Conference Session

Capstone and Senior Design in Electrical and Computer ET

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Grant Richards, Purdue University; John Denton, Purdue University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

AC 2009-1976: A STUDENT-SELECTED TEAM-BASED CAPSTONE PROJECT INRF COMMUNICATIONSGrant Richards, Purdue University Grant Richards is a doctoral candidate in the College of Technology at Purdue University. He currently serves as a graduate instructor in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Technology department. His research interests include pedagogy supporting math\physics constructs, visualization tools and RF electronics.John Denton, Purdue University John Denton is an Associate Professor in Electrical and Computer Engineering Technology in the Purdue University, College of Technology in West Lafayette, Indiana. He received his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from Purdue University

Conference Session

Capstone and Senior Design in Engineering Technology

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Ivana Milanovic, University of Hartford; Tom Eppes, University of Hartford

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

Engineering from Texas A&M University and a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Michigan. Page 14.1051.1© American Society for Engineering Education, 2009 Capstone Projects for Engineering Technology: Issues, Benefits and Trade-offsAbstractCapstone courses in our engineering technology (ET) programs are structured as open-endedundertakings where students are expected to creatively analyze, synthesize, and apply a wide-variety of learning outcomes from prior coursework. A capstone project may either be industry-sponsored or internally-sourced with student teams advised by

Conference Session

Industry Collaborations in Engineering Technology

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Phillip Sanger, Western Carolina University; Chip Ferguson, Western Carolina University; Wesley Stone, Western Carolina University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

AC 2009-888: INTEGRATING PROJECT MANAGEMENT, PRODUCTDEVELOPMENT, AND SENIOR CAPSTONE INTO A COURSE SEQUENCETHAT CREATES NEW PRODUCTS AND PATENTS FOR STUDENTSPhillip Sanger, Western Carolina UniversityChip Ferguson, Western Carolina UniversityWesley Stone, Western Carolina University Page 14.765.1© American Society for Engineering Education, 2009 Integrating Project Management, Product Development and Senior Capstone into a Course Sequence that Creates New Products and Patents for StudentsAbstractThe competitive pressures of the global market have brought into sharp focus the need forcreativity, problem solving and teaming skills in our

Conference Session

Capstone and Senior Design in Electrical and Computer ET

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Fernando Rios-Gutierrez, Georgia Southern University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

successful and interesting projects, in its original format, the capstone course was tooshort and did not afford the students time to truly demonstrate their capabilities.Also, in order for the EET program to fullfill more strongly the ABET outcomes related todemonstrate that students are able to function on multi-disciplinary teams (outcome d), that theyshow a strong ability to identify, formulate, and solve engineering problems (outcome e) andare able to understand professional and ethical responsibility (outcome f). Based on these goals,the EET faculty and its Industrial Advisory Board (IAB) agreed to modify and expand the EETSenior Project Course into two courses. TEET4610 is a 1-credit course offered in the fallsemester, and a TEET4620 is a 2

Conference Session

Capstone and Senior Design in Engineering Technology

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Mary Johnson, Purdue University; Sergey Dubikovsky, Purdue University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

Aeronautical Engineering Technology program has senior level capstone courses thatintegrate knowledge gained through undergraduate courses. Three of these capstone coursesrequire the students to plan, design, build, test, and implement product or process improvements.Faculty members have designed these courses in the curriculum to focus students on productdesign and process improvement. The courses use Lean Six Sigma (LSS) methodology andtechniques as a structured approach to problem-solving, product design, and processimprovement. This combination of design project experience and LSS knowledge is anadvantage for graduates seeking careers in aerospace and aviation, as the LSS methodology iswidely used across multiple disciplines to achieve dramatic

Conference Session

Capstone and Senior Design in Engineering Technology

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Janak Dave, University of Cincinnati; Janet Dong, University of Cincinnati

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

the 2006-2007 academic year two MET students proposed, for their“senior project”, to convert an existing Mustang automobile to a rechargeable electric vehicle(REV) for commuter transportation. They derived a great deal of personal satisfaction byworking on a technically complex project.This paper will give a short description of the Mechanical Engineering Technology seniorcapstone design course sequence at University of Cincinnati, the list of pre-requisites of thissequence, and describe the 2006-2007 REV project, providing information about an affordable,efficient and cleaner method for commuter transportation.IntroductionCompleting a senior capstone design project is a graduation requirement for all students in theMechanical Engineering

Conference Session

Project-Based Student Learning: Part II

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jay Porter, Texas A&M University; Joseph Morgan, Texas A&M University; Wei Zhan, Texas A&M University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

circuitry not only works, but interfaces seamlessly with the overall system. This includes ensuring that the device can communicate with the system’s master controller. ≠ Documenting their design in such a way that it could be duplicated by a third party.Through this process, the students develop their own set of best practices so that they are trulyprepared for a very rigorous and time intensive capstone design sequence. In addition, whilethey have seen most of the design tools before, this experience prepares them to use the toolsprofessionally. Finally, this new project also gives the students a deeper understanding ofprocess control and digital instrumentation, a secondary goal that is part of the new PowerEngineering Technology

Conference Session

Critical issues in IT and IET: Focus Group

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Vladimir Genis, Drexel University; Michael Mauk, Drexel University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

AC 2009-77: A LABORATORY- AND PROJECT-BASED COURSE IN LEAN SIXSIGMA NANOMANUFACTURINGVladimir Genis, Drexel University Dr. Vladimir Genis is an Associate Professor and Applied Engineering Technology Program Director in Goodwin College, Drexel University received Ph. D. in Physics and Mathematics. Dr. Genis taught and developed graduate and undergraduate courses in physics, electronics, biomedical engineering, and acoustics. His research interests include ultrasound wave propagation and scattering, ultrasound imaging, electronic instrumentation, piezoelectric transducers, and engineering education. Results of his research work were published in scientific journals and presented at the

Conference Session

Capstone and Senior Design in Electrical and Computer ET

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Andrew Patrick, Texas A&M University; Clint Vigil, Texas A&M University; Ryan Beasley, Texas A&M University; Ben Zoghi, Texas A&M University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

AC 2009-1418: STUDENT DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT OF A TACTILEDISPLAY WITH THREE-DIMENSIONAL MOVEMENTSAndrew Patrick, Texas A&M UniversityClint Vigil, Texas A&M UniversityRyan Beasley, Texas A&M UniversityBen Zoghi, Texas A&M University Page 14.1081.1© American Society for Engineering Education, 2009 Student Design and Development of a Tactile Display with Three Dimensional MovementsAbstractThis paper describes a senior-level class project in which two Electronics EngineeringTechnology undergraduates designed and implemented a novel tactile display. The displayconsists of four pins, each attached to a platform moved by three servos. The

Conference Session

Project-Based Student Learning: Part I

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Saeed Foroudastan, Middle Tennessee State University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

prime example of a modified and extremely successful PL-TL program. MTSUengineering and engineering technology students voluntarily participate in the EVP as anexciting and challenging academic supplement, and some seniors within the program also useelements of the projects for their capstone research course6. This program is currently comprisedof five different student projects: Moonbuggy, Solar Vehicle, SAE Formula One, SAE MiniBaja, and Solar Boat. Instead of the original, established PL-TL model which has beenimplemented to improve classroom progression, the EVP includes real-world simulation andimplements its own unique style which is designed to encourage upper level college students

Conference Session

Project-Based Student Learning: Part I

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

James Everly, University of Cincinnati

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

positions in industry working for such companies as Battelle's Columbus Laboratories, Rockwell International, and Claspan Corporation. He joined the University of Cincinnati in 1985. Page 14.638.1© American Society for Engineering Education, 2009 Frequency Response of RF Transceiver Filters Using Low-Cost Vector Network AnalyzersAbstractThis paper focuses on the construction and testing of a 7 MHz Radio Frequency (RF) transceiverto provide a "Project Based Learning" RF capstone experience for students in Electrical andComputer Engineering Technology. The Transceiver Project is structured to

Conference Session

Project-Based Student Learning: Part II

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Dale Litwhiler, Pennsylvania State University, Berks; Frances Jallu, Pennsylvania State University, Berks

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

Construction of a Solar Powered Outdoor Digital Display as a Capstone Design Project,” Proceedings of the American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference and Exposition, 2004. 2. Haman, A., Ross, R., Schumack, M., et. al., “A Student-Centered Solar Photovoltaic Installation Project,” Proceedings of the American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference and Exposition, 2007. 3. Meah, K., Fletcher, S., Ula, S., and Barrett, S., “Integrating Wind and Solar Electric Energy into Power System Teaching,” Proceedings of the American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference and Exposition, 2007. 4. Al Kalaani, Y., “A Solar System Project to Promote Renewable Energy Education

Conference Session

Industry Collaborations in Engineering Technology

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Alamgir Choudhury, Western Michigan University; Pavel Ikonomov, Western Michigan University; Jorge Rodriguez, Western Michigan University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

AC 2009-2467: AN EXPERIMENTAL SET UP FOR OPTIMAL DESIGN OF AHUMAN-POWERED HYDRAULIC BICYCLEAlamgir Choudhury, Western Michigan UniversityPavel Ikonomov, Western Michigan UniversityJorge Rodriguez, Western Michigan University Page 14.193.1© American Society for Engineering Education, 2009 Experimental Setup for Optimal Design of a Human-Powered Hydraulic BicycleAbstractProduct development competitions through capstone design courses pose both, opportunities andchallenges for graduating seniors in engineering and engineering technology programs. Facultiesof relevant programs recognize the value of industry-sponsored projects for involvement

Conference Session

Curriculum in Electrical Engineering Technology

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jay Porter, Texas A&M University; Joseph Morgan, Texas A&M University; Wei Zhan, Texas A&M University; George Wright, Texas A&M University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

entrepreneurship.1,2,3 In thissame spirit of “doing” versus “lecturing”, the Electronics and Telecommunications (EET/TET)Programs at Texas A&M University have been developing an emphasis in electronics productdesign. To this end, the curriculum has been augmented to include topics such as electronicsmanufacturing, system integration, innovation, project management, and entrepreneurship. Aninitiative to team engineering technology students with business students who understandmarketing and small business plan development has also gained substantial momentum over thepast three years.4 Finally, all students are required to participate in a capstone design sequencewhere they work in teams to develop the concept for a product and implement a fully

Conference Session

Laboratories in Engineering Technology

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Austin Asgill, Southern Polytechnic State University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

flexibility in designing their curriculum. This has allowed for theproposed BMET option to be easily accommodated within the EET program. Page 14.454.3III. The EET-BMET Option Approach to Biomedical InstrumentationRecognizing that in order to provide a rounded education for our students, it was imperative thatthey be exposed to actual biomedical instruments used in the medical field, the curriculumincludes a capstone course that can be satisfied by completing either a capstone project in an area Table 1. ECET courses in the BSBMET degree program option. COURSE NAME SEMEST WEEKLY WEEKL

Conference Session

Innovations in Electrical and Computer Engineering Technology Programs

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Fredrick Nitterright, Pennsylvania State University, Erie; Ronald Krahe, Pennsylvania State University, Erie

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

descriptionsof those parts or assemblies. The ability of increased knowledge of solid modeling has becomecrucial to the success of ECET students.The new Solid Modeling course exposes ECET students to creating 3D models, creating 2Ddrawings of components, and 3D assemblies.This paper will discuss the development of a solid modeling course for ECET students. It willinclude the following information: discussion on the need for the course (i.e. driving factors),course objectives, course content, and the student’s capstone project in the course and studentcomments about the course.Background and Desired Outcomes of the CourseThe development of the course started with meetings between the MET and ECET departmentrepresentatives (i.e. the authors of this paper

Conference Session

Innovative and Nontraditional Curriculum in IT/IET

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

David Hata, Portland Community College; James Dockendorf, Normandale Community College

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

materials onto asubstrate. Laboratory exercises range from low-cost transmission lineexperiments to capstone laboratory activities using a table-top sputtering system.Faculty-enhancement workshops include both basic and advanced workshopsrelated to RF plasma processing and measurement.The project, funded through a grant from the Advanced Technological Educationprogram at the National Science Foundation (NSF # 0603175), is an extension ofwork performed at Portland Community College (NSF # 0101533). This projectincreases the robustness of the instructional modules, expands the number andscope of the laboratory exercises, and provides basic and advanced faculty-enhancement workshops for college and university faculty.This paper provides an overview of

Conference Session

Curriculum in Mechanical and Power Engineering Technology

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Brian Vuksanovich, Youngstown State University; James Higley, Purdue University, Calumet

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

considered very valuable, thereis mounting evidence supporting a reduction in the quantity of general education and an increasein discipline related classes.At the BS level, YSU requires 133 credit hours while PUC requires 125. PUC requires 15 credithours of communications while YSU requires 9. Math, science, and technical areas agree withina few credit hours. Most of YSU’s additional hours are in social sciences/humanities with 21hours required while PUC requires 9. In the technical areas, YSU shows a greater concentrationin the area of automation while PUC emphasizes project management, OSHA, and technicalelectives. Perhaps the largest area of difference is the capstone project. PUC uses a four credithour two course sequence where the students

Conference Session

Innovations in Electrical and Computer Engineering Technology Programs

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Troy Perales, Texas A&M University; Joseph Morgan, Texas A&M University; Jay Porter, Texas A&M University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

addition of a newfaculty member, re-introduced field-programmable gate array (FPGA) technology to itshardware suite and Hardware Description Languages (specifically VHDL) to its programminglanguages. The intent is to provide students with a spectrum of hardware technologies andprogramming languages to choose from in implementing their Capstone Design Projects duringtheir senior year of classes.As with many engineering and engineering technology programs, the EET/TET programsrecognized the importance of Field Programmable gate Array (FPGA) technology to thedevelopment of the digital curriculum.1,2 The faculty decided to introduce the FPGA technologyat the beginning of the technology courses required by both educational programs so that allstudents

Conference Session

Assessment and Continuous Improvement in Electronics and Electrical ET Programs

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Nasser Alaraje, Michigan Technological University; John Irwin, Michigan Technological University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

Electronics Engineers (IEEE), when itbecomes available.Senior Project EvaluationThe Senior Project Evaluation comprises the student performance on the senior capstone project asmeasured by an examiner. The examiner attends the project presentations at the end of thesemester and assesses each student based on relevant criteria using a level ranking assigned toquantify the senior project examiner’s opinion. Each project was assessed by at least twoexaminers drawn from the Industrial Advisory Board and faculty members. A rubric is developedto help in assessing students’ performance on senior project.Senior Exit SurveyThe EET program has developed a written questionnaire for graduating students called the SeniorExit Survey which all graduating seniors

Conference Session

Curriculum in Civil Engineering Technology

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Andrew Rose, University of Pittsburgh, Johnstown

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

communication tool. The AmericanSociety of Civil Engineers (ASCE) recognizes that the ability to communicate effectively is arequired outcome for civil engineering education, noting that in addition to written and oralcommunication skills, graphical communication is also important when interacting withtechnical and non-technical individuals.1Importance and Use of Hand-Drawn SketchesKivett2 notes free-hand sketching can quickly convey technical information to diverse audiences.At public meetings for proposed projects, clients often prefer free-hand architectural sketchesrather than CAD drawings since hand-drawn sketches imply the design is not set in stone,whereas the public may perceive the project as unalterable when CAD drawings are used.2According

Conference Session

Innovations in Electrical and Computer Engineering Technology Programs

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Omer Farook, Purdue University, Calumet; Chandra Sekhar, Purdue University, Calumet; Essaid Bouktache, Purdue University, Calumet; Jai Agrawal, Purdue University, Calumet; Jared Goodall, South Lake Automation

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

electrical and computerengineering. The rapid changes that are taking place in the engineering field, some of thetechniques the students learned or exposed to might have changed since the time theyentered the program to the time of graduation.Thus a capstone course was necessary to bring the senior students up to date in thevarious fields of electrical and computer engineering and to provide guidance tosuccessfully complete their senior design project. The students take courses based on theplan of study from the freshman year to the senior year when they are required tocomplete a project for graduation. Also the students may not be familiar with sub field ofelectrical engineering like power electronics if they have taken the electives

Conference Session

Issues and Direction in ET Education and Administration: Part I

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Amin Karim, DeVry University; Jennifer McClain, IEEE

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

Japan.However, although knowledge of standards should be integral to engineering and technologyeducation, standards education is still generally acquired after students graduate from college –in their professional lives and as needed. Private corporations, government agencies and otherprofessional organizations have provided this training for the last century, because mostengineering and technology programs in the United States do not have standards education intheir curriculums. In the college curriculums, consideration of standards has been generallylimited to applications in the design of senior projects. Page 14.1070.2The Engineering Accreditation

Conference Session

Engaging Students in Learning

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Val Hawks, Brigham Young University; Ronald Terry, Brigham Young University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

concepts of delegation and direction, and the difference between leadership andmanagement.Students are also given the opportunity to use a 360 self-evaluation instrument developed byMerrell to help them identify their strengths and weaknesses as leaders and as seen by others.They are then expected to formulate one area in which they can improve, work on that areaduring the semester, and write their observations in a paper submitted at the end of the course.To serve as a ‘capstone’ type of project for the leadership section of the course, the students areasked to develop a personal leadership theory and defend it in a short paper.Question 1: Do the students see themselves as leaders?Although, no formal assessment was made of the students during the

Conference Session

Assessment and Continuous Improvement in Engineering Technology: Part II

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

John Irwin, Michigan Technological University; Nasser Alaraje, Michigan Technological University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

Fluids and Power Systems. As a capstone experience senior year METstudents from each of the focus areas are required to complete a team-based senior designproject. Students progress through a two semester sequence starting with Product Designand Development presenting integrated methodologies that examine marketing,manufacturing, and cross-functional teams including concurrent engineering and projectsutilizing CAD systems, and ending with a Senior Project course including evaluation anddesign optimization methods for efficient and cost-effective designs requiring anoral/written report. In the capstone sequence the student teams generate the design,optimize the design and document the design. Then, during the last semester the teamsplan for

Conference Session

Curriculum in Electrical and Computer Engineering Technology: Part II

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Li Tan, Purdue University, North Central; Jean Jiang, DeVry University, Decatur, GA

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

our teaching methods, which include real-time signalprocessing laboratories using low-cost DSP processors, and hands-on projects. We will alsopresent a course assessment and outcome, which will include how the students apply their gainedDSP knowledge to their capstone senior projects. Finally, we will address the possibleimprovement of the course content and associated laboratories.I. IntroductionDigital signal processing (DSP) technology and its advancements have continuously impactedthe disciplines of electrical, computer, and biomedical engineering technology programs. This isdue to the fact that DSP technology plays a key role in many current applications of electronics,which include digital telephones, cellular phones, digital satellites

Conference Session

Curriculum in Electrical and Computer Engineering Technology: Part I

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Muhammad Hasan, Texas A&M University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

so,students are well informed about the choices they have for developing a working prototype fortheir capstone design project. Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) provide a flexiblehardware platform to accommodate digital systems. FPGAs provide further opportunities forruntime reconfiguration that may be quite useful in applications requiring frequent changes insystem behavior. In addition to having the necessary background in digital systems design,students need a tool that allows them to easily model their design such that the design could beimplemented smoothly on FPGAs. Very High Speed Integrated Circuit (VHSIC) HardwareDescription Language (VHDL) appropriately meets that need. VHDL even enables IntellectualProperty (IP) cores to be

Conference Session

Issues and Direction in ET Education and Administration: Part II

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Enrique Barbieri, University of Houston; Wajiha Shireen, University of Houston; Farrokh Attarzadeh, University of Houston; Raresh Pascali, University of Houston; Miguel Ramos, University of Houston; William Fitzgibbon, University of Houston

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

in Electrical Engineering from Texas A&M University. She joined the University of Houston in 1993 where she is a full Professor of Engineering Technology and Electrical and Computer Engineering. She is an IEEE Senior member and is actively involved in teaching, research and consulting in the area of power electronics, motor drives, power quality and clean power utility interface issues.Farrokh Attarzadeh, University of Houston Dr. Attarzadeh is an associate professor of Engineering Technology. He teaches software programming, digital logic, and is in charge of the senior project course in the Compute Engineering Technology Program. He is a member of ASEE and serves as Associated Editor for