Modernizing a University Course on Automotive Electronics to Better Prepare Engineering Technology Students for the Workplace

The electronics content of the automobile has increased substantially and at an accelerating rate in the past two decades. Advances in safety, performance, emissions control and infotainment systems would not be possible without the extensive use of electronics systems on vehicles. A course on automotive electronics must provide students with an understanding of these electronic systems, their components and how they interact. Western Washington University's Department of Engineering Technology has a long history of providing students with hands on learning opportunities in virtually all aspects of vehicle design. This work lays the foundation to modernize a course on automotive electronics to better prepare these students for the workplace.