Professional Development Courses

This advance course bridges the gap between analog power electronics design and production-grade digital control implementation.  Participants master the complete digital control design flow: from plant modeling and transfer function derivation, through z-domain compensator design, to practical fixed-point code deployment on microcontrollers and DSPs.  The course covers digital control of DC-DC converters, three-phase inverters, and motor drives using MATLAB/Simulink for design validation and Qspice for circuit-level simulation.  Building on the RA00072 Intermediate Power Electronics course, this offering addresses the most in-demand skill gap in today's power electronic workforce.  Topics span average-current-mode control, voltage-mode control, state-space representation, discrete-time systems analysis, anti-windup, dead-time compensation, and code generation for fixed-point processors.  Participants leave with a complete digital control design toolkit applicable to EV drivetrains, renewable energy inverters, industrials motor drives, and data center power systems.

Power electronics plays a crucial role in modern technologies by enabling efficient control and conversion of electric power in devices and systems. This course provides a comprehensive introduction to the field, connecting concepts from electronics, magnetics, energy conversion, and control systems.

This course provides a comprehensive foundation in the design, procurement, operation, and maintenance of electric rail vehicles, including light rail, heavy rail, and commuter rail systems. Participants will explore the integration of complex subsystems, industry standards, and best practices for ensuring safety, reliability, and performance.

This course offers a comprehensive guide for implementing shielding in ways that are most effective to prevent different kinds of electromagnetic interference (EM).  It is designed for students involved in multiple areas of hardware design, including mechanical as well as electrical.  We will cover shielding for both high frequency electric fields as well as lower frequency magnetic fields.  Shielding implementation will be discussed at the board, enclosure, cabling, and integrated platform levels.  There is a lot of confusion a lot this particular topic, so lessons are reinforced with live hardware demonstrations that show these principles paying out on real hardware.  Students will have the opportunity to do shielding calculations and think deeply about the interactions being demonstrated on the bend.  This topic never fails to yield excellent interactive discussions.

Bridge the gap between mechanical and electrical engineering with this foundational course in circuits, embedded systems, and power electronics. Designed for non-electrical engineers, it equips you with the essential knowledge to contribute confidently to multidisciplinary projects and modern electrification efforts.

Master the architecture and control strategies behind today’s advanced powertrain systems—from system-level design to component-level implementation. This course equips engineers and managers with the tools to understand, design, and develop modern control systems for electrified and conventional powertrains.

Get a foundational understanding of traction power and overhead contact systems (OCS) used in light rail and commuter rail networks. This self-paced, on-demand course is ideal for newcomers and a perfect primer for the more advanced 2-day Fundamentals course.