CS/ECE 3992
Spring 2012
General Information

Note that the School of Computing has adopted a tougher stance on academic misconduct you will need to read the policy and print and sign the form.  This form will be turned into Arlene Arenaz (the CE academic advisor) by Jan. 18.  For 3992, academic misconduct means representing as your own, work that is substantially copied from an outside source.  Since this course is all about self selected projects where you will write a proposal in various stages of completeness and give project presentations via slides, this is not likely to be a problem.  However if you use text which is slightly modified or copy diagrams that you find on the web then the source of this information must be cited.  Best practice for textual work is to cite information obtained elsewhere and provide the full reference in a bibliography.  For copied diagrams used in either your proposal or your slides then best practice is to cite the source in the caption or as text associated with the diagram.  This is not an optional practice.

Grades so far can be found here indexed by your secret integer.
Schedule 

Jan. 11 - Introduction, organization, and logistics.

Due tomorrow: Assignment #0 - you need to subscribe to the class mailing list by midnight tomorrow - Thursday January 12th.  To do this send email to sympa@list.eng.utah.edu, send this mail from the email address where you will want to receive class emails, the subject line must contain "subscribe cs3992 Firstname Lastname" (note without the quotes and the appropriate FirstName and LastName that describes you then this assignment will not be complete.)  The message body must be left blank  - you'll get a response as to whether your request succeeded or failed.  You must also send email to ald to request a "secret" integer which will allow you to view your grades since the University prohibits posting by name or id-number - if you have a particular integer that you like then ask for that - if it's not already taken then you'll get it.

Assignment #1 - good engineers fix things that are broken or just lame, in the world around them - carry a notepad and list all of the things that you find broken in the world for the next week.  Limit your attention to things that potentially have an engineering solution.  You will put these things into two categories :   problems that you've noticed and have no idea how to fix, and problems that you have an idea how to fix -  for this category sketch out a brief initial idea of how you might engineer a solution.  Random scriblings will indicate that you do not have an engineer's eye - so take this seriously.  For example, everybody knows "drivers are bad" - human nature is not an engineering problem, it's a social one.  Don't do the obvious - if you do then you'll lose.

Assignment #2: write a brief resume for yourself - including the following: contact information (phone and email), your gpa to date, list the engineering skills that you think you are good at - you may include areas that you're willing to take on because you want to learn these areas, and then list any constraints that you have.  Constraints might include: only able to meet at a particular time, not looking for team mates because you already have your team set, etc.  If you have some project ideas that  you're particularly keen to pursue then provide a brief synopsis of the ideas.  The resumes will be made available to the class to help people in forming project teams.

Jan. 18 - Project management lecture- 2 slides per page .pdf

Due: Assignment #1 - submit as a .pdf file via email to ald 'at' cs 'dot' utah 'dot' edu before class starts
        Assignment #2 - submit as a .pdf file via email to ald
        Your academic misconduct acknowledgement form must be signed and turned into Arlene Padilla Arenaz (the CE academic advisor)
Jan. 25 - Project ideas - interactive - no lecture

Feb. 1 - Project ideas - interactive - no lecture - continuation & Steve Blair w/ clinic info

Feb. 8 - Anatomy of a proposal lecture - 2 slides per page .pdf

Feb. 15 - Writing a good proposal lecture - 2 slides per page .pdf

 Due: 1 page project description .pdf due by email.  Contents: team members, functional description of what the project will do once it works, and a preliminary overview of how you will implement the intended functionality.  Plus a team meeting this week (Feb. 16 - Feb 21) to discuss your project and get it approved with Al. (schedule is here)

Feb. 22 -  Organizational issues - discussion of project presentation schedule and what is expected of the presentations and the writing assignments.

Feb. 29 (woo hoo Leap Year) - Initial project presentations in class: present functional description of what your project will do, provide view of what will be designed vs. purchased, and some details of the SW and HW design components and implementation strategy.  Each team member will be required to share equally in the presentation duties, although not everybody needs to talk every time - duties need to be shared over the semester.  You should plan your presentations to be a few minutes short (5 is suggested) to allow time for questions and comments from the class. 
   
schedule: 2:00 - 2:15 Smart House: Balling, Johnson, Rogers, Bosnjak
               2:15 - 2:30  Levitate: Parker, Blakemore, Anderson
               2:30 - 2:40  Locator thesis: Mager
               2:40 - 2:50  Wet Design clinic: Walton, Nichols

Due: Group list, and 3 page single spaced project synopsis (.pdf via email) - functional description of the project, initial ideas for implementation, initial tasking, current risks.

 Mar. 7 - Initial project presentations in class

schedule: 2:00 - 2:15 Door e-display: Hurst, Hunt, Kelly
               2:15 - 2:30 Weather Balloon: Murdock, Hutchings (non-CE members Grantham, Wells)
               2:30 - 2:40  Car Jackers: Bonnel, Tongwu
               2:40 - 2:50  Music synthesis: Reiser

         Due: Web site needs to be established.  You need to email Al the URL of your website prior to class today.  This website will continue to be maintained through fall semester 2010 only if you are doing a senior project.  Thesis and clinic students will need to do whatever your clinic or thesis advisor wants and you will not be taking 4710 in the fall - you will register for other course options that fit the clinic or thesis activity.  Your website must at a minimum contain:
  1. a log of your weekly meetings which will start this week
  2. copies of any reference materials that you use in your project and which will need to be cited in your final project proposal as well as in your final project report in 4710
  3. a copy in .pdf form of all written assignments that you will turn in for 3992
  4. a copy of each of your 3 slide presentations - also in .pdf form
Note this log needs to be maintained until you finish 4710 in the fall, but you aren't required to meet in the summer.  If you choose to meet then log what happened.  The log should contain questions or risks that were raised, plans to solve the problem, and any decisions or task assignments that were given out with a date on when those tasks are to be completed.

Organization of your web site is up to you and what makes sense will vary depending on your clinic, senior project or thesis project nature.  However everything that you will turn in this semester and in 4710 will need to be saved on your web site as well.  I will suggest the following organization - at the top level provide a brief description of what your project is about and maybe a spiffy picture to attract the readers attention.  Then you should have links to the various content sections: meeting logs, presentations, project documents (these are your writing assignments), reference materials, and whatever else you feel is relevant to your project like vendor contact information, bill of materials, etc.  Note that at the end of the term if you are not going on to take 4710 then you will turn in a CD with your website material on it, or if you're using a linux style machine then a tarball of the website tree will work fine too.

Mar. 14 - No class - spring break

Mar. 21 - Preliminary project presentations.  This presentation should have a short synopsis of the initial presentation and then more details on the implementation strategy including: preliminary tasking and schedule, interface specifications, preliminary BoM, and an assessement of the various task risks.

schedule: 2:00 - 2:20 Smart House: Balling, Johnson, Rogers, Bosnjak
               2:20 - 2:40 Levitate: Parker, Blakemore, Anderson
               2:40 - 2:50 Locator thesis: Mager

Mar. 28 - Preliminary project presentations.

schedule: 2:00 - 2:15 Wet Design clinic: Walton, Nichols
               2:15 - 2:35 Door e-display: Hurst, Hunt, Kelly
               2:35 - 2:55 Weather Balloon: Murdock, Hutchings (non-CE members Grantham, Wells)
Apr. 4 -  Preliminary project presentations.

schedule: 2:00 - 2:20 Car Jackers: Bonnel, Tongwu
                2:20 - 2:40 Music synthesis: Reiser
                2:40 - 2:50 common presentation mistakes - Al

Due: Preliminary project proposals - schedule flow, interface specifications, risks, preliminary BOM and vendors (include contact person and phone number).  This should be 5-10 pages single spaced and submit via email as a .pdf

Apr. 11 - Final project presentations in class: schedule, tasking, finalized BOM, and description of the implementation strategy.  Presentation should also be slide based and plan for 25 minutes but leave a couple of minutes for questions (hopefully there won't be as many at this stage).  

schedule: 2:00 - 2:20 Smart House: Balling, Johnson, Rogers, Bosnjak
               2:20 - 2:40 Levitate: Parker, Blakemore, Anderson
               2:40 - 2:55 Locator thesis: Mager

Apr. 18 -  Final project presentations in class.

schedule: 2:00 - 2:20 Wet Design clinic: Walton, Nichols
               2:20 - 2:40 Door e-display: Hurst, Hunt, Kelly
               2:40 - 3:00 Weather Balloon: Murdock, Hutchings (non-CE members Grantham, Wells)

Apr. 25 -  Final project presentations in class.

schedule: 2:00 - 2:20  Car Jackers: Bonnel, Tongwu
               2:20 - 2:40   Music synthesis: Reiser
               2:40 - 2:50   Course wrap-up: Al

Due: Final project proposals and Final presentation slides - both in .pdf form by email.  Project proposals should be around 20 pages single spaced and be submitted via email as a .pdf file.  For those students who will NOT be taking 4710 in the fall (e.g. clinic and thesis students) you will also submit a CD containing your web materials or a tarball of the web tree if you use a web host system for which tarballs make sense.
Previous Projects (by year)
2004
    Team Projects
    Thesis Projects (note final thesis report is with the respective advisor)
2005 (a problematic year!)
    Team Projects
    Thesis Projects (note final thesis report is with the respective advisor)
2006
   Team Projects
    Thesis Projects (note final thesis report is with the respective advisor)
 2007 - (taught by K. Stevens)
   Team Projects
    Thesis Projects (note final thesis report is with the respective advisor)
    Clinic Projects (not completed as proposed - but a pre-design of hoped for activity)
2008
   Team Projects
    Thesis Projects (note final thesis report is with the respective advisor)
    Clinic Projects (not completed as proposed - but a pre-design of hoped for activity)
 2009

   Team Projects
    Thesis Projects (note final thesis report is with the respective advisor)
    Clinic Projects (not completed as proposed - but a pre-design of hoped for activity)
Other Reference Materials

Writing References

Probably the best general reference and in my view a "must have" book is called The Elements of Style, written by William Strunk and E. B. White, now in its 4th edition, available for about $8.

Interested in improving your writing & presentation skills?  Check out a nice set of material that ECE Prof. Cynthia Furse is developing.


 
Grading Policy

Communication and planning are important engineering skills and they are extremely important in the work place.  Employers and post graduation interviews of our previous students consistently stress the need for better skills in these areas and hence they will be stressed heavily in this class. 


Grades will be based on points for each assignment:  Each assignment will be graded on a scale from 0 to 100. 

Your final point total will be based as follows:

                5% on assignments 0, 1, & 2
                5% on in class participation
                10% on the quality and detail of your web log that will start midway through the course
                15% on the initial presentation and document
                25% on the preliminary presentation and document
                40% on your final presentation and document

Both written documents and in class presentations are worth 100 points each - awarded as follows.

                50 - content
                10 - organization
                20 - clarity (organization and expression of slides for presentations; writing for the documents)
                10 - conciseness
                10 - English writing quality for written documents, speaking & slide quality for presentations.

The due time for all assignments unless otherwise specified is 2 p.m. - NO late assigments will be graded.

Your final letter grade will be normalized to the score of the best student. 

                >= 90% of best ==> A
                >=80% of best ==> B
                >=70% of best ==> C
                >=60% of best ==> D
                <60%  of best ==> E

If the best student is too good, Al will subjectively choose the appropriate student to be the top.

Note that a team, once formed, will receive the same grade for presentations, documents, and the web log.  Hence only 10% of your total grade will be strictly personal.