A nonlinear transmission line (NLTL) is used to speed up the risetime of high voltage (> 1 kV) pulses. The theory of the NL TL is reviewed and practical implementations and limitations are discussed. An NLTL is used to generate a 1.5 kV pulse with a risetime of 500 ps. The note concludes with a discussion of generating pulses with amplitudes greater than 3.5 kV and risetimes less than 200 ps.
As one component of a college-wide redesign of its introductory engineering courses, a project-based introduction to computer science is being developed using open-source software running under the GNU/Linux operating system. Course components include hardware assembly, operating system and software installation, basic system administration, and a working introduction to the engineering design process through the completion of several collaborative projects involving content-based graphic design and computer animation. Through three semesters, the course has gravitated away from a modulebased survey of fundamental concepts in computer science and engineering toward greater student exploration of fewer topics most relevant to the projects. Continuing assessment of each phase of the course provides formative and summative feedback and has played an important role in the maturation of the course.
Collaborative content management systems are employed to handle large collections of written material concurrently generated by multiple authors. A networkbased infrastructure allows members of a group to interactively and simultaneously create, review, and edit product documentation, web content, or other interrelated documents on-line and in real time. These tools are ideal for undergraduate ethics courses which include a significant critical writing component and where students are expected to formulate conclusions and opinions in written form based upon research, analysis, and a balanced exposure to all aspects of each complex ethical and social issue. The platform also invokes certain ethical considerations, including intellectual property and anonymity, to provide students with a valuable first-hand perspective of these issues as they are being studied. The first known successful use of a specially-designed collaborative CMS in an undergraduate ethics course is reported with suggested refinements and improvements.
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