February 22, 2011

1. February 22, 2011 Preliminary Design Review…Review

2. Topics 2/22/2011 • Writing a Status Report • Preliminary Design Review Considerations

3. Writing a Status Report • Chapter 7 in Pocket Book of TR • Follow format given in website • Simple and Straightforward: Comment on your contribution’s status and the details of why the action item is in that state.

4. Preliminary Design Review • Basic Engineering principles • The simplest solution is often the best • Look at the big picture • Technical language is extremely important • Use common sense • Many of the solutions to problems are straightforward, not in an engineering textbook • Consider Everything

5. Simplest Solution: More Research= Easier Time • Project: Trash collecting robot • Winner: Cloth conveyor, sorting via broom bristles • Less components: less complicated • Project: Marco Polo Sound Generation • Project: Capacitive hand tracker

6. Interfacing • Several groups need to define interfacing between circuits • Success does not depend on the subsystems working independently; it depends on all subsystems working together • Consider each subsystem’s outputs and inputs, and if you can make things easier • Analog filters • Automatic Gain Control • Digital signal transfer

7. Consider Everything • Microcontroller: • Sampling rate is limited by interrupts • Output is limited by clock • Amplification • You can change circuits to suit your needs • Fixed, agreed-upon targets and ranges make everyone’s life easier. • Power Requirements • Are you losing power to heat sinks because you chose inferior components?

8. Subsystem Demonstrations • Aim for completion, ensure everything works properly • Define goals for team that are separate from the goals defined by the project documents • Integration of subsystems cannot occur too soon