J.A. Buhr.

  • Engineering 94.587F1, W1, S1 (ELG6187)
    Advanced Topics in Computer Systems
    Recent and advanced topics in computer systems. The course will generally focus on one or more of the following areas: specification, design, implementation, and modelling/analysis. Students may be expected to contribute to lectures or seminars on selected topics.
    Prerequisite: Permission of the Department.

  • Engineering 94.588W1 (ELG6188)
    Communications Network Management
    Overview of network management issues, WANs and LANs. The Internet and ISO models of network management. Network management protocols SNMP, CMIP, CMOT, etc. Events, Managed Objects, and MIBs. Fault management techniques, models and algorithms. Current diagnostic theory and its limitations. AI and machine learning approaches. Monitoring and fault management tools, examples, recent products.
    Prerequisite: Engineering 94.521 or equivalent.

    Bernard Pagurek.

  • Engineering 94.590F1, W1, S1
    Systems Engineering Project
    Students pursuing the non-thesis M.Eng. program conduct an engineering study, analysis, and/or design project under the supervision of a faculty member.

  • Engineering 94.591F2, W2, S2
    Systems Engineering Project
    Project similar to Engineering 94.590, but either of greater scope or longer duration.

  • Engineering 94.593F2, W2, S2
    Cooperative Program Project
    A one-term course, carrying a full-course credit, for students pursuing the cooperative M.Eng. program. An engineering study, analysis, and/or design project under the supervision of a faculty member.  This course may be repeated for credit.

  • Engineering 70/94/95.595F4, W4, S4
    M.C.S. Thesis

  • Engineering 94.596F1, W1, S1 (ELG6196)
    Directed Studies

  • Engineering 70/93/94/95.598F3, W3, S3
    M.Sc. Thesis in Information and Systems Science

  • Engineering 94.599F4, W4, S4
    M.Eng. Thesis

  • Engineering 94.699F, W, S
    Ph.D. Thesis

    The following are courses in the field of management of engineering processes, and begin with the prefix 96.

  • Engineering 96.501F1
    Management Principles for Engineers
    Management topics critical for dynamic telecommunications technology-based companies to compete through the introduction of new products into the global market. The course is intended to create a common level of knowledge among students on topics in management of projects, leadership, basic managerial economics, industrial marketing and organizational behaviour.

  • Engineering 96.502F1
    Telecommunications Technology
    Comprehensive review of the fundamentals of telecommunications technology. The importance of bandwidth, communications reliability and networks are emphasized. Topics covered include: the nature of information sources and the coding of their outputs; nature of channels and their characteristics; nature of signals and their behaviour in physical channels, their generation and reception; nature of interconnection, networks, signaling and switching; role of standards and regulation; the characteristics of major world systems and operators; and the thrust of new and future technology.

  • Engineering 96.503W1
    Issues in Telecommunications
    Leaders of industry, academia and government discuss key issues and readings relevant to the telecommunications industry. Issues include the introduction of new products to the global market, technology sourcing, intellectual property rights, industry trends, technology and ethics, user interface design, new business opportunities and product identification, industry characteristics, regulation, and international competition.

  • Engineering 96.504W1
    Management of Design Systems
    The focus is on how to design, maintain, expand and evolve an organization that delivers hardware, software and system designs, and on the frameworks, methods and tools used to improve its performance. Topics include the essence of design; unique aspects of designing telecommunications systems, products and services; characteristics of a development organization and its environment; mental models supporting the frameworks, methods and tools used to reduce interval, improve design quality and increase productivity; and applications.
    Prerequisite: Engineering 96.501 and 96.502.

  • Engineering 96.505S1
    Management of Telecommunications System Design
    The focus is on the groups that evolve the architecture and technological infrastructure of firms and product management. Topics include the relationships between architecture, system design, system product and product management; product function and performance; appropriability regimes; interdependence between technology and complementary assets; acquisition and diffusion of technology; evolution of design environments; integration of projects; and capability improvement models.
    Prerequisite: Engineering 96.501 and 96.502.

  • Engineering 96.506W1
    Management of Software Engineering Projects
    Models for software development life cycle. Earned-value models for project control. Software project management tools. Configuration management and quality control. Incorporation of testing tools and techniques in the software development life cycle. Risk assessment. Risk management. Examples are drawn from software development in telecommunications applications.
    Prerequisite: Engineering 96.501 and 96.502.

  • Engineering 96.508S1
    Corporate Communications Networks
    Communications networks as a vital resource within organizations. Private networks as an infrastructure for information flow within a firm and across its interfaces. Applications and operations of corporate telecommunications networks. Information networking as a source of competitive advantage. Issues in the selection of corporate telecommunictions architectures. Comparison of public and private corporate networks. Implementation issues.
    Prerequisite: Engineering 96.501 and 96.502.

  • Engineering 96.510S1
    Communications Standards
    Importance of global standards in telecommunications and information technology for product development, business and society. Relevant public standards classified by type. National, international and quasi-standards bodies that establish public standards, their characteristics, roles and relationships.  The standards setting process. Formulation and execution of standards strategies. Integrating the firm’s standards program with engineering processes, product management, systems groups and marketing.  Coordinating the network of internal and external groups involved in the development of standards to gain competitive advantage. Corporate standards.  Standards conformance and inter-operability. Standards and the new product introduction process. Special topics pertaining to public and corporate standards.
    Prerequisite: Engineering 96.501 and 96.502.

  • Engineering 96.511W1
    Manufacturing and New Product Introduction
    The new product introduction process; overall philosophy of just-in-time and time-based competition and its application to new product introduction; the voice of the customer, lead user analysis, quality function deployment; manufacturing in the front-end; manufacturing and design, concurrent engineering and design for manufacturability; cost estimation and activity based costing; managing CAD/ CAM and manufacturing process selection; impact of new product introduction on existing operations including prototyping, pre-production and ramp-up.
    Prerequisite: Engineering 96.501 and 96.502.

  • Engineering 96.512F1
    Managing Full-Scale Production
    Overall philosophy of just-in-time and time-based competition; just-in-time production and manufacturing resource planning; total quality management including vendor relations; socio-technical systems and employee participation; computer integrated manufacturing and advanced process technologies; manufacturing and facilities strategy, capacity planning; manufacturing flexibility; product/process evolution and the experience curve; service aspects of manufacturing.
    Prerequisite: Engineering 96.501 and 96.502.

  • Engineering 96.513F1,W1,S1
    Advanced Topics in Telecommunications Technology Management
    In-depth exploration of an advanced topic in the field of telecommunications technology management. A different topic is covered each semester and more than one section, with different topics, may be offered in the same semester.
    Prerequisite: One of Engineering 96.504, 96.505, 96.511, or 96.512.

  • Engineering 96.514F1,W1,S1
    Directed Studies in Design and Manufacturing Management
    Directed by one or more instructors. The student explores, through extensive literature surveys, specific topics (not suitably covered by existing courses) in the areas of design and manufacturing management. The objective  is to enable the student to study a specific topic to acquire a suitable background to initiate and complete thesis work requiring this preparation. Precludes credit for any other directed studies in the program.

  • Engineering 96.591F2,W2,S2
    M.Eng. Project

  • Engineering 96.599F4,W4,S4
    M.Eng. Thesis