Cornell does have a very good engineering library (I've used it myself for research.) Most student work nowadays is done at a computer, at 4 AM, though, which doesn't lend itself to looking through the stacks for a book. For projects like this, it doesn't make sense to go to the library unless there's no available reference on the Internet (including the online reference materials and articles provided by the library). For serious research, the libraries are of course where you need to be still.
I took the microcontroller equivalent of this class at Cornell when I was there. (I couldn't fit 576 into my schedule, unfortunately.) I have to say, that despite the weeks of all nighters we put into the projects, Bruce Land's class was the best I've ever had, and it did more to keep my interest in ECE and computers than all of the other CS and ECE classes I took. I literally got sick from working on the project too much, but it was so fun that it was worth it.
If you ever want to try your hand at microcontrollers or FPGA's, and don't have much of a background in them, I recommend trying this out. The equipment you need is fairly cheap, the labs are fun, and the knowledge is priceless.
There's a lot of toil in the workplace, but remembering this class (and working on similar things on the side) keeps my interest in electronics and programming ticking.
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Cornell does have a very good engineering library (I've used it myself for research.) Most student work nowadays is done at a computer, at 4 AM, though, which doesn't lend itself to looking through the stacks for a book. For projects like this, it doesn't make sense to go to the library unless there's no available reference on the Internet (including the online reference materials and articles provided by the library). For serious research, the libraries are of course where you need to be still.
I took the microcontroller equivalent of this class at Cornell when I was there. (I couldn't fit 576 into my schedule, unfortunately.) I have to say, that despite the weeks of all nighters we put into the projects, Bruce Land's class was the best I've ever had, and it did more to keep my interest in ECE and computers than all of the other CS and ECE classes I took. I literally got sick from working on the project too much, but it was so fun that it was worth it. If you ever want to try your hand at microcontrollers or FPGA's, and don't have much of a background in them, I recommend trying this out. The equipment you need is fairly cheap, the labs are fun, and the knowledge is priceless. There's a lot of toil in the workplace, but remembering this class (and working on similar things on the side) keeps my interest in electronics and programming ticking.