ECE 477Digital Systems Senior Design ProjectSpring 2006
Homework 1: TeamBuilding and Project Idea
Due: Friday, January 13, at NOON
Proposed Project Name: (See below for each idea’s name)
Team Members (#1 is Team Leader):
#1: Daniel Wilhelm Areas of Expertise: Software
#2: Jeremy Tryba Areas of Expertise: Software
#3: Thomas Higdon Areas of Expertise: Hardware
#4: Mat King Areas of Expertise: Software/Hardware Interfacing
Project Idea #1: iReader
This idea is for a handheld text file reader using a bistable display such as the WhitePaper technology from NTERA. This technology only uses power on a display change and has a higher contrast than LCD displays, looking more like paper. Our device will have a Flash memory and interface with a standard computer like a USB thumbdrive. Its purpose is to quickly read text files on-the-go with an easy-on-the-eyes display technology.
Jeremy has experience interfacing with this display from last summer, so he will interface it with the display drivers. Daniel will write input parsing, interface, file system, and text rendering firmware. Mat and Thomas will interface the USB and Flash memory with the microcontroller. The estimated cost of the device is about $100, excluding the display. We will contact the display company for an estimated cost.
Project Idea #2: Magic Wand
This device is a 3-D input device for a computer, similar to a 3-D mouse. This wired device will be used for CAD programs, 3-D games, 3-D GUIs, and will be able to emulate a standard mouse. It will feature MEMS gyroscopes to measure acceleration and some buttons for further input. The estimated cost of the device is $150, mostly being for gyroscopes. Mat and Thomas will interface the gyroscopes and USB/mouse components. Jeremy will write the client software, and Daniel will write the microcontroller firmware.
Project Idea #3: eTunes
We shall design and implement a musical synthesizer. The synthesizer’s input is from an analog music device such as a guitar or microphone. Internally, the synthesizer sends the analog signal through an ATD converter, performs an FFT using a DSP, then takes a pre-stored recording of an instrument such as a piano and matches its primary frequency to that of the analog frequency. This new waveform is converted to analog and is output to an amplifier. The intended application is as a toy for musicians or to extend their abilities in the event no instrument of the desired type is available.
The total cost should be under $150, the primary cost being the DSP chip. Thomas will connect the DSP to the ATD and DTA, Mat will analyze the necessary input and output signals and determine communication specifications, and Jeremy and Daniel will write firmware.
Project Idea #4: GameGearBoy
We shall design and implement a handheld video game unit. Using a USB thumbdrive, a single game will be downloaded from a computer to the device then plugged in to our unit. A RAM chip, microcontroller, color LCD screen, control pad, and USB interface are components which will interface together to render the game. We estimate these components to cost approximately $200. The purpose of the console is to be a simple entertainment device. Mat and Thomas will interface the microcontroller to the LCD, USB, and RAM. Daniel and Jeremy will author firmware.