BIOMENG 241 : Instrumentation and Design

Engineering

2024 Semester Two (1245) (15 POINTS)

Course Prescription

An introduction to engineering instrumentation related to the measurement of biological signals, including a group project on the design methodology of instrumentation systems. Topics include: fundamentals of measurement systems (electric circuits, basic electronics, frequency domain signal analysis and transient analysis, measurement systems), engineering design (teamwork, communication, safety in design and professional responsibility, software tools, material and manufacturing process selection).

Course Overview

This is a required course for the biomedical engineering specialisation. There are two main lecture themes: instrumentation (basic electronics, semiconductors, operational ampliers, lter, digitisation, signal processing); and engineering design (teamwork, communication, safety and professional responsibility, software tools, material and manufacturing process selection). These themes are reinforced with laboratories, and applied in a group design project.

Course Requirements

Prerequisite: ELECTENG 101

Capabilities Developed in this Course

Capability 1: People and Place
Capability 3: Knowledge and Practice
Capability 5: Solution Seeking
Capability 6: Communication
Capability 7: Collaboration

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to:
  1. Demonstrate an understanding of basic electronics and apply circuit theory to characterise the frequency characteristics of passive filters. (Capability 3.1 and 5.1)
  2. Demonstrate an understanding of semiconductors and operational amplifiers. Describe how operational amplifiers with feedback can yield useful circuit building blocks such as inverting, noninverting, differential, summing, integrating, differentiating, and active filtering amplifiers. (Capability 3.1, 3.2 and 5.1)
  3. Demonstrate an understanding of signals, noise, and filters. Describe and contrast several circuit technologies for active filters. (Capability 3.1, 3.2 and 5.1)
  4. Demonstrate an understanding of digitisation. Be able to define digital to analogue and analogue to digital conversion concepts, such as bit resolution, quantisation error, and settling time. (Capability 3.1 and 3.2)
  5. Demonstrate an understanding of the principles and practice of engineering design and describe the major steps in the engineering design process. Design a biomedical instrument incorporating mechanical, electrical, and software. (Capability 3.1, 3.2 and 5.1)
  6. Demonstrate an understanding of teamwork. Work effectively as a team with other engineers and manage and discuss team and individual expectations. (Capability 5.1, 6.1 and 7.1)
  7. Demonstrate an understanding of design communication. Generate written reports and deliver an oral presentation summarising their team's instrument design. (Capability 5.1 and 6.1)
  8. Demonstrate an understanding of safety and professional responsibility. Use failure mode and effects analysis and fault tree analysis to identify the possible hazards present in a design, as well as possible mitigation strategies. (Capability 1.1 and 6.1)
  9. Demonstrate an understanding of material, component, and manufacturing process selection. Choose real electronic components to meet design specifications, according to information from product data sheets. (Capability 3.1, 3.2 and 5.1)

Assessments

Assessment Type Percentage Classification
Coursework 20% Individual Coursework
Project 30% Group & Individual Coursework
Test 10% Individual Test
Final Exam 40% Individual Examination
Assessment Type Learning Outcome Addressed
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Coursework
Project
Test
Final Exam

Students must sit the exam to pass the course. Otherwise, a DNS (did not sit) result will be returned.

Workload Expectations

This course is a standard 15 point course and students are expected to spend 10 hours per week involved in each 15 point course that they are enrolled in.

For this course, you can expect 16 hours of lectures, 16 hours of laboratories, 45 hours of group project work, 36 hours of reading and thinking about the content, and 37 hours of work on assignments, test, and examination preparation.

Delivery Mode

Campus Experience

Attendance is required at scheduled activities, including laboratories to complete components of the course.

Lectures will be available as recordings. Other learning activities including laboratories and tutorials may not be available as recordings. The course may include live online events including tutorials and group discussions.

Attendance on campus is required for the test.

The activities for the course are scheduled as a standard weekly timetable for the rst 8 weeks of semester, transitioning to a project-intensive schedule for the remaining 4 weeks.

Learning Resources

Course materials are made available in a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas which also includes reading lists and lecture recordings (where available).

Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.

Course materials are made available in a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas which also includes reading lists and lecture recordings (where available).

Health & Safety

Students are expected to adhere to the guidelines outlined in the Health and Safety section of the Engineering Undergraduate Handbook.

Student Feedback

At the end of every semester students will be invited to give feedback on the course and teaching through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions.

Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students.

Class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.

Students appreciated that no lectures were scheduled in the final 4 weeks of semester, enabling them to focus on the group project. In response to students' requests, we will provide more worked examples related to the lecture content. Some students expressed desire for more freedom in the project, so a range will be offered in 2024.

Other Information

Course materials are made available in a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas which also includes reading lists and lecture recordings (where available). Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor. Piazza will be used for class discussion. The system is designed to get you help quickly and eciently from classmates, teachers, and teaching assistants. Rather than emailing questions to the teaching sta, you are encouraged to post your questions on Piazza.

Academic Integrity

The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. This requirement also applies to sources on the internet. A student's assessed work may be reviewed for potential plagiarism or other forms of academic misconduct, using computerised detection mechanisms.

Class Representatives

Class representatives are students tasked with representing student issues to departments, faculties, and the wider university. If you have a complaint about this course, please contact your class rep who will know how to raise it in the right channels. See your departmental noticeboard for contact details for your class reps.

Inclusive Learning

All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor.

Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website http://disability.auckland.ac.nz

Special Circumstances

If your ability to complete assessed coursework is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due.

If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/academic-information/exams-and-final-results/during-exams/aegrotat-and-compassionate-consideration.html.

This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.

Learning Continuity

In the event of an unexpected disruption, we undertake to maintain the continuity and standard of teaching and learning in all your courses throughout the year. If there are unexpected disruptions the University has contingency plans to ensure that access to your course continues and course assessment continues to meet the principles of the University’s assessment policy. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. You will be kept fully informed by your course co-ordinator/director, and if disruption occurs you should refer to the university website for information about how to proceed.

Student Charter and Responsibilities

The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/forms-policies-and-guidelines/student-policies-and-guidelines/student-charter.html.

Disclaimer

Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about the course will be available for enrolled students in Canvas.

In this course students may be asked to submit coursework assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations for this course online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. In exceptional circumstances changes to elements of this course may be necessary at short notice. Students enrolled in this course will be informed of any such changes and the reasons for them, as soon as possible, through Canvas.