Course alpha, number, title ECE 482—Capstone: Computer System Design
Course (catalog) description Major engineering design experience involving embedded systems to control processes. Contemporary hardware/software design tools and practices. Engineering standards. Cross-functional teaming. Oral and written communications. Lifelong-learning skills.
Prerequisite(s) ECE 332 or CSE 320; ECE 381
Textbook(s) and/or other required material Current literature found in trade journals, professional-society publications, manufacturer's publications, etc. related to the course learning objectives.
Course objectives

Students will learn about embedded systems—i.e., electrical systems that contain embedded computers to control processes. At the completion of this course, each student should have actively participated as a member of an engineering design team and made significant contributions to achieving the team's stated goal and objectives. Each design project should involve the collaborative development and evaluation of a "product" that contains an embedded computer.

Specific team activities should include:

  1. propose an engineering design project that has clearly stated design criteria, which includes realistic constraints;
  2. share in the day-to-day design activities and management of the project;
  3. share in the presentation of oral and written progress reports;
  4. share in the demonstration of results at key milestones during the life of the project;
  5. evaluate the project's progress and outcomes against a clearly articulated set of criteria.

At the completion of this course, each student should be able to:

  1. describe and understand the principal characteristics of a generic embedded system;
  2. understand the need for hardware and software standards and, moreover, is capable of accessing relevant standards and interpreting their meaning and application;
  3. delineate the principal design criteria and constraints for an embedded system—e.g., cost, size, power, environmental factors, reliability, safety, maintainability, and reusability;
  4. describe and understand the overall engineering design process—e.g., project justification, identification of constraints, establishment of design criteria, establishment of timetables, the partitioning of work, project monitoring, and project evaluation;
  5. describe and understand contemporary industry practices and trends with respect to embedded systems and embedded-system design;
  6. describe, understand, and apply key tools used in the overall embedded-system design process;
  7. understand the benefits and potential problems of teaming, describe qualities and processes of effective teams, and describe the role of teamwork in system design;
  8. acquire and understand information contained in contemporary technical literature—e.g., trade journals, magazines, books, conference proceedings, and supplier literature—about embedded-system hardware components, software, design tools, third-party suppliers, etc.;
  9. browse the web to acquire information about embedded-system hardware components, software, design tools, third-party suppliers, etc.
Topics covered
  1. designing embedded systems, including hardware-software co-design
  2. the need for a design criteria and for using standards
  3. the wisdom of cross-functional teaming
  4. preparing written proposals, progress reports, technical reports and technical reports
  5. preparing and presenting oral engineering reports
  6. engineering design process: modeling, analysis, simulation, prototyping and
  7. contemporary issues in embedded-system design, including engineering ethics
  8. using the web to acquire and share information
Contribution of course to meeting the professional component
  1. college-level mathematics and basic sciences—0 credits
    with experimental experience—yes or no
  2. engineering topics—4 credits
  3. general education—0 credits
Relationship of course to program objectives The following measurement standard is used to evaluate the relationship between the course objectives and selected educational-program objectives:

1 = Strong Emphasis, 2 = Emphasis, 3 = Minor Emphasis, 4= No Emphasis

Indicate the actual relationship and the desired goal as: actual/goal

  1. an ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science, and engineering—2/2
  2. an ability to design and conduct experiments, as well as to analyze and interpret data—2/1
  3. an ability to design a system, component, or process to meet desired needs—2/1
  4. an ability to function on multi-disciplinary teams—1/1
  5. an ability to identify, formulate, and solve engineering problems—2/1
  6. an understanding of professional and ethical responsibility—2/2
  7. an ability to communicate effectively—1/1
  8. the broad education necessary to understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global/societal context—2/2
  9. a recognition of the need for and the ability to engage in life-long learning—1/1
  10. a knowledge of contemporary issues—1/1
  11. an ability to use the techniques, skills, and modern engineering tools necessary for engineering practice—1/1
  12. a knowledge of probability and statistics, including applications appropriate to the program name—4/2
  13. a knowledge of advanced mathematics, typically including differential equations, linear algebra and complex variables (EE only)—3/3
  14. A knowledge of discrete mathematics—3/3
  15. Engaged in a major engineering design experience—1/1
  16. an ability to design complex devices and systems containing both hardware and software components—1/1
Class/laboratory schedule 4(3-3)—Flexible lecture schedule to accommodate the overall course learning objectives, 24-hour/day open laboratory (Room 2221 EB)
Person(s) who prepared this description P. David Fisher
Date of Preparation April 16, 1998