I am looking for a good course for tron. I stumbled across this Eng Phys 3W04 elective, and would like to know something about it from students' experiences.

Is it easy? Hard? How is it useful to mechatronics? I am approaching my final year, and am still looking for a way to kinda get my knowledge so far together and apply it, would it help me?

Are there other courses useful for tron (not necessarily from tron program) that can be useful?

Originally Posted by GeorgeLucas

I am looking for a good course for tron. I stumbled across this Eng Phys 3W04 elective, and would like to know something about it from students' experiences.

Is it easy? Hard? How is it useful to mechatronics? I am approaching my final year, and am still looking for a way to kinda get my knowledge so far together and apply it, would it help me?

Are there other courses useful for tron (not necessarily from tron program) that can be useful?

I would start by asking how you felt about the previous Eng Phys courses you've taken to date, whether the material and their (admittedly, more theoretical) approach to engineering appealed to you, or not. With that out the way, I shall try and attempt to outline what the course was about.

I took it last year, with Prof Andy Knights and Prof Chris Haapamaki (first term and second term, respectively). The course itself, while weighted at four units, is divided into 2 two-unit courses. The first deals more with the statistics of engineering experimentations, whilst the latter deals with more of the calculus and differential equations. Oh, and Matlab/Octave will be a prominent component of the course, for simulations, when it comes to doing something 'practical'. So nothing Tron hasn't done before, really.

There are no final exams -- instead, there are two midterms, plus a project of sorts. In the first term, we had two cumulative midterms; for the project, we had to program a functioning basketball simulator in Matlab/Octave, and use it to predict the outcome of a Raptors/Lakers game (spoilers: the Raptors won, what). In the second term, again: two midterms -- and instead of the project, I think we did an extra assignment.

There are a couple of things to keep in mind. You will, in all probability (hey, I actually learnt something from the course!) be the only - or one of the very few - Tron people actually taking the course. I'm not saying this to deter you, but to warn you. There will be clashes in scheduling and it is you who will be responsible for getting them to the instructor and no one else.

From my experience, the instructors were both good at what they did and willing to lend an ear.

So: did I find this course useful at all? Personally, yes. It taught me some new things, reinforced other concepts, fused well with Matlab in making something practical.

I hope that answers your questions!

Extra::Information

Other courses that go well with Tron? Observe:

Software 4C03 : Security
Goes well with Databases, teaches you about security, encryption, SMTP, et cetera. Uses Python.
Professor Soltys knows his stuff, and is an excellent lecturer.

Software DB3: Databases
Goes well with Security, teaches you about building, accessing, modifying and all that hoopla with databases. I believe the langauge used is SQL. Did not take the course, can't comment on the professor.

MechEng 4B03: Product Something
This course is either a hit or a miss. The lecture is a pleasant mix of Mechs and Trons, and you're expected to work together towards making a project that relies on each of the respective stream. The professor is pretty dry, even if he does know what he's doing. Pretty easy course if you're on top of everything.

Software 4O03: Optimisation
Does what it says on the tin: course that deals with optimisation algorithms (Bellman-Ford, Djikstra et cetera). If you don't know what those are, no worries: neither did I going in. It helps to read up on them a wee bit beforehand, though. Usual assignments, midterm, exam format. No programming, at least not explicitly. Prof Deza is an absolute treat and really cares whether you were able to understand something or not.

Linguistics 1A03: Introduction
As an elective, I suppose. More of a personal interest, but it will teach a lot about the science of analysing spoken languages. Professors rotate, but I haven't had a complaint with any of the professors from the Linguistics department I have encountered.

English 3D03: Science Fiction
Another elective, pretty straightforward: do you readings (short stories + two-point-five novels), do your essays, no midterms, one final. The professor was incredibly nice, though as a professor of mediaeval history, I'm afraid she wasn't able to carry the course and make it as interesting as it could have been. Still a good course, glad I took it, no regrets.

Eng Phys 2A04 - sucked.
Eng Phys 2E04 - amazing.
Eng 2H03 ( Eng Phys 2H04 ) - meh

2E04 was more hands on, like the final project. I love courses like that, I'd love to take more. Maybe even from Electrical or Computer engineering, or even Software. Something that deals with designing with micro-controllers, or at least something that will help me with that.

How is the statistical part similar to 3Y03?

Originally Posted by GeorgeLucas

Eng Phys 2A04 - sucked.
Eng Phys 2E04 - amazing.
Eng 2H03 ( Eng Phys 2H04 ) - meh

2E04 was more hands on, like the final project. I love courses like that, I'd love to take more. Maybe even from Electrical or Computer engineering, or even Software. Something that deals with designing with micro-controllers, or at least something that will help me with that.

How is the statistical part similar to 3Y03?

I would say (if the format is preserved) the Stats stuff in first term was quite similar to 3Y03, but with more application examples? Especially, the tutorial/lab components introduced ways to use the Monte Carlo method in simulating probabilistic/stochastic systems.

I would say half is more introductory/ stuff you probably know which then gets into the meat of building up to Monte Carlo methods. Monte Carlo methods are /really/ useful. The course is practical, certainly. I mean, we were expected to code a functioning simulator, so it's less electronics and a bit more abstract. But, but it's a good and direct application of what you learn in lecture, so that's a pretty nice relation.

Also, I cannot believe these two courses slipped my mind; they're probably a perfect fit for you. I'm a bit foggy on them though, so forgive me if I'm a bit vague (back up would be appreciated here, reader).

The first is Mech Eng 4E04: Microelectromechanica l Systems (MEMS). Last year it was taught by Prof de Bruine (I believe?). It's under the umbrella of the ECE -- lots of practical stuff, working with data and such I think.

The second is 3CQ5. I will link you here for a proper review of that. Bhaltair said it well, and I cannot better the review.

There is a caveat though: you are responsible for seeking permission for taking the courses, from their respective departments.

The second is 3CQ5. I will link you here for a proper review of that. Bhaltair said it well, and I cannot better the review.

How hard is this course, considering Tron students don't do a lot of electrical engineering after 3N03 and 3TB4?

I haven't taken it myself, so ... I don't know. From what the little voice in my head says, think of it as 3TB4 on steriods.

Lots of FPGA stuff.

ETA:

It just occurred to me -- you took 3N03 last year with Prof Haddara, correct? In that case, you're probably better off than my batch was because we learnt nothing useful in 3N03 (it was quintessentially a word-to-word clone of 2MM3). Really. All we learnt about MOSFETs was the name.

You lot had it different. I sat in during one of your tutorials/lectures after my friend said '3N03 wasn't so bad after all' (and as any one from my year or earlier can attest: these are dangerous, strange, maddening words to hear).

And he was right.

I actually learnt something, sitting there and doing naught but listening to Haddara.

No I am taking 3N03 this year, and 3TA/TB4 as well. Being in a management program my schedule is mish-mash of random things. BAKR, M will be teaching it this year, I hope he's good. Because of that, I will take any electives from ECE next year, but I need to know what these electives are about so I can prepare myself. Also I am trying to fill in the knowledge gaps not covered by my program.

I guess it's the same fellow? Like I said, I have no idea what his name was. Haddara was off of the top of my head. And trust, he probably is better than who we had to deal with these past years ...

How easy are 4H03 and 4K03? I have an option to take them now or leave them for later and take something more relevant instead.

Originally Posted by GeorgeLucas

How easy are 4H03 and 4K03? I have an option to take them now or leave them for later and take something more relevant instead.

Average. They have a very direct relationship with the effort-reward ratio: the more you practice and understand the problems, ensure you stay on top of everything (and trust me, you do not want to lag behind), the better you shall inevitably do. A lot of problem solving and mechanics stuff.

They both tend to get a bit tricky with the questions but as long as you understand the concept, it's no problem. The one thing I do recommend as a fellow Tron (former-)student is to make sure you ask the Professor about all the little details that go into giving an answer, which every Mech student you're with already knows but as Tron we never were taught (simple stuff like proper indicators for vectors versus scalars, directions for arrows et cetera).

Do 4K03 and 4H03 have hands on/ project component or are they just lectures/midterm/exam?

I know 4K03 follows the standard lectures-midterms-exam format without any projects. I want to say the same applies to 4H03 (insofar that the same professor taught it).

If the professor is different though (we had Prof Bone), that might change.

Do you remember what 3I03 was all about? I'm thinking about leaving it until next year.

3I03 is about presentations and documentation, with an onus on the former. I found the course to be quite easy to do well in as long as one kept up with the submission deadlines.

It has no tests per se, just assignments and presentations.

Do you know anything about Computer Engineering 4TN4 or 4TL4? They seem like a fun courses everyone who's into robotics can benefit from.