Analog signal processing: a better way to teach circuits and systems

A new undergraduate curriculum in electrical engineering has been adopted by the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Illinois. The most radical change has been the introduction of ECE 210, Analog Signal Processing, in place of both the sophomore-level circuit analysis course and the junior-level signals and systems course. The new course combines core material from these traditional courses, along with applications such as AM radio and a modest laboratory component, in a way that improves both the students' understanding and their motivation. The new course still serves well as the core of the required curriculum and as a prerequisite for subsequent courses, while realizing a two-credit-hour saving in the early curriculum and allowing more time for advanced signal processing and systems courses in future semesters.