Lecture 2

CPE 1 – Computer Engineering as a Discipline

Topic: What is Engineering?

Intended Learning Outcomes:
Students should be able to meet the following intended learning outcomes:
• Understand the fundamentals and skills required in the field of computer
engineering professions.
• Learn the different careers in the fields of computer engineering professions.

Target Objectives:
At the end of the lesson, students should be able to:
• learn the role of engineering in contemporary society
• identify the different engineering disciplines

Lecture Guide:
What is Engineering?

Engineering is the application of science and math to solve problems. Engineers figure
out how things work and find practical uses for scientific discoveries. Scientists and
inventors often get the credit for innovations that advance the human condition, but it
is engineers who are instrumental in making those innovations available to the world.

What does an engineer do?

Engineers design, evaluate, develop, test, modify, install, inspect and maintain a wide
variety of products and systems. They also recommend and specify materials and
processes, supervise manufacturing and construction, conduct failure analysis,
provide consulting services and teach engineering courses in colleges and
universities.

Engineering skills include:

• the scientific method

• social, cultural and economic awareness
• mathematics
• biology, chemistry, physics and other areas of science
• creativity
• teamwork

Engineering disciplines cover:

• Mechanics and the construction of tools and machines of all sizes, from the
nano scale to entire manufacturing facilities.
• The creation of cars, trains, ships, boats, aircraft and all other vehicles.
• The design and production of chemical compounds.

Prepared by: ENGR. RICHARD N. MANGAY, MSManE, LPT, PCpE

Lecture 2
CPE 1 – Computer Engineering as a Discipline

• Operations of businesses and cities.

• Entertainment, industry, construction, transport, healthcare, defence and
more!

The field of engineering is divided into a large number of specialty areas:

• Mechanical engineering involves design, manufacturing, inspection and

maintenance of machinery, equipment and components as well as control
systems and instruments for monitoring their status and performance. This
includes vehicles, construction and farm machinery, industrial installations and
a wide variety of tools and devices.

• Electrical engineering involves design, testing, manufacturing, construction,

control, monitoring and inspection of electrical and electronic devices,
machinery and systems. These systems vary in scale from microscopic circuits
to national power generation and transmission systems.

• Civil engineering involves design, construction, maintenance and inspection of

large infrastructure projects such as highways, railroads, bridges, tunnels,
dams and airports.

• Aerospace engineering involves design, manufacturing and testing of aircraft

and spacecraft as well as parts and components such as airframes, power
plants, control and guidance systems, electrical and electronic systems, and
communication and navigation systems.

• Nuclear engineering involves design, manufacturing, construction, operation

and testing of equipment, systems and processes involving the production,
control and detection of nuclear radiation. These systems include particle
accelerators and nuclear reactors for electric power plants and ships,
radioisotope production and research. Nuclear engineering also includes
monitoring and protecting humans from the potentially harmful effects of
radiation.

• Structural engineering involves design, construction and inspection of load-

bearing structures such large commercial buildings, bridges and industrial
infrastructure.

• Biomedical engineering is the practice of designing systems, equipment and

devices for use in the practice of medicine. It also involves working closely with
medical practitioners, including doctors, nurses, technicians, therapists and
researchers, in order to determine, understand and meet their requirements for
systems, equipment and devices.

• Chemical engineering is the practice of designing equipment, systems and

processes for refining raw materials and for mixing, compounding and
processing chemicals to make valuable products.

Prepared by: ENGR. RICHARD N. MANGAY, MSManE, LPT, PCpE

Lecture 2
CPE 1 – Computer Engineering as a Discipline

• Computer engineering is the practice of designing computer hardware

components, computer systems, networks and computer software.

• Industrial engineering is the practice of designing and optimizing facilities,

equipment, systems and processes for manufacturing, material processing,
and any number of other work environments.

• Environmental engineering is the practice of preventing, reducing and

eliminating sources of pollution that affect air, water and land. It also involves
detecting and measuring pollution levels, determining sources of pollution,
cleaning up and rehabilitating polluted sites and ensuring compliance with local,
state and federal regulations.

What Do Engineers Do?

1. Design

A design engineer creates the initial design and schematics for various
structures, systems, machines, or equipment. Engineers who do this job use
advanced computer technology and applications, such as computer-aided
design (CAD) software, to help them create and test virtual models. Depending
on the type of structure or machine that is being built, an engineer may be asked
to develop a physical model or prototype to test in realistic situations.

From: https://www.wisegeek.com/what-does-a-design-engineer-do.htm

2. Machinery Maintenance

Machinery maintenance is the means by which mechanical assets in a facility

are kept in working order. Machinery maintenance involves regular servicing of
equipment, routine checks, repair work, and replacement of worn or non-
functional parts. Machines to be maintained include both heavy duty industrial
equipment and simple hand-operated machines.

Prepared by: ENGR. RICHARD N. MANGAY, MSManE, LPT, PCpE

Lecture 2
CPE 1 – Computer Engineering as a Discipline

Maintenance of machinery is frequently handled reactively (e.g. after a

breakdown) though it may also be done proactively, as with preventive and
predictive maintenance. Preventive maintenance keeps assets in good repair
through regular scheduled service; predictive maintenance relies on equipment
monitoring to detect problems before they result in a breakdown.

3. Transmission Engineer

A transmission engineer is a type of electrical engineer. Transmission engineers

work for electrical power companies, and generally need a bachelor's degree to
qualify for entry-level positions. Transmission engineers are called by a couple
of different titles, depending on which sector in the electrical power generation
industry they work.

4. Production Supervisor

A Production Supervisor is the person directly responsible for overseeing and

organizing the equipment, staff, and processes on a production floor. They will
oversee scheduling and routine production activities as well as acting as first-
line troubleshooting should problems arise.

5. Network Administrator

A network administrator is responsible for keeping an organization’s computer

network up-to-date and operating as intended. Any company or organization that
uses multiple computers or software platforms needs a network admin to
coordinate and connect the different systems.

6. Programmer

A computer programmer creates the code for software applications and

operating systems. After a software developer designs a computer program, the
programmer writes code that converts that design into a set of instructions a
computer can follow. They test the program to look for errors and then rewrite it
until it is error-free. The programmer continues to evaluate programs that are in
use, making updates and adjustments as needed.

References:
Jeffress, D. (2020, September 30). What does a Design Engineer do?. Wisegeek.
Retrieve from: https://www.wisegeek.com/what-does-a-design-engineer-
do.htm

Lucas, Jim. (2014, August 22,). What is Engineering? | Types of Engineering. Live
Science. Retrieve from
https://www.livescience.com/47499-what-is- engineering.html

Prepared by: ENGR. RICHARD N. MANGAY, MSManE, LPT, PCpE

Lecture 2
CPE 1 – Computer Engineering as a Discipline

Malvik, Callie. (2020, August 10). What Does a Network Administrator Do? A Behind-
the-Scenes Look. Rasmussen College. Retrieve from:
https://www.rasmussen.edu/degrees/technology/blog/what-
does-a-network-administrator-do/

McKay, Dawn Rosenberg. (2019, June 25). What Does a Computer Programmer Do?.
The Career Balance. Retrieve from:
https://www.thebalancecareers.com/what- does-a-computer-programmer-do-
525996

Time, Forest. (2018, December 27). What Is a Transmission Engineer? Career

Trend. Retrieve from https://careertrend.com/transmission-engineer-
16920.html

Prepared by: ENGR. RICHARD N. MANGAY, MSManE, LPT, PCpE