Introduction to Electrical

Engineering
Everything you always wanted to
know but were afraid to ask …

M. Holtzman & B. Pejcinovic

 What is Engineering?
• Engineering is the discipline and profession of applying
technical and scientific knowledge and utilizing natural
laws and physical resources in order to design and
implement materials, structures, machines, devices,
systems, and processes that realize a desired objective
and meet specified criteria. Wikipedia
• The profession in which knowledge of the
mathematical and natural sciences, gained by study,
experience and practice, is applied with judgment to
develop ways to use, economically, the materials and
forces of nature for the benefit of mankind. ABET
 Some Quotes
“Engineering is not merely knowing and being knowledgeable, like a walking
encyclopedia; engineering is not merely analysis; engineering is not
merely the possession of the capacity to get elegant solutions to non-
existent engineering problems; engineering is practicing the art of the
organized forcing of technological change... Engineers operate at the
interface between science and society... ”
Dean Gordon Brown
“Scientists explore what is; engineers create what has not been.”
Theodore Von Karman
“Engineering is sometimes thought of as an applied science, but engineering
is far more. The essence of engineering is design and making things
happen for the benefit of humanity.”
Martha Sloan, Am. Assoc. Engr. Soc. Chair

“For a list of all the ways technology has failed to improve the quality of life,
please press three.”
Alice Kahn
 What Makes an Engineer?
• Curiosity about how things work
• The desire to solve interesting problems
• Interest in design and experimentation
• Some affinity for using math and science
• Good teamwork and communication skills
• Creative and adaptable
• Eager to keep learning new things

You don’t have to be a genius to be an Engineer…

 Engineering Jobs
• Research • Manufacturing
• Development • Operations
• Testing • Tech support
• Design • Sales
• Analysis • Consulting
• Systems • Management
 Engineering Fields
• Aerospace • Materials
• Agricultural • Mechanical
• Biomedical • Mining
• Chemical • Nuclear
• Civil • Petroleum
• Electrical • Power
• Environmental • Systems
• Industrial
 Some Examples
• Aerospace engineers might work on spacecraft, aircraft
or missiles. They could be concerned with
aerodynamics, structures or propulsion systems.
• For example, a team of design engineers at an
aerospace company is designing an aircraft engine fan
blade. They run detailed computer analyses and do
on-engine testing. Reliability, efficiency, cost and
weight are all design constraints. The goal is to push
current design barriers to optimize these constraints,
probably making some trade-offs between efficiency,
cost and weight. The final design must be certified by
the FAA.
 More examples
• Test engineers design and perform tests to verify
integrity, reliability and quality of products before they
are introduced to the public.
• For example, test engineers use a “chicken gun” to fire
birds at the windshields of planes and high-speed train
locomotives to ensure the windshields can withstand a
high-speed impact.
• Biomedical engineers help develop artificial limbs and
joints to provide mobility to the physically impaired.
They also develop mechanical and electrical devices to
aid in diagnosis and treatment.
• http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142405270230479
5804579097570008603700.html
What about Electrical Engineering?
• Computers
• Communications
• Circuits and devices
• Control
• Instrumentation
• Signal processing
• Bioengineering
• Power
 Computers
• Computer engineers design and develop computer
hardware
• Also design and develop software that controls or
interfaces the computer and its components such as
operating systems and compilers
• Work on computer architecture to improve speed
and efficiency
• Also computer networks, security, artificial
intelligence, voice recognition, etc.
• Communications – satellites, GPS, fiber optics,
lasers, wireless
• Circuits and devices– micro (and nano)
technology, circuit design, device fabrication
and packaging, MEMS, photovoltaics
• Control – almost all machines and plants have
control systems to monitor and self-correct
processes.
• Instrumentation – measurement devices
(temperature, pressure, flow, etc.), systems to
transmit information (telemetry)
• Signal processing – signals are electronically filtered,
amplified or otherwise modified, e.g., active noise
control
• Bioengineering – develop devices to aid in diagnosis
and treatment, e.g., MRI, CAT scans, pacemakers,
cardiac monitors, prosthetics
• Power – production and distribution of electrical
power, alternative energy technologies
 Engineering Job Market
• Engineers make some of the highest amounts of any career
with a 4-year degree
• Employers want the “total package” – graduates who are not
just academically well-prepared, but have excellent
communication and interpersonal skills, teamwork and
leadership experience and technical and computer
proficiency
• Salary data from NACE report 2014
 Top 20 Majors by Salary Potential
Major Starting Salary  Mid-Career Salary 
1 Petroleum Engineering $103,000 $160,000
2 Actuarial Mathematics $58,700 $120,000
3 Nuclear Engineering $67,600 $117,000
4 Chemical Engineering $68,200 $115,000
5 Aerospace Engineering $62,800 $109,000
6 - tie Electrical Engineering (EE) $64,300 $106,000
6 - tie Computer Engineering (CE) $65,300 $106,000
8 Computer Science (CS) $59,800 $102,000
9 Physics $53,100 $101,000
10 Mechanical Engineering (ME) $60,900 $99,700
11 Materials Science & Engineering $62,700 $99,500
12 Software Engineering $60,500 $99,300
13 Statistics $52,500 $98,900
14 Government $43,200 $97,100
15 Economics $50,100 $96,700
16 Applied Mathematics $52,800 $96,200
17 Industrial Engineering (IE) $61,100 $94,400
Management Information
18 $53,800 $92,200
Systems (MIS)
19 Biomedical Engineering (BME) $59,000 $91,700
20 Civil Engineering (CE) $54,300 $91,100
 So Why Be an Engineer?
• Great variety and challenge in your work
• Build or improve lasting and tangible products
• Use your creativity to solve problems and help
humankind

• Good salary and job prospects

• Is it fun and do you like it?

 Individual assignment
• You will explore one of these areas (fields) of
ECE in more depth
• Read the assignment carefully and start right
away
• Make sure that you write about something
that you care about, even if that is not what
you will pursue as a career