“Signal Processing has been the most boring course I ever had in my curricula” last year engineering student from X… institute
“I could not make the link between signal theory and engineering case studies” 5th year engineering student from X… institute
“Signal processing and modulation are a wonderful and an endless source of exam subjects”, teacher from X… institute
“It seems I synthetized a digital filter using Matlab ® but I have no idea what I really did and what it can be used for” student from Y… university
“Modulations? Yes I remember… O my god, so much theory” Engineer in mobile phone, two years after graduation
“I teach modulations with the white chalk, that’s the only way. Illustration is made in practical training. See my colleagues, I do not know exactly what they do in the training, if any…”, teacher from Z… engineering college
Motivation
Show signal processing at work
Illustrate the fundaments of common signal processing objects
Make the link with mobile phones
Give a tool to teachers for interactive learning
Focus the attention on concepts, steps, limitations
Capture the interest of students
Make signal processing attractive
Rise the interest for theory and how to apply it to real-case
MentorDSP Specifications
Two-years development in partnership with ni2designs, India
Around 50 Lab practical's covering basic signal processing concepts
Step-by-step description of concepts by problem-based approach
MentorDSP Specifications
Correspondence between time and frequency – (Casablanca Airport 10 March 09)
MentorDSP Specifications
Best-of: real-time spectrogram of the sound
Students discover the spectral contents of vowels, random signals, formants…
MentorDSP specifications
Signal generation: most basic signals, modulated signals, or signal based on analytical formulations
Modulations
Modulations
3G-4G mobile phones use
Amplitude modulation
Phase modulation
Code Division Multiple Access
Numerical demodulation using digital signal processing
WiFi systems use OFDM modulations
Modulation experiments “ready to go”
Screen configured for optimum illustration
Worth of interest : QPSK/GSMK, CDMA, OFDM
Modulations
Specific screens created for signal generation
Signals can also be described by analytical formulations
ComPro
Time / Frequency link is mandatory for students
Modulation/demodulation steps are confusing
Need for a specific screen that pilots and summarizes communication
ComPro
Illustration in QPSK Modulation
ComPro
Validation
MentorDSP has been used in 2nd year of engineering studies for
Illustration of fundamental signals
Illustration of Fourier Transform
Illustration of Convolution and correlation
Illustration of image
MentorDSP has been used in 3rd year of engineering studies for
Illustration of random signals
Illustration of voice
Illustration of digital filtering
MentorDSP has been used in 5th year of engineering studies for
Illustration of basic signal operations (add, multiply) and time/frequency correspondance
Illustration of AM, FM modulations
Illustration of QPSK, GSMK modulation
Illustration of CDMA, OFDM modulations
Validation
10 hours practical training in 5th year related to CDMA
Students choose the programming language (C, Matlab, Java..)
Goal : emulate a 3G communication at baseband level using CDMA, modulation to transfer data on the same channel
Validation
“We have caugth the essence of QPSK and CDMA modulations, and put in practice what has been presented in courses”, 5th year student, INSA
« We have highlight CDMA advantages. We have proven the impressive tolerance to noise and interference », 5th year student, INSA
“By increasing the code size, for example 8 to 16 bits, possible codes are multiplied by 256, while the message size is only multiplied by 2. Towards an infinite data rate method... ? » 5th year student, INSA
« Starting from the problem and then going into theory and its limits is an outstanding approach. I wish I can teach like this in the future », Former student INSA, now in PhD program
Future & Conclusion
A tool for illustrating the fundaments of signal processing has been presented
MentorDSP is a companion tool which aims at rising the interest of students to signal processing and ease interaction with teachers
Numerical Modulation/Demodulation require specific illustration tools
The ComPRO module has been designed to illustrate the communication step by step
The tool has proven efficient as a support of theoretical courses
Licensing through ni2designs India, starting late 2009
Lab practical manual (200 pp) available at Telecom09
Support to LTE and UWB modulations
Educational book related to MentorDSP to be written in the near future
