Rex N. Fisher              Computer Science and Electrical Engineering Department, BYU-Idaho

ECEN 150 Assignments

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IMPORTANT: More details regarding schedules, assignments, and policies are available to registered students on I-Learn.  These items are subject to change, but students will be given advance notification of any changes.

 

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General Assignment Policy:

 

Late Assignments will usually not be accepted!

 

The only valid reasons are things that are completely beyond your control.  

 

Examples of things that are beyond your control:  (1) your pregnant wife is in labor, or (2) you are in the hospital.

 

If you believe you have similar extenuating circumstances, visit with me about them.

 

This policy may seem harsh, but your future employer(s) will be just as strict about finishing your assignments on time.  Don't believe it?  Look at this:   

 

"HP attempted to put in a bid to construct a geographical information system for the Polish Power Grid, but missed the deadline. According to the Warsaw Business Journal, the courier dispatched with the bid got stuck in a traffic jam, invalidating the bid. Eight bids were received on time."   (INSIDE HP, Traffic Stymies HP Bid In Warsaw , Tuesday, March 2, 2004) 

 

The reason for being late did not matter.  All of the time and hard work Hewlett-Packard put into the bid did not matter.  The bid was not accepted because it was late!

 

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Exams:

 

There are four tests in this course.  The lowest score will be dropped and the remaining three are worth 30% of your grade.  Each test is an open-book, open notes, open-library, open-internet test that will take you several hours to complete.  You may use your notes or any published material to help you answer the test questions.  But, you may not communicate with anyone about the test except the instructor!

 

Late exams will not be accepted!

 

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Homework:

 

Most lessons have an accompanying homework assignment.  They are worth 20% of your grade.  Homework must be submitted electronically.

 

Late homework will not be accepted!  

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Lab Experiments:

 

There are laboratory experiments in this course.  They are worth 20% of your grade.  Be sure to download any data sheets or work sheets, if they are required for a particular laboratory experiment.

 

All lab experiments must be recorded in a lab notebook.  The lab notebook has special requirements that you should read.  Also, a formal lab report must be turned in for each lab experiment.  Click on its hyperlink to see the proper format.   You can also view an example of a formal lab report.

 

These are due one week later at midnight, and must be submitted electronically.   

 

Late lab reports will not be accepted. 

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Construction Project:

 

For this assignment, you will select a simple electric or electronic project to construct.   This is worth 10% of your grade.

 

What looks fun to build?  Although you do not have to design it, you must specify the required parts, assemble it using proper construction and soldering techniques, verify that it operates correctly, document it, and demonstrate it for the class with an explanation of its operation. 

 

You may consult books, magazines, or internet sites for project ideas.  But, kits are not allowed!  You should be able to find a fun, suitable project to construct for less than $10. 

 

You will be graded in four categories: construction quality, correct operation, documentation, and presentation.

 

Construction Quality

 

The project must be constructed using a logical layout and proper soldering techniques.   

 

Here are some of the grading criteria:

 

1.    Do the solder joints have good wetting and the proper amount of solder? 
2.    Does the board layout show some planning?
3.    Are leads cut to the proper length?
4.    Is it the work of a professional?

 

Correct Operation

Does the circuit operate properly?

 

Documentation

 

Your real-life projects will be supported by dozens, and possibly hundreds, of other technicians and engineers. Your documentation should be so complete that nobody will ever need to ask you questions about what you did and how it was done. 

 

This will be a functional description and not a simple lab report.  You may use any format that logically, and completely, describes your project.

 

This is what I will look for:

 

1.    Is it written at a college level, well-organized, neat, and free from spelling and grammar errors?
2.    Are schematic diagrams, parts lists, assembly drawings or photographs, and theory of operation included?

 

Presentation

The ability to make technical presentations is crucial to your success on the job. You will frequently be required to make formal presentations about your projects to peers and management. Your future project assignments, promotions, and pay raises will be on the line.

 

1.    Do you look and sound like a professional?
2.    Are you well prepared, or are you just winging it?
3.    Is the presentation well organized and do the topics follow a logical sequence?
4.    Are visual aid used appropriately, and well?
5.    Are the technical details covered thoroughly and correctly?

 

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Preparation:

 

Each lesson has a Study Guide to help you prepare for the class discussion where you can participate in teaching one another.  The study guides are graded assignments worth 20% of your grade. 

They must be submitted before the class discussion begins.