Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: Registration and Sign-up

· I am a student taking EECE 496.   When do we meet for class?

There are no scheduled classes. You meet only with your technical supervisor or the English Co-ordinator when necessary. Because 496 has no scheduled contact time, please check the home web page and your departmental e-mail regularly for updates and announcements.

For detailed sign up instructions see: Signup Instructions & Course Requirements.
Project postings are updated by the second week of each term.

Q2: Group Written Assignments

· I am working on a group project.   May we submit a group written Status Report or a group written Final Report?

No. In order to assign grades fairly, all your writing assignments for this course must be individually written. However, you should discuss with your supervisor whether each member of your group could write a Final Report on some different aspect of your project.

Q3: Electronic Submission of Assignments

· May I submit my assignments via e-mail?

Yes / No.   You need to submit one paper copy to be marked by the English coordinator.
The 2nd copy can be submitted either by email or in paper form to the Technical supervisor.

Q4: Student Initiated Projects (1)

· I want to initiate my own project.   How do I accomplish this?

You need to find an ECE professor (or an adjunct or erimitus faculty member) who will agree to supervise your project. Describe it, briefly, as you would in a Project Proposal. Include the following information:
    - Your name and student number
    - Project title
    - Problem to be investigated
    - Solution methods
    - Resources needed (tools, software, etc.)

You must receive a supervisor's approval for your project and register the project by January 15, 2008. (See Signup Instructions & Course Requirements.) For administration purposes, write a short description of the new project in a format similar to those on the Project Descriptions web site. Ask your supervisor to assign a code to it, like IGC5, and ask your supervisor to send the new project description to the EECE 496 Coordinator.

Note: some project proposals might not be approved. They might need special equipment, be unfeasible in scope or not technically suitable.

Q5: Student Initiated Projects (2)

· There's a possibility that my project title may change slightly as the term goes on.   Is this OK?

Yes.   Your project may evolve beyond what was stated in your original proposal and so your title may also need to change. Make sure that your supervisor approves the change in scope and title.

Q6: Lab Equipment

· We need signal generators, scopes, PCs and other hardware, and a project room, too.   Are these available?

No specific lab equipment or space is designated for this course. Most lab equipment is needed for regularly scheduled labs during most of the term. You may be able to arrange some access to equipment with the Technician-In-Charge, but usually it will be outside of regularly scheduled lab hours: before 8:00 or after 18:00.

If your supervisor knows at the project planning stage what kind of equipment you need, and when, it may be possible to reserve some time-shared equipment/space for your project. However, regular lab course students have priority on lab equipment. Your supervisor may be able to supply equipment and space in his/her research lab.

Q7. Co-op term vs. EECE 496 (1)

· May I take EECE 496 and Co-op concurrently?

No.   Both your Co-op employer and your 496 supervisor expect your full attention.

Q8. Co-op term vs. EECE 496 (2)

· May I use my research work from my previous Co-op work term as an EECE 496 project in the coming semester, if it is approved by my 496 supervisor?

You may not simply re-cycle your Co-op work. However, if you can prove that your 496 project would be distinctively different from your previous Co-op work, you may create a 496 project that is based on an extension your Co-op work.
You must also ensure that your former Co-op employer would not regard your 496 project as intellectual property infringement.

Q9. Mid-Term Exam

· Are there any old exams available for practice?

Yes.  The midterm will ask you to read a technical paper and write an abstract for it. Here is an example of a typical journal article (PDF). If you wish to see further examples, you are advised to read various IEEE papers and their associated abstracts. Students can anticipate that the technical level of the paper will not require expertise beyond what is expected of a 4th year electrical engineering student.

Also, you may want to review your APSC 201 notes.