EECE 295 – Project Descriptions

Project Status

• As of September 21, 2004, we have 10 projects planned– This will support approximately 40 students, including “imported”

students

• Since 45 students are enrolled from EECS, the following options are available– Loan out approximately 6 or 8 students– Find another project

• It is possible for students to design their own project, but I do not have any input from proposed student projects at this point in time– Now is the time to post these projects

Project Staffing

• In an ideal world, students would select their own teams– This is encouraged to a large degree

• However, it will most likely be necessary to “bump and balance” the project teams– Skill mix problems– Other issues, such as U.S. Citizenship requirements on some of the

projects

• I will do the bumping and balancing, with input from the students– However, I reserve the right to be the final authority on these

matters– Be prepared to justify your request in detail

Project Schedule

• October 20, 2004, is the drop dead date for project team formation

• At that point, all teams will initiate a detailed requirements definition effort– For those projects continuing from last year, the first place to start is a

review of what the previous team attempted to do, and where they ended up

• By the end of the Fall semester, the conceptual design should be complete– It would be nice if the preliminary design was also complete

• During the second semester, implementation of the approved design will occur, which should culminate with a demonstration of the desired functionality

Identified Projects

• AMCOM Digital Archive• AMCOM MK66 Guidance Module• AMCOM M445 Fuze Upgrade• RTS Wright Measurement System• Toshiba MPEG/RGB Decoder• Toshiba RF/CATV Wireless Test System• VU Plant Operations Steam and Billing Program• VUMC GME Program Management System• VUMC Soil Worm Activity Monitor• VUSE/BME Sleep Cough Detector

AMCOM Digital Archive

• Sponsor: Mr. Jay Lilley, Director, Propulsion Technology Function (PTF), U.S. Army AMCOM, Huntsville, AL

• Problem Description: – The PTF generates approximately 1 Tbyte of data/year from rocket and

reciprocating engine test data• Video streams• Excel spreadsheets• Still photographs• Analysis results

– Currently, the data resides in a variety of places, and is manually managed

• Proposed Solution:– Build, document, test, and deliver an archival system similar to last

year’s VSC-IT project

AMCOM MK 66 Guidance Module

• Sponsor: Mr. Jay Lilley, Director, Propulsion Technology Function (PTF), U.S. Army AMCOM, Huntsville, AL

• Problem Description: – The problem description is fully documented at:

• http://eecs.vanderbilt.edu/courses/eece295/fall2003/amcom/

– This project will build an electrically functioning breadboard, and test/characterize its performance

– A mechanical mockup/prototype in the final form factor will be fabricated

• Proposed Solution:– Build, document, test, and deliver a guidance module that conforms

to last year’s AMCOM preliminary design

AMCOM MK M445 Fuze Upgrade

• Sponsor: Mr. Bill Wilson, Fire Support Team Lead, Software Engineering Directorate (SED) U.S. Army AMCOM AMRDEC, Huntsville, AL

• Problem Description: – The M26 rocket, used by the M270, M270A1 Multiple Launch

Rocket System (MLRS) Launchers, is a free flight rocket that is aimed by the launcher fire control system

– After launch, the M26 travels along a ballistic flight path until the timer in the M445 fuze counts down to zero

– This approach is inherently inaccurate. If there is a failure in the rocket that causes it to deviate from the nominal flight path, the fuze will dispense the warhead when the timer reaches zero, regardless of the position of the rocket

AMCOM MK M445 Fuze (cont’d)

• Proposed Solution:– Redesign the M445 Fuze to intelligently make the

decision to deploy• If the rocket is “off normal” do not deploy

• If the rocket trajectory nominally meets the requirement, deploy at a particular point in a “wall in space”

RTS Wright Measurement System

• Sponsor: Mr. JR Musselman, RTS-Wright Industries, Nashville, TN

• Problem Description:– This is a continuation of a project that was started last year

• http://eecs.vanderbilt.edu/courses/eece295/fall2003/rts-wright/

– The team succeeded in building a mockup, determining the feasibility of using an Altera FPGA for the application, and completing the Camera Link interface design

• Proposed Solution:– Complete the detailed design– Develop all algorithms and VHDL code– Fabricate/assemble/test the prototype– Characterize the system performance for static and moving objects

Toshiba MPEG 2/RGB Decoder

• Sponsor: Mr. John Gawel, Project Leader, Toshiba Industries, Nashville, TN

• Problem Description:– Toshiba currently uses a MIPS processor and Altera FPGA chipset in

their HDTV Receiver– Feasibility of utilizing this same chipset for new applications is

required

• Proposed Solution:– Complete the detailed design of prototype software using the

manufacturer’s Software Development Environment (SDE)• SDE and hardware to be supplied by Toshiba

– Code the prototype software– Download/debug the code to the chipset, and demonstrate performance

Toshiba Automated RF Test Apparatus

• Sponsor: Mr. Walter Naylor, Director, Project Engineering, Toshiba Industries, Lebanon, TN

• Problem Description:– Toshiba has a requirement to automatically test the RF/CATV

performance of their HDTV receivers– It is not practical to use cables, due to the plant layout and cable

length required

• Proposed Solution:– Design an automated test approach

• This approach could utilize wireless technology• Detailed knowledge of HDTV signal formats is required

– Implement the approved design

VU Plant Operations Steam and Billing Program

• Sponsor: Mr. Jerry Anderson, Director, Power House Manager, Vanderbilt University, Plant Operations

• Problem Description:– The current system automatically populates an Excel Spreadsheet,

which is then manually manipulated– The size of the database exceeds the capacity of the spreadsheet,

requiring the operator to manually reset the system to populate a new spreadsheet when the Excel capacity is exceeded

– Data is provided by legacy systems from Johnson Controls equipment

– The system lacks accounting and management features• It is optimized from the point of view of the power house operator

VU Plant Operations Steam and Billing Program (cont’d)

• Proposed Solution:– Implement an SQL compatible RDBMS with the

associated accounting capability• Plant Ops’ preference is to use MS SQL Server

– Develop the interfaces to the Johnson Controls equipment

– Allow this information to be accessed across the Vunet in a secure fashion

– Appropriately size the system for continued growth, and make certain that the system capacity will not be exceeded in the near term

VUMC GME Program Mgm’t System

• Sponsor: Dr. Doris Quinn, Ass’t Professor, Vanderbilt Medical School, Department of Graduate Medical Education (GME)

• Problem Description:– The GME department must coordinate the activities of 65

residency programs– All programs and the institution must be accredited by the

Accreditation Council for General Medical Education (ACGME)– Accreditation involves meeting multiple standards, document

types, scheduling, and evaluations– A technical solution is required in order to improve the

accreditation performance of all GME residency programs and the institution

VUMC GME PMS (cont’d)

• Proposed Solution:– Design an automated accreditation program

management system that provides the following:• Sharing of common requirements across all programs• Accommodate the specific needs of each specialty

– Surgery, medicine, pediatrics, etc.

• Provide a method of communicating changes to all programs• Create links to web-sites that provide the information that each

program needs for success• Train the program coordinators how to plan and manage

accreditation activities using a web-based “project management” system

VUMC Soil Worm Activity Monitor

• Sponsor: Mr. Randy Blakely, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN

• Problem Description:– Fabrication of a small device that can automatically monitor and record

the activity of soil worms used in neurobiological research. • These studies are related to a disease process, but the worm C. elegans is a

very powerful genetic model. The animals are 1mm long, and move in a sinusoidal motion

• Proposed Solution:– Design a device that would create an array of breakable light beams that

are spaced several hundred microns apart in a grid format– The worm motion would be sensed by a detector array opposite the array

of light beams– Implement the approved design

VUSE/BME Sleep Cough Detector

• Sponsor: Dr. Bharat Bhuva, EECS Department, Vanderbilt School of Engineering

• Problem Description:– There is a need to detect and record how many times a

person coughs during the night

– Data must be displayed as a function of time

• Proposed Solution:– Design the device

– Implement the approved design

Tentative Project Skill Mix

Project BME CompE/EE Mech Eng Packaging FPGA Remarks

AMCOM Digital Archive 5 One December graduateAMCOM MK66 Guidance Module 3 1 Yes Yes Mechanical mockupAMCOM M445 Fuze Upgrade 3 2 Yes Yes 6 DOF simulation requiredRTS Wright Measurement System 3 1 Yes Yes Measurement systemToshiba MPEG/RGB Decoder 4 Maybe YesToshiba RF/CATV Wireless Test System 4 1 Yes MaybeVU Plant Operations Steam and Billing Program 4VUMC GME Program Management System 1 3 MS Project requiredVUMC Soil Worm Activity Monitor 1 3 Yes YesVUSE/BME Sleep Cough Detector 1 2 1 Yes Maybe

Total 3 34 6