Computer Systems Engineering

Database search tips.

The Library's e-books can be searched for in the Catalogue using Refine My Results to select e-books.

Information about using them is available from the e-books web page.

Do you need to find a definition, a fact, a figure, a formula, a diagram, some code, or something similar?

While you can search the Catalogue for a topic, e.g., an operating system, these may also be useful:

• Application administrators handbook
• Computer and information security handbook
• Computer graphics companion
• Dictionary of computing
• Encyclopedia of computer science
• Encyclopedia of cryptography and security
• Encyclopedia of database technologies and applications
• Encyclopedia of human computer interaction
• Handbook of pattern recognition and computer vision
• Handbook of visual display technology
• Hutchinson dictionary of computing and the internet
• Internet encyclopedia
• Mission-critical and safety-critical systems handbook: Design and development for embedded applications
• Wiley encyclopedia of computer science and engineering

Internet Resources

• BABEL: A glossary of computer oriented abbreviations and acronyms
• ComputerUser high-tech dictionary - Search function for definitions to more than 7,000 high-tech terms.
• A dictionary of computing - From Oxford Reference online.
• A dictionary of the Internet - From Oxford Reference online.
• FOLDOC - Free online dictionary of computing
• Glossary of Internet terms
• Hyperdictionary - Based on the FOLDOC dictionary above it contains computer-related terms.
• Knowledge base - A searchable database of answers to questions about computing.
• Networking glossary - Dictionary of computer, Internet and network terms
• Web dictionary of cybernetics and systems
• Webopedia: Online computer dictionary for computer and Internet terms and definitions
• Whatis - An encyclopedia of information technology.

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The Library's books on software can be searched for in the Catalogue using Refine My Results to select e-books.
Useful databases for software information are SpringerLink and Safari.
In addition the following sites contain textbooks, guides, tutorials, examples, and the software itself.

General

• Operating systems, software information
  Search thousands of mirrored tutorials, lecture notes and online books: on Ada - Assembly - C / C++ - CSS - HTML - Java - JavaScript - LISP - Perl - Prolog - Python - XHTML, XML Algorithms - Compilers - Communications - Dictionaries - Graphics - Operating Systems - OOD.
• Programming resources
  A directory of links to free programmer resources and free webmaster resources.

Altium Designer

• Altium Designer
  Altium Designer and Learning guides.

C, C+, C#, etc

• C++ In Action
  This is a 'web book' which also exists in printed form. It aims to help readers to be able to write reliable and maintainable code, easy to understand by other members of the team. The person should know advanced programming techniques such as synchronization in a multithreaded environment, effective use of virtual memory, debugging techniques, etc.
• C Programming Language
  Links to free online books on C, standards, and other information.

Gnuplot

• Gnuplot
  The software is copyrighted but freely distributed, ie, you don't have to pay for it. It was originally intended as to allow scientists and students to visualize mathematical functions and data, but has grown to support many non-interactive uses, including web scripting and integration as a plotting engine for third-party applications like Octave. Gnuplot supports many types of plots in either 2D and 3D. It can draw using lines, points, boxes, contours, vector fields, surfaces, and various associated text. Gnuplot is easily extensible to include new devices.

JabRef

• JabRef Reference Manager
  JabRef is an open source bibliography reference manager. The native file format used by JabRef is BibTeX, the standard LaTeX bibliography format.

JML

• The Java Modeling Language (JML)
  This page contains links to articles and information about JML and how to use it and associated tools.

LASI

• LAyout System for Individuals
  A general purpose IC layout and design system. It was not specifically intended for CMOS logic circuits, but most people use it for that purpose. LASI can also draw and analyze schematics and do an LVS and be used for PC boards, MEMS and project documentation drawings. It is however not really optimized for elaborate mechanical or architectural drawings. To use LASI, you need to know something about IC technology, the physics involved and have some circuit intuition, not just know how to run software.

Linux

• The Linux Documentation Project
  Useful information on using Linux, including in depth books, guides, FAQs and recent news and upgrades.
• Your Daily Source for Embedded Linux Information
  Good information on Linux including tutorials. Categories are: Linux Applications, Linux Companies, Linux Distributions, Linux Multimedia, Games, Linux Network Administration, Linux News, Media, Linux Software, Linux Support, Tutorial, Linux Security, Networking, X-Windows Systems.

LTSpice

• Linear Technology
  Site for LTSpice with downloads, guides and demo circuits.
• LTSpice user's group
  This Group will include relevant information about Berkeley Spice 3, which is a core element of the program. It will contain links to models, hints and kinks not contained in the program's Help or website, etc.

Lyx

• LyX
  LyX is a document processor that encourages an approach to writing based on the structure of your documents, not their appearance. It is released under a Free Software / Open Source license.

NS2

• The Network Simulator ns-2: Documentation
  The ns Manual (formerly ns Notes and Documentation).

PSpice

• PSpice tutorials
  These tutorials by the University of Texas at Arlington include examples of proper syntax (beginning with the basic notation used to describe connectivity within a circuit), various circuit elements, and the process of performing transient analysis.

Python

• Python Programming Language
  The official Python site.

Quartus

• Altera Quartus
  The Altera® Quartus® II design software is the most comprehensive environment available for system-on-a-programmable-chip (SOPC) design. This manual is designed for the novice Quartus II software user and provides an overview of the capabilities of the Quartus II software in programmable logic design.

R

• R Foundation for Statistical Computing
  This site includes manuals and FAQS.

Scheme

• R6RS
  Reports and standardization information on the Algorithmic Language Scheme.
• Also browse IEEE Xplore for the IEEE standard 1178, IEEE Standard for the Scheme Programming Language.

Snack

• Snack Sound Toolkit
  Snack used with a scripting language enables the creation of sound tools and applications with a minimum of effort.

Tcl

• Tcl Developer Site
  The content is a primary source of developer information about Tcl and Tk and is maintained by volunteers in the Tcl community. It contains advocacy, tutorials, documentation, links, news, and more.

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E-journals

The Library's e-journals are available through the Catalogue and the e-journals web page.

Others are available in the Directory of Open Access Journals. This covers free, full-text, quality controlled scientific and scholarly journals.

Examples include:

• SORT: Statistics and Operations Research Transactions
• Journal of Biometrics
• Journal of Biometrics & Biostatistics

New Zealand websites

• Cross Government Biometrics Group
• NZ Privacy Commissioner
  Protecting Biometric Data: Privacy By Design
• Biometrics
  A commentary on the NZ Immigration Act 2009: Collection, storage and use of biometric information.

International

• The International Biometric Society
• The International Biometric Industry Association
• American Statistical Association Biometrics Section
• Open Biometrics Initiative

General

• How Stuff Works
  Contains clear and reliable explanations of things from computer hard disks to batteries to fuses.
• NSDL
• Provides educational resources for science, technology, engineering and mathematics education.
• Oaister
  Is a collection of academic digital resources that have been made freely available and easily searchable.
• US Government Science
  Information gathered from 17 US science agencies.
• Webopedia
  A dictionary and search engine for computer and Internet technology.

New Zealand organisations, societies, institutes

• Information and communication technologies at CallaghanInnovation
• The Institute of IT Professionals NZ (IITP NZ)
• InternetNZ
  Formerly the Internet Society of New Zealand, InternetNZ is a non-profit society dedicated to protecting and promoting the Internet in New Zealand.
• Microsoft New Zealand
• New Zealand Association of Science Educators
• New Zealand Internet Registry Ltd (DOMAINZ)
• Royal Society of New Zealand
• New Zealand Software Assocation
• Telecommunications Users Association of New Zealand (TUANZ)
• 2020 Communications Trust Home Page

Facts and figures

• Handbook of collective robotics: Fundamentals and challenges edited by Serge Kernbach. Boca Raton: CRC Press : Pan Stanford Pub., 2013. 1st ed.
• The Oxford handbook of cognitive engineering edited by John D. Lee, Alex Kirlik ; consulting editors, Marvin J. Dainoff and six others. New York: Oxford University Press, 2013.
• Handbook of ambient intelligence and smart environments edited by Hideyuki Nakashima, Hamid Aghajan, Juan Carlos August. New York: Springer, 2010.

E-journals

The Library's e-journals are available through the Catalogue and the e-journals web page.

Others are available in the Directory of Open Access Journals. This covers free, full-text, quality controlled scientific and scholarly journals.

Examples include:

• Science Daily Robot News
• The Open Cybernetics & Systemics Journal

Websites

New Zealand

• The University of Auckland
  • Electrical and Computer Engineering
  • Mechanical Engineering
  • Computer Science
  • Medical and Health Sciences
• AUT, Centre for Artificial Intelligence Research (CAIR)
• Massey University
• Victoria University of Wellington
• The University of Canterbury
• Otago University
• Singularities in Robot Kinematics - A Publications Database (VUW)
• New Zealand companies. A search for robot* in the database Katalyst Business finds companies, consulting engineers, components, etc. Use the New Zealand company information guide to find more information about them.
• Minister of Research, Science and Technology
  A search for robot* finds reports and other documents.

International

• The Singularity Institute for Artificial Intelligence
• Robotics Trends
• NASA robotics
  List of US universities with a robotics programme.
• Directory and linking sites for robotics
  • Cybernetics Society

IEEE citation style information

• IEEE Citation Reference
• IEEE Editorial Style Manual
• IEEE Author Digital Toolbox
• IEEE Computer Society Style Guide
• IEEE Style Referencing

LaTeX and BibTex

LaTeX is a typesetting program, which is useful for writing papers which require mathematical symbols. LaTeX can be downloaded free of charge and is available for Mac, and PC (for Windows and Linux).

There are several websites that will be useful for those learning LaTex and BibTex, including:

• LaTeXTemplates.com - A website created by a PhD student of the University of Auckland.
• LaTex Project
• Text Formatting with LATEX
• LaTeX Tricks and Tips
• TeX Users Group
• TeX Resources on the Web
• Using BibTex to Create Your Bibliography

Support

• Referencing
  Access a range of tools and support material to assist your referencing work.

Examples

• Quick©ite
  Use this interactive tool to view examples of references.
  Covers a range of styles used at the University of Auckland.