Internet of Things
As an emerging field of research, IoT is predicted to take over the world in near future. The lab focuses on learning, research and hands-on experimentation to discover and demonstrate the promise of the Internet of Things. At the moment, the IoT lab is focused on the following topics:
- Communication protocols and classification of things
- IoT security
- Middleware and communication interfaces connecting IoT to other platform including cloud computing, semantic web, multi-agent systems, and proprietary software architectures.
- IoT applications in a range of domains including the environment, production lines, energy management, health and medicine, transportation, smart homes, and smart cities.
- IoT sensors and hardware
Our goals in the lab is threefold: generating cutting-edge knowledge, training highly specialized staff, and hosting workshops.
In the future, the IoT lab is going to focus on three areas: (1) the sensor and sensory equipment layer; (2) the communication and security layer, which allows communication among different objects; and (3) the communication layer which requires powerful servers and software to process large volumes of data.
Software Engineering
The software engineering lab allows undergraduate and graduate students of software engineering to gain firsthand experience in practical software engineering issues. Students learn about the SDLC, source control, CASE tools, and software development methodologies. Another aspect of the lab involves working on team projects and getting to know team-working principles. The lab is equipped with eight computers with sufficient processing power to allow running different IDEs and CASE tools.
Computer Architecture
The computer architecture lab was established in 1990 and is now an integral part of the FCE. It contains a host of equipment such as DC power supplies, function generators, normal oscilloscopes and oscilloscopes with memory, analog analyzers and FPGA boards, eight computers, a video projector and a variety of analog and digital chips.
The lab aims to provide students with an understanding of how computer hardware works. In 2013, the lab’s program underwent a restructuring and now consist of two sections.
The first section deals with the principles of designing printed circuit boards and consists of five experiments through which students learn the A to Z of how to design and make PCBs.
In the second part of the program, a basic computer is designed and experimented on FPGA boards using hardware description languages. The experiments are organized in way enable students to fully implement a computer on a FPGA board and witness how the commands are performed by the computer.
Computer Networking
The program illustrates the concepts of networking and provides students with hands-on experience in computer networks. Students train to install, administer and configure clients, server and the network devices that connect them to build network infrastructures for a variety of business needs, from small business to large enterprises.
Computer Fundamentals
The computer fundamentals lab is defined for undergraduate students of both software and hardware engineering. During the program students become familiar with different operating systems (e.g. Windows and UNIX), fundamental problem-solving skills as well as a programming language such as C++. They also learn to code in a development environment such as NetBeans or Qt.
Automatic Systems
This laboratory was established in 2013 and now provides services to the department of Computer Architecture Engineering. The equipment include different types of FPGA boards, eight PCs, and a video projector. Students learn about hardware description languages and experience implementing digital systems on FPGA. Furthermore, they are allowed to implement a digital circuit on FPGA in order to simulate, implement, and debug different circuits.