$ 18.75 /seat

1. Multi-seat Computer System with Audio Integration George & Vickie Rock MSU Brings the Internet to Africa So What’s the Problem? The current system has six user logins running off of a single computer in order to save on both hardware and power costs. This system requires manual input from the user to associate each screen with its corresponding keyboard and mouse. Problems can occur when the association is executed incorrectly by students with limited computer experience. It is the responsibility of Design Team 4 to implement a system that assists in associating a keyboard, mouse, and monitor to each user station. Team 4 will also bring another school online when they travel to Tanzania in May 2010. In addition, Team 4 will implement audio capabilities for each user to further the educational opportunities for the students in Tanzania. For this project, we are addressing the needs of three small schools near Arusha, Tanzania who have been given access to the internet by previous ECE 480 design teams. Given the remoteness and lack of funding of these schools, they have been unable to offer the luxury resource of a library for their students that we take for granted here in the United States. MSU, along with the generous support of George and Vickie Rock and the Dow Chemical Company, have provided these schools with a multi-user computer system to correct this issue and provide them the educational resources they desire. $18.75 /seat Design Solution In order to correct errors with USB keyboard and mice association, the team created the Assistive USB Device Registration Interface (AUDRI). While commercial products could also correct this issue, Design Team 4 created the AUDRI system to match the effectiveness of those products but at a lower cost. The AUDRI system reduces user input error by coordinating device registration through a network of communication hubs. With previous systems not able to separate sound for each user, the AUDRI system also provides two headphone inputs to supply individual audio at each station. Cost Breakdown One user hub, as shown above, is located at each workstation. A green LED flashes when the system is ready for the user to register their respective keyboard and mouse. In order to prevent inadvertent user input, a red LED is illuminated to instruct the user that they are currently restricted from logging into the system. Final Result The AUDRI system incorporates one sound card per person and provides audio to each user. Through software implementation by Team 4, sound from each user session is independently assigned and routed to their respective user hub. Low Cost Low Maintenance User Friendly Withstand Hot Climate Ultimately, Design Team 4 achieved its main goal of providing a high quality product at a lower cost than commercial solutions. Based on pricing from one of the top competitors, the AUDRI system provides a savings of more than 70%! Spring 2010 Design Team 4