Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science
INSTITUTE OF SOUND AND VIBRATION RESEARCH
MSc Sound and Vibration Studies	Year: 2002-03

Module Specification

Unit/Module Code:	Module Title:
IS636	MATLAB Computation

1.	Basic Information

Department responsible for the module	ISVR
Programme	MSc Sound and Vibration Studies ; also available to MPhil/PhD students registered in ISVR
Timetable	Semester 1
Session	2002-03
Credit Value	10 CAT points (= 100 hours) Level H
Pre-requisites	None
Co-requisites	None
Module Lecturers	Mr S J C Dyne
Contact	sjcd@isvr.soton.ac.uk
Formal Contact Hours	Computing laboratory workshops = 24 hours
Private Study Hours	26 hours assignments up to 50 hours other (including own study time to complete computing laboratory exercises)
Coursework	Three assignments one of which is completed in limited time (1 h 40 m)
External Examiner	Dr H Hunt
Last Approved
Last Revision	17/9/2002
Course Web Site



2.	Description

2.1	Aims

	The aims of this module are to: Provide a general introduction to MATLAB and to introduce algorithms for the solution of engineering problems in vibrations, acoustics and signal processing in an interactive PC environment.

2.2	Objectives (teaching)

	To introduce the student to the MATLAB language. To apply simple algorithms coded in a computer language for the solution of problems in vibrations, acoustics and signal processing. To give the student direct experience of MATLAB in an interactive PC environment.

2.3	Objectives (planned learning outcomes)

	Knowledge and understanding
	Having successfully completed the module, you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of: The MATLAB language, programming methods, program documentation, debugging and efficiency. Vector an matrix manipulation. MATLAB Functions and script m-files. Flow control using IF, IF ELSE, FOR and WHILE. Logical operators. Data input and output.

	Cognitive (thinking) skills
	Having successfully completed the module, you will be able to: Solve engineering problems by converting algorithms into computer code. Recognise and select appropriate program control structures for efficient programming.

	Practical, subject-specific skills
	Having sucessfully completed the module, you will be able to: Interpret and write code written in the MATLAB language.

	Key transferable skills
	Having successfully completed the module, you will be better able to: Acquire a working knowledge of other programming languages. Express engineering problems as mathematical matrix problems.

2.4	Teaching and Learning Activities

	Teaching methods include

	4 laboratory sessions per week. Computing laboratories using MATLAB. The typical lab class size is 20. The first session commences with a didactic introduction to the language and some simple syntax. Subsequent sessions begin with a review of previous work followed by the introduction of a new topic. Students are presented with an A5 booklet of course notes at the start of the programme. These notes are a comprehensive introduction to MATLAB and comprise instructions, demonstrations and graded simple exercises which test material as it is introduced and develop applications. The lecturer assists the students as they work through the exercises provided. Feedback is given by advice and assistance in the laboratory session. Students join the course with widely varying experience of MATLAB and related programming languages and this is dealt with by proportionate assistance during the computing laboratory sessions. Students need to work in their own time to complete the laboratory work and are able to go to the lecturers for assistance both during the laboratory sessions at other times by appointment.

	Learning activities include

	Interactive computer sessions on a PC during timetabled sessions. Many students also continue this work outside the timetabled sessions working in small groups and sometimes consulting with other students. There are three formal assignments which are more demanding than the simple exercises presented in the laboratory sessions. The lecturer provides as much help as is necessary to complete the full set of simple exercises (which are not assessed) but students are required to work on the formal assignments on their own. Students are encouraged to share experiences with each other and with the whole class at intervals throughout each session.

2.5	Methods of Assessment (summative assessment)

MSc Sound and Vibration Studies
Assessment Methods	Number	% contribution to final mark	Comment
Computer-based assignments	2	60	Deadline: End of week 12
Time-limited computer based assignment	1	40	Deadline: End of weeks 5 and 9


2.6	Feedback to students during module study (formative assessment)

	Tutorial assistance to cover issues raised through example sheets. Computing laboratories provide informal assessment through individual interaction.

2.7	Relationship between the teaching, learning and assessment methods

	The assignments tests students’ knowledge of the syntax of MATLAB and their ability to apply MATLAB to solve simple engineering problems.

3.	TOPICS COVERED

	Introduction to Matlab in an interactive environment Simple maths The working environment Saving and recovering data Display precision Mathematical functions Complex numbers The colon operator Array operations Matrix operations Input and screen output of matrices Scalar-matrix operations Transpose operator Matrix-matrix operations The colon operator to access array elements Eigenvalues and eigenvectors in the solution of vibration problems Plotting and graphics Simple plots Annotation on plots Linear and logarithmic axes Polar plots The special case of plots of complex quantities Transfer functions of single degree of freedom systems Acoustic radiation patterns in polar form M-files Script files Function files Combining dB values Numerical differentiation Program control For While If and if else Conditional tests Factorials Newton Raphson iterations Strings String functions Concatenation Strings with more than one row Passing strings into and out of functions The ASCII character set The function eval Data input and output Importing data into Matlab Exporting data from Matlab Interfacing with Microsoft Word

4.	RESOURCES

	Core Texts

	AUTHORS	TITLE/EDITION/DATE	PUBLISHER	UNI. LIB Class Mark	E.J. Richards Library

1.		The primary text for the course is a fully indexed A5 Booklet of course notes that is provided to all students at the start of the programme. Students also have access to several on-line help resources including a native help programme, full copies of the MATLAB help desk and on-line internet connection to the MATHWORKS web site.

	Secondary Texts

	AUTHORS	TITLE/EDITION/DATE	PUBLISHER	UNI. LIB Class Mark	E.J. Richards Library

1.	The Mathworks Inc	Matlab Reference Guide, 1993	The Mathworks Inc		20 loan 1 ref

2.	The Mathworks Inc	Matlab User Guide, 1993	The Mathworks Inc		20 loan 1 ref

3.	The Mathworks Inc	The Student Edition of Matlab, 1995	Prentice-Hall		1 ref

4.	The Mathworks Inc	The Student Edition of Matlab, 1997	Prentice-Hall		1 ref


	Other library support

	The ISVR’s E J Richards Library houses additional texts on numerical analysis, MATLAB toolboxes and other programming languages.

	Staff required

	The course requires one lecturer with experience of MATLAB and some familiarity of the PC network.

	Teaching space, layout and equipment required

	Use of dedicated computer room (in ISVR) for students, consisting of a series of PCs with MATLAB. An overhead projector is also required.

	Laboratory space required

	None.

	Computer requirements

	These are provided by the Department - see above.

	Software requirements

	MATLAB

	Off-campus activities

	None.

	Part-time/distance learning students

	No special provision is made.

	Other

	None.