Using Monte Carlo simulations to introduce tolerance design to undergraduates

Author

Hamann, Jerry C. ; Pierre, John W. ; Legowski, Stanislaw F. ; Long, Francis M.

Author_Institution

Dept. of Electr. Eng., Wyoming Univ., Laramie, WY, USA

Volume

42

Issue

1

fYear

1999

fDate

2/1/1999 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

1

Lastpage

7

Abstract

The effect of parameter variations on engineering systems is often neglected in undergraduate electrical engineering education. This paper proposes using Monte Carlo simulation to introduce students to tolerance design in the required electronics course where students perform designs using real electronic components. Monte Carlo simulation requires very little statistical background for the student and many software packages have built-in random number generators or even Monte Carlo simulation options, As a result, tolerance design is easily introduced to students in a short time frame. This paper discusses methods of introducing Monte Carlo simulations to the students in less than one hour of lecture. Example laboratory exercises and homework problems are described

Keywords

Monte Carlo methods; electronic engineering education; network analysis; tolerance analysis; Monte Carlo simulations; built-in random number generators; circuit analysis; electronics course; software packages; tolerance design; undergraduate electrical engineering education; Costs; Design engineering; Electrical engineering; Laboratories; Manufacturing; Monte Carlo methods; Reliability engineering; Sensitivity analysis; Systems engineering and theory; Yield estimation;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Education, IEEE Transactions on

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0018-9359

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/13.746323

Filename

746323