ECE4006 Senior Design Project

1
ECE4006 Senior Design Project

• Linda Milor and Jay Schlag
• linda.milor_at_ece.gatech.edu
• jhs_at_ece.gatech.edu

2
What Will Be Due

• Email about yourself and interests (due Jan. 17)
• Finalize groups (due Jan. 19)
• Present project ideas at in class group meeting
  (Jan. 31 and Feb. 2)
• Finalize project at in class short presentation
  (Feb. 7 and Feb. 9)
• Spec Sheet (due Feb. 16)
• First Progress Report including detailed project
  schedule (due Feb. 23)
• Progress Reports 2-5 outlining progress (due
  March 9, March 30, April 13, and April 27)
• Final Presentation (April 13, April 18, and April
  20)
• Final Report on the Web (due May 2)
• Demo (due May 4)

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Project Scope

• Requirements include specification, design,
  implementation and testing
• incorporate engineering standards and realistic
  constraints that include most of the following
  considerations economic, environmental,
  sustainability, manufacturability, ethical,
  health and safety, social, and political.
• Design project should include
• Hardware processor (any type)
• Software instruction set
• Application

4
Example Projects

• Mobile robot
• - Add sensors and sensor processing to do complex
  tasks (vision tracking, velocity control and path
  planning, formation following)
• - Examples include temperature sensing and
  reporting on the web and an automated highway
  that converts a remote controlled car into an
  autonomous vehicle that can perform lane changes
  autonomously
• FPGA-based controllers
• - Parallel sensor/signal processing and feedback
  loops

5
Example Projects

• LEGO parts
• - Extend a LEGO operating system to add services
  (a real-time open source OS is available)
• Build sensors and sensor drivers encoders,
  temperature sensors, sonar, etc.
• Build your own application using a
  microcontroller, sensors, and motors
• RF-based projects
• - Use an RF reader to identify items in a
  refrigerator and their expiration dates and keep
  this information in a database that can be
  remotely assessed over the web

6
Example Projects

• Automatic display projects
• - Perform frequency analysis of music and display
  lights or water pumps according to the frequency
  spectrum
• RF-based projects
• Use an RF reader to identify items in a
  refrigerator and their expiration dates and keep
  this information in a database that can be
  remotely assessed over the web
• - Use an RF reader to identify people (assume RF
  tags are on an ID badge) and equipment and use a
  database to control the lock on a door to
  determine if a particular person can take that
  piece of equipment out of the door

7
Example Projects

• Wireless projects
• Automatically dispense drinks from a vending
  machine based on a wireless input, check the
  availability of funds, and manage the account
  through the web
• Read the buzzcard upon entry into the on-campus
  bus system and bill users accordingly
• Display restaurant menus on a hand-held device,
  allow orders to be make through the device, and
  produce a bill and enable payment though the
  hand-held device

8
Example Projects

• Computer game projects
• Build an electronic chess board
• Build an interface to enable the use of games
  from multiple manufacturers on a single display
• Sensor projects
• Use IR sensors to determine if someone is in the
  path of a sprinkler, and if so, turn off the
  sprinkler
• Use sensors to display the number and locations
  of available parking spaces in a parking lot
• Other ideas
• PC-based picture frame that received input from
  the web

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Things to Think About

• Application
• - What are you doing and why is it novel and
  necessary?
• Market
• - Who is the customer?
• Cost
• What is the product development cost, including
  design cost and parts? What is the manufacturing
  cost?
• Sales Volume
• - How many will you sell per year? What is the
  product lifetime?
• Support
• - How will you support the customer?

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Things to Think About
Inputs
Outputs
Processor

• Inputs and Outputs
• Number
• Type (voltage or current?)
• Level (Do you need a level converter?)
• Speed
• Control

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Things to Think About
Inputs
Outputs
Processor

• Processors
• Number
• Type (PIC, FPGA, other microcontroller?)
• Speed
• Control
• Instruction Set
• Development System
• Debugging
• Assembler/Compiler

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How to Get Parts

• Borrow Parts
• Edgar Jones and James Steinberg, VL C352-C329
  have a collection from previous semesters (act
  quickly)
• Buy Parts
• You buy it, you own it
• GT Funds Each group gets a budget of 100 per
  person in the group GT owns the parts. (Order
  from Edgar Jones or James Steinberg)
• Company loan or gift

13
Design Process

• Determine application
• Write specifications
• How will you measure performance?
• Hardware block diagram
• Software block diagram
• Determine/order parts
• Test parts of the project test subsystems
• Integrate all parts together

14
Group Formation

• Responsibilities
• Big picture and leadership, technical design,
  hardware, software, testing, integration, cost
  analysis, reporting
• Group Pitfalls
• My Way or the Highway
• You do the work, Ill take the credit.
• I did all of the work
• Group Intelligence (more than the sum)
• Each person contributes equally and all
  suggestions are considered seriously

15
Due January 17 (by email)

• Name
• Email
• Expertise and Experience
• Project Idea
• Current Group Members
• Send email to linda.milor_at_ece.gatech.edu and
  jhs_at_ece.gatech.edu