EEE @ VTU

Dream Workplaces for EEEians

2012-01-16T00:35:00.003+05:30

When we decide to find work after graduation, it is often a tug between opportunities and dreams. Here is a list of companies, which I consider as a great place for EE engineers:

(1) General Electric http://www.ge.com/in/

(2) Philips http://www.philips.co.in/

(3) ABB http://www.abb.co.in/

(4) Intel http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/homepage.html

(5) Schneider Electric http://www.schneider-electric.com/site/home/index.cfm/ww/?selectCountry=true

(6) Bosch http://www.boschindia.com/content/language1/html/index.htm

(7) Seimens http://www.siemens.com/answers/in/en/

(8) Festo http://www.festo-didactic.com/int-en/

(9) Wipro Lighting http://www.wiprolighting.com/

(10) Nokia Siemens http://www.nokiasiemensnetworks.com/

(11) Samsung http://www.samsung.com/in/

(12) ST Ericsson http://www.stericsson.com/home/home.jsp

(13) Kirloskar Electric http://www.kirloskar-electric.com/

(14) Microchip http://www.microchip.com/

...more coming soon!

P.S. I do not endorse any of the companies in the list above. The list is not a ranking by any means!

Study higher or Start work? An exercise to find the way out!

2011-06-11T12:51:00.003+05:30

Hello folks,

Most of us are a little confused about whether to "Study Higher or Start Work".

Honestly, there is no perfect answer whatsoever. It entirely depends on the individual, his/her aspirations in life and his/her environment.

While some want to settle with a job, others want to pursue higher education. But most of these folks are confused as to which comes next after Bachelors.

Let me list up a few key points to help decide "Study Higher or Start Work":

Rate yourself out of 5 (0-5) w.r.t. Study Higher and Work Higher. Then sum it all up and this might help you decide 'what next?'

Study Higher Start Work

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1) Enthusiasm ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2) Financial Situation

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3) Global market situation

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4) Goals in next 5 years

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5) Existing Job offer

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6) Domestic Education options

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7) International Education options

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8) Personal commitments

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9) Trend amongst you peers

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10) Career scope of the subject of Interest

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Total:

If the total is higher for Study Higher, go for it! If its the otherway around, Start Work!

It would be great if you can go through this exercise once in 6 months, starting from 4th year of B.E/ B.Tech till 5 years after graduation. It will help you analyse the win situation.

P.S. Would be helpful if you folks can list more some criterion we can add in the above list for this excercise :)

Disclaimer: This is not a scientific method. Hope it helps. A better method would be to meet a career counsellor!

A time to rethink our ideas!

2011-02-27T23:13:00.001+05:30

Dear Folks,

It has been an overwhelming response from you folks for this tiny little blog. Since I have been enjoying continuous support and interaction, I would like to get more involved in the interaction. Let me know how I can be useful to the EEE student community. So, here is our time, to rethink, to reform and to reorganize our ideas.

I request you folks to contribute ideas for this blog -
1) How this blog can be a better education blog for EEE engineers?
2) What content do you expect out of this blog in the next level?
3) What shall make this blog, an inseparable part of this wonderful community of EEE?
....

This is an open letter to all you folks. Contribute ideas and be part of the community. Please make sure you rain ideas, suggestions, supports and complaints (if any ;))!

I truly believe that you know what you want out of this blog! Thanks again :)

We <3 EEE!

It's time for (R)EVOLUTION!

Some cool Android apps for an EE engineer!

2011-02-15T08:14:00.001+05:30

Basic Electrical Engineering: 1st year - Physics Cycle

2010-10-07T19:28:00.005+05:30

06-ELE-15/25 - BASIC ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING [BEE]

1) Try to understand all units atleast to get the concepts even if you don't plan to study them for exams.
2) Some concepts might just feel out of reach. Try some animations and videos to understand the topic.
3) Every concepts which you learn in this subject will have to stay with you forever...exams --> further eee subjects --> placements --> work. If your basic concepts are clear, the path further makes more sense.

4) Text Books [VTU RECOMMENDED]:
E. Hughes; "Electrical Technology", International Students 9th Edition, Pearson, 2005.
Rajendra Prasad, “Fundamentals of Electrical Engineering”, Prentice- Hall of India Pvt. Ltd., 2005, ISBN: 81-203-2729-2.
5) Other Reading:

http://www.allaboutcircuits.com/ [Read Volume I - DC, Volume II - AC, Volume V - Reference, Volume VI - Experiments]
M V Rao, "Basic Electrical Engineering", Subhas Stores.
Jimmie J. Cathey & S. A. Nasar, "Schaum's Outline of Basic Electrical Engineering", McGraw-Hill.
C L Wadhwa, "Basic Electrical Engineering", New Age International.
D P Kothari & I J Nagrath, "Basic Electrical Engineering", Tata McGraw-Hill.
A Chakrabarti, S Nath & C K Chanda, "Basic Electrical Engineering", Tata McGraw-Hill.
V U Bakshi & U A Bakshi, "Basic Electrical Engineering", Technical Publications - Pune.

NOTE: Don't buy more than 2 books as "more books you refer, more confused you are, less you understand the real subject". Use Libraries and www.books.google.co.in for reference study from other books. Keep atleast one BEE book handy for your life. Don't sell textbooks. Save them for reference.

PART-A :

UNIT-I

1.a) D.C.CIRCUITS:

Definition of unidirectional quantity.
Ohm’s law – Definition, illustration, limitation.
Kirchhoff’s laws – Definition, illustration, applications. Analysis and illustrative examples
on simple series, parallel and series-parallel (simple two loop circuit analysis by branch current method only ) circuits excited by independent voltage sources.
Calculation of Power and energy.

1.b) ELECTROMAGNETISM:

Basics of magnetic circuits- Definitions of - magnetic circuit, flux, mmf, reluctance, flux density, Magnetic field intensity, leakage flux, fringing flux, leakage factor (prerequisite and no questions to be asked ) .
Faraday’s laws, Lenz’s law, Fleming’s rules. Statically and Dynamically induced emf’s. with the derivation of relevant equations for single conductor .Illustrative numerical examples
Definition and concept of self and mutual inductance, coefficient of coupling with derivation of relevant equations. Energy stored in magnetic field. Illustrative numerical examples.

UNIT – II

2. SINGLE PHASE A.C.CIRCUITS:

Definition of alternating quantity, frequency, time period of an alternating quantity. Generation of sinusoidal AC voltage. Definition of average value and rms value and evaluation of their values for a sinusoidal quantity. Form factor , peak factor.
COMPLEX ALGEBRA – complex numbers, scalar, vector and phasor. Representation of vectors, concept of the complex operator j, conversion of vectors from R to P and P to R forms, complex operations and use of calculator for the simplification of complex operations.(prerequisite and no questions to be asked)
Phase and phase difference, lag, lead and in-phase in vectors.
Analysis of pure R, pure L and pure C excited by sinusoidal emf. With proofs. Phasor diagrams, voltage, current and power oscillograms power consumption in each and power factor. Analysis of R – L, R –C and R – L –C circuits on a.c. Expression for power in an ac circuit. ( To prove that P = VI CosФ). Definition and units and equations of Active, reactive and apparent power in single phase circuits. Illustrative typical numerical examples ,on series, parallel and series-parallel circuits.

UNIT – III

3.THREE PHASE CIRCUITS:

Basics of three phase emf generation. Three phase balanced emf’s. phasor diagram, phase sequence, Oscillograms of three phase balanced emf’s. Comparison of three phase system with single phase systems, advantages. Three phase balanced loads (Star and Delta). Relationship between the line and phase quantities in balanced Star and Delta connected loads. Power in three phase balanced loads. Equation and measurement of power and power factor in balanced star and delta loads using two wattmeter method. Illustrative numerical examples.

UNIT – IV

4.a) MEASURING INSTRUMENTS:

Principle of electrical measurements- deflecting torque, controlling torque and damping torques(prerequisite ).
Construction and principle of operation of Dynamometer type wattmeter and Induction type single phase Energy meter.

4.b) DOMESTIC WIRING:

Two way and three way control of a lamp. Necessity and types of Earthing(Pipe and Plate earthing). Elementary discussion on fuse (definition of fuse, need , ratings and the materials used ). Electrical shock-Causes , prevention, precautionary measures and remedy.

PART - B :
UNIT -V

5. D.C. MACHINES:

Basic principle of D.C. machine as a generator and motor , constructional features. D.C. Generator, emf equation and illustrative examples on E.M.F equation only.
D.C. Motors – types and their representation, Back emf and its significance, voltage and current relations. Production of torque and the torque equation. Characteristic of D.C. Motors(T vs Ia,
N vs Ia, N vs T) . Applications of D.C. Motors, Need of a starter for D.C. motors . Numerical examples on D.C. Motors.

UNIT -VI

6. TRANSFORMERS:

Basic principle, construction and types (core and shell types) of single phase transformers.
EMF equation. Losses, efficiency (includes condition for maximum efficiency)
Definition and importance of voltage regulation. Numerical examples on EMF equation and efficiency only.

UNIT – VII

7. SYNCHRONOUS GENERATORS:

Basic principle and operation. Advantages of stationary armature, types and their construction.
EMF equation ,elementary idea of the winding factors without any derivation. Numerical examples on EMF equation .
Mention of Losses in Generators, calculation of efficiency (Losses to be given).

UNIT – VIII

8. THREE PHASE INDUCTION MOTORS:

Rotating magnetic field, principle of operation. Types and construction. Slip and its importance.
Applications of Induction motors. Need of a starter. Numerical examples on speed and slip calculations.

"Don't sell textbooks after the semester exams. Keep them for later reference. You will know their significance when you need to revise the concepts for other subjects or for placements"

Project Work - EEE, VTU

2010-09-28T21:05:00.004+05:30

The Project Work to be done during the final semester (8th sem) is a crucial stepping stone to enter the practical world. It takes you from being a theoretical engineer to a practical engineer. As we know, the world behaves not exactly as determined by equations. So, it is a challenge to engineer an idea into a reality, be it a design or a product. Project work is designed to put the student to a real-world task as a team member. It is not only a judgement of your technical skills, but also of your inter-personal skills. It is exactly this point of time, a genuine engineer is evaluated. It is not the marks that you score doing a project, but the skills you learned during its execution that really matters when you transit from 'Campus to Corporate'.

A Electrical & Electronics Engineer has probably the most versatile spread of topics for a good project. Right from Electrical machines to modern Electric Drives, from analog electronics to Robotics, from Embedded systems to Matlab simulation and modelling, from control engineering to automation,... there awaits a long list of topics to be chosen as the field for the project. Within each of these fields, lie thousands of real-life scenarios (project topics) to work on.

Although it is a bad idea to write the Project work process as a step-by-step procedure, I will attempt it to give you a rough picture of whole idea...

Steps for a successful project work:
Step 1 - TEAM UP: Form a team of people with a good attitude. Don't judge them using yourself as a model. It is essential that for a successful project, that people who make the team as ONE in spirit. It would be great to have people who can think in different ways. It would be great if they are one in spirit and are determined. Usually, a project team consists of 3 or 4 members.

Step 2 - PROJECT TOPIC: With a capability to foresee the future and a will to engineer, the stage is set to perform well. So, make sure you choose the right topic for a project. Take guidance from knowledgeable professors, professionals and seniors (passouts, ofcourse). Analyse your team's capabalities and the resources available (time, money, material, equipment, team members).
Here, arises one important question. What are the good ways to do a Project Work???
1) Project Work at College:
    - Requirements: A knowledgeable and willing Internal guide, resources or the ability to generate resources, a good knowledge base.
    - Advantages: Slower, Freedom to define the exact solution.
    - Disadvantages: Possible lack of support, lack of discipline, lack of access to costly resources.
2) Project Work at a Company / Industry:
    - Requirements: Knowledgeable and willing External and Internal guides, resources or the ability to generate resources, a good knowledge base.
    - Advantages: Faster or time bound, discipline, more rational hands-on approach, more practical experience, exposure to modern techniques and technology.
    - Disadvantages: Strict atmosphere, lack of demo projects, Less freedom to define the topic.
Overall: I prefer "Project Work at a Company / Industry". Makes you a real engineer!

Step 3 - Problem Statement: Analyse the topic with good precision and define the correct scope and boundary of your project work. Also, gather knowledge about the topic through research.

Step 4 - Design: With the objective for the project set, determine the most optimal design solution keeping problem statements and resource constraints in mind. Also, plan the roles to be performed and the time plan. Good documentation is very essential at every step starting from this step.

Step 5 - Implement: With the mind with a good idea and the heart full of determination, start with the implementation of the plan. Work your plan, direct, control and coordinate well. Also, keep track of things going haywire (bound to happen) and tackle them with planning along every step you climb or fall.

Step 6 - Testing: Although most students don't bother about the reliability of their project, it is essential because "If something can go wrong, it will!!!". So, test your project if it meets the objectives set and fix it to make it bug free. Also, run small demos for the guides to take good inputs from them. It also builds your confidence in handling the project viva voce.

Step 7 - Documentation: With the project completed, good documentation is the most essential component to make it successful. Make sure you document all that is required. Keep the work - Clean, Simple and Refined. Good documention shall earn you some marks in the exam too. Also, follow the guidelines set by the university in preparation of the Project Work Report, Demo, PPTs and content CDs.

All steps done well, is work 99% done. The remaining 1% helps you to score better in your final semester. Make sure you split work equally while presentation. Be alert on what you say in viva voce. What you say might win you the war or make you lose it. All the best!

The Effervescent 8th Semester, EEE, VTU

2010-09-22T19:19:00.002+05:30

Hi folks, here is a student guide on the ending note of bachelor of engineering, the 8th semester. It is one semester you will thoroughly enjoy, having less theory to study and more for hands on: Project Work and Technical Seminar. It is this phase in engineering life that you realize that you are not heading towards the end...but the very beginning of it...

> Industrial Management, Electrical Estimation and Economics (IMEEE) is a subject that is partly about management and partly about economics related to electrical estimation. It is an easy subject to study. But make sure you get your economic principles right...Good for scoring...

And the textbooks to look into are:
1. “Introduction to Management”- S. S. Chatterjee,
2. “Engineering Economics and Management” - N. Narasimhaswamy,
3. “Electrical Estimation and Electrical Wiring Systems”- Raghavendra Rao.

> Power System Operation and Control (PSOC) is a core electrical subject which deals with the power systems. It mainly deals with Power system control, optimization, unit commitment and security. It would be good if you revise your power system basics from PSA (7th sem) and CTPS (8th sem). Scoring is dependent on your understanding of the basic concepts of the power systems. The textbooks to study from are:
1. “Computer Aided Power System Analysis”- G.L.Kusic, PHI.
2. “Modern Power System Analysis”- I J Nagarath and D P Kothari, TMH, 1993.

> Elective D: Operations Research (OR) is a mathematical subject on the border line between core engineering and engineering management. It deals with the simplified analysis of engineering problems using well laid principles and algorithms. It is one of the closest subjects to my heart. It not only tests your problem stating in terms of mathematics, but also your common sense and aptitude in analyzing a given real-life situation in terms of mathematics. A good teacher with effective teaching tools like softwares and PPTs would be of great help. Once you master the techniques in this subject, it is a child's play to solve the problems in the exam. The unchallenged resource to study OR is :
1. “Operation Research An Introduction”-Hamdy A Thoha, Pearson Education, 8th edition, 2007.

> Elective E: Renewable Energy Sources (RES) is a core electrical subject dealing with different ways to tap renewable sources of energy. It is clearly enjoyable and fascinating. Also, studying this subject makes it easier to score and hence, you can spend more time on the successful completion of project. If you can remember and draw all the diagrams in the subject, you are well past the start line. A great book to study from is:

1. “Non-Conventional Sources of Energy”- 4th Edition, G D Rai, Khanna Publishers, New Delhi, 2007.

With these four theory subjects (2 main course + 2 electives), you are all set to attempt newer challenges in the 8th semester.

> Seminar: One of the most important qualities to be possessed by an engineer is to be able to structure data into information and present in a seamless and uncomplicated way. Seminar is one way of seeing how you need to approach a technical topic in a qualitative way without a compromise of its simplicity of understanding. The topics are to be chosen by students themselves under the guidance of their department guide. The student is thoroughly research the topic either by self experimentation or by reviews of others' experiments. Then the student is required to write a technical paper and also prepare a PPT. After reviewing the content of the paper, the student is given a date on which an internal exam for 50 marks is held where two faculty will accept the paper and evaluate your presentation. It also makes one get over the fear of expression of ideas which is critically required in a corporate environment.

> Project Work: Project work is the zenith of all that you can do practically in your engineering program. It requires the ideas and determination to do a good project. It also makes one develop a team spirit and leadership skills. It also touches upon documentation and project management which is essentially seen on a day-to-day basis in the corporate environment. The project work is reviewed for a total of 200 marks (100 internal marks + 100 external marks). The chances of scoring above 190 / 200 is high with a good problem statement, planning, execution, documentation and presentation of results. The most preferred and recommended methods of carrying out the project work are:
1. Project work at college under the able guidance of a guide from the department.
2. Project work at an industry / company / research lab under the joint guidance of the internal guide (from the department) and an external guide (from the organization).
Both have their very own pros and cons. Ideal time to start work on the project is in the 7th sem. You can go around on finalizing the project to collecting all requirements during the 7th semester. In the 8th sem, you can start-off with the actual design and implementation in the holidays after 7th sem exams. A good project is one which is relevant to your course of study, which is a innovative solution to a real world necessity / problem, one which is planned and executed in a proper time schedule within the set time plan and one in which the end results are successfully achieved as planned. We will touch upon the approach suitable for 'Project Work' in the future posts.

Here I complete one small journey to make the journey of future generation of innovators easy amidst the intriguing maze called 'Electrical and Electronics Engineering'. I shall write more on the best approaches to study EEE, in a broader spectrum, not limited to VTU. Shall also write about 'What next after B.E (EEE)?'. Stay tuned.

My journey of Bachelor of Engineering in Electrical and Electronics has ended successfully and I am on track to find the next great challenge in engineering. As I understand, beneath all the technical attributes of science and mathematics in engineering, is hidden its real understanding... "Engineering is equally an art and philosophy, as it is science and technology..."

And one more thing I expect of all is that, "You all make small attempts of sharing your knowledge and experiences in engineering and also in life". Individually, we know not a speck in the universe, but as a unified society we know atleast a handful of this vast universe. Share Ideas. Express Yourselves. Thank you :)

The Tantalising 7th semester, EEE, VTU

2010-06-08T09:35:00.012+05:30

Hi folks, here is the helpbook for the hopeful 7th semester EEE student (VTU).

This is the semester which gives the taste of the end. But not success. You need to work for your success. Not that is difficult like 6th Semester...but is surely challenging in its own way!

> Computer Techniques in Power System Analysis (CTPS) is a core electrical subject. It can be seen as a "Power System Analysis and Stability (PSA) of 6th Sem". It is more of a problem based subject. The techniques are easy...but small mistakes can spoil the whole party during the exam. Most important techniques are Iterative in nature. So, concentration and patience is the key to success in this subject.

As far as good textbooks are concerned,

Computer Methods in Power System Analysis- Stag, G. W., and EI-Abiad, A. H.- McGraw Hill International Student Edition. 1968 is good for understanding. Other books you may have to refer compulsorily are:

1. Modern Power System Analysis- Nagrath, I. J., and Kothari, D. P.,
-TMH, 2003.

2. Computer Aided Power System Operations and Analysis”- Dhar, R. N - TMH, New Delhi, 1984.
3. Power System Analysis- Haadi Sadat - TMH, 2nd Edition , 12th reprint, 2007.

> Electrical Power Utilization (EPU) is another core electrical technology subject. It is clearly enjoyable. It mainly deals with ways in which electrical power is utilized in industrial environments. If you have a great penchant for knowing how various process work, this is a subject for you. Imagination and creativity are important factors to understand this subject with lots of diagrams. Simple problems pose a fruitful challenge to score well.

Although the prescribed book:

Utilization Of Electric Energy- Openshaw Taylor is a excellent choice, I mostly used to refer to:

1. Utilization of Electric Power and Electric Traction- J B Gupta - S. K. Kataria & Sons Publications, 2007 reprint and

2. A Course in Electrical Power- Soni Gupta and Bhatnager-
Dhanapat Rai & Sons.

> High Voltage Engineering (HV) is yet another core electrical subject. It is a subject that should make you proud to be studying Electrical Engg. It deals with high voltages and currents, phenomena and methods to produce them and their applications. It is mostly theory and some problems. It is a easy and good subject to comprehend if you can imagine a lot. For the textbooks to refer:

1. High Voltage Engineering- M.S.Naidu and Kamaraju- 3rd Edition, THM, 2007.

2. High Voltage Engineering -C.L.Wadhwa, New Age International Private limited, 1995.

> Industrial Drives and Applications (ID) is a core electrical subject which deals with one of the most important applications of electrical machines in the industries, as Industrial Drives. This subject shows the extent to which electrical machines have replaced mechanical prime movers in industries. It explains the use and control of various electrical machines through theory, characteristics, waveforms and equations. It is one of the tough subjects of 7th semester. But with patience and understanding, one can score well in the exam.

The best books to study from would be:

1. Fundamentals of Electrical Drives”- G.K Dubey -2 Edition, 5th reprint Narosa publishing house Chennai, 2002.

2. A First Course On Electric Drives- S.K Pillai-Wiley Eastern Ltd 1990.

> Elective B: Embedded Systems (ES) is a core electronics subject which is a great subject to study. It is one of the subjects which might be your career in the future. With interesting topics in the subject and attractive career options, Embedded Systems is the elective to go for. It is mostly theory but clearly enjoyable if understood. All these books are great to study from:

1. “Embedded Microcomputer systems : Real time interfacing”- Valvano, J.W, Brooks/Cole, 2000.
2. “The Art of Designing Embedded systems”- Ganssle, Jack, Newness
3. “Embedded System, Architecture, Programming and Design”- Raj Kamal TMH 2003.

> Elective C: Discrete Control Systems (DCS) is a continuation of Control Systems which is a great subject to study. It is basically deals with the analysis of discrete time control systems in primitive and modern methods like mapping on a plane, state space analysis,...Most of the answers carry huge deals of marks and the student needs to be cautious in the choice of units. A good thing to do before you start on this subject is to revise your discrete mathematics (s, z,...transforms) and modern control theory.
A good book to study from is:
1. “Discrete-Time Control Systems”-Kutsuhiko Ogata, 2nd Edition, Pearson Education, 2003.
For further study, you can also refer to “Digital Control and State Variable Methods”-M. Gopal, 2nd Edition, TMH, 2007.

EEE: The toughest Branch of Engineering

2010-04-19T23:00:00.002+05:30

hi eee folks,

here is my honest and clear opinion on the branch "Electrical and Electronics".

You will do really well in this subject if you have learnt / are willing learn the following:

- Patience: most important ingredient to be successful in EEE.

- Comprehension: you have to imaging and understand everything in the subjects.

- Logical Thinking: represent all working of machines and phenomena as flowcharts to help you picture the whole process

- Mathematical Affinity: to begin with I clearly did not have a great liking for mathematics. But, subjects like CS, MCT, S&S, DSP,... have taught to savor the beauty of the subject. You need to do the same.

- A reasonable amount of superiority: You need to be assertive and confident about what you think, right or wrong. Unless you get a few things wrong at the start, you won't be successful.

I assume that with these characters, you are deemed to be successful, even in the toughest yet most beautiful branch in engineering. All in all, EEE may not be the average ruler in engineering, but is surely the undefeated warrior. EEE rocks ;)

The Confusing 6th semester, EEE, VTU

2009-09-05T17:00:00.001+05:30

Hi folks, here is the what-to-do and what-not-to-do helpbook for the weary 6th semester EEE student (VTU)

Don't relax, this is one of the most crucial semesters. You can either make it or mar it. It is the time when ppl start settling down because they see an Oasis in sight. But, it is this stupid mirage that tells you, "you are invincible"....i would say you aren't...

> Power System Analysis and Stability (PSA) is a hardcore EEE subject. It is very chaseable, provided you are on your 4x4 Buggy. All it has is some diagrams (diff types), matrices, equations and Networks. If you are good at imagining a good amount of Power System (Generation-Transmission-Distribution-Utilization), you are done studying this subject.

A good book for this is...

Modern Power System Analysis, TMH, I J Nagrath and D P Kothari...

Locally available Neelkantan is a good book....if you can list out all the errors in the book (you require a good tutor who can hunt these errors)

Hadi Sadat's Power System Analysis is good reference book.

> Switchgear and Protection (SGP) is a hardcore EEE subject. It is just theory about practical components of a good power system. It look very easy, it is easy to study, but really hard to score...because referring an easy textbook like Bakshi & Bakshi, Technical Publication causes this mirage. Refer the prescribed textbook,

Switchgear and Protection, Sunil S Rao, Khanna Publications for the best results. Mostly your level of performance in this subject in the clarity of your understanding in drawing the 2-D diagrams of different devices.

> Electrical Machine Design (EMD) is "the toughest" subject in EEE @ VTU and probably in BE @ VTU itself. It all comes down to your understanding of every single foundation of Electricals. It is mainly those weary long derivations and lengthy problems that are tough to understand. But, once you understand the principle behind the derivation and objective behind the problem, it seems less difficult. This subject, no matter what requires a really good teacher. Books hardly matter. The way it is taught and learnt matters. Unlike what I did, I advice you to take up some good coaching [to be read as tuitions :)] Once you are thorough with the understanding, you may go face the exam with atleast a handful of arrows.
As far as books are concerned,
referring "A Course In Electrical Machine Design" by A K Sawhney is very important.
That apart, refer "Electrical Machine Design" by Nagurkani which is like a simplified(VTUfied) version of A K Sawhney.
Also, find some helpful photocopy notes @ Krishna Xerox, Malleshwaram.

> Digital Signal Processing (DSP) is the successor of S&S. It is also very mathematical with beauty hidden behing those mundane mathematical procedures. Understand the meanings behind those equations and diagrams. Then this will turn out to be one enjoyable and scoring subject. Taking tuitions will help although I didn't.
Digital Signal Processing Principle, Algorithm & application- Proakis, Pearson education/PHI is a good book to be referred.
Digital Signal Processing by Chitode, Technical Publication also helps to get a look into previous years question paper problems.

> Electrical Drawing and CAD (ED) is a very enjoyable subject. With Mini-drafters and drawing boards, you learn to design electrical machines of all varieties. You even learn winding diagrams and power plant design. This easy subject can either be mastered or left unlearnt. You choose. More than the textbook / study material, the way you practically work with the instruments with your imagination and understanding is important.
Electrical Drafting -Devalapur, S. F., Eastern Book Promoters, Belgaum, 2006 is definitely worth to quickly grab the concepts. But, back this understanding with sheer hardwork and practice.

> Object Oriented Programming using C++ (OOPS) is the successor of C. Here the concept and objective of OOP, if understood in the real sense, shall help you score really well. Most of it is theory, with very few programs. Also, this a subject which would mean a lot for your placements.
Object Oriented Programming with C++- Balagurusamy, E. -TMH, 3rd edition, 2007 is a textbook worth reading. Apart from it, lots of books are available to strengthen your understanding of OOP concept and C++ programming.

The Tricky 5th Semester, EEE, VTU

2009-08-06T06:39:00.001+05:30

Hi folks, here is my tip to the confused soul of a 5th semester EEE student (VTU)...

Some of you might have faced the 2nd year with courage or sheer stress. But, remain unfazed... Even if you have not been able to do well, there is lots of scope to do well...inspite this being one of the toughest semesters of BE (EEE)

> Management and Entrepreneurship (M&E) is clearly a theory subject which according to me depends on your ability to express your ideas technically. It is an enjoyable subject that does not demand much attention as do the other core subjects of the semester. Recommended textbooks are:

1) Principles of Management - PC Tripati, P N Reddy, THM Hill,

2) Dynamics of Entrepreneurial Development & Management - Vasant Desai Himalaya Publishing House... Both are good reads and very informative. However, people claim they are too big to be digested and buy local author books like one by 'Naidu'. But, scoring is something like sheer luck... don't be sure to score well as the corrections would be...you know ;)

> Signals and Systems (S&S) is clearly one of the best engineering subjects of EEE Branch. It is purely mathematical (called 'Engg Maths-4'). If you can understand the physical significance of the equations you derive and solve, the subject will definitely leave you spell bound from the sheer simplicity of its working and the complexities of its applications. I took tuitions @ PATE, Jayanagar, B'lore-11 under Mr. Satheesh (Asst. Prof), who made us work lots of problems. As he had taught us to physically understand the equations, we had a really nice time solving about 350 problems in the tuitions. I would recommend him for Signals and Systems. As far as the textbooks are concerned, 1.) Signals and Systems - Simon Haykin and Barry Van Veen, John Wiley & Sons, 2001 is a really good book to grab the concepts, but for you to get some more questions, refer Old Question Papers and Signals and Systems by Chithode or Ganesh Rao. This is a good subject with very bright oppurtunities for a career in electronics industry...

> Transmission and Distribution (T&D) is a core electrical subject which is relatively easy. Only with thorough understanding of the transmission and distribution systems, you will be able to score. Knowledge of Field theory becomes essential in some parts of this subject. The prescribed textbook, 1.) A Course in Electrical Power - Soni Gupta & Bhatnagar, Dhanpat Rai & Sons (New Delhi) is a good book. But with a few topics missing and the apparent complexity of the knowledge in the book, most people stick onto book by Bakshi, Technical Publications.

> DC Machines and Synchronous Machines (DCM) is yet another core Electrical subject which deals with DC and Sync. Machines. It is a really enjoyable subject only if you can go beyond just the mindless formulas and pages of theory. Imagination of the working of these machines will not only help you get a sound understanding, but prepare you for the Laboratory of this subject which appears in the 6th semester. As far as the books are concerned, there are many, yet none are complete. So, you may have to refer a few good books to catch hold of its significance. Locally available book by Bakshi is also a good book, but remember only from the scoring point of view. To get really good marks boost your understanding by reading prescribed textbooks or books by B L Thereja.

> Modern Control Theory (MCT) is a subject which is a continuation of the Control Systems. Deeper you go into the modern aspects of Control Systems, easier it actually gets. Modern Control Theory is one of the subjects of 5th semester where you can score really well. Digital control & state variable methods- M. Gopal, 2nd edition, THM Hill 2003 and Control system Engineering- I. J. Nagarath & M. Gopal, 3rd edition, New Age International (P) Ltd. are the prescribed textbooks. Both are good and deliver a sound understanding of the subject. I took tuitions @ PATE, Jayanagar, B'lore-11 under Mr. Mallikarjun (HOD and Prof.), who made us work lots of problems. Practice is the key to a good score in MCT.

> Linear IC's and Applications (LICA) is one of the tough subject of 5th semester, EEE. A good knowledge of AEC (3rd Sem) will be of much use for the study. There are hundred and above circuits to remember and a dozen design approaches. So, being able to identify and discriminate between different problems is the skill required.

Operational amplifiers and linear IC’s - David A Bell, PHI 2008 and

Operational amplifiers and linear IC's - Ramakanth A Gayakwad, Pearson, 4th edition, 2007

are the important textbooks. There isn't much theory to be studied understood under this subject. A good understanding of LICA is required to simplify the work in Circuit Simulation and Measurements Lab(CSML).

> Circuit Simulation & Measurements Lab (CSML) is an application lab of both electrical measurements and linear ICs. It both actual experiments of LIC as well as their computer simulation using a software package...PSpice Student. Measurements experiments are very easy to conduct, so expect tough viva questions...whereas in LIC expts, getting the output itself is a trick (be strong in your LIC Design).

> Transformers and Induction Machines Lab (TIML) is an application lab of the subject Transformers and Induction Machines. It is clearly the toughest Lab in EEE Branch...Success isn't guaranteed here unless you understand the real basics in TIM. Most of the experiments have elaborate connections to make and more intricate procedures to follow. Beware, every step is a potential fall down the crevice. But, one thing is clear...if you could handle TIM well in either your study/exam, then you can relax in this lab. You can do really well. Ofcourse, the Viva will be testing you to your limits of Knowledge and Guts. 'Relax and Focus' is the key to success. Refer the best available manual...concentrate on the procedure or else you could blow up the lab :D

ALL THE BEST!!!

The Challenging 4th Semester, EEE, VTU

2009-07-04T21:23:00.004+05:30

Hi folks, here is my tip to the 4rd semester EEE student (VTU)....
> Engineering Mathematics-4 (M4) is one of the easiest of all the four we study in engineering. I referred Dr. K S C's Engg Math-4 Book. It is very Good and is beautifully written and structured for the subject conforming to syllabus. Concentrate on the Statistics, part-b of the Syllabus (it is more difficult than part-a)
> Microcontrollers (MC) was one of my fav subjects in 4rd sem. It is usually the fad in electronic projects of 8th Semester. I referred the books: For PART-A: Kenneth J. Ayala ; “The 8051 Microcontroller Architecture, Programming & Applications” 2e, Penram International, 1996 / Thomson Learning 2005. For PART-B: Muhammad Ali Mazidi and Janice Gillespie Mazidi and Rollin D. McKinlay; “The 8051 Microcontroller and Embedded Systems – using assembly and C ”- PHI, 2006 / Pearson, 2006
> Control systems (CS) was my fav subject in 4th sem. Tuitions of RCS @ SSM taught me not just the subject but rather its soul. Everything is elegant in this subject. Study it with lots of passion. I referred Control Systems by Bakshi as a supplement to my tuition notes.
> Field Theory (FT) is another classical Physics subject which can bring joy if you can capture the subject in your imagination. I partly referred the book, “Engineering Electromagnetics”, William H Hayt Jr. and John A Buck, Tata McGraw-Hill, 7th edition, 2006. I also took tuitions by RCS @ SSM. Only his teaching is solely responsible for the liking I developed for the subject. I studied his tuition notes mainly. The implications of stuff studied in FT are apparent only in your higher semester subjects.
> Power Electronics (PE) is clearly one of the hottest branches of EEE. PE provides a sound basic for higher study in this subject. I studied the book, “Power Electronics”, M.H.Rashid 2nd Edition, P.H.I. /Pearson, New Delhi, 2002. Mainly i referred to "Power Electronics", J. S. Chithode (inspite of its raw dealing with the subject)
> Transformers and Induction Machines (TIM) is one of the core subjects of our Branch. A sound understanding of this subject is required for both subjects later as well as the TIM lab. I referred to "Transformers and Induction Machines" by Bakshi, Technical Publications. But to score well and understand the subject well, please refer to the books, “Theory of Alternating Current Machines”, Alexander Langsdorf, T.M.H. and “Electric Machines”, I. J. Nagrath and D. P. Kothari, 2nd Edition, T.M.H.
> Microcontrollers Lab (MC Lab) requires the best possible understanding of the assembly and C programming. The skill in both these shall be an enormous benefit to successful completion of MC Lab. Refer a good manual, moreover be prepared to write your own version of the programs...
> Power Electronics Lab (PE Lab) is a direct applicatin of circuits studied in the theory part of the subject. Ability to predict the outcome and behaviour of a PE Circuit shall be a booster in this Lab. Refer a good manual and study lots of theory...
ALL THE BEST!!!

The Intimidating 3rd Semester, EEE, VTU

2009-02-07T21:09:00.001+05:30

Hi folks, here I have given my honest opinion about things that bother a 3rd semester EEE student (VTU)....

> Engineering Mathematics-3 (M3) is the easiest of all the four we study in engineering.

Honestly I referred Dr. K S C's Engg Math-3 Book. It is very Good and is beautifully written and structured for the subject conforming to syllabus.

> Analog Electronics Circuits (AEC) was my fav subject in 3rd sem. I referred the book

"Electronic Devices and Circuit Theory", 9th Edn, Boylestad and Nashelsky, Pearson Publication

It is a well written book which ofcourse i had supplemented by taking tuitions under YJ @ SSM.

Try to enjoy studying AEC by going to his tuitions.

> Logic Design (LD) is an easy subject but tricky remember. Study it well. I referred two books, one by Yarbrough and another by Donald D Givone. Both are excellently written no doubt, but Givone is a better one.

> Network Analysis (NA) is another subject which brought me joy. I referred to a book by Dr Ganesh Rao which is a good option. But, honestly this is subject which requires not only a well written book but one with lots and lots of problems (solved and unsolved). Practice is the key for success in this subject. I also took tuitions by RCS @ SSM. He is the only engg teacher I revere, no doubts about that. I have no words to describe his teaching :)

> Electrical Measurements (EM) is a good subject often neglected by most students since they consider it to be boring theory and non-mathematic. It actually is the subject which lays strong foundations for sound knowledge in our field. I studied a book by Bakshi. But i will ask you to read a better book like A K Sawhney.

> Electrical Power Generation (EPG) was the easiest subject of the semester. I studied the book by Chakraborti, Soni, Gupta and Bhatnagar. Most important thing you should remember is to learn to draw good diagrams...I loved drawing and I still do...:)

> Analog Electronics Lab and Logic Design Lab (AECL and LDL) are probably the best labs in engineering. I enjoyed them the most. I liked working with tiny components and ICs (minus my sluggish team).

Refer a good manual given by your college or here I will post one shortly...

ALL THE BEST

Welcome to the home of eee

2009-02-07T21:05:00.001+05:30

Hi friends

I am currently pursuing my B.E.(EEE) @ Dayananda Sagar College of Engineering, Bangalore.

I have always believed that 'Knowledge Sharing is Caring'.

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Thank You. Keep Visiting...:)