Some Of My Favorite AI Tools For Engineering Students

As an engineering professor, I've seen how AI tools are transforming how we tackle our coursework, from solving complex equations and debugging code to creating visualizations and polishing lab reports. Whether you are wrestling with thermodynamics problems at midnight or designing circuits for a project, these AI assistants will help you work smarter and learn more effectively. Here's a list of some of my favorite AI enabled resources for engineering students. This list is in no way complete!

 

For Problem-Solving and Calculations:

·       Wolfram Alpha - Exceptional for advanced mathematics, physics, and engineering calculations. It can solve differential equations, perform matrix operations, and provide step-by-step solutions.

·       Symbolab - Great for calculus, linear algebra, and showing detailed problem-solving steps.

·       MATLAB Online - While not purely AI, it includes AI/ML toolboxes and is essential for many engineering courses. We all use it!

 

For Research and Learning:

·       Claude - Helpful for explaining complex engineering concepts, debugging code, and providing detailed technical explanations.

·       Gemini (Google's AI) - Excellent for research and technical explanations, with strong integration with Google services and ability to analyze images and technical diagrams.

·       ChatGPT - Good for general engineering questions and concept clarification.

·       Perplexity AI - Excellent for research as it provides citations and up-to-date information.

 

For Programming and Code:

·       GitHub Copilot - Invaluable for coding assignments in Python, C++, MATLAB, and other languages commonly used in engineering.

·       Replit AI - Integrated coding environment with AI assistance.

·       Gemini Code Assist - Google's coding assistant, particularly strong with Google Cloud and web development.

 

For Design and Visualization:

·       DALL-E 3 or Midjourney - Useful for creating diagrams, conceptual designs, or visualizations for presentations.

·       Canva AI - Helpful for creating professional presentations and posters.

 

For Writing and Documentation:

·       Grammarly - Essential for lab reports, technical writing, and documentation.

·       Quillbot - Useful for paraphrasing and improving technical writing clarity.

 

Specialized Engineering Tools:

·       Ansys AI - For simulation and analysis in mechanical/aerospace engineering.

·       PSpice - Industry-standard circuit simulation software .

·       CircuitLab - For electrical engineering circuit analysis.

 

Study and Organization:

·       Notion AI - Great for organizing notes, creating study guides, and managing projects.

·       Anki with AI plugins - For creating smart flashcards for technical terms and formulas.

 

These are just some of many excellent AI tools that I use.... some are more "AI" than others. Most colleges and universities offer free or discounted access to many of these tools. I'd recommend starting with one or two that match your immediate needs and gradually exploring others as you progress through your coursework. Always check your university's academic integrity policies regarding AI use in assignments.

A Response - Rethinking Engineering Education for the AI Era

In my last post, Reimagining Engineering Homework with Simulators in the Age of AI, I argued that traditional electrical engineering homework focused on calculations is now easily solved by AI, requiring educators to shift to simulator-based assignments that develop higher-order skills like design, troubleshooting, and systems thinking. By using circuit simulation tools, students can engage in active experimentation and real-world problem-solving that requires distinctly human engineering judgment that AI cannot replicate.

I received the following comment on the post: 

I agree that it makes no sense to assess students' ability to make calculations that the simulators they are familiar with already make. The problem, though, is that even the tasks you suggest (e.g., create a design that meets specifications) can be already be accomplished by a variety of generative artificial intelligence platforms. Which begs the questions: what will the electrical engineers we are training actually do when they graduate, and what will they need to know in order to do it?

I’d be a liar if I said I was not asking myself the same questions. Here’s my reply:

You raise a crucial point that goes to the heart of modern engineering education. The rapid advancement of AI tools that can handle both calculations and design tasks challenges us to fundamentally reconsider what students need to learn.

I think the key lies in developing capabilities that remain distinctly human, even as AI handles more routine tasks. Future electrical engineers will likely need to excel in:

Systems thinking and integration - While AI can generate designs meeting specific parameters, engineers must understand how components interact within larger systems, identify trade-offs, and make judgment calls that balance competing constraints beyond what can be easily quantified.

Problem definition and formulation - Perhaps most critically, engineers need to determine what problems to solve in the first place. AI can optimize solutions, but it still requires human insight to identify the right questions and define meaningful specifications that serve real human needs.

Critical evaluation and verification - Engineers must be able to assess AI-generated solutions, spot errors or limitations, and validate that designs work in real-world conditions with all their messy complexities.

Innovation at the intersection - The most valuable engineers will combine domain expertise with an understanding of what AI can and cannot do, using these tools creatively to solve problems that neither humans nor AI could tackle alone.

Rather than competing with AI on tasks it can already do, engineering education must focus on these higher-level skills while using AI tools as aids in the learning process itself. 

Reimagining Engineering Homework with Simulators in the Age of AI

…. simulator-based assignments shift engineering education from passive computation to active

investigation…..

As AI tools now easily solve most traditional homework problems, engineering educators face a critical inflection point in meaningful assignment design. In my discipline, electrical engineering, the traditional homework model, focused on calculating impedance, solving differential equations, or applying Kirchhoff's laws, no longer serves as an effective assessment of student understanding. Fortunately, circuit simulation technologies offer a powerful supplement that transforms how students engage with electrical engineering concepts.

Simulators like PSpice, Multisim, and MATLAB provide virtual laboratories where students can experiment without physical constraints. Rather than simply calculating a circuit's frequency response, students can manipulate component values, sweep frequencies, and observe real-time effects through virtual oscilloscopes and spectrum analyzers. This shifts homework from passive computation to active investigation. When a student asks "what happens if I replace this capacitor?" they're engaging in authentic engineering inquiry that AI (at least not yet) cannot replicate.

The educational value extends beyond mere observation. Quality circuit simulator-based assignments require students to predict behavior, troubleshoot unexpected results, and optimize designs within real-world constraints. Students might investigate why their amplifier circuit distorts at specific frequencies, determine the optimal filter topology for a given application, or debug timing issues in a digital logic system. These higher-order engineering thinking skills remain distinctly human despite AI's computational prowess.

Virtual circuit simulators democratize access to sophisticated equipment and scenarios that might otherwise be unavailable due to cost, safety concerns, or physical limitations. Consider electrical engineering students without access to $10,000 oscilloscopes, spectrum analyzers, or signal generators, through simulators they can conduct virtual experiments with professional grade virtual instrumentation. Students can work with high voltage power electronics without risk of electrocution, or experiment with expensive radio frequency components without fear of destroying them. Those with mobility limitations gain equitable access to bench electronics through virtual labs requiring no physical soldering or manipulation of components.

The boundaries of practical learning dissolve as well. Students can simulate microwave circuits operating at 77 GHz for automotive radar, design integrated circuits with nanometer-scale transistors, or test power distribution networks for satellite systems, applications that would be physically inaccessible due to fabrication requirements or specialized equipment needs. Time constraints also vanish: simulations can compress hours of thermal analysis into seconds, or slow down switching transients in power converters to observable speeds. This temporal flexibility enables understanding of electrical phenomena that operate on timescales incompatible with traditional oscilloscope measurements.

Perhaps most importantly, simulators create a psychological safety net that encourages bold experimentation. Students can intentionally exceed component ratings, create short circuits, or test failure modes without destroying expensive components or creating safety hazards. They can iterate rapidly through dozens of design variations without the time consuming process of physically rebuilding circuits. This freedom to fail productively cultivates the innovative thinking critical for solving complex electrical engineering problems that AI cannot address.

Applications will further develop collaboration features for circuit simulation platforms, creating environments that mirror real electrical engineering workplaces. Students will share designs, conduct peer reviews, and tackle complex projects like software defined radios together. This approach teaches essential professional skills including communicating design intentions, resolving different specification approaches, and building consensus, social learning experiences that AI tools cannot replicate.

For electrical engineering educators, the transition requires rethinking assessment metrics. Rather than evaluating whether a student correctly calculated a circuit's gain, we must develop rubrics that measure design robustness, component selection rationale, and troubleshooting methodology. The focus shifts from "did they get the right transfer function?" to "did they create a design that meets specifications under varied conditions?"

 

Pspice Lab Series Video 3: Moving The Reference Ground Around

Zero volts reference, also known as ground is always a confusing topic. What if ground is placed at different locations in a circuit? In this 11 minute and 42 second video I use PSpice to show what happens when you move a ground around in a series circuit.

Want to learn more? I’ll be teaching a Systems 1 course online in the fall and a Systems 2 course in the spring at Holyoke Community College. If you are anywhere in the world and interested in taking an online course with me drop an email to gsnyder@hcc.edu Both courses will transfer to most university electrical engineering programs in the United States. Hope to see you there!!

Pspice Lab Series Video 2: Simple Series Resistive Circuits

 Here's a second PSPice video covering analysis of a simple series circuit with two dc voltage sources and four resistors.

Want to learn more? I’ll be teaching a Systems 1 course online in the fall and a Systems 2 course in the spring at Holyoke Community College. If you are anywhere in the world and interested in taking an online course with me drop an email to gsnyder@hcc.edu Both courses will transfer to most university electrical engineering programs in the United States. Hope to see you there!!

PSpice Lab Series Video 1

Over the summer I’ll be working on a series of OrCAD PSpice videos. PSpice is one of the most common analog and mixed signal circuit simulator and verification tools used by electrical engineers to rapidly move through the design cycle, from circuit exploration to design development and verification. It is also a lot of fun to play around with!

I’m developing a series of 25-30 online experiments that we’ll be using in my EGR223 - System Analysis (Circuit Analysis 1) and EGR 224 - System Analysis (Circuit Analysis 2) courses at Holyoke Community College. Here’s the first video in the series.

OrCAD has an excellent academic program that provides students and educators with a complete suite of design and analysis tools to learn, teach, and create electronic hardware. If you are a student or educator you can download the software here for free and follow along with my labs. If you are not a student or educator (or perhaps considering) you can download and install a trial version of the software here.

I’ll be teaching the Systems 1 course online in the fall and the Systems 2 course at Holyoke Community College in the spring so if you are anywhere in the world and interested in taking a course with me drop an email to gsnyder@hcc.edu Both courses will transfer to most university electrical engineering programs in the United States. Hope to see you there!!

Online Ladder Logic Simulations

Some of you know how much I’m loving being back in the classroom as a Visiting Assistant Professor at the University of Hartford College of Engineering, Technology and Architecture (CETA). I started in January for the spring semester and am fortunate to have been invited back for the fall semester. CETA offers both BS Engineering Technology and BS Engineering degrees with students having the following options:

• Engineering, with its emphasis on theory, analysis, and design, 
• Technology, which teaches engineering technology, with an emphasis on hands-on application of theory; or
• Architecture, with its emphasis on a combination of design and application of theory.

I’ve had the opportunity to teach both Engineering Technology and Engineering courses. In the spring I taught the second half of a digital electronics course. In that course we spent considerable time working with Quartus, an Intel CAD system used to design digital circuits. 

Over the summer I had some time and experimented a bit with PLC Fiddle - a really nice

https://bit.ly/2xsAElk

online ladder logic simulator for testing, training, and code sharing. Using PLC Fiddle I’ve put together a set of logic gate simulations linked here. Using the simulations the user can turn inputs on and off for various logic gates (AND, OR, NAND, NOR, EXOR and NEXOR) and observe the outputs. Here’s a screen shot of the simulations. 

If you follow the link below the screen shot you'll go to the simluation website where you can turn Input 1 and Input 2 ON and OFF (OFF = Logic 0, ON = Logic 1) by clicking the boxes next to Input 1 and Input 2 in the left hand column. As you change the Inputs, watch how the Output changes for each gate type. 

I’m not teaching a digital course this semester but if you are - feel free to share and use the simulations in your classes. And - if you are a faculty person, current student, former student, already have your AS or AAS degree and want to continue, etc, etc and are interested in an excellent Engineering, Engineering Technology or Architecture BS degree program - I can help connect you with the right people at the University of Hartford. My Hartford email address is gosnyder@hartford.edu You can contact me any time!