Engineering Problem Solving and Design
ECE 103
Instructor: Bruce Carlton
Physical Sciences Department
Mesa Community College
1833 West Southern Avenue
Mesa, Arizona 85202
MESA COMMUNITY COLLEGE (SOUTHERN-DOBSON)
ECE 103 SECTION #26345 - ENGINEERING PROBLEM SOLVING AND DESIGN
INSTRUCTOR – BRUCE CARLTON
FALL/2015 MW 9:00 AM – 10:50 AM, PS229
COURSE DESCRIPTION
The intent of this course is to expose students to engineering as a profession by allowing them to perform
engineering analysis and design, a real “taste” of engineering. This will be done by familiarizing students with
the concepts of engineering design: ideation, system modeling, engineering economics, statistics, optimization,
data interpretation, and documentation. The overall intent is to expose students to the profession of engineering
by requiring that they do engineering design rather than learn about the profession in a passive way. The
course also gives students a tool kit of computer techniques that will allow them to explore a wider range of
problems in other courses and to function well in the computer intensive engineering workplace.
The lectures cover the philosophy of engineering design and problem solving along with an introduction to
statistics, engineering economic analysis, and optimization. The course will also cover using small group
communication techniques as they apply to engineering and engineering design. Typical workplace engineering
settings require engineers to work in small teams that are often task-oriented and decision makers.
The computer laboratory reinforces the philosophy of engineering design. It forces the use of common
problem-solving tools available on the computer in exploring design trade-offs. These tools include applications
programs such as spreadsheets with graphics, equation solvers, and student written programs when necessary.
The graphics laboratory introduces freehand design drawing and computer documentation drawing using
computer-aided drafting or CAD. The student will formulate engineering problems and think of ways to solve
and be able to communicate thoughts from his/her mind graphically as well as show creative skills. The other
part of graphics involves using the computer as an aid in doing graphics or computer drawing.
2 College Credits will be earned upon the successful completion on this course (4 periods).
COURSE OBJECTIVES
1) Describe the role of engineers and the role of the engineering profession in today's society.
2) Identify the different disciplines that comprise the engineering profession.
3) Identify the personal management, study skills, and life-long learning skills that are necessary to be a
successful engineering student and practicing engineer.
4) Identify major engineering professional societies, and explain their role in professional development.
5) Describe the Engineering Code of Ethics, and explain how it relates to the professional practice of
engineering.
6) Identify the basic steps necessary to define a problem.
7) Define the major steps in the problem-solving and design processes.
8) Use quality tools to generate solutions to a problem.
9) Use decision analysis techniques to arrive at a proposed solution to a problem.
10) Use computer modeling to implement a proposed solution to a problem.
11) Evaluate the results of a proposed solution to a problem.
12) Document the results of the problem-solving process.
13) Use basic social skills to interact in a group setting.
14) Use peer input to assess growth in positive group behaviors.
15) Identify blocking behaviors that prevent communication in a team setting.
16) Demonstrate critical, sympathetic, and creative listening skills.
17) Give constructive feedback in a team setting.
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Engineering Problem Solving and Design
ECE 103
Instructor: Bruce Carlton
Physical Sciences Department
Mesa Community College
1833 West Southern Avenue
Mesa, Arizona 85202
18) Demonstrate self-evaluation of progress through developmental assessment techniques such as student
learning journals, check sheets, or portfolios.
19) Describe elements of a code of cooperation necessary for a team to function.
20) Describe the guidelines for conducting an effective meeting.
21) Develop an agenda for a team meeting.
22) Contrast consensus and agreement.
23) Describe the composition of a team and the key roles of its members.
24) Identify the characteristics of a good team member.
25) Define the stages of team development.
26) Define team maintenance, and explain when and why it is necessary.
27) Identify the decision-making processes that teams can use, and analyze the effectiveness of each
process.
28) Use quality tools (brainstorming, affinity process, deployment flow chart, process check, issue bin,
nominal group technique, force field analysis) to facilitate team discussion, exploration of ideas, and
decision-making.
29) Apply spatial visualization and freehand drawing skills to communicate ideas and design concepts
visually.
30) Develop an engineering design using graphical ideation techniques.
31) Apply a computer-aided drawing tool to develop and describe an engineering design.
PREREQUISITES/CO-REQUISITIES
Prerequisites: ECE 102 and one year of high school physics or PHY111
Co-requisites: PHY 112 or PHY 115, in lieu of one year of high school physics
Students are expected to know the basic MATLAB commands and be able to use proper program M-File
structures from ECE 102.
GENERAL POLICIES
1) Student Responsibilities: Students are responsible for all information included in the Syllabus. Students are
responsible for college policies included in the College Catalog and the Student Handbook.
2) Student Cheating: Representing another person's work as your own is considered cheating. Using another
student's help to the extent that your work is not representative of your own understanding of the material is
also considered cheating. Once a potential case of cheating has been identified it will be dealt with in the
following manner:
a) The first time a student's work is based on cheating, the student's final class grade will be lowered
one full letter grade from the actual grade earned in the class.
b) The second time a student's work is based on cheating, the student will be removed from the
class and a letter placed in their file. In situations where cheating cannot be proven outright, the
student(s) involved will be given an opportunity to replace the grade for the assignment in
question by taking a written and oral examination. If the student does not pass the written and
oral exam, then the original assignment will be considered as cheating and the appropriate action
will be taken.
3) Cell Phones: No smoking, eating, drinking, or use of cell phones (please turn off), personal radios or
stereos, etc. is allowed in classrooms or labs. Absolutely no text messaging is allowed (of course, your cell
phone should be turned off). Your instructor will confiscate cell phones and pagers in the event of disruption
in the classroom. These items may or may not be returned at the discretion of the instructor. Student cell
phones ringing during class will result in the student receiving a ‘0’ for that date.
4) Clean Up: Students are required to clean up their immediate work areas before leaving the classroom or
lab.
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Engineering Problem Solving and Design
ECE 103
Instructor: Bruce Carlton
Physical Sciences Department
Mesa Community College
1833 West Southern Avenue
Mesa, Arizona 85202
5) Homework: Homework (hard-copy) turned in shall be on clean-edged paper and stapled. Points will be
deducted for not doing this. Last day to turn in homework is the last day of regular class, not the Final
Exam.
6) Attendance: Attendance at all lecture and lab classes is required in accordance with current college
policies. Missed classes will result in an automatic lowering of the current grade by the following scale.
a) 0 to 2 missed classes (including being late), no change in grade
b) 3 to 4 missed classes (including being late), 1 lower grade
c) 5 or more missed classes (including being late), automatic withdrawal from class
7) Late & Distractions: If the student is late for class, it will be treated as being absent for that class. Class will
start promptly at the scheduled time. Students who arrive late for class will be marked absent. A student
will be considered absent from the class for including but not limited to the following: sleeping, keyboarding
during a lecture, talking to a class-mate during the lecture, emailing and/or web surfing, viewing non-class
materials on computers, and/or inappropriate use of computers. Any student who is disruptive during the
class will be asked to leave the class; re-entry to the class will occur after discussion with the department
chair. Students are required to remain in class until the scheduled end of the class period. Students leaving
early will be counted absent for the entire class period. Students are encouraged to work on homework,
review past work, and work on future homework if possible.
8) Excused Absences: A student may have an excused absence by providing a valid written excuse and
speaking with the instructor a minimum of 48 hours in advance prior to his/her absence and obtaining the
material that will be covered during his/her absence. A verbal notification to the instructor or department
office that a student will be late does not give the student an excused absence. Deadlines for the class
material will remain the same as for the rest of the class. Students missing a class are responsible for the
material covered in the missed class.
9) Assignments: Assignments are due at the beginning of the class period on the date the assignment is due.
Assignments turned in after that time will be graded in the following manner:
a) Up to 1 class late - Grade will be lowered 10% of possible grade automatically.
b) Up to 2 classes late - Grade will be lowered 20% of possible grade automatically.
c) Up to 3 classes late - Grade will be lowered 30% of possible grade automatically.
d) Up to 4 classes late - Grade will be lowered 40% of possible grade automatically.
e) Any assignment submitted 5 or more classes late will not be accepted.
10) Missing Tests & Exams: Missing tests or exams can only be made up at the discretion of the instructor.
Students who arrive late to class after the test is started will not be given the opportunity to take the test or
exam. Generally, the missing test or exam can only be made up before the instructor has returned them
back to the participating students. Students are encouraged to make up the tests or exams prior to being
absent. Students have until the next class period to discuss any grading concerns with the instructor after
the homework or tests have been handed back to the students. Quizzes cannot be made up for students
with unexcused absences or for students who are late. Students who miss a quiz and do have an excused
absence must make up the quiz prior to the next class (when graded quizzes are returned).
11) Grade Discussion: Grades and course performance will only be discussed with the student enrolled in the
course (not parents, not spouses, etc.).
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Engineering Problem Solving and Design
ECE 103
Instructor: Bruce Carlton
Physical Sciences Department
Mesa Community College
1833 West Southern Avenue
Mesa, Arizona 85202
GRADING POLICY
Your grade at the end of the semester will be determined by your performance in the following areas:
Class Participation 5%
Homework, Graphics, Notebook, Projects 45%
Midterm Exam & Weekly Quizzes 30%
Final Exam 20%
In the event the students’ grade is on the border to the next highest or lowest grade, a +/- 1% factor will be used
based upon improvement, quality of work, class attitude, and work ethic. The overall percentage grade will be
based upon:
A
90% - 100%
B
80% - 90%
C
70% - 80%
D
60% - 70%
F
Below 60%
Note: The Final Exam will be given according to the final exam schedule located in the Fall/2015 MCC Class
Schedule (Date/Time to be announced). The Final Exam is required and your attendance is mandatory for that
date.
WITHDRAWAL FROM COURSE
Any student may initiate a withdrawal form and be dropped from the course with a "W" (withdrawal passing)
grade if the action is completed before the 45th day of the semester. The instructor will drop a student for class
non-attendance during this period. After the 45th day, the student is no longer able to withdraw themselves, as
it must be approved by the instructor. At the time of withdrawal, if a student is passing the course, they will
receive a “W”, if failing the course, a “Y.” It is the student’s responsibility to notify the instructor of student status
and non-attendance in a course. If a student has taken the Final Exam, a withdrawal will not be issued.
INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS
Required Textbooks:
 Johnson, Vern R. and Reid Bailey, Becoming a Technical Professional; Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company,
Third Edition, 2006; ISBN 0-7575-2765-5
Equipment:
 Lecture notebook and drawing pencil
 USB jump or thumb drive (128 MB min.)
 Lab Book w/non-removable pages (i.e. #43-475 Comp Book)
 MATLAB software. Version 6.5, MathWorks, Inc. (FREE software – to be obtained from your instructor)
Computer Requirements: Microsoft Windows 95, Windows 98, or Windows NT 4.0 (with Service Pack 3)
Intel-based Pentium, Pentium Pro, or Pentium II personal computer
CD-ROM drive for installation and on-line documentation
Microsoft Windows 7.0 (Office 95), or 8.0 (Office 97) is required to run MATLAB
OPTIONAL MATERIALS


Gilant, Amos, MATLAB – An Introduction with Applications. Second Edition, 2005. John Wiley & Sons Inc.,
Hoboken, NJ 07030. ISBN: 0-471-69420-7
There are also books on Reserve in the Library: Getting Started with MATLAB, A Quick Introduction for
Scientists and Engineers.by Rudra Pratap. ISBN-10: 0199731241, ISBN-13: 978-0199731244
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Engineering Problem Solving and Design
ECE 103
Instructor: Bruce Carlton
Physical Sciences Department

Mesa Community College
1833 West Southern Avenue
Mesa, Arizona 85202
Gottfried, Byron S., Spreadsheet Tools for Engineers – Using Excel. Third Edition, 2007. New York, NY:
McGraw-Hill Book Company. ISBN: 0-07-297184-3
SPECIAL NEEDS STUDENTS
If you have a documented disability, including a learning disability, and would like to discuss possible
accommodations, please contact the MCC Disabilities Resources and Services Office (DRS) at 480-461-7447
or email drsfrontdesk@mesacc.edu.
OFFICE LOCATION/HOURS
My office is located at:
Office hours are:
PS 217
Monday
3:00 – 4:30
Tuesday
10:30 – 11:00, 1:00 – 1:30
Wednesday
3:00 – 4:30
Thursday
10:30 – 11:00, 1:00 – 1:30
*** or by appointment
CONTACT INFORMATION
Bruce Carlton MCC Email: Bruce.Carlton@mesacc.edu
Bruce Carlton Home Email: BruceatMCC@msn.com
Office Phone: (480) 461-7721
Department Office: (480) 461-7015 (Kelli – Department Admin)
Bruce Carlton MCC Web Page: http://www.mc.maricopa.edu/~bcarlton
MCC EARLY ALERT PROGRAM (EARS)
Mesa Community College is committed to the success of all our students. Numerous campus support
services are available throughout your academic journey to assist you in achieving your educational goals.
MCC has adopted an Early Alert Referral System (EARS) as part of a student success initiative to aid
students in their educational pursuits. Faculty and Staff participate by alerting and referring students to
campus services for added support. Students may receive a follow up call from various campus services as a
result of being referred to EARS. Students are encouraged to participate, but these services are optional.
Early Alert Web Page with Campus Resource Information can be located at:
http://www.mesacc.edu/students/ears
Note: This syllabus/outline may be subject to additions, deletions, and/or changes at the discretion of the
instructor or by the Maricopa Community College District. Advance notice of such change will be given.
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Engineering Problem Solving and Design
ECE 103
Mesa Community College
1833 West Southern Avenue
Mesa, Arizona 85202
Instructor: Bruce Carlton
Physical Sciences Department
COMPUTER LAB & LECTURE SCHEDULE
CLASS
WEEK
1
LECTURE & HANDOUT(S)
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2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
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11
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12
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Course Overview, The Engineering
Profession
Lecture BTP Chap 1 - Engineering
Design Overview
Code of Cooperation
Lecture - ECE 103 Introduction
Network Access
Lecture BTP Chap 7 - Understanding
Teams
Engineering Notebooks
Lecture - MCC Sky Tower Design
Lecture - Solidworks Download
Lecture BTP Chap 8 - Working on Teams
Lecture – Paradigms
Lecture Excel Intro & Calculations
Lecture - Solidworks Intro
Lecture BTP Chap 2 - Problem
Formulation
Lecture – Presentation
Lecture – Economic Models
Solidworks Sketching
Lecture - First Design Project
Solidworks Fully Defined Sketches
Lecture BTP Chap 3 - Problem Solving
Lecture – Presentation
Matlab Review Exercise
Lecture - Matlab Class Design
Lecture BTP Chap 4 - Solution
Implementation
Lecture - Gecko Superhero Exercise
Solidworks Repair & Cube
Lecture - Graphics Multi View Drawings
Lecture BTP Chap 6 - Project
Management
Lecture - Trajectory Exercise
Lecture BTP Chap 9 - Principles of
Communication
Solidworks 2D Drawings
Midterm Review
Midterm Exam
Lecture - Excel - Army Statistics and
Graphing
Lecture BTP Chap 10 - Technical
Reports and Presentations
Lecture - Graphics Sectioning and
Dimensioning Drawings
Solidworks Rotated Parts
Lecture BTP Chap 11- Navigating the
Career Path
Student Career Planning
Open Lab Period for Term Design
Project Work
Lecture BTP Chap 12 - Launching a
Career
Open Lab Period for Term Design
HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT(S)
READING
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Exploring the Syllabus
BTP Probs: Pg 21 - 1, 2, 3, 4
 BTP - Chaps 1, 7
 Handout(s)
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BTP Probs: Pg 248- 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7
Solidworks Download
 BTP - Chap 8
 Handout(s)
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BTP Probs: Pg 300 - 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 10,
11, 14
Paradigm Assignment
Excel Assignment
Solidworks Intro Exercise
BTP Probs: Pg 67 - 1, 2, 4, 5
Solidworks Sketching Exercise
Economics Exercises
First Design Project
 BTP - Chap 2
 Handout(s)
Solidworks Fully Defined Sketching
Assignment
BTP Probs: Pg 118 - 1, 2, 4, 7, 8
First Design Project
Matlab Review Exercise
BTP Probs: Pg 153 - 1, 2, 3
Gecko Paper
First Design Project
 BTP - Chap 4
 Handout(s)
Solidworks Repair & Cube
Assignment
BTP Probs: Pg 216 - 1, 2, 5, 8
 BTP - Chap 9
 Handout(s)
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 BTP - Chap 3
 Handout(s)
 BTP - Chap 6
 Handout(s)
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Trajectory Exercise
BTP Probs: Pg 328 - 1, 2, 3, 5
Solidworks 2D Drawing Assignment
Midterm Review Exercise
First Design Project
Excel- Army Statistics and Graphing
Exrercise
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BTP Probs: Pg 377 - 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 12
Solidworks Rotated Parts
Assignment
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BTP Probs: Pg 440 - 1, 2, 3
Student Career Planning
 BTP - Chap 12
 Handout(s)
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BTP Probs: Pg 458 - 3, 4, 5
Written Report – Internet and Career
Planning
 BTP - Chap 13
 Handout(s)
BTP - Chap 10
Handout(s)
BTP - Chap 11
Handout(s)
Page 6
Engineering Problem Solving and Design
ECE 103
Mesa Community College
1833 West Southern Avenue
Mesa, Arizona 85202
Instructor: Bruce Carlton
Physical Sciences Department
15
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16
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Project Work
Lecture BTP Chap 13 - An Engineer’s
Responsibility to Society
Ethics Examples
Open Lab Period for Term Design
Project Work
Lecture BTP Chap 15 - Towards
Becoming a Learning Professional
Open Lab Period for Term Design
Project Work
Open Lab Period for Term Design
Project Work
Final Exam Review
Team Term Design Project Due
17
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Final Exam to be Announced
13
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14
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Team Term Design Project
BTP Probs: Pg 498 - 1, 3, 9, 10
Ethic Assignment
Team Term Design Project
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BTP Probs: Pg 542 - 1, 2
Team Term Design Project
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Team Term Design Project
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Team Term Design Project Report &
Presentation
Final Exam (Comprehensive)
 BTP - Chap 15
 Handout(s)
Page 7
Engineering Problem Solving and Design
ECE 103
Instructor: Bruce Carlton
Physical Sciences Department
Mesa Community College
1833 West Southern Avenue
Mesa, Arizona 85202
Page 8
Engineering Problem Solving and Design
ECE 103
Mesa Community College
1833 West Southern Avenue
Mesa, Arizona 85202
Instructor: Bruce Carlton
Physical Sciences Department
ECE 103 SECTION #26345
Name (Print) _____________________________
Date: ______________________
I have read and understand the attached syllabus.
I understand that the final grade in this class is based upon Class Participation, Homework
Assignments, Quizzes, Midterm, and Final Exam.
I understand the policy on class attendance, including being late and distractions, and the
withdrawal policy. I understand that the class policy for an excused absence is to notify the
instructor about the absence and cause a minimum of 48 hours prior and submission of
make-up problems for areas covered in class while the student is absent. I understand the
class policy for when homework is due and the deduction for if it is submitted late.
I understand that all requests for changes/exceptions, including make up tests, are to be
handled in private and on an individual basis.
I understand that all behavior must actively promote the following class basic principles:
 Let the instructor teach
 Let the student learn
 Let all be safe from harm
Student Signature:
_____________________________________
Date:
_____________________________________
Email:
_____________________________________
Any Learning/Medical problems your instructor needs to be aware of:
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Please identify any person authorized to pick up your graded homework, quizzes, tests, etc.:
_____________________________________
Page 9