The Bachelor of Science in Mechatronic Engineering

Mechatronic Engineering is a new discipline that combines many of the skills of a mechanical engineer with those of a computer engineer and an electrical engineer. The mechatronic engineering graduate is prepared to design "intelligent" products such as cars that drive themselves, laser printers, self assembling machines and robots.

Mechatronic Engineering Program Mission

The mechatronic engineering program has the primary mission of providing students a high-quality undergraduate engineering education with

1. A curriculum that is firmly grounded in engineering fundamentals

2. A faculty that provides superior teaching and mentoring both in and out of the classroom

3. A faculty whose focus is undergraduate education

4. Class sizes that encourage student participation

5. Project experiences that build on fundamentals and develop team skills

6. Facilities and equipment that are readily accessible

7. An environment that is conducive to learning and encourages students from different genders and backgrounds.

The faculty is committed to offering a broad undergraduate experience that will promote professional growth and prepare students for a variety of engineering careers, graduate studies, and continuing education

Mechatronic Engineering Program Educational Objectives

The program's educational objectives are best framed in terms of goals for its graduates. Mechatronic engineering graduates will:

1. Be effective interdisciplinary engineers and problem solvers.

2. Be well educated in the basic engineering sciences and fundamentals of mechanical, electrical, and computer engineering.

3. Be able to use engineering tools that will enhance their productivity.

4. Be able to design, analyze, and test "intelligent" products and processes that incorporate suitable computers, sensors, and actuators.

5. Be effective oral, written, and graphical communicators.

6. Be able to function effectively as members of multi-disciplinary teams.

7. Have an appreciation for the individual, society, and human heritage, and be aware of the impact of their designs on human-kind and the environment.

8. Be prepared for a variety of engineering careers, graduate studies, and continuing education.

Mechatronic Engineering Design Experience

The design experience for mechatronic engineers is integrated throughout the curriculum. The courses which include design experiences are:

CSCI 221 - Assembly Language Programming

EECE 144 - Logic Design Fundamentals

EECE 315 - Electronics I

EECE 344 - Digital Systems Design

MECA 440A- Mechatronic Engineering Design Project I

MECA 440B- Mechatronic Engineering Design Project II

MECH 140 - Introduction to Engineering Design and Automation

MECH 340 - Mechanical Engineering Design

At the freshman level, students learn about the design process and are introduced to designing automated systems in MECH 140 and logic networks are designed in EECE 144. At the sophomore level, software design experience teaches students to think logically in developing efficient, structured computer programs in CSCI 221. At the junior level, there is an opportunity to learn about safety, failure, reliability, codes and standards, and economic considerations, while carrying out detailed design of mechanical components in MECH 340, and electrical circuits and systems in EECE 315 and EECE 344. In the final senior project (MECA 440A and MECA 440B), students are expected to exercise what they learned throughout the preceding design courses in a final project that includes assembly and testing, as well as the more global aspects of design including product realization, economic factors, environmental issues, and social impact. Together, these experiences prepare graduates to be successful practitioners with an awareness of the multitude of issues involved.

Total Course Requirements for the Bachelor's Degree: 130 units

See "Requirements for the Bachelor's Degree" in the University Catalog for complete details on general degree requirements. A minimum of 40 units, including those required for the major, must be upper division.

A suggested Major Academic Plan (MAP) has been prepared to help students meet all graduation requirements within four years. Please request a plan from your major advisor.

General Education Requirement

Mechatronic Engineering is a major with modifications to the University's General Education Requirements. The following courses, together with the approved General Education courses required for the Mechatronic Engineering major, fulfill the General Education Requirement.

1. Two courses, one selected from each of the Core Areas A1 and A2.

2. One course selected from Breadth Area B2.

3. One course selected from Breadth Area C1 or C2 or C3.

4. One course selected from Breadth Area D1 or D2 or D3.

5. Upper-division theme modification has been approved for this major. See the General Education chapter in the University Catalog for specifics on how to apply this modification or go to http://www.csuchico.edu/mmem/.

Diversity Requirement: 6 units

Complete two Diversity courses, one U.S. Diversity and one Global Cultures. (See the "Bachelor's Degree Requirements" section.) Both courses must also satisfy one of the General Education Requirements in order for 132 units to fulfill all requirements for the Mechatronic Engineering degree.

U.S. History, Constitution, and American Ideals Requirement: 6 units

This requirement is normally fulfilled by completing HIST 130 and POLS 155. For other alternatives, see the "Bachelor's Degree Requirements" section.

Course Requirements for the Major: 103 units

Completion of the following courses, or their approved transfer equivalents, is required of all candidates for this degree.

Enrollment in any mathematics course requires a grade of C- or higher in all prerequisite courses or their transfer equivalents.

Lower-Division Requirements: 57 units

19 courses required:

SUBJ NUM	Title	Units	Semester Offered	Course Flags
CIVL 211	Statics	3.0	FS
Prerequisites: MATH 121 and PHYS 204A. CIVL 110 (may be taken concurrently) or MECH 100 and MECH 100L (may be taken concurrently). Force systems, moments, equilibrium, centroids, and moments of inertia. 2 hours discussion, 2 hours activity. (001489)
CHEM 111	General Chemistry	4.0	FS	GE
Prerequisites: Second-year high school algebra; one year high school chemistry. (One year of high school physics and one year of high school mathematics past Algebra II are recommended.) Principles of chemistry for students in science, medical, and related professions. Atomic structure, chemical bonding, stoichiometry, periodic table, gases, solids, liquids, solutions, and equilibrium. 3 hours lecture, 3 hours laboratory. This is an approved General Education course. (001816)
CSCI 221	Assembly Language Programming	3.0	FS
Prerequisites: CSCI 111 or EECE 135, with a grade of C- or better. Topics include number systems and their rules for arithmetic; basic central processing unit (CPU) organization concepts such as registers, data paths, the arithmetic and logic unit (ALU) and the interface to random access memory (RAM); instruction formats, addressing modes and their uses with a variety of data structures; and parameter passing techniques including the use of a stack frame. The use of good programming methodologies to develop and document algorithms at the assembly language level is emphasized. 2 hours lecture, 2 hours activity. (002290)
EECE 135	Algorithms and Programs for Engineers	3.0	FS
Prerequisites: MATH 120 is recommended. Introduces students to the software development life cycle and the elements of a computer system. Teaches the syntax common to both C and C++. Shows how to split large program into segments and explains the role of algorithms in programming. Programming assignments are taken from simple engineering and mathematics problems. 3 hours discussion. (002518)
EECE 144	Logic Design Fundamentals	4.0	FS
Prerequisites: Recommended: EECE 101, MECH 100. Definition and properties of switching algebra. Minimization of algebraic function. Use of Karnaugh maps for simplification. Design of combinational logic networks. Design of sequential logic devices including flip-flops, registers, and counters. Analysis and applications of digital devices. Analysis and design of synchronous and asynchronous sequential state machines, state table derivation and reduction. Use of such CAD tools for schematic capture and logic device simulations. 3 hours lecture, 2 hours activity. (002614)
EECE 211	Linear Circuits I	3.0	FS
Prerequisites: MATH 121, PHYS 204B. DC and sinusoidal circuit analysis, including resistive, capacitive, and inductive circuit elements and independent sources. Ideal transformer. Thevenin and Norton circuit theorems and superposition. Phasors, impedance, resonance, and AC power. Three-phase AC Circuit analysis. 3 hours discussion. (002519)
EECE 211L	Linear Circuits I Activity	1.0	FS
Corequisites: EECE 211. Experiments to reinforce the principles taught in EECE 211. 2 hours activity. (002520)
MATH 120	Analytic Geometry and Calculus	4.0	FS	GE
Prerequisites: Completion of ELM requirement; both MATH 118 and MATH 119 (or high school equivalent); a score that meets department guidelines on a department administered calculus readiness exam. Limits and continuity. The derivative and applications to related rates, maxma and minima, and curve sketching. Transcendental functions. An introduction to the definite integral and area. A grade of C- or higher is required for GE credit. 4 hours discussion. This is an approved General Education course. (005506)
MATH 121	Analytic Geometry and Calculus	4.0	FS
Prerequisites: MATH 120. The definite integral and applications to area, volume, work, differential equations, etc. Sequences and series, vectors and analytic geometry in 2 and 3-space, polar coordinates, and parametric equations. 4 hours discussion. (005507)
MATH 260	Elementary Differential Equations	4.0	FS
Prerequisites: MATH 121. First order separable, linear, and exact equations; second order linear equations, Laplace transforms, series solutions at an ordinary point, systems of first order linear equations, and applications. 4 hours discussion. (005509)
MECH 100	Graphics I	1.0	FS
Corequisites: MECH 100L. Introduction to engineering graphics. Orthographic projection, auxiliary views, isometric views, dimensioning, tolerancing, drawing standards, working drawings, free-hand sketching, solid modeling. 1 hour discussion. (015811)
MECH 100L	Graphics I Laboratory	1.0	FS
Corequisites: MECH 100. Introduction to solid modeling using a parametric, feature-based application software, SolidWorks. Solid modeling of parts and assemblies, detail and assembly drawings. 3 hours laboratory. (020257)
MECH 140	Introduction to Engineering Design and Automation	2.0	FS
Introduces the design engineering process. Hands-on use of sensors, pneumatics, stepper motors, bearings, couplings, gears, belts, pulleys, and framing materials. Topics include AC and DC motor control, simple electrical circuits, machine controllers, PLC programming, testing and analysis of results, budgeting, and bills of materials. Teams design and build a proof-of-concept system to verify their design. 1 hour discussion, 3 hours laboratory. (005401)
MECH 200	Graphics II	2.0	FS
Prerequisites: MECH 100 and MECH 100L. Drawing standards, geometric dimensioning and tolerancing, working drawings, product data management, intermediate solid modeling, introduction to Rapid Prototyping and specialized graphic applications. 1 hour lecture, 3 hours laboratory. (015854)
MECH 210	Materials Science and Engineering	3.0	FS
Prerequisites: PHYS 204A; CHEM 111. Processing, structure, properties, and performance of engineering materials. Applied knowledge of material properties as engineering design parameters. Advanced manufacturing processes, including microfabrication. 1 hour discussion, 3 hours laboratory, 2 hours activity. (005402)
PHYS 204A	Physics for Students of Science and Engineering: Mechanics	4.0	FS	GE
Prerequisites: High school physics or faculty permission. Concurrent enrollment in or prior completion of MATH 121 (second semester of calculus) or equivalent. Vectors, kinematics, particle dynamics, friction, work, energy, power, momentum, dynamics and statics of rigid bodies, oscillations, gravitation, fluids. Calculus used. A grade of C- or higher is required before progressing to either PHYS 204B or PHYS 204C. 3 hours discussion, 3 hours laboratory. This is an approved General Education course. (007401)
PHYS 204B	Physics for Students of Science and Engineering: Electricity and Magnetism	4.0	FS
Prerequisites: MATH 121, PHYS 204A with a grade of C- or higher. Charge and matter, electric field, Gauss' law, electric potential, capacitors and dielectrics, current and resistance, magnetic field, Ampere's law, Faraday's law of induction, magnetic properties of matter, electromagnetic oscillations and waves. Calculus used. 3 hours discussion, 3 hours laboratory. (007402)
PHYS 204C	Physics for Students of Science and Engineering: Heat, Wave Motion, Sound, Light, and Modern Topics	4.0	FS
Prerequisites: MATH 121, PHYS 204A with a grade of C- or higher. Temperature, first and second law of thermodynamics, and kinetic theory. Waves in elastic media, standing waves and resonance, and sound. Ray and wave optics, reflection, refraction, lenses, mirrors, diffraction, and polarization. Selected topics in modern physics. Calculus used. 3 hours discussion, 3 hours laboratory. (007403)
SMFG 160	Manufacturing Processes	3.0	FS
This course is designed to familiarize the student with the basic concepts of manufacturing processes with an emphasis on using sustainable practices. Students gain an understanding of the principle manufacturing materials and processes, learn how to solve manufacturing problems, and understand how Life Cycle Analysis and Reduce, Reuse, Recycle principles can be integrated into manufacturing processes. 2 hours discussion, 3 hours laboratory. (005149)

Upper-Division Requirements: 46 units

13 courses required:

SUBJ NUM	Title	Units	Semester Offered	Course Flags
CIVL 302	Engineering Economy and Statistics	3.0	FS
Prerequisites: MATH 121, junior standing. Analysis of alternatives by basic engineering economic methods and applications of statistics including probability, sampling theory and data analysis, and tests of hypotheses. 3 hours discussion. (001495)
CIVL 311	Strength of Materials	4.0	FS
Prerequisites: CIVL 211 with a grade of C- or higher; CIVL 110 or MECH 100 and MECH 100L; MATH 260 and MECH 210 (may be taken concurrently). Strength and elastic properties of materials of construction; tension, compression, shear, and torsion stresses; deflection and deformation; stress analysis of beams and columns. 4 hours discussion. (001491)
CIVL 495	Professional Issues in Engineering	3.0	FS
Prerequisites: ENGL 130 or equivalent; senior standing. History of engineering, professional registration, codes of ethics, management issues, diversity, outsourcing, intellectual property, international development and technology transfer, sustainable design. A substantial written project with oral presentation is required. 2 hours discussion, 2 hours activity. (003716)
EECE 311	Linear Circuits II	4.0	FS
Prerequisites: EECE 211; MATH 260 (may be taken concurrently). Circuit analysis techniques for networks with both independent and dependent sources. Network topology. Natural and forced responses for RLC circuits. Complex frequency, poles, and zeros. Magnetically coupled circuits and two-port networks. Introduction to linear algebra, circuit simulation using PSPICE, and mathematical analysis using MATLAB. 4 hours discussion. (002527)
EECE 315	Electronics I	4.0	FS
Prerequisites: EECE 211, EECE 211L. Corequisites: EECE 311, MATH 260. Ideal diodes. Zener diodes and regulation. Photodiodes and solar cells. Biasing and DC behavior of bipolar transistors. JFETs and MOSFETS. Small-signal AC equivalent circuits. Single-state transistor amplifiers. Low-frequency response. Discrete feedback amplifiers. 3 hours lecture, 3 hours laboratory. (002530)
EECE 344	Digital Systems Design	4.0	FS
Prerequisites: EECE 144, CSCI 221; either EECE 110 or both EECE 211 and EECE 211L. Extends the study of digital circuits to LSI and VLSI devices. Use of computer simulation in system analysis and design verification. 8-bit and 16-bit microprocessors, architecture, bus organization and address decoding. Design concepts for microprocessor systems, including system integration with programmable logic devices. Interfacing to A/D and P/A Converters. Design of input and output ports and interface to programmable ports. Serial communications; interrupt processing. Use of codes for storage and transmission of information: parity, ASCII, Hamming and other error detecting and correcting codes. 3 hours discussion, 3 hours laboratory. (002102)
MECA 380	Measurements and Instrumentation	3.0	SP
Prerequisites: EECE 211, EECE 211L; either EECE 135 or MECH 306. Recommended: CIVL 302. Measurement of steady-state and dynamic phenomena using common laboratory instruments. Calibration of instruments, dynamic response of instruments, and statistical treatment of data. 2 hours discussion, 3 hours laboratory. (005420)
MECA 482	Control System Design	3.0	FA
Prerequisites: EECE 211, MATH 260. Recommended: MECA 380, MECH 320; either EECE 135 or MECH 306. Modeling and simulation of dynamic system performance. Control system design for continuous systems using both analog and digital control techniques. 3 hours lecture. (005407)
MECA 486	Motion and Machine Automation	4.0	FA
Prerequisites: EECE 211L, MECH 340; EECE 482 or MECA 482 (may be taken concurrently). Machine automation concepts in electrical circuits, precision mechanics, control systems, and programming. Motor sizing, gearing, couplings, ground loops, effective use of step motors, servo control loops, regeneration, networking, I/O, power supplies, vibration and resonance, mechanical tolerancing, linear bearings and drive mechanisms, and troubleshooting. Labs simulate application concepts such as point-to-point coordinated moves, registration, following, camming, and CAD-to-Motion by combining various motor technologies with various mechanical drive types. 2 hours lecture, 4 hours activity. (005655)
MECA 440A	Mechatronic Engineering Design Project I	3.0	FA	GW
Prerequisites: ENGL 130 (or its equivalent) with a grade of C- or higher, EECE 344, MECH 340, SMFG 160. Recommended: CIVL 302, MECA 380. System design methods applied to mechatronic systems. Group design projects. Consideration of the manufacturing cost, and environmental and social impact. Oral and written presentation of results. Initial design of the capstone design project to be continued in MECA 440B. 2 hours lecture, 3 hours supervision. This is an approved Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement course; a grade of C- or higher certifies writing proficiency for majors. (005656)
MECA 440B	Mechatronic Engineering Design Project II	2.0	SP
Prerequisites: MECA 440A. Recommended: CIVL 302, MECA 380. Continuation of the capstone design project from MECA 440A. Implementation of the capstone design project, including fabrication, testing, and evaluation of a working prototype. Must be taken the semester immediately following MECA 440A. 1 hour lecture, 3 hours supervision. (005657)
MECH 320	Dynamics	3.0	FS
Prerequisites: CIVL 211 with a grade of C- or higher, MATH 260. Kinematics and dynamics of mechanical systems composed of rigid bodies. Moments and products of inertia, forces of interaction, inertia forces and torques. Equations of motion of non-planar systems. 3 hours discussion. (005409)
MECH 340	Mechanical Engineering Design	3.0	SP
Prerequisites: CIVL 311 with a grade of C- or higher, MECH 100, MECH 100L, MECH 140, MECH 210, SMFG 160. Recommended: MECH 320. Design and performance of machine components and systems subjected to both steady and variable loading conditions. Introduction to failure theories, reliability, use of codes and standards, and standard design practices. 3 hours lecture. (005411)

3 units selected from:

An upper-division course chosen from CIVL, CSCI, EECE, MECA, MECH, or SMFG programs.

Grading Requirement:

All courses taken to fulfill major course requirements must be taken for a letter grade except those courses specified by the department as Credit/No Credit grading only.

Advising Requirement:

Advising is mandatory for all majors in this degree program. Consult your undergraduate advisor for specific information.

Honors in the Major:

Honors in the Major is a program of independent work in your major. It requires 6 units of honors course work completed over two semesters.

The Honors in the Major program allows you to work closely with a faculty mentor in your area of interest on an original performance or research project. This year-long collaboration allows you to work in your field at a professional level and culminates in a public presentation of your work. Students sometimes take their projects beyond the University for submission in professional journals, presentation at conferences, or academic competition. Such experience is valuable for graduate school and professional life. Your honors work will be recognized at your graduation, on your permanent transcripts, and on your diploma. It is often accompanied by letters of commendation from your mentor in the department or the department chair.

Some common features of Honors in the Major program are:

You must take 6 units of Honors in the Major course work. All 6 units are honors classes (marked by a suffix of H), and at least 3 of these units are independent study (399H, 499H, 599H) as specified by your department. You must complete each class with a minimum grade of B.
You must have completed 9 units of upper-division course work or 21 overall units in your major before you can be admitted to Honors in the Major. Check the requirements for your major carefully, as there may be specific courses that must be included in these units.
Your cumulative GPA should be at least 3.5 or within the top 5% of majors in your department.
Your GPA in your major should be at least 3.5 or within the top 5% of majors in your department.
Most students apply for or are invited to participate in Honors in the Major during the second semester of their junior year. Then they complete the 6 units of course work over the two semesters of their senior year.
Your honors work culminates with a public presentation of your honors project.

While Honors in the Major is part of the Honors Program, each department administers its own program. Please contact your major department or major advisor to apply.