6.25	Electrical and Computer Engineering

Head: U. Annakkage
General Office: E2-390 Engineering
Telephone: (204) 474 9603
Fax: (204) 261 4639
Email: enquiries@ee.umanitoba.ca
Website: www.ee.umanitoba.ca

Academic Staff

Program Information
The department offers programs leading to the Master of Engineering, Master of Science, and Doctor of Philosophy. The department has well equipped research and teaching laboratories. Students may select either a specialized research-oriented activity, an interdisciplinary program, or collaboration with industry or research centres in Canada.

Fields of Research
The areas of research in the department which are internationally recognized include: applied electromagnetics; atmospheric optics; biomedical engineering; communications engineering; computer architecture and software systems; microelectronics; power apparatus and systems engineering; signal and image processing.

Research Facilities
The Applied Electromagnetics Laboratories have two anechoic chambers in the frequency range of 500 MHz to 50 GHz for antenna research. The larger one is equipped with an automated data acquisition and compact range measurement system; the smaller one has a near-field scanning system. In addition, to the anechoic chambers, there is an outdoor antenna measurement range, which is equipped for testing large antenna units. The microwave area has two laboratories for high frequency circuit design and measurements research. The measurement laboratory has a Wiltron 360 network analyzer for measurements up to 65 GHz.

The Biomedical Engineering Laboratory includes image acquisition/ processing stations, a fully instrumented 3-dimensional human movement lab including EMG acquisition and analysis. A number of facilities are shared with researchers in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. The Department of Radiology maintains a breeding colony of a species of salamander, the axolotl Ambystoma mexicanum. These are being used to analyze the mechanical and electrical components of the development of axolotl embryos, which provide a good model system for normal development and major birth defects in humans. Equipment for computer controlled time-lapse microscopy is being assembled.

Software Systems is an area that represents a strong research program in the Department. The VLSI laboratory is an important component of the research program in Computer Engineering, as well as supporting research areas in Electrical Engineering such as electronics, signal processing and communications. The laboratory includes a network of Sparc workstations for research and education. The laboratory has access to the fabrication of chip designs, via the Canadian Microelectronics Corporation. The current implementation technologies are full-custom CMOS, FPGAs, and integrated sensors. Software CAD packages available include CADENCE, simulators for Neural Networks and many standard university programs such as circuit and logic simulators. There are also facilities for experimental work with mobile robots.

The Computational Intelligence (CI) Laboratory has a collection of robots (two Kheperas, and a number of individual hexapod and tractor robots). In addition, the CI Laboratory has two Sun workstations, three Pentium workstations, two PowerPC workstations and two printers. Research is carried out in the design of intelligent systems (both hardware and software), data acquisition and classification of data using a number of technologies commonly associated with computational intelligence; namely, fuzzy measure theory, fuzzy sets, fuzzy Petri nets, granular computing, neural networks and, especially, rough neural networks, rough Petri nets, and rough sets. Research in software and hardware system design and measurement using CI technologies is aided by a number of tools such as Rosetta, Rough Set Exploration System (RSES), DesignCPN, and Matlab.

The Power Systems and Machine Laboratories are well equipped with several workstations, a real time digital power system simulator (developed at the HVDC Research Centre), a large variable frequency supply, and several well instrumented machine sets. Facilities for developing DSP-based controllers and protection devices are available.

The McMath High Voltage Power Transmission Research Laboratory is the largest of its kind amongst Canadian universities and is equipped with generating and measuring apparatus, including digital data acquisition systems for research on insulation, HV phenomena and diagnostics.

The Data and Signal Compression Laboratory has dedicated and network computers, a high resolution scanner, a video capture facility, a digital camera, a CD-ROM mastering system, and an FPGA development facility. It also has access to a large ATM facility for research.

The Microprobe and Microfabrication Laboratory is a well-equipped laboratory with three faculty members. Topics of interest include scanning probe microscopy, micromachining and microfabrication, semiconductor manufacturing, and high frequency microelectronics and microwave circuit testing. Probe microscopy systems include tunnelling (STM), ultra high vacuum STM, atomic force (AFM), resistive (SRM), capacitive (SCM), and dynamic electrostatic force microscopes used for in situ IC testing. CAD platforms include four SUN Ultra workstations, two Pentium III computers, and G3 and G4 Macintosh computers. CAD tools used are Cadence, L-EDIT and MEMSPro for IC design, and Libra, Spice, Ensemble and HFSS for high frequency modelling. RF test equipment includes 50 GHz sampling scopes, a 6 GHz Network Analyser and on-wafer probing facilities. Microfabrication capabilities include a cleanroom, thermal evaporation, 3 inch mask aligner, wet etching, oxidation furnaces, electroplating, UHV system, and an inspection microscope. A 1000 sq. foot cleanroom, 6 inch two-sided mask aligner, ICP plasma etching, XeF2 etching, RF sputtering, E-beam evaporation, Alpha-Step surface profiler, 50 GHz millimeter wave probe station, and a wafer saw.

Computing facilities: The department has substantial computing facilities used for research. These include a network of over 67 SUN and HP workstations and six undergraduate laboratories with a total of 84 Pentium computers. A large number of microcomputers are also distributed throughout the department's research laboratories. These computers, as well as those of individual researchers, are networked by Ethernet.

M.Sc. in Electrical and Computer Engineering

Admission
In addition to the admission requirements of the Faculty of Graduate Studies found in the Graduate Studies Regulations Section of this calendar, a student must normally hold a B.Sc. degree in Electrical or Computer Engineering (or its equivalent) from a recognized university with a minimum University of Manitoba equivalent GPA of 3.5.

Application Deadlines
Potential M.Sc. students should complete the online Student Information Form for Potential Graduate Students, (www.ee.umanitoba.ca/admissions/ preapplication.html) prior to making a formal application to the Department. Canadian/U.S. students, if invited by the Department to submit a formal application, should submit their application and supporting documentation to the Department at least four months prior to their intended start date. International students, if invited by the Department to submit a formal application, should submit their application and supporting documentation to the Department at least 8 months prior to their intended start date.

Program Requirements
In keeping with the minimum course requirements of the Faculty of Graduate Studies found in the Graduate Studies Regulations Section of this calendar, the M.Sc. program in Electrical and Computer Engineering requires a minimum of 18 credit hours of advisor-approved course work as follows: a minimum of 12 credit hours at or above the 700/7000 level; and 6 credit hours at or above the 300/3000 level from other departments or 400/4000 level elective courses from this department. At least 12 of the 18 credit hours must be from this Department.

An M.Sc. thesis, which is based on research work normally carried out at this university, is required. All full-time M.Sc. students are also required to present a paper, at least once during their program, at the Department's annual graduate student conference, as outlined at the website www.ee.umanitoba.ca/~gradcon.

For complete supplemental regulations on the M.Sc. program in Electrical and Computer Engineering, see website: www.ee.umanitoba.ca.

Second language reading requirement: none

Expected time to graduation: two years

M.Eng. in Electrical and Computer Engineering

Admission
In addition to the admission requirements of the Faculty of Graduate Studies found in the Graduate Studies Regulations Section of this calendar, a student must normally hold a B.Sc. degree in Electrical or Computer Engineering (or its equivalent) from a recognized university with a minimum University of Manitoba equivalent GPA of 3.5.

Application Deadlines
Potential M.Eng. students should complete the online Student Information Form for Potential Graduate Students (www.ee.umanitoba.ca/admissions/preapplication.html) prior to making a formal application to the department. Canadian/U.S. students, if invited to submit a formal application by the department, should submit their application and supporting documentation to the Department at least four months prior to their intended start date. International students, if invited to submit a formal application by the department, should submit their application and supporting documentation to the Department at least 8 months prior to their intended start date.

Program Requirements
This program is meant to satisfy the particular needs of students and practising engineers wishing to extend their studies on a broad basis of coursework and an engineering project.

Minimum Program requirements of the Faculty of Graduate Studies are found in the Graduate Studies Regulations Section of this Calendar. The M.Eng. program in Electrical and Computer Engineering requires a minimum of 24 credit hours of advisor-approved course work as follows: a minimum of nine credit hours at or above the 700/7000 level from this department, a maximum of nine credit hours of elective courses from this department at or above the 400/4000 level and a maximum of 12 credit hours from other departments at or above the 300/3000 level. In exceptional cases, the student may be allowed to take 200/2000 level courses from other departments if pre-approved by the student's advisor.

In addition, the student is required to complete an advisor-approved engineering project and proposal. The effort involved in this project should be at least the equivalent of six credit hours of coursework.

For complete supplemental regulations on the M.Eng. program in Electrical and Computer Engineering, refer to the website www.ee.umanitoba.ca

Second language reading requirement: none

Expected time to graduation: two years

Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering

Admission
In addition to the admission requirements of the Faculty of Graduate Studies found in the Graduate Studies Regulations Section of this calendar, a student must normally hold a Master of Science degree in Electrical or Computer Engineering from a recognized university. Provisional acceptance of students nearing completion of the M.Sc. degree in Electrical or Computer Engineering may be considered with a minimum University of Manitoba equivalent GPA of 3.5.

Application Deadlines
Potential Ph.D. students should complete the online Student Information Form for Potential Graduate Students (www.ee.umanitoba.ca/admissions/preapplication.html) prior to making a formal application to the department. Canadian/U.S. students, if invited to submit a formal application by the department, should submit their application and supporting documentation to the Department at least four months prior to their intended start date. International students, if invited to submit a formal application by the department, should submit their application and supporting documentation to the Department at least 8 months prior to their intended start date.

In exceptional cases, a transfer into the Ph.D. program from the M.Sc. program may be recommended for students holding a B.Sc. degree in Electrical or Computer Engineering, provided the following three conditions are met: the transfer occurs within 12 months of initial registration in the M.Sc. program; the student has successfully completed at least nine credit hours of approved course work at or above the 700/7000 level, all from this Department; and the transfer is recommended by the departmental Graduate Studies Committee. In this case, the time spent in the Master's program will normally be counted as time in the Ph.D. program.

If preliminary admission into a Master's program is being recommended by the advisor with the intention of reviewing the student's status for possible upgrading to a Ph.D. admission, then this must be indicated on the application form at the time of admission. Otherwise, the student will be required to pay both M.Sc. and Ph.D. program fees.

Program Requirements
Minimum Program requirements of the Faculty of Graduate Studies are found in the Graduate Studies Regulations Section of this calendar. The Ph.D. program in Electrical and Computer Engineering depends on student classification as follows:

• For students who hold an M.Sc. degree in electrical and Computing Engineering and have been admitted directly into the Ph.D. program, a minimum of 12 credit hours of advisory committee approved course work is required at or above the 700/7000 level. At least 9 of the 12 credit hours must be from this Department.

• For students who hold a B.Sc. degree in Electrical or Computer Engineering and who are recommended for transfer into the Ph.D. program from the M.Sc. program in Electrical and Computer Engineering at this university, a minimum of 24 credit hours of advisory committee-approved course work is required, of which 18 credit hours must be at or above the 700/7000 level and the balance of 6 credit hours must be at or above the 300/3000 level from other departments or 400/4000 level elective courses from this department. At least 15 of the 24 credit hours must be from this Department. Credit will be given for approved course work completed at the M.Sc. level.

• For all other categories of students, a minimum of 18 credit hours of advisory committee-approved course work is required, of which 12 credit hours must be at or above the 700/7000 level and the balance of 6 credit hours must be at or above the 300/3000 level from other departments or 400/4000 level elective courses from this department. At least 12 of the 18 credit hours must be from this Department.