Mastering Electrical Engineering: Core Classes and Textbooks to Brush Up On

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the challenges and resources related to mastering core concepts in Electrical Engineering (EE), particularly for graduate-level courses. Participants share their experiences and seek advice on textbooks and classes that can help bridge gaps in knowledge, especially in areas like probability theory, Fourier analysis, and circuitry.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested
  • Homework-related

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses difficulty with core EE principles, particularly in Fourier analysis and circuitry, and seeks recommendations for textbooks and classes.
  • Another participant suggests consulting an advisor to identify prerequisites for mastering graduate EE courses, emphasizing the importance of aligning studies with specialty goals.
  • A participant proposes that the spreading of a single pulse over time in a band-limited channel is due to dispersion, where different frequencies travel at different velocities.
  • One participant recommends mastering Linear System Theory as it is foundational for various EE disciplines, noting its systematic and rigorous nature.
  • Another participant shares their experience with Fourier analysis, mentioning that while they did not have a dedicated course, they covered related topics in a DSP course and emphasizes the importance of frequency domain concepts in the profession.
  • There are mixed feelings about the usefulness of electronics coursework, with one participant expressing frustration over the focus on designing BJT amplifiers rather than practical applications.
  • A suggestion is made to take a course in discrete time systems and the z-domain as part of the foundational knowledge for EE.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree on the importance of foundational knowledge in areas like Linear System Theory and frequency domain concepts. However, there are differing opinions on the value of specific coursework, particularly in electronics, and no consensus is reached on the best approach to mastering these topics.

Contextual Notes

Participants mention various limitations, such as the lack of an advisor for one individual and the need for self-study to fill knowledge gaps. There is also a recognition that different specialties within EE may require different foundational knowledge.

Who May Find This Useful

This discussion may be useful for graduate students in Electrical Engineering, particularly those seeking guidance on core classes and textbooks, as well as individuals interested in specializing in wireless systems or telecommunications.

NotoriousNick
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Hi guys,

I've been taking graduate EE courses. Must say I have been spending a lot of time in other textbooks and glossaries trying to fill in my blanks in probability theory, and still very very foggy on some core EE principles, namely Fourier analysis. I have purchased a book on signals and systems that I intend to go over, and I also would like to learn circuitry and understand that better. It's amazing to me when we go back to wave propagation with Maxwell how back at home I feel as a physics guy, but as as soon as we get into Impedance and then log-normal I'm a fish out of water.

Any advice on some core classes/ textbooks to brush up on so that way I truly feel as though I am mastering Electrical Engineering.

Thanks guys!PS

Why does a single pulse in time spread over time when sent over a band-limited channel?
 
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Welcome, Nick. It might be best if you asked your advisor about this, and clearly laid out what your MSEE specialty goals are. He/She should be able to help you map out what prerequisites you should probably self-study or take, in order to be able to better understand your grad MSEE courses.

What specialties are you interested in for your MSEE?
 
NotoriousNick said:
PS

Why does a single pulse in time spread over time when sent over a band-limited channel?

I think the short answer would be dispersion (different prop velocities for different frequencies). To be finite in the time domain, the pulse has a spread of component frequencies.
 
Thanks for the reply. I would but I do not have an advisor right now. I've been taking the courses online while working in hopes of getting accepted into the program full-time, that way I could have an advisor, financial aid, etc. all those good things.

I think I'd like to specialize in wireless systems or telecommunications.
 
NotoriousNick said:
I think I'd like to specialize in wireless systems or telecommunications.

i might suggest that you get down tight the concepts in Linear System Theory (a.k.a. "Signals and Systems"). it's pretty clean, mathematically, and can be presented and learned in a systematic and rigorous manner.

both for continuous-time and discrete-time systems.

this stuff is prerequisite for so many other EE disciplines (communications, control systems, distributed networks a.k.a. transmission lines, linear electric circuits, electronics, filters, analog signal processing, and DSP) that it's really pivotal to get this down. any Physics or Math grad (who was good at their physics and math) who gets the Linear System Theory down is in an excellent position to take on EE grad courses in a variety of specializations.
 
i can't say that i ever had a course that was specifically about Fourier Analysis (Stanford has a free online self-study course for this, btw, with a nice-looking text by Brad Osgood). we did, however, cover DFTs/FFTs in a DSP course. but otherwise, the frequency domain via fourier/laplace transform is the bread and butter of the profession. you could start with a simple linear circuits course if you are completely unfamiliar with circuitry. it should be all linear devices, coils/capacitors/resistors, and if you're lucky extend to mechanical analogs of this. here, you should get the intro to frequency domain representation of these devices. then, i'd suggest an undergraduate course on Control Systems, so that you get a good grasp on the use of transfer functions in the frequency domain, and get a chance to familiarize/memorize common transforms and the algebraic methods to manipulate them. that should be a good base for what you'll encounter.

i have mixed feelings about my experience with the electronics coursework. we spent a huge amount of time designing BJT amplifiers, which is about as useful as rolling a stone up a hill over and over, only to see it roll down again. people just buy a good op-amp instead and leave that stuff to the pros. maybe different in radio, i dunno, radio wasn't our strong point. but if you're into that, it will certainly give you quite a bit of practice looking at impedance in freq. domain.

and at some point, you'll need a good course in discrete time systems and use of the z-domain.
 

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