ECE1020 Homework 2

Elevator Design Project Written Report Format:

  • One complete report should be submitted per group.
  • All the reports must be typed in MS Word. Using other programs usually leads to unneeded frustrations when combining work with other people.
  • Your report should flow and the style should be consistent. This means that all sections should use the same font, style, etc. The report should look like one complete document, not 4 or 5 smaller documents pasted together.
  • An appropriate writing style is required. Thorough explanations and proper grammar must be used throughout the report. A poor writing style will be reflected negatively in your grade. As an engineer, it is important that you are able to communicate your ideas in a clear manner.
  • Neatness and consistency are important virtues. You must also organize your report according to the sections below.
  1. Cover Page including: Title of report, Class, Date, GTA name and section
  1. Group Information (Important, ensure that your report includes all components listed below)

(a)Team member names and what sections they wrote.

(b)Percentage of contribution of each team member.

(c)Success/ability of each member to accomplish his/her assigned task.

(d)Attendance of each team member

(e)Overall team effectiveness

(f)Team member picture with a caption containing each group member’s name in the order that he/she appears in the photo.

(g)Group Number

(h)Optional: Name of Team

  1. Introduction

(a)Explain what will be covered in the report.

(b)Provide a brief description of the project.

(c)Objective of the project(s)

  1. Resources needed to create the project

(a)Parts List (listing of parts used, e.g. handyboard, # of motors, sensor types)

(b)Program Listing (complete source code listing with explanatory comments, e.g. why counter variables and their limits were chosen, etc.)

  1. Description of Methods/Procedures to Implement the Project

(a)How sensors were incorporated

(b)What sensors did you use?

(c)Explain basic operation of program, not just a listing of code, but a description of how the program works (reading sensors, interpreting data, controlling the motors appropriately)

(d)How you broke up the team (software designers vs. robot builders)

(e)Order of development (small hardware prototype, small software prototype, how you extended into full fledge program)

(f)Include relevant photos to help describe the project

(g)Include block diagrams and flow charts when useful

  1. Discussion of Results

(a)Discussion is the most important part of your report, because here, you show that you understand the experiment beyond the simple level of completing it. Explain. Analyze. Interpret. Some people like to think of this as the "subjective" part of the report. By that, they mean this is what is not readily observable from your data. This part of the lab focuses on a question of understanding "What is the significance or meaning of the results?" To answer this question, use both aspects of discussion

  1. Conclusion

(a)Difficulties Encountered

  1. Problems that arose during the lab.
  2. Solutions that your group came up with to alleviate those issues.

(b)Lessons learned while implementing the project.
(for example: The relationship between software and hardware, how could your elevator be improved – via hardware or software, what role do sensors play in a working robot/elevator, what would you have liked to add, did your initial projections about how your robot would work, match the final implementation, etc.)

  1. References

(a)Include your lab manual and any outside reading you have done. Use a journal style reference listing your references in order of use in your report, as example:

[1] GWU SEAS ECE Department, "Experiment #1," The ECE 20 Course Website, Fall 2008. <

[2] A.S. Sedra and K.C. Smith, “Microelectronic Circuits, 5th Edition,” OxfordUniversity Press, 2007.

You may also use an MLA approved format. Cite the reference within your report as follows:

“The diode equation states that the current is related to the voltage applied across it [1].”

  1. Additional Requirements:

(a)Every page of your report must be numbered.

(b)Proper grammar is important and points may be deducted if the grader sees fit.

(c)Never write in the first person in a laboratory report, some examples for avoiding the first person are as follows:

Incorrect:

“I set the Ohm meter to the appropriate range, measured and recorded…”

Correct:

“This researcher set the Ohm Meter to appropriate range…”

Or

“This student set the Ohm Meter to appropriate range…”

Or

“The Ohm Meter was set to the appropriate range…”

Incorrect:

“We decided to omit step 4 …”

Correct:

“Our group decided to omit step 4…”