2022
Autores
Sousa, RB; Rocha, C; Mendonca, HS; Moreira, AP; Silva, MF;
Publicação
IEEE ACCESS
Abstract
The technological market is increasingly evolving as evidenced by the innovative and streamlined manufacturing processes. Printed Circuit Boards (PCB) are widely employed in the electronics fabrication industry, resorting to the Gerber open standard format to transfer the manufacturing data. The Gerber format describes not only metadata related to the manufacturing process but also the PCB image. To be able to map the electronic circuit pattern to be printed, a parser to convert Gerber files into a bitmap image is required. The current literature as well as available Gerber viewers and libraries showed limitations mainly in the Gerber format support, focusing only on a subset of commands. In this work, the development of a recursive descent approach for parsing Gerber files is described, outlining its interpretation and the renderization of 2D bitmap images. All the defined commands in the specification based on Gerber X2 generation were successfully rendered, unlike the tested commercial parsers used in the experiments. Moreover, the obtained results were comparable to those parsers regarding the commands they can execute as well as the ground-truth, emphasizing the accuracy of the proposed approach. Its top-down and recursive architecture allows easy integration with other software regardless of the platform, highlighting its potential inclusion and integration in the production of electronic circuits.
2022
Autores
Ferreira, P; Malheiro, B; Silva, M; Borges Guedes, P; Justo, J; Ribeiro, C; Duarte, A;
Publicação
EDULEARN Proceedings - EDULEARN22 Proceedings
Abstract
In a traditional Engineering curriculum, computers replaced electronic calculators that replaced slides rules, always with the purpose of calculating more, better, and faster. Nowadays, besides being interconnected, computers are embedded in many devices, from smartcards to automobiles, with diverse functionalities and executing a wide range of tasks. Modern engineers use programming languages (with computers) not only for calculations, but also for automating software or equipment. While offering multiple possibilities, embedded processors place also serious restrictions on the programmer, as some tools have serious limitations and deviations from "normal programming", for instance while debugging. The chip shortage due to the COVID-19 pandemic has further complicated the situation, as some development boards are unavailable, have astronomical prices or both. This paper discusses the use of Python and micropython for teaching programming, in the context of a Project Based Learning experience involving a multicultural and diverse team.
The use of Python allows the use of an Open Source language with a wide variety of applications like scientific computing, data mining, web engineering, system management and many others. MicroPython allows the reuse of the same language and associated programming knowledge in small embedded platforms. The interactive nature of Python facilitates the debugging of the built systems, while the abstractions provided by the language ease the task of porting the software to a different development board. The use of a board simulator can mitigate the reduced availability of boards, due to chip shortage or any other procurement difficulty. When compared with the traditional embedded choice of the C programming language, the use of MicroPython requires more memory, a greater processing power and is slower. These arguments may not be as sound as they seem, because: the price differential to a better processor may be negligible; the memory required to support MicroPython may be the same required to support the networking libraries needed; the time critical Python functions can be replaced by faster functions in C; MicroPython proves a faster development, so a faster time to market. This approach has already been validated by our students, with good acceptance and notable results in several projects.
2022
Autores
Ferreira, P; Malheiro, B; Silva, M; Borges Guedes, P; Justo, J; Ribeiro, C; Duarte, A;
Publicação
EDULEARN Proceedings - EDULEARN22 Proceedings
Abstract
Higher Education Institutions (HEI) design and implement globalisation and internationalisation policies to promote the image, expand influence and increase both the number and quality of staff and students. This is especially important for engineering schools competing for the reduced cohort of motivated Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) applicants available yearly. Moreover, to train future engineers, engineering education needs to depart from the traditional teacher-centred paradigm. Student-centred learning is central to maintain high student motivation and to drive the development of hard (scientific and technological) and soft (inter-personal) skills. For students to develop these 21st-century engineering skills, today’s curriculums must embed student-centred pedagogical methods, address the design and implementation of solutions guided by ethics and sustainability, and expose undergraduates to multicultural multidisciplinary teamwork, under strong efficiency constraints.The European Project Semester (EPS) is a project-based, international teamwork initiative, that replaces the design capstone semester of undergraduate engineering degrees. It is offered by a network of 19 HEI located in 12 different European countries. The network develops transnational projects together and exchanges students, staff, ideas, and best practices, expanding the influence of the providers. EPS at the Instituto Superior de Engenharia do Porto (EPS@ISEP) runs during the spring semester. It provides 30 European Credit Transfer System Units (ECTU), with 20?ECTU assigned to the project module and 10?ECTU equally divided by five support modules: Energy and Sustainable Development, Ethics and Deontology, Foreign Language and Culture, Marketing and Communication, and Project Management and Teamwork. The programme is offered to international and local students, but during its 12-year existence most students were international. The students are placed in teams considering psychological profiles. The multiculturalism and the diversity of skills within teams also foster a more inclusive and enriching learning experience. The sustainability and ethics objectives are requirements to be considered in the solution design and in the choice of technologies and components for the project implementation. The weekly project meetings between the teams and the coaching panel (7 teachers from 6 different departments), are not only pivotal to the project-based learning process, but promote the internal dialogue between departments and scientific areas. The reduced project budget provides a strong creative stimulus, while reinforcing the sustainability criteria, since turnkey solutions and waste are incompatible with a constrained bill of materials. Besides the positive effect of the programme on student training/education, as shown by the grades and the projects' documentation, EPS@ISEP has strongly influenced the teacher's skills and performance, as attested by the number of programme-related publications and its influence on other courses and modules offered by ISEP. EPS@ISEP is an effective low-cost programme that acts as a testbed and catalyst in the process of bringing engineering education into the 21st century, following sound ethical and sustainability criteria. EPS@ISEP contributes to the globalisation and internationalisation of ISEP as well as to the dissemination and adoption of best practices in engineering education.
2022
Autores
Silva, M;
Publicação
Journal of Artificial Intelligence and Technology
Abstract
[No abstract available]
2022
Autores
Costa, T; Coelho, L; Silva, MF;
Publicação
Advances in Medical Technologies and Clinical Practice
Abstract
2019
Autores
Montes H.; Tokhi M.O.; Virk G.S.; Armada M.; Rodríguez H.; Fernández R.; González De Santos P.; Sánchez V.; Silva M.;
Publicação
Robotics Transforming the Future - Proceedings of the 21st International Conference on Climbing and Walking Robots and the Support Technologies for Mobile Machines, CLAWAR 2018
Abstract
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