Homework 7: Functional Descriptions
Due: March 29
Background
At this point, your project definition should be taking shape, although there remain many details
that must still be filled in. Rather than wait until you have resolved all the details, it is time to
begin defining your design (hardware, software, or hardware & software). You don't know all the
details yet so restrict yourself to a high level design viewpoint. The primary output of this
assignment will be block diagrams illustrating the design of your project item, using a
hierarchical approach. By this I mean that there should be a top-level block diagram illustrating
the primary functional components used in your project. Block diagrams for the primary
functional components can then be created, providing a more detailed picture of your project.
NOTE: Above, I have been talking about "functional components." Before selecting the actual
hardware/software parts you will be using, it is important to know what those parts should do. I
am therefore not asking for a block diagram showing a camera connected to a PC but rather a
block diagram showing the functions performed by the camera and the functions performed by
the PC.
Your "functional" design will involve a set of interconnected functions. Your blocks may depend
on a preliminary understanding of what parts might be used, e.g., hardware only, software only,
or a combination of both. You can indicate in your block diagrams whether the function is
hardware, software, or a combination. However, I emphasize that your block diagram will be a
functional definition of your project and you should keep this carefully in mind. Why - before
you select parts to perform the functions of your project, you need to know what functions need
to be implemented.
Implementation of the functions will require further searches for information. You will be
selecting the actual parts for the next homework. Today's projects seldom are designed fully
from the ground up with all custom designs and parts. Instead, they draw upon commercially
available components (hardware/software) supplemented by custom components and/or
interconnected in appropriate ways to create a full system from the components. At this point, we
do not know what components are available (i.e., what are the latest and greatest components on
the market that will make your project stand out as superior to others) but we will address that in
the next homework.
Since your block diagram involves interconnected components, you will need to specify both the
general functionality of the component and its interface to other components. Avoid the
temptation to provide too detailed a definition of functionality/interfacing unless you are
confident that you know what you will be using.
Finally, you should have come across some block diagram or "cartoon-like" figures while
exploring the information sites used in Homeworks # 4 and #5. In a real project, this search for
information would be a continuing process throughout the project. As you proceed through this
course (which emphasizes process rather than project), you may find it useful to expand your
search for information. If you follow this approach, then you can add additional reference
material as you proceed to strengthen your evolving proposal.
Specific Assignment:
Following the general guidelines above, submit a report (six - eight pages, double spaced, 12pt),
presenting the functional description of your project. You have not selected hardware parts yet so
do not describe it in terms of part numbers. Instead, I am looking for a description in terms of the
various functions that are combined to create the overall system project. The report should be of
sufficient detail to serve as an organizing foundation as you move forward to hardware and other
details.
Section 1
Summary of assignments of individual group members for this homework (i.e., what
information in the report was developed by which team member). It is expected that each
team member contribute to the assignment.
A table of team member contribution is required
Percentage of effort towards
this assignment
Member 1 name
Member 2 name
Member 3 name
?%
?%
?%
Section 2
Develop one or more figures illustrating the overall architecture of your project. Use the
information above to help during this step. Development of these figures should be a group
project and the report should reflect who did what. In particular
•
o
Construct a black box or transparent box functional diagram (refer to
previous lecture notes for examples.)
o
Construct a function-means tree diagram (refer to previous lecture notes for
examples.)
It is recommended that you consider a set of relatively simple figures to illustrate your
overall project rather than a single complicated figure. When using multiple figures, you
can start with a top-level figure showing the overall project function and then add images
to provide more detail regarding the "components" in your high-level description. If
desired, you can continue this process to add as much detail as is comfortable for you. If
some of the project design seems ambiguous but you wish to provide some basic idea of a
component, then you can use phrases such as "one approach that we may use involves the
design shown in Figure xx." If you are wrong, then you can make changes later.
•
Add text information describing the meaning of your figures to complete the report
for this homework. I am suggesting that you write the report after you have completed the
figures, an approach which I find helpful but which may not be convenient for you.
Choose whatever way you believe to be most convenient. The text information should
summarize
1. The functionality of the overall project;
2. The functionality of the components used in the figures;
3. The interfaces between/among the components;
4. Any performance metrics which you can identify at this point (i.e., specifications);
5. References to any information, obtained from your search for information, used in
your diagrams (with citations in the text and figure/table captions to the
references).
For those familiar with Web design, you may find it convenient to develop a (not overly fancy)
Web site for your project. This is encouraged since such project home pages can be used as a
vehicle for your maintaining a record of your progress developing the project as well as a
convenient way for team members to understand what other team members have done. You will
be required to do this for Senior Design, so you might as well get started with the idea now.
There are no restrictions on where you should host your web page, but if you want to preserve it
for later use, consider putting on a server you will be able to keep access to. In Senior Design, I
will be providing a server where you will be required to host your work. To see the recent
Senior Design projects, take a look at http://tiger.ece.stevens-tech.edu/14-15/15grp0/ to see a
simple page with links to all the Class of 2015 projects.
Again, your group report should be named as
"LastNameofTeamLeader_Keyword1_Keyword2_Keyword3_hw7.doc"