Electronic Engineering – Study plan

The study plan is organized in 6 subject areas, ranging from nano-electronics to automotive. The first year consists of courses in the predominantly electronic area, while the second year is made up of electives, which are linked to the various information disciplines.

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Nanoelectronics & Photonics

 

Nanoelectronic and photonic devices are revolutionizing the fields of energy efficiency, lighting, photovoltaics, optical communications, and biomedical. This track delves into the technology and operation of these devices, with specific focus on LEDs and lasers, photovoltaics, organic electronics, quantum optics, nano- and bio-photonics, energy efficiency components, and quality and reliability. The knowledge gained about electronic devices will be fundamental to the development of reliable and efficient systems.

1° Year – Mandatory courses

Essential knowledge of instrumentation and measurement methods for electronic circuits and devices. The laboratory activity develops sensitivity to quantitative as well as approximation and uncertainty aspects, necessary in engineering studies.

This course teaches techniques for analysis and design of the major analog circuit blocks underlying complex integrated electronic systems.

The course provides advanced skills in the operation of microelectronic devices, related analysis techniques, and state-of-the-art fabrication techniques

The course covers aspects of design and control of electronic circuits for electrical energy conversion such as dc-dc converters, high power factor rectifiers and inverters.

The course is devoted to the study of devices for transmitting and processing microwave signals, the study and laboratory measurement of scattering parameters, and the use of optical fibers.

This course develops and deepens skills in the analysis of analog electronic circuits with transistors and with operational amplifiers (frequency response, feedback and stability). It also develops design skills of simple analog circuits.

1° Year – Free choices courses

The course focuses on the study of the structure of matter on atomic and molecular scale. Starting from the physical principles that describe the photon emission and detection processes, materials and devices for the generation of coherent and incoherent light, for its analysis and detection will be studied in depth. Some applications and instrumentation of current interest as well as light-matter interaction techniques for the investigation of materials at the nanoscale will be explored.

The course, offered at both students in the field of Information Engineering and students in Political and Social Sciences, aims to involve students in team-working activities to investigate, in a transdisciplinary environment, the different aspects related to strategic sectors such as the semiconductor industry, where the international dynamics affecting the technical-scientific evolution and the positioning of the sector in the global arena are of primary importance.

2° Year – Mandatory course

LED, lasers, solar cells and photodetectors are key components for energy efficiency, illumination, biomedical devices, communication systems, consumer electronics. Within this course, students will learn the properties and technologies of optoelectronic and electronic devices used in highly innovative fields, including high efficiency illumination, photovoltaics, optical communication networks, RF communications and energy conversion.

2° Year – Free choice courses

Nanophotonics is an emerging field of study that deals with emission, propagation, manipulation, and detection of photons in structures of nanometers in size. Within the course, nanostructures will be considered for light generation (quantum wells, nanocrystals, nanowires), light propagation (dielectric and plasmonic nanowaveguides) and light manipulation (photonic crystals, metamaterials, resonant gratings). The course will also review practical methods to build, characterize, and simulate nanophotonic structures and devices.

The course covers basic reliability concepts, data analysis techniques, major acceleration models, and physical failure mechanisms of integrated circuits.

This course is devoted to the interactions of light with living tissues and their technological applications to non-invasive biomedical imaging and treatments techniques. The topics covered by this course include fundamentals of light and matter, light-tissue interactions (light scattering and absorption in tissues), principles of lasers and non-linear optics as preliminaries to later discuss applications such as optical microscopy, biomedical imaging, spectroscopic techniques, plasmonics and photonic biosensing.

The course provides advanced knowledge, both theoretical and experimental, about the characteristics and the principles of optical fiber systems and the relative devices. The student will also have the opportunity to perform several experimental activities in the lab, learning how to use the main instruments and devices used in optical fiber networks.

Il corso serve a rafforzare la consoscenza della luce, con un particoalre approforndimento alle diverse proprietà dei fotoni, e ai principi per i quali un laser può generare output molto diversi. Su questa base vengono introdotte nuove tecnologie, quantistiche e classiche, che si stanno rapidamente sviluppando.

The course discusses physical chemistry properties of the solid surface, including surface energy, electrostatic and steric stabilization. It also describes the chemical synthesis of nanoparticles (metals, semiconductors, oxides), nanorods, nanowires, nanotubes, and thin films depositions. The students will synthesize and characterize different nanomaterials in the lab and will also visit nanotechnology research centers to get direct experience of current technological processes.

The course enables students to acquire skills regarding the effects of radiation on electronic components and systems and mitigation and prediction techniques for space applications

 

All students will be required to complete a 9 CFU internship in a laboratory at the University of Padua (called Research Training), or in an external research center, or in a company in the field. The internship can be done either in the local context or in the international context. The student can find the internship independently, or with the help of a faculty liaison. It is suggested that the internship be combined with the 21 CFU thesis: in this way it will be possible to obtain a total number of 30 CFU, performing a meaningful and formative activity.

Students will complete the course of study with a 21 CFU master’s thesis, which can be combined with the internship for a total of 30 CFU. The thesis can be carried out:

  • within the department, often as part of ambitious research projects on the most innovative technologies
  • in national and international industries, where state-of-the-art electronic devices and systems are developed
  • within the framework of the numerous Erasmus streams and bilateral agreements with international universities and research institutes
  • A successful master’s thesis in these areas is an excellent prerequisite for a doctoral program, carried out within the framework of the many research projects developed in our department.

Electronics for energy

Efficient energy conversion and control are the foundations of a sustainable development and are at the heart of all electrical/electronic equipment, from the exploitation of renewable energy sources to consumer electronics, from biomedical systems to transportation (automobiles, trains, airplanes). This track provides the tools for a full understanding of energy conversion circuits, and fosters the development of design skills, both of the power part of converters and of analog/digital control and supervisory systems.

1° Year – Mandatory courses

Essential knowledge of instrumentation and measurement methods for electronic circuits and devices. The laboratory activity develops sensitivity to quantitative as well as approximation and uncertainty aspects, necessary in engineering studies.

This course teaches techniques for analysis and design of the major analog circuit blocks underlying complex integrated electronic systems.

The course provides advanced skills in the operation of microelectronic devices, related analysis techniques, and state-of-the-art fabrication techniques

The course covers aspects of design and control of electronic circuits for electrical energy conversion such as dc-dc converters, high power factor rectifiers and inverters.

The course is devoted to the study of devices for transmitting and processing microwave signals, the study and laboratory measurement of scattering parameters, and the use of optical fibers.

This course develops and deepens skills in the analysis of analog electronic circuits with transistors and with operational amplifiers (frequency response, feedback and stability). It also develops design skills of simple analog circuits.

1° Year – Free choice courses

A pillar of the Automation Engineer’s education, this course introduces the fundamentals of linear state models: state feedback controllers, state estimators, and quadratic linear optimal control.

The course is split into two different parts. The first one starts with the description of automation systems and their components: controllers, sensors/actuators, communication systems. Then, it addresses automation logics and provides programming examples of Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs), carried out in laboratory. The second part deals with industrial communication systems. After introducing the basis of communication systems, the course presents the requirements of industrial networks, as well as their behavior, and describes the most popular protocols.

Continuous-time systems are nowadays controlled by means of digital controllers. The course deals with both coupling digital systems and analogue ones and analyzing how this coupling affects the controller design.

2° Year – Mandatory courses

This course aims to make the students familiar with the analysis of switching converters, by providing them with the theoretical and practical tools necessary to analyze, design and realize high frequency conversion systems, with reference to dc-dc converters.

The course is devoted to the study of smart electric grids (smart grids, microgrids, nanogrids), with strong penetration of distributed generation from renewable sources interfaced to the grid using electronic power converters.

2° Year – Free choice courses

The course aims to provide the basic tools and skills to make a design of a generic electronic apparatus comply with the EU standards associated with CE marking, with reference to the aspects of electromagnetic compatibility and electrical safety.

LED, lasers, solar cells and photodetectors are key components for energy efficiency, illumination, biomedical devices, communication systems, consumer electronics. Within this course, students will learn the properties and technologies of optoelectronic and electronic devices used in highly innovative fields, including high efficiency illumination, photovoltaics, optical communication networks, RF communications and energy conversion.

The course aims to develop, in students, analog electronic circuit design skills following the example of the design of an audio power amplifier, including thermal and layout aspects. These skills are refined by the design, implementation and testing of a prototype circuit assigned in the classroom.

The course is designed to foster knowledge of the operating principles of electromechanical systems, the criteria for their selection and how to use them. Special attention will be paid to some specific issues such as current control, speed control, flux estimation, sensorless techniques, optimal choice of mechanical gear, defluxing techniques, fault-tolerance.

The course aims to provide skills and abilities in the design and application of control techniques, building on knowledge gained in previous core courses. This is done through laboratory experiences that include the frequency design of a PID controller for a DC electric motor, the design of a digital control and linear quadratic optimal control of a flexible coupling and of a segway.

The course covers the main families of devices for the electrochemical conversion and storage of energy, including primary and secondary batteries, fuel cells, redox flow batteries and photovoltaic cells. The fundamentals of the electrochemical processes taking place at the electrodes are discussed, with a detailed analysis of the interplay between the thermodynamics, kinetics and electrochemistry of the various phenomena. The main properties of the electrolytes are also studied, with a particular reference to the conductivity and charge transfer mechanism. The materials science of the functional materials is covered in detail, highlighting the main physicochemical features and applicability of the various systems. The course is completed by the discussion of the main families of: (a) secondary batteries; (b) fuel cells, including PEMFCs, PAFCs, MCFCs and SOFCs; (c) redox flow batteries, comprising both conventional and hybrid systems; and (d) photovoltaic cells.

All students will be required to complete a 9 CFU internship in a laboratory at the University of Padua (called Research Training), or in an external research center, or in a company in the field. The internship can be done either in the local context or in the international context. The student can find the internship independently, or with the help of a faculty liaison. It is suggested that the internship be combined with the 21 CFU thesis: in this way it will be possible to obtain a total number of 30 CFU, performing a meaningful and formative activity.

Students will complete the course of study with a 21 CFU master’s thesis, which can be combined with the internship for a total of 30 CFU. The thesis can be carried out:

  • within the department, often as part of ambitious research projects on the most innovative technologies
  • in national and international industries, where state-of-the-art electronic devices and systems are developed
  • within the framework of the numerous Erasmus streams and bilateral agreements with international universities and research institutes
  • A successful master’s thesis in these areas is an excellent prerequisite for a doctoral program, carried out within the framework of the many research projects developed in our department.

Integrated circuits

Integrated circuits connect micro- and nano-electronic devices made available by semiconductor technologies on a single chip to create the electronic systems that now pervade all applications, from automobiles to smartphones, to biomedical systems, to robotics. This address delves into the structure, principles of operation, design and experimental verification techniques of analog and digital circuits realized by monolithic integration of active and passive devices.
1° Year – Mandatory courses

Essential knowledge of instrumentation and measurement methods for electronic circuits and devices. The laboratory activity develops sensitivity to quantitative as well as approximation and uncertainty aspects, necessary in engineering studies.

This course teaches techniques for analysis and design of the major analog circuit blocks underlying complex integrated electronic systems.

The course provides advanced skills in the operation of microelectronic devices, related analysis techniques, and state-of-the-art fabrication techniques

The course covers aspects of design and control of electronic circuits for electrical energy conversion such as dc-dc converters, high power factor rectifiers and inverters.

The course is devoted to the study of devices for transmitting and processing microwave signals, the study and laboratory measurement of scattering parameters, and the use of optical fibers.

This course develops and deepens skills in the analysis of analog electronic circuits with transistors and with operational amplifiers (frequency response, feedback and stability). It also develops design skills of simple analog circuits.

1° Year – Free choice courses

A pillar of the Automation Engineer’s education, this course introduces the fundamentals of linear state models: state feedback controllers, state estimators, and quadratic linear optimal control.

Continuous-time systems are nowadays controlled by means of digital controllers. The course deals with both coupling digital systems and analogue ones and analyzing how this coupling affects the controller design.

The course exploits basic signal analysis knowledge that the student is assumed to have acquired from previous studies to explore advanced concepts in the field of digital signal processing. The course will review Z-transform, linear time-invariant systems, FIR/IIR filters, to investigate the design and usage of digital filters, interpolation/decimation of digital signals, frequency analysis of digital signals. Practical application examples, useful in many areas of information engineering, will be provided.

The course gives the fundamental principles of radio communication in terms of channel behavior and technological exploitation, detailing the contexts of physical layer (PHY), channel access (LINK), and networking procedures (NET). The student will become knowledgeable about modern centralized and distributed wireless systems such as IEEE 802.11 (a/g/n/h) and Wireless Sensor Networks (IEEE 802.15.4). Also, (s)he will get to know related packet-based application-layer / network coding.

2° Year – Mandatory courses

This teaching focuses on the design of major analog integrated circuits. The student will be introduced to architectural and circuit solutions best suited to modern integrated technologies for those functional macroblocks common to most electronic systems, such as filters and analog-to-digital converters. A substantial portion of the lecture hours is conducted in the laboratory. 

The course illustrates the design techniques of radio-frequency integrated circuits with both concentrated and distributed components, emphasizing the specifics of monolithic realization of such systems.

2° Year – Free choice courses

The course aims to provide the basic tools and skills to make a design of a generic electronic apparatus comply with the EU standards associated with CE marking, with particular reference to the aspects of electromagnetic compatibility and electrical safety.

 

The course aims to provide students with specific skills in the design, implementation and experimental characterization of antennas and links based on wireless transmission. Topics include: Maxwell’s equations. Electromagnetic waves and transported power (Poynting vector). Elementary dipole: far and near field. Antenna parameters. Antenna impedance matching and balancing. Wire antennas (dipoles: short, half-wave, multi-band and wide-band). Ground plane antennas. Aperture and reflector antennas. Micro-strip antennas.
Arrays of antennas. Physical architecture of wireless links. Antenna laboratory (design of antennas with CST and characterization)

The course uses Neural Network circuits as an application example to describe the design flow of a VLSI digital integrated circuit. Through HDL languages, the student is guided first in the synthesis of small digital circuits and then addresses all major aspects of synthesis of algorithms described at a high level first in RTL models and later in standard cell netlists. The realization of a complete layout is also addressed. The course includes a number of teaching labs using dedicated CAD tools.

The course aims to develop, in students, analog electronic circuit design skills following the example of the design of an audio power amplifier, including thermal and layout aspects. These skills are refined by the design, implementation and testing of a prototype circuit assigned in the classroom.

Arrays of antennas. Physical architecture of wireless links. Antenna laboratory (design of antennas with CST and characterization)

All students will be required to complete a 9 CFU internship in a laboratory at the University of Padua (called Research Training), or in an external research center, or in a company in the field. The internship can be done either in the local context or in the international context. The student can find the internship independently, or with the help of a faculty liaison. It is suggested that the internship be combined with the 21 CFU thesis: in this way it will be possible to obtain a total number of 30 CFU, performing a meaningful and formative activity.

Students will complete the course of study with a 21 CFU master’s thesis, which can be combined with the internship for a total of 30 CFU. The thesis can be carried out:

  • within the department, often as part of ambitious research projects on the most innovative technologies
  • in national and international industries, where state-of-the-art electronic devices and systems are developed
  • within the framework of the numerous Erasmus streams and bilateral agreements with international universities and research institutes
  • A successful master’s thesis in these areas is an excellent prerequisite for a doctoral program, carried out within the framework of the many research projects developed in our department.

Biomedical & Healthcare

Electronics and biosensors are at the heart of medical systems. This track addresses topics related to the development of electronic systems for biomedical application, with specific insights in several fields, including biosensors, biophotonics, biological signal analysis, and organic electronics.
1° Year – Mandatory courses

Essential knowledge of instrumentation and measurement methods for electronic circuits and devices. The laboratory activity develops sensitivity to quantitative as well as approximation and uncertainty aspects, necessary in engineering studies.

This course teaches techniques for analysis and design of the major analog circuit blocks underlying complex integrated electronic systems.

The course provides advanced skills in the operation of microelectronic devices, related analysis techniques, and state-of-the-art fabrication techniques

The course covers aspects of design and control of electronic circuits for electrical energy conversion such as dc-dc converters, high power factor rectifiers and inverters.

The course is devoted to the study of devices for transmitting and processing microwave signals, the study and laboratory measurement of scattering parameters, and the use of optical fibers.

This course develops and deepens skills in the analysis of analog electronic circuits with transistors and with operational amplifiers (frequency response, feedback and stability). It also develops design skills of simple analog circuits.

1° Year – Free choice courses

Study and analysis of some of the typical health IT problems: analysis of health problems requiring the use of information technology and computer implementation of state-of-the-art solutions.

volte a sviluppare le capacità di applicazione delle metodologie apprese a problemi reali.

The purpose of the course is to provide the fundamental principles and methodologies of machine learning and to introduce the main algorithms for regression and classification. The course includes computer exercises designed to develop skills in applying the learned methodologies to real problems

The course lets the students develop a thorough competence about image acquisition, processing and understanding, to extract relevant information from visual data. It starts from the principles of image formation and low-level image processing, then moves towards higher-level algorithms and systems, including deep networks. The course also stimulates the students to develop computer vision systems to face challenging real-world applications, thanks to the laboratory lectures, that will make use of C++ programming and the OpenCV library.

2° Year – Mandatory course

This teaching focuses on the design of major analog integrated circuits. The student will be introduced to architectural and circuit solutions best suited to modern integrated technologies for those functional macroblocks common to most electronic systems, such as filters and analog-to-digital converters. A substantial portion of the lecture hours is conducted in the laboratory.

2° Year – Free choice courses

The course aims to provide the basic tools and skills to make a design of a generic electronic apparatus comply with the EU standards associated with CE marking, with particular reference to the aspects of electromagnetic compatibility and electrical safety.

The course illustrates the design techniques of radio-frequency integrated circuits with both concentrated and distributed components, emphasizing the specifics of monolithic realization of such systems.

This course is devoted to the interactions of light with living tissues and their technological applications to non-invasive biomedical imaging and treatments techniques. The topics covered by this course include fundamentals of light and matter, light-tissue interactions (light scattering and absorption in tissues), principles of lasers and non-linear optics as preliminaries to later discuss applications such as optical microscopy, biomedical imaging, spectroscopic techniques, plasmonics and photonic biosensing.

This course covers both the different types of wearable sensors used in healthcare, as well as the fundamentals of computer networks, Web applications, network security, and the management of collected data and its persistence. A practical case study will be proposed in which students will learn, through guided labs, how to design a mobile application for healthcare (mHealth) communicating with a wearable sensor and a server for secure data storage.

In this course, the student will acquire the basic tools necessary for the synthesis of a closed-loop control and regulation system for biological systems, including delving into the Model Predictive Control (MPC) technique. Through the presentation of several case studies, the student will become familiar with common challenges in controlling biological systems, such as input saturation, implementation delays, uncertainty in parameters, inter- and intra-individual variability, or controller interaction with human operators (patients or medical personnel).

Engineering-specific methodologies and technologies needed to study the central nervous system. Neuro-visualization techniques in the study of brain pathophysiological processes (positron emission tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging), and post-processing methods commonly used for neuroimaging.

All students will be required to complete a 9 CFU internship in a laboratory at the University of Padua (called Research Training), or in an external research center, or in a company in the field. The internship can be done either in the local context or in the international context. The student can find the internship independently, or with the help of a faculty liaison. It is suggested that the internship be combined with the 21 CFU thesis: in this way it will be possible to obtain a total number of 30 CFU, performing a meaningful and formative activity.

Students will complete the course of study with a 21 CFU master’s thesis, which can be combined with the internship for a total of 30 CFU. The thesis can be carried out:

  • within the department, often as part of ambitious research projects on the most innovative technologies
  • in national and international industries, where state-of-the-art electronic devices and systems are developed
  • within the framework of the numerous Erasmus streams and bilateral agreements with international universities and research institutes
  • A successful master’s thesis in these areas is an excellent prerequisite for a doctoral program, carried out within the framework of the many research projects developed in our department.

Consumer electronics & domotics

The consumer electronics market is constantly expanding due to the development of increasingly advanced and innovative systems. Local and international industries require expertise in this rapidly evolving field. This track allows in-depth study of topics related to the development of electronic systems for consumer electronics, with application in lighting, communications, automotive, domotics, automation, and the internet of things. An extensive list of electives allows close interaction with other disciplines in the information area. 

1° Year – Mandatory courses

Essential knowledge of instrumentation and measurement methods for electronic circuits and devices. The laboratory activity develops sensitivity to quantitative as well as approximation and uncertainty aspects, necessary in engineering studies.

This course teaches techniques for analysis and design of the major analog circuit blocks underlying complex integrated electronic systems.

The course provides advanced skills in the operation of microelectronic devices, related analysis techniques, and state-of-the-art fabrication techniques

The course covers aspects of design and control of electronic circuits for electrical energy conversion such as dc-dc converters, high power factor rectifiers and inverters.

The course is devoted to the study of devices for transmitting and processing microwave signals, the study and laboratory measurement of scattering parameters, and the use of optical fibers.

This course develops and deepens skills in the analysis of analog electronic circuits with transistors and with operational amplifiers (frequency response, feedback and stability). It also develops design skills of simple analog circuits.

1° Year – Free choice courses

The course exploits basic signal analysis knowledge that the student is assumed to have acquired from previous studies to explore advanced concepts in the field of digital signal processing. The course will review Z-transform, linear time-invariant systems, FIR/IIR filters, to investigate the design and usage of digital filters, interpolation/decimation of digital signals, frequency analysis of digital signals. Practical application examples, useful in many areas of information engineering, will be provided.

The course provides knowledge of the main tools and methodologies used in the analysis of large datasets, covering the following topics: programming frameworks such as MapReduce, Hadoop, Spark; Association Analysis; Clustering techniques; Graph Analytics (centrality, scale-free/power-law graphs, small world, uncertain graphs); Similarity and diversity search.

The course presents the principles and techniques for image processing, understanding and analysis. The course will show how to extract relevant information from visual data that can be used in challenging real world applications like autonomous driving or smart manufacturing. It presents the mathematical, programming, and technical issues of these tasks and will include a relevant hands-on laboratory part where students will also develop C++ applications based on the OpenCV library.

The course lets the students develop a thorough competence about image acquisition, processing and understanding, to extract relevant information from visual data. It starts from the principles of image formation and low-level image processing, then moves towards higher-level algorithms and systems, including deep networks. The course also stimulates the students to develop computer vision systems to face challenging real world applications, thanks to the laboratory lectures, that will make use of C++ programming and the OpenCV library.

Through a well-structured sequence of face-to-face academic lectures and seminars offered by professionals working in high-level industries, the course will explain how communications technologies and services are revolutionizing a variety of manufacturing sectors and how they can be profitably used in some specific use cases, including automotive, Industry 4.0 and retail. The course includes hands-on lab experiences with industrial development kits and state-of-the-art networking devices

2° Year – Mandatory courses

This teaching focuses on the design of major analog integrated circuits. The student will be introduced to architectural and circuit solutions best suited to modern integrated technologies for those functional macroblocks common to most electronic systems, such as filters and analog-to-digital converters. A substantial portion of the lecture hours is conducted in the laboratory.

The course provides knowledge of the operating principles of sensors, their interfacing and sensor networks, and of switched power circuits for managing batteries and energy storage systems. The principles of operation of real-time digital systems and communication systems used in automotive and home automation are explained. It also develops skills in evaluating the characteristics of lighting systems and their areas of use.

2° Year – Free choice courses

This course considers the main issues related to the acquisition of information from the empirical world and the analysis of information quality. Through the proposed laboratory activity, students are offered an interesting learning opportunity on the design of measurement applications based on commercial devices.

The course aims to provide students with specific skills in the design, implementation and experimental characterization of antennas and links based on wireless transmission.

The course uses Neural Network circuits as an application example to describe the design flow of a VLSI digital integrated circuit. Through HDL languages, the student is guided first in the synthesis of small digital circuits and then addresses all major aspects of synthesis of algorithms described at a high level first in RTL models and later in standard cell netlists. The realization of a complete layout is also addressed. The course includes a number of teaching labs using dedicated CAD tools.

The course covers basic reliability concepts, data analysis techniques, major acceleration models, and physical failure mechanisms of integrated circuits.

The course illustrates the design techniques of radio-frequency integrated circuits with both concentrated and distributed components, emphasizing the specifics of monolithic realization of such systems.

LED, lasers, solar cells and photodetectors are key components for energy efficiency, illumination, biomedical devices, communication systems, consumer electronics. Within this course, students will learn the properties and technologies of optoelectronic and electronic devices used in highly innovative fields, including high efficiency illumination, photovoltaics, optical communication networks, RF communications and energy conversion.

The course offers a guided tour of 3D computer vision, 3D graphics and machine learning tools to develop virtual and augmented reality applications. After a description of imaging systems, the course reviews how to build a 3D model starting from 2D pictures and/or depth sensors, also by means of machine learning techniques, and finally the process of rendering real or virtual 3D models to standard images and 3D/AR devices. Students will experience computer vision, deep learning and augmented reality techniques during lab sessions. A beginners’ tutorial on Unity will be provided as well.

The subject aims at providing basic knowledge of modern telecommunication architectures, as well as fundamental mathematical tools for the modelling, design and analysis of telecommunications networks and services. The course also allows to gain some practical experience with network protocols and devices, thanks to a series of lab experiences that introduce to the art of router and socket programming. Ancillary to all this knowledge, the course will help to develop some basic management skills that shall belong to the competences of each engineer. Some of the topics that will be considered by the course are data traffic sources, multimedia streams and content, packet switched networks: basics of data networks, ISO/OSI and TCP/IP protocol stacks, congestion control and scheduling algorithms and the application layer.

This course provides knowledge of the concepts of the “IoT” and “Smart cities,” describing their scientific and market trends, as well as the application of these paradigms in practical ICT context. The students will learn about some key platforms and standards (ZigBee, 6LoWPAN, WiFi, Bluetooth Low Energy, SigFox, Lo-Ra), and will review their applications for home automation, industrial applications, autonomous driving, urban monitoring, privacy and security.

The course aims to provide the main mathematical skills necessary for the study of robotic systems. In particular, it develops the ability to derive kinematic and dynamic models of manipulator robots, and the ability to develop control algorithms for trajectory tracking and force control.

All students will be required to complete a 9 CFU internship in a laboratory at the University of Padua (called Research Training), or in an external research center, or in a company in the field. The internship can be done either in the local context or in the international context. The student can find the internship independently, or with the help of a faculty liaison. It is suggested that the internship be combined with the 21 CFU thesis: in this way it will be possible to obtain a total number of 30 CFU, performing a meaningful and formative activity.

Students will complete the course of study with a 21 CFU master’s thesis, which can be combined with the internship for a total of 30 CFU. The thesis can be carried out:

  • within the department, often as part of ambitious research projects on the most innovative technologies
  • in national and international industries, where state-of-the-art electronic devices and systems are developed
  • within the framework of the numerous Erasmus streams and bilateral agreements with international universities and research institutes
  • A successful master’s thesis in these areas is an excellent prerequisite for a doctoral program, carried out within the framework of the many research projects developed in our department.

Smart industry & automotive

Electronics is revolutionizing the industrial and automotive worlds, fostering the development of smart and reliable systems. This track allows students to address topics related to the development of smart electronic systems: specific insights cover digital control, automotive and home automation, signal processing, industrial automation, machine learning and robotics. Thanks to an extensive list of electives, the student has great freedom to build his or her own educational pathway.

1° Year – Mandatory courses

Essential knowledge of instrumentation and measurement methods for electronic circuits and devices. The laboratory activity develops sensitivity to quantitative as well as approximation and uncertainty aspects, necessary in engineering studies.

This course teaches techniques for analysis and design of the major analog circuit blocks underlying complex integrated electronic systems.

The course provides advanced skills in the operation of microelectronic devices, related analysis techniques, and state-of-the-art fabrication techniques

The course covers aspects of design and control of electronic circuits for electrical energy conversion such as dc-dc converters, high power factor rectifiers and inverters.

The course is devoted to the study of devices for transmitting and processing microwave signals, the study and laboratory measurement of scattering parameters, and the use of optical fibers.

This course develops and deepens skills in the analysis of analog electronic circuits with transistors and with operational amplifiers (frequency response, feedback and stability). It also develops design skills of simple analog circuits.

1° Year – Free choice courses

The course presents the principles and techniques for image processing, understanding and analysis. The course will show how to extract relevant information from visual data that can be used in challenging real world applications like autonomous driving or smart manufacturing. It presents the mathematical, programming, and technical issues of these tasks and will include a relevant hands-on laboratory part where students will also develop C++ applications based on the OpenCV library.

The course lets the students develop a thorough competence about image acquisition, processing and understanding, to extract relevant information from visual data. It starts from the principles of image formation and low-level image processing, then moves towards higher-level algorithms and systems, including deep networks. The course also stimulates the students to develop computer vision systems to face challenging real world applications, thanks to the laboratory lectures, that will make use of C++ programming and the OpenCV library.

Continuous-time systems are nowadays controlled by means of digital controllers. The course deals with both coupling digital systems and analogue ones and analyzing how this coupling affects the controller design.

The course exploits basic signal analysis knowledge that the student is assumed to have acquired from previous studies to explore advanced concepts in the field of digital signal processing. The course will review Z-transform, linear time-invariant systems, FIR/IIR filters, to investigate the design and usage of digital filters, interpolation/decimation of digital signals, frequency analysis of digital signals. Practical application examples, useful in many areas of information engineering, will be provided.

Machine learning, now pervading our daily life, is at the core of modern autonomous systems. You will learn the art and science of automatically learning from experience extracting information from measured data.

A pillar of the Automation Engineer’s education, this course introduces the fundamentals of linear state models: state feedback controllers, state estimators, and quadratic linear optimal control.

The course provides knowledge of the main tools and methodologies used in the analysis of large datasets, covering the following topics: programming frameworks such as MapReduce, Hadoop, Spark; Association Analysis; Clustering techniques; Graph Analytics (centrality, scale-free/power-law graphs, small world, uncertain graphs); Similarity and diversity search.

The course, through knowledge, down to the implementation level, of various protocols such as Transmission Control Protocol, User Datagram Protocol, Internet Protocol, Internet Control Messaging Protocol, Address Resolution protocol, and Ethernet Protocol, aims to provide the student with the skills to understand a protocol specification document, to implement the protocol through C language programs, and to test protocol implementations

Through a well-structured sequence of face-to-face academic lectures and seminars offered by professionals working in high-level industries, the course will explain how communications technologies and services are revolutionizing a variety of manufacturing sectors and how they can be profitably used in some specific use cases, including automotive, Industry 4.0 and retail. The course includes hands-on lab experiences with industrial development kits and state-of-the-art networking devices

The course is split into two different parts. The first one starts with the description of automation systems and their components: controllers, sensors/actuators, communication systems. Then, it addresses automation logics and provides programming examples of Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs), carried out in laboratory. The second part deals with industrial communication systems. After introducing the basis of communication systems, the course presents the requirements of industrial networks, as well as their behavior, and describes the most popular protocols.

2° Year – Mandatory courses

LED, lasers, solar cells and photodetectors are key components for energy efficiency, illumination, biomedical devices, communication systems, consumer electronics. Within this course, students will learn the properties and technologies of optoelectronic and electronic devices used in highly innovative fields, including high efficiency illumination, photovoltaics, optical communication networks, RF communications and energy conversion.

2° Year – Free choice courses

The course aims to provide the basic tools and skills to make a design of a generic electronic apparatus comply with the EU standards associated with CE marking, with particular reference to the aspects of electromagnetic compatibility and electrical safety.

This teaching focuses on the design of major analog integrated circuits. The student will be introduced to architectural and circuit solutions best suited to modern integrated technologies for those functional macroblocks common to most electronic systems, such as filters and analog-to-digital converters. A substantial portion of the lecture hours is conducted in the laboratory.

This course considers the main issues related to the acquisition of information from the empirical world and the analysis of information quality. Through the proposed laboratory activity, students are offered an interesting learning opportunity on the design of measurement applications based on commercial devices.

This course aims to make the students familiar with the analysis of switching converters, by providing them with the theoretical and practical tools necessary to analyze, design and realize high frequency conversion systems, with reference to dc-dc converters.

The course provides knowledge of the operating principles of sensors, their interfacing and sensor networks, and of switched power circuits for managing batteries and energy storage systems. The principles of operation of real-time digital systems and communication systems used in automotive and home automation are explained. It also develops skills in evaluating the characteristics of lighting systems and their areas of use.

The course is devoted to the study of smart electric grids (smart grids, microgrids, nanogrids), with strong penetration of distributed generation from renewable sources interfaced to the grid using electronic power converters.

The course is designed to foster knowledge of the operating principles of electromechanical systems, the criteria for their selection and how to use them. Special attention will be paid to some specific issues such as current control, speed control, flux estimation, sensorless techniques , optimal choice of mechanical gear, defluxing techniques, fault-tolerance.

The course is designed to foster knowledge of the operating principles of electromechanical systems, the criteria for their selection and how to use them. Special attention will be paid to some specific issues such as current control, speed control, flux estimation, sensorless techniques , optimal choice of mechanical gear, defluxing techniques, fault-tolerance.

The course enables students to acquire skills regarding the effects of radiation on electronic components and systems and mitigation and prediction techniques for space applications

The course aims to provide the main mathematical skills necessary for the study of robotic systems. In particular, it develops the ability to derive kinematic and dynamic models of manipulator robots, and the ability to develop control algorithms for trajectory tracking and force control.

All students will be required to complete a 9 CFU internship in a laboratory at the University of Padua (called Research Training), or in an external research center, or in a company in the field. The internship can be done either in the local context or in the international context. The student can find the internship independently, or with the help of a faculty liaison. It is suggested that the internship be combined with the 21 CFU thesis: in this way it will be possible to obtain a total number of 30 CFU, performing a meaningful and formative activity.

Students will complete the course of study with a 21 CFU master’s thesis, which can be combined with the internship for a total of 30 CFU. The thesis can be carried out:

  • within the department, often as part of ambitious research projects on the most innovative technologies
  • in national and international industries, where state-of-the-art electronic devices and systems are developed
  • within the framework of the numerous Erasmus streams and bilateral agreements with international universities and research institutes
  • A successful master’s thesis in these areas is an excellent prerequisite for a doctoral program, carried out within the framework of the many research projects developed in our department.