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ECE 441 Senior Design
Final Design Specification
Purpose – In this document, you will revise the earlier material related to the background information and the high level design for your project and then include the details of the design.
Outline
1 Revision History – Provide a list of revisions to the document. Include what was added or deleted since the previous versions and include fields for revision number, date, and description of change. This should consist of a single page with the changes provided in table form.
Sections 2-4 are repeated from the previous assignment. You should revise these sections based on the feedback you received and include these changes.
2. Introduction (Typically less than a page) - Summarize product or design that you will be developing. Describe the application of the design and also other potential applications that may have similar requirements.
2.1 Customer Requirements & Product Background – Describe the origin of the need for the product. Who will be the target customer and why is it needed or desirable. What is novel about this product design and what applications will it serve. What are the features that the customer desires. For example, if the product has to be carried from site to site, how much can it weight? Describe some of the product tradeoffs. Also summarize the market. Who will use/buy your product? Will it be part of a larger system? If so, where does it fit in and what characteristics are needed.
2.2 Competitive Analysis - Provide a detailed spreadsheet of products/designs that are similar in function or performance. The spreadsheet especially notes features that distinguish the product in the product space. See the example provided.
2.2.1 Product Space Analysis Provide analysis of the spreadsheet’s contents and a summary of the data contained in it. This may include:
- What are the strengths and weaknesses of each of the products/designs
- highlight what features/characteristics are particularly useful/relevant to your design
- What is missing among the competition
- What is common among the competition and why commonality exists
- Is this a crowded product space (lots of products already exist?)
- Is this a new or mature product area
2.2.2 Target Feature Set Provide a list of features that distinguish your product from others also include other important characteristics or features that make your product interesting and useful to the customer. These features typically are the ones that make the product more attractive to the customer. The features should also help to clearly place the product in the competitive space; i.e; what its nitch it. The features are "bulletized" one-liners with explanations much like datasheets. See example from an integrated circuit product data sheet.
2.3 References List technical references used in the preparation including internet sites with information about other products/designs.
2.4 Naming Conventions Used Explain any naming conventions used that are not in common usage.
3 Architectural Overview – Succinctly state what this product will do including its purpose and performance. This is an expanded and more complete explanation of the feature list. Probably about 1-2 pages maximum.
3.1 Implementation Approaches - List the different approaches that could have been taken to implement the product. This should come from the spreadsheet of the product space. For each approach, tell why it was or wasn't chosen with reference to the desired feature list or performance.
4 Top Level Description - This is a high level view of the product primarily as the world interfaces to it. It also is the top-most level view of the products constituent parts. An actual physical drawing of the product may be appropriate here depending on the product.
4.1 Top level block diagram - This diagram shows the external interfaces to the product, the major internal pieces of the product, and the major interfaces between major pieces. The intent is not gory detail, but a clear, general idea of how the product is structured internally and how it interfaces to the surrounding environment.
4.1.1 Top level interface definition - This is a detailed tabular description of the interfaces in and out of the product. The level of detail is that which is necessary for someone to begin design of the inner parts of the product. Depending upon the mix of ECE/ME/CS technology used various descriptions may be needed. Typical situations are below.
- For an ECE design: Power supplies: input voltage and current Input/output signals: signal levels Protocol (USB, I2C, SPI, Serial)
the product are indivisible or that the piece of circuitry or software or hardware is well understood such that no further decomposition is needed. There was no section like this in 4.x because at this point some part of the design must be described beyond interfaces and internal blocks. Some examples....
- If the product was a washing machine, the electric motor would not be broken down into its components. Its function is well understood, and would probably be purchased as a working unit.
- If a floating point multiplier was part of a digital filter, it would be decomposed into further parts unless the design was purchased as intellectual property.
- A quicksort procedure would not be decomposed as its operation is well understood. Descriptions of how a FUB works should be of such a level of detail that anyone suitable skilled would be able to pick up the specification and implement any part of it without help. That is the standard for a specification that is well done.
5.2 Functional unit block diagram (fub2) 5.2.1 Functional unit interface definition (fub2) 5.2.2 Functional unit operation (fub2) (if this block contains no others)
5.3 Functional unit block diagram (fub3) 5.3.1 Functional unit interface definition (fub3) 5.3.2 Functional unit operation (fub3) (if this block contains no others)
6 Functional Unit Descriptions (level 2) - This section is like Section 5.1.1, except the focus shifts now to each part inside any level 1 block. Each functional block is defined in respect to its inputs and outputs as well as what blocks may reside within it. The level 2 blocks are the blocks just inside level 1 blocks.
6.1 Functional unit block diagram (fub1) 6.1.1 Functional unit interface definition (fub1) 6.1.2 Functional unit operation (fub1) (if this block contains no others)
6.2 Functional unit block diagram (fub2) 6.2.1 Functional unit interface definition (fub2) 6.2.2 Functional unit operation (fub2) (if this block contains no others)
7.0 Testing 7.1 Functional test – These are tests that insure that the system operates as specified by the specification
. It includes a list of specifications and corresponding tests used for checking compliance. These tests are run just after the system is
assembled that aid in the debug process. These tests tell us if we built the system as we said we would.
7.2 System test – These tests insure the specified system works in the intended application correctly and includes a list of specifications and corresponding tests used for checking compliance. These are higher-level system tests where the unit designed is placed into its intended application. These tests are run just prior to manufacturing and aid in the debug process at a higher level. These tests insure that the system works in the intended application.
7.3 Manufacturing Test - These are tests that insure the system was manufactured without flaw
. It includes a list of specifications and corresponding tests used for checking compliance.
7.4 Safety Test (as applicable) - T hese are tests that insure the system is safe when used as intended.
7.5 Reliability - These tests insure that the reliability of the system meets or exceeds the requirements.
8.0 Development Plan - In this section, a detailed timeline is given that shows tasks to be done with dependencies shown. Holidays, vacation time and sick leave must be incorporated into the schedule to make it complete.
Some Notes: Designs are broken down similar to a breath-first tree traversal. The process is recursively applied until the block described has no further constituent parts and all blocks have been fully described.
The design of the system is done while writing the specification. The specification is not done after but during design. The act of simply writing the specification will flush innumerable errors out of a design. It is the cheapest, easiest, fastest way to ensure a design that works correctly, on time and on schedule. It is a discipline that must be learned and practiced. It is not fun or immediately gratifying.
