Memorandum

To:

Professor Kelly Roberts

From:

Marshall Bolen

Date:

10/4/2015

Subject:

Extended Technical Definition and Description

This memo contains my response to your request of a technical definition and description of a term in
my field. I have chosen coding software as my term, which refers to the software used in engineering
that code is entered into. I have included explanations of the targeted audience, purpose of defining and
describing my term, the placement of the definition and description, and the choice of visuals that were
included.

Audience
The audience of my technical definition and description would be engineering students at the University
of Idaho or other universities. The level of education would vary slightly, depending on what year the
student is in their engineering program. I have written the extended definition and description to a level
that a freshman could interpret.

Purpose
The purpose of my extended technical definition and description is to educate engineering students
about engineering coding software. The education stresses the importance of coding software in the
field of engineering, and informs the students on how to access the software. It also includes a section
at the end that encourages the students to learn how to code and use the software as soon as possible,
seeing as it will benefit them in their classes and career.

Placement
The placement of the extended technical definition and description would be in a speech, presentation,
or email to engineering students. The speech or presentation could also be incorporated into the 100
level courses that the different engineering majors start in.

Visuals
I chose a three dimensional plot from Matlab and a picture of an Arduino Uno microcontroller board.

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Technical Definition of Coding Software

Engineering coding software is software that code is entered into in order to solve engineering
equations, model and analyze engineering systems, as well as program microchips to control circuits and
robotic systems. The most commonly used engineering coding software programs are Matlab (Matrix
Laboratory), EES (Engineering Equation Solver), TK Solver, and Arduino. These programs use their own
languages that resemble C and C++ programming languages.

Matlab
Matlab is an interactive environment with a high level language that allows for the manipulation of
matrices, plotting of functions and data, implementation of algorithms, and creation of user interfaces.
The program can also interface with programs written in other languages, such as C, C++, Java, Fortran
and Python.

EES
Engineering Equation Solver is a general equation solving program that can numerically solve many
combinations of non-linear algebraic equations and differential equations. Other uses of this program
include performing optimizations, solving integral equations, performing linear and non-linear
regressions, providing uncertainty analyses, and generating high quality plots.

TK Solver
TK Solver is another equation solving program with a declarative programming language, algebraic
equation solver, iterative equation solver, and a structured interface based on 9 objects. These objects
are rules, variables, units, lists, tables, plots, functions, formats, and comments.

Arduino
Arduino is an open source prototyping platform that uses code written in the Arduino programming
language. The code is written in the Arduino software program and is sent to an Arduino microcontroller
board through a USB cord. The microcontroller board reads inputs and turns them into outputs.

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Technical Description of Coding Software

Engineering coding software consists of programs that engineering students and professional engineers
can use to speed up the process of design and analysis. The programs can be used to solve and iterate
equations much faster than any human can do by hand, and they can store vast amounts of information
that can be called upon at any time. This information can be in the form of lists of values and properties,
algorithms, functions, equations, and if-then-else statements. The programs can also be used to create
plots and renders that are proportionally accurate and high enough quality to publish.
Figure 1. Matlab 3D plot

Matlab
Matlab is the most
commonly used
engineering coding
software program, and is
often the first program
engineering students learn
how to use. Its interface is
very user friendly and is
compatible with many
other programs. It has an
extensive function library
and even allows for the
creation of functions. It
can also generate detailed
two dimensional and three
dimensional plots. Matlab
has such a broad range of abilities that it can be used in all fields of engineering. One of its add-ons,
called Simulink, allows the simulation of model-based dynamic and embedded systems and can record
data of these systems performance. Simulinks interface is like a canvas where you place different
blocks from its library and create a graphical representation of your system analysis.

EES
EESs interface is a lot simpler than Matlabs, and it is used for more specific calculations. EES is mostly
used to solve thermodynamic and heat transfer problems, because it contains the parametric tables and
thermodynamic properties of hundreds of fluids. The program can call upon the values from these
tables and properties to iteratively solve equations, which would be extremely time consuming and
tedious to do by hand. It also has convenient unit conversion functions and checks for unit consistency,
which is very important in the fields of thermodynamics and heat transfer. EES can be used to create
pressure-volume diagrams and other useful plots of thermodynamic states and processes.

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TK Solver
TK Solvers interface is about as simple as EESs interface, but its a lot more organized. More specifically,
its organized into nine classes of objects, which are displayed on about a dozen different windows. The
nine classes are rules, variables, units, lists, tables, plots, functions, formats, and comments. Most of the
code is entered as rules in the form of equations, formulas, and logical functions. The program creates a
list of variables, which can be inputs, outputs, lists, or even a guess variable where it guesses a value.
Functions can also be created, just like in Matlab. The comments and units are entered next to the
variables and comments can also be entered between rules. Lists, tables, and plots can be created
without coding, and formats can be set once you create them. Once everything is set, TK Solver can
create a very organized report of the work.

Arduino
The Arduino software looks like a blank text workbook, in which pure code is entered into. Unlike the
other programs, Arduino cannot solve equations, create graphs, and call on massive libraries of data and
equations. This is because its used to
communicate with microcontroller
chips on Arduino boards, and, through
the boards, program electric and
robotic systems. The code usually
consists of loops and commands from
Arduinos library to specify what needs
to happen in the loop. The Arduino
platform is mostly used for educational
purposes, to introduce students to
robotic and electric control systems.
However, the coding in Arduino has the
same format and concepts for other
control system coding.
Figure 2. Arduino Uno microcontroller board

Figures
Figure 1: Mathworks.com
Figure 2: www.jimhung.co.uk

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