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The Grading Scheme

See the links below for detailed descriptions of the Proposal, Final Report, Lab Notebooks, and Teamwork.

Note: There is a 25% penalty per business day for any late submissions.

Item	Team / Individual Score	Points	Evaluation Sheet**
Initial Idea/Project Page	Team	5	N/A
Proposal	Team	25
Design Review*	Team	60
Eagle Assignment	Individual	10	N/A
Soldering Assignment	Individual	5	N/A
Individual Progress Report	Individual	25
Demonstration (Informal)*	Team	150
Presentation (Formal)*	Individual	50
Lab Notebook	Individual	50
Final Report: Technical	Team	30
Final Report: English/Format	Team	20
Teamwork	Individual	50
Checkout	Team	N/A
Peer Reviews	Individual	15
Design Document Check	Individual	5
Mock Demo	Individual	5
Mock Presentation	Individual	5
Total		515	N/A

* Grades for these will be the average of the TA and Instructor grades; peer review grades will be used to provide feedback.
** Evaluation Sheets are subject to minor changes.

The Project Proposal

The proposal outlines the product's benefit to the end customer, the product features, a design overview, the performance specifications the project will meet, and your plan for meeting these project objectives. The plan will show the sequence in which work will be completed, and it will show how work will be shared between the team members.

Below are the items that should be discussed. An appropriate length is approximately five pages.

1. Introduction
   1. Title: Include the project title, and a statement describing why you've selected the project you have, and why you're excited about doing it.
   2. Objectives: Describe the project goals and intended functions. Include a bulleted list of benefits to the end customer (e.g. "able to stay in touch with friends and co-workers through email access from anywhere in the world"), and a bulleted list of product features (e.g. "email sending / receiving, email forwarding, 10 MB storage, fetches email from a POP account, sends attachments).
2. Design
   1. Block Diagram: Draw a general block diagram of the design ("general" means probably around 5 blocks). Each block should be as modular as possible. In other words, they can be implemented independently and re-assembled later.
   2. Block Descriptions: Describe the function of each block briefly, and explain how it contributes to the overall design and feature list above. Include a discussion of the interface with other blocks.
3. Requirements and Verification Two matched enumerated lists should be made with an entry corresponding to each element of the block diagram. The first list is Requirements, the second is Verification.
   1. Requirements Each block of the block diagram must be described with one or more block-level requirement(s). If multiple requirements are listed for a single block, they should all be on the same level, not subblocks. Leave the next level of detail for the Design Review. The requirements should detail exactly what the block must do and how it must interact with other blocks. A set of high-level requirements is complete if under the conditions that all of the requirements are verified, the project will definitely function as required.
   2. Verification Decribe the test procedures that will be used to verify that the block meets the corresponding requirement. List acceptable quantitative results that will constitute the Requirement having been Verified. Describe how results will be presents, e.g. tables, graphs, a single number, etc.
   3. Tolerance Analysis: As part of your project, describe one engineering component or sub-system that most affects the performance of the project. Later on, you will test this component at extremes and include the results in your notebook and final report. For example: "To perform within a clock frequency specification, Resistor A must be 5K ohms, ±10%, in order for the circuit to perform within specification." Then demonstrate by testing the circuit at the resistor extremes and recording these results in your notebook.
      
      You are to choose any condition in your circuit that has an affect on this signal. Determine the tolerance of this input that maintains operation of your device or causes the affected signal to remain within tolerance. Be sure to include both tolerance extremes in your report, as well as any insights you may have gained while performing this analysis.
      
      Include the results as part of your final written report, although it can be done at any point in the semester. Early in the semester, start determining which signals are most important to your design, as it will help later on in your design cycle.
4. Cost and Schedule
   1. Cost Analysis: Include a cost analysis of the project by following the outline below. Include a list of any non-standard parts, lab equipment, shop services, etc., which will be needed with an estimated cost for each.
      • LABOR: (For each partner in the project)
        Assume your dream salary ($/hour) x 2.5 x hours to complete = TOTAL Then total Labor for all partners.
         
      • PARTS:
        Sum planned (Engineering Estimate) parts cost
         
      • GRAND TOTAL = LABOR + PARTS
   2. Schedule: Include a time-table showing when each step in the expected sequence of design and construction work will be completed (general, by week), and how the tasks will be shared between the team members. (i.e. Select architecture, Design this, Design that, Buy parts, Assemble this, Assemble that, Prepare mock-up, Integrate prototype, Refine prototype, Test integrated system).

NOTE: Actual COSTS and SCHEDULE will be part of your Final Report. Keep a log of cost and schedule in your notebook.

Lab Notebook Overview:

The Lab Notebook is a session-by-session record of what individuals do as a member of the project team at each step of the design, construction, and testing of the project, and it is updated whenever project work is done. Most research and development work in industry will require keeping a similar log. It enables you and/or others to pick up the thread of your past work and carry it forward and serves as a legal record supporting patent claims. 

The book should show entries made at or shortly after every working session. 

In the context of this course, the notebook additionally serves as documentation of progress. It is often referred to when project demos are not successful. Finally, past students that have attempted to obtain patents find that this notebook is the crucial piece of information for proving their work. 

Instructors should see that each partner is individually carrying an important part of the design effort. Freely referring to the work of team mates is encouraged, but identical notebooks should not be turned in. 

To stress the importance of keeping track of your progress, your TA will be checking your notebook at your weekly meeting, and can provide feedback about what changes should be made. The notebooks will be graded by your TA at the end of the semester.

The Book

Any notebook with permanent bindings designed for laboratory record-keeping is acceptable. Those with pre-numbered pages are preferred. Ideally, it should have graph rulings on alternate pages, or else quarter-inch square grid on all pages. We will not accept normal spiral-bound notebooks, as these are not permissible in court since pages can be easily replaced. While most of you probably won't be taking your design to court, this is a class, and we want to teach you to get into the habit of keeping legally acceptable records. Some of you may decide you do want to patent your project, so it will be very beneficial to have given yourself the legal advantage from the start. 

We will allow you to keep your notebook on a computer, but entries will still need to be printed out and attached to a physical notebook for weekly meetings. Keep in mind also that it may be easier in the long run to scratch out rough graphs and equations on paper, so try to plan ahead. If you know you'll have a lot of graphs, equations, etc., don't make more work for yourself than you need to. Do NOT email your notebook entries to your TA unless he or she specifically requests that you do so.

Notebook entries

Each complete entry should include:

1. Date

2. Brief statement of objectives for that session

3. Record of what was done

The record will include equations, diagrams, and figures. These should be numbered for reference in the narrative portion of the book. Written entries and equations should appear on the right-hand page of each pair.

Drawn figures, diagrams, and photocopies extracted from published sources should be placed on the left-hand side, which is graph-ruled. All separate documents should be permanently attached to the notebook. 

Overall, the book should contain a record that is clear and complete, so that someone else can follow progress, understand problems, and understand decisions that were made in designing and executing the project.

What to include

• The main ideas from your project proposal.

• Bibliographic references for any materials that are used as sources. Many of these references will be needed in the written report, later.

• Diagrams, schematic and/or block, for any hardware which is to be tested. There should be an accompanying discussion explaining the principle design problems and decisions. Proposed tests should be mentioned here, too.

• Equations and formulas used in the design process, along with a reference to their sources. If derived by you, sketch enough of the development so that someone can follow the idea from your notes.

• Documentation of the testing and debugging process. I.e., notes of what is being checked, test set-up diagrams, and non-routine results. Difficulties should be noted with particular care.

• It is wise to note anything of any conceivable importance when dealing with debugging problems. Test-signal amplitudes, waveforms, frequencies, modulation types and amounts, test connections, meter scale settings and readings, sketches or printouts of waveforms from precisely identified points in the circuit, and power supply values, are examples.

• Analysis of, and proposed solutions for, any debugging problems. Include all revisions of diagrams and test setups and any new equations, etc.

• Documentation of the new tests, as before.

• Documentation of final performance tests and design verification.

• Topic outlines for oral and/or written reports can reasonably be included.

There is always something to record:

Suppose you are only 'kicking around' design ideas for the project with someone, or scanning library sources. Your objective is what you're hoping to find. The record shows what you found or what you decided and why, even if it isn't final. 

One of the most common errors is to fail to record these seemingly 'unimportant' activities.

Final Written Report

This section has already been migrated.

The Final Report is held to professional standards of language and format, and is evaluated by staff in the ECE Editorial Services, who also check theses and dissertations for the department. The report is also evaluated for technical content and organization by the lab instructors. Quantitative results are expected wherever applicable. At the bottom of this page is an outline of content to include. More detailed instructions can also be found in the following files:

• Final Report Guidelines (PDF file)
• IEEE guidelines for citing references (PDF file)
• Thesis Writing Guidelines (these tips on style/formatting are helpful)
• Microsoft Word template file (DOTX file)
• Format & Writing Checksheet (used by Editorial Services)

Exemplars from Previous Semesters

The following reports received very high scores for the format and writing components of the Final Report grade. (Note that these components of the grade do not reflect technical quality.)

• Spring 2013: Projects 2, 3, 6, 27, 32, 45, 48
• Fall 2012: Projects 1, 13, 14, 16
• Spring 2012: Projects 2, 5, 12, 13, 26, 39, 41

General Outline

1. Introduction
   1. Purpose / usefulness of project
   2. Project functions
   3. Blocks / Subprojects
2. Design
   1. General design alternatives
   2. Equations / Simulations / General Circuits
   3. Detailed description of design
   4. Schematics with components / Drawings / Flow diagrams
3. Verification
   1. Testing procedure
   2. Quantitative results / Graphs / Measurements
   3. Discussion of results and failed verifications
4. Costs
   1. List of parts and equipment needed
   2. Parts + (ideal salary (hourly rate) x actual hours spent x 2.5)
5. Conclusion
   1. Accomplishments
   2. Uncertainties
   3. Ethical considerations
   4. Future work / Alternatives

Teamwork

The teamwork grade is a subjective score that will be awarded at the end of the semester according the criteria below. Partner evaluations may be emailed at the end of the semester to help determine this score.

• Contributed to design, implementation, and debugging of project
• Participated equally with teammates in Design Review, Demo, and Presentation
• Regularly made contact with TA
• Conducted his or her self in a professional manner
• Participated in Class Discussion
• Completed Checkout procedures (checkout form)