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ECE 492/493
SENIOR DESIGN PROJECT -- ELECTRICAL
1.0 INTRODUCTION
Students majoring in engineering must carry out a senior design project during
the final year of their undergraduate studies. Normally those specializing in electrical
and computer engineering register to take ECE492 - 493: The Senior Design Project-Electrical. Senior design courses administered by other engineering departments (ME
486AB, IE 430, AM 430 CE 430) may be substituted only by advance approval of the
ECE Department Chair.
The senior design project provides students with an opportunity to apply the
physical theory and engineering design principles learned in their course work to the
creation of a useful product or device. Students will be expected to plan and carry out
the design of selected project(s) following the established procedures used by
practicing engineers to help them ensure that their designs will be successfully
completed in a timely manner. Classroom instruction will acquaint the student with
these disciplines and afford an opportunity to develop skills in their use.
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2.0 OBJECTIVES
Carrying out an engineering design project differs from solving an assigned
homework problem in a lecture class in several significant ways:
1.
It will require more extensive commitment of the students time.
2.
It will involve the application and integration of multiple technologies or
disciplines.
3.
Greater individual effort will be required. These may include
a. Independent study
b. Reference materials
c. Faculty and other consultants
4.
Advance planning will be required:
a. Time allotted for each task and interrelated activities
b. Breakdown of each task relative to the finishing date
c. Preparation of Charts or other methods to show the time line
5.
No unique solution will exist for your particular problem:
a. No good solution may exist -- The best of the worst
b. Acceptable alternatives
6.
Actual components do not necessarily perform as the ideal models:
a. Need to do computer or other modeling
b. May have to measure exact component characteristics
7.
May have to interact and communicate with other people
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What are the differences between an engineering design and construction and a
hobbyist making the same device. Hobbyists do build, assemble and demonstrate a
working model of their projects, but they are usually building someone else's design.
An engineer starts a design with a set of requirements (specifications) that not only
describes what overall performance the design will exhibit (functional performance) but
also delineates quantitatively all of the measurable parameters associated with the
design and its constituent subassemblies. This set of specifications which evolves and
matures as the design progresses, includes all the design parameters such as input
and output signals at each circuit interface, all bias requirements, environmental
constraints, etc., including tolerances.
The second step in the design process is the development of the general or
system block diagram which shows the interconnection of the fundamental or
subsystem blocks and their functional relation to the whole. At this time the engineer
identifies and attempts to quantify the following:
1.
Software functions are identified and quantified as to time and code
2.
Specifications are developed for each subsystem or subassembly
3.
The general design specification is now made and allocated
One can then proceed to the next step.
The design process usually consists of one or more of the following
methodologies or processes:
1.
Development of a general or specific schematic diagram
2.
Development of a analytic model of the system at the lowest level
(component) to find the viability of the system design.
3.
a.
Can the components selected do the job
b.
Do these components actually exist.
Analysis of the model
a.
Hand calculations using tables, approximations, experience -There should be no guesses here. Every calculation should be
justified. Words such as Let us assume, Use, As an approximation,
I choose , etc are not acceptable in an engineering design
analysis.
b.
Computer simulation to help in narrowing down the design
specifications and choices.
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At this point if the above analysis shows that all is well one then proceeds to the
prototype or breadboard stage of the subsystem. Finally, if all subsystems perform as
expected, then one can go on to the last stage which is the integration of all
subsystems into the final overall system.
The overall system is now built and tested to see if one has achieved the
specifications set forth in the design process. If the system meets the specifications at
this time, one then proceeds to the final stage of packaging and marketing. If the
specifications are not met, one then has to go back and modify and redesign or retrofit
the system before going to the last stage.
Documentation during the design process :
During the design process the engineer may have to iterate the design many
times before finalizing the design. This set of iterations is documented in the
Engineering Design Notebook. This notebook is a book which has no loose pages and
has a solid cover. Other documentation is reported periodically in engineering reports
of various types to superiors or their peers.
PURPOSE OF THE SENIOR DESIGN COURSE
1.
Application of the principles and procedures learned in course work
2.
Introduction and development of skills in the following :
a.
Proposal preparation
b.
Plan development
c.
Scheduling
d.
Estimating
e.
Reviewing and reporting
3.
Practicing oral and written communication skills (individually/collectively)
4.
Participation in design reviews
5.
a.
Participant
b.
Part of a review team
Familiarization with the technical literature.
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6.
Gain experience in part selection, procurement, packaging, layout, assembly
and techniques such as soldering, wire-wrapping, and trouble shooting.
3.0 PROJECT/GROUP SELECTION
The student will be given two projects to be completed as part of this one year
sequence, both projects will be assigned by the instructor(course coordinator).
1.
The first project will be a relatively simple analog or digitally oriented
project which the student will finish by the end of ECE492. This
project will be used to give the student an idea of the type of reporting
expected as discussed in the purpose section above. If the project is not
finished by the end of ECE492 the student will receive an SP(Satisfactory
Progress) for ECE492 but may continue on to ECE493.
2.
The second project will be a group project which will be the design of a
relatively large system by a group. All group assignments will be made
by the instructor. Each person will take responsibility for the design of a
section of the system including the reporting, paperwork, design and
construction of that part of the system. This project will start in ECE492
and continue on in ECE493. The project must be completed by the
end of ECE493 or the whole group will given an F grade and the
group may be broken up into other groups.
.
One can see that this method of assigning projects better emulates the way that
industry and laboratories actually work. The time line is designed to show the student
that one does not have infinite time to finish a particular design or project. The grading
is to give the student an incentive to finish on time and emulate monetary
compensation. Note:The PENALTY for failure is severe -- this is normal in real
life. Hopefully, this course will better prepare the engineering graduate in the transition
from the academic to the professional world.
4.0 PROPOSING THE PROJECT
In this course, since the projects will be assigned by the instructor, one will not
have a true proposal. However, the student will still have to prepare a proposal as if
one were doing it for the first time.
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A proposal is an offer, generally to supply a product or service. In order for an
offer to be accepted it is necessary that "customers" be given sufficient information
regarding the product or service so that they understand exactly what is being offered.
An engineering proposal accomplishes this by providing explicit quantitative information
defining at a minimum what will be supplied, how it will perform, the method by which
the design will be carried out, how long it will take, what resources are required (people
and equipment), and how much it will cost.
The student will present preliminary proposals:
1. Orally
2. Written description: not over one page in length.
The instructor will define the exact format for both the oral and written
presentation. The student should be as explicit as possible in describing the project.
Include some idea of proposed design approaches and the expected performance.
The outline required for submitting a formal proposal for a senior design project is
shown in Appendix I. (Appendix V, illustrates the title page to be used for this and other
documents that require a title page.) The key elements of a formal proposal are
described below.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
A project is simply a planned task or undertaking. The senior design projects are
planned efforts in which the student plans and executes a set of designs in which the
end result will be two working models.
The project should be described by :
1. Physical characteristics
2. Overall performance
The physical description can be illustrated by an outline drawing or an isometric sketch.
The performance should be described in terms of the design's FUNCTIONAL
REQUIREMENTS. The functional requirements are a quantitative listing, often with
tolerances, of the operating characteristics of the overall project.
FOR EXAMPLE:
The functional requirements for an audio amplifier would include:
GAIN
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MINIMUM INPUT SIGNAL STRENGTH
MAXIMUM OUTPUT POWER
BANDWIDTH
NOISE FIGURE
INPUT POWER REQUIREMENTS
SOURCE AND LOAD IMPEDANCES
OPERATING ENVIRONMENT
POWER SUPPLY REQUIREMENTS
To achieve the overall design, it is generally necessary to allocate a number of
individual functions to specific circuits or software modules, such that when all of these
elements are integrated, the total design is realized. Thus, for the audio amplifier one
may have to combine the following:
1. Audio preamplifier
2. High gain amplifier
3. Power Amplifier
4. Power Supply
in order to achieve the overall design.
One way to show this design approach is to use a "Block Diagram".
A block diagram is a drawing depicting the design as a series of functional blocks
interconnected by lines to indicate signal paths. Traditionally the block diagrams are
drawn with the input sections on the left and the outputs on the right side of the
diagram. An example of a block diagram for the audio amplifier is shown below.
power
supply
input
pre
amp
voltage
amp
power
amp
output
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AUDIO AMPLIFIER BLOCK DIAGRAM
From the functional requirements we then develop the design approach or philosophy and the
design specifications. Design specifications are detailed quantitative lists of all of the input,
output parameters, input signals, output signals, bias voltages, bias currents, impedances,
waveforms, bandwidths, truth tables, logic diagrams and any other performance
characteristics that need to be specified. Note:
specifications are required only for the complete design.
It is normally not possible to allocate requirements to individual circuits without
completing a large part of the design. Therefore, the process of developing a design
specification is an iterative process.
A. PROPOSAL STAGE
The student is expected to describe the design primarily in terms of overall functional
requirements and specifications and provide a block diagram
Preliminary design specifications for individual blocks should be provided by the
student to the extent that one is able.
Design philosophy and approach for each block should be addressed.
Actual designs with schematics should be provided if possible.
B. SCHEDULE (MILESTONE OR GANTT CHART)
Once a design concept has been developed to realize the functional requirements of
the project, the engineer must develop a plan for carrying out the design in an orderly
manner. One must list each event that must occur for each segment of the project, assign a
probable period of time for each event to occur and arrange the events in the proper
sequence. This list then becomes the project schedule. One can graphically depict this on
a chart called a milestone chart or GANTT chart. An example of a GANTT chart is shown
in Appendix. The GANTT chart is prepared when the project plan is first developed and is
included in the proposal. The chart is revised periodically to display progress in accordance
with the plan or any changes in the actual schedule of events or the events themselves.
The student will submit periodic revisions of the chart as part of the required oral and
written progress reports. Students will also be required to develop an expenditure plan to
forecast both material and time costs. As part of the costs of the project the student will also
submit a present worth futurecast cost for five (5) years and approximately 100,000 units.
If parts or materials are obtained free of charge, the estimated cost to purchase must
be included for these parts.
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C. TEST PLANS
Design specifications serve two basic purposes for engineers:
1.
They provide the definition of what must be designed
2.
They tell the engineer when a design has been completed-- The design is
complete when the specifications are met.
In order to determine when this result has been attained, designs must be tested to
demonstrate specification compliance. Thus, designs must also provide ease of maintenance
and testing. The designs should provide good access to important test points for both
instrumentation and signal insertion. For this, the engineer must provide a Test Plan.
Test Plan: Defines:
1.
The circuits and parameters to be measured.
2.
The excitation signals that are applied.
3.
The environmental and other constraints that will apply.
The Demonstration Procedure:
This is a detailed, step by step set of instructions for carrying out the Test Plan. The
Demonstration Procedure must describe the way in which the project demonstration will be
conducted.
D. ABSTRACTS
The final report is a formal report and an abstract is required. An abstract is a concise
description of the contents of a document. A reader should be able to obtain enough
information from the abstract to understand the documents contents and decide whether to
read further. For example: "This proposal describes my senior design project which is an
audio amplifier" is not an acceptable abstract. It provides no information about the design
itself.
E: BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH
Each student will submit a biographical sketch or resume at the time stated for
the course. Biographical sketches are included in proposals to provide the reader with an
understanding of the persons qualifications for carrying out the project. Therefore, the key
elements of such a biography are those which depict technical competence. Emphasis
should be given to work experience, education and applicable hobbies. In listing educational
achievements, it is important to emphasize major technical fields of study. For example, just
a listing of courses taken may not be the best approach if one is not familiar with the school
catalog.
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Technical Writing:
All of the above are technical documents and should be written in the third person,
passive voice as much as possible. The writer should try not to use "I" or "We" in the report.
Similarly, the writer's personal feeling about the work should never be included (e.g. "I learned
a great deal about analog circuits by designing my audio amplifier" is not a suitable
conclusion for a technical report).
5.0 REPORTING AND COMMUNICATING
Engineers do not work in isolation. Their professional activities involve interacting with
supervisors, peers, and subordinates. They frequently have to draw upon the resources of
allied organizations. In all these contacts they need to explain their work and their needs
concisely and clearly. Also, they must be able to communicate by both written and spoken
word. The students will be given the opportunity to improve their skills in both areas.
When a student enrolls in ECE492/3 they are assumed to be familiar with the rules
and guidelines required for recording data and writing reports. These guidelines are to be
followed in this course except as noted or as stipulated by the course instructor.
ORAL PRESENTATIONS
An oral presentation requires careful thought and planning. The following is a set of general
guidelines that one can use to prepare an oral presentation.
ORGANIZE THE MATERIAL TO FINISH IN THE ALLOTTED TIME
WRITE OUT A SCRIPT TO ORGANIZE ONE'S THOUGHTS AND REHEARSE
THE TALK TO ENSURE THAT IT CONFORMS TO THE TIME LIMITS
DO NOT READ FROM A WRITTEN TEXT--THIS LEAVES THE IMPRESSION
THAT THE SPEAKER IS NOT READY
USE NOTES OR OTHER MEMORY AIDS
USE PROJECTION DEVICES AND CHARTS FOR EFFECT--THIS IS A MEMORY
AID FOR THE SPEAKER AND EMPHASIZES KEY POINTS FOR THE AUDIENCE
An overhead projector and computer will be provided and the students will be expected to use
them.
RULES FOR TRANSPARENCIES
1.
Use large block letters ( at least 1/4" high) so that charts can be easily read from the
rear of the room.
2.
Keep the number of ideas or points to a minimum for each chart. A good rule to follow
is to limit the chart to no more than four separate items, one line per item.
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3.
Use very few words to identify key messages
4.
Limit the number of charts used
5.
Charts showing block diagrams, schematics, etc., would be made with bold black lines.
Pencil drawings utilizing 0.7 mm pencils do not project well.
OTHER GENERAL RULES
Project schedule charts are relatively complex but provide useful information. For
presentation purposes in this class you may have to abbreviate this portion. A good
general rule is to assume that one will take on the average three to five minutes to
discuss one complex chart. Photographs of equipment will normally require less time.
Speak slowly and clearly and loud enough to be heard in the back of the room. Look
directly at the audience and vary the voice to convey interest and emphasize important
points. You must keep your audience awake.
Make sure you leave time for the audience to ask questions.
For written reports, organization, clarity and brevity are probably the most important
points to remember.
RULES FOR THIS COURSE
1.
Reports must be typewritten or wordprocessed and double spaced. Only Arial
or Helvetica fonts are acceptable.
2.
Page limits, if specified, must be observed--e.g. -- abstract (only one
page).
3.
Spelling errors and syntax errors will be enforced-- if too many errors are
detected, the report will be sent back to be redone and points taken off.
4.
If the wrong message is detected in a report it will be sent back to be
redone, again, points will be taken off.
6.0 REPORTS DUE IN THIS COURSE
1.
The first report due in this course is actually a resume which will be due on the date
specified on the schedule.
2.
The second report due will be a preliminary proposal report due according to the
schedule handed out in class at the time that project assignments are made. This
report will consist of two parts:
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a.
A written report according to rules laid out in this manual and structured
by the instructor.
b.
An oral report which the instructor will call out randomly--there should be
no special preparation for this report.
The preliminary proposal as described in Section 4.0 should describe the project explicitly as
possible. The design approach or philosophy should be described as clearly as possible
along with the expected performance of the design.
A preliminary budget and schedule should be prepared. These may be used in the written
and oral presentations where they should be presented as charts along with block diagrams,
functional requirements and specifications.
The written version of the preliminary proposal, unless otherwise specified, should be a short
(1 page Maximum) description of the project and its expected performance. The block
diagram and preliminary schedule should be appended to the above.
3.
The next required report will be a formal report as discussed in Section 5.0 as a written
document in accordance with Appendix II. The title page for this
and other
documents which require one shall be prepared as illustrated in
Appendix V. This
will be an upgraded report, by this time the student should have progressed to the
point that they will know whether they will finish on schedule. It will be due according
to the schedule handed out in class.
4.
The next required report will be a design review for everyone according to the schedule
provided by the instructor. The design review is described in detail in Section 8.0 of
the manual. The design review package that the student prepares will provide most
of the important technical information needed to prepare the final report. This report is
to be given orally and the student should be prepared to answer technical and
philosophical questions about their project. If one is having trouble with either the
group or individual project this is the time to ask for help.
5.
A written final formal report on the project is due at the end of semester:
a.
Individual Project Completion
b.
Group Project Completion
The final report is to be written in accordance with the outline and page restrictions of
Appendix IV AND V.
Key milestones in Section 10.0 should have been completed by this time.
An acceptable final report should contain the following:
1.
A well defined block diagram
2.
A complete set of circuit schematic drawings
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3.
A definitive set of design specifications
4.
Description of the final completed project as built
5.
Test data must be included and measured performance compared to
hand and/or computer calculated values.
6.
Discrepancies and problems should be explained and corrective
measures should be indicated.
7.
In either the main body or the appendix, all hand calculations and
computer simulations must be shown. Note: Computer simulations
alone are not acceptable.
8.
The report must also contain the schedule and budget performance
according to one's plan. Similarly, it must also have the futurecast
present worth value of the project for approximately 100,000 units for 5
years in the future. i.e. can we afford to sell the project 5 years from now
at the same price as this year.
7.0 CARRYING OUT THE PROJECT
Once the projects are assigned, students are expected to carry out their designs in a
professional manner. Each student will independently carry out all design, analysis, software
development, and testing necessary to complete the project. Students will make any
necessary arrangements for the use of shop, laboratory, and test equipment facilities on their
own.
Generally, the student is to fabricate and assemble the project on their own, however,
there are circumstances in which it is permissible for the student have the
assembly/fabrication accomplished by others. This is to be discussed with the instructor in
advance. Printed circuit and/or certain SMT (surface mount technology) methods may
require professional shop work --this must be done under the control of the student or group.
In researching the project, the student may use any and all help with the exception that
they must do the final design, assembly, and testing on their own. Thus, one may consult
technical literature, talk with other students, talk with the faculty including the instructor.
The student should use the specifications, test plans, and schedule to provide the
basis for recognizing problems. For example, if some milestone is not met one knows that
they are in trouble and must seek some means of resolving it. As one progresses in the
design, tests should be planned to reveal design flaws as early as possible so that corrective
measures can be made quickly so as to remain on schedule. If at some point it becomes
evident that a specific goal is impossible or will cost too much one can request a change to
the specification in the form of an Engineering Change Request (ECR). However, students
are required to obtain the instructor's written approval for any specification change.
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The Design Notebook
The student must record their design activities, calculations, analyses and test data in
laboratory notebooks. In keeping records, include any rationale for design changes or
changes in approach or philosophy. Recording any evaluations and analysis of any unusual
or unexpected test data is also helpful. This then is a diary in which there is entered a record
of everything pertaining to the project. When in doubt, include it. This is due at the time of
the final demonstrations -- no exceptions.
Integration
Generally, the final integration of all functional blocks may reveal unanticipated
technical problems. Therefore, schedule integration tests as soon as possible, but not before
one has all the blocks working according to specifications independently. Thus, enough time
must be allowed for unexpected problems to be resolved, but also to allow for any redesigns
that may be necessary.
8.0 DESIGN REVIEWS
The design review is a technique developed by the engineering profession to share
knowledge and experience. The design review itself is a session or conference at which the
designer presents his design to a panel of professionals, selected because of their
experience and familiarity with various aspects of the type of design being reviewed.
The design is described in terms of the block diagrams, schematics, design
decisions and trade-offs considered, analyses performed, test data, and any
other information which the designer can offer to the review panel. It is again
emphasized here that one cannot use guesses, assumptions or general rules of
thumbs to present real calculations--only calculable values are permissible.
The presentation of design data is collected and distributed as a Design
Review Package. The designer generally describes the contents of the design
review packages to the panel and answers questions to assist the panel in
understanding the design. In industry, the package is provided to the design
reviewers in advance to enable them to become familiar with the contents of the
package. In this course, this will not be done, but because of past oral
presentations everyone should be familiar with all of the project designs.
The review panel in turn considers the data presented, advises the designer of
problems they may have encountered with similar designs, points out possible
risk areas that should be subjected to further considerations or test, identifies
steps that might contain errors or omissions, and offers suggestions that might
lead to improved designs. The design decisions are still the design engineer's
responsibility and the panel's suggestions can be accepted or rejected.
In a good design review, the designer and review team should actually
engage in an adversarial relationship where the team probes every part of the
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design in order to find any weak points. The idea is to seek the best possible
design.
In the role of the designer the student will prepare a design review
package in accordance with the outline given in Appendix XI. This package will
be given to the instructor at the end of the design review. Prepare the oral
presentation so that at least one third of the time allotted can be devoted to
questions and discussions with the panel. The panel in this case will be the rest
of the ECE492 students.
As a member of the review panel, the student should consider all aspects
of the design being presented and draw upon past experience and course work
to offer any helpful suggestions or question any areas one considers to be a
problem.
The student must answer any questions raised during the design review
in the final report. Such answers can be included either as part of the design
description and status or can be summarized in an appendix.
9.0 DEMONSTRATION PROCEDURE
At the completion of both ECE492 and ECE493 the student is required to demonstrate
the performance of the individual or group project. To do this, the student must develop a
Demonstration Procedure.
The student is then expected to follow this demonstration procedure in showing the
functionality of the project.
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10.0 KEY MILESTONES
The following is only to be used as a guide in carrying out the project. The real
schedule will be given out with the project assignments.
ECE492
Second Day Resumes Due
Week 2
Projects Assigned
Week 4
Preliminary Report Due
Week 5
Preliminary GANTT chart Due
Week 5
Preliminary Oral Reports--Random Selection
Week 10
Upgraded Report -- Definite Schedule due
Week 12
Start of Design Review everyone in order
Week 15/16 Demonstration of individual project -- Design Notebook and Final
Report Due
ECE493
Attendance is not mandatory except on the days listed on the schedule.
However, all students will be expected to show up for the final demonstration day listed
in the schedule for ECE493.
Week one
All students meet with instructor in class to discuss schedule
week 15/16 Demonstration of individual project -- Design Notebooks and Final
Reports Due.
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11.0 GRADING
Unless otherwise stipulated by the instructor, grades in ECE492/3 will be based upon
the points awarded for the completion of the various assignments as allocated in the tables
below:
ECE492 GRADING SYSTEM
POINTS
5
5
10
15
15
15
15
15
45
60
200
ITEM(All items below are required elements)
Attendance(No unexcused absences)
Articles for continued education(all articles in with passing marks)
Preliminary proposal (oral)
Preliminary proposal written
Written upgrade report
Design review package
Design review oral
Design Notebook(Required)
Final Written Report(Required)
Project – Demonstration(Required)
TOTAL
ECE493 GRADING SYSTEM
POINTS
5
15
35
50
105
ITEM(All items below are required elements)
Articles for continued education(all articles in with passing marks)
Design Notebook(Required)
Final Report(Required)
Project – Demonstration(Required)
TOTAL
In both courses the project must work as specified, otherwise:
ECE492 will lead to an SP which must be completed within TWO semesters.
ECE493 will lead to a F or Fail grade which means you may have a new group and/or a
new project.
Note that the emphasis is on the successful completion of the project which is worth
30% in ECE492 and 47.6% in ECE493.
Grading criteria for the written and oral reports will be based on style, format, clarity and
completeness of presentation. Again, to emphasize, no handwritten or hand-drawn
diagrams will be accepted on any report--all portions will be wordprocessed or
typewritten. All schematics and diagrams will be drawn by CAD or a presentation
package.
Written reports, Design review packages and Design notebooks are due on the dates
indicated on the schedule handed out in class.
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APPENDIX I
FORMAL WRITTEN PROPOSAL OUTLINE
SUBJECT
PAGE LIMIT
TITLE PAGE..................................................................................................1
TABLE OF CONTENTS.................................................................................1
SUMMARY.....................................................................................................1
TEXT...............................................................................................................6
A. DESCRIPTION OF PROPOSED DESIGN
B. BLOCK DIAGRAM
C. DESCRIPTION OF SUBASSEMBLIES OR MAJOR COMPONENTS
D. SCHEMATIC ( IF AVAILABLE)
E. PERFORMANCE EXPECTED (FUNCTIONAL SPECIFICATIONS)
F. DESIGN PHILOSOPHY OR APPROACH
G. SCHEDULE (GANTT CHART)
H. TEXT PLAN
I. COST ANALYSIS (EXPENDITURE PLAN)BALSO 5 YEARS FUTURE WORTH
CONCLUSIONS................................................................................................1
APPENDICES
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES...........................................................................1
BIBLIOGRAPHY (REFERENCES)....................................................................NO LIMIT
ANY OTHER INFORMATION OR DATA YOU INCLUDE.................................NO LIMIT
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APPENDIX II
WRITTEN PROGRESS REPORT OUTLINE
The written progress report shall be one page in length plus attachments. The following is the
outline:
Heading:
Progress Report for Period Ending_____________________________
Title of Project
Name of Engineer
Summary Description of Project: Limit: 2-3 sentences.
Status of project relative to the Gantt Chart:
Identify Key accomplishments
Describe plan for problem resolution
Describe any upcoming test plans and/or ideas
Objectives for next reporting periods
Attach updated milestone or Gantt chart and expenditure profile.
Appendices:
Include all pertinent information which does not fit easily into the one page report.
See example report Appendix III
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APPENDIX III
PROGRESS REPORT
Period Ending March 10, 1992
Project : Lawn sprinkler Control System
Description: A Sprinkler Control System which monitors ground humidity and turns on
the water when the humidity level drops below the desired level.
Status:
Design:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Circuit Designs are slightly behind schedule. They are about 80% complete. This delay
was caused by the senior design changes.
Procurement of parts is also affected by the changes but no major setback is anticipated.
Assemblies are expected to be delayed by one week.
Currently preparing for the upcoming Design Review.
Cost
As projected
Key Accomplishments
1. Finalized sensor design
2. Procured parts for sensor circuits
Problems Encountered
Hygristor is coated and can not be touched (especially when moist). Will have to design
a special container which will suspend the device and protect it from external contacts.
Upcoming Test Plan
1. Software Testing
2. Operation of humidity detection circuit will have to simulated using variable resistor
Next Report
1. All circuit designs done
2. Software Program Tested
3. Humidity detection simulated completed
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APPENDIX IV
FINAL REPORT OUTLINE
TOPIC
PAGE LIM IT
TITLE PAGE...................................................................................................................1
TABLE OF CONTENTS..................................................................................................1
ABSTRACT.....................................................................................................................1
Brief Description of what the report covers in detail
BODY OF THE REPORT
I.
INTRODUCTION..................................................................................................1
II.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT
TEXT...............................................................................................3
FIGURES.........................................................................................3
Include Block Diagrams of any significant portion the circuit. A schematic of the
entire project must be included.
All requirements and specifications must be included in tabular form for each
subassembly with all values and tolerances.
III.
DESIGN METHODOLOGY OR PHILOSOPHY....................................................NO LIMIT
A description of the approach must be given with all significant choices and
decisions shown with justification. No guesses or speculation are acceptable
here as part of this report.
IV.
TEST PLAN..........................................................................................................1
Describe in detail how you will show that the circuit meets all specifications
V.
APPENDIX.............................................................................................................NO LIMIT
All hand calculations must be shown here and referenced to the Design
Notebook. If no hand calculations with justification are shown the grade
will be marked down one grade. The computer simulations alone are not
acceptable.
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APPENDIX V
EXAMPLE TITLE PAGE
ELECTRICAL AND COMPUTER ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT
CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, NORTHRIDGE
SENIOR DESIGN FINAL PROJECT REPORT
ATITLE OF PROJECT@
BY
STUDENTS= NAMES (ID NO., )
ECE492 or 493 (SEMESTER FOR 492 or 493)
APPROVED BY ___________________________________DATE________________
INSTRUCTOR=S NAME
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