ECE 2200 - Signals and Information

General Information

Introduces students to signals and methods of processing signals, including discrete-time and continuous time. It is one of the three 2000 level classes required to major in ECE.

Prerequisites

MATH 2930 and CS 1110 or CS 1112. Corequisite: MATH 2940.

Topics Covered

Topics include frequency-based representations: Fourier analysis and synthesis; discrete time linear systems: input/output relationships, filtering, spectral response; analog-to-digital and digital-to-analog conversion; continuous time signals and linear time invariant systems: frequency response, continuous-time Fourier transform, discrete time Fourier transform, discrete Fourier transform, fast Fourier transform, z-transform.

Workload

• Usually less work than the other 2000 level ECE classes. There is a problem set every week and a 5-6 labs which focus on describing signals and systems using MATLAB.
• Labs are generally simple and can be completed in the allotted lab time entirely.

Advice

• Took with Doerschuk. Don't take with Doerschuk. Though his lectures were entertaining because the professor is a huge dork (in a good way), I did not learn much. He gave hints about what would be on the prelims and this gave no incentive to study for the course, just needed to know those topics concerning the 'hints'.
• Also took with Doerschuk. He really was not bad. He explained everything you needed to know for the course in a clear manner. He did not give hints until after many students were given time to study all the material on the exams, so you should leave the course knowing all the material if you study properly. Hints were really to drive in the concepts that he believed were the most important in the course. For the final exam, the hints did not even narrow down on a specific concept, but rather told us how to study, which was extremely helpful.
• Took with Lang Tong. Judging from above the class was not great with either professor. Knowing your phasors well is crucial prelim 1. Didn't learn much.
• The professors try, but it's clear that this class isn't as popular with either the professors or the students as the other 2000 levels. Make sure to ask questions directly to the professor when possible since the smaller class size means the TA system is less developed.
• The Doerschuk version of the class is a little more focused on continuous time applications than those of other professors (due to his medical background).
• Took with Doerschuk. Easy first three prelims because it’s covered the ‘hints’, but very difficult final exam that essentially determined your final grade. Many people got C grades in Spring ‘18, but median was B.

Past Offerings

Semester	Time	Professor	Median Grade
Fall 2013	TR 8:40-9:55	Lang Tong	B
Fall 2014		Peter Doerschuk	B
Spring 2015	TR 11:40-12:55	David Delchamps	N/A
Spring 2016	TR 11:40-12:55	Peter Doerschuk	B
Fall 2016	TR 10:10-11:25	Lang Tong	B
Spring 2017	TR 10:10-11:25	Peter Doerschuk	B
Fall 2017	TR 10:10-11:25	Lang Tong	B+
Fall 2018		David Delchamps