Meeting Notes 1/28/11

• introduce Lehar Gupta- what is she working on ?
• exchange contact info -- Charis will add Lehar to Wiki.
• get her set up on g-docs, dropbox, group, and wiki --
• get her up to speed on our project status 
• TI/NI competition = free money and design components
• need to talk to someone ASAP about chemical and radiation testing!!!
• reassign a writing task for paper due next wed?
• work on paper together
• discuss individual research progress (a quick "I have done/not done X,Y,Z this week..." and "I plan to do X,Y,Z next week")
• John is going to add Ethernet to the BOM
• Need to get a GPS of good accuracy -- Capernecos/GPS09159(20 channel)
• new camera option
• needing a remote wireless access point for video (wifi router/server module) 

More written notes between Charis and Lahar are below. Lahar will be programming/creating the communication protocol between the robot and the host. Here we discussed what data is being passed and what the communication standard may look like. Furthermore, how to check that the data was not corrupted during transmission (parity bits, CRC, TCP protocol). 

We also came to conclusion that the Women in Engineering program at UT might know of some useful resources for our design implementation. 

Design Implementation Plan Meeting (January 25, 2011)

Due: Febuary 3, 2011(Thursday @ 12:30 PM)

Needs to be 8-12 pages. Should not be a copy of System Design Paper from last semester. Make sure to discuss new content and design.

Introduction (do @ end together)


Problem Background (1/2-1 page)  (Hieu)

• like problem statement ( first paper) + key operation requirement (last paper) 
• introduce with table and explain subsection
• Technical
•  specifications, constraint, requirements
• lbs
• wireless range
• response time
• battery life
• speed
• etc...
• sensor array
• why we choose the sensor
• data transfer
• wifi
• sensor
• controller host
• video
• Deliverables
• user manual
• code 
• schematic
• prototype (look last paper for adding more detail)
• bom
• fabrication/ Electrical/mechanical schematic 

Description of Design  (Charis + Kirtan)

• refer to last paper (System design)
• Make sure to add hardware flow diagrams
• flow like picture( User ->controller -->UI/Host <--> Robot) 
• preliminary design
• camera 
• table
• option 1: select reason (why we choose = specifications and etc answered here)
• option 2: select reason (why we choose = specifications and etc answered here)

Implementation Plan (John)

• Project activity, schedule, and collaboration
• Project materials and costs
• ** John will email us for items he specifically needs our input on **
• Charis has a ton of old reference material- contact her when you need specific documentation
• some can be found on blog, dropbox, or g-docs
• Others are on her personal computer

Conclusion (do @ end together)

Friday, January 21, 2011 - 1st meeting

• Wiki- John made: http://www.kungfubrew.com/home/wiki/
• Use this for your research, design, etc
• John's camera
• POE (power by ethernet )
• 4 data, 4 power
• -48 volts
• convert 3.6, 7.2
• we need a solution for the battery
• transmits over ethernet to a webpage
• active x capabilty
• John will look into the camera stuff
• and explaining it better to us
• video capture controller?
• Look into other material
• 70 lbs is our limit for the robot
• Enter into the TI competition
• Power
• Allocate appropriately
• camera could take a lot of power
• Sleep mode?? 
• Extra do not worry about now
• Programming
• Processor:
• Begal board???
• 9s12
• PIC
• msp430 (TI)
• more flash
• less ram (to hold program)
• Motor
• Powerful motor for $$
• H-bridge or motor controller
• Motor controller might be better for our money
• To do:
• Labview programming
• wireless communication
• labview sensor/dada interfacing
• mechanical design
• motors and motor controller
• sensors
• adc
• antenna
• type (bomb)
• co
• lpg
• methane
• DETERMINES PINS FOR MCU
• Who is doing what (this week):
• John
• Sensors
• Video
• Charis
• LabVIEW
• controller/usb
• video display
• Mechanical schematics of robot
• Hiew
• Wireless
• XBEE
• Kirtan
• Sensors
• Motor
• *** MAKE SURE TO PUT ALL PARTS IN BOM ** 
• BE READY TO TALK ABOUT YOUR DESIGN RESEARCH IN DETAIL
• TA MEETING TUES @ 12:40

Tips for Senior Design Success + New Team Member (John)

First of all welcome John Walthour, he is our newest member with embedded and power experience.
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1) Work closely w/ your faculty mentor or TA mentor. Make sure that he or she fully understands you project, problems you encounter, and your status at any time. Your mentor has the biggest influence on your grade.

2) Do not limit your project to the basic lab hours. The general "rule of thum" for a couse is 3 hours of outside work per credit hour.

3) Put a lot of effort into your written reports and follow the guidelines to the letter. Get help form the writing TAs or the Undergraduate Writing Center if needed.

4) Do not turn in anything late.

5) Complete your project. (It is due at end of April NOT MAY).

Also, for those using the second floor labs, pleas be careful not to disrupt the other organized lab courses when in session (large labs).  Please use the perimeter labs (204, 207-11, 224, 227) or 252C if possible, although we do realize that some students will need to use the power lab (212) and the logic analyzers.

Finally, New soldering stations and a surface mount soldering oven will be installed in the 2nd floor labs this semester.
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Dr. Fagelson presentation

A set of coordinated human activities that begins with a definition of a problem or need and ends with a problem solution or product.

Why do project fail? Unforeseen circumstances. You do not anticipate problems and prepare properly.

Unforseen vs. unforseeable- a good project prepares for all but teh unforeseeable.

Unforseeable

• unqualified team members (ignorant or poor engineers)

Foreseeable

• task list - you know what needs to get done
• team inventory - you see what you have and can access it. Who is responsible for what
• design review meeting - you present to your TA and get on the same page with this person. 
• design implementation plan- you need to keep organization scheme. You need a clear sense of direction: change, problems, sense of where you are headed, etc...
• Try to reduce the "learn-as-you-go"
• Touch base with your mentor
• Where the project is headed
• plan
• who does what- GANTT CHART (need to revise)
• Can you afford to do this- BILL OF MATERIALS
• know what your budget is
• plan that you may wan to purchase new things
• or purchase additional things (unexpected costs)
• Lack of time
• project flow diagram
• gannt chart - 
• We are behind
•  we are not managing our time very well, you need to react to falling behind fast and etc.
• design review meeting 
• design imp plan
• weekly project status reports
• progress report
• Critical path- foreseeable
• The sequence of act that must be completed on schedule for the entire project to be completed on schedule
• You need to reduce the bottle neck
• recognize them and figure out how to get past them
• Poor team work - foreseeable
• Project manager - someone who deals out stuff, are we on schedule, are we on budge, is someone aware that some ppl are not doing their job, address the problems. Do not just let the problem sit there. ADDRESS IT IMMEDIATELY!!!!!!!
• Project Mentor
• Team Peer Assessments
• Collaboration Tools
• Weekly status meetings
• Disaster/accident--- Unforeseeable
• Prepare for these
• Try to get ahead not behind.
• Expecting the unexpected
• All of the ways in which you are prepared for the foreseeable depend on the sound planning and good project management.
• Writing needs to get done. It helps communicate your project. Writing is just as important as design.
• Communication: Planning
• Design work in 364D
• Design review meeting
• design impl. plan
• testing and eval plan
• Do not "figure out as you go"
• Have a "here is what we are going to do...."
• If someone does all this work and does not tell someone about it, IT MEANS NOTHING!
• 
  

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Writing TAs and what you can expect form them: Emily

1. Follow course notes: 
2. Know where to turn things in ENS 330, successful papers are 25-30 pages, first couple are 8-12 pages
3. interpret guidelines to fit with your paper-- talk to the TAs
1. brainstorming
2. drafting
3. don't think you can do it fast and get a good grade (it will take time)

Overview of expectations

• feedback on paper and grading rubric
• come see them as often as possible

Writing considerations

• Review guidelines multiple times
• familiar w/ assessment form
• spend time evaluation and analyzing the material 
• review commas, semi-colons, and colons if needed

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Emily- presentations

• Workshop will cover delivery, structure, content, and visuals
• 2 presentations will cover different material
• 5 workshops, offered @ different times over the course of the semester
• only 2 members need to go at a time
• choose a workshop that appeals to you
• TIMES POSTED ON BB
• don't wait until the last sec
• don't sign up and not show up
• email if you cannot show up

Office hrs are on BB.

Team Fantastic is mutating?

Today, I had a lovely day packed full of senior design woes and joys.

Woes include:

• Losing 3 of our old members
• Learning about the new and confusing Senior Design system
• Finding out we lost our awesome technical TA
• Discovering we might get stuck with a technical TA, instead of a faculty mentor
• Fully grasping what a crazy time commitment this project is going to be
• Discussing testing difficulties with professor Valvano
• Searching for 1-2 more members

Joys include:

• Gaining a new member (Hieu Nguyen) with wireless and embedded programming experience
• Discovering we might get a professor mentor for our project
• Discussing technical design with professor Valvano
• Talking with fellow electrical/computer engineering colleagues and professors

You gotta love college and all the fun it provides you with. Here is to the new year, the new team member, and to adventures we shall have together.

Peace,
Charis