A Knowledge Capturing Integrated Design Environment For A Course In Electrical Circuits

Software tools have become a major and necessary part of the world of the working engineer. In fact, courses in electrical circuits involve the use of an ever increasing array of software tools. Word, Excel, Power Point, PSpice, and MATLAB represent some of the most commonly used programs. It is extremely important to integrate these together into what is called an integrated design environment. In addition to organizing them into an easy-to-use environment, the information generation by their use must also be captured and captured in an intelligent manner. This knowledge capturing integrated design environment, or KCIDE, becomes a working platform that students can readily use. Besides, the software follows a six-step procedure in solving circuit problems, which gives students a reference framework for problem solving. The development and utilization of the KCIDE software platform are explained. The design and implementation of the KCIDE software are also discussed. In addition, all the basic concepts can be expanded into the more complex world of the working engineer where laboratory results can also be integrated. Future extensions and advanced features of KCIDE that are being developed are also introduced. An additional benefit to using such a platform is that it makes assessment a much easier task. It is intended that the KCIDE software will be made available to all conference attendees who wish to have it.