Computers & Software

The Mechanical Engineering Department provides UNIX services via a Sun MicroSystems E450 system equipped with 4 Sparc processors and 1GB of RAM. This system provides information exchange services (www, email, etc) and general purpose UNIX service to support departmental coursework, research and administration.

Numerous windows-based file and print servers are also provided to support coursework, research and administration.

UNIX and Windows servers are connected to a switched 100Mbit/sec network feeding to switched 100Mbit/sec service to the desktop. A gigabit backbone interconnects the 100Mbit networks. Networking protocol supported is TCP/IP.

Faculty, staff, and students involved in research access services directly from their campus desktops via 175+ PC/Windows, Linux, and Apple Macintosh systems distributed throughout the department. Students also access services via the CCM-funded computer lab in the Composites Manufacturing Science Lab (25 seats), 2 Engineering College technology classrooms (Colburn Lab, 25 seats, and Dupont Lab, 25 seats), and a University-funded computer lab within Spencer Lab (40 seats). Students may also access services from any of the University-funded computer sites located throughout campus. Wireless access is also available in many sites and growing. In addition, dormitories are wired for network and wireless access, and students who own their own systems can access services direct from their dorm room. The University provides several hundred dial-in service lines enabling students who choose to live off-campus access to departmental services also.

A sample of the software tools available to ME personnel are listed below:

Engineering software development tools

SUN fortran 77, 90 and parallelized compilers
SUN C and C++ compilers
GNU C, C++, f77 and f90 compilers
perl

SUN workshop code development tools

SUN math libraries
IMSL math libraries

Information services

Apache web server
MySQL database server
email
Web-based scheduling and events calendaring

Engineering software

HKS ABAQUS (finite element analysis)
MSC PATRAN (finite element analysis)
MatLab
LabView

Miscellaneous products

MicroSoft Office

Three full-time computer support professionals (Jim Byrnes, Dave Caldwell, Randy Oswald) support the ChE, ME, CCM and Engineering Dean's office operations. The computer support professionals are available to assist with questions during normal business hours, and from time to time, assist with urgent needs during off hours. In addition, student assistants are employed to assist with operations. Various other technical support is also provided through the assistance of various research professionals and technical secretaries.

The department also provides web-based intranet services to provide additional on-line help resources.