MDeC Pre-Seed Fund

Last week, I have successfully got MDeC Pre-Seed fund approval after going through the application process for about 3 months. This fund is much better than Cradle Investment Program (CIP or UCIP) which only offer RM50,000.00. MDeC Pre-Seed fund offer up to RM150,000.00 for 12 months projects. On top of that, the fund also provide free office, facilities, secretary, and other assitances. And the most valuable thing is you are also entitly to use whatever facility MSC or MDeC can provide such as software development tools, servers, workstations and much more. You can also apply to enter their techno-entrepreneur program.


I attach my presentation to my department members on last Wednesday, 5th September 2007.
As a university staff, I have to seek for university approval before I can set up a company.For more info, please go to http://www.technopreneurdevelopment.net.my/cms/

My project should begin in 2nd November 2007. So, I have three jobs opening especially for:
1. Electronic engineers
2. Computer engineers
3. Programmers

I am always available for further inquiry.

Awards

Some of my awards are:
1. Bronze for INTERNATIONAL INVENTION, INNOVATION, INDUSTRIAL DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY EXHIBITION (ITEX) 2000
Normally, exhibitor has one or two products or prototypes to be displayed. Our booth had seven projects to be displayed, making the booth very cramped. The good thing was people for MIMOS Berhad was impressed with our booth that a direct negotiation was initiated to invite us to become their consultants.

2. BOOTH PALING MESRA, INATEX UTM 2000
This participation leads to the above participation. Since there were many final year students involve in our booth either to display their works or entertaining junior students, we were given the most Friendly Booth of the year.

3. Participating in INATEX 2005
After many years of inactivity or not participating in the university exhibition, I decided to enter the exhibition. I displayed my enhance programmable logic controller where instead of using Ladder Logic Diagram only, my design use both Ladder Logic design and BASIC language. The most frustrating part was there were not many industry participation or visitors. Even, my department exhibition (MiCE Exhibition) has much better industry participation.

4. Finalist in the first Philips Young Inventors Challenge 2005
I encourage my students to enter this exhibition in order to promote themselve, oppurtunity to practice their engineering skills, and job potential.

5. First Texas Instrument DSP Design competition 2001

No critique is good but to have a constructive critique is better

One of the activities in MiCE exhibition is curriculum review by the Industry people. All the subjects being offered from the 1st year to the final year were reviewed: the arrangement or sequence, theoritical content, practical, and related issues. In a way, the faculty open itself to be criticized by other people. By listening to their feedbacks, we are able to tailor the courses for specific industry. Consequently, the subjects offered are relevent and up to date to the industry needs. As a result, those who seriously learn the subjects for the sake of knowledge can easily find jobs in the market. I can say that those who attend the courses managed by my department can easily find a job in the market.

Before I forgot, these are the link of the MiCE competition results:
http://fke.utm.my/mice/Project_Lists_Winner.htm

For me, all the participants are winners.
And this is the link for opening cermony by TNCP of UTM:
http://fke.utm.my/mice/Gam_Day1_TNCP.htm

Last year, I trained 8 final years students. Before the end of the final exams, 6 out of 8 already get official job offer. While most of the students who were involved in my trainings (including supervised by other lecturers) in the lab already get their respective job. My department handle three courses:

1. Electrical engineering (Electronic), SEL
2. Electrical engineering (Computer ), SEC
3. Electrical engineering (Microelectronic ), SEW <--- specifically tailored for semiconductor IC design industry


Some people get confuse why Computer engineering is managed by Electrical Engineering Faculty? Why does not the Computer Science Faculty managed them? Well, actually they did. And they had done a horrible job. This does not mean the computer science faculty is bad. There are two main aspect which the faculty failed to perform:
1. They are not engineers. So, they train the potential computer engineers as programmers instead of as engineers.
2. They failed to follow the industry direction and demand or needs. This is one of the reason why the MiCE Exhibition is very useful.

Well, I don't mean computer engineers do not do any programming. In fact, we do a lot of programming in MiCE department. Some of the programming are very complicated either for system programming such as Gate Allocation System, web design application such as Putrajaya VMS GUI, or technology development or implementation such as writing a compression engine on C++. Instead, we see programming as an additional tool for system perfection, improvement or integration. As engineers, we must be able to know both the hardware and software. By knowing only the hardware is good such as knowing to design an Integrated Circuit. But, by knowing to write programs, we are able to test the design using software, provide train data or simulated data, comparision, and much more. Hence, one can become a better designer by knowing more than just to design a hardware. In fact, in many design applications today would require engineers to know both the hardware and the software (also known as firmware).

I got a funny critic from Freescale Semiconductor. They need a lot of programmers. Well, I said there many unemployed programers in Malaysia. Unfortunately, they cannot hire these people! They want the programmer to know both the software and also the hardware. Why? In order to write a test program, the programmer must understand the problem. In case if any of you do not know, Freescale produce a lot of IC design such as Motorola microprocessor families. Programmers must understand system architecture; not board level but logic level!! You will also be surprised that a lot of test engineers in Intel must also know programming.

Yesterday, 10 April 2007, I watched news at 8pm. I was stumbled with a news from Ministry of Education statement where starting this year, all universities in Malaysia must get feedback from the industry. This is to ensure that the courses offered are relevent to the industry. Hell...lo, does this mean that all this while most universities in Malaysia are "syok sendiri"?! Well of course, they may be.... except my faculty.

Adios.

p/s: congratulation to all faculties and universities which manage to stay in touch with the realities.

6th MiCE Exhibition

Figure 1: The Proceeding of MiCE Exhibition

Alhamdulillah, the 6th MiCE Exhibition was successfully held on 4th and 5th April 2007. This year event is more meaningful, extensive participation, and achieved many objectives.

The first MiCE Exhibition was done sometime around end of March 2000. At the time, I was a new lecturer and as the most junior lecturer, I was responsible to organize the event. It was a small event though, which was meant just to show the final year student projects. If I am not mistaken, there was only 18 participants. Sadly, out of 18, there was only three booths belong to Malay students.

The second MiCE exhibition was done in 2001. During the exhibition, several Mimos Berhad's staffs was also at the faculty to attend a meeting. Subsequently, they payed a visit to the exhibition.

The third MiCe exhibition was done in 2002.

Then, the exhibition was not held until 2004 when the current head department was taking over the department. In order to make the department to be pro-active, I was asked to revive the exhibition. However, I was no longer the most junior lecturer. Mr. Izam Kamisian was asked to be the chairman of the event. Since, I was the most experience staff in handling event management due to the fact that I was the chairman for all previous exhibition and my involvement in Belia 4B, I was appointed as the advisor to the exhibition comittee.

The revival of MiCE Exhibition was not only marked the resurface of the event but also the improvement of the event activities. 6 industrial participants attended the event. They are Altera Sdn. Bhd., Intel Sdn. Bhd, Telekom Bhd., Motorola, 5, and 6. They participate as Technical Talk panels, and judging the competition. Although there were only 6 participants, it was a success considering that a UTM event named INATEX 2005 has less than 6 industrial participants!

The 5th MiCE Exhibition was held in 2006 with better activities and results. There were more Malay students participation, industrial representatives, other learning institution representative (KUTKM - Electronic), and lecturers involvement. Due to the problem arose in previous event, I asked the head department to chair the comittee which he accepted. But, the acceptance was with the condition that I became the vice chairman. We produced better booklet for the event, separating contestants into four categories. One of the categories prizes was sponsopred by Altera Sdn. Bhd.: 1st RM500, 2nd. RM250, and 3rd RM100. The event was improved further by adding curriculum review by indusry representative mainly from Altera and Intel. In addition to the both, the industry participants were Telekom R&D, RF Comm, Wise Path, Avago, and MIMOS. In fact, we have to limit their request to participate in the technical talk!

The 6th MiCE Exhibition was improved further by making the booklet into a proceeding, complete with ISBN number. Exhibitors were required to write technical papers in addition to demonstrating their final design. The proceeding format and ISBN number are very important so that students and lecturers involvement can be accepted in academic world. There are several lecturers who had never write any technical paper. This event was their chance to do so which they did. I managed to increase my technical papers to 17 papers from 10 papers. This mean this event alone, I managed to write 7 technical papers.
Altera had increase their sponsorship by providing prizes: 1st RM3,000, 2nd 2,000, and 3rd 1,000. Altera also gave RM150 each to all Altera FPGA participants (13) by just exhibiting their designs! In addition, Altera had donated RM2,000 for the event administration. We exploited the fund by producing better proceeding quality.

Figure 2: Altera Bhd advertisement at the back page of the proceeding

The Altera FPGA was won by UTM student related to Palm Print technology. The second prize was won by MMU student. While the 3rd prize was won by UTM student also. Another good news is Malay students participants has increased to 16 students out of 38 exhibitors excluding master or phd level. It is good to know that the faculty Dean appreciated the event by inviting TNC(P) to officiate the event. Well, actually, this is the first time ever the Dean himself had attend the event.

This event is one of the proof I mention to my friends regarding my area of specialization: The Electronic and Computer engineering especially IC design, DSP, Networking, and Embedded system are really HOT! All of my last year students had a job already. Some of this year students already have job offer although they have not graduated yet.

Introduction

Assalamualaikum and Hi all,
I started this blog when I realised how fast and far time had passed since I completed my secondary school. By chance, my old and dear friend from my secondary school contacted me this afternoon. Yet, it took me several minutes of conversation to recognize who he was. I may still remember his face but definately I already forgot his voice.
Thinking back the way I was in secondary school, most of my friends would not recognize me today. Anyway, I attach my almost recent picture. For those who still do not know, currently, I am a lecturer at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Skudai, Johor. I have been working there since 1999 as a lecturer though I started my carrier as a tutor in 1998. My faculty is Faculty of Electrical Engineering and my department is Microelectronic and Computer Engineering or MiCE.

My area of specialization is Digital Signal Processing or DSP. It is one of the most important area in Electrical Engineering nowadays considering that almost any major improvements on existing system must including DSP whether you like it or not. Think of any electronic equipment or system, chances are you will find DSP components are being used such as VCD player, IPOD, Bio-Medical equipment, airplane, military, et. etc. However, my niche area is Embedded System Design (ESD) or simply said as miniturization of computer + electronic system. In other words, I do not need the bulky PC or hugh electronic equipment to be included in my product or system.

For those who want to know more about me can access my teaching portfolio at
http://www.focus.utm.my/fke/default2.asp?active_page_id=520

Although I am a lecturer, I am actively involved in engineering field to solve many problems either by designing new products or systems, restoration (repair and make things work again), and reverse engineering (localization or component replacement). One of my major projects can be seen in:
http://www.focus.utm.my/fke/default2.asp?active_page_id=563


This is my latest project at Putrajaya. The project goal was to Repair and Reverse Engineer Variable Message Sign (VMS) at Perbadanan Putrajaya, Putrajaya. I am in white shirt, 2nd from left. The whole system was breakdown since 2002 and my team has successfully restore 8 out of 9 installations.

I am always open for technical discussion especially to help local companies and institutions to localize their system or product. You will be surprised how much we can save money for you in the long run while opening new oppurtunities in global market.

Wassalam.