See also
Programme Content
The programme aims to provide a broad introduction to modern electronics dealing with design of signal processing systems and to provide a solid grounding in the theory and techniques suitable for students wishing to pursue a career in such areas as the communications, image processing, speech processing, computing, bio-engineering, acoustics, medical research, multimedia and others.
Core modules (students take all these modules):
- Introduction to Signal Processing
- Maths for Signal Processing
- Digital Design using VHDL
- Digital Design Techniques
- Introduction to MATLAB
- Introduction to Project Management
- Embedded Systems for FPGA
- Detection and Estimation Theory
- Adaptive Signal Processing
- Multimedia Applications
- MSc Project
Optional module choice (students choose 3 out of the following 6 modules):
- Advanced Digital Design
- Signal Processing for Communications
- Speech Processing
- Biomedical Signal Processing
- Image Processing
- Information Theory & Error Control Coding
Please note that the detailed module contents are subject to change.
1. Introduction to Signal Processing
Knowledge and Understanding:
Fundamental concepts of signal processing: analogue and digital signals and systems, Fourier series, sampling, statistical signal processing and parameter estimation.
Discipline-related Skills:
Analyse continuous and discrete-time signals and systems in the time and frequency domain.
Delivery and Assessment:
Lectures, Workshops. Closed-book examination.
2. Maths for Signal Processing
Knowledge and Understanding:
Fundamentals of mathematics required for signal processing; linear algebra, numerical methods, matrices & vectors, etc.
Discipline-related Skills:
Applications of mathematical methods to different signal processing applications.
Delivery and Assessment:
Lectures, Workshops. Closed-book examination.
3. Digital Design using VHDL
Knowledge and Understanding:
Digital components and design techniques. Alternative hardware description languages (e.g. Verilog, SystemC). Implementation in VHDL, compare to schematic entry. Finite state machines.
Discipline-related Skills:
Use pipeline design techniques to construct complex arithmetic systems. Practical design with VHDL.
Delivery and Assessment:
Lectures, Workshops. Practical VHDL assessment.
Transferable Skills:
Producing a group report on digital design, combined with an individual VHDL implementation.
4. Digital Design Techniques
Knowledge and Understanding:
Advanced digital design methods and techniques. How computation can be mapped on hardware through custom processing units. VHDL for the synthesis of digital circuits.
Discipline-related Skills:
Physical implementation in hardware of a small dedicated processor. implement complex designs (e.g. a simple processor) from gate level using VHDL.
Delivery and Assessment:
Lectures, Laboratories. Practical assessment and lab report.
5. Introduction to MATLAB
Knowledge and Understanding:
Introduction to MATLAB, and its large number of built-in functions. Use of MATLAB to solve engineering problems.
Discipline-related Skills:
Use of MATLAB to carry out simulations, write scripts and solve engineering problems.
Delivery and Assessment:
Computer Laboratories. Continuous assessment.
Transferable Skills:
Design and implement simple programs. Test software solutions to practical problems against target specifications.
6. Introduction to Project Management
Knowledge and Understanding:
Types of project. Role of project manager. Project life-cycles. Tools and techniques for project management. Quality Assurance. Engineering Ethics.
Discipline-related Skills:
Analyse a project & produce specification. Work breakdowns. Critical path analysis & risk.
Delivery and Assessment:
Lectures. Continuous assessment (Individual project plan and analysis. Report assessed.)
Transferable Skills:
Capturing customer requirements and forming requirement specifications; work breakdown structures; activity matrices; project plan preparation; project charting techniques, Bar Chart, Gantt charts and PERT; critical path analysis; project management techniques, value added; risk management; and ethics.
7. Embedded Systems for FPGA
Knowledge and Understanding:
Embedded microcontroller-based systems through implementation of various embedded systems using FPGA platforms. Varying options and constraints.
Discipline-related Skills:
Design custom peripherals for embedded microprocessors, and connect off-the-shelf peripheral components to an FPGA-based system.
Delivery and Assessment:
Lectures & Computer Practicals. Continuous Assessment & presentation.
8. Detection and Estimation Theory
Knowledge and Understanding:
Detection and estimation theory and the main algorithms used in modern signal processing systems.
Discipline-related Skills:
Evaluate the most appropriate criterion for use in detection problems. Develop estimators for a variety of signal processing problems.
Delivery and Assessment:
Lectures, Workshops. Closed-book examination.
9. Adaptive Signal Processing
Knowledge and Understanding:
Fundamental concepts of adaptive signal processing including adaptive filters, antenna array beamforming etc.
Discipline-related Skills:
Practical issues related to implementation of adaptive filters. Fast adaptive algorithms. Sensor arrays.
Delivery and Assessment:
Lectures, Workshops. Closed-book examination.
10. Multimedia Applications
Knowledge and Understanding:
Underlying techniques and practical digital processing of video and audio signals for multimedia systems, including compression, simulation and implementation.
Discipline-related Skills:
Implement and test a significant element of an audio or video compression system.
Delivery and Assessment:
Lectures & Computer Practicals. Continuous Assessment.
Transferable Skills:
Implementing a mathematical algorithm in an industry standard computer modelling package.
11. MSc Project
Discipline-related Skills:
Investigation of a specified problem in Digital Signal Processing.
Delivery and Assessment:
Tender presentation & report. Final report. Viva examination. Performance review.
Transferable Skills:
Group working. Interpersonal skills. Time management. Delegation & risk management. Placing individual work in a larger context, as in real-life companies.
12. Advanced Digital Design
Knowledge and Understanding:
Complete design flow (synthesis, place and route, floorplanning, timing analysis, etc.) required to implement complex designs. Differences in FPGA architectures and how these affect circuit design.
Discipline-related Skills:
Producing advanced digital designs using a VHDL-based design flow. Use post and pre route simulation to verify designs in the presence of faults.
Delivery and Assessment:
Lectures & Computer Practicals. Continuous Assessment.
13. Signal Processing for Communications
Knowledge and Understanding:
Fundamental techniques of digital signal processing relevant to telecommunications.
Discipline-related Skills:
Explain the trade-offs between software and hardware implementation of various DSP methods.
Delivery and Assessment:
Lectures, Workshops. Closed-book examination.
14. Speech Processing
Knowledge and Understanding:
Speech physiology and production. Speech analysis, coding and synthesis methods.
Discipline-related Skills:
Write a research report investigating aspects of speech processing.
Delivery and Assessment:
Lectures. Directed Reading. Research report.
Transferable Skills:
Selecting & researching a topic and writing a research report.
15. Biomedical Signal Processing
Knowledge and Understanding:
Application of signal processing to biomedical signals. Direct reference to research work in biomedical engineering and medicine, in conjunction with software exercises applying signal processing to relevant biomedical data sets.
Discipline-related Skills:
Appreciation of the types of electrical signals that can be generated and recorded from the human body, and the problems associated with analysis of these signals. Implement MATLAB routines to estimate signal processing parameters and apply these to simulated and biomedical data. Generate a written report describing application of statistical signal processing techniques to biomedical data sets.
Delivery and Assessment:
Lectures, Laboratories. Research report.
16. Image Processing
Knowledge and Understanding:
Application of signal processing to image and video signals. Direct reference to real-world examples and by software exercises in which elements of image or video signal processing systems are realised.
Discipline-related Skills:
Apply multidimensional signal processing theory to the analysis and interpretation of images. Design systems for enhancement, restoration, compression, segmentation and analysis of images, based on signal processing techniques. Apply high-level software and simulation tools in the design of image and video signal processing systems.
Delivery and Assessment:
Lectures, Workshops. Continuous Assessment. Presentation and Project Report.
17. Information Theory & Error Control Coding
Knowledge and Understanding:
Information theory and the error-control and coding schemes used in modern, mainly wireless, communication systems. Compression. Coding. Modulation.
Discipline-related Skills:
Encode and decode linear block codes, convolutional codes, LDPC & Turbo Codes. Calculate decoded BER for FEC codes. Devise block & trellis coded modulation schemes.
Delivery and Assessment:
Lectures, Workshops. Closed-book examination.
Postgraduate Admissions Tutor: Dr. Steve Smith
Tel: (+44) 01904 324485