Electronic Engineering was one of the new core disciplines that was introduced when the National Institute for Higher Education (the forerunner of the University of Limerick) was established in 1972. As the University began to develop its research activities during the 1980s, research in the Department of Electronic and Computer Engineering (ECE) built on this base with particular emphasis on Computers, Telecommunications, Circuit Design and Microelectronics.

The success of these research activities was acknowledged nationally when the University was invited to become founder members of three programmes in advanced technologies: AMT (Microelectronics/Electronics Manufacturing), PEI (Circuit Design/ Distributed Control) and Teltec (Mobile Communications/Networks). The ECE faculty have considerable expertise in control networks, integrated circuits, microelectronics, sensors, mobile/wireless communications, optoelectronics, protocols for communications networks and network security. Over 110 research Masters and Ph.D. students have graduated to date and the group has produced over 200 journal and conference publications in the last five years.

Because of the range of topics and the number of faculty involved, the activities are divided into four theme areas:

(i) Communications Networks and Security

This theme is concerned with improving service provisioning in wired and wireless systems, bringing together algorithms, architectures and associated hardware and software components. The major focus is on the next generation mobile systems, known in Europe as the Universal Mobile Telecommunications Systems (UMTS), and activities based on wireless Internet.

Communications security research is focussed on the creation of verifiably secure communication protocols and the verification of existing cryptographic-based secure protocols for use in the Internet, electronic commerce and mobile communications.

(ii) Communications Signal Processing

The focus of the research on mobile and wireless communications is on signal processing aspects and their hardware implementation. Transmitter and receiver technologies are being studied, including bandwidth efficient modulation and coding, equalisation, detection and synchronisation techniques.

The optoelectronics research is focussed on design and implement-ation of optoelectronic devices and optical communications networks.

(iii) Circuits and Systems

This theme includes integrated circuit design, with particular emphasis on mixed signal techniques, embedded system design and control for automation.

The focal point is real-time control and instrumentation, with a particular interest in connecting many microcomputers together via a network to achieve a significant level of automation.

(iv) Sensors and Systems

This theme is concerned with the research and development of a wide range of sensors and sensing technologies - e.g. thick film, polymers, optical fibres and their associated microelectronic systems for a wide range of applications such as gas sensing and particle concentration measurement in fluids.

The ECE Department intends to further strengthen its research base in the future by continuing to attract quality researchers and postgraduate students and by actively pursuing a variety of collaborative funding opportunities.

Contact: cyril.burkley@ul.ie