ECE791

Senior Design Experience Project Requirements and Timeline

ECE Senior Design Project Description• The project must involve design and should build on past course work

(mathematics, basic sciences, the humanities and social sciences, engineering topics, communications skills, etc.). It should involve many of the following features: synthesis, analysis, construction, testing, simulations, and evaluations; and should take into account realistic constraints such as time, economics, safety, reliability, functionality, social implications, etc. The implementation aspect of the project may take a variety of forms such as development of a computer program, development of a hardware prototype, development of a LabVIEW simulation, etc. However, all projects should have the following common aspects:

Design – Plan – Implement – Test – Evaluate - Report

• Every project must have an ECE Department faculty project advisor.

Project Related Courses• ECE694 – 1 Credit C/F – Semester II Junior Year– Discuss project concepts and requirements.– Identify project topic and faculty project advisor.

• ECE791 – 2 Credits – Semester I Senior Year– Plan project, prepare and present project proposal.– Work on project and prepare progress report.

• ECE792 – 2 Credits – Semester II Senior Year– Complete project.– Present project results in UNH undergraduate research poster

session.– Prepare final report.

Project Related Courses• ECE791H – 4 Credits – Semester I Senior Year

– Senior honors thesis research must include all of the elements (Design, Plan, Implement, Test, Evaluate, Report) of other senior projects.

– In addition, senior honors thesis research must include a more extensive background review and an aspect of independent research not typically required for senior projects.

– The required elements are the same as for ECE791 (written and oral (group) proposals, written (group) project report).

• ECE792H – 4 Credits – Semester II Senior Year– Each senior honors student must prepare and present a separate research

poster, possibly in addition to a group project poster.– Each senior honors student must prepare a separate written senior honors

thesis, possibly in addition to a group final project report.• ECE791H and ECE792H together satisfy one professional elective

requirement from the standard academic program.

Nominal Project Time-Line

RED tasks are required.BLUE tasks are suggested.

Fall Semester 2010

RED tasks are required.BLUE tasks are suggested.

Spring Semester 2011

RED tasks are required.BLUE tasks are suggested.

How Are Project Courses Graded?

• ECE791/791H– Letter grade assigned by ECE faculty project advisor.– Based primarily on written/oral proposal and written progress

report (and the progress reported).– Must attend all required class sessions and complete all required

elements.• ECE792/792H

– Letter grade assigned by ECE faculty project advisor.– Based primarily on project accomplishments, poster presentation,

and written final report (honors thesis).– Must attend all required class sessions and complete all required

elements.

What about team projects?Team projects can submit one written proposal and prepare and present

one oral proposal (as well as one progress report, etc.) However …• A team project should generally be more extensive in proportion to the

number of team members.• When working as a team every team member must have specific

individual responsibilities through every stage of the project, from initial design through implementation and testing to final reporting.

• Each member of the team must present part of the oral proposal.• Each member of the team must write some portion of the proposal,

progress report and final report. • The individual responsibilities and contributions of each team member

must be clearly spelled out in the proposal, progress report and final report.

• Each member of the team must be present at the poster session.

What should be in the written proposal?

• Each student/team must write a project proposal, which must be approved by the project advisor and ECE 791 instructor. The proposal should include at the beginning: the project title, author, other team members, faculty advisor, courses involved, current date, and planned finish date. This should be followed by a general problem definition, specific design objectives, an implementation and testing plan, and a budget estimate. In addition, a bar chart estimating the projected schedule of the implementation and testing plan should be attached, as well as any supporting diagrams of your design scheme. Although the student/team is allowed latitude in the preparation of the proposal in consultation with the project advisor, it is expected that each proposal will contain the major sections that are outlined above. The proposal must be submitted as both a printed document and in electronic format, as either a PDF or MS Word document file. The electronic version of the proposal should be emailed to the ECE791 instructor prior to the oral presentation. This document will be posted on the class website.

Required Header for Written Proposals

ECE791/792 Project ProposalProject Title: An Informative Project TitleProject Team: John Smith, Jane Jones, Peter RabbitECE Faculty Advisor: W. T. MillerOther Advisors: (only if relevant)Current Date: October 20, 2010Project Completion Date: May, 2011

What does the oral proposal consist of?

• An oral presentation of the project proposal must be given to a group of faculty and peers. Each student/team must prepare a MS PowerPoint presentation of the proposed project. The entire presentation should be designed to present an oral summary of the project proposal, taking between 10 and 20 min. Large group projects may require a longer time. The student/team should be prepared to answer questions. The project faculty advisor should review the presentation in advance in order to help the student in this process. The PowerPoint presentation file should be emailed to the ECE 791 instructor before or shortly after the oral presentation. This presentation will be posted on the class website.

Who comes to the oral proposal?

• All students involved in the project MUST be present AND participate in the oral presentation. Normally the student(s) will be presenting to the project faculty advisor, the instructor of ECE 971, and possibly other students and faculty. The student should feel free to invite others to the presentation if they desire.

Who sets up the oral proposal?

• Once the student/team and the faculty advisor are satisfied with the written proposal, and the preparation for the oral presentation has been done, the student/team should contact the ECE 791 instructor and request a time, date, and place for the presentation. An agreeable time, date, and place will be settled upon.

Step-By-Step Proposal Process• Complete draft version of the written proposal.• Submit draft version to project faculty advisor for review.• Update draft version based on advisor’s comments.• Submit final version of written proposal to faculty advisor and ECE791

instructor.• Complete draft version of the slides for the oral proposal.• Submit draft version to project faculty advisor for review.• Update draft version based on advisor’s comments.• Submit final version of the slides for the oral proposal to faculty advisor and

ECE791 instructor.• Give oral proposal presentation before the end of October.• NOTE: Written and oral proposals can be worked on in parallel, but final

version of written proposal must be submitted BEFORE oral proposal is presented.

What should be in the written progress report?

• Each student/team must write a project report before the end of the semester, which must be approved by the project advisor and ECE 791 instructor. The progress report should include at the beginning: the project title, author, other team members, faculty advisor, courses involved, current date, and planned finish date. This should be followed by a brief summary of the general problem definition, specific design objectives, and implementation and testing plan. It is not necessary to repeat the entire proposal, but there should be enough background information to assist in understanding the remainder of the document. The bulk of the progress report should accurately summarize the progress made to date, any unexpected problems encountered, and an evaluation of the progress made to date in terms of the proposed project schedule. Although the student/team is allowed latitude in the preparation of the progress report in consultation with the project advisor, it is expected that each progress report will contain the major sections that are outlined above. The progress report must be submitted as both a printed document and in electronic format, as either a PDF or MS Word document file. The electronic version of the progress report should be emailed to the ECE791 instructor prior to the end of the semester. This document will be posted on the class website.

Required Header for Progress Report

ECE791/792 First Semester Progress ReportProject Title: An Informative Project TitleProject Team: John Smith, Jane Jones, Peter RabbitECE Faculty Advisor: W. T. MillerOther Advisors: (only if relevant)Current Date: December 12, 2010Project Completion Date: May, 2011

Step-By-Step Progress Report Process

• Complete draft version of the written progress report.

• Submit draft version to project faculty advisor for review.

• Update draft version based on advisor’s comments.• Submit final version of written progress report to

faculty advisor and ECE791 instructor before the end of the semester.