Coursera: Intro to Power Electronics - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: PedroDaGr8
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 29, 2013, 04:24:02 am
content: QuoteThought it might be interesting for some of you guys.https://www.coursera.org/course/powerelectronics]https://www.coursera.org/course/powerelectronicsFor those that don't know Coursera consists of free online college classes. You don't get credit but you get quizzes, homework, lectures, etc. For those that like the structure of a classroom when learning it can be very useful.

author: jancumps
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: August 29, 2013, 06:42:44 am
content: I subscribed for September

author: Kremmen
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 29, 2013, 05:16:11 pm
content: Yep, i too have decided to see if they have any news for me. Robert Erickson is a well-known guy in the SMPS circles. I have some of his books and they are worth their price. The Fundamentals of Power Electronics - the course material, is by Erickson and Maksimovich, another name guy. Also both have written a lot of good articles to Spectrum, the IEEE magazine. So i expect this to be a good course.Other for me interesting courses are the "Linear and Integer Programming" as well as "Digital Signal Processing" by guys from Ecole Polytechnique Lausanne. Just thought to mention those if anyone else would find them useful.

author: PedroDaGr8
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 24, 2013, 05:32:22 am
content: Just a reminder that this is starting now!

author: jancumps
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: September 29, 2013, 08:09:48 pm
content: The class is really open nowStarting...

author: Spikee
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 29, 2013, 09:15:03 pm
content: As a student I also have signed up. The design classes at my college are a joke so I'll have to learn it myself.

author: Orpheus
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 01, 2013, 01:06:42 am
content: I'm in it too, but I'm a Coursera junkie. You likely wouldn't believe me if I told you how many courses I completed from Jan-Aug of this year, when I swore off because deadlines were becoming a strain (I now realize that a couple of 'eccentric' courses where messing me up). I've slowly crept back up to four in the last 2 weeks. Someone throw me a rope before I go down for the third time.Taking 8 courses at once isn't very hard if you put in 90 min a day, every day, as long as each course has a "clean" schedule [e.g. Watch the lectures, do any needed reading and exercises, take the quiz), but even 1-2 "eccentric" courses can really mess that up, and I've been seeing more of those. Examples of eccentricity include: two short lecture/exercise sets per week (or problem sets and quizzes on different release/due schedules); professors who don't follow their own lecture posting schedules; or out-of-main-sequence projects on top of your weekly routine (though all of these may be fine if you're only taking 4 or fewer courses)I find that many professors, especially in engineering classes, are quite comprehensible at 1.5x playback speed. Also, don't overlook the video download option. Many courses split their lectures into 5-15 min modules, perfect for viewing on your phone in idle moments

author: TimNJ
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 01, 2013, 06:35:57 am
content: I singed up. Since I'm a first year EE student, I'm sure I will run into a few glitches here and there since there are many concepts I don't yet understand.Nonetheless, what he taught so far was understandable and I like it.I've never done Coursera before, but say I actually passed the course, what can I "do with it"? (Other than have a working knowledge of the material.) Do I put it on my resume? Tell it to a future employer that I passed a course on switching converter design?

author: jancumps
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 01, 2013, 06:39:24 am
content: Make something that works with hte theory you picked up during the course, and put that on your resume.

author: PedroDaGr8
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 02, 2013, 05:07:08 am
content: Quote from: TimNJ on October 01, 2013, 06:35:57 amIt depends on the class. Some classes offer completion certificates and some even offer Verified Certificates (via Signature Track). In general though, Coursera is for you to learn on your own with no reward other than the knowledge you gain. Basically, you get to take/audit a college course on a topic maybe you otherwise would not be able to. Some courses are quite esoteric and as such maybe they wouldn't be offered at every school. If you are like me you learn better in a structured environment like this. So I find it VERY useful.

author: mswhin63
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 02, 2013, 07:15:13 am
content: I like Courera too but is very hard if you have other education commitments like I do. I instead use Udacity which most courses are at your own pace. Not as disciplined but OK for supplementary courses.

author: jancumps
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 05, 2013, 09:08:44 am
content: Oh dear my maths is rusty.Last time I've been touching something more complex than power of 2 was in 1994. I'm struggling with the basic equations in chapter 2.2

author: Kremmen
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 24, 2013, 12:37:49 pm
content: This course is now complete and the results are starting to come in.I know there is at least one other eevblog member who has completed, with distinction.My statement came just in time for xmas so here is a shameless brag.Completed with distinction.In January starts Embedded systems and Information Theory. Note to self: fill in the tank of night oil.

author: Galenbo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 24, 2013, 01:42:49 pm
content: I don't understand the Coursera subscription and timed organisation.I mean, why don't they simply post the videos with a short text description, so I can choose what&when?Like Barbara Hecker on youtube, teached me Android programming.

author: tszaboo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 24, 2013, 01:54:57 pm
content: I started it. And I gave it up somewhere in the middle 3rd video.I've expected something useful. The "time to integral" was something like 3 slides. Just another useless "remember the equation" course, the ones I was happy to leave university. I use integrals, and advanced math once every few months.

author: JoeO
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 24, 2013, 05:36:28 pm
content: Quote from: NANDBlog on December 24, 2013, 01:54:57 pmExactly the same with me. There was a step left out between the lectures and the homework.

author: Kremmen
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 24, 2013, 06:45:12 pm
content: Quote from: JoeO on December 24, 2013, 05:36:28 pmLike... er... doing the homework, actually?

author: Kremmen
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 24, 2013, 08:44:44 pm
content: Quote from: Galenbo on December 24, 2013, 01:42:49 pmMaybe because it is more than just a set of youtube videos.- the course spans a specific period of time during which all events take place. In that respect it mimics a true on-campus course. Sure, that is inconvenient for some but then physically attending on-campus would be considerably more so. And the timing give a backbone to the course by creating the schedule. It is so easy to start things and never finish them or even make significant headway if you are the sole scheduler.- the syllabus is a coherent set of topics unlike so many tube videos that bounce here and there without actually ever really completing the point- you enroll so you are recognized as a student of the course. Unlike youtube, at the same time you make a commitment to study (to yourself only, of course)- after the course is over you get a statement of accomplishment if one is warranted- there is the associated discussion forum and a number of facilitators and assistants to clarify things if necessary- the professor of the course is actually available on the forum during the course- the assignments have deadlines to make it possible to issue the statements in a timely manner- the statements are issued by the professor of the course based on what you accomplished during it.I have a hard time seeing how all of this could happen if you just had a set of clips in the tube.IMO this is much closer to the real thing than anything youtube can manage. I don't see it as a failure at all, instead just the other way around. And i like it. If others don't then that's all right and there are other ways to learn in the net.

author: jancumps
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: December 24, 2013, 08:56:00 pm
content: I gave up participating on the homework after assignment 3. It took me a ridiculous time to find the answer on the questions because of the state of my math knowledge. I have now put the calculus courses on my watchlist. Once i've regained my math I'll redo the training.I kept on following the lessons.I found this was an excellent course. Well given, well paced - just too difficult for me at this time.I don't share my fellow poster's critique about the homework. It was not just testing your ability to repeat the training. With the type of homework in this course you ended up with deeper and more knowledge on the subject (if your calculus skills match;))

author: tszaboo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 26, 2013, 05:31:00 pm
content: Quote from: jancumps on December 24, 2013, 08:56:00 pmThe point is 98% of the time you dont need calculus to design a power supply. Hell, I can webench one together in 10 minutes. And the other 5%, when you make say a microcontroller based one, still you don't design one with components coming from outer space. You have a set of inductors, which are rated for some current. I know I'm making this too simple, but you design it with that current and anything else doesn't really matter. Same goes with Fets, drivers, and the whole shebang. They are rated for something, and you dont need to integrate anything to select the right one.

author: JoeO
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 26, 2013, 05:43:21 pm
content: Quote from: Kremmen on December 24, 2013, 06:45:12 pmDon't be a jerk.

author: Kremmen
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 26, 2013, 07:20:39 pm
content: Don't be a whiner.Instead let us know what step was left out since you think that is the case.

author: Kremmen
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 26, 2013, 07:36:33 pm
content: Quote from: NANDBlog on December 26, 2013, 05:31:00 pmThat is the cookbook approach. The supplier tools let you throw together a more or less standard circuit without requiring any or very little understanding about what actually makes the circuit tick. You are more or less completely at the "mercy" of the supplier and the application and have to fit your requirements into what the app provides. The downside is that should your requirements fall outside the application areas that generate most revenue to the suppliers, you may find yourself on your own. And that was the real point of the course for me - to build true understanding of the underlying design principles. Now i am not a novice in power electronics so not all or even most of the contents was new but there is always something new or forgotten that is useful later. It is a pity that the course finished just when things would have become really interesting with tailoring the control loops and analyzing the stability. But never mind, that part i can do on my own.

author: Galenbo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 26, 2013, 10:28:11 pm
content: Totally useless for me:Quote from: Kremmen on December 24, 2013, 08:44:44 pmCould be useful :Quote from: Kremmen on December 24, 2013, 08:44:44 pmIf the quality of these last items is good, there could be some use for it. But is it really?

author: JoeO
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 27, 2013, 03:41:42 am
content: Quote from: Kremmen on December 26, 2013, 07:20:39 pm3 people have noted here that they quit in the 3rd week.That should be a big hint that there is some kind of disconnect.

author: Bored@Work
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 27, 2013, 05:33:10 am
content: Quote from: JoeO on December 27, 2013, 03:41:42 amLike when moving fromnicey, nicey, kissy, kissy, warm up, lets get to know each other, took, lets do some real work?

author: Kremmen
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 27, 2013, 07:32:40 am
content: Hard work spotlights the character of people: some turn up their sleeves, some turn up their noses, and some don't turn up at all.- Sam EwingP.S: stats from the course just for general interest:- over 31 000 students enrolled- 20 000+ counted as "active" according to the way Coursera evaluates this thing (at least 1 sign-in on the course site)- btw 3000 - 4000 students consistently active throughout the duration of the course- almost 300 000 downloads of the video lectures- over 15 000 individuals downloading the lectures- approx. 100 000 submissions of homework assignments, of which roughly 10 000 were unique (avg 10 tries per assignment)- nearly 9 000 posts on the discussion forums in 809 threads; over 21 000 total votes creating about 7 100 reputation points- estimated 500 - 1 000 certificates were issued (the stats were collected before the hard deadline)Prof Ericksons comments in the course epilog video:"many people sign on and they naturally filter into those who are able to handle it and who are motivated to do so"."I coudn't stand, frankly, to assign multiple choice questions because it is an engineering class"."The level of the questions was very close to what we would ask on campus".

author: jancumps
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: December 27, 2013, 07:40:37 am
content: Quote from: JoeO on December 27, 2013, 03:41:42 amplease don't count me as a confirmation of your findings. I quit because of my own lack of capabilities.

author: JoeO
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 27, 2013, 12:35:07 pm
content: Quote from: jancumps on December 27, 2013, 07:40:37 amDid you watch all the videos up to the third week? Did you understand the videos?

author: jancumps
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: December 27, 2013, 01:15:35 pm
content: Yes, I followed till the end. I also had good marks on the 3 assignments I did.But It often took me a whole evening + part of the night to get a few questions worked out. Combine that with late work because an SAP go-live I was dealing with in my day job. It was too much going on at the same time.I underestimated the time I had to dedicate to the homework (or overestimated my brain)