Essential CADMAT-an integrated approach to a foundation course for electronic engineering undergraduates

The advent of industrial CAD for educational use has encouraged staff of Manchester University to explore the use of such software in the teaching of both analogue and digital circuit design and an increasing proportion of available electronic CAD has been incorporated in the core teaching. Then following success with a bid in response to the ESPRIT action on VLSI skills, the increased resources have enabled the establishment of a new degree course entitled Electronic Systems Engineering (ESE). So it was that a first year laboratory course in CADMAT was initiated. The strategy of placing the CADMAT laboratory in the first year of the degree course is to instil at the outset the importance of advanced CAD in achieving the correct design and manufacture of an electronic system of substantial complexity. This paper presents details of the first-year CADMAT programme, the laboratory supervision arrangements and of the criteria used in assessment. In addition, an appraisal is made of its success in providing a foundation on which to build subsequent years of the ESE degree course