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Academics

The University of Waterloo offers a prestigious mechatronics program that combines in-depth knowledge and hands-on experience in Mechanical, Electrical, Software, and Control Design Engineering. My academic journey in this program encompasses diverse courses, empowering me with the essential skills and knowledge pivotal for success in this field. The following is a breakdown of my courses in each year and their respective descriptions.

ECE 484 - Digital Control Applications

Dynamic system modelling: linear, nonlinear, state-space, sample data systems, computer simulation, system identification. Discrete system stability and dynamic performance. Nonlinear system analysis, limit cycles. Digital control system design: emulation methods, z-domain, frequency domain, pole placement. Implementation of digital controllers. Laboratory projects in computer control of mechatronic and other systems.

ECE 488 – Multivariable Control Systems

Review of feedback control design fundamentals; SISO controller parameterizations; the fundamental effect of MIMO interaction; introduction to state-space models in continuous and discrete time; SISO techniques for MIMO design; optimal control; model-predictive control design; state estimation; decoupling, MIMO PID control design; applications in areas such as aerospace systems.

ME 561 - Fluid Power Control Systems

Properties of hydraulic fluids. Design and function of conventional hydraulic and pneumatic circuits. Characteristics of flow and pressure control valves. Speed control in fluid power circuits. Performance of pumps and fluid motors. Hydrostatic and hydrokinetic transmission systems. Principles of sealing, filtration, and heat control in hydraulic circuits. Industrial applications of fluid power systems.

MTE 420 - Power Electronics and Motor Drives

Covers terminal characteristics of power semiconductor devices, switch losses, power electronic converter topologies (diode rectifiers, thyristor converters, DC/DC converters and DC/AC converters) and their corresponding control techniques, waveform quality, L-C low-pass filter design, power factor correction, DC motors and their corresponding speed control and electrical braking techniques, Induction motors and their corresponding speed control and electrical braking techniques, special-purpose motors, and computer simulation of power electronic converters and motor drives.

SYDE 522 - Artificial Intelligence

The objective of this course is to introduce students to fundamental concepts of Artificial Intelligence. An overview of different learning schemes will be provided, including supervised and unsupervised algorithms. The focus of this course will be on dimensionality reduction, clustering, classification, deep and shallow artificial neural networks, and reinforcement learning. Ethical aspects of artificial intelligence will be discussed.

SYDE 543 - Cognitive Ergonomics

This course focuses on the role engineering psychology research plays in design of the information displays and devices associated with simple and complex cognitive tasks. Main topics include signal detection and target location tasks, navigation tasks, training tasks, communication tasks, human error, stress and mental workload, supervisory control, and situational awareness.

BET 420 - Entrepreneurship for Social Impact

The course focuses on innovative approaches to solve social issues and establish organizations that drive positive change while being economically sustainable. It covers social entrepreneurship principles, design thinking for problem-solving, and creating impactful solutions. Students learn to identify opportunities for social change, refine ideas, measure success, and develop a socially conscious business mindset. Through case studies and workshops, they gain strategic thinking skills to create high-impact ventures.

ECON 102 - Introduction to Macroeconomics

This course introduces students to the measurement and behaviour of key macroeconomic variables both in Canada and around the world. Topics include national accounts, inflation, interest rates, wages, international balance of payments, business cycles, growth, employment, unemployment, poverty, and inequality.

MTE 481/2 – Fourth-Year Design Project

The course aims to build upon prior knowledge by providing an opportunity for students to further develop their design skills and practical experience. Working individually or in small groups, students apply engineering design principles to create a Mechatronics-based project encompassing mechanical design, electronics, computers, and software. The emphasis lies in conducting a thorough analysis of needs, researching existing solutions, and proposing alternative designs. Additionally, students finalize their designs and proceed to prototype them in this course, demonstrating working prototypes and presenting their projects via poster presentations and online pitches. Project progress is overseen by instructors, with evaluation conducted by an expert judging panel to provide comprehensive feedback.

Fourth-Year Courses
MTE 380 – Mechatronics Design Workshop

In this course, students study the design process, including needs analysis, problem definition; design criteria and critical parameter identification, generation of alternative solutions; conceptual design, detailed design, optimization; and implementation. Most of the term is devoted to a significant design project in which student groups work independently and competitively, applying the design process to a project goal set by the faculty coordinator. The design project typically includes construction of an electro-mechanical prototype, and part of the course grade may depend on the performance of the prototype in a competitive test.

MTE 360 - Automatic Control Systems

This course delves into the intricacies of feedback control design and analysis for linear dynamic systems, placing a special focus on applications within the realm of mechanical engineering. Topics covered include transient and frequency response, stability, system performance, control modes, and state space techniques. Additionally, students will be introduced to digital control systems, providing a comprehensive understanding of modern control methodologies essential for addressing real-world engineering challenges.

MTE 322 - Electromechanical Machine Design

Integrated design of mechanical motion transmission systems: gearing, couplings, bearings, power screws, fasteners, and their integration; sensing and measurement of mechanical motion; specification and selection of motors and electromechanical actuators; analysis and design of controllers for motion transmission systems; case studies.

ME 351 - Fluid Mechanics 1

Physical properties of fluids and fundamental concepts in fluid mechanics. Hydrostatics. Conservation laws for mass, momentum and energy. Flow similarity and dimensional analysis as applied to engineering problems in fluid mechanics. Laminar and turbulent flow. Engineering applications such as flow measurement, flow in pipes and fluid forces on moving bodies.

MTE 320 - Actuators & Power Electronics

Review of circuit analysis & basic electromagnetic theory. Power electronics: power electronics circuits, H bridges, PWM control, interfacing, power amplifiers. DC servo & stepper motors, AC synchronous & induction motors. Transformers. Introduction to typical speed and torque control techniques of motors.

MTE 321 - Design and Dynamics of Machines

Principles of the geometry and motion in linkages and mechanisms. Computer-aided kinematic and kinetic analysis of mechanisms. Synthesis of mechanisms. Static failure and yield criteria in ductile and brittle materials. Fatigue failure criteria due to fluctuating stresses. Shaft design under static and fluctuating loads. Shaft components, including shoulders, keys and keyways. Deflections in shafts.

MTE 325 - Microprocessor and Interfacing

This course offers an in-depth exploration of embedded systems, encompassing embedded software design, synchronization, data transfer analysis, computer structure, error detection and correction (including the Hamming code), parallel and serial interfacing methods, analog interfacing with a focus on error analysis, various bus types (synchronous, asynchronous, semi-synchronous), arbitration techniques like daisy-chained and non-daisy-chained methods, and an examination of Direct Memory Access (DMA) implications on hardware, software, and system performance.

MTE 309 - Thermodynamics and Heat Transfer

Macroscopic approach to energy analysis. Energy transfer as work and heat, and the First Law of thermodynamics. Properties and states of simple substances. Control-mass and control-volume analysis. The essence of entropy, and the Second Law of thermodynamics. The Carnot cycle and its implications for practical cyclic devices. Introduction to heat transfer by conduction, convection, and radiation. Basic formulation and solution of steady and transient problems. Issues relevant to the cooling of electrical devices.

SYDE 351 - Systems Models 1

The course provides an introduction to systems modeling and analysis, covering graph theoretic models and system equation formulation. It delves into state space representation and its solution methods in time and frequency domains. Students apply these techniques to engineering systems, gaining practical skills in modeling, analyzing, and solving system dynamics across various domains.

MSCI 261 - Financial Management for Engineers

Introductory finance: time value of money, cash flow analysis. Investment evaluation methods: present worth, annual worth, and internal rate of return. Depreciation models and asset replacement analysis. The impact of inflation, taxation, uncertainty, and risk on investment decisions

Third-Year Courses
SYDE 252 - Linear Systems and Signals

Models and analysis of linear systems. Discrete-time systems, continuous-time systems; difference and differential equations; impulse and frequency response. Complex frequency, functions of complex variables, transform domain techniques: Z transforms; Fourier analysis, Laplace transform. Transfer functions and frequency response, frequency domain analysis of linear systems; sampling theory, stability, and linear filters.

MTE 241 - Computer Structures and RTOSs

The course covers computer organization fundamentals alongside basic real-time concepts. Topics include process management, interprocess communication, synchronization, memory and resource management, interrupt handling, concurrent programming, and file systems. Students gain insights into the architecture of computer structures and real-time operating systems (RTOSs), learning key principles and techniques essential for effective system operation and management.

MTE 220 – Sensors and Instrumentation

Review of circuit theory; input-output relationships, transfer functions and frequency response of linear systems; operational amplifiers, operational amplifier circuits using negative or positive feedback; diodes, operational amplifier circuits using diodes; analog signal detection, conditioning, and conversion systems; transducers and sensors, difference and instrumentation amplifiers, active filters.

MTE 204 - Numerical Methods

Number Systems and Machine Errors; Roots of Non-Linear Equations; Matrix Calculations; Eigenvalue and Eigenvector Calculations; Interpolation and Approximation; Numerical Integration and Solution of ODEs (linear and non-linear) and systems of ODEs; Calculation of Series; Solution Methods for PDE's; Use of numeric and symbolic computing tools.

MTE 203 - Advanced Calculus

Number Systems and Machine Errors; Roots of Non-Linear Equations; Matrix Calculations; Eigenvalue and Eigenvector Calculations; Interpolation and Approximation; Numerical Integration and Solution of ODEs (linear and non-linear) and systems of ODEs; Calculation of Series; Solution Methods for PDE's; Use of numeric and symbolic computing tools.

SYDE 182 - Physics 2 (Dynamics)

The course delves into Dynamics Physics, covering particle kinematics (rectilinear and curvilinear motion) and kinetics, with applications to space mechanics. It explores energy and momentum methods, studying systems of particles and the kinematics/kinetics of rigid bodies in planar motion. Additionally, the course touches on the principles of vibrations, providing a comprehensive understanding of motion, forces, and oscillations within mechanical systems. Students gain insights into various physical phenomena and their mathematical descriptions.

MTE 201 - Experimental Measurement and Statistical Analysis

Measurement errors, calculations with unknown quantities, and error propagation. Sensitivity analysis. Techniques of sampling and statistical estimation. Introduction to sensors and data acquisition tools. Frequency distributions. Probability. Binomial, Poisson, normal distributions. Tests of hypotheses. Significance. The t-test and chi-squared test. Curve fitting by least squares. Correlation and regression. Design of experiments.

MTE 202 - Ordinary Differential Equations

First Order Differential Equations; Direction Field; Separable Equations, Integrating Factors and Simple Transformations; Applications; Second and Higher Order ODEs with Constant Coefficients - Transient and Steady-State Solutions; The Laplace Transform; Systems of Equations - reduction to a single equation; Matrix Differential Equations; Introduction to Partial Differential Equations.

MTE 219 - Mechanics of Deformable Solids

The course focuses on the Mechanics of Deformable Solids, covering the mechanical response of materials and stress-strain relationships. It explores the behavior of prismatic members under tension, compression, shear, bending, and torsion. Students study stress and strain transformations, along with virtual work and energy methods, gaining insights into the mechanics governing the deformation of materials and structural elements under various loading conditions.

MTE 262 - Microprocessors and Digital Logic

Number systems, logic gates, Boolean algebra. Karnaugh maps and combinational logic design. Implementation of combinational logic circuits on Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGA) boards. Sequential logic and state machines. Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs) and PLC programming using ladder logic and statement list. Microcomputer structure and operation, I/O, and interfacing and interrupts. Assembly language programming. Laboratory work includes microcomputer and PLC programming.

Second-Year Courses
First-Year Courses
MTE 120 - Circuits

The course delves into circuits, covering basic electromagnetic theory, magnetic circuits, and electric circuit elements. Students analyze DC circuits, examining their characteristics and transient responses. Additionally, the course explores first-order transient responses and delves into AC circuit analysis, providing comprehensive insights into the behavior and principles governing electrical systems under both direct and alternating currents.

MTE 140 - Algorithms and Data Structures

The course on Algorithms and Data Structures focuses on structured software design and explores various data structures and abstract data types. It covers recursive algorithms, analysis, and design principles, including sorting, searching, and hashing methods. Emphasis is placed on problem-solving strategies using C++, providing students with a comprehensive toolkit to develop efficient algorithms and manage data effectively within software systems.

MATH 118 - Calculus II for Engineering

Methods of integration: by parts, trigonometric substitutions, partial fractions; engineering applications, approximation of integrals, improper integrals. Linear and separable first-order differential equations, applications. Parametric curves and polar coordinates, arc length and area. Infinite sequences and series, convergence tests, power series and applications. Taylor polynomials and series, Taylor's Remainder Theorem, and applications.

MTE 119 - Statics

Topics covered include basic concepts of mechanics and vectors. Statics of particles. Rigid bodies and force systems, the equilibrium of rigid bodies. Analysis of trusses and frames. Distributed forces, centroids, and moments of inertia. Friction. Internal shear and bending moments in beams.

MTE 111 - Structure and Properties of Materials

The relevance of materials to engineering practice; the relationships between macroscopic physical properties (including mechanical, photonic, thermal, electrical, and magnetic properties) and microscopic causes based on fundamental principles (including electronic and atomic structures, atomic bonding, crystal structure, and microstructure); description of the differences in macroscopic physical properties of metals, polymers, ceramics, semiconductors, and composite materials in terms of microscopic causes.

MTE 100 - Mechatronics Engineering

An introduction to mechatronics engineering. Topics include the design process, project planning, data presentation, measurements and error, control logic, sensors and actuators, and intellectual property. Engineering graphics fundamentals of multi-view, isometric, oblique, and perspective projections are also covered while developing skills in computer-aided drawing (CAD), geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T), freehand sketching, and the interpretation of technical drawings.

MTE 121 - Digital Computation

The Digital Computation course introduces electronic digital computers, focusing on hardware and software organization. It covers efficient numerical algorithms for fundamental scientific computations and provides foundational programming knowledge in C++ and RobotC. Students gain insights into computer architecture, algorithm efficiency, and practical programming skills, preparing them for computational problem-solving and software development in various domains.

CHE 102 - Chemistry for Engineers

The Chemistry for Engineers course explores chemical principles pertinent to engineering applications. Topics include stoichiometric calculations, properties of gases and liquids, solutions, gas-phase chemical equilibrium, ionic equilibrium in aqueous solutions, oxidation-reduction reactions, and chemical kinetics. Students delve into these fundamental concepts, equipping them with a foundational understanding of chemistry essential for applying scientific principles to engineering problem-solving and analysis.

MATH 116 - Calculus I for Engineering

Functions: review of polynomials, exponential, logarithmic, trigonometric. Operations on functions, curve sketching. Trigonometric identities, inverse functions. Derivatives, rules of differentiation. Mean Value Theorem, Newton's Method. Indeterminate forms and L'Hopital's rule, applications. Integrals, approximations, Riemann definite integral, Fundamental Theorems. Applications of the integral.

MATH 115 - Linear Algebra for Engineering

Topics covered include complex numbers; vectors, lines, and planes; systems of linear equations; matrices, linear transformations, and determinants; introduction to vector spaces; eigenvalues, eigenvectors, and diagonalization. It includes a blend of theoretical ideas, computational methods, and some applications.

International Baccalaureate Courses
Mathematics Higher Level

Core concepts include algebra, functions and equations, Circular functions and trigonometry, vectors, statistic and probability, and calculus. As for the optional topic, advanced calculus was selected which covered topics such as Number properties, limits, continuity of functions, differentiable functions, l’Hopital’s rule, Rolle’s theorem, mean value theorem, Riemann sums, the fundamental theory of calculus, improper integrals, sequences, infant series, Taylor and Maclaurin series, differential equations, separable differential equations, and the integrating factor method. The internal assessment for this course is outlined in the projects tab.

Chemistry Higher Level

Core concepts include stoichiometric relationships, atomic structure, periodicity, chemical bonding and structure, energetics and thermochemistry, chemical kinetics, equilibrium, acids and bases, redox processes, organic chemistry, data measurement, processing, and analysis. As for the optional topic, medicinal chemistry was selected which covered topics such as pharmaceutical products and drug action, aspirin and penicillin, opiates, ph. regulation of the stomach, antiviral medications, Taxol, nuclear medicine, drug detection and analysis, and the environmental impact of some medications. The internal assessment for this course is outlined in the projects tab.

Physics Higher Level

Core concepts include measurements and uncertainties, mechanics, thermal physics, waves, electricity and magnetism circular motion and gravitation, atomic, energy production, wave phenomena, fields, electromagnetic induction, quantum, particle, and nuclear physics. As for the optional topic, astrophysics was selected which covered topics such as stellar quantities, cosmology, stellar characteristics, processes, and evolution. The internal assessment for this course is outlined in the projects tab.

arash KHAZAIE

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