course advice, Queens or CIT...

x in the city

Hi Guys

I applied for 2 courses at QUB, and got offered them both

MSc Electronics & MSc Telecomms

also got offered the CIT MEng in Embedded Systems

dont know which to do..

I imagine the standard @ Queens would be a tad high...?

course content of both

QUB

The Postgraduate Diploma course consists of six modules (120 CATS points) selected from the list below.
Computer Architecture and Organisation
Computer Graphics
Custom Integrated Circuit Design
Digital Signal Processing
Digital System Design
Electronics of Solid State Devices
High Frequency Communication Design Techniques
Microelectronic Technology
Programming in C and C++
Telecommunication Systems


CIT

Team Project: Design

This module focuses on a team project on the research, design and modelling phase to develop a network of embedded systems for a selected application. The application, to be selected each year, will be selected so that it presents challenging goals. The scale of the application and the team sizes will be selected based on an assessment of overall class background and skills. Such a project demands a multi-disciplinary team including hardware, software and networking. It also demands careful planning, management of information flow between disciplines, and appropriate scheduling of the tasks and deliverables of the various team members. This team project will, from a technological point of view, pull together and apply the learning from the core technology modules as well as informing the learning in those modules. It will also require the team to apply learning from the "Transferable Skills" module, will develop teamwork skills and self/mutual critical analysis. Interim and final written and oral communication and reporting will also form a critical element of the team project. This module will focus on background research, system specification, design and modelling with the objective of arriving at a full system design ready for construction, deployment and testing.
module details


Transferable Research Skills

Transferable research skills are those which a student can use in any aspect of research in academia or industry. They are core skills in planning, performing, analysing and communicating research. This module follows national and international best practice for postgraduate training which addresses not just a relatively narrow technical field but provides portable skills that the student can carry throughout his/her career regardless of technical area.
module details


Embedded Software Networking

This module will develop skills in programming and methodologies for mobile and embedded
networked services using Java and J2ME technologies.
module details


Networking Embedded Systems

This module starts with a revision of properties of fundamental communication protocols assuming students have some prior knowledge about communication protocols and networking. Following from the revision students will be introduced to modelling techniques widely used to analyse communication protocols and networks. The modelling techniques will then be applied in case studies of network design modelling and evaluation. The final topic is an introduction into a range of protocols for self-organisation in embedded networks providing students with an understanding as to how to create embedded networks.
module details


Embedded Software Co-Design

Embedded microprocessor-based systems form the cornerstone of most modern 'intelligent' devices, from the ubiquitous MP3 player to more complex systems such as automotive navigation and control systems. The objective of this module is to introduce the student to software development and design techniques necessary in the development of such embedded, real-time systems using a hardware/software co-design approach.
module details


Physical Layer

Physical Layer has the objective of introducing learners from diverse backgrounds to the hardware building blocks of a wireless sensor node and how they work together with embedded software to make a node that can function in a wireless sensor network. Overall aim: Understanding of the design, construction and application of a wireless sensor node through "reverse engineering" of pre-designed nodes and hands-on practice with a functioning wireless sensor node. The physical layer is the hardware of an embedded system and the base layer on which a network of embedded systems is built. By examining the design, building, programming and testing of an embedded sensor node, this module will examine, at a systems integration and test level: - the reduction of application-level specifications to a set of physical layer specifications - sensors and sensor interfacing - selection and use of microcontrollers - selection and use of wired/wireless transceivers and antennas - communication between node and network/PC - node testing - issues of power supply, packaging/interconnection and reliability - the interdependencies and the interaction of the physical layer with the higher levels of a network
module details


Managing Innovation

This module is designed to allow an engineering student to appreciate the impact of a product or process change / innovation on an organisation. The impact of such a change (assumed to be innovative at some level) whether product or process is considered from the perspective of the impact on the organisation, its strategy, resources, operations, and people and also the impact of the business environment or vice versa. Case studies of successful technologies will be investigated to learn how they were developed and implemented.
module details


Team Project: Implementation

This module focuses on a team project for the design and development of a network of embedded systems for a selected application. The application, to be selected each year, will be selected so that it presents challenging goals. The scale of the application and the team sizes will be selected based on an assessment of overall class background and skills. Such a project demands a multi-disciplinary team including hardware, software and networking. It also demands careful planning, management of information flow between disciplines, and appropriate scheduling of the tasks and deliverables of the various team members. This team project will, from a technological point of view, pull together and apply the learning from core technology and transferable skills modules as well as informing the learning in those modules. It will also develop teamwork skills and self/mutual critical analysis. Interim and final written and oral communication and reporting will also form a critical element of the team project. This module will focus on system development, lab testing, deployment testing and final reporting.
module details


Distributed Embedded Software

This module will allow the student to design and develop software systems using distributed embedded programing concepts and to programme embedded systems within a wider network.
module details


Embedded Networking Technology

This module will introduce the student to the current embedded network standards and communication protocol technologies, allowing the student to make informed choice on technology selection for design case studies for networked embedded systems
module details


Embedded Hardware Co-Design

This module will cover design techniques for digital hardware for complex real-time embedded systems. It will educate the student in the theory and practice of hardware design as part of hardware/software co-design.
module details

Physical Layer Design

Overall aim: a priori design and building of a networkable embedded sensor hardware node for a selected application with a greater focus on independent design than in Physical Layer I. This module will support the student in carrying out a-priori design of a networkable embedded sensor hardware node with a particular focus on the application selected in the "Capstone" module and its actual physical embedding in the application. It will cover circuit design, component selection, board design, component and system packaging and system level issues such as power budgeting, design for manufacturability and design for reliability and integration with a network.
module details


Embedded Systems Project

This project takes place in semester 11 of a 90-credit 5th year. Its focus is on embedded systems incorporating physical layer devices, on chip intelligence, e.g. cores and RTOS, self-organising, distributed sensor networks, wireless comms protocols and high level control. The project can take place within industry or within an existing research group in the dept.

x in the city

bump

anyone been to qub ?

mac09

x in the city wrote: »

bump

anyone been to qub ?

standard at queens would be higher than an it. what did you get at undergraduate leve and from where?

you need to view the msc as a passport to becoming employed, .i.e which would an employer consider more impressive

also consider the differences in the courses and what area you want to work in

x in the city

got 2:2 in UCC, Microelectronics

interested in wireless and embedded systems, consumer electronics, and mainly R&D typo environment.

the CIT is a level 9 Masters Eng

Queens is a...??? level Masters Science.

would the standard be real high up in Qub? might be a tad too much.

mac09

x in the city wrote: »

got 2:2 in UCC, Microelectronics

interested in wireless and embedded systems, consumer electronics, and mainly R&D typo environment.

the CIT is a level 9 Masters Eng

Queens is a...??? level Masters Science.

would the standard be real high up in Qub? might be a tad too much.

yes the standard is pretty high up there. most people in msc classes would have 2.1 or 1.1 to be honest

x in the city

mac09 wrote: »

yes the standard is pretty high up there. most people in msc classes would have 2.1 or 1.1 to be honest

thats what im worried about..!

I got offered spots on the electronic and telecomms masters

with just a 2:2

strange, I am interested for sure, but it might be impossibly hard. need to make a decision soonest