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This course presents an overview of historical
developments in information and communication
technologies during the past 150 years. The topics
are:
• Complex systems, partitioning a complex
problem, principles of hierarchy and
decomposition, applications in engineering design,
• Signals – waves – transmission: basic
principles of radio, analog vs. digital, continuous-
time vs. discrete-time,
• What is “data”?: binary representations,
history of signal processing, digital signal
processing in discrete-time, multiple dimensions:
image processing and video processing,
• Boolean logic: origin and fundamentals,
how to build a basic switch: “herding” electrons,
logic gates / switch networks, memory: how to
“store” data?, connecting to the “cloud”: Internet
fundamentals, data networks – routers – servers –
data farms,
• Communication – modulation – channels –
noise, wireless communication: Marconi to iPhone,
• Photonics: Lasers and fiber optics,
semiconductor technology: 50 years of revolution,
imaging and image sensors: basic principles,
history of display technologies, LED, TFT,
• Power / energy dissipation, energy storage:
battery technologies, resources: energy and raw
materials, energy policy / energy utilization and
conservation,
• Impact on society: how technology
influences humanity, social responsibilities of
scientists and engineers, looking into the future.
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