IT in mechatronics studies
Information technology is of great importance in mechatronics studies.
On this page you will find a wealth of information on hardware, software and IT services that you will need or use during your mechatronics studies.
Latest news
Dear students,
Apple has been gradually converting its notebooks and desktops to self-developed ARM-based processors (Apple Silicon/M... processors) since fall 2020.
Many of the technical applications provided cannot be executed on ARM systems. Some, on the other hand, require direct access to hardware components (e.g. graphics chipset or graphics cards). In some cases, this requires additional drivers and/or libraries. Whether these are ARM-compatible or not depends on the support provided by the hardware and software manufacturers.
Apple notebooks and desktops with ARM-based processors are therefore unsuitable for studying mechatronics.
Students who are planning to purchase one of the devices with an ARM-based processor released in fall 2020 or later and use it for their studies are advised to refrain from purchasing it and to look for an alternative with an Intel or AMD processor from another manufacturer (e.g. Lenovo, Dell or HP).
Yours sincerely
Your IT team of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering
Microsoft Office 365 will no longer be made available via the StudiSoft portal, but via an online portal operated by Microsoft itself. Further information can be found on the ITSC website in the “Microsoft Office 365” section.
General information/access to university-wide services
You will receive an anonymous user name (K-number) and password from the IT Service Center (ITSC) at the beginning of your studies. Please memorize your K-number well. You should change your password as soon as you receive it. The K-number and password together form your THWS access data, which is valid for most THWS systems.
With your THWS access data you have access to services that are provided centrally by the ITSC as well as to services that the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and other faculties provide for students.
The ITSC will provide you with a
personal THWS e-mail account (
information on how to set it up) for the duration of your studies at THWS. It is recommended that you use the e-mail account with Microsoft Outlook, as it is an Exchange mailbox that gives you options for scheduling and coordinating with your fellow students.
The Eduroam WLAN at THWS and at almost all universities in Germany and Europe also works with your K-number and password.
Important security advice
Please take the usual security precautions when using your access data! Think carefully about where you enter them. This applies in particular to websites that are linked in e-mails that you have received via your THWS e-mail account.
Information and recommendations on hardware and software
Hardware requirements for the course
No high-end device is required to take part in the courses. As a rule, a standard 14- or 15-inch mid-range laptop/notebook with a current Microsoft Windows operating system that can be used for office work is sufficient for studying.
For application scenarios that require more performance (CAD, simulation, etc.), suitable systems are generally available for use in our laboratories, some of which are even accessible to students outside of lectures and tutorials.
Laptops/notebooks with gaming graphics cards or special CAD-capable graphics cards are generally not necessary. Experience has shown that CAD and simulation software often works better with onboard graphics than with gaming graphics cards. If you are planning to buy a new laptop or notebook, it is advisable to ask major manufacturers such as Lenovo, Dell or HP about special offers for students.
Whether you use a smartphone or tablet instead for taking notes during lectures and tutorials is up to you. However, these devices are not recommended, as the small screen size and touch input can have a negative impact on taking notes and keeping track of lectures.
Hardware and software requirements for online lectures
Hardware
Lectures or other events may be held online as part of your studies. In this case, you should be equipped accordingly:
Webcam
We would like to ask you to participate in our online lectures with a functioning webcam. Suitable cameras are usually already integrated in mobile devices, and there are inexpensive, good USB-based cameras for desktop systems. A particularly high resolution is not required.
Microphone
For participation in online events, we recommend that you purchase a simple headset. Wired headsets usually have better voice quality than headsets with Bluetooth. You can often also use the headset on your mobile phone/smartphone as a temporary solution.
Software
The Zoom web conferencing platform used at THWS works best when the corresponding Zoom meeting client is installed. Please remember to install the client before starting the online lectures. The Zoom meeting client is free of charge and you do not need a license for it. Please use your THWS e-mail address when registering.
Recommendations for software for studying
Microsoft Office 365
You can obtain Microsoft Office 365 free of charge through THWS and we recommend that you take advantage of this offer. Office 365 has market-leading standard software for documents and presentations. The ITSC provides further information on this on its website in the “Microsoft Office 365” section.
Using the technical software offered by the faculties
In general, we recommend taking advantage of the software offered by the faculties. The software offered is usually used during lectures, tutorials and practicals. You can find out how to obtain the respective software either directly from lecturers, staff and teaching assistants or through information in the StudiSoft portal (login with THWS access data).
It may be necessary to set up a VPN connection to use the software. You will receive further information on this either during the courses or also in the StudiSoft portal.
Technical software used in the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering (not exhaustive)
- PTC Creo
- Autodesk Inventor
- MATLAB
- LabVIEW
- ANSYS
- COMSOL (only in the THWS)
- Siemens NX
- Siemens Simcenter 3D
- Siemens AMESIM
- Siemens Star-CCM+
- Cornerstone
- PolyWorks
- MSC Simufact
