Master's degree in Automatic Systems and Industrial Electronics Engineering

Master's degree in Automatic Systems Engineering and Industrial Electronics

With this master's degree you will acquire the knowledge and skills needed to design and implement automatic and intelligent control systems. This includes process automation and robotisation, advanced control, low power design, embedded and mobile systems (Internet of Things) programming, communication in wired and wireless networks and artificial intelligence techniques. The combination of all these elements in organisations is what is known as Industry 4.0, which is changing the way companies work.

What will I learn on the master's degree in Automatic Systems Engineering and Industrial Electronics?

Students on the master's degree gain in-depth knowledge of control and automation.

They study advanced control methods in real systems (including non-linear systems), such as optimum control and predictive control. They consider current examples of application of these control methods, such as microgrids and electrical machines.

They also study electronic and logic components in the field of industrial automation, from sensors and sensor conditioning to advanced programming of processes using programmable automata and microcontrollers.

Other topics in industrial communications, such as Ethernet, fieldbuses and wireless networks, are also covered on the master’s degree.

Experiences of master's students

Information on admission and the curriculum of the master's degree in Automatic Systems Engineering and Industrial Electronics

Duration and start date: 1.5 academic years, 90 ECTS credits. Starting in September.
Delivery: Afternoons. Face-to-face.
Fees and grants: Approximate fees for the master's degree not including other costs (does not include non-teaching academic fees or fees for the issuing of the degree): €2,490 (€9,496 for non-EU residents).
More information on fees, including enrolment fees
More information on grants and financial aid
Language of instruction: Spanish; Information on language use in the classroom and students' language rights.
Taught at: Vilanova i la Geltrú School of Engineering (EPSEVG)
Information on Vilanova i la Geltrú
Official degree: Master's degree in Automatic Systems Engineering and Industrial Electronics
Recorded in the Ministry of Education's degree register
Academic organisation: regulations, calendars

Academic coordinator: Ramon Guzman Solà
Academic calendar: EPSEVG calendars
Academic calendar for degrees at the UPC
Academic regulations: Academic Regulations for Bachelor's and Master's Degrees at the EPSEVG
Academic Regulations for Master's Degrees at the UPC

The master's degree develops the specialisation in Intelligent Systems, systems that are able to relate the signals detected in the environment to the appropriate actions in accordance with dynamic needs and the need to take optimum decisions in circumstances that have not been explicitly foreseen.

As an important part of the master's degree's aims, there are plans for students to carry out practicals in industrial laboratories and work placements in the sector (for example, KUKA Robotics, AKO Group, etc.) and, in some cases, for them to join a research group at the University.

The competencies that the master's degree develops are:

The ability to technically and economically manage projects, installations, plants, companies and technology centres in the field of automatic control, robotics and industrial electronics and to carry out general, technical and project management roles in this field.
The ability to research, design, develop and characterise complex systems that must be controlled to achieve demanding levels of operational and safety performance, taking into account component constraints and the possibility of control system failures.
The ability to research, design, develop and implement simulation methods for electronic, automatic and robotic systems control.
The ability to apply learning strategies in complex and dynamic environments.

Graduates of the master's degree in Automatic Control and Industrial Electronics may practise as:

Systems analyst: detects and diagnoses possible faults in automation systems.
Intelligent electronic systems designer.
Maintenance manager for automatic systems.
Industrial robot programmer.
Designer of new automation systems.
Manager of the operation of monitoring and supervision systems for controlled systems.
Manager of the design of new automatic systems and components.
Specialist in industrial instrumentation and testing of automation systems.
Manager of the analysis, design and installation of systems: home automation, biomedical engineering, automatic systems for the environment.
Purchasing and sales engineer for automatic systems
Manager of industrial automation projects.
Promoter of new, innovative companies in automatic systems for industrial and non-industrial uses (mobile robots, new machines and automatic devices with artificial vision, etc.).

Master's degree in Automatic Systems Engineering and Industrial Electronics

Recommendations on the order of enrolment in subjects

First semester

Fundamentals of Electronics and Instrumentation 5

Fundamentals of Electronics and Instrumentation

Course guide: Fundamentals of Electronics and Instrumentation

Professor: Rafael Ramon Ramos

This subject is designed for students on the master's degree in Automatic Systems Engineering and Industrial Electronics who need to gain more in-depth and extensive knowledge of analogue and digital electronics. Its approach is straightforward and highly descriptive, allowing students to attain basic knowledge of analogue electronics and emphasising specific aspects of electronic instruments, programmable digital systems and power electronics. This knowledge will help students when they take other subjects on the master's degree.
Fundamentals of Mechanics 5

Fundamentals of Mechanics

Course guide: Fundamentals of Mechanics

Professor:Maurici Sivatte

The aim of this subject is to provide students who have not taken the bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering with skills in mechanical design. These skills will help them join multidisciplinary teams that are developing automatic control systems for machines and mechanisms.

Students will explore the main machine elements and analyse kinematic and dynamic studies of 3D mechanical systems. They will also carry out mechanical design and calculus simulations and learn to use the Siemens NX program for CAD and CAE.
Modelling and Control of Electrical Machines5

Modelling and Control of Electrical Machines

Course guide: Modelling and Control of Electrical Machines

Professor:Balduí Blanqué Molina

The aim of the subject is to apply rotating electrical machines to a range of industrial sectors and processes. Students study power sources, how to choose power converters, the most efficient and optimal controls for each type of machine and potential loads. They are introduced to crucial topics such as IoT systems, for maintenance and control and energy efficiency without which the energy transition towards decarbonisation cannot be understood.

Bench tests are carried out on real drives applied to industrial processes and robotics and simulations.
Simulation and Optimisation5

Simulation and Optimisation

Course guide: Simulation and Optimisation

Professor: Francisco Javier Ruiz Vegas

In this subject students learn to use environments such as MATLAB and Simulink for simulating real linear and non-linear systems. Optimisation, is emphasised as the part of mathematics that is more directly applicable in the work of engineers. Students will learn the theoretical fundamentals of the subject so that they can obtain and implement optimal solutions to a wide range of problems, particularly optimal control problems, which are the basis of the current most advanced control systems.
Advanced Control Systems5

Advanced Control Systems

Course guide: Advanced Control Systems

Professor:Pau Martí Colom

The subject's aim is to provide students with the tools they need to modify a system's behaviour with the aim of meeting desired objectives. First, the subject covers the analysis of a system that allows the system's free behaviour to be studied (how does it move? does it rest? does it explode?). Several control techniques are then introduced to modify the system's behaviour so that it meets certain desired specifications. The subject has a theoretical component related to non-linear systems and a practical component based on simulation and laboratory experiments.
Advanced Electronic Systems and Integration of Electrical Energy Sources5

Advanced Electronic Systems and Integration of Electrical Energy Sources

Course guide: Advanced Electronic Systems and Integration of Electrical Energy Sources

Professor:José Luis García de Vicuña

This subject covers the devices, converters and systems that are part of power electronics and that allow power sources to be integrated in the electrical grid.

Students learn about the control of the elements that make up these systems: DC/DC converters, rectifiers with unity power factor, active power filters, and single-phase and three-phase inverters. Simulation tools such as MATLAB and Simulink are used to emulate the operation of real converters and power systems.
Communication Networks5

Communication Networks

Course guide: Communication Networks

Professor:Rafael Vidal Ferre

This subject, whose approach is aligned with the Industry 4.0, paradigm, presents and analyses basic transmission concepts; describes, configures and analyses IP networks based on Ethernet; presents industrial technologies (field buses and industrial Ethernet), sets exercises on dimensioning linked to control parameters; and also covers, with presentations, demonstrations and practicals, advanced topics such as syncrony, time-sensitive networking, wireless networks, the Internet of Things and cybersecurity.

In the first semester, there are two subjects on fundamentals that allow students to complete their prior learning in electronics and mechanical systems. The two subjects are taught at the same time and cannot therefore be taken in the same semester. Students generally take just one of them depending on the pathway they choose.

Second semester

Applied Dynamics5

Applied Dynamics

Course guide: Applied Dynamics

Professor:Ingrid Magnusson Morer

The aim of the subject is for students to learn to model a mechanical system and analyse its dynamics to aid decision making in mechanical design and the design of the control system. Generalised coordinates are used to describe the system and Lagrangian methods to model its dynamic behaviour. This theoretical model is solved with the help of MATLAB. Basic tools are provided to model a system in a CAE, environment; specifically, the SIEMENS NX software is used.
Energy Management5

Energy Management

Course guide: Energy Management

Professor:Balduí Blanqué Molina

The subject introduces the current energy context in industry and pays particular attention to renewable energies and intelligent systems for energy management, that are oriented towards the efficiency and quality of sustainable energy.

Using an energy management system in accordance with the new international standard ISO5001, students act as energy auditors and, by carrying out practical exercises, master the tools they need to draw up energy balances and analyse, discuss, identify and prioritise the systems to which energy- and cost-saving measures must be optimally applied.
Environmental Intelligence5

Environmental Intelligence

Course guide: Environmental Intelligence

Professor:Andreu Català Mallofré

The ultimate aim of environmental intelligence is for our physical environment (where we live and work) to be more beneficial to us. This implies conceiving, designing and analysing the systems that facilitate the interaction of human beings with their environment and taking into account aspects of safety, utility, effectiveness, efficiency, usability and interest. The subject combines concepts such as machine learning and other paradigms in artificial intelligence, ubiquitous computing, intelligent systems and advanced user interfaces that put people at the heart of technological developments.
Sensors and MEMS5

Sensors and MEMS

Course guide: Sensors and MEMS

Professor:Rafael Ramon Ramos

The Sensors and MEMS subject explores one of the fundamental blocks of measuring chains, the sensor block. Families of sensors for measuring the physical quantities most used in industry, such as temperature, deformation and linear and angular displacement, are studied in detail, as are other types of sensors for measuring environmental and chemical parameters, and singular and constructive aspects of MEMS and IoT (Internet of Things) technologies.
Digital Systems5

Digital Systems

Course guide: Digital Systems

Professor:Mariano Lopez

The basic aim of this subject is to introduce students to the design and implementation of complex programmable digital systems with industrial applications. The subject focuses on design based on hardware description languages (HDLs) and emphasises the physical implementation of these systems in field-programmable gate arrays) (FPGAs) and related hardware problems.
Embedded and Real Time Systems5

Embedded and Real Time Systems

Course guide: Embedded and Real Time Systems

Professor:Ramon Guzman Sola

Embedded and real-time systems are those in which the processor execution time is important and must be taken into account because the execution of the tasks in the processor must be in step with the evolution of the environment. The subject studies real-time systems and how to plan tasks correctly so that they can all be completed before a given time limit. The internal architecture and programming of embedded systems are also studied.

Third semester

Optional subjects15 credits
Master’s thesis15 credits

Optional subjects

Systems Control and Automation pathway

Systems Control and Automation pathway

The Systems Control and Automation pathway is designed to deepen the knowledge of control, automation and digitalisation acquired by students on previous subjects. Students who follow this pathway broaden their understanding of new control techniques used in industry, with an emphasis on problems in real-time control, for example, in the subject Real Time Control Systems. They also learn hierarchical control techniques applied to larger systems, such as electrical microgrids, in the subject Microgrid Control, and PLC programming for system automation in the subject Automation and Industrial Digitalisation.
- Automation and Industrial Digitalisation5
  
  Automation and Industrial Digitalisation
  
  Course guide: Automation and Industrial Digitalisation
  
  Professors:Cristobal Raya Giner, Rafael Vidal Ferre, Joaquin del Rio Fernandez
  
  This subject introduces the basics of industrial digitalisation or Industry 4.0. It covers cybersecurity concepts in industrial digitalisation via the interconnection of industrial control systems and information technology infrastructure and the Internet. It also deals with basic programming of industrial PLCs the supervision of processes using SCADA, storage in SQL databases, and sensor data monitoring and acquisition using data acquisition systems.
- Microgrid Control5
  
  Microgrid Control
  
  Course guide: Microgrid Control
  
  Professor:Miguel Castilla Fernández
  
  The near future of the energy sector requires substantial integration of renewable energy sources, non-dependence on the transport of gas and petroleum across long distances and the possibility of operating microgrids (power islands) without interconnection with the commercial electrical grid. Students learn the concepts they need to develop control systems that enable the optimal use of these microgrids. Students also learn about simulation tools for validating these systems' performance
- Predictive Control for Industrial Applications5
  
  Model Predictive Control for Industrial Applications
  
  Course guide: Model Predictive Control for Industrial Applications
  
  Professor:Ramon Guzman Sola
  
  Model predictive control is a control technique that is increasingly used in industry because of its great robustness and the ease with which constraints can be included. It is based on a predictive model and a cost function that will provide an optimal control signal. The subject covers model predictive control techniques both for systems with a single input and a single output (SISO) and for systems with multiple inputs and multiple outputs (MIMO).
Interactive Systems pathway

Interactive Systems pathway

The Interactive Systems itinerary is focused on learning and programming autonomous systems, both from the point of view of robotics, as will be seen in the subject Robotics and Vision (ROVI) and from the point of view of mobile devices, as the subject Programming of mobile devices (PRDM) will show. Finally, in order to understand the interaction between systems and data processing from the internet, the student will take the subject Internet Technologies (TEIN).
- Robotics and Vision5
  
  Robotics and Vision
  
  Course guide: Robòtica i Visió
  
  Professor:Luis Miguel Muñoz Morgado
  
  The content of this multidisciplinary subject ranges from the fundamentals to the practical applications of articulated robots, mobile robots and computer vision. It covers robot modelling, navigation and planning; camera calibration, image acquisition and processing; object recognition; and augmented reality. Students work on practical projects involving physical and virtual robots that are close to real cases and that integrate the two disciplines and other disciplines on the master's degree.
- Programming of Mobile Devices5
  
  Programming of Mobile Devices
  
  Course guide: Programming of Mobile Devices
  
  Professor:Francesc Xavier Parra Llanas
  
  The subject deals with the design and implementation of applications for mobile devices that use sensors to interact with the environment or the user, as well as communications with other devices or services. In particular, students work on managing new mobile device technologies from a programming perspective and identifying these devices' features and constraints. They implement an application for Android that integrates sensory information and communications in the Kotlin language.
- Internet Technologies5
  
  Internet Technologies
  
  Course guide: Internet Technologies
  
  Professor:Xavier Masip Bruin
  
  The subject aims to analyse the main challenges that are present on the internet, especially in the industrial sector. It is designed to be highly participatory and has three components: i) theory classes, in which several internet technologiesare analysed with a future perspective; ii) discussion sessions, in which students present and discuss a number of technologies and their applicability; and iii) the practical application of the technologies in an emulation environment in the real testbed of the Advanced Network Architectures Lab (CRAAX).

Compulsory subject ECTS credits
Optional subject ECTS credits
Master's thesis ECTS credits

Work placement

Students on the master's degree who have passed at least 15 credits can take curricular placements up to a maximum of 15 credits. These credits are recognised in the optional subject area of the curriculum.

The Academic Management Service of the UPC manages study and mobility grants.

The Student Information and Support Service (SIAE) of the EPSEVG manages remunerated external placements.

Access to statistical information on the degree provided by the UPC Quality Portal.

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What will I learn on the master's degree in Automatic Systems Engineering and Industrial Electronics?

Experiences of master's students

Information on admission and the curriculum of the master's degree in Automatic Systems Engineering and Industrial Electronics

General details

Aims

Competencies

Professional opportunities

Curriculum

Master's degree in Automatic Systems Engineering and Industrial Electronics

First semester

Second semester

Third semester

Optional subjects

Systems Control and Automation pathway

Interactive Systems pathway

Work placement

Grants

Statistics

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