EE Capstone Final Report Assignment Revision 0.4, 07 Mar 2016

Transcription

1 EE Capstone Final Report Assignment Revision 0.4, 07 Mar 2016 Introduction The end of the project development cycle is marked by three closely related assignments: 1. a final report; 2. a project poster; and 3. a final presentation and demonstration. This document outlines the final report requirements. A normal sequence of development of these items is as enumerated, above. Since each of these assignments could be viewed as a different form of communication of the same body of information, the sharing of text, figures, findings, etc. between these items (and, indeed, with your prior reports submitted as part of your EE Capstone experience) is expected and encouraged. Goals of the Final Report The goal of the Final Report is as follows: A reader, given technical knowledge similar to yours (i.e. a peer), should be able to understand how your project works, why it is designed the way it is, what the resulting product is capable of, and how well these capabilities meet the original design objectives. The reader should be able to replicate your project (to a breadboard-level prototype 1 ) based solely upon the information contained in the document, perhaps making improvements that you suggest (and based upon your findings). The report is not meant to be a description of the adventures taken during project development: write about the final product. This description is slanted toward a traditional product-based project development cycle: an analogous approach may need to be utilized for projects that deviate from this typical scenario. The report contents must directly correlate to the project as it stands at the time of writing: a report that relates fictitious operation or findings is considered Inappropriate Academic Behaviour, as described in (2) e of the Code of Student Behaviour. The instruction team is required by this same code to report any offenses it discovers. Document Length This document is to be 8 US letter-sized pages in length, all items included. Please do not include your ID numbers anywhere in this document. A required document layout is described, below, and although it is relatively dense, you will likely need to prioritize the inclusion and/or level of detail of all components to adhere to this page limit: a typical technical communication exercise. Most research publications, for instance, have a hard page limit and deviating from this will either have your transcript rejected or a premium will be charged for each additional page. Most groups will find that content will need to be cut rather than added to meet the page length constraint. 1 Unless instrumental to your project, PCB designs do not need to be related. If you have space given the document length restriction, however, they are welcome L. Wyard Scott EE Capstone Final Report 1/5

2 Document Format Papers are to be submitted using the IEEE two-column conference paper format described and demonstrated here: Sample reports from select groups can be found by accessing Project Project Archives from the course web page. Please note that the standards for reports have evolved, and so this sample paper deviates from this year s exact requirements. Document Structure Please use the following paper structure. This structure is consistent with the IEEE conference paper format, and also consistent with what you have learned in technical writing earlier in your program. Section Abstract Introduction Technical Sections Description The purpose of the abstract is to help a reader determine whether they need to read further, or, perhaps, to jog their memory with respect to previously read materials. Write the abstract such that it stands alone. A good abstract will contain not only the most important facts about the paper contents, but also an overview of the 'findings'. In the case of a hardware project description, the 'findings' may range from stating that all design goals are achieved, to an abbreviated list of specifications - the selection of which will depend on the nature of the design project. An abstract is typically very concise (and therefore short) by virtue of its intended use. The introduction section is used to orient the reader. This section will contain a description of the project that can be understood by almost any reader. Further subsections may be used to provide Background Information that will be relevant to the reader who chooses to read further. Sometimes, however, Background Information may also be found in a dedicated section that forms part of the technical content. The choice of which sectioning method to use is yours. The nature of the Background Information that is contained in the report is project-specific, and, of course, subject to the page limitation. Ensure that you include Background Information that one of your colleagues would require to understand the technical information found in the rest of the paper. The technical section(s) may include Background Information, as described above. You are free to structure the technical section(s) as you see fit, bearing in mind the page limit, and good document flow. The IEEE conference paper format uses figures incrementally provided along with the text (although at the top or bottom of the page) to keep good, convenient, document flow. One of the very first figures should be a system block diagram. This figure will fuel the technical discussion. Further detail will eventually be provided in the form of schematics. A full set of schematics is required, although repeated circuitry may be drawn only once and annotated with information relevant to duplication. In order to present the schematics logically and in-text, it will likely be necessary to break larger schematics into smaller, presentable pieces. Note that it is possible to have multi-column figures within the IEEE conference paper format: this may aid formatting. Describing how the project operates will likely require a description of firmware. Use a figure with a flowchart if you have space. Source code does not need to be included in this document, but you are welcome to include snippets of relevant source to demonstrate key functionality. In order to communicate to the reader that the project works as desired, or to 2016 L. Wyard Scott EE Capstone Final Report 2/5

3 characterize why it does not work as desired, a portion of the technical section(s) should outline tests that are used to evaluate project performance, and the data associated with these tests. Conclusions and Future Directions References This section reiterates the important findings of the documents and suggests to the reader how improvements could be made if future development is pursued. It is also sometimes in this section (if not in a technical section) that data found in the technical section is interpreted. In this section the citations made throughout the paper are referenced. The course format for references and citations (described in the syllabus) is consistent with the IEEE conference paper format. Only references that are numerically cited should appear in this section. Final Report Mark Allocation The grading of the report is carried out in both absolute and relative manners: marks allocated to a given category are absolute, but the marking that occurs within a section is relative to your peers' papers. The following table shows the evaluation categories and the corresponding weighting. Examples of what the evaluator looks for in each category is also shown, although this list is modified according to the specifics of the project. (A project that primarily involves software, for instance, would be expected to have more emphasis on software description than hardware.) Category Key Items Looked For Weighting Abstract Overview of project purpose is provided. 10% Findings are outlined. Length is appropriate. Clarity/Readability Document sections are written for appropriate target audiences. Consistent verb tense used throughout. Grammar is correct. Figures are placed in-text. Figures are readable: non-bitmapped and of appropriate size. Figures are referred to in the text. Figure captions are provided. Page limit is adhered to. Technical Content A block diagram is provided close to the start of the technical portion and is used to drive the discussion. Background information relevant to the project is provided. Schematics are provided: interconnection is simple to follow, part numbers, designators, and values are all provided, etc. Firmware/software design is related (if applicable, as it is in most cases). Future directions are outlined. 30% 40% 2016 L. Wyard Scott EE Capstone Final Report 3/5

4 References All sources are cited. References are complete. An appropriate number of references are used. Reference sources are reputable. 10% Electronic File Submission/Other Required Documents All requested materials are received (see below). 10% 100% The last item, Electronic File Submission/Other Required Documents, is covered in more detail later, and is a category used to provide incentive to turn in project files. Submission of the Final Report and Other Required Documents This assignment involves separate submissions with differing due dates. These are submission of: 1. a PDF transcript of the final report (due by 4PM on the date noted in the syllabus) 2. electronic supporting materials (due by 4PM on the last day of regularly-scheduled classes) 3. permission to post forms (due by 4PM on the last day of regularly-scheduled classes) and if you have been requested by course personnel to make out-of-pocket purchases for project parts, 4. reimbursement requests (due by 4PM on the last day of regularly-scheduled classes). Each of these is addressed in turn, below. Items (2) and (3) together form the materials expected under the Electronic File Submission/Other Required Documents category of evaluation. Submission of the Transcript of the Final Version of the Final Report A PDF version of the final report transcript is due by 4PM on the date noted in the syllabus. This is submitted using the online submission resource: Late submissions will be penalized according to the method outlined in the syllabus. This is a group-based submission. Submission of Electronic Supporting Materials These items are due by 4PM on the last day of lectures in the term. Please provide the following materials: final project schematics (usually an Eagle.sch file); final PCB layout (usually an Eagle.brd file); final source code (.c,.asm,.h,.lnk, and makefiles); component data sheets that were difficult for you to locate; and any other electronic documents or applications required to complete the final project but cannot be located from the references you provided. Submit these items by zipping everything together and submitting via the online submission resource: Standard late penalties will be applied, albeit to the specific category of the final report evaluation. Again, this is a group-based submission L. Wyard Scott EE Capstone Final Report 4/5

5 Submission of Permission-to-Post Forms These items are due by 4PM on the last day of lectures in the term. Photos of groups taken during final presentations and titles of projects will likely be posted on the web in the course's project archives. Samples of select final reports are made available. For the benefit of future classes we request permission to post these photos and details about your project. For us to publish your findings to the web, we require a statement from the team members indicating that they consent to having their project information used in this manner. A form serving this purpose will be delivered to each individual in your group toward the end of the course. Please return this form even if you are not giving permission. Note that unanimous consent is required for project information to be posted. Conditions placed upon the permission are typically processed as dissent. Further, however, if this consent was required as a condition of you pursuing the project you did (where project findings are expected to be made public), please provide permission. Examples of projects such as these are those taken on in conjunction with Eleven Engineering, clients expecting publication, open-source or open-hardware. Each member is asked to complete their respective form individually. To submit this item, staple together your group s forms and deposit into the course submission box outside the ECE General Office by 4PM on the last day of lectures in the term. Submission of Reimbursement Requests Also due by 4PM on the last day of lectures in the term, please submit financial reimbursement requests for project parts that you have paid for out-of-pocket. Please do your best to submit only one reimbursement per group, consisting of 1. a printout of the letter(s) from course instruction personnel asking you to proceed with the purchase(s); 2. original receipt(s); 3. in the case of purchases made in foreign currencies, a credit card statement showing the conversion rate into Canadian funds. Please feel free to black-out card numbers and other irrelevant information on the statement; 4. in the event of multiple receipts and/or partial reimbursement of a specific receipt, include a note breaking-down and totaling the allocation of the reimbursement request; 5. a phone number, mailing address, student ID number, and name for the person to whom the reimbursement is to be made. No reimbursements are processed if you or your group is eligible for- and decides to take advantage of project buy-back, discussed elsewhere. It can take two months or more for a reimbursement cheque to be sent out, although there are times when the course can shortcut the process using petty cash. You will be contacted if cash reimbursement is possible. To submit a reimbursement, staple all items together, and deposit into the course submission box outside the ECE General Office by 4PM on the last day of lectures in the term. Sharing Results with Your Client Please share your project files and results with your clients directly: making submissions for this assignment does not address that courtesy! 2016 L. Wyard Scott EE Capstone Final Report 5/5